new pup...help!

[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 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 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 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. 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.

[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!

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!

[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

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... 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! 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...