new pup...help!

[Kristl]

hello, i just got my very first puppy. i have never had a dog before so i have no idea what i am doing. any advice, tips, recommendations i will gratefully welcome. thanks all, Kristl.
ps..he's a black lab named bull:confused: i think i attached the pic right..if not let me know

[Lexi_Lover]

Hi There!

Welcome to PT! Your puppy is gorgeous! As for your questions on tips...it depends on what you want to know about!

-feeding
-bathing
-grooming
-potty training
-socializing
-LOTS MORE!

You'll have lots of fun here!

[Cookiebaker]

Oh my goodness, what an absolute cutie patoootie!!! :D

My name is Anna, and I have a yellow lab named Malone, and a black lab named Emerson.

The only recommendation that comes immediately to mind is crate training. Do you or are you planning on crate training?? I know that when Malone was a pup (our yellow labbie) the crate was an absolute life saver. He might whine & cry for a bit, but hang in there. He will love it in time, and it will be a safe place for a time out, and give you a break when you need it.

Welcome to Pet talk, and we can't wait to see more of Bull!! I hope you like it here and will stick around!!! :)

[Kristl]

thanks for saying my pup is gorgeouss...i'll let him know! i guess i just need to know the best way to housetrain, stop the whining, just the basics. we're doing great for the most part...except when he wants to chew on my cats' tails. thanks:)

[Cookiebaker]

Some tips on house training:

Take him out every few minutes (15-30), right after playtime, right after eating, right after napping. Yes, it's just like having a baby around. If he starts to go in the house, try and catch him in the act and pick him up and put him right out. Don't wait until he's already done. When he does it outside, praise, praise praise (cookies help, too!) ;) Good Luck, and let us know how he does. :)

[Kristl]

thanks anna..your malone is cute!!! he's in a crate at this exact moment but when he whines i feel so bad! due to the fact that he is only 5 weeks (don't have a clue why the lady i bought him from was selling them at that age) so maybe i'm just expecting a lot from him!

[Cookiebaker]

Yikes! 5 weeks is awful young! I don't have experience with pups that small, whether they can be "trained" to not whine yet or not. But hang in there!!! The first few weeks will be a little rough but it will get easier with time. When he gets a little older you should be able to train him to your voice, and teach a command like "Stop that Noise". But I don't know if he will catch onto it at only 5 weeks old or not.

[Kristl]

i kinda figured that...i think i'l still try. even if he doesn't have a clue what we're doing i guess it's never too early to start. he's healthy and seems pretty happy here, so that's a good start. :)

[luvofallhorses]

:eek: :eek: 5 weeks????? yikes!! do you have to bottle feed him? they aren't taken from their mothers until atleast 8 weeks of age...I have 4 dogs and housebreaking isn't that bad you should get wee-wee pads for them if their is an accident..and when they go scratch their paws on the door & put them outside. good luck!

[sabies]

Cute puppy, welcome to pet talk!

[Puppy_Love4]

Well your furkid is beauitful ( i know i am gonna get some slack for this comment but i don't care) your First Mistake was BUYING him there are purebreed black labs in rescues that are just DIEING to get a home and the second mistake is that you got him at 5 weeks old..

what about taking a ticking clock or something that makes some kinda noise and put it down by him cause sometimes that can help.. and the *%*&^ woman whom you BOUGHT:mad: the lil one from SHOULD of known better then to let a puppy go earlier then 8wks old....

or you can take a water bottle and fill it up with warm water and put it under a pillow and let the lil one lay on it...

here is something i did when i ADOPTED my black lab at 8 Wks i put some really soft music playing and that help alot...

