Hi everyone, I'm Ruth from Cornwall and we are going to be picking up our 8 week old Labrador bitch on January 3rd. We have already named her Jess and are getting very excited - Xmas is nothing compared with the excitement to come This will be our first puppy and it has been a long wait too - we found a breeder not too far away that we really liked the look and sound of and have been on the waiting list for about 18 months. Finally the call came a few weeks ago, and then it was another wait to find if we had made it to the top 8. We had originally wanted a dog, but have been offered a bitch - and are very happy. It's been a bit like finding out the sex of a child when you are pregnant - you might have a slight preference, but quickly adapt to the reality you have! I have heard that bitches are slightly calmer/ easier?? But this may well be a myth! I have the Happy Puppy book which I have dipped into and I have read quite a few of the new puppy articles on here, but all of a sudden feel quite daunted by the responsibility of doing it all right! A lot of the information also seems to be counter-intuitive eg. not going to the puppy when she is crying (so she doesn't do it to get attention), not calling her unless she is already running towards you, not taking things out of her mouth (?!?) as it may hinder the retrieval instinct. I can see the rationale for all these, but remembering in the heat of the moment and getting all the family on board (inc our two boys aged 6 & 4) could be a challenge! We are planning on going to puppy obedience classes and there is a foundation one for pups under 18 weeks which starts just 2 days after we bring her home. Would it be a good idea to enrol on this or is it too soon? I believe there's another starting in late Feb. We don't even have our gorgeous puppy yet and I'm already feeling a tad overwhelmed!! I am sure I'll have lots of questions as we go along - I look forward to chatting and getting to know you!
Re: Soon to begin our labrador adventure - excited (and daunted!)!! Hi Ruth I am just a couple of weeks ahead of you . We picked up our 8 week old chocolate little girl this Monday. We were also looking for a boy but when we went to look at the pups our little girl somehow found herself in my husband's arms and went to sleep so decision over. Having read all the books and the website I am now working though it for real but just taking one day at a time. Having just taken early retirement it is a long time since I had to get up during the night to a 'baby' . Saying that though my grown up children have all invited themselves this weekend to visit. Exciting times! Paula
Re: Soon to begin our labrador adventure - excited (and daunted!)!! Hi Ruth, Congrats on getting Jess home soon!! We have Bella, an almost 14 week old chocolate girl. Good you have the handbook and have been reading! ;D Having a puppy is exhausting and exhilarating at the same time. Lots of good hints and ideas, some of them easier to swallow than others..but in the scheme of creating a well behaved addition to your family, it's helpful to have the ideas at the beginning. Just trust your instincts and figure out things as you go. Sit back and enjoy the puppy times, and know that short of completely ignoring your dog...you'll make it through just fine. Puppy school is a great tool, but be sure you meet and observe the trainer, be sure you agree with the methods they will be using and will be comfortable there. Classes can be helpful, but so much of the training you will just be doing on your own - homework. Everything you do, every day you do it is training your dog..... Enjoy the next few weeks of preparation, get plenty of sleep....and brace yourself for the little bundle of love coming to you in the new year!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D
Re: Soon to begin our labrador adventure - excited (and daunted!)!! Welcome to the forum from me and Pongo (just turned a year old). We were first time puppy owners too. We thought we were prepared but that is always an illusion : ;D ! The advice on this forum is brilliant. But don't be over-whelmed - as Heidi says, trust your instincts and don't try to do everything right because you'll only feel stressed (and that will communicate itself to your lovely pup). Most important of all is to enjoy the puppy months - even the terrible bits (have you seen the posts about crocadogs?) - because they don't last! Oh yes, and take LOTS of photos because we NEED to see them.... Rosie xxx
Re: Soon to begin our labrador adventure - excited (and daunted!)!! Welcome to the wonderful world of lab ownership You have a real rollercoaster ride ahead store that will test your emotional strength and patience to the limit, and your ability to function on very little sleep! But oh boy, you get out what you put in and it is just so rewarding in the long term. The Happy Puppy Handbook wasn't out when I was in your position a year ago so can't comment, but it has good credentials However you might want to consider adding Gwen Bailey's The Perfect Puppy and Dr Ian Dunbar's Before and After Getting your Puppy to your arsenal also as they both steered me VERY well. [quote author=Ruth link=topic=9076.msg129946#msg129946 date=1418405556] We are planning on going to puppy obedience classes and there is a foundation one for pups under 18 weeks which starts just 2 days after we bring her home. Would it be a good idea to enrol on this or is it too soon? [/quote] Toooo soon. From a vaccination point of view 8 weeks + 2 days is too early to be mixing her with other dogs I'm afraid. 1st vaccs are done around 6 to 8 weeks. Some breeders take care of the 1st one for you, others leave it to you. 2nd vaccs are done 2 to 4 weeks later (I figured to go halfway so make it 3 weeks). Your vet will advise but then you must wait a further 7-14 days for them to have fully taken effect, in my case I was told 10, only at that time is it completely safe to be mixing with other dogs around where other dogs have been or been doing their business. You can take them out sooner if you carry them (good for socialisation with the big wide world), if you have a good grip and prepared for toilet accidents, but it's a danger to have them in contact with ground that other dogs have crossed. I believe guide dogs are taken out from 8 weeks, but they take a calculated risk on that because it is critical to get guide dog puppies used to the outdoors and busy streets from the earliest of ages. In my case it worked out to be 5 weeks after bringing her home that we were ready to start going places. As a bonus that gives you time to get her used to wearing a collar and being on a lead. She will almost definitely hate both to begin with! [quote author=Ruth link=topic=9076.msg129946#msg129946 date=1418405556] not calling her unless she is already running towards you, [/quote] Ahhh. Now here we have my biggest unexpected problem in dog training. There are so many different ideas and methods out that there depending who you listen to or what book you read. Which is why I recommend not relying on a single book but researching different ideas and principles, giving you room to experiment and balance your own decisions. Sometimes you just have to make your own mind up! I used a different technique as described in The Perfect Puppy and we have a amazing recall. One is to practice calling your dog between two people, from person to person. Also, simply crouch down, open your arms with a welcoming smile (because body language speaks louder to dogs than words ever will) and call a cheery <name> - COME! And of course reward handsomely with a treat and praise, a toy or a game. Maybe show the treat or toy to begin with so the dog thinks "hell yeah I want some of that!". Then start to fade the body language, or luring them to you with a treat once they begin to get it. But always reward and praising for coming back to you. By the time we went to puppy class the response was becoming automatic and I could call her away from other dogs. No-one else at our class could! Go figure! [quote author=buck link=topic=9076.msg129955#msg129955 date=1418407322] Having just taken early retirement it is a long time since I had to get up during the night to a 'baby'. [/quote] Ahh I remember it like yesterday! For the first month I had to get up 3 times a night to prevent toilet accidents, so I couldn't sleep for more than 2.5hrs in any one stretch! Thankfully by month two we were down to 2 breaks each night, then 1, then 0. I was basically a zombie but thank goodness it passes. So as you both mention you were originally thinking of getting boys, do make sure you are well read up on "seasonal issues"!
