Flying Home

[Michelle Rodriguez]

Just got news that our little furbaby gets to come home a few days early!!! :) She comes home Thursday and has a long flight ahead of her. It's a late flight so by the time we get to the house it will already be bed time. Any advice on how to make her feel as comfortable as possible in her new home so that she'll want to sleep when we get home? The way I had planned everything out in my head, I would have liked her to arrive at our home during the day so that she could play around and get used to the house and her new surroundings a bit, but since they're letting us bring her a few days early all we could get this short notice was a late flight. 

[Sharon Vogel]

On our girl's first night home, I took a hot water bottle and wrapped it in an old unwashed shirt of mine. I put that in her crate and got her good and tired before bed/crate time. Have everything lined up to take her out potty in the middle of the night cuz it's no fun stumbling around trying to hurry up and get her outside. Also her crate was next to our bed so she could hear is sleeping. Oh and lastly we played calm music all night for her. Good luck!

[Diane, Hurley and Sidney]

With Hurley I did pretty much the same things. He came in late also. I did put his crate on a stool next to my side of the bed so he could see me. If he woke up and whine a little I would just put my fingers in the crate and speak softly to him. H would go right back to sleep. Definitely be prepared to take your baby out to pee a couple of times.

[Michelle Rodriguez]

Thanks for the wonderful advise ladies!!! :) Since she's coming in the night and I will most likely try to get her to bed within a hour or two of us getting home, when she starts to cry in her crate during the night how will I know if she's crying to go potty or if she's just crying because she wants some comfort?

[Diane, Hurley and Sidney]

I took Hurley out every couple of hours the first few nights until I could tell the difference in his whines. After that I kind of knew by his type of whine whether he was needing attention or needing to go out. But H slept a good 6/8 hrs per night fairly early.

On kennel placement I kept it where he could see me for a week or so. Then gradually backed if away but kept it on the stool. Next step was of the stool on the floor and when he could not see me.

H was always restless in the kennel even when sleeping he seemed to be tossing and turning so by 3 months he was sleeping on our bed. Then he stopped the restlessness. It was as if he just didn't like being in such a small space. He sure could stretch out on the bed. Lol.

[Rhoda and Asta]

on Asta's first day, I set in the back seat of the car and talked to him so he could start to get use to me during the ride from the airport.   Also, I put him in the bed with me where he continues to sleep.   I only use the crate when I have to go out.  

[Cindy and Olive (Ollie)]

I'd recommend walking around your property so he gets a little acclimated and the sense of having traveled. Then sleep with crate bedside so he can smell and hear you and be comforted by your presence that way. You can rest your fingers on the crate if he needs comfort. I moved ours six inches away from our bed every day until it was eventually in the spot I wanted. Also ask the breeder what to expect from him before you start taking him out if he whines. Ours told us we could expect him to sleep through the night 10-5:30 (he did) and to never take him out while he is whining - wait for a few secs of quiet, first. Otherwise he quickly learns that whine = crate removal = fun! Enjoy your new fur baby! Best,

[TYoung]

We got our baby at exactly 8 weeks old.  She flew across the country to us...and arrived in good spirits.  We tried to have her go potty before we left the airport, but she didn't.  We fully greeted her and gave her lots of gentle love before getting into the car.  I held her in my lap the entire 25 minute ride home talking to her, and lifting her so she could look out the window sometimes too.  I brought along her blanket and stuffed monkey toy we had gotten her, and held them in my lap with her too.  When we got home, it was near 10pm...we let her walk all around the bottom floor of the house to get her sniff on :)  We placed the crate high up on a table bedside so that she could see/ hear us and we could reach our fingers in if she cried to comfort her.  Our breeder had suggested that we NOT let her out to potty in the middle of the night at all.  It is her experience that at 8 weeks they could definitely hold their bladder 7 to 8 hours in the night.  We kept her up until about 11:30pm that night, then put her in her crate with the blanket and monkey :) So, she did cry/whine the first night about 6-7 times, again some but less the second night about 4 times or so, and once the 3rd night!  That was it!  On the first 2 nights when she cried, we reached in with fingers to comfort her and only said "shh shh shh" softly...as one would an infant.  We didn't say anything else, didn't turn on lights, didn't take her out.  She soon settled each time back to sleep.  We kept the crate there for 2 months.  We eventually moved her to a slightly larger crate and downstairs out of our bedroom.  My husband slept on the sofa the first 2 nights when when she was downstairs in case she cried...so we would know.  She was a trooper and never fussed.  We did put her crate where we had it all day long (other than bedtime) since we brought her home.  She has never gotten up mid-night again...sleeps like a baby.  ALSO, for potty training, when we first got up and took her potty in the a.m. upon waking, we took her out of the crate and carried her to her potty spot in the back yard for the first 2 months.  We did not let her touch the floor at all from point A to point B.  We would use her paw to hit the poochie bells on the way out each time from day one.  That assured that she went potty on her spot every single time and did not have an accident on the way there.  Eventually, she walked out of her crate and straight for the poochie-bells and out the door.  We found it really helped her to understand the potty routine, literally from day one.  She's a champ at those bells and going potty in her "spot."  She is presently 5 1/2 months old.  Oh, BTW, we always leave water out for her, but for the first 2 months, we pulled the water up at 7pm, and took her potty just before bedtime.  I believe that helped her bladder be more comfortable at night and not wake her.  She still sleeps with that same money and one of 2 blankets every night too.  

Good luck and good wishes to you!