Bringing my first doddle home in the morning

[Lindsey & Cocoa]

She is 8 weeks old. Anyone have any advice on how to make the first couple days go easy?

My last puppy was 9 years ago and my memory of the first week was of me having to sleep on the couch with him because if not he cried all night long.  I am hoping to have her in the cage at night right away but scared she will cry to loud and keep everyone awake. The breeder took her from mom at 6 weeks but put her with 2 sisters until 2 nights ago she said she would put her in a cage alone but she will be in a room with other puppies.

 

Any other tips on how to get a good start to potty training?  I am going to try the bell method to teach her to ring the bell but have never done it before any tips?

 

 

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

kemp here on doodle kisses sells snuggle puppies I think http://www.doodlekisses.com/profile/KempRader

I kept Cooper in an ex-pen attached to a crate when i couldnt keep 2 eyes on her

For potty training, clean up messes with a pet stain and odour remover or water and vinegar, this helps prevent them from going there again

Cooper was good in the crate, but that first night I sat on the floor next to it til she fell asleep. The first week we had the crate next to our bed, then moved it into the lounge. Tire your puppy out then puthert in the crate for short naps throughout the day. Only let her out when shes quiet. Do not look at her while its crying

take plenty of photos - they grow fast!

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

Congrats! How exciting! We used the bells and they got it in a few days! All dogs are different-we always rang them (tapped) and said potty. They did great! You could coax her with cheese or a dab of peanut butter on the bell to so she gets used to the ringing concept. Good luck and we need PICTURES!

[Ginny Nightingale]

Congrats on your first Doodle! Sounds like you will be a busy momma--don't get discouraged, it takes a while to get the routine down, but most doodles learn quickly. As long as YOU are consistent and not changing the rules, they will get it.

Join the puppy madness group today! Lots of good info there. And you can search the discussions of the past for lots of advice on house breaking, new puppy ideas, etc. Good luck and have fun--before you know it, your baby doodle will be all grown up!

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

I really do hope that it is all a doddle for you! It's a very exciting time, one that is both happy and exhausting at the same time.  Enjoy it as each puppy stage passes so quickly.  Take lots of photographs and be sure to let us know how you are getting on.  Hopefully she will be used to her crate by the time she comes home, but it will all be very strange for her.  The best advice really is to have realistic expectations and to take her out even more frequently than you think you may need to.  If she cries put your hand inside her crate and use your voice to soothe her, alongside a snuggle puppy or a hot water bottle wrapped in a piece of cloth that is scent marked with her siblings which should help.  Good luck.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

We put a very small crate up on the chair next to the bed.  Like a little extension right next to my pillow.  The puppy remained safe there but could see and smell us.  It worked wonders.

I think, after being with all the siblings and mom to cuddle up with at night, you need to keep them warm and close.  They need to feel SAFE right now.

So glad you are having this exciting day.  Enjoy

[June and Polly]

Our Polly has been with us for just 3 weeks now and is doing  fair with the potty training. It's a process. The breeder used the Puppy Potty and got the pups used to it before we got her at 9 weeks old.  In case you don't know it looks like long artiifical turf and sits on a plastic pad.  It has several different names and is a lifesaver.  I work from home so am able to take her outside every couple hours as recommended and am ringing those bells on the way out in hopes it will register eventually.  But, if she needs to go before I get her out she definitely uses the potty!

One of the best first recommendations I got from this group in the first few days was to buy a pen to keep her in when I couldn't watch her all the time.  Like the crate it teaches them control because they don't want to soil their area.  We've kept her in her crate next to our bed from the first night.  She cried a little the first night but hasn't since.  Don't take the puppy out if she's crying because it teaches her to do more of the same.  Turn your back or walk away until she's quieted down for a minute then you can get her out.  Don't I sound like the expert after a month of being a new mom to my dear precious doodle?  Good luck!  I know you're going to be completely in puppy love like we are!

[Kim/Mark and Sierra]

Hi June.....our babies might be litter mates!  Was she yellow collar?  If so I have pink collar....:)  Kim 
....I'm updating this post...I just looked at your pic and WE DO have litter mates!!!!

 

[Lindsey & Cocoa]

Thanks for the responces.

I have not had anytime to get on and really need to get on the puppy group to get some problems sorted out.  Puppy ether had a virus or the transition made her sick because she was hardly eating and then her stool became very watery and after 4 days started to get blood in her stool. She was also having bowel movements about every 30-45 minutes.  So off to the vet we went and they put her on antibiotics & anti diaherah meds & Canned food to help with Gastro problems.

