BBP
Well-Known Member
Im excited and freaking out at the same time! We werent meant to get one so soon!!
So far I have: a crate, a puppy pen (for the times Im in the house but doing something else and cant keep an eye on it every second), bowls, collar, harness, tag, vet-bed, toys, chews.
Im making a doggy toilet area in back patio of a big tray of bark chips (as my lawn garden is accessed across a parking area and puppy may not be able to hold it that long).
Im modifying a stair gate so the cats can jump through a gap in it and never feel trapped.
Im working on latches for my low down cupboards.
But its impossible to puppy proof everything! And I have so many questions on what the right thing to do is.
Usually when I get up in morning I feed the cats and go straight up to do ponies at 5:30am. Puppy wont be able to come to field straight away but Im guessing it wont be happy for me to wake up, let it have a pee and then pop it back in its crate. So how much playtime should i allow (ie how much earlier do I get up?!!) before it is likely to settle back in its crate for an hour or so?
Should I pop its crate by my bed overnight, or sleep downstairs near the crate for a few nights before moving myself upstairs?
Should I move feeding my cats to a safe space upstairs where puppy cant be tempted?
How long do you give puppy to settle in before getting friends/family round to socialise? And other well behaved, fully vaccinated dogs?
How long do you give him to settle in before you take puppy on car journeys (I understand about the vaccine situation, but journeys to my parents house etc to get him used to new places)?
How long do you give puppy in before taking up to yard to get used to horses (no other dogs up there).
If you have to go food shopping or to see the horse before puppy is fully crate trained and comfortable do you just get on with it and accept puppy has to fit in with your life to a certain degree?
Sorry if these sound stupid questions, Im reading and researching as much as I can but I have less time than planned so experienced from existing dog owners welcome on any or all of these.
So much to think about and learn! Desperate not to mess up!
So far I have: a crate, a puppy pen (for the times Im in the house but doing something else and cant keep an eye on it every second), bowls, collar, harness, tag, vet-bed, toys, chews.
Im making a doggy toilet area in back patio of a big tray of bark chips (as my lawn garden is accessed across a parking area and puppy may not be able to hold it that long).
Im modifying a stair gate so the cats can jump through a gap in it and never feel trapped.
Im working on latches for my low down cupboards.
But its impossible to puppy proof everything! And I have so many questions on what the right thing to do is.
Usually when I get up in morning I feed the cats and go straight up to do ponies at 5:30am. Puppy wont be able to come to field straight away but Im guessing it wont be happy for me to wake up, let it have a pee and then pop it back in its crate. So how much playtime should i allow (ie how much earlier do I get up?!!) before it is likely to settle back in its crate for an hour or so?
Should I pop its crate by my bed overnight, or sleep downstairs near the crate for a few nights before moving myself upstairs?
Should I move feeding my cats to a safe space upstairs where puppy cant be tempted?
How long do you give puppy to settle in before getting friends/family round to socialise? And other well behaved, fully vaccinated dogs?
How long do you give him to settle in before you take puppy on car journeys (I understand about the vaccine situation, but journeys to my parents house etc to get him used to new places)?
How long do you give puppy in before taking up to yard to get used to horses (no other dogs up there).
If you have to go food shopping or to see the horse before puppy is fully crate trained and comfortable do you just get on with it and accept puppy has to fit in with your life to a certain degree?
Sorry if these sound stupid questions, Im reading and researching as much as I can but I have less time than planned so experienced from existing dog owners welcome on any or all of these.
So much to think about and learn! Desperate not to mess up!