First Dog.... Nervously, terrified & excited!
Discussion
Right then after lots and lots of discussion, debate, research, and back and forth we have taken the family decision to extend ourselves by one more and have put down a deposit on a pup!
We're a family of 4, two boys, 9 & 6. Fairly active, regular outside time, biking, walking, hiking, kids football matches etc.
I've never had a dog, sister has one that we've 'dogsat' for a few times. Wife grew up with them in the house. Kids both love them.
We've chosen a Whippet / Lab cross - saw them at the weekend, met both parents & obv the breeder and really happy with what we saw.
So what's next? Due to a family hol we'll be picking them up on their 13 week birthday, which I understand is a little later than normal but not abnormally so.
Got a list of key things to purchase... anything important missing?
crate
blankets
toys
food (to match whatever he's been fed on at 'home')
lead / harness
treats
insurance
vet
We're looking for local 'puppy training' classes and i'm also looking for recommendations for a good 'my first puppy book' if anyone has one that's particularly good?
What are peoples 'must do' hints and tips for week 1 of owning and prepping for arrival?
Loads of similar thread of course but I hoped no-one would mind me starting my own!
We're a family of 4, two boys, 9 & 6. Fairly active, regular outside time, biking, walking, hiking, kids football matches etc.
I've never had a dog, sister has one that we've 'dogsat' for a few times. Wife grew up with them in the house. Kids both love them.
We've chosen a Whippet / Lab cross - saw them at the weekend, met both parents & obv the breeder and really happy with what we saw.
So what's next? Due to a family hol we'll be picking them up on their 13 week birthday, which I understand is a little later than normal but not abnormally so.
Got a list of key things to purchase... anything important missing?
crate
blankets
toys
food (to match whatever he's been fed on at 'home')
lead / harness
treats
insurance
vet
We're looking for local 'puppy training' classes and i'm also looking for recommendations for a good 'my first puppy book' if anyone has one that's particularly good?
What are peoples 'must do' hints and tips for week 1 of owning and prepping for arrival?
Loads of similar thread of course but I hoped no-one would mind me starting my own!
loads of advice incoming no doubt.
a few nuggets i can recommend.
be firm - with the dog, and importantly, with the family instruction on what level of behavior is / is not acceptable and create the boundaries day one (ie. on or off the furniture, upstairs or not, and be strict to feeding only at the dogs bowl)
I can;t remember how, I think it was simply turning our backs on , but trry to get the habit of jumping up at people nipped in the bud early. front paws on the floor at all times. f
king hate dogs (and their owners) who think it is ok for a dog to jump up and muddy your clothes.
our most recent wins have been (and it may depend on your lifestyle I accept) with the lates dogs, we have no set routine for a walk. some days they might not even get one, (rural living). But it stops them pestering for Human to Fit their routine - it shuld be the other way.
we should have done the same with mealtimes in hindsight -their expectation to be fed at 5pm is a nuisance at times.
And enjoy.
a few nuggets i can recommend.
be firm - with the dog, and importantly, with the family instruction on what level of behavior is / is not acceptable and create the boundaries day one (ie. on or off the furniture, upstairs or not, and be strict to feeding only at the dogs bowl)
I can;t remember how, I think it was simply turning our backs on , but trry to get the habit of jumping up at people nipped in the bud early. front paws on the floor at all times. f
king hate dogs (and their owners) who think it is ok for a dog to jump up and muddy your clothes.our most recent wins have been (and it may depend on your lifestyle I accept) with the lates dogs, we have no set routine for a walk. some days they might not even get one, (rural living). But it stops them pestering for Human to Fit their routine - it shuld be the other way.
we should have done the same with mealtimes in hindsight -their expectation to be fed at 5pm is a nuisance at times.
And enjoy.
Much will depend on how you want your dog to be and it's important you stick to seeing it that way and not end up how the dog wants you to be.
One for me was not to let the dog expect to go out with you whenever you go, ie, has to be okay to be left alone for a couple of hours.
I like my dog to be part of the family so have no issues with him sitting on the sofa. He does this if he wants to but also has his own spaces around the house.
One for me was not to let the dog expect to go out with you whenever you go, ie, has to be okay to be left alone for a couple of hours.
I like my dog to be part of the family so have no issues with him sitting on the sofa. He does this if he wants to but also has his own spaces around the house.
You'll get lots of good advice. Suspect a Lab x whippet will be quite a good pet.
You've got a lot of the basics covered.