Also puppies who are taken from their mommies to early CAN have alotta problems


<Let the Flammeing Begin>

[Vette]

First of all. congratulations on owning your first dog!! :D

a tid-bit of info.. there are some kind of plants that are poisonous to dogs if they eat or chew on the leaves or eat the leaves of the plant,, id get the plants up out of puppys reach just to be on the safe side. also remember NEVER to give a dog chocolate or onions as they are also poisonou to dogs, and never give your dog cooked bones. cooked bones become very brittle and can easily splinter in your dogs throat or stomach and end up with a big vet bill.

also having a crate makes life easier as well. i know i probably would go insane without crating my dog. keeps him out of trouble while im in town. or when i have company it keeps accidents from happing.

take puppy to the park and let him interact with other dogs and people or take him to a friends house that has a dog. that way there he can get socialized with people and dogs.

hes just a puppy now. so just a few minutes of play time is enough to tire him out. but he will need LOTS of exercise as an adult. Labs are prone to hip dysphasia and a overweight dog will only speed up the process of hip dysphasia. as for grooming... he will need his nails clipped once ever other week or so.


and i would read up on the breed of dog(if you havent already) while hes still a puppy. the more you know about the breed the better insite you have to what your puppy is GOING to turn into.

and remember,, what you name him is perminent. do you really want to yell COME BULL COME for a good 10+ years?

[Lexi_Lover]

Well, CookieBaker already stated everything...just one thing I would get some disinfectant spray and maybe some puppy pads. The ones I used worked really well on Lexi, they have a smell that attracts puppies, just in case an accident does occur, which it will!

5 weeks is a really young age to be taken away from MAMA, Lexi was taken away at 6 weeks because Mommy stopped feeding them, she was weaned early! Hope you can post more pics of Bull soon enoug, anything else just hollar or PM me!

Or CookieBaker for that matter! LOL!:p

[Kristl]

okay, first i paid $25 for him and the people i got him from were less than desirable, who knows where he would have ended up had i not gotten him, so i think i rescued him in a way, however i do agree with you an the adopting and i plan on adopting a dog as soon as i buy my house. second, the name bull was the first thing that came to me...why, i don't know. it just kind of stuck i guess! thank you all for the info and i will post an update as soon as possible! here is Bull and Mason, one of the cats. These 2 seem to like each other.

[Lexi_Lover]

So cute! He doesn't look that young!

WHY IS EVERYBODY GETTING DOGS FOR A CHEAP PRICE! LOL! At my shelter it is worth $275 to adopt a puppy! Even though it is for a good cause!

[Kristl]

$275! really! the closest shelter to me is $50 for cats and $75 for dogs. i know, i should have went there first, but next time i will i promise!:) in the local paper the guys that breed dogs for hunting (labs, pointers, etc.) usually ask $250-$400. that is something i would NEVER do! pay that much. i guess i look at it like i rescued Bull, but for a smaller price. wish i could have got all 13 of them!

[wolfsoul]

Originally posted by Vette
take puppy to the park and let him interact with other dogs and people or take him to a friends house that has a dog. that way there he can get socialized with people and dogs.

Remember though, he can't go out and play with other dogs until he is ATLEAST 16 weeks of age (4 months). He is still susceptible to disease, ESPECIALLY at this age, him not having had any shots at all. It is better to let him play with dogs that are owned by friends, that you know have had their shots.

[Jods]

He looks older then 5 weeks. Anyways around here you get the dog at 6 weeks. No they still don't need to be fed by the mother. I'm not saying I agree with it, but sometimes when the pups get to 6 weeks the mother gets fed up with them and one of the pups may get hurt. My RB dog Kirby was attacked by her Mother at that age, the mother was fed up with the puppies all over her whenever she entered the room. She was covered in scratches from them and bleeding. Mercedes litter was also taken away from the mom. Imagine nine great dane pups scratching at your belly everytime you walked by biting you with those awefully sharp teeth :eek: Anayways your pup is really cute... Are you planning on getting him neutured you should. I recommend six months of age a lot say younger though. My vet will NOT do it that young he said they are not even fully developed yet. Some people say in Canada they do it at 6 months because we don't have the right equipment in most places which is untrue most vets just refuse to do it at that young of an age. Some pups come fixed before the breeder even sells them :eek: To each his own I guess :) When you feed him I would suggest putting a little warm water in his food and letting it sit for a while so it softens, if he is that young it would be hard on him to eat big food. I agree with what everyone says for training a pup outside. I put mine out pretty much whenever they moved till they got the hang of it. An easy way to get him to go is get him to chase you up and down the grass it stimulates his bladder when he does go outside praise him like you wouldn't believe. When you take him out tell him okay now go pee even to this day now my dog knows what go pee means and she does it she even pretends sometimes just to make me think she did :rolleyes: LOL... Crate training is also a good idea we only ever crate trained Mercedes because she got into things when we went out, but I do agree with it. It keeps the babies safe, but don't use it as a punishment then when you go to go out he won't want to get in it or think hes in trouble...
Sorry I've written so much. :p Welcome to PT and feel free to PM me anytime I'll be willing to answer any questions... Congrats your little boy he will bring you many years of fun.:D

