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Ah thank you!!!
So guys I hope you can all help me!!
We have a puppy coming in 6 weeks and I just want to check I’ve done/bought everything any tips or advice for the early days would be most welcomed.
We’ve thought about this for years and our kids have now left home so we feel the time is right. Plus my husband has just retired.
I’m just super nervous!! And my main worry is I’ll never sleep again! Other than that I’m pretty confident I’ll be ok!
We’re going to use a crate. And I’ve sorted insurance.
Any replies at all will be so welcome!! Even the bad ones
Let me know what’s to come!!
Best
Jean x
Congratulations on the new addition! I've added 3 pups to my family in the last 2.5 years 
lol. My biggest advice is to get them somewhat on a routine when they come home. My chihuahuas would sleep from about 11/12 until 6am most nights at 10 weeks old. They would take a nap around 8 and then get up around 930/10 play and then sleep. The first few weeks they sleep ALOT
lol. My biggest advice is to get them somewhat on a routine when they come home. My chihuahuas would sleep from about 11/12 until 6am most nights at 10 weeks old. They would take a nap around 8 and then get up around 930/10 play and then sleep. The first few weeks they sleep ALOT
The pup will likely nip when they are going through the teething stage, I got a bit disheartened and panic stricken thinking he wouldn’t grow out of it but he did 
I think it’s good for them to learn words associated with being good and naughty early on, for the nipping it was ah ah ah and we did for a while move on to squirting him with a water bottle so he learnt it was wrong. He’s 90% a good boy now with the occasional naughty boy thrown in
I think it’s good for them to learn words associated with being good and naughty early on, for the nipping it was ah ah ah and we did for a while move on to squirting him with a water bottle so he learnt it was wrong. He’s 90% a good boy now with the occasional naughty boy thrown in
So do you mean putting them to bed at regular times and that sort of thing?Congratulations on the new addition! I've added 3 pups to my family in the last 2.5 years
Do you just make sure they’ve had a wee and shut the cage? With a puppy pad in? Do you go to them if there crying? All these questions!!!
Thank you!The pup will likely nip when they are going through the teething stage, I got a bit disheartened and panic stricken thinking he wouldn’t grow out of it but he did
I think it’s good for them to learn words associated with being good and naughty early on, for the nipping it was ah ah ah and we did for a while move on to squirting him with a water bottle so he learnt it was wrong. He’s 90% a good boy now with the occasional naughty boy thrown in
Do you just discourage the nipping then? Saying no and pushing them away?
I got a puppy at the start of lockdown, he is 9 months now
I got him into a routine as soon as I got him home. Set bed time every night and got up at the same time every morning with him to start with. Before putting him in his crate, I took him out for a wee and then popped him in. In his crate, I just had the bed and a soft cuddly toy and his blanket I got home from the breeder. I was told not to put pads in as it encourages them to wee in their sleeping area. I was very lucky in that he slept all night with no accidents, but I know others aren't so lucky but they will soon learn. He cried for 15 mins or so the first 2 nights and then he was absolutely fine. He still sleeps in his crate every night and he knows that the crate is his bed.
In terms of making sure you have everything, the below is what I used:
Crate
Bed
Blanket
Soft toys and chewy toys
Puppy brush and shampoo
Collar and lead to start getting them used to it
Harness
Old towels
Seatbelt for the car if they will be in it
Training treats
I didn't use puppy pads as found they were a step back, I just took him outside every 20 - 30 mins
Good luck! You will love it!
I got him into a routine as soon as I got him home. Set bed time every night and got up at the same time every morning with him to start with. Before putting him in his crate, I took him out for a wee and then popped him in. In his crate, I just had the bed and a soft cuddly toy and his blanket I got home from the breeder. I was told not to put pads in as it encourages them to wee in their sleeping area. I was very lucky in that he slept all night with no accidents, but I know others aren't so lucky but they will soon learn. He cried for 15 mins or so the first 2 nights and then he was absolutely fine. He still sleeps in his crate every night and he knows that the crate is his bed.
In terms of making sure you have everything, the below is what I used:
Crate
Bed
Blanket
Soft toys and chewy toys
Puppy brush and shampoo
Collar and lead to start getting them used to it
Harness
Old towels
Seatbelt for the car if they will be in it
Training treats
I didn't use puppy pads as found they were a step back, I just took him outside every 20 - 30 mins
Good luck! You will love it!
