Advice on getting new puppy

[AutumnLaughs]

Be prepared for very little sleep, lots of nipping and generally having your house turned upside down!

We got our first puppy in April, and it was bloody hard work. My parents have had dogs since I was a baby so always been around them, but it’s so different having your own.

The 8 year old got the brunt of the puppy nipping and it was pretty bad, his arms were scratched and bitten a lot.

I’m not saying this to put you off but to just prepare yourself, I didn’t realise how hard it was and not sure I’d have coped if my kids were toddlers.

He’s an absolute delight now and it was worth all the stress

I agree, it's stressful, messy and bloody hard work. Training is hard, but once they pass that stage it's all worth it.

 

[TescoSainsburys]

Yes I will be crate training. Somewhere for the pup to have it's own quiet den.

They love it, mine are 6 and 7 and still love them, if I can’t find the cat she’s normally asleep in one of them.

 

[Itsallaboutmememe]

Don’t do what my son did
saw a dog (staffie) who had been abused online and was up for sale via a ‘charity’
thought ‘I’ve always wanted a dog’
had nothing in for a dog-no lead no bowls no nothing
travelled the length of the country to buy him then rang me to tell me
he works nights to top it off
thankfully it’s worked out really well-his mate or girlfriend stays overnight with the dog
my son has lost 3 stone due to walking him
the dog is now a pleasure to be around (we think he’s two but not sure) but the first 12 weeks where hell on Earth
he howled all the time
hadnt been done so humped everything in sight (he’s had the snip now and has calmed right down)
Chewed everything
Had really bad doggy manners
would go for anyone with a baseball cap on
Farted like it was going out of fashion-we changed his diet and that seemed to help
he would leap up at anyone
he hated other dogs
would pull us over on walks
Would roll in any type of poo-fox/cow being his favourite

he doesn’t do any of that now but it took a lot of round the clock training to get to that point

hes such a lovely dog-we’ve all put so much into him and he’s blossomed so well but do your homework first

im still pissed with my lad-it could have ended up with the dog going back into rescue kennels again and that’s not fair but credit to him he’s really turned things around for the dog so hopefully we get him for many more happy years to come

but I’ve told him never again-my nerves can’t take it!

 

[Mustard]

Fully agree, I’m not into cross breeds.
People have been trying to get Labradoodles to be a recognised breed, personally I think they’re an abomination and most in the UK can be traced back to an epileptic dog brought in from Australia (sorry doodle lovers)

They are an unpredictable cross. Never know how a first cross will go. I’ve seen gigantic ones, with labs crossed with a standard poodle that have really bizarre coats, and in my opinion are frankly too big and uncontrollable for the average person.

 

[Jaeme]

Fab news, hope the viewing goes well!

Thought of another tip kinda relevant to working from home -
Train the puppy to be left. Initially just a couple of minutes and slowly build it up so they can be left alone if you need to pop to shops or whatever.
It’s harder to do that when you work from home as you’re together a lot so likes of initially make the pretence of going out but just be a little bit down the road etc

Helps to stop separation anxiety being a thing further down the line if they do need to be left for any reason.

About to have to do that myself as we are looking to get another Labrador and I work from home most of the time just now

 

[Mustard]

I’ve met some charming border terriers. I’ve also met some not very charming ones. They can be very wilful as is typical of terriers. Pick your breeder carefully and ask for a puppy that hasn’t been vaccinated before you get them so you can decide when to give vaccinations. Too many people are vaccinating puppies before they leave the litter, due to vet pressure, and this never used to happen. One shot after age 10 weeks of DHP is sufficient. This is what the manufactures insert accompanying the vaccine says this.

Do not give a Lepto shot. Go the FB page Novibac Lepto4 Our Experiences for reasons not to.

A good FB Group to join is Canine Health Concern - Natural Healthcare. Also, 5he Raw and Holistic Cat and Dog Support Group.

An acquaintance I used to dog walk with had a wonderful border terrier female. I asked how she found her and she said she had to penetrate the inner sanctum of border breeders in order to get her.

 

[Rose91]

Also encourage people not to use puppy pads as this can cause laziness and delays toilet training. Best thing is to take the puppy outside every half hour, no matter the weather, and use words such as ‘hurry up!’ And ‘pee pee pee’ and don’t go back inside until they have been then do loads of over the top praise (even if the neighbours think you sound weird).

