It's only 3 days now til we bring Lola home! I think we're fairly sorted... we have the crate set up with a divider and some vetbed in it, collar, lead, harness, bowls, travel crate, toys, lots of old towels and blankets... food, kongs, stair gate and some new slippers for me should arrive today... I'm sure we've still forgotten something! We've also got my best friend staying with us for a couple of weeks and she's had a couple of puppies before, so a very welcome extra pair of experienced hands! A couple of questions: We've got a divider for the crate, but it's really hard to visualise what the right amount of room for her will be to begin with, roughly how much space would be right for an 8 week old puppy? We've got a 2.5 hour journey back with her, and if the weather keeps up like this then it's going to be fairly warm. Is it worth stopping to put her down (on newspaper) to have a wee on the way back, or is that unlikely to work? Or would it be worth stopping just to let her have a little fresh air and offer her a drink, or would we be better cracking on home? Thanks in advance
Re: Not long til our new arrival! So exciting for you! Puppies vary a lot in size, so I'd just wait until you get her home and then see how long she is when she lays down. That's the size the crate should be - she should be able to stretch out but pretty much no more. Mine had a four hour drive home and we didn't stop at all. When we picked Willow up at 8 weeks, she sat on my lap for the first part of the trip, then settled down in the footwell, which I had prepared with a bin liner on the bottom to catch any "liquids", then some newspaper and topped with towels so it was snuggly for her. I also took extra bags, rolls of kitchen paper and baby wipes for mopping up. We didn't need any of it - she was fine! A couple of weeks later, she was very uncomfortable when in the car and we were stuck in traffic, so we pulled down a "road to nowhere" and put paper down to let her have a wee. She just wouldn't go. She whined a bit for the remaining 20 minutes home, and went as soon as we got her back, but there was no way she'd have gone on that paper! I wouldn't be offering a drink on a 2.5 hour drive, either - no point filling her up! Also, you want to make sure she's fairly empty before you leave. Most breeders won't feed the meal before travelling because it's more likely to make them carsick or need to go to the loo. Good luck keeping everything together in these next few days!
Re: Not long til our new arrival! Very exciting! You sound like you are very organised I agree with Snowbunny. I'd arrange things in the car as if anticipating a wee and just keep driving. Not long to go!!
Re: Not long til our new arrival! Oooh exciting! Sounds like you have everything ready, so I suggest sleeping for the next 2 days
Re: Not long til our new arrival! [quote author=Kirriegirl link=topic=10585.msg156893#msg156893 date=1429181344] Oooh exciting! Sounds like you have everything ready, so I suggest sleeping for the next 2 days [/quote] ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Re: Not long til our new arrival! Very exciting now. We had a 4 hour drive home with Juno, we stopped around half way home but she wasn't interested in having a drink or a wee (despite being a warm August day) so we were back on our way in 5 minutes. Just make sure you have some towels, water, wipes, kitchen towel and bin bags in the car you'll be fine - oh and look forward to lovely cuddles all the way home - Juno spent the journey snuggled up with me ;D
Re: Not long til our new arrival! GoodLuck AnnaBanana. We're 4 days in and it is AMAZING. Perhaps I'm in the honeymoon period, but she is totally lovely!
Re: Not long til our new arrival! so excited for you and cant wait to see some pics. We took a blanket and got the smells Sonny was used to like his brother sand sisters with some hay that he had slept in. We had a bed in the car and he just laid down on the bed, fell asleep resting against me as I sat in the back with him.
Re: Not long til our new arrival! Ah the very best of luck with your trip home....push on through for 2.5 hours,with luck on your side,Lola will sleep once the car motion starts...let us know how it goes and how your settling in day is x
Re: Not long til our new arrival! One extra purchase to consider is something to carry your new puppy in. I bought a puppy carrier on ebay. It's actually been really useful to carry her about safely and introduce her to sights and smells of the world before she has had her second set of injections. I bought one from China on ebay for £10.
