Getting my puppt soon!

[Karen]

Hello all, this is my first post here.  Our labradoodle puppy is 8 weeks today, so we should be able to pick him up from the breeder this weekend or next.  I will try and keep this short but I have a LOT of questions for people who have "been there, done that". 

1.  We picked him out based on color (we had first pick, and because it's a litter with merle puppies, everyone wants one).  We chose a beautiful chocolate merle.  HOWEVER, my main concern is personality - what if we get there to pick him up and don't think he is the right puppy for us?  How will we know?  She said it's fine if we end up choosing a different puppy that isn't spoken for.  What kind of things do we look for?  We don't want the alpha puppy.  I have 3 kids, 9, 6, and 4, and things can get a little, shall we say, busy at our house.  I want a puppy that will tend to chill rather than act hyper.  (of course I realize they are puppies!  Lots of energy anyway)  Any feedback would be great!

2. I have read LOTS of books and I like Dr. Ian Dunbar's plan with the puppy yard, so I am going to gate off our kitchen and family room, with the crate in the family room.  So should the puppy sleep in the crate downstairs and I wake up once or twice to take him out?  I am worried that I won't hear him if he is crying to go out.  Or should the puppy sleep in a crate in our room?  This wouldn't be my first choice as we only have 1 crate and I don't want to have to buy another one/carry the one up and down stairs. 

3. When can I take the puppy out for socializing?  I know they should avoid dog places, but like putting him in the cart at PetSmart, PetCo, Home Depot, Starbucks, etc.  I am going to take the first week off for training and such, and I will be able to take him to work when I go.  I also plan on having lots of people over to meet him, but don't want to overwhelm him either.  Thoughts?

 

I just really want to have all my ducks in a row for this puppy.  We had adopted a cattle dog mutt puppy from the shelter in July, and ended up having to give her back because of her SERIOUS issues.  She was not well socialized, she bit and nipped at us and strangers (not in a friendly way towards strangers) she was VERY shy and anxious, terrified of walks, of most people (even my husband).  I consulted with 3 different trainers and they all said the same thing - she needed serious, consistent work to even have a hope of becoming the dog that we need her to be.  Which is a dog that likes everyone - kids, parents, etc. because we want to take the dog everywhere, practices, friends houses, beach, etc.  And don't want to worry if she is going to bite someone.  We realized that our crazy house was not a good environment for her, but felt that she would make someone the perfect dog.  She ended up getting adopted by the perfect couple, older, retired, no kids, etc.  My point in this story is that it was very traumatic and I never saw myself as the kind of person that would give up on a dog.  That is how I ended up choosing a labradoodle, I heard to many good things about them.  I don't think I can end up with a bad dog (anything will be miles better than the other puppy!) But I just want to do every thing right.

Thank you!  Sorry for the lengthy post!!!

[Katie & Charlie]

Hi Karen and congrats on your new puppy!  I totally understand wanting to get all of your ducks in a row.  I was the same way! 

We keep our puppy crate in our bedroom.  I've found with him (and another puppy I had years ago) that they do better when you're close by during those early days. I can see how that would pose a problem for you, though with the stairs.  Also, we used to just set the alarm to get up at least once per night to let him out because sometimes he wouldn't whine to let us know -- he would just get restless and I was afraid that wouldn't wake me up.

We went to pick our pup out when he was only 4 weeks old and I was really nervous that we wouldn't be able to tell much at that age -- they change so much as the weeks pass!  Well, It was a small litter -- 2 boys and 2 girls.  We wanted a boy and had first pick.  When we met the boys, it was clear that one was much more "fussy" than the other.  When we held the fussy one, he would tense  his legs and never really relaxed.  He whimpered constantly.  Given, it was cold outside and he was quite scared.  The other puppy (the one we chose) was MUCH more relaxed.  When we held him, there was no crying, very little shaking and he just relaxed into our arms.  When we picked him up at 10 weeks old he was that same puppy (just a lot bigger!).  He was SO sweet, laid back and loving.  He certainly is a puppy and has those hyper spells, but he's definitely not an alpha dog and is wonderful with my 2 and 4 year old. 