Mine will pee on command when saying hurry up

 

[Sp20191]

I've decided to halt looking for a puppy as I've been distracted by other breeds (cockapoo and cavapoo). I'm going to wait until I know exactly what I want .

I have a cockapoo....he’s amazing but he wasn’t my first choice of breed, so glad I waited and researched more x

 

[FCD]

Yes that's what I'm doing at the moment. I know what you're saying but I'm not the type to buy an animal for its looks. I'm considering a small terrier such as a border terrier as that's what I grew up with. I'm giving myself about 12 months to research and learn etc.

Be VERY VERY careful about where you buy from. Puppy farms are a huge problem. You should be able to see the mother and the rest of the litter as well as any other dogs the breeder may have.

 

[Mustard]

Yes I saw all the paperwork for the health tests, I dont know why I didn't ask.

What health tests did you see? Also, how do you know it was for the parents of the puppy? I would have asked why was she breeding this cross? Was it a first cross? Who was the mother?

 

[Rose91]

Hmmm I'm not worried about my clothes but I really dont want my kids to be negatively affected

One of our puppy buyers had problems with their puppy and children where she would chase the girls/steals socks etc when they were getting ready for school. They got a dog trainer who said it’s not the puppy but the children as they would run around screaming, playing with her at the weekends then when it was time to get ready for school she would still think they were playing. When he said to the girls they need to be calm around the puppy at all times, her behaviour completely changed and they’ve had her 8 years without any problems.

The key thing is to explain to children that the puppy isn’t a toy and they need to set boundaries and be calm

 

[Konstantine]

I would say you absolutely need to be at home with them as much as possible for your own mental well being as well as theirs. Once they are through the puppy stage it will be much easier x

 

[GossipMongoose]

Yep I know which health tests the parents need to have but I will definitely check what the paper should be like as I was wondering how to spot fakes. I haven't chosen a breed because its trendy I'm not that shallow.

Hmmm I'm not worried about my clothes but I really dont want my kids to be negatively affected

Sorry, I wasn’t suggesting you are shallow. I think a lot of people get sucked into the ‘poo’ crosses because of the talk around them being the ‘ideal’ hybrid of their mix and also the ‘hypoallergenic’, no shed thing (rubbish, they are low shed and less likely to cause allergies but they are not truly ‘hypoallergenic’ or non shedding). Plus, obviously they are very cute. They don’t realise that as someone further upthread said, they are just as likely to inherit the ‘negative’ aspects of their breed/s traits, as the positive. The risk increases if they are bred by poor breeders who either don’t know enough about what they are doing, or don’t care.

Terriers are pretty robust, health-wise but there are health checks. There are a few health tested Border litters on Champdogs at the moment.

 

[Orange Creme]

One of our puppy buyers had problems with their puppy and children where she would chase the girls/steals socks etc when they were getting ready for school. They got a dog trainer who said it’s not the puppy but the children as they would run around screaming, playing with her at the weekends then when it was time to get ready for school she would still think they were playing. When he said to the girls they need to be calm around the puppy at all times, her behaviour completely changed and they’ve had her 8 years without any problems.

The key thing is to explain to children that the puppy isn’t a toy and they need to set boundaries and be calm

Yeah I've taught them so far: to stroke a dog from collar to tail, that if a puppy nips to turn their backs and cross their arms so basically ignoring it and never touch a dog who is asleep or eating. It's my 9 year old I'd be worried about as she probably wouldn't follow my advice and is actually a cat person.

 

[GossipMongoose]

I have a Labrador. He is fab but bloody hell he was hard work as a puppy (and he was an entirely normal puppy in terms of behaviour, from what I saw in puppy class and from talking to other owners). Toilet training was fine but the chewing and nipping (biting) was a definite challenge. My youngest child is at sixth form and she very quickly had enough of his biting shenanigans, I wouldn’t want a bitey, overexcitable puppy around kids, tbh.

Managing puppies behaviour and supervising them at all times, including the very regular outdoor toilet visits and multiple night wakings for toilet visits is knackering and stressful. Adding young kids into the mix and my nerves would be in shreds. You get cabin fever during the first 4 weeks before they are able to go out properly (fully vaccinated). The advice about carrying them is great if you have a little toy breed but if you have a large breed puppy, they soon get very VERY heavy and impractical to carry about. My lad was 9.5kg at 10weeks!

