Hi guys. This is my first experience of any kind of forum. So please bare with me. Our family has just put a deposit down on our very first puppy. A gorgeous black Labrador boy. We have named him jasper. And we are over the moon about getting him. He will be joining our family of Mum, Dad, Jake (5) and Lilly (21 months). We have always wanted a Labrador but the time has never really been right. And now that the children are a little bigger (walking) and with me (mum) being a stay at home mum we now feel we have the time to give to a puppy. I would be very grateful of any advice that anyone who has had past experience of Labrador puppies has for us? Especially around advice for puppy and children. And the first few weeks at home with the puppy and what to expect. Many thanks in advance Amie.
Hi and welcome to the forum from me and Juno, my 19 month old chocolate girl. It's so exciting waiting for your puppy to arrive. I haven't had a puppy with young children but there are other members who have will offer advice from their experiences. One of the key things is that puppy can have a quiet place to sleep and rest away from the children. If you haven't read it already Pippa's book The Happy Puppy Handbook is highly recommended and is full of useful advice that really does work. We love puppy photos as well
Hi Amie, welcome to the forum and congratulations on having found your puppy. You might like to have a read through this article: What to expect of a new Labrador puppy - to get you started, and we'll be happy to answer any questions you may have
Hi Amie and welcome to the forum , from me and my two dogs I can imagine how excited you all are re the arrival of Jasper ! There are many informative articles about puppies in the puppy section of the forum, but can I also recommend you buy Pippas book The Happy Puppy Handbook , it is available from Amazon and covers just about all you need to know .Labradors make the most wonderful family pets , just ensure that Jasper has his own space and that the children allow him this space too ! Good luck, and please come back and show him to us, we all love pups
Hi Amie and welcome from me and my 5 and a half year old black girl Lilly My kids were older when we got Lilly, who is our first dog, but I think the main challenge (other than perhaps potty training your puppy and your youngest at the same time!) is going to be the biting and mouthing. I would second the safe place for puppy and children - if you haven't already decided to invest in a crate, I would urge you to do so! And The Happy Puppy Handbook is essential reading before your puppy arrives (at least once) jac
Thank you. I have literally just ordered the happy puppy handbook off amazon this evening. Very much looking forward to reading it.
Hello, welcome from me and my hooligan, Charlie. Well, I think they are all different.....but the journey seems much the same for many. At first, lots of peeing and pooing, biting...sleeping, playing....and you being totally smitten and in love with the adorable thing, but very worried because you are sort of 'in charge' and it's all a bit new. Then you get a bit sleep deprived, and wonder what you've done - feel free to come and rant on the forum particularly after new puppy has nipped your child, kicked its water bowl over 15 times, and nicked anything that isn't nailed down, all while you are trying to get the family ready for the day. After a bit of that, you get more sleep and it's all ok again. Then puppy has runny poo requiring several vet visits and you become an expert in many different types of kibble that really are all pretty much the same, plus the Bristol stool chart for doggie poo.....but you get that sorted in the end. More fun...and a glorious bit where they think you are their sun, moon and stars, have the best puppy recall in the whole world and you are very, very smug while out and about because your puppy is far better behaved than all the adult dogs around you. But then they turn into a teenager and you think that they WILL NEVER EVER LEARN TO STOP PULLING ON A LEAD or stop running over to annoy other dogs or joggers....you buy "Total Recall" and resolve to work through it from beginning to end (but really, you just stop where it gets difficult in chapter 4 ) - just where did that perfect puppy recall go??!!??? After a few months of that carry on, they turn into a really lovely dog that you'll love forever.
Hello and welcome from two year old Molly and me. This was my first forum too Labrador puppies can be very boisterious, it is a good idea to teach your children to stand up and cross their arms across their chests when the puppy gets over excited. Excited children and excited puppy sounds so cute, but in reality it is not good news. Some people say "be a tree" but I think the arms outstretched are alluring to a bouncy young pup. Enjoy
Made me laugh . Apart from the recall and replace kibble with baby food and you could be referring to either puppy or baby I read the book twice before Juno arrived home with us and dipped into it most days afterwards , oh and for consistency with dealing with puppy I made OH read it as well
Hi and welcome from me and 8 month old yellow boy, Dexter. @JulieT has about covered it . It's great fun added with frustration at times, oh and those puppy bites really hurt. Get a crate, so that puppy can have his own space, you'll need it . There are many positives too but I was totally shocked by the biting puppy stage (crocopup). You're in the right forum to get advice and support. Can't wait to see photos of Jasper, you'll love having him
Oh my days. Yes the biting is a new thing that has come to my attention from joining this website. I will be more aware of that from now on. I did notice that when me and Ben (My partner) visited Jasper that he did nibble a little. I have read that it's a good idea when the children are playing with him to ensure they play with toys and not bare hands. And yes we are going to be getting a crate for Jasper. Should I expect a lot of furniture/ toys to be chewed? Is there anything in particular that I can do to prevent household furniture being chewed? Other than the obvious of out of reach, in crate when unsupervised and lots of exercise? Thanks Amie.
