Hello from New Jersey!

Hi everyone,

Glad to be part of this awesome website!

Last Friday, we picked up Sparky, an 8 week old Yellow Lab, from the airport. He had a long journey being dropped off at the airport at 9 am, and did not arrive at the airport until 9 pm. He became available for pick up at 9:45 pm. I was so worried he wouldn't be ok since he's been hanging around airplanes for 12 hours. As soon as we got him, we popped open his crate and he was so excited to see us jumping up and down and gobbling treats. It appears that Delta did not even open his food and feed him, only water. I guess the good part is there was no poo in the crate, but the newspaper shredding was wet.

His first night was rough, frankly, because I didn't know quite to expect since this was out first puppy. I've read alot and was expecting the worst. We played with him for a while and fed him a kibble filled kong and water. He peed in his brand new wire crate and I quickly used an enzyme cleaner to get rid of the odor. I figured its probably because the space was too big and moved the divider in closer and that seemed to work. Crated him and he quickly fell asleep without even fighting. My niece, who wanted to sleep next to him for the first night, misunderstood my instructions and woke him up in the middle of the night to toilet him outside. Potty he did, good boy! But, now, he did not want to sleep and he wanted to play. After 30 minutes we crated him, and he whined a few seconds. We shushed him and ignored him and he settled down and fell asleep.

Second day, I only had two hours of sleep and woke up at 5 am to him sitting quietly awake in his crate. I let him out and carried him outside to potty. He pottied and peed and put him in his pen while I readied his breakfast. I had prepared a couple of frozen kongs. Turns out that was probably two steps ahead for a puppy and was quite complicated and frustrating for him to get out the food. Later on I won't freeze it, and use less peanut butter to seal the ends. He had a couple of accidents inside, but that's from the lack of cognizance of the signs from the rest of the family. He was much calmer today. Very quiet. He'd start crawling around to a dim corner and lie down when he wants to sleep. I'd pop him in pen and he would go right to sleep.

We had a surprise visit. Family from Canada, 14 of them, were coming. What a great way to start him getting socialized even more. I read somewhere that he needs to meet 100 people quickly.... 86 more to go! Too bad they came way too late at night when its already sleepy time. He was very good with the kids getting excited licking and nipping but not hard at all. Then he got tired and off to the crate again!

Again he was awake before me at 5 am just sitting there quietly all alone. He slept all night despite all the noise from the visitors. Lotsa screaming, laughing and the tv blaring. He barely flinched. I grabbed him and we went outside for morning potty. He did his poo then he peed. I thought he was done and he pood again. Both were massive for a little pup. Semi formed. Still calm and waited for me patiently in his pen to prepare his food. Popped his kong in the his crate and he happily gnawed at it. He finally figured out to give it a little bump to launch some kibble out. No potty after lunch and went to sleep. After dinner he had 2x poo again. Today was great. No accidents in his pen nor his crate. None in the house, but part of that is recognizing the signs and at least I think I'm getting better at reading it. Now he is back in his crate sleeping. Tomorrow is our first vet visit!

Thanks for reading all!

I'll keep this thread as journal for my adventures with Sparky!

 

Hi there, and welcome here! Sounds like your puppy is off to a good start. Is there a reason why you are giving all his food in Kongs? They are good for keeping your pup occupied when you need him to be quiet but it is important that he gets enough food, obviously, so just make sure he is getting everything he needs for growth. And I wouldn't add too much peanut butter - right now I would focus on making sure he is tolerating the kibble that he is eating, and once you know that you could add extras as special treats occasionally. I say that because if he starts to have tummy trouble it's easier to pin point if it's a food-related issue of his diet is fairly restricted at first. They are like human babies - try not to overload their little systems with too much at first. Also it's good to reduce his meal time kibble by a bit and use the rest for training treats as he begins to learn the basics of sit, stay, come, etc.
Anyhow there are plenty of puppy owners on the forum who will give you some great advice and encouragement, so it's great you have found us!

