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 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!!!

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]

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 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!!

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!

[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!