[wolfsoul]

Originally posted by Jods
When you feed him I would suggest putting a little warm water in his food and letting it sit for a while so it softens if he is that young it would be hard on him to eat big food.

It's okay to put water in the kibble, but I wouldn't let it sit for too long. In just a few minutes the bacteria can multiply very quickly. When we were selling my grandma's puppies, my mom would always put water in their food and leave it to sit fo about ten or fiteen minutes (even though I advised her not to). One of the pups developed UTI and started to pee blood. :(

[Jods]

oh I should have said how long...Yikes poor pup. I didn't know that. I only let it sit for about 5 minutes. Out of curiosity for myself is that okay??

[wolfsoul]

Originally posted by Jods
oh I should have said how long...Yikes poor pup. I didn't know that. I only let it sit for about 5 minutes. Out of curiosity for myself is that okay??

I'm not too sure how long you can leave it for, but five minutes doesn't sound too long. :)

[Kristl]

i never thought about softening the food. i will probably neuter him. i've heard it keeps the wandering and agression down and he will be living with his sister soon and them inbreeding would be BAD!!!!!! plus, i don't really need a litter to take care of. 1 puppy in enough! right now it is pouring down rain and Bull is whining...probably has to pee, but he wont come out of his crate. Doesn't like the thunder and lightning! Well, me either! Better than snow i guess, well maybe not!

[luvofallhorses]

please do consider neutering him there are a lot of homeless pets out there in this world and it doesn't need to add to the pet overpopulation so please DO neuter him!

[micki76]

If you have a hot water bottle, fill that and wrap it in a towel or fleece blanket. He'll snuggle with that and it'll feel a little like being with his mommy and his siblings. That should have a bit of a calming affect on him.

Will he be sleeping in his crate at night? If so, cover it with a fleece or other really warm blanket. It will help to keep him warm. At that age, I'd let him sleep in the big bed with me, but then I have 3 dogs and a man in my bed every night! :eek:

Remember that he can't hold is bladder for any normal length of time yet. He'll go OFTEN at this young age. When Chester was a puppy, I took him out at least once or twice (whenever he woke me-sometimes less, sometimes more) a night and a zillion times a day.

Bull's VERY cute! :D

[Lexi_Lover]

What I did...(which I doubt you could do now)...was I rubbed a blanket over the mother and some of the other pups for Lexi to remember her scent, Lexi loves that balnket and almost never sleeps without it!

Just a way to keep her in that "safety" zone, the hot water bottle works. As does the clock...it calms them down because it sounds like the beating of a heart and it reminds them of their mother...when they nursed they would most likely be hearing her heartbeat!

[Kristl]

well, he slept in the crate his 1st nite, and then i couldnt take the whining which is when i gated off the kitchen and put his crate in there. last night he slept in in with minimal crying, and todat he's been in it most of the time. the crate has been left open in the kitchen and he is free to enter or exit it any time he feels like it. he's been in it the majority of the day! i have a big fleece blanket draped over the crate and a fleecey thing along with one of my old fleece jackets inside the crate for him to sleep on. he also has a cat bed that the cats never used that he sleeps in also. i will try to find the hot water bottle tonight. as for the clock, i'll have to wait until i get paid for that...would a regular (smallish) wall clock work? it has the ticking. thanks

[Lexi_Lover]

It doesn't matter what size of clock...just as long as there is ticking! LOL! I got mine at IKEA for $1, lol!

