...puppysitter questions

[Rachel and Ollie]

Hey all, 

So my puppy comes home soon! Woohoo! I am thrilled. The only negative is that in order for it to work with traveling/delivering he has to come on a certain day..then I have to leave for two nights/three days for a work trip the day after he comes...and I cannot get out of it. It stinks. I am sad about it...so I am looking for some tips...please don't make me feel sadder about this, I realize it is not ideal and maybe some of you would have made a different choice on timing, but it is what it is...

 

I want this transition to be as comfortable as possible for the new puppy and the sitter. I found a college student who I trust to come stay here and watch him while I am gone. I want to give her a schedule for the puppy...but because I have never owned a dog, I need some help...

 

I am going to buy some more puppy kongs tomorrow so I can freeze them...for when she has to go to class. But besides that I have no clue. How often and how much food should he get? (is it 1 cup 3 times a day?) What about water? do you give a puppy water only when they eat or more often? 

 

What about when she leaves him in the crate...should I have the soft mattress looking pad in the crate or is that a choking hazard? Are any other toys safe besides the kong? Is the snuggle puppy safe? Should she give him a treat each time he enters the crate? 

 

When she takes him out to go to the bathroom should she have him go in an area where other dogs would not go...or will he be okay going in the same area? Should he have a leash on at that young of an age?

 

Also she has a cat at her own apt that she will have to go feed...will my puppy be okay if she washes her hands before touching him? 

 

At night I am assuming he will whine some...how do you know when the puppy has to go potty and when they are just whining because they want out? 

 

Okay...sorry for all the questions...I feel clueless on the details. I would not be worried about it if it were me here with him...we would play it by ear, but because I am leaving I want to leave instructions on what to do and when. 

 

[Becka]

Hi Rachel! How exciting that your puppy is coming home! Please don't worry that something irreversible will happen in the couple of days that you are gone. The most important thing your pupsitter can give the puppy is lots of love. I think it's a great idea to have a schedule for her.

 

Feeding the puppy three times a day is a good idea--check the guidelines on the bag for amounts (and ask your breeder what she's been feeding him and how much). Keep fresh water out for him at all times, but to prevent overnight accidents take the water up at least two or three hours before crating him for the night.

 

It's a good idea to get him used to a leash right away, so taking him out for potty on a leash is also a good idea. It's also smart to keep him away from areas that other dogs frequent until he has all of his shots. I think that the rule of thumb for pottying a new puppy is taking him out once an hour but also immediately after napping, playing hard, and then about 15 minutes after eating (I'm probably getting this wrong and others will have a better idea of it.) And I think the puppy will be fine if she washes her hands after feeding her cat.

 

I would do a search on this site for something like "bringing puppy home" or "new puppy's first night" and you will probably find a lot of helpful discussions.

 

Good luck! And have fun!

[Elizabeth & Cooper]

Here are some of my recommendations.
- For toys I would recommend the kong (I would fill it with soft food and freeze), a chew toy (something like a rope toy) and something soft (a stuffie... tho make sure that it's not something that he'll shred)

- I fed Cooper 3x a day for the first while (am just phasing him to 2x a day now)

- I would work on getting him used to the crate in the time you have with him as sometimes it takes a bit - there are lots of discussions on here about crate training

- You may also want to consider a play pen. I used one (a metal, octaganal pen) and it was GREAT for keeping Cooper out of trouble. I would put him in there to play when I couldn't fully be paying attention to him. He got used to playing with his toys and now (at 14 weeks) I have phased it out an only use the crate when I'm working/out of the house and can leave him out in the main area at night when I'm around and I can, for the most part, trust that he's not going to destroy things. This may be a great tool to help the dog-sitter out as it will definitely help keep him contained while still giving enough room to play.

- How long will the student be leaving him? If he's around 8 weeks old he should be going out very frequently (probably at least every half hour) so if he's left in the crate he may have accidents

- I wouldn't have the student worry too much about going on walks if he's just a little guy... maybe have the leash put on him so he can get used to it but i would recommend just staying near home to go potty, especially since he won't have any immunity (having her wash her hands is a good idea!)

