So yesterday me and my son went to meet 5 week old Maslow! Weirdly one of my major major obsessions is Greek Mythology... when we get there we are told that Maslows pedigree name is Hercules! 9 puppies. All doing the ‘I am the cutest puppy in the world’ bit. I asked the breeder to point out what puppy was the one she felt would be the most suitable and she laughed and said you will see. Takes out 3 puppies.. 2 go off and do their own thing.. Maslow waddles (he is a chunky little thing) over and climbs on Hayden (My sons lap) and licks his hands. Hayden was ecstatic. We had actually tears of ‘mum I love him’ (for relevance Hayden has ASD so this is HUGE) We then played with the dinosaur Hayden had bought him, we chewed Hayden’s fingers (need to think about that as Hayden LOVED the sensory feedback of being chewed on . So... we have our Maslow... let the games begin! 3 weeks today and we collect him!
The puppy teeth are probably going to feel a whole lot more sinister in 3 weeks time, so give your son plenty of warning. If he's not bothered by them even then then that'll make puppyhood a whole lot easier for all of you. Xena made my then 8 year old cry every day from 7-17 weeks with those teeth - it made an already difficult time even more difficult. How lovely that Maslow "chose" you, though. I dreamed of that happening!
Sounds like a friendship in the making that is meant to be. So nice for your boy to feel that connection. Very best wishes when Maslow comes home x
Marvellous - exciting times! Here is an article I read when waiting for a new pup - to keep my feet on the ground! https://www.thelabradorsite.com/8-week-old-puppy/
He is huge isn't he? and so beautiful! I also love the name you've chosen for him and am sure you've already got his Hierarchy of Needs sorted out! Come to think of it I suppose a dog's hierarchy of needs is pretty similar to a person's.
I’m more worried that he will like the chewing and therefore inadvertently encourage it. He’s ‘hyposensitive’ so likes very heavy touch and/or pain.. we have to work on that it’s not good for the puppy to chew hands.. anything that’s not good for the puppy he won’t do... chewing electrical wires is fine for him However
I’ve got on my list: Crate Enzyme cleaner for accidents Collar and lead Tags Snuggle puppy (stupidly expensive!!) Teddies Blanket with mums scent Food from the breeder I haven’t bought treats yet as I wasn’t sure what’s the best thing for a young puppy? Any recommendations? Toys Chews He’s booked into the vets and onto puppy classes. Have I missed anything?
Most people just stick to the kibble to start off with. I wanted to introduce new foods early on (and my puppy had a rock solid constitution) so I started with cooked meat, turkey frankfurters and cheese at a very young age. I would roast a whole joint of beef or pork, cut it into slices and freeze so I could take one out as and when I needed it. I like cutting my treats into batons, as it allows me to then pull off as much or as little as I need - for example, if I'm throwing it, it needs to be a big enough piece that the puppy can find.
Treats - I just use kibble for the first few weeks while their tums settle down. I soak it a little for the first two weeks as young pups can struggle if they get dry food stuck. Be sure to feed treats from below too. Puppy pads cut in four are great for clearing up accidents. Puppy toys - lots and lots of toys and chews (eg rice bones) so that you can have one in every pocket and every shelf for putting in the crocodile’s mouth!
I also bought puppy training pads last time. I didn't use them for training but I cut them up into puppy wee sized squares and kept them within easy reach along with the enzyme spray. They soak up any accidents really quickly. I bought a bag of 100 and still have a few left, which came in handy recently when Joy had a couple of accidents inside due to a UTI. I also used to take them with me, along with the enzyme spray and other puppy stuff when we went visiting. Maybe consider a baby bag?!
We told the children at school today. One child with ASD burst into tears... I admit I was until he said ‘miss they are tears cos I’m so happy I will have a friend’ The whole hall was cheering! Was so very very cute.
