Puppy essentials?

OU812

We're adopting a new puppy from dogs trust after our old one passed away earlier this year.

The previous one was fully grown when we adopted him & lived for 11 more years, I estimate his age at 12½ when he passed away.

This new guy, (a Labrador), is six months old, so I honestly don't have a clue what to get for him for when he comes home next week. AFAIK he IS housetrained, but I'm fully expecting accidents due to uncertain surroundings.

xhomelezz

Patience, plenty of playtime, some toys are welcome I guess. Shoes, plenty of shoes 😁 I'm on the second one and can't complain. Always had a accidents happening at the start, but that got quickly sorted by the acces to the garden.

There's one thing about labs I think. They hate to be lonely ( Probably not only labs ). Especially when really young.

Congrats on getting a new puppy.

muddypaws

Buy Easy Peasy Puppy Squeezy by Steve Mann, fantastic book.

A nice bed, I'm a big advocate for crate training, so an appropriate sized crate, food and water bowls. A good harness for walking and comfortable lead - comfortable for the human to hold.

Toys, food and treats.

OU812

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119750847#Comment_119750847

Tell me more about the crate training. Pros/cons etc. I’m unsure about this aspect. What are the benefits? Previous guy had a comfy space under the stairs that he loved (we tried bringing him into the family room but he’d drag his bed back 😂

Max H

https://www.libertyk9.ie/how-to-raise-the-perfect-puppy/

I train with these people, very good dog trainers. The above article has a piece about crate training, hope it helps.

muddypaws

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119751074#Comment_119751074

It needs to be done properly so that the dog chooses to use the crate, so don't shut the door at the beginning.

Pros - a safe place for the dog when there are visitors, work going on in the house etc. If the dog ever needs to stay in the vet it will be less stressful if he/she is used to being in a crate.

Useful for travel, my dogs all jump into their crates in my van very happily to go anywhere and sleep in there on ferries - I've never worked out if they realise they're in a different country when we disembark and they have their first walk.

Cons - I honestly don't know any if the crate is introduced properly. It is not to be used for locking a dog into for a large part of the day.

If you have a space for your dog and don't want to use a crate the entire time, I still recommend crate training for the above scenarios.

Faith

Labradors are chewers, so you’ll need lots of toys with different textures and loads of long lasting dog treats to keep him from chewing your house up. It’ll depend whether he has his full set of adult teeth in yet or not, but things like pig/cow ears, various animal tendons, dried skins etc are all great.

Crates are great but you’ll need a big one! He needs to be able to stretch out, and if it’s too small, he won’t want to be in there.

A good harness will be important as he’s unlikely to be loose lead trained. Make sure it’s a Y or H shaped one and not one that restricts shoulder movements like a Julius K9 one. Ask in a shop like Petstop if you’re unsure.

A long line lead (5/10/15 metres) is great for allowing freedom on walks without being fully off lead.

Honestly, I’d sign up for puppy classes with properly accredited trainers or get a decent 1:1 session with a behaviourist just to get your pup off to a good start. Being a rescue, he might have some issues which would be best to address straight away. We’ve done both 1:1 training and puppy classes for our 6 mo old golden retriever (who we got at 8 weeks) and they’ve been HUGELY helpful, even though we’re reasonably experienced dog owners - puppies are a whole different kettle of fish to adult dogs!

tk123

My guy wasn’t a fan of the crate at night time so I made a pen from baby gates we already had. A good harness - I used a perfect fit because I had a pup sized one and then as he was quite a big pup hand me downs from big brother for a while then a Blue 9 balance harness. I used a rubber long line and just let him off lead from day one with the lead trailing behind so I could grab him when needed. Meal times - he was a bit barky so rather than let him rehearse bad behaviour barking at me I always got the next bowl/lick mat ready while he was eating so it was always in the fridge (I raw feed) and was out in seconds and in the crate (I have loads of crates so had one downstairs for him) for him.

For yourself a pair of slippers/boots and coat to leave by the door for toilet training lol 😝

anewme

Congratulations on the new addition. I haven't much to add on the above.

What I did:

Get a puppy consultation from a trainer (APDT accredited) before he arrives. It was the best money I ever spent! Covered welcome, travel in car, toilet training, bonding, real life situations, managing separation anxiety.

Crate Training: It was the one thing out of everything that did not work for me. He hated it. I was getting stressed so dropped it. Crate is folded up in attic. If something does not work, do not force it.

Most Recommended Advice: Go with the flow! Relax. No one died, except perhaps an item of furniture or clothing. Enjoy every moment.

tk123

Little lunch boxes are handy to have too as well as a scales so you can portion up their food.. and different treats - again near the door for toilet training to grab as you run out with them lol! An iPad/phone/speaker near the crate - I still play ‘through a dogs ear’ (piano music) for Rory to snooze to.

I won’t lie - it’s crazy lol but as long as they’re not killings themselves relax - it goes by so fast so take plenty of photos and videos to look back on!

xhomelezz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058267516/puppy-essentials

How do you get on OP, did the puppy arrived yet? I'm interested to hear any updates and experiences on your side. Thanks

OU812

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119779011#Comment_119779011

Picking her up tomorrow.

hamburgham

A crate/ cage is not necessary, they are actually banned in many countries where it is not considered acceptable to lock a dog into one. It is perfectly possible to train a dog without locking them into a cage, it used be the norm. I don’t know how or why this became acceptable, it seemed to coincide with the growth in the puppy farms and people getting a dog who weren’t prepared to let the dog be a dog. I sometimes think these people think that a dog is just a cuddly toy with a heartbeat.

DBB

Hamburgham

This soapbox you insist on spreading misinformation from is still not tolerated, even since the last time I had to say it.

Do not post in this thread again. The next time I have to warn you or threadban you, you will also receive a forum ban, because I've enough of your timesink posts now.

If you wish to discuss this, do not do so on thread. PM me.

Thanks,

DBB

Note... For the purposes of informing readers correctly, crates are not banned in certain countries, though it is illegal to leave dogs in them for longer than a few hours. Which is totally fair enough. Nobody who advocates for their correct use advises for them to be misused/abused by leaving dogs in them for hours on end.

OU812

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119779011#Comment_119779011

So... As this thread was resurrected 🤨

She's getting on great, fit in extremely well. Has a lot of energy & is a very early riser, when the kids go to bed, she just settles quietly, but when they're around, she's like a whirlwind.

Losses so far include a TV remote, and one of a brand new pair of nike runners 😕

xhomelezz

Great to hear that OP. Yeah they do that, the minute house is up, they ready for action too. Our pup (not lab, but is cohabiting with one) wakes up on my first alarm in the morning and she makes sure I'm up too and not late to work. Older one, lab, stays comfy and looking at us like...yeah yeah, play with fire etc. wisdom, joins up at the end anyway 😁

Hey it's great she is enjoying stay with you guys, I'd say losses are acceptable 😉. She'll bring plenty of joy, loyalty and happiness. Friend for a long time.