This seems to be helping because her stool is getting more consitancy to it and no more blood in it.  At first they were thinking Parvo but the breeder has her vacinated 2 times already for that so the vet said they highly doubt it and just to watch her and in 24 hours it gets worse then bring her back. So far things seem to be getting better and last night she only woke me twice, so much better than the night before when it was every 45min-1 hour.

 

I pulled a HUGE no no and puppy is in my bed sleeping with us already.  I tried for 2 nights to put her in the crage. The first night I put her in there for 20 minutes and she was barking and crying really loud. With a 4yr old in the house I can not do the just wait a few days or weeks and get ear plugs thing. So I go down stairs and lay on the floor in front of the cage and she laid down and went to sleep. 2 hours later I wake up and start puking... I am 6.5 months pregnant and the presure of the floor pusing on my belly made me get sick. So I wake my husband up and he was able to get her to sleep in the cage while he was on the couch for a couple hours but then she woke to go potty and would not settle back down so he pulled her onto the couch with him. The next night he started her in the cage and he was on the couch and once again he ended up with her on the couch.  So the 3rd night I tried the smaller cage up right next to the bed and that did not work... I gave it 1 hour and just gave in and pulled her into bed with me.  Now that we might have this gastro problem solved she seems to sleep longer when in bed with us.  She did pee in there the other night but that was when she was up and down every 30 minutes due to a upset tummy.  So this being night number 4 in my bed I bet there is no turning back. But I was planning on letting her into my bed anyway once she was potty trained.

 

I feel like a have a new born and can not do anything... acually I think its worse than that..lol   If I leave the room she crys/barks really loud plus im scared to leave her unatended until potty trained.  I am trying to stick her in the cage when I need to leave the room or the house.  I hope that I will be able to leave her more and more as time goes on but right now I spend my whole day in the family room on the floor playing with her or sitting in here while she sleeps.  I just hope im not turning her into a spoiled monster.  But She is only 8 weeks old and still such a baby.

[Traci -Bexter & Maggie]

Oh, gosh!  Sounds like you've had a rough beginning.  It DOES get better!  Many of us can relate to the problems at first with the poop, etc.  I sure hope you're not making a mistake about letting the dog sleep with you already.  I did that with my first dog and completely ruined her.  It affected her entire life...spoiled rotten.  You definitely don't want that.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Lindsey, Move the crate up to your bedroom right next to your side of the bed. Each night, put the puppy in there without making a big fuss over her. Put a T-shirt or something in there that you wore that day. Make sure she has peed and pooped before being crated. I also put in a high value treat each night. When she fusses, just put your fingers in there to calm her, until she goes back to sleep. Take her out in the middle of the night. Puppies cannot hold it all night. I used the Snuggle Puppies and both my dogs did great and Fudge would come out of the crate each morning with her Snuggle Puppy in her mouth.

During the day, your pup needs to go in the crate when you cannot watch her. I also made sure to leave them in the crate and leave the house from day one. Again, a high value treat to go in, no fuss, and go. I turned the TV on and left a fan on to mute noises. It is really a good idea to be consistent, especially in the beginning. Good luck!

Another thing, don't ever take the puppy out of the crate when she is crying and carrying on. Wait until she is quiet and then let her out. If you get the hard part over with now, it gets so much easier. Now, good luck again.

[Lindsey & Cocoa]

I tried having the crate in my room even with my fingers in there rubbing her and she still barked loud. The problem is she wakes my daughter up. I was told by the breeder she was going to be caged alone from 6 week when she took her from mom but she ended up putting her in a cage with litter mates.
I would try again with the night cage but I need to sleep, if I don't get enough sleep I get really sick and that makes things worse. The vet said no treats until we get her poo solid for at least a week
Starting to think this puppy thing was a bad idea :(. I tried a snuggle toy and a shirt with no luck.

Today I'm working on day cage training especially since it's raining and she doesn't to go out.

Honestly a dog in my bed doesn't bother me because all my othe dogs slept with me from day one so I am use to it.
At night she comes up and starts rubbing on me to wake me up and goes right out uses the bathroom and comes back in and right back to bed.

[Nelson, Rufus & KO]

Oh no - I think the bed move is a bad idea -especially with a baby on the way.

Try gettign her nice and tired out, potty and then crating her. Make it a ritual, Put her in, say good night and put a towel or blanket over the crate and turn the lights off. When you bring her out during the night, don't talk to her or play with her - just potty, back in crate with blanket. If she just went potty and cries, try to wait it out for 10 minutes, then 20 before you take her out of the crate. Make sure the whol enight routine is boring and dark. She WILL learn to sleep in the crate if you let her.

It worked with my puppies (and kids).

I bell trained my puppies but not until they were about 12 weeks - before that they have little physiological control and it hard for them to make the bell/pee connection.

 

Best of luck to you.