First Time Puppy Owner

I am no expert either (as you can tell by my title ) but all the forum readers and writers seem to say stop wetting the food - if after a few days it hasn't cleared up take the pup to the vet. Usually sloopy poos are stress related - if you personally get anxious your guts starts to feel funny, so imagine this pup had a mum and several litter mates I'm sure and all of a sudden no one is there anymore other than these 2 weird smelling two legged no dog speaking giants.

Yep, they will! Benson has now found in the yard (evidentely from the old dog that use to live here) a half eaten party popper, a piece of coral, a hose end, 2 beer bottle tops and some really old bones. Don't get me wrong I thought I had puppy proofed this yard cause I found five old toys and three old bones before he even arrived.

I seem to be the only person around that hasn't crate trained but I just couldn't see that it would be necessary for my as Benson (golden 12wks) as he has to be an outdoor dog as I live in a rental property and that is what the owner has stipulated. So I just kept Benson next to my bed in a big cardboard box for 8 nights and he would scratch on the side of the box if he needed to go (we had no accidents). I had the towel I brought him home on in the box and 2 toys. Then after the 8 nights I ran him ragged on the 9th evening and used a another cardboard box with a hole cut out in it like a kennel and put a mat in there for another week and a half so he got use to the idea of a kennel but that wasn't massive. Then I gave him his new kennel and put the mat that was in the cardboard kennel into there and he has taken to it like nothing else. Also I was able to tell him "ahah" when he chewed on the cardboard kennel and he has not once done it to his hound house. My methods may seem unconventional but they worked for my little guy. However whatever way you train your new babies I hope all goes really well and PLEASE send us photo's k!!!

Hey Adam Holly will be just fine. Benson at 12wks now rarely goes in his kennel if I'm about but he uses it during the night and I'm sure sometimes in the day. Re food I added a tiny bit of cooked rice and boiled chicken to the biscuits and kept reducing the amount over a week and now he woofs down his kibble! I am sure she is getting enough also if she is getting chicken necks - by the way a really good trick is to give them to the pup frozen - that ways they can't gobble them straight away. Also lamb brisket! Beef mince is fine too! I love that I am not the only worry wart out there :D Kisses to Holly and we need more pics on the Golden thread K! ;) Susan

Hey Adam There is not a lot that can be done but seriously try caynne (sorry bad spelling) pepper I have read this on one of the threads! Benson ate my chilli plant my thyme and basil :p Susan & Benson

Yes very very excited her name is Louise "Lucy" Does anyone know about fresh vs. dry food? The breeder told me we must give fresh food only and only get dry food as emergency food they gave me a recipe with lost of diffent things and I have to add calcium . I had a Vet look at it and they said it was a good recipe but said I should get her on to dry puppy food ASAP so it got all the right nutrients. Any thoughts anyone A good quality dry food - like Science Diet which my Benson is on or Nutro, Eagle Pack etc. They are a little $$ but I think if you are going to do the fresh food thing it will probably be more expensive. You can always give your pup a little variety but as the Vet said good quality dry food is like the perfect diet. Cause I like variety in my own diet I actually given Benson a little to so I give him just dry food in the morning and a frozen chicken neck as I'm leaving so he doesn't whinge that I am going, then for dinner he gets 80grams of mince and dry food. Also he gets a small lamb shanks every three to four days but I do cut of the majority of the meat so that he doesn't get overweight, as Golden have a tendency to do ;)

Well said Spotted Devil - I do all these things as much a possible. However I am the only bread winner in my house (bella the cat, benson the puppy and me) so I am away from the house for a good 9 hrs a day mon-fri, so I feel for you slinkyjill, as I know that flat coats can be even a little more hyper than goldens. So here are a few more ideas to keep puppy active rather than destructive, fish bowl that he cant get into with fish swimming in it, a newspaper that is rolled up and taped up at both ends and in the middle - then he can shread the paper up but also you can through it around like a stick, dried pigs ears and get some aeroguard (puppy trainer said is ok) and spray on stairs and rails that he is chewing he will not chew on them for long! I know you are probably going to be over loaded with info but try everything until you find something that works!!! He will not be a puppy forever

I was thinking that too - but there are really no interactive toys for dogs, so personally I am going to give it a shot and buy it once I'm paid. I will let you know what the result is! i.e. does the Benson kill the bubble monster or does the bubble monster foil fluffy puppy's plans of backyard demolition

Hey there I have a golden so I do get the digging thing and chewing everything in sight and mine is only 10 & 1/2 wks. So I heard about this machine that blows bacon flavoured bubbles from my friend who is a vet and I am thinking of getting one myself. Seems like a great idea to keep a puppy busy. Also get the blue shell from Kmart fill one side with sand and a little water in the other as flat coats love water too. Bury treats in the sand and then he will learn to dig in there instead (hopefully ) Good luck http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Bacon-Bubble-Machin...0QQcmdZViewItem

Hey flycow not sure of the measurements but I am sure you can order one in. I saw it at the Stafford store here in qld - the large or extras large is big enough I think to fit a st bernard in it - very cosy though

Try areoguard for the biting seems to be working for others! Good luck!!!

