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Few questions for new puppy in a week

1K views 9 replies 7 participants last post by  MT523 
#1 ·
Hello, I have few questions before I pick my puppy up in about a week, then I'll really have some questions! By the time I get her home it will probably be around 3 or 4 in the morning, maybe earlier.

After I take her to the backyard and she gets situated inside, can I crate her for an hour or two? I don't want the crate to feel negative but can't really make it feel positive in a short time frame other than sleeping right next to her. Or should I stay up with her (sleeping or not), and wait for a family member to wake up to watch her for a few hours while I sleep?

I was at a local pet shop yesterday looking at training treats. I didn't do much research on them but the ingredients in all of them didn't sound good. If any of you use commercial training treats for your pup, what kind do you like? Or do you use chicken and turkey from the grocery store?

How did you bring your pup to his/her first and second vet visit? Sounds like I either need to hold her or crate her the whole time.
 
#2 ·
First vet visit, if they are a pup, I carry them in a duffle bag. Once she goes potty you can crate her for up to 2 hours if she is 8 weeks old (I think). As far as the treats go, I use cheese or boiled chicken cut up in very small cubes. You can throw them in the crate and have her eat them up to make the crate a positive experience. I usually hand feed my pups all of their food throughout the day so they will bond with the owner better ( I do this for as long as it takes for the pup to start to behave better in the house, when they do something good I feed them). Watch out for the puppy biting! I always tell this to new owners because GSD pups bite A LOT. It will probably last until he is 5 months or so. But don't worry it is completely normal, when they bite give a loud NO, and then give them a toy to play with, when they bite the toy give a high pitched YES and praise praise praise.
 
#3 ·
As for treats, I used Blue Bits - my puppy loves them and if you read the ingredients it looks pretty good especially compared to some of the others.

I would try crating the pup - she might be tired enough not to care - and make sure the crate is right next to your bed so she can SEE you (that's stopped puppy whining with my last two pups) and if she whines, bring her into bed for the ONE night and then back in the crate for the next one... I wouldn't go picking a battle with a puppy at wee hours of the morning on day one.

I carried my puppy into the clinic and all inside the clinic until she had her second rounds of vaccines.
 
#4 ·
for the first couple of days, I had my dog in a small crate right on the bed. I could put my fingers in the crate and he settled right down. Within the first week, the crate was on the floor and he was sleeping soundly.

I used Red Barn for training. it's inexpensive and it's a complete meal. So you can use that for training without over feeding.

Carry your puppy into the vet's office. My vet office doesn't even want them on the floor.
 
#5 · (Edited)
Thank you for the advice. I guess what I'm worried about with carrying her is if she starts squirming and trying to get out of my arms, but I'll bring treats. I'm preparing for the biting, maybe with too many toys haha, but I just want to see what she likes.

I ended up buying Pet Botanics training treats for now. After she's comfortable and I switch foods, I will try different treats. Will also have to see how she does with grains...

First night/morning I'll put some treats(maybe just kibble) in the crate and sleep right next to her for a couple hours. I think if I let her sleep in my bed the first night, I'd be so tempted to just let her keep sleeping there!
 
#6 ·
I have owned several shepherds in my life, and just picked up our male GS puppy last Saturday at 8 weeks old. I put his crate beside the bed for now. Section it off where the puppy has enough room to stretch out on their cushion, but no more. About an hour before bedtime I make sure he gets a good deep drink and then I take his water up. Right at bedtime I take him outside for one last potty break and then it's into the crate. He has done great. He wakes up one time usually about 2am and it's straight outside, inside for a quick drink, and right back into the crate. Not one second of playing! I know it stinks getting out of bed at 2 am but the puppy whining is their way to let you know they have to go. You can both go right back to sleep, but do not ignore the whining and let them go in the crate. The first night is the worst, but by the time a few days have passed it's amazing how you can get a routine going. One thing that I have done that helps a ton is when I put him in the crate at night I put a bully stick in there with him. He chews on it for a bit before he falls to sleep. It definitely keeps him occupied. When it gets down to a small piece just take it from him and throw away and give a new one. As far as the vet visits go, I just hold them. They will squirm and whine some, but I don't want them on the floor licking, sniffing, etc until they have had their shots. If they get to whining just stand up and walk around with them. But get the puppy to your chosen vet asap for a checkup and shots. Just get a routine going with the crate and you should be fine. Good luck.
 
