Heath Hammer
12:38 Tue Mar 23
Re: Getting a puppy
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Good luck. We have a 5 month old Maltipoo.
Its hard work and you need to persevere. Sometimes you will be tearing you hair out! My advise based on what little experience we have had is that you get out what you put in. Especially when it comes to things like socilaisation and training.
- Crate at night.
- take out every 45-60 mins for a wee. keep a bag of treats by the door. Wee = Treat.
- Feed a raw diet.
- Get it out the house a soon as possible (carry if not had injections)
- socialise with other dogs as early as possible.
- Start training as soon as possible.
- if you are working from home, make sure you start leaving the dog on own asap. This is going to be our biggest downfall as dog has bearly been left alone.
DM me if you want some details on the puppy classes we did - great for general tips, what to buy (harnesses, leads, foods) and starting to get some disciplline.
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Vexed
12:40 Tue Mar 23
Re: Getting a puppy
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Hammer and Pickle 12:37 Tue Mar 23
Does your dog go off wandering and offer to dig up your neighbours garden or chase their postman only to do a rather crap job of it and then take all the bones he finds back to his own garden and then invites loads of his dog mates over that you then can't get out of your garden?
Just wonderin like?
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Moncurs Putting Iron
12:42 Tue Mar 23
Re: Getting a puppy
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Puppy pads near the door.
Training and Socialising plans that the family get involved in.
Be aware that some cute little actions as a puppy that you laugh CAN become traits and habits as an adult dog that you find annoying and spend months trying to deter.
Watch out for dirty sticky fingered pet thieving cunts.
Police have been "inundated with worried owners" after 83 dogs believed to be stolen were seized in a raid.
The animals were found at West Meadows travellers' site in Ipswich on Saturday, during a search that lasted almost 10 hours.
Six people, from Ipswich, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to steal and have been released on bail.
Det Ch Supt Eamonn Bridger said police were "focusing all our efforts on identifying who those dogs belong to".
He said the dogs were found in "various states of wellbeing" and were being cared for.
The animals would remain with the force until it found "a lawful owner or the right place for them for the future," he said.
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Northern Sold
12:43 Tue Mar 23
Re: Getting a puppy
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Sniper 12:36 Tue Mar 23
Nice one mate sounds like you have done your homework.
Things I would have done differently with our hound...
First night have them in the bedroom with you ... in a crate or large box.... with a towel or something like that which would have the mothers scent on it... we just lobbed him in the conservatory the first night in a big huge box... found him in the morning howling with fear... felt guilty as shit over that so against my missus wishes I said the dog sleeps in same room until settled... took about a week... used the crate for about 4 months... after that good as gold...
... your first two to three months are hard... harder than any baby you will ever had... that pup will be an absolute burden but they quickly learn... take the dog outside in the garden for a few hours... everytime it pisses in a place you want it to (we trained it to go on the gravel) give a treat... with food being the treat they learn quickly.
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Hammer and Pickle
12:46 Tue Mar 23
Re: Getting a puppy
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No Vexed
She’s just basically very protective of her place in our “pack” and will veer from aggressive to submissive in contact with other dogs.
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Moncurs Putting Iron
12:46 Tue Mar 23
Re: Getting a puppy
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Vexed 12:37 Tue Mar 23
Re: Getting a puppy
Damned if they do (Describe honestly) and Damned if they don't.
I would be willing to foster a dog with those issues and continue to work with the shelter on a training and improvement plan whilst having a maintain your distance he's a cunt lead and harness.
But having the wife have to move out could be a deal breaker.
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Sniper
12:49 Tue Mar 23
Re: Getting a puppy
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Cheers soldo and MPI
yeah the thieving bastards thing is mental - we went to sort of plant nursery/estate/cafe olace a couple of weeks back that’s a dog walkers paradise, and there were signs everywhere telling people not to leave their dogs unattended because of it. I asked the guys at the coffee counter about it and they said before the signs went up, dogs were being taken every weekend. Utter scumbags.
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MaryMillingtonsGhost
12:50 Tue Mar 23
Re: Getting a puppy
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Bought a cockapoo when our staffy died. Lovely dogs, very affectionate.
Chose this breed primarily because they don't shed so very good for those with allergies.
As has been mentioned prices are insane atm. Paid £650 for ours about 7 years ago, but now going for £3000-£4000!
Northern Sold @ 12:18 is bang on. Decent insurance is a must. Would also recommend a Lifetime policy, one where continuous treatment may be required year to year. Pricier but worth it imo.
If you've stumped-up serious wedge I hope you're buying from a registered breeder.
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Northern Sold
12:51 Tue Mar 23
Re: Getting a puppy
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Yeah what Heath said....
... also walks in the AM.... you work your dog hard (more so in their younger days)... you can leave them for extended times... they are knackered... they will like to sleep.... knackered dogs dont eat furniture and blinds... we have not had one piece of destruction with our dog... yet my mates Lab has eaten his house... remotes... cushions... skirting boards... doors... why?? He does not exercise it daily... tire the dog out... not a problem.
Also food... ensure dog sits and waits for its food... and only take it on your command... easily enough to do... backfired one Christmas in which he had all teh turkey skin and juices for his dinner and whilst sitting down for the family meal we forgot to tell the dog to eat... half hour later he's still sitting their with niagra falls coming out of either side of his mouth.... we could drop a whole fried chicken and he'd wait until you told him to take it...