Hey Rhi Check this out - I do not have one yet cause the nights in Brissy are still warm, but when it cools down here I am thinking of getting one! Has anyway used one of these??? http://www.itsadogshop.com/prod1405.htm

That looks great Rhi! I went with the Hound house cause it weighs only 9kgs and I can fold it back down and take it with us when we go and stay at a friends place - once he he has had all his shots of course.

by the way if you decide to go with the wood ones go to bunnings they are way cheaper there - I saw a large kennel for $150.00 k!

Hey there Check out the hound house's my girlfriend who is a vet got me onto them. The awesome thing is that the mat can be removed during summer to let puppy have a cool nights sleep. I haven't got one of the snuggle pads yet but if we start getting cooler nights I am thinking of investing in one. http://www.houndhouse.com.au/custom_dog_kennels.htm http://www.itsadogshop.com/prod1405.htm Good luck! Susan & Benson

I know what you mean about going nuts - I picked Benson up on the 8th of April (he is 9wk and 4 days old today) and I didn't sleep properly for the last four days prior to getting him. I would wake up in the middle of the night and not be able to get back to sleep cause I was so excited! So can I suggest if this starts happening to you get some sleeping pills cause you are going to lose approx an hour or two of sleep every night for about the first 2 wks Ok I don't know much about Rough Collie's but they seem like they have a heavy coat and once a little older would be able to sleep in a kennel just fine outside with blankets and heat pillow if its really cold. Though I am no expert. Do a google on Hound House's and here is a site that shows a heating pad with no cords http://www.itsadogshop.com/prod1405.htm. Also tell you folks to let you have the pup inside in a carboard box next to your bed for the first week at least! I understand re no inside dogs as I rent and the landlord has said outside only. Hence I didn't want to spend more money on a crate as he need a kennel to sleep in when going outside. Good luck with the olds and tell them you will get a waterproof bottom in the cardboard box so there are no accidents - Benson woke me up by scratching the box if he need to go! Susan & Benson

Hi There Where abouts do you live? What breed of dog are you getting? Susan & Benson

Hey Rooster I let Rhi & Jak know about what the puppy school guy told us if the biting you is getting to much and too hard - spray yourself with aeroguard. It seems to have worked for Rhi & Jak, good luck :rolleyes: Susan & Benson

You must smell just gorgeous! :rolleyes: I'm really glad that it helped, hopefully you wont have to do it for long!

Hey guys thank you all for your help, Benson and I tried the table tonight and he is doing so much better already! He tried a little to get the brush but nothing like before. THaNK YOU ALL SOOOO MUCH!

I liked disorder's idea cause I do something simila,r in that I say ahah and blow my breath up his nose and he hates it . But the guy from Dog tech said aeroguard was fine to use and I can't imagine that a qualified dog trainer would tell you something that would hurt your pup when they are all about not yelling or hitting your dog - you know?! Here is the website http://www.dogtech.com.au/

the dof trainer we are seeing said if it is constant like it sounds like for you spray yourself with aeroguard! Good Luck hope this works!!! :rolleyes:

My partner told me to wear an old shirt that I did not want anymore for a day and play with my boy wearing it so it has your smell and puppy's smell on it and then put it in the kennel when you are going to leave him to sleep outside for the night. My Benson is 9kw and 2 days old today and he has slept outside now in his kennel for 7 nights! Plus near the door as Miranda said! Good luck!!! :rolleyes:

He loves you guys! He is just testing the bounderies - like kids do! Give the crying thing a go today and then praise him heaps if he comes straigth too you - try it while he is playing with a toy or something - let me know how you go!

Hi Kitkat this is a spreadsheet my vet friend Kylie gave me as an approximation of what I need to do and when as she looks after my animals injections and pills because we live about an hour and 30 mins away from her so I know when I need to take benson out to see her. Our recommended Preventative Health Treatments for Billy BAM Milton BREED Australian Kelpie Cross dog D.O.B. 07/02/2007 AGE 6 Weeks SEX Male Neutered COLOUR Black/Tan/White WEIGHT 23.7 Kilograms Age Date Needs 6 Weeks 21/03/2007 Veterinary Health Check Vaccination C4 Microchip implantation & registration Drontal Worming 8 Weeks 04/04/2007 Drontal Worming Frontline treatment: give every 2 weeks for prevention of paralysis ticks or monthly for flea control 10 Weeks 18/04/2007 Drontal Worming 12 Weeks 02/05/2007 Veterinary Health Check Vaccination C5 +/- Tetanus Vaccination if required Proheart SR-12 Heartworm Prevention Injection Drontal Worming Frontline treatment 16 Weeks 30/05/2007 Veterinary Health Check Vaccination C5 +/- Tetanus Vaccination if required Drontal Worming Frontline treatment 5 Months 07/07/2007 Pre-anaesthetic blood test De-sexing Microchip implantation & registration Drontal Worming Frontline treatment 6 Months 07/08/2007 Drontal Worming Frontline treatment: continue every 2 weeks for prevention of paralysis ticks or monthly for flea control 9 Months 07/11/2007 Proheart SR-12 Heartworm Prevention Injection Drontal Worming: continue every 3 months 15 Months 07/05/2008 Veterinary Health Check: continue every 12 months Vaccination C5 +/- Tetanus Vaccination if required: continue every 12 months 21 Months 07/11/2008 Proheart SR-12 Heartworm Prevention Injection: continue every 12 months Hope this helps more - also another tip not everything has to fall on the day to the minute, and my Benson loves vegemite on the chewable drontal tablets - good luck