Puppy: pros and cons

[crazybikinchic]

I kind of thought that your decision was already made to begin with. We crate trained our dog. All the above comments are true. The dogs love their crates.

Congrats on the new puppy!!

[maillotpois]

I kind of thought that your decision was already made to begin with.

Insightful....

ETA: The decision on crate training vs. not crate training HAS been made. This seemed to imply that the decision to take the dog VS not to take the dog had also been made. Perhaps it has.

[sundial]

...... as of last week, we are CONSIDERING adopting a puppy!! I haven't had a puppy in about 18 years. I think I may have blocked out what raising a puppy is like.

Spring seems to be the perfect season to bring a puppy on board.

It sounds like this puppy has very good temperament and hopefully good health as well. That is a big consideration when choosing a puppy in my opinion. Puppies from sound and healthy parents= lower vet bills and better socialization, usually. So you are off to a good start if you choose to adopt him.

As for the puppy's age, can you wait to bring him on board when he's about 13 weeks old? He'll still be puppy but he'll have matured so that he should be able to sleep through the night without needing to go out for potty breaks at 2 a.m. Also, he won't be as likely to cry at night. Puppies in the 8 week division are not unlike human babies who need comforting, feeding and cleaning up after a potty oops.

Crates are fantastic for dogs. It's not a cruel device as some would suggest but more like a den for the dog. All of my dogs have enjoyed their crates and should we need to take them with us in an emergency and crate them, they are already trained. Plus they don't mind being kenneled at the vets or groomers. Crates will also help potty training considerably. Dogs will not usually soil in the area they sleep. Also, crates will keep a puppy confined to limited destruction.

I've always thought it was better to have 2 dogs for a couple of reasons. One being that the dogs can communicate in their language and have a playmate around. It's good to stagger them in age so that when one is lost to the Bridge, another one is there to help through the loss. And an older dog will help a puppy train quicker by being a mentor of sorts. My girls always potty trained quicker by taking cues from the elder one.

So.....when are you going to post pictures? Your puppy sounds ideal for your family and I think your daughter will enjoy the companionship for many years to come.

[farrellcollie]

Spring does seem a civilized time to adopt a puppy. For some reason all of my puppies have come in the dead of winter - January and Feb - horrible time to be running outside in the dead of night to let the pup go to the bathroom.

[Beane]

Just curious, how old is the puppy? Our family raised puppies for Guiding Eyes for the Blind and I can imagine that this one isn't a baby baby puppy (8 weeks or so), so the worst of the potty training/getting up in the middle of the night is probably done. The older they are, the longer they can hold their bladders, which is nice.

I got a puppy (not for GEB, as a pet) at age 15, and I have to say that she & I bonded very thoroughly and she helped me through some of the tough times in high school. But it did make leaving for college harder. Luckily my mom isn't too much of a guilter and she loved the dog as much as me, so it was OK. Something to think about, though.

[maillotpois]

The puppy is 11 weeks old as of now. He sleeps through the night in his crate, which is excellent. The GDB woman is setting up a meeting between our current dog and the pup to see how they get along. We shall see.

Emily I saw the pics of your pup - so CUTE!

[SuperRunt]

Exiting! Good luck with meetings and iterviews!

[kermit]

I think its a win win for your daughter and the other dog. Two is a great number and they will keep each other company while you work. The older guy will have a reason to get up and play and stay active and the little one will have a mentor. I had a golden retriever for 11 years and got him about the same age as your little guy. The BEST dog I've ever had. Your guy is well on the way and if he considers his crate home, even better. You have reservations but consider that your breed is smart, loyal, and very trainable. All my dogs started in the crate. It's a great training tool and a security blanket when they get older. Congrats. He's ssooooo cute!

[maillotpois]

Well Russo met the puppy, Piner today at Guide Dogs. The meeting went very well. There was a lot of wagging and wiggling and sniffing. I think the puppy is going to be a lot of fun for Russo, but we will have to discipline the puppy as he is quite persistent and bite-y at this stage. Russo did not correct him which ultimately he will need to do.

As I was driving up there I thought to myself I should take a picture with my camera phone but of course I forgot. Looks like we'll probably be able to take him home Saturday. I have to go out of town the rest of the week otherwise it could be sooner.

Our daughter still does not know. I didn't want to tell her unless it was a done deal. Now I am just waiting because I can.

[nic840]

Oh yeah the bite stuff. Its only been 6 months since we got Wally and I almost forgot about that. They are mouthy for the first few months. Just make sure you have something to give them thats "theirs" when they start in on the biting.
The hardest part was my girls. They are much younger (2 & 4) than your daughter and he thought they were littermates. He would literally start running at them full speed and launch onto them like they were pups...teeth and all. Most of my girls shirts from that period have nice little bite holes from those SHARP puppy teeth. The common phrase was "MOM - Wally's Got Me!!!"
He didn't want to hurt, just play. So when you made a sound like you were being hurt by the bites he would jump back and stop. Kind of like a loud squeak. It only lasted about 5-6 weeks before he passed through that phase. Being firm and consistant.
I am so glad your big guy got along okay with him...they will end up enjoying each other's company. My little guy is heading off to hunt camp on Thursday and I am going to miss him tremendously!!! Please let me know if you need any lab resourses in Nor Cal. I am located in Sacramento. Congrats and looking forward to hearing how surprised your daughter is!! Yeah!!!

[jesvetmed]

Oh yeah the bite stuff. Its only been 6 months since we got Wally and I almost forgot about that.

LOL: Our lab is almost 11 yrs old and DH STILL hasn't forgotten... of course the scars on his wrists and hands are a daily reminder of puppy "bite-y" fun!

CONGRATS on the big leap into puppy owning, Mal! You'll love every seconds of it, even if it isn't all that fun all the time. They are SO wonderful! Glad your current dog seems to like new dog! Can't wait to hear how it goes and get those fuzzy pictures!

Jes

[Wahine]

Ooooooo, I'm so excited for you and your family. How fun!!

[sundial]

I can't wait for puppy pics.

[maillotpois]

I was in So Cal on business most of the week, but had something fun to look forward to today - picking up Piner!! We went out for breakfast this morning and were ostensibly going to "run errands" - one of which was picking up some medicine for Russo at Guide Dogs. Em really had no clue until his foster walked him into the office and we told her he was hers!

He is so dear. He imitates everything Russo does. So far they're getting along great. I am hoping Russo corrects his bratty baby behavior - he is so agreeable, and lets the puppy chew and climb on him.

Em meeting Piner:



Piner and big brother Russo:



Piner:

[Blueberry]

Awwwww........

How cute!!!

CA