 

Hi from me & sam (8 months) . Just wanted to say hi to you & sparky

I think I'd pass out having that many unexpected guests lol!

 

Hi Lisa, thanks for the great suggestion. The reason for the kongs is that I wanted him to get used to digging at them in the crate and also in preparation when we all go back to school/work in a week when no one will be home for 8-9 hours. I'm using the same kibble like the breeder, NutriSource Large Breed Puppy Food, Chicken and Rice. His stool when he first came was very solid, but I chalk that up to being stuck in a crate for 12 hours and not pooping. Lately, his poop has been soft but formed. I did lower the amount of peanut butter now, just to give him a smell that there's food inside the kong. I left them unfrozen for now since he had trouble and frustration in the beginning. This morning when I took him out, (he slept a good 6 hours and he wasn't up waiting for me this time) his stool was dry and solid. His after breakfast stool was soft and semiformed. All were done outside!

He whined a little bit when I tried to leave him and after a little while I went to him when he quieted down. I sat next to him and he laid down next to me and I gently rubbed his head and next thing you know he's snoring just like his papa.

I think I kinda have the morning routine worked out now for when I go back to work tomorrow. Early morning poop. breakfast. shower while hes playing with his kongs and get ready for work. He should be finished when I'm done. Take him out to potty and tire him out a little bit. Back to his pen and off to work.

I'm worried about when we are all not here during the day. My co-worker tells me to just feed him twice a day and get him used to do that real quick. No matter what I do, he will be holding his poo until we get back from work/school. A big breakfast means he has to hold alot more and I don't want him to break his streak of not peeing or pooing in his crate/playpen. Right now he is on 3x/day for meals as recommended by the breeder. I did buy the Catmate C20 to auto pop some kongs for lunch. Wish the Kong Time was still available or another similar gadget.

Oh he learned how to use a water bottle last night. Can't seem to find the right height for it yet. He likes to sit while he drinks up. If i lower it he lays down to drink and then tries to chew on it. So i left it higher for now.

I started charging my clicker this morning. I find that if he's busy doing something like chewing a toy, drinking or scratching, he ignores treats even after a click. But the clicks make him look at me now and I drop a treat where he can see it. (I think he's blind and can't smell!)

So nappy nap time for him for now. Off to the vet in 3 hours!

 

Hi to both of you too! Yes we usually wanna die when they surprise visit, but figured this would be good for further socialization. He was quite good with them again the second night. He's so excited with the kids. There were like 8 kids from 8 yrs old and up. Too bad his energy is like a matchstick. Burns nice and bright at the start, then burns right out.

I think he misses the breeder's grand kids. Any doubts I had with the breeder is gone. Sparky has been well socialized. He loves kids, good with everyone so far. Nips real lightly. Not scared of any sounds. I'm still yet to turn the vacuum cleaner when he's around.

 

There is no way you can kindly leave a small puppy alone for 8-9 hours a day. He is like a tiny toddler, and desperately needs human interaction in order to grow up properly socialized and understanding how to behave. And there is NO WAY he can hold his pee/poo for that amount of time. Feeding a small puppy twice a day is no good for him either, as he does not have a big enough stomach to be able to hold the amount needed for his proper development. I'm surprised that you have to get a puppy that needed to be flown 12 hours to you, but that's another story. In any case, you will need to find a solution for your puppy for during the day; a dog walker, a neighbour, family, or friend who will come and play with him and take him outside at least once during the day. Anything else, frankly, is really very unfair to him, and in the long run to you, as he will take a long time to be toilet trained, and will lack the basic training skills that puppies learn during every waking moment of their day.

 

Hi Karen, thanks for the reply. I know leaving the pup during the day is not good. I did not really want to get a dog walker and its 15 bucks/day here in Jersey, but if i really had to I guess I'll need them four days out of the week. My wife should be home at least 1-2 times during the work week. She might even be able to go home from work since its only a few miles away, but we who work in health care almost never get lunch breaks.

