What size/type dog cage to get?

jolo

Saw an old thread recommending Argos dog crate/cage but unfortunately that particular item is discontinued.

I'm getting a Bichon/Westie puppy and need to get set up for her.

Where would you recommend I buy a crate and how big does it need to be? Any particularly good value? I notice 1 of the ones in Argos has a removeable metal bottom but it seems very big. Then the others are all different sizes but the small 1 looks only small enough for transporting not as a 'den' or training area. Or is it?

Any advice on other vital stuff to start off with? I have done some research into owning a puppy but I'm trying to get my 'before' shopping list sorted?

Food/water bowls
Puppy food
Harness
Lead
Grooming brush
Teddy?
Do I need puppy 'pads'? or newspaper

Also when I'm collecting the puppy should I use a cat carrier or a small box?

Thanks.

Love all the advice and info here.

Sigma Force

Good on you for getting prepared before hand, it really helps to before getting the pup.

One thing I wouldn't bother with is puppy pads, I spent a small fortune on them before hand and they are useless things. We sectioned off the front garden and fromt he start we bring him out to go to the loo and it didn't take him long at all to whine or scrape the door to go out.

I even bought the puppy pad tray and he just tore at the pads and tried to eat it..not good for little pups so we scrapped that idea very quickly lol.

I've been through a load of collars and harnesses because I always get the size wrong, I would guess that an 8 inch collar would work for your dog to start off with. A plain light leather one is easiest to start off with.

identitag sell brilliant dog id tags very important to have.

Heavy ceramic bowls are a god send, they can't push them around and spill the water etc.

Good quality food, whatever the breeder is feeding the pup at first and if happy with the food then continue on with it. If not gradually change to another brand.

Teddys are great but make sure there's no eye or nose parts to chew off, you'd be suprised how sharp puppies teeth are.

I got a load of toys too (he's a toy breed as well) and have fond the cheap laytex or rubber ones get chewed even by his tiny teeth.

The best toys I've found he can't break bits off and he also likes are the puppy Kongs, they are brilliant and not as hard as the regular kongs so are great for teething. Lots of toys they are great for distracting from play biting.

Fleece blankets are great too, cheap and dry quickly he managed to rip the side of a wee doggy bed thing so they are pointless.

I used a small plastic cat carrier with an area for the seat belt, it's smaller so the pup won't go flying about. Currently on the look out for a larger one for the car but can't find larger ones with the seat belt holder. Even those fancy clipper ones don't have a seat belt holder and without it the plastic carriers easily go rolling around the car seat.

I got the carrier in a hardware shop for the guinea pigs ages ago and it was only about 12 quid but real handy for the first few weeks of travelling around with the pup.

There's a size guide here for crates http://petmarket.stores.yahoo.net/needhelchoos.html

I didn't bother with newspaper either he'd only of chewed it up.

Although it does mean with crate training at night that he gets up between 2 and 4 times and I expect he still will a couple of months from now lol.
Oh the joys of broken sleep.

Oh yeh a mop and bucket is great, although keep the mop away from pup coz they like to chew them. My lad scrapes at the utility door to get into it before he needs a pee because he knows if he has an accident Mr Mop comes out lol.

Speaking of mops try and use a cleaning thats pet friendly, should be able to get something in the pet shop but if not when cleaning the floors make sure the puppy isn't on them until they dry. Atm I use Zoflora great for getting rid of pee smells. Although also a vinegar, tea tree oil or lavender oil, fairy liquid mix with water works well.

There's another absolutely brilliant teething toy I got the other day, he uses it a lot and being a small breed it can be hard to find toys to fit their mouths. At first even the puppy kong for his size was too big.

It's from pet stages but I took the 3 canvas type ties off it just in case.

We have a play pen for the kitchen (from Maxi Zoo) and a small crate for beside the bed and then the plastic carrier for the car. It just saves a lot of hauling crates about.

If you can find another pup for your pup to play with it really helps as well of a playful older dog. Great for getting rid of all that bundled up energy.
Oh and social classes if possible they can be a godsend plus the pup gets to mix with all sorts of dogs.

I'll shut up now.

jolo

Thanks a million GPR.

Loads of great advice. I'll be on the lookout for all the bits and pieces.
Good luck with yours.

Do you get up and take your fella out during the night or does he ask?

Sigma Force

He asks put he's not very loud so suprised I hear him. He just whimpers in the crate and wakes me up. Occasionally I'll take him out (get my own back and wake him up lol) if I'm awake still and he's asleep so he won't wake up again for a while.

Worse than having a baby mind you noone offers to get up for a baby either or some people have selective hearing and wait for you to get up lol.