Good luck!

[Vette]

You could get one of those baby toy things that has a heart beat sound in it and put in his crate with him.

im sure they have one of those things made for dogs around somewhere. *looking for link*

[bckrazy]

aww, congrats! He is adorable! what a cute little puppy tummy!! the name Bull is cute, dont even worry about it... my dog is named Gonzo :p

First, like what has been mentioned, find a reputable veteranian in your area. Look for them in the yellow pages, or from neighbors or other dog owners. Talk to the vet or a tech over the phone, get info about how long the clinic has been there, how many vets are there, how many faithful patients they have, credentials, etc. It is good to find a quality, experienced vet that will know Bull for the rest of his life than toswitch from vet to vet. He will need to be dewormed probably three more times... :rolleyes: those people are horrible for selling pups at 5 wks, it is actually illegal to sell them under 6 wks and you *can* report them to animal control. Pups do need that extra socialization with their mom and siblings, but it should be ok as long as you spend extra time with him yourself, introducing him to all the people you know, and socializing him at puppy classes once he is atleast 4 months old (like Wolfsoul said:)). You should also begin your search now for good Puppy Obedience classes in your area, look for trainers with higher certifications than a 2-week course through Petsmart ;).. again, he can't start this until he has all of his shots completed.

What are you feeding Bully? :) great brands are Eagle Pack Puppy, Solid Gold Puppy, or Chicken Soup For The Dog-Lovers Soul Puppy formula (really good!). More info on these *really* great quality kibbles can be found here! (http://www.waggintails.com/) If you can't find anywhere in your area that sells those brands (they're only at specialty pet stores), Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy is also a good kibble, and is at any Petco/Petsmart or any large pet store


Good luck!! Bull is a cutee! ;) please do come back for advice or just to post more pics of your baby

[bckrazy]

oh, also, good job on the crate training! It sounds like you guys are doing really well, and those potty pads are awesome!! Leave one or two in his kitchen area if you have to go somewhere, just so he has a place to potty if he needs to.

And, yes, PLEASE NEUTER HIM! you wouldn't want to have the same responsibility of finding homes for his own 13 babies, would you? Or having his own pups surrendered to the shelter? Neutering does improve agressive, dominant, territorial, alpha, wandering, barking behaviors 90% of the time, and it prevents diseases down the road than often occur in unaltered male dogs. You should also have the sister spayed, not only will it prevent her from getting pregnant and producing even more unwanted dogs in the world, it also prevents female cancers that affect many older unaltered females. Neutered/spayed dogs also typically interact with other dogs much much better, and they are much happier without those raging hormones...

[schteve_d]

Well, I certainly don't pretend to be an expert, and people here have covered the basics, but one thing I tell any new puppy owner that I know is to get the puppy (in your case you will have to wait a while as he is so young) to experience AS MANY NEW THINGS AS POSSIBLE. Get him to meet as many people and their pets that you know, take him camping if you will likely want to do that with him someday - just sleep in a tent in the backyard for a couple of nights, take him on a boat, take him on a long drive, etc. etc. you get the point. The more things a puppy experiences early in life, the better they adapt to new situations later in life ( in my humble opinion). One plus for you is that labs generally have a pretty good disposition and are not really that "jumpy" - they take a pretty relaxed look at life.
You definately have come to the right place, I am new to pet talk myself and the information and willingness from others to help are awesome (pat yourselves on the back now people, this is as good a time as any for this newcomer to thank all of you who have answered my questions). There are good folk here, and I generally find that "pet people" in general are almost always good folk.
He sure is a cutie.



http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-10/845171/budtash5.jpg

[vinjashira]

I don't have any advice, just want to say that bull is super cute :)

[Kristl]

right now he's eating Hill's Science Diet Puppy and that's only because the vet gives every new animal owner a freebag...doesn't matter if you already have 15 cats or dogs. You get a new one...you get a free bag of food! I haven't thought about what I'll feed him longterm. The Hill's brand is pretty expensive.