 

Hello there, and a warm welcome to the forum

Try feeding your puppy in a bowl, 4 times a day, and just taking a bit out of his allowance to make kongs with. It does take a little time for them to get used to kongs, it is a very good idea to start them off early though. But the first kong for my new puppy was just a tiny roll of turkey with most of it sticking out of the top, to introduce the idea that the kong contains food. She got it out in no time. Then, the turkey was shoved in a bit more with some soaked kibble and so on. At 4 months she can now tackle difficult kongs, filled completely with wet food and finish them all.

I work, and I worked full time when I got my first puppy. I'm afraid care for my puppy while I worked was my biggest outgoing each month for a long time, and I still spend quite a staggering amount on dog walkers (because I still work) - this just has to be part of the budget in the cost of getting a dog. I didn't send my puppy to daycare, because I couldn't find one with suitable activities, and a puppy can't go on long walks until they are much older. So I used a mix of puppy creche, a dog walker who would do puppy visits in my home, and my family helped out. I'm afraid leaving a puppy for 8 to 9 hours a day is asking for both behaviour and training problems.

 

i feed him only with kongs in his crate. is that wrong? i kept this mornings kong easy and he finished it within 10 minutes.

 

Hi Sparky, welcome to the forum.
I have to agree with what Julie and Karen have said, that is an AWFULLY long time for a tiny puppy to be left alone.
I suspect you may get some problems from lack of stimulation and training, and would really encourage you to look into a dog walking option, a neigbour, a friend, or even some local children you could trust if your wife was not able to come home regularly.

I understand completely that in health-care breaks and long lunches aren't high on the agenda, but you need to consider Sparky just like a child, and put as much effort into "doggy-minding" and wrap-around care as you would a child. Otherwise I fear that in 8 or 10 months time you might have regretted the decision to bring a lab into your life.

I don't have the luxury of being able to work from home and thought long and hard about how to best time the arrival of a puppy to fit with holidays, how to space visits home during the day, sharing this with my husband, and relying a lot on my kids being at a very local school.
It isn't easy often, but time and attention at the puppy stage pays huge dividends when it comes to managing the teenage years, and helps create a good relationship for the future.

Sorry if it feels we are raining on your parade a bit.
But its a big deal both for your puppy and your family.

jac

 

There isn't anything wrong with feeding food in kongs no, so long as he is eating all the food he needs, it's fine.

 

Nope. Not raining on my parade. In fact, the parade hasn't started yet. I wouldn't want to keep him in his pen for most of the day without anyone around. Its just a shame we are all out pretty much at the same time and days. Unfortunately the only neighbor I had who I was close with moved to Florida a month ago. If my wife can't come by during her lunch break which is only 30 minutes, I'll get a dog sitter/walker. For how long will this have to go on before he can be left alone the whole day?

 

I don't leave my adult dog alone all day - I don't think it's right to do that. The longest my adult dog is left is six hours* and that's no more than 2 days a week. The other days the maximum time he is left is 4 hours. So for me, the cost of paying for dog care while I work is for the lifetime of the dog.

Other people do leave dogs for longer, but it's not something I do.

* Edited to add: He does 2.5 hours alone, goes out with the dog walker for an hour, then does another 2.5 hours until I'm home. He gets a walk before I go, and I leave him with kongs, as does the dog walker after his walk.

 

In my opinion no dog should be left alone the whole day. They are very social creatures and crave company more than anything.

Don't think I don't understand where you are coming from; I do. When I was a child my family got a yellow labrador puppy, and although we took him for walks and played with him in the morning and evening, he was alone at home from 8:30 am to around 3:30 pm each day. We thought he'd be fine with our other dog. The truth is, he just wasn't. It took MONTHS for him to be properly toilet trained - we came home from school to pee and poo every day for over half a year. We found it very difficult to train a proper recall, and he would run away when he got a chance. Then he became very destructive, chewed holes in doors, through the u-bend of the sink, the walls... We didn't understand it, and I remember my mother screaming that he was going to be rehomed (he wasn't)... Now of course I realize he was suffering acute separation anxiety. It makes me very sad to think of that poor, young, frustrated dog.

