Waiting for Dickens
|
|
| what a cute name...and he has a great birthday if i do say so myself...Panda was born 11-3-03...so off by 3 yrs and 1 day..lol...well, puppywise, expect the same issues..housetraining, chewing, nipping, and lots of heavy playtime and quiet downtime...
they are probably known mostly for their nipping...expect a lot of scratches on your hands...replace your hand as a chew toy with something that is appropriate...with a stern, NO BITE... training is essential, but most places wont take a puppy till they have their first set of shots along with rabies shot...training worked wonders on Panda...but i have to say, dilligence is key also.... good luck and cant wait to see pics! |
| What a great name for a sheepdog!
As in... "What the Dickens has gotten into you today????" Welcome to the forum! |
| id like to think...cute as a Dickens...
why would a dickens be cute??  |
| Welcome to the forum:)
Dickens is the name of my girl Panda's sire  |
| It's a really cute name - congrats!
The first bit of advice I would offer you is this: get Dickens used to being brushed every single day so that when he's older he will be used to the daily routine. Also, don't get discouraged when he continually nips you - give him a toy that he can chew and you'll both be happy! Can't wait to see pics when he comes! |
Welcome from Australia, love the name of your new little baby  |
| Welcome and Congrats! |
What a great name for a pup that will arrive on Christmas Eve. Hope he doesn't have ghosts of Christmas past in tow.  |
Sheeps over Aces wrote: What a great name for a pup that will arrive on Christmas Eve. You're right! I never would have thought of that! |
| You wouldn't happen to be getting him from North Dakota would you? Just curious if we're getting littermates. We're buying a puppy from there that was born on Nov. 4th also. |
"it was the best of times, it was the worst of times" having an Old English puppy  A quote from A Tail of Two Cities
Enjoy your new little Dickens! I love the name. Welcome to the forum. PS I am not the corny one - Ron is - but I couldn't resist the pun. |
| Congratulations whit Dickens, and welsome to the forum from Norway |
| Dickens, what a wonderful name! OES puppies are a handful, if you are patient and kind with the little guy all will work out. OES tend to be stubborn, stick to your guns with the training. Be firm but gentle and Dickens will eventually get the picture. OES are very intellegent and they train us as much as we train them. Enjoy Dickens, will Tiny Tim be joining you for the roast goose dinner? |
| I logged on this morning to read all the congrats- what a great place and a great resource. Thank you all. I have some puppy photos I can post (once I figure out how to do it). Dickens is coming from West Virginia, not the Dakotas. I've arrnaged to have him flown in Christmas eve day- not sure of the time yet- apparently the airlines (American) won't let you know until 72 hours before. My wife and I are trying to figure out a way to "hide" Dickens Christmas eve so the kids (11 and 5) will be surprised on Christmas morning.
I appreciate the advice about brushing the coat daily to get him (and us) used to it. Any ideas about sleeping quarters? I was going to have him sleep in our bedroom? He will be 7 weeks old so what can I expect in terms of being able to train him now? When can I start puppy classes (are they worth it? can I do it myself? should I think of hiring someone to come to the house?) We're all very excited and thank you all for your warm wishes. |
| Welcome!
That's so exciting for you and your kids. I would have been on cloud 9 if my parents gave me a baby sheep dog when I was little. 7 week is pretty young, so I wouldn't expect to much out of the little guy in terms of potty training and listening to commands. But it's always best to start early and show him how you want him to act and then wait for him to catch on. In terms of sleeping, we had good success with keeping our puppy in a crate in our room at night and then we eventually graduated her out of the crate once she was reliable to not go potty on the floor or chew something up. Having her crate trained so early made it easier to be able to leave her in her crate at other times when we aren't home. There are tons of other tips and opinions in the getting a puppy, crate training, and behavior sections. |
| WELCOME!! Can't wait to hear more and see pictures.