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Heath Hammer
12:52 Tue Mar 23
Re: Getting a puppy
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just realised i said 'as soon as posisble' for nearly everything, but as NS points out, the first 2-3 months are hard work.
For insurance - We went with a company called Brought by Many - spent hours looking around and they seemed to have the best coverage.
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Moncurs Putting Iron
12:55 Tue Mar 23
Re: Getting a puppy
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Sniper,
We have always walked our dog at the same park most days at roughly the same time, helps with socialising. You'll soon find like minded owners who are happy to assist you in controlled socialising and then if you can get recall, stay and sit down you will have a much more pleasant, easy dog ownership experience.
A lot of people are so concerned about their pup being nicked they aren't even socialising them which will have ramifications later.
We took ours to training once a week for two months (Got him from 6 months) Paid dividends.
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Northern Sold
12:56 Tue Mar 23
Re: Getting a puppy
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I'm hearing of drug gangs giving up dealing and stealing dogs as...
a. There is more money in it
b. If you get caught the fine is less harsh than dealing drugs
.... so unfortunately when you have prices of 4k and 5k for a designer mongrel then it opens it up to crime dealings... as someone else has said... once the WFH'ers have to trudge back to the office and realise that the new dog cramps their lifestyle then the shelters are going to be full to the brim... that will hopefully bring the price and the demand down... unfort' can see it leading to many dogs being euthanised mind you
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riosleftsock
12:58 Tue Mar 23
Re: Getting a puppy
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I got our dog from Westhamonline, londonrebel (bless her, hope she's ok).
It was 12 years ago, Ninja is getting on a bit now but still likes to play and can still manage a 5 mile walk but will sleep all afternoon afterwards.
She's a labrador rottweiler cross, molts like mad, but never had fleas or any other health problems, just a bit of stiffness in the back legs after a sleep.
She was easy to train, but very greedy and had to be watched around food. Great with kids and adults and never had a problem with her shitting or pissing where she shouldn't after the first week or two.
I'd seriously recommend waiting 3-6 months and asking around any local farms that have dogs, they often have litters of working pups that are in excellent nick and happy to go to a good home.
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Mr Kenzo
12:59 Tue Mar 23
Re: Getting a puppy
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If you buy your dog treats for Christmas DO NOT put it under the tree with all your other presents. You will come down to absolute carnage on Christmas morning, trying to work out who got who a present.
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Sniper
1:02 Tue Mar 23
Re: Getting a puppy
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Good tip about walking at the same time to meet people - I’m a bit of an introvert and find small talk difficult most of the time so at least the dog will be a talking point!
Soldo
You sound like a dog whisperer!! Is training that horrendous? When it comes to the first few months being hard, I’m hoping we can deal with that - my son wouldn’t sleep for more than 20 minutes when he was a baby, it was a fucking nightmare, and didn’t sleep through the night til he was much older than he should have been either.
Is training them basically down to repetition and consistency?
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riosleftsock
1:09 Tue Mar 23
Re: Getting a puppy
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Sniper, if you haven't done it before, go to a puppy training class.
There are some very basic commands that you can teach any dog - toilet training, sit, down and stay.
The recall is one of the hardest. Training in a puppy school is actually great fun - most of the time they are actually training you, not the pup.
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Northern Sold
1:10 Tue Mar 23
Re: Getting a puppy
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No it's tough... plenty of people throw the towel in after the first 2 or 3 months... they are needy beyond belief... however once you get a routine ... different kettle of fish... I've sorted out a few mates and family dogs problems... fucked me off the work myself 9and my dog) put in on the brother in laws young German Shepp''... would chase everything (in their nature)... my dog knew that if you stopped a GS would just stop and be fucking confused... worked on recall on his hound... and got it so after a few months was as good as gold off the lead... and then he gives it up to the shelter as his shifts changed and his missus refused to take the dog out... whoever ended up with her had a great hound
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Northern Sold
1:13 Tue Mar 23
Re: Getting a puppy
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Must admit with the 4 dogs I have had in my life time (Border Collie, Golden ret, German Shepp and Black lab) weve never taken them to puppy classes.... just been lucky I guess that if there has been a problem we have found a solution.
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riosleftsock
1:14 Tue Mar 23
Re: Getting a puppy
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You should also consider your lifestyle and living space when choosing a dog.
People buy husky type dogs and think they can get by with a walk round the block before breakfast. These dogs need to do 10-20 miles per day.
Or they buy a collie or a german shepherd and don't realise these dogs are extremely intelligent and need mental stimulation, you have to play games with them like hiding their toy or hiding behind a tree and calling them as well as taking them for a walk.
My lab loves to swim, ten minutes in the river is better than a five mile walk for her and a day at the seaside is heaven.
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Moncurs Putting Iron
1:15 Tue Mar 23
Re: Getting a puppy
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Northern Sold 1:10 Tue Mar 23
Same. Max was so placid that he was used to help 'aggressive' (But really nervous) dogs get used to being in a pack and interacting.
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Heath Hammer
1:18 Tue Mar 23
Re: Getting a puppy
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Key thing with training is repetition and reward. You need to understand what excites and motivates your dog (usually food) both to drive the right behaviour and to ensure you are not reinforcing bad behaviour.
For example - we were told by our breeder that if she wee's in doors to put her in the garden and that will teach her where to go. Worst thing ever. She fucking loves the garden. All we were doing was teaching her that if she pissed on the floor she got to go and play!
once you start to crack it (we are far from there) you realise how smart they can actually be.
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