 

Exactly what I'm fearing. Sounds like you are foretelling what can happen to us too! Dog sitter will definitely be cheaper in the long run vs. replacement of stuff and obedience/rehab training. Thanks for sharing this with me.

 

You are welcome. Please don't hesitate to ask on here if you have any questions, we are all really very happy to share our experiences and give advice where appropriate!

 

Hi and welcome to the forum from me and 3 year old fox red girl, Harley from the UK.
Sparky sounds like a delightful pup , it's fab that he's worked out how to use kongs already.......they are amazing for occupying their minds.
I work and do the same as JulieT insofar as using dog walkers. I work varied hours (sometimes evenings) and live close to my work (less than 5 mins in the car). Twice a week I have a dog walker take Harley out - on these days I work 9am-4pm, dog walker collects her at 11.30am and drops her back around 1pm. On the other days I only leave her for a maximum of 4 hours and go home then for an hour or finish for the day. My work hours change a lot but my work is flexible around what hours I do. I try to work a few days 1pm-7pm as my OH will get home around 4.30-5pm, so again she isn't left long. I pay £10 per walk so works out at around £80 a month and I really do think it's worth it. Occasionally she goes to day care or stays overnight (with my dog walker and his wife who does day care) and it's helped me on the odd occasion where we can't take her overnight with us as I know she is happy with them.
I look forward to hearing more about your adventures with Sparky

 

Hello to you & Sparky from me & Coco on the Isle of Man. He sounds like he's a very good puppy. Here's to some good daycare for him, it will really help him (and you) as he grows up.

We have never had puppies so I can't comment on how long it will take before you can leave him. Coco was 16 months when we got him, and after settling him in for a week, I work afternoons only, he is left from 12:30-5:30 5 days a week. He appears to be fine with that. When I worked full time, we had an adult dog -I would go home at lunch time & walk her for half an hour, 4 days a week. On the 5th day I finished at lunch time, she got an extra long walk that day. Again, that seemed to suit her.

 

Thanks for the warm invite!

Sparky finished his first vet visit today. He did extremely well. I told my wife not to let him down on the floor and do not let him touch any dog and what not. A young couple came in after us with a huge pit. He was very curious and wanted to come over to Sparky, but his owners were very good and kept him calm and sitting. Then a big burly guy with a big burly terrier or bull type of dog came out of one of the exam rooms very excited and bouncing all over. At first he spotted the pit bull and wanted to rush him to make friends. His owner had really hold him back to stop him from rushing over to the waiting room where we all were. Then Sparky was called and we had to cross paths with the dog. His owner had to literally keep him between his legs while he allowed us to come over. Sparky was chill the whole time not even barking or crying.

The vet gave him a clean bill of health. He got a Bordetalla vaccine today and we have to come back next weekend for his next due vaccine. No fleas. His weight today is 11.5 lbs. Here I am thinking that he is already 15 lbs!

Question about food. It seems so much simpler to just cups (scoops) of food, but I find that so much inaccurate. You know how American Units are so different from the rest of the world. According to my fuzzy math and the food label, at 12 lbs he should be fed 74.8 grams of puppy food or .7333 cups. We have been feeding him 3/4 cups three times a day per the breeder instructions. Is it ok to use a kitchen scale and weigh out his chow in grams?

Been in talks with a dog sitter/walker. I found one who is willing to potty and feed my puppy at lunch time for a reasonable price. Waiting on her referrals to get back to me.

 

That is great news about the puppy sitter! Hope the references come back good.

With regard to the feeding, I wouldn't worry about the exact number of grams - the cups/grams on the label are just a suggestion. Keep a close eye on your pup, and make sure he is gaining weight steadily, but without getting fat. Use the 3/4 cup three times a day as a guideline - as with people, the amount of food needed depends on the puppy's build and level of activity.