Help! The First Day With New Puppy - Settling In?

[CodyLu]

Hello everyone!

My family and I are very excited about the new member of our family who we will be picking up in the next few days.

She is a kelpie x rescue pup, 16weeks old. We're reasonably prepared, have stocked up on toys, bed, leash, food that she's used to, etc.

I've been reading up on information and it's a little overwhelming!

I just want to know what you guys think is the best way to introduce her to the house and the family? Do's and don'ts?

Also, crate training has popped up frequently. Is it really a good thing? Is this something you start with from the first day?

When she's a older we plan on taking her to obedience classes and maybe try out agility. So a very exciting time for us, we just want to make sure

everything goes smoothly as possible!

Will definitely upload pictures for when she comes home!

Thanks a lot!

[twodoggies2001]

Our family brought home an 8 week old puppy several weeks ago. His breeder said he had not been crated at all, and on the first night, he was put in there to sleep and he did the entire night until around 7am next morning. He is put in there whenever we need to go out or at bed time, and he has been no trouble going there. It seems like it's his chill out space. I assume this could be an exception to the rule, as I too read up and learned it could take time to acclimatise the puppy, but he took to it like a duck to water.

We have an older boy of the same breed, and we just put the pup down to sniff out his new environment with the older boy following lol. They are like velcro now. Of course, he was taken out every 30 - 60 minutes in his waking hours to 'do his business' with the command 'make wee' but I must say it's so much easier having an older dog to teach him the ropes. When he's tired, let him have his own time to sleep, start basic obedience and once he's up to date with shots, socialise him with people and dogs alike. Good luck with your puppy. He'll bring much joy into your lives.

[Cheyd]

Decide now what you want puppy to do and not to do and stick to it, start out the way you want pup to be, what is cute while they are young may not be so cute in a year or so.

I love crate training for our rescues, make sure the crate is large enough, start by feeding treats and letting pup spend time in there with door open, make it a good place. Our rescues are in their crate to sleep at night and for meals, the rest of the time the door is open and we will often find them asleep in there. It gives them space of their own, keeps them contained when you can't monitor them if they are bench surfers or like to chew all the wrong things. If any of our rescues need to spend time at the vets or are injured and need to be kept quiet, they can be crated which won't add extra stress to their situation.

Congratulations on your new pup, look forward to seeing photos

[LizT]

Welcome to DOL and congratulations on your new puppy. :)

You have been given some good advice so far so I won't say much more at this stage other than I too have been converted to crate/pen training and that 16 weeks is old enough to start Obedience training, once your puppy has settled in to your home of course. The sooner the better IMO, it will be "age appropriate" for your new puppy.

Enjoy. :)

[Pretty Miss Emma]

I am a converted lover of crate training! It is really really useful for toilet training, and also so that they have somewhere they feel nice and safe that belongs to them. My baby puppy has been sleeping in a crate since coming home and he loves it, if he needs the toilet at night he whinges to tell me and then goes straight back in to sleep. His puppy pen that he spends days in when I'm at work also has a crate attached to it for him to sleep in.

Definitely start out now as you intend things to be for life. If the pup will be allowed indoors let that happen now, if they are going to spend time outside start giving them outside time from day 1.

He will probably be too old to go to a puppy school when you get him. But I would strongly recommmend taking him to obedience school as soon as he's fully vaccinated. They learn so quickly when they're babies I like to make the most of their enthusiasm and willingness to learn. But more importantly in my mind is it's a great place for dogs to learn how to socialise and appropriately interact (or not interact) with other dogs and get them used to a variety of different breeds. People often assume obedience classes are about learning sit, stay, etc but there are so many other things that puppies learn in that environment (how to settle while other dogs do things, how to just hang out and be quiet with their people, focus on their people, how to work around other dogs, how to not meet another dog even if they want to, how to politely meet another dog, etc, etc, etc).

As for coming home... When I picked up Hamish Kenzie came with me and ignored him at the breeders!!! Then in the car she realised she couldn't ignore him forever. She bowled him over a couple of times at home to let him know that she would be telling him where he could go. Of course now they love each other and she howls if I take him out without her!!! I just let Hamish have a wander around (back yard first as he needed to do wees and poos straight away because we'd been in the car and it was all new and exciting), then he was allowed to have a wander inside. The crate was also good for the first few days in terms of Kenzie wanting some space so either she would go to her crate to get away from Hamish or if Hamish was bothering her he'd go to his crate with a chewy, it gave each of them some space til they were used to each other.

Can't wait to see the little one - enjoy the baby phase it ends too soon!!!!

[CodyLu]

Hi everyone! Thanks for all your advice and being so helpful!

We picked up our girl today! Still to be named but I'm leaning towards Lucy! Her mum was a stray kelpie who was handed into the vet pregnant and had 7 pups! So she was fostered by one of the lovely vet nurses.