My advice is CRATE TRAIN CRATE TRAIN CRATE TRAIN. Also see if you can find a puppy class ASAP, a very good way to socialize and start the learning process. I thing going to a class is much better than having a trainer come in as your puppy is exposed to all kinds of new and different sights and sounds in a class. Christmas Eve is a tough time to get a puppy, many breeders will not allow a puppy to go to a new home over the holidays. Please try to keep things as calm as possible for your new addition over the holidays. Coming to a new home is a traumatic experience for a little one, add to that the confusion of many homes over the holidays and it can be a recipe for disaster. Good luck and do let us hear more!! |
| Thanks Ginny- I was worried about the Christmas Eve issue myself but did really want to surprise the kids on Christmas morning. I'm trying to get the puppy delivered late in the day but can't much control that; one thought is to just give the puppy on Christmas eve (not our tradition) to make it easier on Dickens. Otherwise we have to find a place for him to hide out til the kids go to bed, which would mean an airplane trip and all that entails, then going to a stopgap place, then coming to our home after the kids are asleep on Christmas eve.....
It's a lot, I know, and probably the best thing is to play it by ear and see how Dickens is fairing, then follow his lead. Thanks again |
| By the way, can someone tell me how to post pics on here?
I have some puppy pics of Dickens |
| On the bottom right of the screen is a place to click on PHOTOS, follow the directions to upload. It's really quite easy. The photos do have to be approved first but that doesn't take long.
I should add to my above post that we brought Tasker home on Christmas Eve, so I know all about the holiday craziness. We had orignially planned on not bringing him home til two weeks after Christmas (to get the holiday hassle over with). I got Tasker from a Back yard breeder, this was her first litter of puppies. The Mom had 10 puppies. We went to select Tasker when the pups were only 2 weeks old. It was a three hour drive. When we arrived we were at the most spotless house I have EVER been in. The woman had peptobismal PINK carpet throughout. At the time the puppies were very small and easily contained in a whelping box. But I remember thinking WHAT IS SHE GOING TO DO, in this spotless house with ALL THESE PUPPIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The plan was for her to keep them for 8 weeks (the recommended time). But Christmas Eve Day we recieved a frantic phone call from her husband. The woman had gone "over the edge" and all the puppies HAD TO BE OUT of the house by that evening. Apparently 10 puppies and a pink carpet don't mix well. So We cancelled OUR plans for the holiday, and drove the three hours to get him. Luckily things were fairly calm at our house, my kids were a bit older, so the transition was pretty easy. But we had to make a real effort to keep things quiet and to keep the puppy away from all the Christmas hazards. Best Wishes and post pictures SOON!~ |
Dickens' Dad wrote: I logged on this morning to read all the congrats- what a great place and a great resource. Thank you all. I have some puppy photos I can post (once I figure out how to do it). Dickens is coming from West Virginia, not the Dakotas.
Ahh, I was hoping they were littermates. They do share birthday though. I'm jealous - we won't get our little girl until sometime in January. Congratulations on your new puppy and welcome to the forum! |
| Congratulations!
Good luck keeping it a surprise. Barkley cried for most of his first night home. It's very upsetting to be taken from mom, littermates, familiar places, etc. We took turns sleeping on the floor beside his crate to comfort him, but he was fine by the 2nd night. So... be warned. If you're going to make him a Christmas morning surprise... you might be sleeping under the tree with him! Welcome to the forum! |
| Right- I'm not planning on getting a lot of sleep Christmas eve anyway; who knows- I might finally see Santa Claus |
Welcome from northeastern PA Crate train crate train, I have 3 oes youngest is 8wks. my other 2 love their crates, always chewy toys special blankets and of course treats. So far so good with the little one hoping he will love the crate as much as the other 2. When its time to go to bed, I say ,"who's a cookie monster" off they race to see who can get there first  Remember, the crate is never ever for punishment, it is a cozy place for them to relax , sleep, and go into when you can't be there to watch them. Welcome again |
| congrats on your wonderful christmas present |
| Congratulations on your pup. As Tom Petty said, the waiting is the hardest part. There are a few things to consider before you have your pup shipped, since he will only be seven weeks of age.