Re: Not long til our new arrival! Thanks everyone for your replies, we'll crack on back home with her on Sunday then, can't wait ;D I'll make sure to post some photos for you all once she's home [quote author=Eightytwenty link=topic=10585.msg156983#msg156983 date=1429205130] One extra purchase to consider is something to carry your new puppy in. [/quote] That's a strange coincidence - my dad came home today with a puppy sling that he was given by a friend at work who recently had a puppy - I'm not sure how long she'll fit in it, but it'll be a good start
Re: Not long til our new arrival! Good luck! Exciting times ahead! Looking forward to seeing some photos.
Re: Not long til our new arrival! Well we brought her home today - car ride was fine, she took a little while to settle down, sniffing round the footwell and sitting on my lap for a little bit, but didn't seem bothered by being in the car at all and slept most of the way home. Had a lovely evening with all wees and poos outside, and she actually asked to go out once! The breeder had said they had been, but I was still pretty surprised. She took herself off to bed in her travel crate (canvas one) about half an hour ago and we almost succeeded in moving her upstairs in it asleep, but she briefly woke up and whined a little when I turned the light off but settled fairly quickly with a few gentle words and my hand by the mesh of the crate. Alarm set for 1am now and fingers crossed for as successful night as today has been! I'll post some photos tomorrow morning when I have my laptop out
Re: Not long til our new arrival! Ah, bless. Looking forward to the pictures. Make sure you get some of her belly. We're suckers for naked puppy bellies, here
Re: Not long til our new arrival! So pleased that your journey home was eay and that she has been such a good girl so far. Looking forward to some photos
Re: Not long til our new arrival! Finally found a couple of minutes to post some photos - thought I'd have a chance earlier as she was really sleepy after a trip to the vets, but of course as soon as I got my laptop out she decided it was time to wake up and play : We went to the vets this morning for a check and first injections, they were happy with everything and she didn't even notice the injection as she was too busy scoffing the treats the lovely nurse gave her ;D The other great excitement of today was her first ever filled kong! Just some dried kibble, but she had lots of fun with it until she managed to fling a piece of kibble under the fridge, which she was most upset about Started to introduce her to some music, I've taught a couple of violin lessons in another room with both the doors closed, played some bassoon and piano pieces in another room with both doors open and listened to recordings of a few different things quietly in the same room. All very interesting to her at the moment! Anyway, some photos: On the journey home [img width=500]https://acukvw-ch3301.files.1drv.com/y2puYCT9HuipDU-s0p6QHy0UyF_sJRG-woe1SGXcXZxUFZZVW-7ONYEhjEMx4hF9nNKMEimq2_XoN9bQqPVTaMWVwLXK-u13yJNY8_EeN43sCykkhzLFek4AxOznQKfhfAGKDAY2Kcf0WAdvS6dgffBjA/WP_20150419_005.jpg?psid=1[/img] In her travel crate, ready for bed [img width=500]https://acuyvw-ch3301.files.1drv.com/y2pIIEH6pSqfcn7OPA7TzzSrSYC4v1G1ErmVqFfE0K1TfhoM4BIt-n0Jysj1tE_97Wj4RlOsMtJcY6rBId0exHaks57tKrzfPoL91T6NpBpGAlAVPHZmc_Hp7jTRPD-qPrhfmNcEn-gsugROE70PWmEMg/WP_20150419_011.jpg?psid=1[/img] In the garden [img width=750]https://ayrukg-ch3301.files.1drv.com/y2pbh6XP8JLZbj4JS072sqXWGiBXJlW1PGoGZ5guLWl7QMoB-pvpPm_57FDzyq90z2hWW_sO4zDW7K7cuQvQ3a-NkQVUsmM1zKwauJtLLNTARCysa3d3aa9BmDTEJ_y8MeolmXN5bVuOIRMluIjrSeTnw/WP_20150420_012%282%29.jpg?psid=1[/img] Puppy belly [img width=500]https://ayrfkg-ch3301.files.1drv.com/y2pSsDI7tVvQYpLvG5FCcBu80Xt5256BFDxhXSYQuNPnobuzfT_BcO7IV7g3Tp-FSj_p-QLU4yT1npcqOpusU8dlgPhm5qPFjhtelBbVoX6hwZ_sPgznJ73kplRNByN4GLXRKuMWdan5OFj_SR0Omet6w/WP_20150420_015.jpg?psid=1[/img]
