The first of many puppy prep questions!

[Patterdale]

5.5 weeks to go..!

Crates - I last had a house puppy 13 years ago so I’m very behind the times. Crates weren’t really a thing then, but I can see how they would be useful. I’d like a soft sided one rather than a metal cage type - any recommendations please?

Travel - the puppy is nearly 7 hours from me. Is it better to collect the puppy and have a possibly stressful journey, or is there such a thing as a professional dog transporter like with horses? I collected a puppy for a friend last year, drove it 30 mins during which time it howled nonstop, vomited and had liquid diarrhoea through the cage bars. Neither I nor the car have fully recovered!

Food - what’s the best puppy food? I used to use Beta puppy, is this still good!?

I know I can ask the breeder, but I don’t want to appear totally clueless at the start

Thank you!!

 

[ihatework]

Crates - if you get a chewy pup a soft crate might not survive! They are great for staying away with an older dog but I’d go metal for a pup (covered with a blanket).

Transport wise I picked mine up from Ireland (I live in Cotswolds!) would have preferred a transporter but just couldn’t make the availability and timing work.
I used a large enclosed cat carrier. Lined in puppy pads. Vet bed and blanket plus spares. Bin liners and dettol wipes and just bagged up any accident, wiped out and replaced bedding then washed everything at home. Was relatively stress free.

Food. Whatever breeder feeds. At least to start.

 

[Splash2310]

The only thing I would say about fabric crates, is that some puppies have been known to chew through them! We have a metal crate and we’ve had no issues, but I appreciate why you might not want to use one.

In terms of food, the breeder should give you a bag of the food the puppy is currently on. I would keep using that one for the first couple of weeks then swap over. All about dog food is a pretty good website for checking nutritional ratings etc.

 

[BallyJ]

Crates - As above, fabric ones are easily chewed through, is there any reason you don't want the metal type?

Travel - we drove 4 hours with our 2 labs and both slept in the passenger footwell, fine with no sickness. We did make sure the pups had plenty of time between eating and travelling. If I had to do the journey alone I would put in a crate in the boot or in a cat carrier on the seat.

Food - the breeder should send you with a bag. we fed this only for the first week while she settled then slowly started mixing in the food we chose.

 

[Spotherisk]

My lurcher puppy hated his soft crate, we think he could see out of it well enough, so after a while (when he’d chewed the zip!) we moved to metal and he was completely settled straight away. OH made a hard top which fits under the cover so it’s a coffee table too, dog still sleeps in it every night.

 

[pistolpete]

You can buy nice crate covers now too. Jens Doggy bits on Facebook do them. Just have to send measurements I think. I’d feed raw personally as so many benefits over kibble. I’d ease that the pup only had a small feed before travel and factor in several stops if needed. You don’t want a traumatised pup!

 

[Clodagh]

As you can’t get the pup out of the car while travelling l’d just hack on, barring having to stop and clear up accidents.
I picked up Ffee and brother at the Severn crossing and drove them non stop to Essex, the breeder had bought them from Aberystwyth so they had a huge journey and were fine. They slept all the way.
I’d go metal crate too.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Get an airline crate if you don't want a metal one, the fabric ones are easily edible.

There are dog transporters but get recommendations/use someone reputable.

My last pup was 2.5 hrs away and she rode up front with me in a cat carrier facing forwards and strapped in. I own her father, know her mother and assessed the litter three times including things like elevation and movement and was reasonably confident she would be a good traveller, which she was and has continued to be.

 

[TGM]

With both our pups we used a plastic travel crate to start with, both for travelling and general use in the home. They have the advantage of a solid bottom so any bodily liquids are less likely to leak into the car, plus they are easy to carry and move around. The pups then graduated to a standard metal crate once they outgrew the travel crate. As others have said a fabric crate is likely to get chewed.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

I have always used metal crates and currently have a large one set up in the kitchen that has a board on top so is used as a dumping ground. My youngest had it from a tiny pup and still chooses to sleep in it at times. I can cover it completely if needed in firework season.