The first night or two he did wet his crate but once we got into a routine he stopped doing that and just waits to be let out. Although if I'm not quick enough he still has accidents in the house during the day but that's where Mr Mop comes in. His wees are tiny anyway. Amazing how much poop a small pup can produce though.

jolo

Ya. Not really looking forward to months of broken nights again. One of my kids had colic for a year so I know all about sleep deprivation - lol -NOT!

I thought if they were fed dry food they only had little poops. How best to clean up and de-whiff poop accidents?

clairem

Hi Jolo,

You should try the website zooplus.ie. They sell everything you'll need for your new pup on there. It's a lot cheaper than the shops and the delivery charges are very reasonable. I've bought a lot of stuff from them and have never been disappointed.

I'd definitely buy a few kong toys too if I were you - they're great for keeping pups occupied. I'd stay away from the kong filler that they sell as it's quite expensive and did not agree with my dogs at all. I normally freeze yoghurt in them or use peanut butter instead.

I thought the Argos crate was very bad quality - our staffy could escape from it in seconds it was that flimsy. We bought a savic crate from Wackers pet shop which was a bit more expensive but a lot sturdier. We've had no more successful escapes since

Good luck with your new pup

Sigma Force

zooplus.co.uk is great it's cheaper than zooplus.ie but exactly same way of ordering.

A better quality food does cut down on the smell and they poops usually stay firm. Although you'll always get the odd runnish one esp. with pups esp. if they pick something off the floor. My fella will find the tiniest little piece of gravel that's come off someones shoe and put it in his mouth and try to eat it. Saying that we try and stay a slipper household that way if we step on him by accident it wouldn't hurt as much. Luckily he's only been underfoot a couple of times hate when that happens.

They still have the same sized poops and as pups have to be fed 3 or 4 times a day you will expect to get at least 4 poops a day e.g. one in morning, one afternoon, one evening and one at night lol.

Must say though I changed to Burns 5 years ago had been feedin ped chum or Bounce or whatever before that and the difference in the honk of poop is amazing. It still smells but once cleaned up it doesn't linger much.

If there's an accident in the house I just pick the poop up with some toilet roll and flush it down the loo and then just wipe the area with the mop or some disinfectant. For the poops in the garden I have a little coal shovel and just scoop the poop every other day and fling it over the hedge to our over grown jungle that is a side garden. Then open the window, I'd avoid any air freshners or sprays but you could make up some in a bottle with triple distilled vodka, tea tree oil or lavender oil and water. Vinegar is great for cutting out stinky pongs as well.

If out and about those cheap scented nappy bags can be handy.

Oh yeh you might need some of those tear stain wipes methinks Bichons tend to get tear stains, my little lad does. Although sometimes a wet tissue works over time the stain builds up.

Ooo yeh and a mild puppy shampoo because puppy is bound to have the odd accident and walk in it, sometimes you just need to wash down the paws.

The crate I use cost around €65.00 from a pet shop years ago it's one of those black ones with a metal tray not sure of the measurements ..hang on just found the measuring tape ..61 cm long 52 cm high 45 cm wide

Which should be the size for a Bichon, met one the other day and and she was fully grown but hair cut and she was nearly the same size as our Phalene pup so there'd be plenty of room for the pup to stretch out but not enough that the pup would want to soil the bedding.

Playpen


Teething toy..it's great.


It's bonkers it's like having a baby again I have to wait until he's asleep before I can empty the dishwasher or wash floors coz he gets into everything lol.

jolo

Thanks for all the helpful advice.

Just 1 more thing(for the mo) - what type of treats/rewards are suitable for a young puppy? I've read and seen with training that they get treats to positively encourage etc. But they seem to get loads of them. Are there particular ones that are for young puppies? Surely li'uns get full easily?

Also what on earth is kibble? Is it a generic term or can you go into a petshop and just pick up a bag labelled 'Kibble'?
Is there 'Adult Kibble' and 'Puppy Kibble'?

Sigma Force

Kibble is kind of an Americanised term for dog food or dog nuts as they call it here in the country. I'd go with a high quality food for a bichon/westie type dog both those breeds can have skin problems so a cross might as well. You can get them at some pet shops now or at the vets, Royal Canin, Burns, Arden Grange etc. Check out zoolplus and mollys.ie for dog food as well.

At the puppy classes there's soft food used when training, because it's easy and quick for them to eat. It's cut up into teeny tiny pieces but I usually rip it up even smaller for our little guy as a lot of the puppies are bigger.

They use ham, cheddar and sausage or you could use tiny pieces of chicken or turkey etc. After a while you substitute treats for a quick rub and a 'good boy/girl' so eventually you don't need treats only the odd time.

Our little guy gets full halfway through a class lol so I have cut back and give him the ham or whatever only some of the time.