Preparing the home and other dog for the pup to arrive
I was wondering if anyone could give me some insight as to what I should do to prepare my current dog for a puppy entering the home. I am adopting an EOS puppy and he will arrive in about 3 weeks. I have a crate that is in the apartment that my dog sometimes lies down in. Is it ok to use this crate to crate train the new puppy or will my dog be very upset at this? Should I buy a completely new crate? I also have two dog beds that my current dog is using. I am planning on washing both of them and then having them for both dogs to use, is that ok too or should I buy a new one so my current dog doesn't get upset and feel like everything is being taken over by the new pup? Thanks  -Casey |
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| p.s. I am going to name him "Barkley" |
| Congrats on the new little pup! I personally think most pups are fine with all the "original" beds, crates etc... Maybe some others can chime in? Weekends a lot of people are out and about so it may take a little time for them to catch up!  |
| As long as there are beds for everyone who wants one, you should be OK. I have several throughout the house. No one really claims ownership to any of them (OK, the cat does, and dogs need to wait their turn!) But for the crate - if your current dog still likes it and is using it occasionally, I would get another one for the puppy. And not knowing the size of your other dog and the crate size, it may not be a good fit. Puppy actually can go through several as he grows - or get one with a moveable divider (wire ones have this). Having the crate be not too big will help in the beginning for potty training. We had a slight issue of this when foster Bunny came a few weeks ago. We used to have 2 identical wire crates set up.  We only were using the one in the corner for Harley the basset, and just to eat in. He never went in it otherwise. So, Todd wanted more space, and we took one down, just leaving one in the corner. When Bunny came, this became her crate. She had never been a house dog, so we needed the crate to help potty train at night and when we were gone. Harley didn't care...BUT when morning feeding time came, he runs in there to eat. We wanted Bunny to eat in there - to get to like her crate better, and also to let her settle and eat in peace. Poor Harley.. I moved his dish just a few feet away from the crate (to the left and out of site from Bunny), but old habits die hard! He still runs in there, right past his dish, looking for his food! It's more humorous than an issue though, as Harley feels no ownership of his crate....and most other dogs who use it as their own space would. And if the pup goes in and the older dog is in there, you may get a fight. I would just avoid the whole issue and get a different one. |
| If your current dog tends to "own" or guard things, I'd get a new crate and a new bed. If he's ok, and is the sharing type, then I wouldn't worry about it. If you DO get a new dog bed, I'd say go cheap for now. My first one was $30 on sale at Home Goods. My girls peed on it pretty regularly while being house broken, and wrestled in it, and it got destroyed. By the time we had to throw it away, they were grown past all that, and we were able to buy a nice bed from Orvis. |
| I would get a new crate...you never know if someone's past accidents in the crate still leave an odor, and that might actually make housebreaking harder. Also, it's nice to have a crate for each one...there may come a time when you want that. We had Hudson's old crate, closed, stored under an open staircase, and when we were doing roof work the thumping scared him and he ran to it kicked at the door to go in. He hadn't set foot in it in a year. I had no idea he was interested. It's still there, under the stairs, with the door wide open. He now goes and naps in it frequently. When we have a workman in the house, I lock him in. It's better than a crazy dog throwing himself at whatever door belongs to the room he's in. Rudy's always needed his crate, and with his love of eating stupid things, probably always will. Maybe one day this will change, but it's great having a place for everyone. Rudy's is also jumbo (he's crazy tall -we call it the pony crate) while Hudson's is just large, two sizes smaller. They weigh exactly the same (74 pounds). You just never know what you'll end up with. Lots of things can be shared/recycled, but I like the separate crate idea. We started with a small one for Hudson when he was a puppy and sold it on kijiji when he outgrew it. We made back a little money...it wasn't too bad. At one point we had five crates and two dogs...we just gifted another large one to some friends...so now we actually only have two...it's much better now... Another thing you might want to invest in for a puppy is a metal pen/gate. There's no floor, but you can put it up in whatever configuration you want. Gives the puppy some freedom to roam while being safely contained. I used to put it up in the kitchen so Hudson could be safely with me when I cooked. Later, the Christmas tree sat inside it, with the presents well protected. Hudson tried to destroy them all his first year... Congratulations on your new addition...be sure to puppy proof everything. Check behind the couches and in between the cushions. They sniff out things you didn't even know you were missing. |
| I ditto the new crate. My older dog rarely goes into his crate. However, once we brought our new pup home and she ent in her crate, the older one went looking for his crate. We now keep both crates side by side so they can go in and out as they please. By the way, the "pup" is now 2 years and the older dog is now 4 years... As far as beds...I also would get the pup a new bed. I wouldn't spend much money on it. In fact, the favorite bed here is the rolled crate pad. Not very expensive, washable and very durable. Its a crate pad with the edges rolled like an edge. Great for a puppy - if they mess in it, its washable with no problem. we actually ahve several of these around the house in different sizes. I think for the current dog to feel unthreatened with a new pup, new things just for the pup is a good idea. Then the current pu can be assured his stuff is still there and the new pup has their stuff for now. At this point a few years later, neither dog here minds sharing their stuff. But in the beginning, I like the idea of seperate. Congrads on your new pup! |
| LOVE the name. Big muppet fan |
| Thank you all for your advice! Will check out sales on crates and beds this week. I know petsmart has crates at 20% off right now . |
| I use one of those rolled edge crate pads for a dog bed too. As mentioned - they are just snuggly enough with the bumper that dogs like it, they are relatively inexpensive, and they are super easy to wash and dry! |
| Ok thanks! I ordered an extra large crate off of walmart.com for only $79, what a deal! And saw some dog beds on their website so I will go check them out in person. My current dog's crate has a nice cushion that he loves so I might just get another one of those once the pup is potty trained, and use a cheap one for now (as suggested) and will look for one with curled edges so it's snugglier. Thanks again for all of the tips! |
| Hi all, thanks again for your tips. I ended up getting him a bed and a cage... and instead of naming him Barkley, I named him Coda . I can't believe how smart he is!! He's only 9wks old and has already asked to go out to the bathroom (to the door where I rush him when he's squatting and give treats after doing his business out there) a few times!! He's also fetching and herding my other dog around the apartment when they play lol. I just added some pics of Coda into the first antics and first puppy albums . The profile link isn't working so that's why I don't have him as my profile pic yet. Have a great day all! |
| Cute little guy, he does sound very smart. |
He's very cute!!  |
Welcome to baby Coda!!! |
| Oh those adorable little feet!!! |
| What a fine looking fella! Soooooo cute! |
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