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We're getting a puppy TODAY!!!

Hi All!

I've been gone in Vegas the past week for our anniversary (it was wonderful-except the trip back b/c our luggage is in Atlanta right now), but even more exciting than that is that this evening we're getting a puppy!!!

She's a 2 1/2 month old black lab. I posted a few weeks ago about getting a different puppy, but someone else adopted her before us, so we kept looking for a lab and found ours! They're bringing her over later today. We just went out and bought food, a crate, toys, you know, the works.

DH has owned a dog before, but I never have, so to all you dog owners- any tips for a new owner? I'm so excited!

BabyFruit Ticker

Re: We're getting a puppy TODAY!!!

  • best tip I can think of. . . patience. . . pups will be pups and accidents happen. Things take time and there are typically adjustment phases.

    Aside from that. . YAY puppy!! They're awesome! And congrats on the newest little addition :o)

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  • Congratulations!! Puppies are so cute... all of 'em Wink

    I'm going to ditto the patience advice given above... they are cute, but they're also a pain in the asss at times lol. As long as you can love them through their puppy issues (like accidents, chewing on furniture, whining, etc.) than I think you'll be fine.

    When we got Maya (our dog), she was still a puppy and there were times that she drove me up a wall, but she was always SO cute when she did things "bad" that it never really made a difference. I'd have to say "No Maya, that was bad!" And then I'd turn my head and laugh hysterically because her face was just so friggin' cute.

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  • That's so exciting! You'll have to share some pictures.  Tips? Be sure and take her out frequently and praise her when she gets her business done out there. It can be easy to let the time slip away between trips outside and it can take a long time for the dog to develop cues to let you know she needs to go out. If you have a larger crate in anticipation of her getting bigger, block off part of it so she's in a tighter area. Obviously not squished, enough room for her to turn around, but not enough for her to move around a ton.  If she has too big a space, she'll go pee one side w/out ever making noise to let you know, but if it's small enough she won't want to pee where she's laying and will learn to signal to get out.
  • Awww congrats on your first dog. So fun! My one tip in addition to pp is to treat the puppy the same as you plan to treat the grown dog. For example if you don't want an 80 pound dog sleeping in bed with you, don't start that habit with your puppy. It's hard when they are so little and cute to resist snuggling with them on the furniture and in your bed, but it is even harder to break the habit when they are full grown. GL!
  • congrats. post a picture when you get a chance.
    imageimage
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  • salasala member
    Congrats on the new addition.  I'm the crazy cat lady, so I've got no puppy tips.
  • How exciting!!  This makes me want another puppy!

    My biggest tip is to be very consistent with their training.  We start from day 1 and make them sit for their dinner (obviously with quite a bit of help).  But within 2-3 weeks they will randomly sit by their bowl to try to get an extra dinner.  Then you can keep using this skill to sit for a ball and keep continuing to add other commands (down, stay, come, etc.).  If you start training from day 1 they will see it as something simple they can do to get praise and love, so they will constantly seek to obey your commands.  Just be sure to always make a huge deal about it when they follow a command.  They will eat up the attention and make it easier to train them harder things.

    Another thing you can do is have magic words for them when they do their business.  We use "get busy".  Just say it over and over when they are little.  Then when they go say "good busy boy/girl".  Again this reinforces the correct action.  When they are bigger then you will be able to have them do this on command, which is awesome in a rain storm or when travelling.  

  • imageelissaann26:

    Another thing you can do is have magic words for them when they do their business.  We use "get busy".  Just say it over and over when they are little.  Then when they go say "good busy boy/girl".  Again this reinforces the correct action.  When they are bigger then you will be able to have them do this on command, which is awesome in a rain storm or when travelling.  

    I agree with this. My parents used "Hurry up" for their dog. Unfort, we used "go pee" so we are the weird neighbors yelling this at our dog. She responds to it, though she does it faster for me than DH.

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