Puppy coming soon!
I'm a 19 year old who has wanted a dog for the longest time and I FINALLY convinced my parents to get an OES! They have had two OES before I was born, but I finally convinced them to get another one! Anyway, I have a couple questions.. My mom was very hesitant about getting a puppy, but she finally gave in. Our house we live in is only 4 years old and we have hardwood floors and it kills my mom knowing they will get scratched up, etc. So I'm just wondering if anyone out there has hardwood floors that they try to keep in good shape and how often their nails would need to be clipped, etc. Also, we have a couple area rugs and my mom is frightened that the puppy will just chew on the corners. So is there any special way to train a puppy not to chew on things? I know it will take time, but what would be the best way to go about keeping them out of trouble? Finally, what is the best way to protect carpets and floors until the dogs are potty-trained? Obviously newspaper will be put down, but are there any other suggestions? What about ways to effectively clean up accidents? Thanks for all the help! We will be getting our puppy in the beginning of June! She is 4 days old currently! |
|
|
| Welcome to the community and puppy ownership.
Ooooooh boy... you've got a bit of a road ahead of you. You really can't teach a puppy not to chew, you'll have to watch carefully and give a substitute when she chews on the wrong things. A few inexpensive rubber-backed area rugs (maybe $6 or $10 at Walmart) for the wood floor might make some sense -- the good rugs won't be ruined and the floor won't get scratched (or peed on as much) and the puppy won't slip (as much). Everybody wins! |
Quote: My mom was very hesitant about getting a puppy, but she finally gave in. Our house we live in is only 4 years old and we have hardwood floors and it kills my mom knowing they will get scratched up, etc. So I'm just wondering if anyone out there has hardwood floors that they try to keep in good shape and how often their nails would need to be clipped, etc. Keeping the nails ground down with a nail grinder helps. I grind my dogs nails so they're more rounded. Traditional nail clippers leave sharp edges. Note though that the hard wood floors will most likely get scratched up. The builder that put down our Bruce hardwood flooring said it wouldn't scratch but I knew better. No question that it's been damaged by dog toenails. Quote: Also, we have a couple area rugs and my mom is frightened that the puppy will just chew on the corners. So is there any special way to train a puppy not to chew on things? I know it will take time, but what would be the best way to go about keeping them out of trouble? Crate train your puppy... be careful you don't over use it or you'll create behavioral problems. Many puppies keep their crate clean for up to the endurance limit based on the puppy's age. As the puppy gets older, he/she will be able to hold it longer. Be prepared to make night time potty trips if the puppy is arriving at 8 weeks of age. Supervise him/her when loose in the house and start with allowing access to only one room... preferably an uncarpeted room. As puppy becomes more reliable and older, you can add another room, again under supervision. Also pick up anything that you definitely don't want ruined during the puppy stage which can last several months to a year or longer depending on the dog. Remember that if the puppy chews on something he shouldn't, we're the only ones to blame. As Ron mentioned, you exchange the unacceptable item with a dog toy. They need to learn limits and this takes time and good supervision. And note that you can begin training puppies at home even at 9 weeks old. Four of mine learned to sit in only 2-3 days using several 1-2 minute training sessions and commands puppies naturally follow with yummy treats. Quote: Finally, what is the best way to protect carpets and floors until the dogs are potty-trained? Obviously newspaper will be put down, but are there any other suggestions? What about ways to effectively clean up accidents?
Put the puppy on a feeding schedule but understand accidents will surely happen. The idea is that if you control when food is eaten, you'll have some control over when it comes back out. Have a good urine neutralizer to thoroughly clean any accident areas to prevent the puppy from reusing the same area because of the smell. Remember that if you don't catch puppy in the act of peeing/pooing in the house, it's too late to correct them. If you catch puppy eliminating inside, scoop him/her up and quickly take them outdoors to finish. You'll probably start the puppy on 3 feedings a day. You feed puppy and immediately take puppy out on a leash to potty in a designated area of the yard. In a soft voice tell puppy to "do your business" or whatever command you plan to use. This is teaching puppy to potty on command and will come in handy. Praise puppy quietly for doing his business and go back inside. Puppy needs to be taken out several times a day. Like in the middle of play and again just after play. As soon as puppy wakes up in the morning or awakens from a nap, put the collar/leash on and quickly take puppy outside. If the weather isn't too warm and the puppy isn't sick, ask the vet about picking up the water dish about 2 hours before you're bedtime and putting it back down in the early morning. I don't believe in using puppy pads because I think it's confusing... it's saying it's ok to pee/poo in the house. Signs of an imminent accident are sniffing the floor, circling, just starting to roach his/her back. One thing you might do to prepare for the arrival of your new puppy is to get down to puppy level and see what things might be enticing to a puppy or things that will be right at his level. I hide all electrical cords behind tables or I simply unplug them. I've also used old drawers or boxes to block off access to things like the back of the refrigerator or the TV. I've put heavy cardboard around the legs of my grandma's antique buffet so they don't get chewed. It's survived 7 puppies by doing this because "out of sight, out of mind". It's also time to look at your backyard to make sure there aren't any poisonous plants. Puppies explore their surroundings and use their mouths like we use our hands. Everything goes into a puppy's mouth. Just a few of the things we do... there are surely many more ideas others will share. Congratulations on your new puppy! |
| Thanks for all the suggestions! Anyone else have any suggestions for general puppy issues/problems/etc?
And should I schedule a vet appointment shortly after I receive the puppy to make sure it is doing alright? |
MorelandOC wrote: Thanks for all the suggestions! Anyone else have any suggestions for general puppy issues/problems/etc?
And should I schedule a vet appointment shortly after I receive the puppy to make sure it is doing alright? Yes, definitely an appt right away. It gets your puppy checked out and makes sure there are no illnesses or other problems you weren't aware of. Not to sound negative, but it also gives you recourse if there is anything wrong. If you wait too long, the breeder could say the puppy was fine when it left, it must be YOUR fault. Also, it gets your puppy used to your vet and the office. When I get a new dog or puppy, I make an appt to intro the pup to the office in a nice, relaxed atmoshere. I also bring with the vaccination and medical history from the breeder and get my new dog's chart started. This way, if some emergency comes up later on, they will have met your pup when healthy and they already know about the pup, you and the medical history. You don't want to be starting off cold when it is an emergency! |
| Sounds great, one other question. Do you typically take your puppy/dog to the vet every so often for a "check up"? If so, how often?
Edit: Any name suggestions?  It's going to be a girl, she has a white head, as well. I kind of like the name Sophie but I'm not really sure! |
Didn't find exactly what you're looking for? Search again here:
Custom Search
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|