#1 is the airline. Here is what the Delta website says about animal health and ages. "The certificate must be issued by a licensed veterinarian within 10 days of transport. The certificate must contain: The age of the animal being shipped (USDA regulations require animals be at least 8 weeks old and fully weaned before traveling). " #2 The AKC. I believe that the AKC has a regulation for the transfer of dogs under 8 weeks of age. You may run into some problems registering your dog if the transfer happened under 8 weeks of age. #3 Bonding/teaching. A lot of crucial learning happens between 6 and 8 weeks of age and the mother and littermates do a lot of disciplining and learning at that age. Young pups tend to have more issues with seperation anxiety and nipping. Some breeders do feel complete confidence in sending out pups at a younger age so just giving you a little more info. Good luck with your little Dickens!!!! Post pics soon! |
| Thanks Maxmm- that was helpful. I know the breeder said she was taking care of the vet certificate- Dickens is coming on American Airlines. I was a little concerned too that Dickens will only be 7 weeks and 1 day old when coming. Hopefully it won't be a problem with the Airlines- the breeder has assured me she has checked into all the specifications and all if fine.
I am, though, wondering about Dickens' first night with us and how to approach it. First, he will have left his litter mates and mom behind and flown from W.Va. to NY; since I'm still not sure exactly when he will arrive (apparently the airlines won't tell you specifically until 72 hours before) I don't know how much of the day we'll have with Dickens before Christmas eve. In the best of all possible worlds we wanted to keep him a secret until Christmas morning but I'm worried about Dickens having to deal with too many different environments all in the same day. Actually, in typing this I just figured out a preliminary plan- I'll pick Dickens up at the airport and bring him home (I was thinking about "hiding" him at another house) and let him get acclimated. It's the kids I'll have to make sure are out of the house for most of that day- maybe the mall or a movie or something; then I'll just have to figure out something for Christmas eve until the kids go to sleep- that may be too unrealistic though, and if so, we'd just have to let Dickens be an early Christmas present (that's probably the best thing for the puppy). I have a question, though, for anybody who cares to answer: any ideas about the first night for Dickens. We were going to have him sleep in a crate in our bedroom (we don't usually get a lot of sleep on Christmas eve anyway). The breeder has had the litter in her bedroom, where they sleep on shavings. I thought I should try and match, at least initially, what the breeder has done (shavings), but am wondering what else to try to help Dickens make the adjustment??? Toys, etc. for the crate? Anything else? |
| Maybe you could do this:
A neighbor stops by and explains to you, conveniently in front of the kids, that they are getting a puppy for their children, and they want to hide him at your house until Christmas Morning... Then perhaps Santa stops by in the morning, picks up the dog, but instead of going out the door, turns around and hands the puppy to your kids. No big "impact" surprise, but still.... |
| A crate in your room is a great idea, if that is where you plan to leave him. My thought would be to start him right off where you intend to keep him sleeping. I would forego the shavings in lieu of a nice comfy blanket or bed. Be prepared for some crying, I've tried all the "old standbys" radio, clock TV etc. They don't usually work. The sound of your voice may be the best reassurance.
I vote for an "early" Christmas present. If your kids are like mine Christmas morning is CRAZY, making the arrival the night before will give them time to get to know Dickens without all the other distractions of Christmas morning. I just looked at Dicken's picture, he sure is a cute little fella!!!!! I hope you'll allow me the liberty of posting the picture for you...... You can add a picture to the link by clicking on the link then, copying the RED link and pasting it to your post:  |
He IS cute as a Dickens Im in love....agian...sigh  |
| When our puppy was shipped her breeder sent one of her toys and a blanket that had her mom's sent on it. Maybe you can request something like that from yours rather than trying to replicate shavings.
