Concerns/questions Regards To New Puppy

[CuBB]

Hi there, new member here :) I will be getting a puppy within the next few weeks (a Japanese spitz - 8 weeks old), and this will be the first time I've ever owned a puppy. Just have a couple questions I would like answered:

1) Should I keep the puppy indoors or outdoors? I do have a backyard which is fenced, and there is a covered deck area which is around the size of a master room (fairly large).

2) If I was to keep the puppy indoors, there will be a 3-4 hour gap per day, 3 days a week, where no one will be home, how should I deal with this? More importantly when it needs to go to the toilet? All the doors to the backyard has no pet doors installed, and so would be a bit tricky for it to go potty during this time when no one is home, and unfortunately we have carpets all around the house except for the bathrooms and toilets. A solution which I came up with, but don't know if it's applicable, is to have the puppy indoors overnight, so she has a nice and warm place to sleep, then when I'm about to leave the house I take her to the backyard/deck area and leave her there until I get back. Of course with a warm place for it to stay, and plenty of toys etc. The only thing I'm worry about for this solution is what happens when it rains, will the puppy come off the garden onto the covered decking area by itself?

3) What are some puppy accessories I should buy? For the grooming brush I heard Furminator works really well? Or would a regular pet brush do the trick?

Sorry if some of the questions sound really stupid, haven't really owned a puppy before so I'm a bit worried

Thanks

[Stressmagnet]

This is what I would do:

1. Buy a puppy pen and let your little one get used to spending some time alone on it. Unless you want him/her toileting on your deck - set it up on a grassy area. Then stick a bunch of toys and a big bone in there and let the puppy realise that you will go and come back so hopefully you avoid it calling out in distress. Then, when you have to leave for 3-4 hours, hopefully there will be no dramas. But see #3 first before you leave pup alone.

2. The furminator is great but don't over use I. I have a lab who sheds like mad and I go over him once a fortnight so as not to ruin his coat. Some folks on here who are familiar with Spitz breeds can tell you the optimum usage. Definitely buy a coat rake and a slicker brush tho - and brush every day, gently. I also bribe with treats. Another thing you need is good nail clippers - get the scissor kind, they don't squish the nail. Get your pup completely comfortable with handling its feet - even if you won't be clipping its nails yet.

3. Buy a crate!! Use it for nighttime sleeping indoors and you can crate the pup while you are gone if it's not ready to be left outside in the puppy pen yet. Buy a crate big enough for a full grown dog and partition it (many good crates come with a puppy partition) until he's grown. You may have the odd mess to clean up but with judicious timing of toilet breaks and feeding - it's probably the best place for puppy when you're not home. And stick the crate in your bedroom for a while - until pup is toilet trained -/ you will gain so much more sleep and it helps bond the pup with you as part of the pack. Some non squeaky toys and a blanket will make it inviting. My 1 year old Labrador loves his crate. I cover the back half with a blanket so it's more den like.

Right.

Time for some more experienced DOLers to step in!

[Christina]

Its too cold to leave a puppy outside overnight. Its a baby & has just left its mother & litter mates & will be lonely & scared.

Its not safe to leave a puppy outside while you are out either. It may get up to mischief & in trouble that you have not anticipated. It may also get stolen.

Never leave a young puppy alone unsupervised with a bone. Its a small breed so choose appropriate bones.

You can buy a small grass doggy toilet. Cheap as Chips, variety shops & pet shops have them although they are more expensive in pet shops.

My current 9 week old litter have trained themselves to use theirs.

If leaving puppy in a crate for any length of time make sure it has room to room to run & stretch. Bunnings sell metal compost panels for about $28 for a pack of 4. You can buy 1 or 2 packs & join them up into a pen with the plastic garden ties. They are nice & high & better than the cheap puppy pens. Don't put food & water & the bed next to the toilet, put toilet at the other side.

You may also use one to block of the bathroom, like a baby gate, a leave puppy in there with a warm bed while you are out.