 

[Splash2310]

We did a four hour journey with our pup. We had a cat box (I think?) but I asked the breeder what she would do, and she said just to have him with us in the front.

We borrowed a travel box thing from my partners sister (which was a bit useless because he kept jumping out and wandering around looking out the window etc) which we lined with newspaper, and he did one small wee. You can sort of see it in the photo.

I would crack on, especially as you can’t stop to put them on the ground.

Im sure you’ve already thought of this, but the day before we had to run out and buy a much smaller collar than we anticipated for the journey home too.

 

[blackcob]

Apart from the chew risk a fabric crate that’s been widdled in will be a nightmare to wash, better to have a metal one with a plastic tray that can be wiped clean.

Dog transporters are a thing but the journey is likely to be even longer if they have other pickups and dropoffs to do. I’d strap a crate to a seat, line it with a puppy pad, take wipes and a couple of spare bits of vetbed and get it done as quickly as possible. My last one sang the song of her people for two minutes and then slept the whole journey - the breeder had deliberately had them out and kept her awake in the hours before we collected, mean but effective.

Dog food is a minefield, FWIW I’ve got one doing well on Eukanuba of the relevant size/lifestage but just keep them on whatever the breeder has them on and do a gradual transition to your preference. I have previously raw fed but caution against it in puppies (especially large or giant breeds).

 

[Morwenna]

I bought a large crate that had a divider so my puppy was originally in a smaller section that I could increase the size of as she grew without having to buy multiple crates. It was covered with a blanket initially and then I made a crate cover. I lined it with a washable pee pad with vetbed on top (mainly so if there were any accidents they would be soaked up but we never had any). She now has a big fluffy bed in there as I worried about it being cold in winter and has a mattress style bed for when it get warmer (spoilt puppy). I still use the crate a lot for time out if she’s getting over tired and silly and she often takes herself into it to sleep. She’s also crated while I’m out as she’s turned into a carpet chewing asbo puppy.

 

[palo1]

Very exciting news and update I had to drive from one side of the country to the other with Red (Irish Terrier). Breeder had had them playing outside - I got to her place at about 9.00 am and decided that because of the difficulties of safely removing an 8 week old pup from a cat carrier, that I would simply bore on to get home, stop if there was an issue with poo/vomiting etc but otherwise just get home as efficiently as poss. I took plenty of puppy pad, wet wipes and spare vet bed just in case. Red cried for about 5 mins then slept all the way. I took my son with me so that the cat carrier could be strapped onto the back seat but have someone there to keep an eye on pup. It was all absolutely fine.

As for food, feed what the breeder has used initially then choose what you feel will be best and go with that but be prepared to re-think if need be.

 

[splashgirl45]

When I picked my first terrier up I put him in a crate next to my old dog and he was fine. My second terrier was tiny so a friend drove I had her on my lap , she was also fine. When I collected my lurcher he was crated and next to the 2 terriers and he yelled his head off for the first 10 mins and when I went through one of the villages people were looking, luckily he settled and travelled ok for the rest of the journey but when I got him out I realised he’d had a wee but it was easy to clean up , just washed everything and as I’d got a few layers it didn’t get on the crate although I did wipe it over just in case … I went with my friend to collect her puppy and I think the breeder must have given him too much food as he threw up for the first half an hour, he was travelling on my lap but I had a towel on my lap and we had loads of kitchen roll etc to mop up … after the first half hour he slept for the next 2 hours

 

[druid]

7 hours, I'd drive up the night before and Air BnB somewhere close by. Collect puppy, into crate for drive home with puppy pads, vet bed on top and bring a clean up kit of ziploc/nappy bags, pet safe cleaning spray and kitchen towel. Use as needed! I'd bring several pieces of vet bed to change them out - they're snuggly and allow the urine to drain away from pup safely on to the pee pad.

