Advice on bringing pup home

M

MissJael

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 October 2008
Messages
1,374
Location
NI
Visit site
Hi,

I've booked a bichon pup which will be ready in early August. Never had a pup before so I need an idiot's guide to what's the best way to handle things on the first few nights and crate training. He will be a house dog so I really want to start things well and do everything right from the minute he gets here and have him settled asap for everyones sake.

I'm planning on leaving the crate open, feeding him in it until he gets used to being in it, and letting him claim it as his 'den', associating it with good things. Am I right in thinking a puppy pen can be used overnight to give him a different area to go pee if he needs to?

I have a lab but he lives outside and was dumped here a few years ago, so I've never been through the whole first night whining and crying, or toilet training.

Any advice gratefully received!
 
From day 1 I never let Harley toilet inside.

Obv during the day I took him out constantly.

For the first 3/4 nights I put him in a crate at the bottom of my bed, door shut. He woke up twice in the night for the 1st week and I picked him up (didn't talk to him), took him outside for toilet, then put him straight back in crate and shut door. He did cry a bit, so I got in the habit of reheating his hot water bottle and then settled him immediately.

After those 1st few nights I put his crate downstairs (I was told having him at the bottom of the bed woud teach him nighttime was for sleeping) and I had no problems with the transition. The 2nd week he woke once a night to be taken out and then after that he slept through.

Cayla does a great puppy guide, if you pm her I expect she'll send you one :)
 
We've got puppy number two at home at the moment. The first time round I was super careful to have chlo out every 30 seconds, I got grumpy when she went Inside and generally stressed out about it. This time round, I'm just not stressing. I'm taking him out regularly, and i praise like mad if he goes outside, but if he goes inside I'm just cleaning up and making no fuss either way. He is in a crate at night and is messing every night but chlo wasn't clean through the night until about 9 months reliably so I'm not fussed yet. Our crate is too big really because he can easily mess far away from his bed.

Lots of toys and enjoy it :)
 
Thanks for all your advice - I was starting to dread it with panicking about how to do things best for both pup and everyone in the house... but I'll just chill out and make the little fella feel at home whilst doing our best to get im to go outside! :)
 
Dylan was never bought upstairs when he was a tiny pup. He had a shelf in the kitchen (it was like a shelf at floor level) which was his hidy hole with a blanket from "mum" and his toys. I woke up twice in the night to take him out and left a pad out for him which he would use. He was dry through the night 11pm-0530am from about 12/13weeks. I feel very lucky :D

He cried 20 minutes max first night, we left him he was fine (infact I think it was the first three nights was the only time he missed the pad during the night).


Hes now 8 months and I have only just crate trained.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top