I apologize for the large number of questions that clearly convey my Type A personality, but I just want to get things right. Any and all responses ~ of all opinions ~ are welcome.

1. For the time until pup sleeps through the night, should we have the crate where the dog can see us so that we can reassure that we are there, to queue in on his signals that he needs to pee, or is it to ensure that he does not get frantic? Is this for us, or for the dog?

2. For crate training, should we be thinking about having his food bowl in the crate as well?

3. Is it a good idea to cover the crate with a blanket at night to keep it darker and more quiet for the puppy, or should he always be able to look out and see his surroundings?

4. Freedom of Movement – If we are not physically on active “puppy patrol” is it best that pup be in his crate?

6. If pup has recently “did his business”, do we need to be as vigilant, or can we leave him unobserved in his pen – i.e. not in his crate but free play in his pen?

7. How much affection can we lavish on pup before we're not being "the aloof" pack leader? Must any & all cuddling, petting, kissing be “earned”?

8. Walks and outings – how long/how far for 8 week pup? Any rule of thumb for at what rate & when it's okay to increase time/distance?

9. When taking him to do his business, should we let him walk to the door, or should we be carrying him (i.e., prevent him from piddling inside before he gets to the cold outdoors?

10. Mouthing and Biting – what approach should we be taking? One internet source suggests that it is very normal for a puppy and that we ought to encourage or at least not too vigorously discourage mouthing and gentle biting, although we need to clearly discourage any biting that is too hard. Several other websites advocate not letting puppy become accustomed to biting - some even say use spray bottle or hold muzzle shut.

11. Tug Play – is this ok, or should we avoid? If yes, at what age.

12. Grooming, Bathing, how often and best time to do.

I know you'll get lots of answers, but to start:

Is this your first dog? First puppy?

Do you have him/her yet?

Will the dog be a companion dog or what are your plans for him/her?



eta
Oh, sorry ... I see that some of this was discussed in previous threads.

But so as not to reinvent the wheel, have you read potty-training threads here? Any puppy-biting threads? Crate training?

Edited by Connie Sutherland (01/08/2010 02:08 PM)
Edit reason: eta

Hi Bev, and welcome! That's quite a list you have there...

Keep reading here and you will learn a lot. In the meantime, here's a couple of answers:

 Quote:

1. For the time until pup sleeps through the night, should we have the crate where the dog can see us so that we can reassure that we are there, to queue in on his signals that he needs to pee, or is it to ensure that he does not get frantic? Is this for us, or for the dog?

It's up to you, where to put the crate. Where do you have it now?

You need to be setting the alarm for the next couple of weeks to ensure that the pup doesn't pee in his crate at night. Don't wait for his cues to take him out. It'll be too late by then, probably.

 Quote:

4. Freedom of Movement – If we are not physically on active “puppy patrol” is it best that pup be in his crate?

Yes, if you are not directly supervising, keep him crated or tethered to you. Do a search on tethering and you will find many posts here to explain.

 Quote:

6. If pup has recently “did his business”, do we need to be as vigilant, or can we leave him unobserved in his pen – i.e. not in his crate but free play in his pen?

Pups need to 'go' after waking (including napping), eating and playing, and in general at least every two hours when they are young and not sleeping. If you were just playing outside and your pup didn't relieve himself right before you came in, wait a few minutes and take him back out.

If you are home with him, get him out frequently to develop the association of 'potty is done outside' and to avoid/minimize accidents.

 Quote:

10. Mouthing and Biting – what approach should we be taking? One internet source suggests that it is very normal for a puppy and that we ought to encourage or at least not too vigorously discourage mouthing and gentle biting, although we need to clearly discourage any biting that is too hard. Several other websites advocate not letting puppy become accustomed to biting - some even say use spray bottle or hold muzzle shut.

Have items handy to redirect when mouthing, like rolled up hand towels or soft tugs. Don't use a spray bottle to discourage mouthing.

Good luck!

Thanks Lynne,

I am so grateful to have found this web forum - I'll be a seasoned up owner in no time!

Hi Connie,

Yes, I have read the threads you suggested - I just wanted to ensure my interpretations were correct. Also - I've read the threads, my hubbie has not had the time & he questioned several points I've made (i.e., distract rather than hold the muzzle to deter mouthing).

Now that it's the weekend,I'm sure hubbie will have chance to read up as have I - and seeing direct responses to his questions may help him accept the counsel offered.

Re: your questions: our rescue pup transferred to us from foster home following vet visit where he received his first vaccination. He's been with us for about 4 hours. He's to be a family pet.