Also, I vote for Christmas morning if at all possible. I think the excitement of travel to a new place AND two really excited kids might be a lot. If you can find a way to keep Dickens hidden/relaxed he might feel better in the morning and be ready to play with the kids. I'm so excited for them! You have to promise to post afterward and tell us all about it AND we'll need pictorial evidence. |
| He is a looker, isn't he?? And I just adore that name!! It's perfect!! |
| I'm almost embarressed to admit this but when we got Ty I sent the breeder a Tshirt that I had slept in for several nights, she put the T shirt in with Ty for a few days before I picked him up. That way MY smell was familiar!!!! |
| What great ideas- I'm wondering about sending a t-shirt, as goofy as that sounds! It actually makes perfect sense. I also like the idea about the blanket and, yes, I planned to let Dickens sleep in our bedroom- it'll be easier to get him up and out when he has to go.
I am torn between the Xmas eve and Xmas morning thing and guess I'll have to play it by ear. I think that thepoint the kids will be all excited about opening other presents is a good one. At least on Christmas eve, Dickens would be the sole center of attention (unless he's too wiped out from traveling, etc.) I promise to take lots of pics of Dickens Christmas, and Ryan's (11) and Kaden's (4 1/2) excitement. They have wanted a puppy but have no idea they are getting one, let alone an OES. He is a cute little devil, no? I've tried to post his pic under my tagline, but apparently the file size is too large and I'm trying to figure out how to correct that? |
| Open the picture in either Microsoft Photo Editor or Paint.
Photo Editor: Click Image->Resize Paint: Click Image->Stretch/Skew Then you can resize to 25% or 50%, save as a new file name (so you don't lose the full-quality file), then check to see if it's small enough. Can't wait to see Christmas pictures of Dickens!!! |
| Not sure who is going to be more excited- me or the kids |
And don't forget US!!!!!! We get VERY excited over new puppies!!! |
|
Santa is on his way
I can't wait to see how Kaden (the 4 1/2 year old) is going to react- he loves puppys (who doesn't) and is always stopping on the street to pet dogs, etc. And Ryan, who is 11, is a great kid and ready for some responsibility in caring for Dickens. |
| Congratulations and welcome! Dickens is adorable. Take lots of pictures because they grow up so fast!!
Here's another thing for you to consider - make sure you train your children along with your puppy. Dickens will be bigger than your young one soon enough, and while they're puppies they do tend to nip. So the children need to know how to handle the dog and establish themselves as higher in the pack. There are lots of posts out there about how to do this, hand feeding is a great tool. |
| Oooh, congrats on the puppy! He is just so cute.
One quick thing to mention...he might be covered in pee or poop when he comes off the plane, so be prepared for a quick bath... |
| Thanks Bailey's Mom-
Yes I agree with that; Ryan (11) will do fine; he's had a lot of experience with dogs already; Kaden (4 1/2) is the one that needs to be trained- he's a little boy boy and tough but will not like to get nipped, so I have to find out more about how to deal with that??? |
Don't know how I missed this post!! 
Congrats, Don, on the coming of your little Dickens!  I do believe he's the first sheepie with that name here on the forum!
Dickens is a sweet, angelic looking little fella! Can't wait to see pics and hear stories as he grows.
Yes, you will have to train Kaden. Being a herding dog, Dickens will most definitely try to nip and Kaden will have to learn how to act around him, especially since in the blink of an eye, Dickens will tower over Kaden! If you search this site, there are TONS of posts on training of all sorts. Woohoo! Let the good times roll . . . |
| Thanks Drezzle- yes, I am a little worried about Kaden because he had a bad experience with a friend's dog jumping all over him when he was little. Kaden, though, is a tough little kid and the fact that Dickens is so small now will help- I do have to figure out a way, though, for Kaden to let Dickens know his place in the pecking order before Dickens shoots up in height and weight. |
HEHEHEHE. won't be small FOR LONG!!!!!!!!  |
| So how quickly can we expect Dickens to grow? And any suggestions about diet for him? |
| Welcome to Dicken's and his family!