- You can definitely expect whining in the night (you'll get a good guage of this the first night). I had to let Cooper out around 4 a.m. the first 2 nights then he slept through but that's not always the case. He'll probably whine a lot but try to not be tempted to pull him into bed with you. If you have a small carrier crate you could always put it on the bed with you - I put the small crate on top of the big crate so he was level with my bed and that seemed to soothe him a bit

 

I totally know how you're feeling. Cooper's my first dog too and there is a LOT to learn and I'm still learning every day. The first couple of days are definitely the toughest and my advice would be to learn as much as you can and ensure that the dog-sitter is fully aware of what that time will be like. As you said, it's not ideal but you'll get through it and before you know it you'll be back home with your pup.

I started a blog that covers a lot of my challenges along the way that may help you out. It's on my page.

Good luck and congrats on your fur baby.

[Mimi Linna, Lilly and Lolly]

oh honey, I hear you loud and clear. wish I were there to puppy sit for you. It is to bad that the breeder can not keep him for an extra three days.  Every puppy is different, Lilly screamed like a banchee for the first week but then some puppies never make a peep and sleep through the night. Has your sitter ever had a puppy?  Stress not to yell at the dog or put his nose in his pee if when he makes an accident.  Just clean it up. When you get home, you can start the potty training.  I fed Lilly 4 Xs a day at the beginning.  If she didn't eat it in 15 minutes, I picked the food up. I left water down for her at all times, but picked it up two hours before bed.  I spent most of the first couple of weeks holding her or playing with her. easy for me as I am not working. Do you have an area ready for him so he doesn't have run of the house with his crate in it?

dont have him go potty where other dogs have been if you can help it,till he has all his puppy shots.  I also have blogged Lilly's first few days.

 

[Heather Martinez]

I had to leave on a scheduled trip when Teddy had only been home for about 2 weeks! I felt bad and it was really hard to leave him, but he was just fine (my sister took care of him) :)

He will probably have some accidents, so I would make sure to have some cleaner and stuff for your sitter and let her know you understand it may happen even if she watches him closely. Also, Teddy was a lot of work at the beginning, getting into everything and I told my sister she should feel free to put him in his pen (or crate for your puppy) if she needs a break. Your puppy will need to nap frequently, so it is a break for both of them.

 

[Rachel and Ollie]

Thank you all so much for your help! This really does help alot! I will email the breeder this weekend and ask about how much she feeds him. I also will stop at petsmart and get some more Kong's! lol

 

Becka - The reassurance from you means so much. I was a bit stressed thinking I was messing up my puppy by having to leave him so soon. I've been checking out the searches on bringing a new puppy home and I think I will write up a schedule/help list for the sitter! :) 

 

Elizabeth - I hope to have a similar experience as you did at night! Once a night would be totally okay with me! I have a snuggle puppy...maybe that will help. I'll check out your blog for sure!

 

Mimi Linna - I wish she could keep him for a bit longer too, but oh well. :) I think the sitter has experience with puppies. She did not hesitate when I asked. I know she grew up around animals, which helps. Good point on needing to tell her not to reprimand him...I hadn't thought about that! I will do that...and leave out cleaner and paper towels lol I have a crate in my room next to my bed. I may take out the divider so he has more room to play in it when she leaves. My apartment is small so hopefully he won't get into too much trouble! There is a grass patch closer to the building where I have never seen any dogs...so I'll probably have him go there. I'll check out your blog too! 

 

Heather - I am glad to hear that it turned out alright for you and your puppy...this is really encouraging for me. I'm hoping since it will be his first couple days here that he will be tired...and tentative...(fat chance...but maybe?) lol I think I'll take out the divider in the crate so he has more area to play in case he gets to be overwhelming. 

 

Again thanks everyone so much for all the tips! It really helps to calm my nerves! :) I should probably start blogging once I get him...I feel like you all understand the excitement and nervousness of it all! Thanks!