Crate is really useful. If it howls or doesn't like it, do persist, maybe feed or give it treats in there. Once they get use to them it can be their chill out zone - they sleep a lot. Very useful for transport too. Ours have no problems with travel as they are in a crate. we had a fenced in enclosure around the pen which worked well for the cocker but the springer could jump straight over I suspect a lab x whippet will easily jump a fence
Decide which part of the house the dog can be in and thoroughly puppy proof it. Assume anything on the floor will be picked up and chewed. If you have areas of laminate/tiled flooring rather than carpet so much the better. IMO dogs should stay downstairs and off furniture. These are personal preferences. I have gun dogs so they are pretty filthy even when dried after a walk or work. Need to be vigilant about fencing outside especially if you have busy roads or stock in fields adjacent.
Your kids are quite young but rules and boundaries you decide have to be observed by everyone. They should be involved in basic training but need to be consistent. My kids knew that tug of war games and indiscriminate throwing of toys was off limits as I needed to keep the pup's focus on my training and if they are exhausted and satisfied by play with children switching to training mode is difficult. Excited greeting can reward jumping up and general bad manners. They need to know to leave it be when it's asleep or in its crate.
For convenience with toilet training, I slept downstairs for a month or so and set an alarm to let the pup out in the night. They pick it up really quickly if you take them where you want them to go and lavish them with praise for producing. I'd say 90% of accidents were my fault either overunning the time to take them out or not noticing sniffing circling or going to the door.
There's a good chance that a lab mix will respond to whistle. A 211Hz Acme dog whistle costs next to nothing and is invaluable to be able to stop and recall your dog at distance. It carries much better than voice and is less embarrassing than repeatedly shouting the dog's name (which incidentally you should give consideration to what you're prepared to shout in public so maybe not a great idea to give the kids sole responsibility for of naming it). Dogs learn whistle commands by association so once you have the sit going well, you just pip the whistle while the dog sit to your voice or hand signal. Likewise a triple pip when the dog is recalling to you will establish a triple pip as a recall command
I'm probably more strict with my dogs as they are expected to work in shooting where control is important. However the paradox is that for any dog, the stricter and more consistent you are with establishing manners, control and discipline, the greater the freedom the dog and your family will have in the long run.
You've got a lot of the basics covered.
Crate is really useful. If it howls or doesn't like it, do persist, maybe feed or give it treats in there. Once they get use to them it can be their chill out zone - they sleep a lot. Very useful for transport too. Ours have no problems with travel as they are in a crate. we had a fenced in enclosure around the pen which worked well for the cocker but the springer could jump straight over I suspect a lab x whippet will easily jump a fence
Decide which part of the house the dog can be in and thoroughly puppy proof it. Assume anything on the floor will be picked up and chewed. If you have areas of laminate/tiled flooring rather than carpet so much the better. IMO dogs should stay downstairs and off furniture. These are personal preferences. I have gun dogs so they are pretty filthy even when dried after a walk or work. Need to be vigilant about fencing outside especially if you have busy roads or stock in fields adjacent.
Your kids are quite young but rules and boundaries you decide have to be observed by everyone. They should be involved in basic training but need to be consistent. My kids knew that tug of war games and indiscriminate throwing of toys was off limits as I needed to keep the pup's focus on my training and if they are exhausted and satisfied by play with children switching to training mode is difficult. Excited greeting can reward jumping up and general bad manners. They need to know to leave it be when it's asleep or in its crate.
For convenience with toilet training, I slept downstairs for a month or so and set an alarm to let the pup out in the night. They pick it up really quickly if you take them where you want them to go and lavish them with praise for producing. I'd say 90% of accidents were my fault either overunning the time to take them out or not noticing sniffing circling or going to the door.
There's a good chance that a lab mix will respond to whistle. A 211Hz Acme dog whistle costs next to nothing and is invaluable to be able to stop and recall your dog at distance. It carries much better than voice and is less embarrassing than repeatedly shouting the dog's name (which incidentally you should give consideration to what you're prepared to shout in public so maybe not a great idea to give the kids sole responsibility for of naming it). Dogs learn whistle commands by association so once you have the sit going well, you just pip the whistle while the dog sit to your voice or hand signal. Likewise a triple pip when the dog is recalling to you will establish a triple pip as a recall command
I'm probably more strict with my dogs as they are expected to work in shooting where control is important. However the paradox is that for any dog, the stricter and more consistent you are with establishing manners, control and discipline, the greater the freedom the dog and your family will have in the long run.
Hi, congratulations. I just rescued a dog last Thursday that had been in a shelter for 4 months. He’s described in the paperwork as a whippet cross. Not my first dog by any means, but my first male, so there are elements of learning that will be new to me, despite my having worked at a shelter in the past.