Yes we were trying to teach him to play without nipping, so saying no and giving him a toy instead or if all else failed squirting him. It’s strange because now he can lick my fingers and even gently nibble so he deffo learnt the difference I think it’s just persistence on your part and routine. Another thing, they will get under your feet in the kitchen especially when there’s food about - my vet said the more times they get stepped on the quicker they will learn not to be stood right under you!
We got our puppy in November, did some research online about crate training, a few websites suggested putting the crate in our bedroom so that’s what we did. The first week he cried an awful lot, it was worse than having a baby, each time he cried one of us got up and took him straight outside, we’ve used the command wee wee’s and still use it now. He has never had a toilet accident in his crate, it’s a safe place for him to go when he’s fed up of the kids or I can put him in there when I nip out and I’m confident I won’t come home to a mess which I’m thankful for. I also bought a teddy on Amazon that mimics the mothers heartbeat, I think that made the nights easier too. Good luck, I bet you can’t wait, It’s been difficult but it’s the best thing we’ve done.
Thank you!
Think we’re going to put the crate in the kitchen. I’m pretty sure we’d hear him but may buy baby monitors too?? So if he’s crying do you let them out for a wee or leave them? The nights are my biggest worry. As if they learn crying gets them let out that can’t be good right? Just don’t want to mess it up!!
It was the first three maybe 4 nights we took him out every time, each night it got less and less, then he slept through. I didn’t want him having accidents in his crate because once they do they pick up the scent it’s hard to stop them going there again which is one of the main reasons we put him in our bedroom x
Ah ok that makes sense. Maybe we could reconsider the location then.
where did everybody else put their cages?
When we got our puppy we slept with him in the kitchen for the first couple of nights as we didn’t want to him to feel abandoned. After this he knew the house and smells etc we went back upstairs and he was fine. First night no crate and the second night we put him in his crate with us right there and he was fine 
getting a crate was the best thing we did as it gave him his our space and security he had it for a year and then we just didn’t use it anymore. Congratulations and take lots of photos it goes so quickly.
getting a crate was the best thing we did as it gave him his our space and security he had it for a year and then we just didn’t use it anymore. Congratulations and take lots of photos it goes so quickly.
I tried crate training with my first puppy, he would howl all night no matter what you did. So second I didn’t bother. She went straight into a basket next to my bed. (You’ve chosen crate and fingers crossed it will work for your family) just enjoy it try not to panic. Lots of praise for outside toilet and just try and ensure they get used to you leaving the house without them as obviously this is an odd time so lots of puppies are going to have some serious separation anxiety when we finally come out of this. And that’s a bloody nightmare
I think this is my fave option. I can put an air bed in the kitchen with him.When we got our puppy we slept with him in the kitchen for the first couple of nights as we didn’t want to him to feel abandoned. After this he knew the house and smells etc we went back upstairs and he was fine. First night no crate and the second night we put him in his crate with us right there and he was fine
thays why I love it on here, always such good advice xx
Of course, separation anxiety! I’ll make sure we keep popping out once he’s settled a bit so he’s used to it. Never thought of that. Thank you
Thinking back it was such a fun night we were worried we wouldn’t sleep but he actually just slept at our feet the whole night. We also put blankets over the crate to make it a cosy den for himI think this is my fave option. I can put an air bed in the kitchen with him.
thays why I love it on here, always such good advice xx
Of course, separation anxiety! I’ll make sure we keep popping out once he’s settled a bit so he’s used to it. Never thought of that. Thank you
plus the kitchen was tiled so easy to clean any mess! Puppy pads were a waste of money he just chewed them to pieces never peed on them once, ended up giving them to a rspca centreAhhh how exciting!!
We got our pup in lockdown.
He slept in his crate at night. Put him in 10pm-6am. He cried for about 10 minutes the first two nights then that was it. We put a puppy pad in there and a small bowl of water and one toy and his bed of course. We started having him sleep with us at 5 months.
Toilet training - we used to go in the garden with him every hour (but not after bed time) yes it’s boring and frustrating doing it every hour but it works.