#7 ·
Hey I really appreciate the tips and detailed reply! I've set the crate up right next to my bed with a divider. Hour before bedtime I will take water away after she drinks some. This is good, she will actually help me get on a better schedule of going to sleep early! I'm sure I'll hear her if she's whining but just incase I don't wake up I plan on setting my alarm to go off a couple hours after bedtime to take her out.

Good idea on the bully stick, I'm not sure if I'll do that or not, just cause I don't want it to upset her stomach but we'll see (ordered some just the other day). Again thanks for the tip, I will get up and walk around while I'm holding her at the vet if she gets squirmy. Getting her on the 2nd and vet appointment on the 4th!!
 
#8 ·
I raised one and in the middle of raising another puppy and it's all coming back slowly. You need to crate them, it makes them calmer. Esp in the beginning. I feel like it's sensory overload a lot of times and I made this mistake (in my thread) and he was acting like he owned the place. Tightening up the resources now.
 
#9 ·
Welcoming any other thoughts. My first time with a dog that I would consider a bit more harder, strong nerves, persistent, hard-headed. The older dog was so timid and she would not dare do anything because she's so incredibly nice. Very different contrast.
Aww heck by and large you get it under control now and you won't need me. If you know how to train a dog then you know how to train a dog ... but ... "the old well my other dog thing" can be a trap with a GSD, my first OS WL GSD was a master at that. I am a Bully guy and I had 10 years of experiance raising dogs ...no issues.

Pretty much the things resources and no free roaming etc, yeah I did not know any of that at the time. My guy was a 7 month old rescue (foster fail) and I had zero issues (that I noticed) for 5 months and then ... it was "Game On!"

116 lbs of WL GSD cut lose on my American Band Dawg!! School of Hard Knocks ... was now in session and when that was over round two! He greeted company with a cold hard stare and a low growl??? Round two had begun, lesson one, The Place Command ... did not know what that was at the time but I stumbled onto it. "Dog You Stay There" and my job is to keep company out of your space. I was good at my job. Worked out fine and in public it was the "Leerburgh, "Who Pets" deal, people can see but hands off.

I post tons of info on he and I here. He's pretty boring these days and people are no big deal, he's off leash pretty much all the time around people and is free to engage or not as he sees fit. He's not around kids and has made it clear he is not a fan of toddlers but even there he has made good choices. It was in a "Crap happens" situation.

Grandma showed up unexpectedly with a toddler, while I was with a client who liked Rocky so he would come on the job with me. I put Rocky, out on the patio and told him "Place." I go back inside to my client, Grandma falls asleep I'm busy with the client finish getting him dressed and I am the first to notice the kidlet missing??? I freak, bolt out back, open the door and see the toddler unharmed but no "Rocky???"

I look for him and see him standing about 15 feet away! Apparently Rocky saw the kidlet approach, looked for Dad for direction?? Could not find me and made a "Good Choice" ... walk away! :)

Needless to say there was no correction for breaking "Place." :)

We had a rough start, I badly underestimated him in the begining and let him make to many choices but every problem he gave me was one I had not seen "with my other dogs??" And for 5 months or so "zero" issues ... that I saw?? But I am a Graduate student of the School of hard knocks as it were. :eek:

Ah well we got it done and it was all pretty much basics, Rules, Structure and Limitations ... "KISS" life with "Rocky" round three is here:

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/aggression-good-bad-ugly/399905-what-would-my-dog-do.html


:)
 
#10 ·
So turn of events, the puppy will actually be delivered to my house tomorrow afternoon which is one day early! Also don't have to drive a total of 16-20 hours, and don't have to worry about getting back in the wee hours of the morning.
 
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