She's very, very sweet but scared and unsure which is understandable. The lady who was fostering her says it'll take a few days for her to get used to us as she's shy.

She doesn't have much confidence at the moment and isn't too interested in food but we'll see how she goes. I can already tell she's very smart and she's also a head tilter! Here's a pic of our gorgeous girl.

Will take more soon!

Any suggestions on how to deal with a shy puppy?

I'm definitely going to take her to obedience classes to get her socialised once she's got a bit more confidence and trust in us. :)

[Tralee]

Hi everyone!

She's very, very sweet but scared and unsure which is understandable.

The lady who was fostering her says it'll take a few days for her to get used to us as she's shy.

She doesn't have much confidence at the moment and isn't too interested in food but we'll see how she goes.

Any suggestions on how to deal with a shy puppy?

Hi CodyLu

I have a dog here, not mine, who is just extremely docile and exceedingly inactive.

This is partly a result of being in a new place for only five days but mostly it is his character.

Some dogs will be 'tear-aways' and others just 'soft marshmallows.'

So there are two things to consider; the dogs character and what the dog is taught to do.

With Lucy (name?) it is early days, but your dog will be what you want it to be, up to a point.

First thing is to enjoy your new family member, establishing the way you want to go is important but there is time for that and dogs are smart.

Regards

[harley]

Codylu your pup is gorgeous!

You could try sitting on the floor with some treats. Use a soft voice and make it sound like you are doing something interesting.

Lots of patience and rewards, good luck!

[Tia]

We took Honey straight from the breeders where the pups were still in a play pen except for toileting etc.

When brought home we took her straight out to the lawn which is her toilet area and just spent quiet time with her. The first time she got tired she cried in her pen alone so my son nursed her for a while but she woke up and was then happy to go to her play pen to sleep and it continues to this day.

We've had Honey for just over 2 weeks, but we try to keep a routine most days. As she's got older the house has become louder but she thrives on all the excitement and we've started introducing, training etc with her. She has her first official puppy class this week and has visited with my mums dog. Apart from that we let her independence develop while stopping any unwanted actions.

Like the others have mentioned go as you plan for the long term.

[Christina]

Hello everyone!

I've been reading up on information and it's a little overwhelming!

Do's and don'ts?

Thanks a lot!

Overwhelming is correct & often conflicting too. Do's & don'ts are a mixture of common sense & personal preference.

For example some say never let your dog on your bed or furniture or you will have pack problems. Not true. Mine go where they want & when I say move or get down its obeyed instantly. A dog will try to please if it knows what you want. She's a working breed so will get bored quickly & will respond to training well. You just have to decide at the start what the rules are & what you expect from her. Remember she is only a baby & will be naughty & silly for a while yet so keep her safe & enjoy her without stressing on do's & don'ts. Enjoy her she is very cute :)

[zeebie]

Re timid behaviour & schooling

usually best idea to get dogs socialised early is to attend "puppy preschool" but by 16 weeks this is a bit late and also the 'critical age' for all things scary in the dog world, things that happen now are automatically stored for future reference, like thunder storms, loud trucks/buses, crowds of people, dog confrontation etc and the list goes on. So with not having attended puppy preschool and acquiring your new dog at a important milestone, you need to get her out there and do lots of introduction to the world with lots and lots of positive reinforcement treats + verbal "good girl", pats and lots of "lets make this fun". Also if you have a dog park enclosed nearby you can take her and stay on other side of fence just walk around perimeter let her see the activity maybe smell dogs through fence etc, this may take time but eventually she will settle. Another idea is if you know someone with a puppy same age go for play dates and gradually introduce more people and puppies (up to 4) ntil she is comfortable.

I would certainly be enrolling in local obedience puppy classes NOW and this way you will be getting her use to other dogs and people in a very controlled environment, remember the Kelpie background is work, work, and more work so she will get very bored if not constantly challenged both mentally and physically.

The last thing you want is a timid dog turning into a fear aggressive dog so time for action is now :)

I also had a timid dog (not kelpie) and used all above and she is now doing very well at 6months old, although it has been a labour intensive job it has been well worth it.

As for the crating, I am old school pre the crating phase, but do have crates both dogs know exactly what they are and when they have to go to crate, both have been trained using "crate games" method and I do not ever shut the door, they choose to go in if they wish, and if I direct them to the crate they go in and stay in without door closed until I release them. Their crates are like sanctury caves for them. I work my dogs on the principle of "Good choice" philosophy and this has been very successful.

Good luck with your new pup and kelpie breeds love agility!!

[megan_]

Shy dogs prefer it if you ignore them a bit - focusing on them makes them more scared. Go about your normal routine and let curiosity get the best of her.