Hi all, How excited am I??? We'll be bringing home our new Lab puppy, Ziggy, on 12th of July and I can't wait! I know that it's going to be lots of hard work, especially as I already have two cats - I'm hoping that the introductions will go well! I'm really looking forward to getting lots of hints and tips from this site and maybe even some support when things start to get a bit overwhelming! My first question is this - what are the essential things that I need to get / do to make Ziggy's first few weeks with us as comfortable and worry free for him as possible? Many thanks in advance for any advice and I look forward to chatting with some of you in the future! Lorraine
Hi Lorraine, and welcome to the forum! I grew up in Sussex, but now live in Germany with my two dogs Poppy (5 years old) and Merlin (16 weeks). In addition to all the stuff like crate, bed, collar, lead, cuddly toys, food and water bowls, I would spend time looking at your house and garden with an eye to making things as puppy-proof as possible. Move all house-plants well out of reach, and consider using baby gates to block off rooms and stairs you don't want him accessing. Also, your cats must have an escape route as they will probably be less than thrilled to begin with! Take a careful look at your garden, if you have one. It must be really securely fenced, as it is astonishing what a small space a puppy can squeeze through... Also many garden plants are poisonous - I really wouldn't advise leaving your puppy outside unsupervised, but just be aware which plants will be likely to give him an upset tummy, and remove any really poisonous ones. Do consider getting health insurance for your puppy. And lastly - get Pippa's book The Happy Puppy Handbook, worth it's weight in gold!!
Thanks Karen, that's some really useful info. We're lucky that we have a walled garden which is quite large so he should be nice and safe in there and I'm also going to check round for any plants that might be bad for his tummy. I think we have some wild chives growing which I think will be bad for his tummy and some 'lords and ladies' which I think is poisonous so I'll be checking carefully and getting rid of all that. I'm considering getting a puppy play pen as well as a crate. Do you think this might be useful? I don't want to buy loads of stuff that we'll end up not using but do want anything that'll make life easier! There's so much stuff available out there it's difficult to know what to buy! We're also really lucky that we've both given up work so will be able to spend loads of time with him and he should only need to be in his crate overnight, and for rest time. Where abouts in Sussex did you grow up? We're in Worthing but have also lived in Hove. Thanks very much for the info Karen - I will definitely buy the book! Lorraine
Oh yes, the Happy Puppy Handbook is a must! Welcome to you from Mags, Tatze and Mollie from Manchester UK Tatze is my pet dog, a black Lab and she's four years old. Tatze means 'paw' in German. Mollie is my fourth Guide Dog puppy, a black Lab who is nine months old. I look after my friend's Lab, Zaba a lot so here here the three musketeers Zaba, Mollie and Tatze.
Hi Lorraine. I'm over in Newhaven and there are a couple of others on here who also live in Sussex. We'll have to have a group walk when your pup's old enough!
Wow - what a fantastic pic Boogie - they're beautiful! I love the sheen on black lab coats - it's fab! I'm expecting the crocodile phase. We've been quite lucky because a friend got her new lab puppy a couple of months ago so we've had some experience looking after him and have encountered the gnashy teeth! I'm glad it's something that they grow out of fairly quickly - fingers crossed! Hi Joy - it's good to speak to someone fairly local! I think a meet up for a group walk would be a fantastic idea! I'll look forward to that when Ziggy's old enough! Meanwhile, let's keep in touch!
Hello and a warm welcome to the forum. I would definitely recommend a puppy pen. I didn't have one with my first two puppies, but did for the latest, and it was really, really useful. You can also use it for making partitions across rooms, doors etc as toilet training progresses and he gets a bit more freedom in the house. A really useful thing I found, too, was a very cheap guinea pig pen for the garden. I used this with Luna, as I found that, left to her own devices, she would happily explore the garden for ages without considering having a wee, then go as soon as I took her inside for a second. Unlike most puppies, Luna really wasn't fussed about toileting in her bed, even when she had plenty of space to get away from it! So, popping her into the little pen in the garden focussed her mind on the job in hand, and, once she'd gone, she could come out to play. Other than that, buy a huge amount of Simple Solution and kitchen roll
Hello and welcome from me and my five spaniels, one of them is called Ziggy! I used to live in Sussex, on the Ashdown Forest, before moving to Exmoor. Hope you will enjoy the forum.
Hi! I'm excited for you! I would say puppy pads are very useful. Potty training is hard and takes some patience and just when you think they've got it, they will have an accident. Lots of chew toys are essential. I got a variety of soft and hard toys and a couple of good tug type ones. It helps if they have distractions from your shoes and furniture to chomp away on. My Bucky loves his "Kong" that I can fill with the kong peanut butter spray stuff. It keeps him busy for a long time. Just remember to stay consistent with the routine of feeding, walking, playing, etc. If you don't want Ziggy on the furniture for instance, don't let him on the furniture at all. I know they are cute and will give you that look that will melt your resolve, but, they are smart too and know how to use it! You'll think "awwwww, he's just a little guy I'll let him up here just this once." But quickly he will be 50 lbs and take over the couch! Most of all though give him lots of love and attention, labs love to be with you. They want to be around their people. That's why they are such great companions. Congratulations on your new family member! Can't wait to see Ziggy when you get him!! Mickey and Bucky
Hi and welcome to the forum from me and 3 year old girl, Harley. Take lots of photos - they grow so quickly, and enjoy the puppy stage.
Hello & welcome Lorraine (and Ziggy, when he gets here). We're strictly Adults Only, so I have no puppy advice to offer - just good luck wishes.