It sounds like you have most bases covered. Might seem obvious, but keep anything you value or that might harm him out of reach in the house, and make that become second nature in your behaviour. TV remotes, spectacles, keys, tablets, all fair game to the young and inquisitive. Try him with toys to find what he likes, and play with him with those to encourage him to understand which are his belongings, so he learns to leave yours alone.
Same goes for him outdoors. There are plenty of distractions even on the lead that can cause a young dog problems if he gets hold of something he shouldn’t, watch him like a hawk.
Don’t fall into the trap of over exercising him. They’re bred to run like the wind for short periods of time, and then recuperate with plenty of rest. Ours is 2, and displays exactly these traits. He had a few minutes off the lead on the beach last night, went berserk, came home and was flaked out until this morning. We had to wake him to let him out for his morning sabbatical! They can display immense laziness.
If he’s food oriented, treats are your best friend. It makes it much easier to train them and get them to obey recall, which is arguably the most important command of all. Find something he regards as a high value reward and never be without it when you leave the house. Gradually give him longer leads as you get to know him, and practice his recall from further and further away. When he responds correctly, make a huge fuss of him and give him treats.
He’ll respond to things the way you do. Therefore when something unexpected happens, try and remain calm, ignore whatever it is, no raised voices or immediately assuming he’s terrified. If he ignores whatever it is, do the same. If he thinks you’re worried about it, he’ll assume he has to be too, and that will become default with him. So if an ambulance goes by with sirens on, for example, don’t alter your behaviour, or do anything to encourage the idea that he should be worried by it if possible. Obviously, if he’s terrified regardless of your reaction, reassure him, but the key to a calm dog is a calm owner.
If he pulls on the harness, as they can be prone to, use the clip in front of his chest instead of the one on top of his back. That way, when he pulls, it pulls him sideways, they don’t like that and they quickly learn to walk more calmly.
Sorry for the long post, but the first few weeks are very important to your long term relationship and how you develop as an owner. They’re lovely natured dogs, all the best with him. Good luck.
It sounds like you have most bases covered. Might seem obvious, but keep anything you value or that might harm him out of reach in the house, and make that become second nature in your behaviour. TV remotes, spectacles, keys, tablets, all fair game to the young and inquisitive. Try him with toys to find what he likes, and play with him with those to encourage him to understand which are his belongings, so he learns to leave yours alone.
Same goes for him outdoors. There are plenty of distractions even on the lead that can cause a young dog problems if he gets hold of something he shouldn’t, watch him like a hawk.
Don’t fall into the trap of over exercising him. They’re bred to run like the wind for short periods of time, and then recuperate with plenty of rest. Ours is 2, and displays exactly these traits. He had a few minutes off the lead on the beach last night, went berserk, came home and was flaked out until this morning. We had to wake him to let him out for his morning sabbatical! They can display immense laziness.
If he’s food oriented, treats are your best friend. It makes it much easier to train them and get them to obey recall, which is arguably the most important command of all. Find something he regards as a high value reward and never be without it when you leave the house. Gradually give him longer leads as you get to know him, and practice his recall from further and further away. When he responds correctly, make a huge fuss of him and give him treats.
He’ll respond to things the way you do. Therefore when something unexpected happens, try and remain calm, ignore whatever it is, no raised voices or immediately assuming he’s terrified. If he ignores whatever it is, do the same. If he thinks you’re worried about it, he’ll assume he has to be too, and that will become default with him. So if an ambulance goes by with sirens on, for example, don’t alter your behaviour, or do anything to encourage the idea that he should be worried by it if possible. Obviously, if he’s terrified regardless of your reaction, reassure him, but the key to a calm dog is a calm owner.
If he pulls on the harness, as they can be prone to, use the clip in front of his chest instead of the one on top of his back. That way, when he pulls, it pulls him sideways, they don’t like that and they quickly learn to walk more calmly.
Sorry for the long post, but the first few weeks are very important to your long term relationship and how you develop as an owner. They’re lovely natured dogs, all the best with him. Good luck.
Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of dog ownership. Good luck.
I imagine like with children, you can never get everything you need immediately so the list looks like a start. As others have said, barricades/baby gates etc. would go a long way to keeping them 'in their place'. You'll want puppy pads/poo bags to start the training and minimize accidents as much as possible as well as some dog scent cleaner to remove the smell and clean when they do (the psychology is they will go back to where they can smell they did it before).
Not so much things to purchase but as a couple have mentioned, you need to be firm and most importantly, ALL of you need to be on the same page with treatment. Nothing will cause more conflict and confusion than not all sticking to the same rules for the dog. Things inevitably slip as time moves on but in the formative months, being aligned and consistent is absolutely key. If you all agree, not on furniture, you all need to do it for example.