[Albea]

Originally posted by wolfsoul
Remember though, he can't go out and play with other dogs until he is ATLEAST 16 weeks of age (4 months). He is still susceptible to disease, ESPECIALLY at this age, him not having had any shots at all. It is better to let him play with dogs that are owned by friends, that you know have had their shots.

Your puppy is adorable.
What Wolfsoul says is very important Those awful people (backyard breeders) who sold you a puppy that young probably didn't take very good care of the litter or the mother, so, don't let him play with other dogs until he's had all the shots. He will have plenty of time to meet other dogs and lots of people when it's safe for him to do it.
Welcome to Pet Talk and good luck with the training.

[bckrazy]

Originally posted by Kristl
right now he's eating Hill's Science Diet Puppy and that's only because the vet gives every new animal owner a freebag...doesn't matter if you already have 15 cats or dogs. You get a new one...you get a free bag of food! I haven't thought about what I'll feed him longterm. The Hill's brand is pretty expensive.

actually, $6 per 5 lb bag is not a lot to spend, when you're considering your dogs health and growth. Right now, Bully needs a very good quality food to aid his growing, especially with large breeds like Labs. Hill Science Diet's first ingredient is also Ground Corn (followed by Poultry by-products) which doesn't sound too quality to me. It *is* overpriced for its ingredients. Please check out the brands I mentioned, they would be a lot better for him and because they're much more high quality foods, you will be able to feed your puppy less of it and therefor save money. It might seem expensive, but it is worth it!! Especially if it prevents high vet bills 8-10 years from now.. which, high quality food can.

[wolfsoul]

Originally posted by bckrazy
actually, $6 per 5 lb bag is not a lot to spend, when you're considering your dogs health and growth.

Agreed! My cat get's two types of food. His kibble costs me $15 for a 6 lb bag, and his raw costs me $17 for a 3 pound bag. Also agree about Science Diet...Baaaad ingredients. After they were bought by Hill's, everything went downhill.

[ramanth]

My first dog was 3 when I got her so I have no experience raising a puppy. I just wanted to say that he is really cute. Good luck!

[luvofallhorses]

Nutro is a healthy food & never feed him Iams it kills and so do hartz products..so please buy like nutro, chicken soup(I know it's a book but they have cat food& dog food) or Nutro Cal(I think it's called) and eukanaba is a bad food too in my opinion

[wolfsoul]

Eukanuba and Iams are owned by the same company, so really they both do the same testing...Science Diet does as well.

[bckrazy]

lol.. so, basically, any dog kibble that you can buy in your average grocery store tends to be pretty horrible ingredients. Corn has *NO* nutritional value for dogs, just like Corn has no nutritional value for people... and it is the #1 ingredient in almost all kibbles at the grocery store (sometimes #2 :p)

here is a link about bad dog foods (http://www.fila.org/peak/dirtydogs.htm)

[Kristl]

well, I'll go to PetsMart tomorrow and see if they carry the nutro or the chicken soup brands, if so that's what he'll eat. i trust much more what experienced dog owners tell me than people trying to make a buck! thanks

[schteve_d]

I can vouch for Nutro as my dogs ate it for years and I was very happy with the results (energy levels, weight, skin/coat). When I moved up here, it is not available anywhere in town (or should I say at the ONE pet store! lol) so I switched them to Eagle Pack and am quite happy with that as well.

[bckrazy]

Originally posted by Kristl
well, I'll go to PetsMart tomorrow and see if they carry the nutro or the chicken soup brands, if so that's what he'll eat. i trust much more what experienced dog owners tell me than people trying to make a buck! thanks

:) awesome.. Bull will thank you for it!