Puppies can't have a lot of exercise - it's best to restrict exercise while young, to be careful of growing joints - they seem bundles of energy that can run around forever but it's not good for them. Lots of little training sessions are great though, tires out puppy brains so they snooze....pick up a book on clicker training, it's just the best thing ever. Restricting puppy with baby gates and so on, and supervision is best. Plus, keep all your stuff picked up. If that's difficult with kids, don't let the puppy into the room where kids have toys etc. My puppy was an Olympic chewer, seriously. I used to leave him in a metal pen, with a tile floor....my OH used to say that he'd chew the ceiling lamp one day as it was the only thing left in the room. He grew out of it though. I think the total damage is just a couple of chair legs....
Hi and welcome to you, your family and Jasper This is the forum I've been on, plus Harkey is my first ever dog. The first few months are tiring, trying, but so worth it. My nephew was 3.5yrs old when I got Harley. I taught him to tell her to sit and showed him the hand signal I use - he lived doing this and she responded so well to him. My nephew is now 6 and they adore each other. Harley will do anything my nephew tells her to do and it is beautiful to watch. I taught him to recall Harley, get her to sit, lie down, give paw, take tests gently, drop the ball and go to her bed. He lived being part of her training and still does My nephew did get upset once when Harley nipped him, but I explained to him about her being a baby and taught him to stand still with arms crossed until she sat quietly. It only ever happened the once, but obviously they weren't together everyday so not so bad. I look forward to hearing more about your family, Jasoer and how you all get on
Definitely get a clicker and a book to help with that. Not too much exercise as @JulieT has said. Mine has chewed but the only damage has been a few teeth mark scratches on one chair and the bottom step of our stair case (hubby will have to make a new bit, one day ). Get some Kongs so that you can have soaked kibble in them and freeze it to keep him occupied, 3 minimum I'd say. When visitors come in or any of your family, get them to ignore Jasper until he is calm. Wish we had started this from day one! Fun having a little puppy greet you excitedly but they grow quickly and it's not so much fun then. Don't let anyone chase Jasper. Jasper can do the chasing but never chase him. Split his food allowance into several pots and use as treats to train with. Any biting or nipping ends the interaction, don't shout at him or even speak to him and don't look at him. You'll learn about bite inhibition in the Happy Puppy book that you've ordered and on the labrador site. If the stopping interaction works, great, if it doesn't just calmly pick him up and pop him in his crate for a few seconds. You can build up time outs but don't make them longer than he needs. It will help him calm down. The biting can be worse when they're tired and around 6pm, referred to as 'witching hour' . Dexter only ever did it to me , perhaps I tasted better than my OH . If you can afford a treat & train, £103.27 on eBay, get one, they are brilliant, one of the best things I've purchased. I don't use it all the time but worth it's weight in gold when I do use it. I went for a large crate and put his plastic bed in it with his cushion and blanket (old quilt cover) and puppy pads in the empty space. He never soild in there and chewed the pads after a week or so, so I stopped using them. Total recall is another great book, as mentioned in an earlier post. I don't have children at home now as they've grown up but I use to have a nap in the day when Dexter had a sleep .
Or Jasper could be like Juno who was never much of biter although she liked to position my fingers on her gums where it was sore when she was teething. She never chewed anything either, she put her little teeth around the handle on a drawer in the kitchen once and I distracted her away ns she never bothered again. Couple of tips are don't let the puppy jump up you or the children, it may be cute in a puppy but isn't in a 25kg dog and always, always have a toy ready to stick in his mouth if he is bite - can get you if his mouth I full. There's lots of help always available on the forum and also on the main website, ad I think I mentioned we love puppy photos