A soft slicker brush is ideal to use for grooming & a metal comb with narrow & wide spaced teeth at each end. You could also ask the breeder what they advise to use as they are familiar with this type of coat.

Accessories are up to you & your budget. Lead, a heavy flat bottomed water bowl & toys are the essentials. Don't buy the cheap soft rubber toys. They chew them into pieces & chew the squeaker out. Not very safe really.

Try & enjoy your puppy & not worry about it all. Everyone raises them differently & there is no exact right & wrong way. Use common sense & kindness & don't leave your shoes lying around :laugh:

Post photos please.

[Leah82]

When grooming a Japanese spitz you will want to learn how to line brush, this will make sure you brush out all the dead under coat. Brushing a spitz normally will often leave an impacted layer of undercoat close to the skin. There are YouTube videos on line brushing if you search but this will give you a quick overview.

http://dogcare.dailypuppy.com/line-brush-dog-1541.html

[Stressmagnet]

See? I knew someone smart would chime in with great advice!

[Bjelkier]

I will only add please do not use a furminator on a spitz coat. It destroys the top coat. Your best tool for grooming a spitz breed is a good quality comb, slicker and pin brush

[CuBB]

Thank you guys so much! Great to see so many members posting your opinions and help.

So after having a read I think I will go with the crate/pen solution. I'll head over to Bunnings today and see what I can find :)

[Salukifan]

I think you pup's breeder would be the first person to discuss these issues with.

How you intend to keep the pup would be something, as a breeder, that I'd be wanting to know before I sold you one.

[Guest donatella]

A good comb (and even better groomer) is your best friend with a spitz and double coat.

Puppy inside at night yes. And be confident in your fencing and suburb before leaving puppy alone in a backyard :)

[skip]

Too late for me to post much advice but I used puppy pens that I luckily already owned. Brought from pet shops previously for two small dogs.

From memory my kelpie pup was in pen when I was about but couldn't be watching her inside.

Going to work is a big pain but i put the pup in my shed with old carpet down and the pen to keep her in. But i had a neighbour to check on her and let her toilet each day at lunch. plus it was summer.

You are lucky if you are only leaving her for a few hours. If sunny I'd leave out in a pen but if colder since its winter, she'd be fine inside in the bathroom or penned just for those hours. Just a query since I had to put plastic netting around my back steps, is your pup entirely safe on the back veranda? No gaps or possible drops like between the stairs.

I used a crate in the bedroom at night since the other dogs are on the bed and the puppy cannot be so high. I took her to toilet if she made a noise , which was usually about 2 to 3 am. When she was older and toilet trained , plus also big enough to get on/off bed safely, she was allowed free range too. I had a doggy door btw which I had to teach her how to use with treats.

Everything seemed to work ok but I must admit I was surprised the pup needed to pee after play, after sleep, after eating .....so basically all the time. Every time I took her, she peed. So you have to be really watchful and if the pup pees, you just didn't watch closely enough.

congratulations btw, I love your chosen breed!

[Monchichi]

I will only add please do not use a furminator on a spitz coat. It destroys the top coat. Your best tool for grooming a spitz breed is a good quality comb, slicker and pin brush

I second what Bjelkier said! and please never shaved their coat at all, unless for emergency medical reason.

Mine is staying outside while I am at work. Similar as yours, I have covered deck. I bought dog kennel for her to sleep/rest during the day, which she often use. I position the kennel just next to the door and away from rain or direct sunlight.Plenty of safe toys for her to play with, eg stuffed kong, eggs cardboard with treat inside.

I just cannot trust her yet to be inside while I am not at home, she is a Houdini...she worked out how to escape from her puppy pen as I used this to block her access to certain part of the house. and chew some cables (lucky I turned off the switch).

Night time or as soon as I am back home, she will be staying inside. I used to put those potty training grass (bought from Reject Shop) not far from her crate and she did her business there at night. She is crate trained now and slept inside her crate at night even if I don't ask her to go...she just goes there herself (even opens the door herself if she is really sleepy )