Hello everyone, I'm a new soon to be puppy parent and have been reading a lot on this forum and Pippa's books are very helpful. We are picking up our new puppy Cookie on the weekend and are very excited! However, I have 2 questions that I was hoping for some help with: 1. For the first couple of nights, I was planning on aiming to get Cookie to sleep in the kitchen in his crate if possible (having introduced him to it with treats throughout the day). I was then going to sleep on a blow-up bed at the far end of the kitchen where I can hear him if he stirs. Should I wake him and take him outside for a wee for the first 2 nights? I am planning on doing this as soon as he has got over the initial settling in period but what about the first couple of nights and if he is crying a lot? I was wondering whether for the first few nights I should set up a puppy pen around the crate with some pads/newspaper at one end rather than taking him outside for a wee? I don't want him to pee in his crate but also want him to get used to sleeping by himself asap. Our breeder recommends just leaving them completely on their own for the first night with puppy pads/newspaper and then gradually paper train over a few weeks as their bladder gets bigger. 2. When you take a puppy on trips outside for socialisation before they are fully vaccinated (e.g. to the vets etc), can you put them down for a wee? Most things I have read say to carry the puppy around, but surely if you are out for an hour then they will need a wee?! Do you just carry a puppy pad everywhere and let them go on that or put them on the ground somewhere where other dogs won't have been? Sorry if that's a daft question! Thanks for your help Al
Hi Al and Cookie Welcome to the forum! Instinctively, Cookie won't want to pee in his bed. I'd suggest leaving the crate door open, and putting some sheets of slightly crumpled newspaper outside the door. Hopefully you'll hear him step out on to them (has anyone ever slept that deeply on a blow up bed?) and you can take him outside. After a few nights, you'll be familiar with roughly what time he wakes up to go out, so you can close the crate door, go back to your own bed, and set an alarm for that time. Then gradually add 15 minutes onto the alarm every couple of nights. And secondly, Cookie instinctively won't want to pee whilst being held either, so for socialisation outings you can just keep him in your arms. If you're driving somewhere it might be worth lining the boot/trunk of your car with pads or old towels though, in case he can't quite make it home again after. Good luck! Let us know how you get on.