I crate train all our litters - when they leave they've had time alone in a crate for meals/enrichment bones etc. It's a wonderful life skill to have

Food is a minefield - start with whatever the breeder is using and then think about changing if you feel the need/want to. I'm feeding Royal Canin Mini to our MT pup, the spaniel litter will be on Purina Pro Plan.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Dog transporters are a thing. 7 hours is a heck of a way. I picked up two of mine from an hour away in a large cat carrier, they hadn’t been in a car before and they puked all the way home. My OH picked up the current two and had them in a large metal crate. There was a mess in the bottom, he had lined it with a bed and lots of towels so easy to clean after 4 hours. If you pick her up, take a friend/your OH to share the drive.

Re food, none of the big commercial brands have great reviews. You have a huge choice. Stick to whatever the breeder has for a week or so and take a large empty water container, often the change in water can cause dicky tummies. Ask if you can fill up a container at the breeder’s house.

 

[Patterdale]

Thank you so much for all the replies! I’ve been doing lots of overtime (puppy, lorry and new saddle for child in one month ) so just catching up properly.

The food thing is a minefield! I’ll give the breeder’s food at first but not sure after that. I’ll have to do some research!

Also thanks for all the journey tips. I’m going to go down the night before, and I’m going to go in my pick up which isn’t my first choice for long journeys, but in extreme poo emergency I can fling the pooey things in the back..! I could also technically just bed it down with straw and let the pup go to town on it, but she would be alone then so I think she might worry??
I will probably strap a solid sided cat carrier in and take lots of old towels cut up to throw away and reuse as needed. Looked at vet bed but OW MUCH!?

 

[Patterdale]

The next big issue is the name! I wanted to go down the spring/Easter route and came up with a chocolate-y name - Wispa. Thoughts!? Some people like it and some hate it!
Any other suggestions most welcome please!

 

[druid]

Looked at vet bed but OW MUCH!?

You'll have it for years, ours goes in the car boot, in crates, on top of beds. Try ebay for "clearance vet bed". You'll usually pick some up for under a tenner in odd sizes

 

[blackcob]

I will probably strap a solid sided cat carrier in and take lots of old towels cut up to throw away and reuse as needed. Looked at vet bed but OW MUCH!?

Buy a big end of roll bit and chop it up, it lasts donkeys and comes out of the washing machine nearly dry.

 

[Patterdale]

But what if they poo on it? Would it not all get stuck in the fluffy bits?

 

[druid]

But what if they poo on it? Would it not all get stuck in the fluffy bits?

Nope, it's literally what we use in vet clinics for dogs with diarrhoea and all sorts of other stuff because you can wash it at 90 degrees if necessary and it comes out the same. Washes up perfectly for pup accidents. My bitches whelp on it and it lines the whelping box until pups leave.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Vetbed is so worth it. My mother had pieces that were over 20 years old, I still have bits from when my 12 year old was a pup.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

The next big issue is the name! I wanted to go down the spring/Easter route and came up with a chocolate-y name - Wispa. Thoughts!? Some people like it and some hate it!
Any other suggestions most welcome please!

It's your dog, so entirely up to you. I remember us being very determined to name the first 2 certain names but en route home, my OH said 'I don't like that name, he's going to be Jake'. All of ours have one syllable names, we found it easier to teach a recall with one sound.

 

[ArklePig]

The next big issue is the name! I wanted to go down the spring/Easter route and came up with a chocolate-y name - Wispa. Thoughts!? Some people like it and some hate it!
Any other suggestions most welcome please!

Wispa is lovely, I knew a beautiful bay cob with that name and he was so gentle and soft.

Names are a personal thing, I was do or die going to call mine Buffy but it just didn't suit her (and OH hated it). Just keep a couple in mind that you like and they'll let you know what they prefer!

And yes to vetbed! We've had to hose ours down after a dodgy tummy before washing and it looks like the day we bought it.