Toys - lots to chew
Also, although insured see if your chosen vets do a wellness plan - we pay just under £20 a month and it covers a lot!
More than anything, have fun! You will giggle so much and your pup will bring a lot of joy.
We got our pup in lockdown.
He slept in his crate at night. Put him in 10pm-6am. He cried for about 10 minutes the first two nights then that was it. We put a puppy pad in there and a small bowl of water and one toy and his bed of course. We started having him sleep with us at 5 months.
Toilet training - we used to go in the garden with him every hour (but not after bed time) yes it’s boring and frustrating doing it every hour but it works.
Toys - lots to chew
Also, although insured see if your chosen vets do a wellness plan - we pay just under £20 a month and it covers a lot!
More than anything, have fun! You will giggle so much and your pup will bring a lot of joy.
When you first bring puppy home, decide where you want him/her to toilet. Take them out every hour, when they perform, praise and use a word you want to associate with the function.
Leave it a little longer between outings as the days go on, keep repeating the words every time they do the business (good boy wee wee or whatever). I set my alarm to get up in the night to do this too when training a pup.
Eventually as they learn, they should get used to being put out and when you give the 'good boy wee wee' command, they'll do it on command. You will have a few accidents to start with, but it is worth the time and effort, I've never used puppy pads and always managed to have mine doing the biz outside within about 6 weeks.
To build strong bones, give them a little bit of goats milk once a day, until 6 months old. An old farmer sent me home with a plentiful supply when my first lab was 6 weeks old, he bred field trial champions & it's the best thing I ever learned about raising strong healthy pups.
When you feed him/her, get them used to letting you stop them eating and take the dish halfway through, then give it back after a couple of minutes. This teaches them not to be aggressive or greedy around food, you never know when they may accidentally pick something up that you don't want them to eat and need to take away from them quickly. X
Leave it a little longer between outings as the days go on, keep repeating the words every time they do the business (good boy wee wee or whatever). I set my alarm to get up in the night to do this too when training a pup.
Eventually as they learn, they should get used to being put out and when you give the 'good boy wee wee' command, they'll do it on command. You will have a few accidents to start with, but it is worth the time and effort, I've never used puppy pads and always managed to have mine doing the biz outside within about 6 weeks.
To build strong bones, give them a little bit of goats milk once a day, until 6 months old. An old farmer sent me home with a plentiful supply when my first lab was 6 weeks old, he bred field trial champions & it's the best thing I ever learned about raising strong healthy pups.
When you feed him/her, get them used to letting you stop them eating and take the dish halfway through, then give it back after a couple of minutes. This teaches them not to be aggressive or greedy around food, you never know when they may accidentally pick something up that you don't want them to eat and need to take away from them quickly. X
Congrats on your new arrival! It sounds like you are more than ready to have a puppy and have done loads of research so you will be fine. It will bring you so much joy having a dog it is the best thing I’ve ever done 
Have plenty of carpet cleaner ready for any little accidents. Mine got the hang of toilet training really quickly but they don’t always make it outside or to their puppy pad.
I’m not sure what you are doing about dog food but there is a website called allaboutdogfood.co.uk you put your dogs age and breed in and they will show you the best food and what people have rated it. I had a dog trainer who advised me to use the website
It can seem really hard sometimes when they are teething or pooing on your carpet The puppy stage doesn’t last too long though and they grow out of it all quite quickly with a lot of guidance and patience.
Have plenty of carpet cleaner ready for any little accidents. Mine got the hang of toilet training really quickly but they don’t always make it outside or to their puppy pad.
I’m not sure what you are doing about dog food but there is a website called allaboutdogfood.co.uk you put your dogs age and breed in and they will show you the best food and what people have rated it. I had a dog trainer who advised me to use the website
It can seem really hard sometimes when they are teething or pooing on your carpet
The puppy stage doesn’t last too long though and they grow out of it all quite quickly with a lot of guidance and patience. When we got our pup a couple of years ago we had a crate set up in the kitchen for her with a blanket and teddy that had the scent of her mam and litter mates. We let her have a sniff round and acclimatise herself to the new environment. We made sure to take her into the garden for the toilet every 20-30 minutes initially and straight after she woke/ate/had played.