I've heard that you shouldn't take the little guys out until they've had all of their boosters.  Charlie is set to have his final shots in a couple of weeks but until then, we're just trying to keep him in our yard.  I'll take him for an occasional walk to get him used to his leash, but I try to keep him out of other people's yards. 

Best of luck to you!

[Mimi Linna, Lilly and Lolly]

oh my goodness, you sound just like I did.. read my blog from day one if you get a chance. We also had first pick and they all kinda looked the same and i was overcome from cuteness. I depended on the breeder. I told her about our lifesytle, what we were looking for.( laidback, easy traveler, friendly, companion) and she it it on the head with Lilly. i would always pick personality over looks. I felt bad not getting a rescue dog, but all of our other dogs have been recused and having COPD, I needed a furbaby that would not shed. My daughter still gives me crap about not getting a rescue and spending a lot of money on a designer mutt- but I take to high road and say "bite me:) "... well not outloud. I know we made the best desision for us.. good luck and keep us posted.

[Katie & Charlie]

Haahahaha!  You cracked me up with the bite me comment.  I have said the same thing to some family members who give me crap for getting a high-dollar "mutt."  :)

[J and Riley (and Luna)]

Congratulations!

Here are my 2 cents - Luna was fairly recently a puppy (she's 1.5) and it was our "first" puppy, since the last time I had a puppy I was only 10 years old and had no clue what was going on.

1. When we went to visit the breeder, we knew we wanted a female darker coloured puppy but personality was more important. We landed up deciding between two pups:

puppy #1 "chose" my fiance, was tugging at his shoelaces in between leading her littermates on digging and grass-ripping expeditions

puppy #2 sat at my feet, put her head in my hands and stayed there the whole time while falling asleep

Both puppies were easy to handle and relaxed immediately (into mush piles) when picked up.

Guess which one is Luna - an extremely submissive (as in lies on her back for any size of dog), generally very calm and well-mannered dog (especially around kids)?

She was puppy #1 - the class clown.  She's very fun-loving and can be excitable, but with (we think) proper pack leadership has turned into a great family dog.  We don't have kids yet, but she greets small children (even babies) very calmly and lets them do pretty much whatever they want with her.

     

2. We did the crate up and down the stairs thing for a year - if I did it again I'd get a 2nd crate.  Luna is definitely a "people" dog and I couldn't bring myself to have her sleep downstairs away from us.  However, lots of people do this and their dogs do fine with it - just make sure you let the puppy out a few times overnight for the first few weeks.

 

 

3. After the 12 week puppy shots I would start introducing the puppy to dogs you KNOW are up to date on vaccinations.  We are lucky as our neighborhood is full of dogs!  After 16 week shots - puppy kindgergarten is an awesome place to socialize; most puppy kindergarten will have some basic obedience interspersed with free play.  With both of these - I would start working on calling your pup back to you so they  understand that "play time" doesn't mean "ignore my people" time.  We didn't do as well with Luna as I would have liked on this one and it's REALLY hard to get her to come to us when she's playing (still a work in progress!)

When you find the "right" puppy you will know it :)  Good luck!

[Linda K Gregory]

Congratulations on the new baby.  I would ask the breeder if she does any kind of testing for temperment like the puppy aptiude test. (My breeder does this and she is able to tell (hopefully) which pup would be suitable for which family).  Did you get to handle this little guy, how did he react with his littermates, did he play by himself or with the group.  Were your children with you and how did he react around there excitement.  These are just a few questions I would ask myself.

I read the books by the Monks of New Skete and they recommend a crate or having the pup tethered near you when sleeping.  I look for extra crates at thirft shops, etc and donate them to our local pet shelter.  I'm able to pick them up fairly cheap.

I would wait til the pup has been with you for about 2 weeks, 2nd set of shots before taking him out to places like Petco, Petsmart, etc. (Just my opinion)

I'm sorry you had such a bad experince with your adoption of a shelter dog.  Do not feel a failure because it is unknown what these animals go thru before they end up at the shelter.  In the end the dog did find a good home and that is the happy end wanted by all.

Relax, enjoy your puppy.  He will be like another child to raise.  Send photos and let us know what you named him.  It is so exciting.  I get my Chocolate/white parti doodle in 2 weeks and I can hardly wait.. Hope I have helped some.