Also don't be afraid to throw challenges at the pup, getting them used to you going out and being alone, travelling in the car or trains, with fireworks, any environments you can imagine, are all FAR easier to get them used to now, than later in life.
I imagine like with children, you can never get everything you need immediately so the list looks like a start. As others have said, barricades/baby gates etc. would go a long way to keeping them 'in their place'. You'll want puppy pads/poo bags to start the training and minimize accidents as much as possible as well as some dog scent cleaner to remove the smell and clean when they do (the psychology is they will go back to where they can smell they did it before).
Not so much things to purchase but as a couple have mentioned, you need to be firm and most importantly, ALL of you need to be on the same page with treatment. Nothing will cause more conflict and confusion than not all sticking to the same rules for the dog. Things inevitably slip as time moves on but in the formative months, being aligned and consistent is absolutely key. If you all agree, not on furniture, you all need to do it for example.
Also don't be afraid to throw challenges at the pup, getting them used to you going out and being alone, travelling in the car or trains, with fireworks, any environments you can imagine, are all FAR easier to get them used to now, than later in life.
Heaveho said:
LRDefender said:
Oh dear Dan, tsk... tsk... tsk...
You're telling us about your new pup and no photo's of said pup???!!!
You've let PH's, your family and yourself down! And the pup...
ETA - good luck with the new addition to your family.
You're telling us about your new pup and no photo's of said pup???!!!
You've let PH's, your family and yourself down! And the pup...
ETA - good luck with the new addition to your family.
My first advice would be it can be pretty tough for a few months - our 3 previous pups were little trouble other than toilet, but Wolfie, what a tt pup he was. Really challenging.
But they get there in the end. He's great now.
Make sure they know where they sit in the pecking order, they need to know otherwise they will assume they are top........................
t pup he was. Really challenging.But they get there in the end. He's great now.
Make sure they know where they sit in the pecking order, they need to know otherwise they will assume they are top........................
One bit of advice I had from a mate was to keep picking the dog up as he grows so he's completely comfortable with it. Useful if they can't get through a stile and you have to chuck them over it. Useful if they're injured and need carrying into the vets. This was in relation to German Shepherds - picking up a large dog isn't something you might naturally do.
oddman said:
You'll get lots of good advice. Suspect a Lab x whippet will be quite a good pet.
You've got a lot of the basics covered.
Crate is really useful. If it howls or doesn't like it, do persist, maybe feed or give it treats in there. Once they get use to them it can be their chill out zone - they sleep a lot. Very useful for transport too. Ours have no problems with travel as they are in a crate. we had a fenced in enclosure around the pen which worked well for the cocker but the springer could jump straight over I suspect a lab x whippet will easily jump a fence
Decide which part of the house the dog can be in and thoroughly puppy proof it. Assume anything on the floor will be picked up and chewed. If you have areas of laminate/tiled flooring rather than carpet so much the better. IMO dogs should stay downstairs and off furniture. These are personal preferences. I have gun dogs so they are pretty filthy even when dried after a walk or work. Need to be vigilant about fencing outside especially if you have busy roads or stock in fields adjacent.
Your kids are quite young but rules and boundaries you decide have to be observed by everyone. They should be involved in basic training but need to be consistent. My kids knew that tug of war games and indiscriminate throwing of toys was off limits as I needed to keep the pup's focus on my training and if they are exhausted and satisfied by play with children switching to training mode is difficult. Excited greeting can reward jumping up and general bad manners. They need to know to leave it be when it's asleep or in its crate.
For convenience with toilet training, I slept downstairs for a month or so and set an alarm to let the pup out in the night. They pick it up really quickly if you take them where you want them to go and lavish them with praise for producing. I'd say 90% of accidents were my fault either overunning the time to take them out or not noticing sniffing circling or going to the door.
There's a good chance that a lab mix will respond to whistle. A 211Hz Acme dog whistle costs next to nothing and is invaluable to be able to stop and recall your dog at distance. It carries much better than voice and is less embarrassing than repeatedly shouting the dog's name (which incidentally you should give consideration to what you're prepared to shout in public so maybe not a great idea to give the kids sole responsibility for of naming it). Dogs learn whistle commands by association so once you have the sit going well, you just pip the whistle while the dog sit to your voice or hand signal. Likewise a triple pip when the dog is recalling to you will establish a triple pip as a recall command
I'm probably more strict with my dogs as they are expected to work in shooting where control is important. However the paradox is that for any dog, the stricter and more consistent you are with establishing manners, control and discipline, the greater the freedom the dog and your family will have in the long run.