Honestly, I love my dog but the puppy months are RELENTLESS.

I would voice a word of caution re these trendy mixed ‘poo’ breeds. They are almost exclusively bred by puppy farmers and backyard breeders (because they are fashionable, very expensive to buy, in high demand). Finding an ethically bred, healthy puppy of this type is very, very difficult indeed. With recognised pedigree breeds you can source quality breeders and litters via sites like Champdogs (require at least one health tested parent). Please also avoid brachy breeds (flat faced like pugs, french bulldogs etc). These dogs are so poorly bred that they fight to snatch every breath and many have to have painful airway surgery.

Whichever breed or mix you choose, please read into it properly, speak to a vet or two for advice before you buy and understand what you should be looking for in terms of health testing, traceable veterinary care (headed paper? check up on it, it is easily faked), ask how many litters the bitch has had (max of 4 as recommended by the Kennel Club but many reputable breeders will only go to 3). When did she deliver her last litter? If it is less than 12 months ago, be concerned. 18months+ is preferable. Avoid Gumtree, Pets4Homes & Facebook puppies.

 

[thenomad]

Socialization is important to instill at a young age but only after his/her initial vaccines and once you get the okay-go from the vet. Parvo can be quite deadly especially for pups.

Like everyone else said, housebreaking depends on the breed. It’s okay to use those training pads for them to go indoors or when they have accidents but don’t train the puppy to rely on those solely. I find a lot of people do this for their smaller breed dogs to replace walking altogether and it can lead to confusion about whether it is okay to go potty indoors or not well into their adult years.

When they start teething they’re going to be brats and will try to chew everything up on sight. Have a lot of chew toys and appropriate bones on hand when puppy reaches this stage. And to have lots of patience.

Invest in a good local dog trainer. Do lots of research on this. Some important tricks to learn is heel, having good recall, sit, and learning to leave it.

Also, start crate training when they’re young. So they have a safe place at home when you’re away which will lead to less destructive behavior as well as reduce separation anxiety.

Most of all enjoy the puppy stages and take lots and lots of pictures. It goes by so quick.

 

[Orange Creme]

They are great

No she was fine at night, no accidents, my other half gets up early for work so she got let out as soon as he woke up

Oh that's perfect. I'm very broody for s border terrier right now

 

[GossipMongoose]

If you get a cross bred (or any other dog) make sure all necessary eye, hip etc tests have been done, as many cross breeds are bred by first time breeders they may not recognise the importance of this.

First time breeders AKA ‘backyard breeders’ who are after a quick buck from mating their pet ‘cute dog’ with their mate’s/neighbour’s/bloke from the pub’s pet ‘cute dog’. No health testing on either parent, no thought to the compatibility of the temperaments of the parents (and the result it might have on the puppies), just ££££ in their eyes at the thought of £2k per puppy.

 

[TescoSainsburys]

Yeah I've taught them so far: to stroke a dog from collar to tail, that if a puppy nips to turn their backs and cross their arms so basically ignoring it and never touch a dog who is asleep or eating. It's my 9 year old I'd be worried about as she probably wouldn't follow my advice and is actually a cat person.

Don’t worry a dog will convert her

 

[Orange Creme]

Sorry, I wasn’t suggesting you are shallow. I think a lot of people get sucked into the ‘poo’ crosses because of the talk around them being the ‘ideal’ hybrid of their mix and also the ‘hypoallergenic’, no shed thing (rubbish, they are low shed and less likely to cause allergies but they are not truly ‘hypoallergenic’ or non shedding). Plus, obviously they are very cute. They don’t realise that as someone further upthread said, they are just as likely to inherit the ‘negative’ aspects of their breed/s traits, as the positive. The risk increases if they are bred by poor breeders who either don’t know enough about what they are doing, or don’t care.

Terriers are pretty robust, health-wise but there are health checks. There are a few health tested Border litters on Champdogs at the moment.

Hey dont worry, I know a lot of people are shallow when it comes to breeds. I used to have a new forest pony and was very looked down on my other girls at the stables but i loved her. Borders are my absolute favourite, I've just heard that they are hard to train from fellow members in the border terrier group I'm in- but I'm not sure if that's true.