He will be very tired after his long ride, so plan on an early bedtime for him. As for the crate, make it nice and comfortable-with toys and soft bedding. We used an old pillow with 2 pillow cases (so the zipper was not exposed). Give him plenty of rest periods, and he should settle in nicely. Explain to the kids he needs his nap times
Our guy is over 2 1/2 years old and still knocks out on us after a busy day. You might like to add Natures Miracle cleaner to your shopping list. It is a aromatherapy cleaner you use after accident on your floor or rug. The scent discourages the pup from that area for use as the BR. Really helped us in the beginning. Good luck and keep us posted-he is a cute little fellow and will be a wonderful family member. |
| Thanks Zahra- very helpful
Any idea how quickly I can expect Dickens to grow? |
| Growing, of course, depends on the individual puppy, as adult sizes range from 50 plus pounds to over one hundred.
When Barney was 5 1/2-6 months old, he weighed 50 pounds. He's now over 2 and weighs 100... |
| Dickens will grow very quickly!
From 8 weeks to 12 weeks, Barkley gained 50% more weight (went from 18 to almost 30lbs). I don't think it's unusual either, as my mom's dog (not an OES) also gained 50% more body weight from age 8 weeks to age 12 weeks (from 6 to 9lbs). At 6 months old, he's 50 lbs and 23" high. They grow so fast!  |
| Let's see....... I checked Tasker's "baby book" (yup he has a baby book)..... At Birth he weighed 16 oz, at 7 weeks he weighed 9lbs 2 oz, at 4 months he weighed 42lbs and at one year he weighed 75 lbs. Today at 11 years young he weighs 97lbs |
| Thanks Ginny- that gives me a good gauge of what to look forward to.
My Ryan (11) weighs all of 75 lbs (with wet clothes) and Kaden (4 1/2) is around 40 lbs. I appreciate it. |
| I don't know how in the world I missed your postings!!! WELCOME! Dickens is ADORABLE and I'm so excited for you. I don't have much to add to what everyone has said above. We were new to the OES puppy thing this past February. Be prepared for a lot of work, but I can definitely say that is it worth it.
Definitely crate Dickens. Foz picked up on potty training quickly but that may have been with the help of our 9.5 yr old Annie. Fozzie slept in our bedroom in a crate for the first few nights. Then we moved his crate into the hall to sleep with Annie. He graduated to a large crate very quickly and then into our bathroom w/o crate. The two of them now sleep together peacefully in there which is just adorable. Check out my picture album to see how quickly he grew! |
| They grow soooooo quickly! I was carrying Bingley around until just about a week ago - now at 6 months its a bit of a strain! You'll find it interesting watching him grow as Bingley would have "waddle" days and "tall" days - he still will as he keeps growing! |
| Hi and welcome to you and Dickens , Duchess (who was the smallest of her litter ) was 16 oz at birth and now at 11 weeks she is 15 lbs. She is a great nipper and loud owies or trying to distract her didn't seem to be working but today she seems to have gotten the idea and has not nipped at my hands legs or feet (thank gosh) she still grabs my pant legs and coat sleeves but if I just stand still and look away (thanks to the great people here who told me what to do ) she soon gives up and walks away.
Good luck and have a merry christmas with the new family member |
| Duchess is beautiful Jean; I am sure I am going to have a lot of questions as we work Dickens into our family. I am so glad I found this board
Invaluable Thanks again Don |
| Welcome and congratulations.
All our new sheepies have cried the entire first night. I agree it's a shock for them to be separated from their mom and littermates. So don't let that throw you. Also, they tend to potty every two or three steps, so you might want to be prepared for that possibility. How exciting a new sheepie for Christmas. I can't think of a better present. |
Didn't find exactly what you're looking for? Search again here:
Custom Search
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|