Re: Soon to begin our labrador adventure - excited (and daunted!)!! p.s. I would also recommend you prioritize certain aspects of training. Recall, Leave it and Drop it are life savers in my personal opinion. Do lots of work on those right from the off! That doesn't mean exclude sits, downs etc, but those three, really throw your all into it
Re: Soon to begin our labrador adventure - excited (and daunted!)!! Hi and welcome to the forum from me and 16 month old Harley Harley is my first ever pup and I am so glad I decided to take the leap She has been tiring, frustrating, but sooooo worth it all I wish I read the happy puppy book before I got her, but it wasn't out then. When it was released I read it and changed a few things still - I found it very good and it's currently in the hands of one of my dry ends who is getting a puppy in January I done recall by using all the methods explained here - call when she was running towards me, running and being called between 2 people, and by calling her name and 'come'. All have worked and continue to do so it's down to what works for you This forum has been a godsend to me and I have asked so many silly questions, but haven't ever been made to feel silly
Re: Soon to begin our labrador adventure - excited (and daunted!)!! Hi I'm Laura and I live up in Scotland with my 4.5 month old puppy Inca. I remember feeling daunted when we got Inca and the first couple of weeks are very mentally and physically tiring but things got a lot easier once she got to about 3 months old and we have loved every minute since then! The forum is brilliant for providing advice and support for whatever nightmarish behaviour your puppy has suddenly developed! On the training side we didn't really do much with Inca until she was about 3 months but the main thing for us was getting off to a good start with recall. We use a whistle for recall and it works brilliantly, would recommend it to anyone. We were lucky because the breeder started it by blowing 3 pips when he fed them and we continued this after we brought Inca home. Hope you enjoy your puppy
Re: Soon to begin our labrador adventure - excited (and daunted!)!! Mixing with other vaccinated dogs/puppies is fine. I'd contact the people who are running the puppy foundation course and find out what they do to ensure that all puppies attending are on a vaccination schedule (e.g. sighting original certificates). Also, as Sunsetpines says, make sure you are happy with the training approach they use. Maybe you can attend the first class without your puppy to see if it's what you are after? Whether or not you decide to go to the class you can still get your puppy out and about All you have to do is carry your pup, and let her do her business in places that seem fairly clean. Yes, there is a slight risk, but it is really critical that your pup start meeting new people and seeing new places soon after you bring her home. Give her a few days to settle in and then get that puppy socialising You're in for an exciting time, but you will be just fine. The Happy Puppy Handbook is great, and this forum is always here with advice (and sympathy and a laugh too!).
Re: Soon to begin our labrador adventure - excited (and daunted!)!! Hello Ruth and welcome from me and my dogs , three year old black Lab Sam and rescue girl Millie , I also live in Cornwall , south east region . My advice would be to enjoy every second ( even the naughty ones ) they grow up so quickly , we turn round and suddenly we have an adult dog , Lots of luck to you
Re: Soon to begin our labrador adventure - excited (and daunted!)!! Not long to go now! Remember, your vet is a good friend to your puppy, I have found that after the vet's check just after you bring your puppy home you may still have lots of questions that the vet can answer over the phone. Lots of toilet training with no telling off pays off. Every 15 mins take her out or after she eats or wakes. It is tiring but gets better and you have a lovely puppy! (Follow vet's advice on taking her out).
Re: Soon to begin our labrador adventure - excited (and daunted!)!! from a teeny tiny black 6 year old Lab known as The DivaDog and her human
Re: Soon to begin our labrador adventure - excited (and daunted!)!! Welcome to the forum, Ruth. Sara, our first puppy is 5 mo old now. My hands are finally healing, the cushions are still on the couch in the morning ,she has more or less stopped eating my house and I'm seeing her point of view about the landscaping. There were a lot of times I gave my head a shake and wondered what I was thinking. But worth every minute. There's something about a puppy that changes you and everybody around you. You'll have a great time.
Re: Soon to begin our labrador adventure - excited (and daunted!)!! How did it go? How was your first night? Have a lovely day with Jess.