She cried about 5 minutes the first night when she was left but soon settled down. Alarm was set from 11:30pm for every few hours for one of us to get up and take her straight out of the crate for the toilet outside. The following nights we increased the time between alarms. She was toilet trained really really quick. Just make sure you make the biggest fuss ever when the pup goes to the toilet in the right place. I personally think puppy pads send the wrong message to pups. Puppy bells on the door handle are a good idea so they can ring the bell when they want to be let out.
Don’t think you need to be quiet around the pup, get the pup used to hoover, hairdryer etc.
Also like someone else has said above, it’s important that the pup gets used to being left so keep going out for a few minutes here and there and build it up. Don’t make a massive fuss when you leave, just go.
I would also recommend looking into raw feeding.
Good luck
She cried about 5 minutes the first night when she was left but soon settled down. Alarm was set from 11:30pm for every few hours for one of us to get up and take her straight out of the crate for the toilet outside. The following nights we increased the time between alarms. She was toilet trained really really quick. Just make sure you make the biggest fuss ever when the pup goes to the toilet in the right place. I personally think puppy pads send the wrong message to pups. Puppy bells on the door handle are a good idea so they can ring the bell when they want to be let out.
Don’t think you need to be quiet around the pup, get the pup used to hoover, hairdryer etc.
Also like someone else has said above, it’s important that the pup gets used to being left so keep going out for a few minutes here and there and build it up. Don’t make a massive fuss when you leave, just go.
I would also recommend looking into raw feeding.
Good luck
Crate training is amazing for pups! Makes them feel safe we done crate training with our pup nearly 4 years ago and even now he won’t sleep in our bed!!!! He loves his own space. When he was totally trained we then took away his crate and replaced it with a big fluffy bed in the exact same place. Much to my dismay though as some nights I’d love for him to sleep in our bed all night 
I would recommend the puppy pads at the start to get the training going. My advice is to leave the puppy pad by the door to go outside - our pup stays in the utility room so his puppy pad was at the door we went out to bring him out for his bits. This means when you take the puppy pads away that they will still go to that same spot so it will be easy for you to know when they want to go.
Key word for doing their bits! We always used “toilet” and it worked for us. I know I sound crazy but you need to be over the top with using it at the start and stick with it and when goes outside go OTT with the praise and treats - I mean crazy person positive and loads of puppy treats and cuddles/praise, this will train them quicker
Pups love company! Leave a radio on all the time for them if in kitchen/utility etc. It means if your sleeping upstairs they will have a bit of background noise and it will comfort them.
We found it beneficial to give all the food in the morning when it came to toilet training/creating good habits - obviously this was OKd by vet etc. Means they can get into the habit quicker and your about during the day for toilets etc. No sense giving it to them at night and causing them anxiety for toilet when your not their to help. Obviously this won’t happen straight away but persist and it will work
Most importantly enjoy your pup you might not get sleeping through the night for a while at the start but they are sooooo worth it 
we done crate training with our pup nearly 4 years ago and even now he won’t sleep in our bed!!!! He loves his own space. When he was totally trained we then took away his crate and replaced it with a big fluffy bed in the exact same place. Much to my dismay though as some nights I’d love for him to sleep in our bed all night I would recommend the puppy pads at the start to get the training going. My advice is to leave the puppy pad by the door to go outside - our pup stays in the utility room so his puppy pad was at the door we went out to bring him out for his bits. This means when you take the puppy pads away that they will still go to that same spot so it will be easy for you to know when they want to go.
Key word for doing their bits! We always used “toilet” and it worked for us. I know I sound crazy but you need to be over the top with using it at the start and stick with it and when goes outside go OTT with the praise and treats - I mean crazy person positive and loads of puppy treats and cuddles/praise, this will train them quicker
Pups love company! Leave a radio on all the time for them if in kitchen/utility etc. It means if your sleeping upstairs they will have a bit of background noise and it will comfort them.
We found it beneficial to give all the food in the morning when it came to toilet training/creating good habits - obviously this was OKd by vet etc. Means they can get into the habit quicker and your about during the day for toilets etc. No sense giving it to them at night and causing them anxiety for toilet when your not their to help. Obviously this won’t happen straight away but persist and it will work
Most importantly enjoy your pup
you might not get sleeping through the night for a while at the start but they are sooooo worth it