Very good advice there You've got a lot of the basics covered.
Crate is really useful. If it howls or doesn't like it, do persist, maybe feed or give it treats in there. Once they get use to them it can be their chill out zone - they sleep a lot. Very useful for transport too. Ours have no problems with travel as they are in a crate. we had a fenced in enclosure around the pen which worked well for the cocker but the springer could jump straight over I suspect a lab x whippet will easily jump a fence
Decide which part of the house the dog can be in and thoroughly puppy proof it. Assume anything on the floor will be picked up and chewed. If you have areas of laminate/tiled flooring rather than carpet so much the better. IMO dogs should stay downstairs and off furniture. These are personal preferences. I have gun dogs so they are pretty filthy even when dried after a walk or work. Need to be vigilant about fencing outside especially if you have busy roads or stock in fields adjacent.
Your kids are quite young but rules and boundaries you decide have to be observed by everyone. They should be involved in basic training but need to be consistent. My kids knew that tug of war games and indiscriminate throwing of toys was off limits as I needed to keep the pup's focus on my training and if they are exhausted and satisfied by play with children switching to training mode is difficult. Excited greeting can reward jumping up and general bad manners. They need to know to leave it be when it's asleep or in its crate.
For convenience with toilet training, I slept downstairs for a month or so and set an alarm to let the pup out in the night. They pick it up really quickly if you take them where you want them to go and lavish them with praise for producing. I'd say 90% of accidents were my fault either overunning the time to take them out or not noticing sniffing circling or going to the door.
There's a good chance that a lab mix will respond to whistle. A 211Hz Acme dog whistle costs next to nothing and is invaluable to be able to stop and recall your dog at distance. It carries much better than voice and is less embarrassing than repeatedly shouting the dog's name (which incidentally you should give consideration to what you're prepared to shout in public so maybe not a great idea to give the kids sole responsibility for of naming it). Dogs learn whistle commands by association so once you have the sit going well, you just pip the whistle while the dog sit to your voice or hand signal. Likewise a triple pip when the dog is recalling to you will establish a triple pip as a recall command
I'm probably more strict with my dogs as they are expected to work in shooting where control is important. However the paradox is that for any dog, the stricter and more consistent you are with establishing manners, control and discipline, the greater the freedom the dog and your family will have in the long run.
I wish I’d had some of this when we got our first whippet puppy 20 years ago. Thankfully she was a wonderful dog and spoiled us for some of the rascals we’ve reared or rescued subsequently.Glassman said:
Much will depend on how you want your dog to be and it's important you stick to seeing it that way and not end up how the dog wants you to be.
One for me was not to let the dog expect to go out with you whenever you go, ie, has to be okay to be left alone for a couple of hours.
I like my dog to be part of the family so have no issues with him sitting on the sofa. He does this if he wants to but also has his own spaces around the house.
I was questioned about whether I would let the dog sit on the furniture. If the dog needed it I would lend him the car. One for me was not to let the dog expect to go out with you whenever you go, ie, has to be okay to be left alone for a couple of hours.
I like my dog to be part of the family so have no issues with him sitting on the sofa. He does this if he wants to but also has his own spaces around the house.
Depending on how secure your fencing is it’s worth investigating GPS trackers.Even with the best training instinct sometimes takes over.
Our Cocker is apt to shoot off and explore looking for deer and pheasants, and the tracker has helped us find him a few times (usually he comes back and waits patiently by the from gate mind you)
If not it means we can basically go straight to where he is.
The one we have is by Tractive, they are miles better than previously and only need recharging once a week or so.
Our Cocker is apt to shoot off and explore looking for deer and pheasants, and the tracker has helped us find him a few times (usually he comes back and waits patiently by the from gate mind you)
If not it means we can basically go straight to where he is.
The one we have is by Tractive, they are miles better than previously and only need recharging once a week or so.
A 'pen' was useful... we used an old metal-framed guinea pig enclosure. Can be used indoors or outdoors, handy for confining them to barracks but so they still have some space to sniff and scritch about.
Make sure your children know what the dog cannot eat; I had an expensive afternoon at the vets after my daughter left a half-eaten Welsh Cake on the floor by the telly. Things like grapes and raisins are potentially dangerous, and of course chocolate, particularly dark chocolate.
Anyhow, happy days, enjoy the new member of the family!
Make sure your children know what the dog cannot eat; I had an expensive afternoon at the vets after my daughter left a half-eaten Welsh Cake on the floor by the telly. Things like grapes and raisins are potentially dangerous, and of course chocolate, particularly dark chocolate.
Anyhow, happy days, enjoy the new member of the family!
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