[Karen]

Thanks everyone for the kind words of encuragement!  I talked to the breeder today and we get to pick up our little Enzo this Saturday at 1!!  Can't wait!  I am also feeling a bit panicked...I have read a LOT of books on puppies and am starting to feel like if I don't do everything right from the beginning he will turn into a monster!  What am I getting myself into????  Good thoughts for me please!  :-)  Oh, and I found a crate on cragislist that I am going to pick up on Friday to have in my room.  Even if we don't end up using it for that, i figure it can't hurt to have an extra.  

[Adina P]

1.  A lot of breeders either pick for you or help you pick the right puppy BASED on temperament.  Your breeder has spent the last eight weeks with these pups, she should have a GREAT idea of which would be right for you.  Has she made any suggestions?  When I got my Rosco I wanted a cream female.  However, based on the breeder's temperament testing the big red male showed most promise to be the middle of the road personality good for therapy work.  So I chose him and itw as the BEST choice--although his first year he was an awful nipper (of me only).  Anyway, I would talk at length with the breeder.  You can look up the Vohlhard Temperament test online and try it out on a couple puppies to see how they rate.

2. I kept my Rosco's crate in my room till he was about 7 months or so.  It worked out great for me.  The first couple nights I set my alarm so I could wake up anyway and that worked out fine.  But if you only have one crate then you can just get up at a pre-set time (alarm clock) once or twice at night and take him out.  Then gradually move that first wake up later and later until you don't have to get up to let him out any more.  You don't still have a baby monitor left over do you?

I have read LOTS of books and I like Dr. Ian Dunbar's plan with the puppy yard, so I am going to gate off our kitchen and family room, with the crate in the family room.  So should the puppy sleep in the crate downstairs and I wake up once or twice to take him out?  I am worried that I won't hear him if he is crying to go out.  Or should the puppy sleep in a crate in our room?  This wouldn't be my first choice as we only have 1 crate and I don't want to have to buy another one/carry the one up and down stairs. 

3. Call your vet.  Get a feel for what the current Parvo situation is in your area.  Is it going around?  Is it pretty low?  Then ask his/her opinion on this.  If you avoid places where dogs congregate (this includes PET STORES even in carts because not all people who take their dogs to pet stores are careful) then I think most other places should be safe.  The people that come over to meet him don't necessarily need to 'meet him' if you know what I mean.  In other words socialization just means being comfortable in the world and with many people.  It doesn't mean everyone has to pick him up, fondle him, and ooh and ahhh in his face.  It might be less overwhelming if people aren't hovering over him at the visits. 

Good luck and enjoy your new pup!

[Karen]

Thanks!  I talked to the breeder and since she does early neuter, she only has the ones nutered that are spoken for.  She said if I wanted to I could go visit the puppies again, but if I didn't want Enzo then she might keep him uncut and keep him as a breeder.  I think he will be great and I am just going to go with it.  (she does know what we want, and did say that she thought he would be a good fit.)  However she also said that any dog needs to be trained and taught otherwise it won't matter too much what the temperment is anyway.  She had one puppy left that is super laid back, but she thought he might be too laid back to handle the chaos in our house.  I already know that Enzo loves people, and as a younger puppy he was the first one to start wagging his tail when people came around!  I need a dog that loves people.  :-)

Good idea to ask about the parvo in my area.  The one good thing my vet said last time we had our other puppy is that there are a lot of dogs in my area and they are generally very well taken care of.  That makes me feel a bit safer, but will still keep him mostly with us and in our yard for the first bit.  There is a local trainer who offers a puppy romp on Sundays for puppies 10 weeks and up who haven't had their final shots.  It's all sterilized before the puppies come in, and it's a chance for the dogs to socialize. 

How did you deal with the nipping?  Our last dog was a cattle dog mix and I called her pirana mouth - she terrified my kids with her biting it was so bad.  I am hoping that if this dog is like that it might be easier to deal with, since they are not bred to actually nip like a cattle dog it!  :-)

Thanks again! Wish me luck!  I will post pics when we bring him home.  CANT WAIT!