 Quote: Bev Thibault

11. Tug Play – is this ok, or should we avoid? If yes, at what age.

12. Grooming, Bathing, how often and best time to do.

I'll commment on these two, but before I do, let me just suggest that you become good friends with the search function (upper left corner of the screen). It's not that people don't want to be helpful, but your questions are very wide-ranging and answering each in detail---which has already happened many times, thus the search funciton ---would require a whole LOT of typing.

Also, many of your questions come down to personal preference. There are always pros and cons to any choice, so decide what you want things to look like for you and just do it. (For example, if you want to put your pup in a pen after returning from a potty break, fine. My personal preference is to be 100% focused on the pup when it's not in it's crate, period. Otherwise, you can't see its often minimal signals and step in to do whatever needs to be done. If you put your pup in a pen, my guess is that is so you can have it out of it's crate but not have to pay that close of attention to it. If you do this, will it have accidents in the pen, even tho it's just been outside? Yup. Will that make the house training more difficult? Yup. The whole point is to prevent unwanted behavior, and you can't do that when you're not paying close attention to what the pup is doing. Still, some people use pens like this. Totally up to the individual.)

As far as tug goes, it's a great game. You have to be the boss of it, you start it and end it, and you play by your rules, not the pup's. When to play tug? As soon as you and your puppy feel like it and you can communicate the rules you chose. (Check the search function if you want details on this<g>.) It's not a good idea to play much tug when they're teething, say from 4-6 months of age or so...you'll have to pay attention to your pup and it's teething progress.

If you have young children, it's not a great idea to let them play tug with the puppy, as they are unlikely to be able to follow the rules of the game themselves, and things could get out of hand quickly.

With the grooming and bathing...I believe in grooming daily, especially with a puppy or new dog, as this is part of relationship building and bonding. Also, with a puppy, you want to get it used to having all of its body parts handled and gently manipulated. This makes vet visits much easier, as well as general maintenance over time.

Bathing...when it's necessary. When is it necessary? When the dog has gotten into something very stinky, or is very dirty, or a few times a year if those things don't happen. Bathing recommendations are all over the map...I've had vets suggest weekly baths, which I'd never do unless it had become a medical necessity for some reason (e.g., dog needs a medicated bath, frequently). Other sources will suggest monthly, every three months, even never. It's back to personal preference. If you groom regularly, and the dog is healthy, there shouldn't be too much need for overly-frequent bathing.

When you do bathe him, use a shampoo that is formulated for dogs (their PH levels are different than ours) and preferably, one that doesn't contain toxic ingredients. Personally, I stay away from anything containing sodium laurel or laureth sulfate, or any other industrial foaming agents, etc. Plant-based cleaners rule in my world, for humans, animals and environment.

Good luck with your new puppy! He's just spent his first nite in your home, and your new adventure has just begun.

leih

I'll second Leih's recommendation about frequent--daily--"grooming" sessions while the puppy is small. This is mostly about getting him used to you handling him and touching every part of him. This can be "pretend" grooming--clearly, you don't have to trim his nails or clean his ears every day, or brush teeth daily (although you could)--it's about him LIKING you to touch him because he knows it will be calming and loving. Your vet will thank you. And you'll be glad you did when he's much bigger.


Two "mental pictures" I like to have for puppy rearing:

1. You are a kindly but firm kindergarten teacher. Everything is learning--even play time is teaching something. But everything sets the pup up to succeed. Praise the good behavior and re-direct the bad.

2. The first month that you have him, try to imagine every possible experience your dog may have in his lifetime--all the places he might go, sounds he might hear...people he might meet...things he might do...and then try to give him a taste of those experiences as part of his socialization. Your goal should be to create opportunities for him to experience something totally new every day. Bang the pots and pans. Go through the car wash. Meet a baby in a stroller. Every experience should be positive and calm.

Puppy rearing is hard. It can be frustrating. And puppies can be a pain in the butt. But as long as you keep telling yourself that he really DOES want to please you--he may just not understand yet what you want--then you'll have the right frame of mind.

 Quote:

7. How much affection can we lavish on pup before we're not being "the aloof" pack leader? Must any & all cuddling, petting, kissing be “earned”?

I have never been aloof with my dogs as pups, but I do pick some ground rules and do my best to stick to them. I can not resist a good cuddle and kissy face with a pup, or a good romp on the floor with a toy.

For example if you don't want her on the couch, don't let her sit or sleep on your lap on the couch now. Or if you don't want her in the kitchen start training that invisible boundary using markers now.

It is also never too early to start using positive methods to teach basic manners, you can teach her to sit using markers or a clicker in about 30 minutes and it will you give you plenty of opportunity to lavish her with praise and treats.

Have you read about tethering?
It is a great way to bond and helps tremendously with potty training.

WOW!
what was question 5? lol
my first month with a puppy. I dont crate my puppies, I tether them in places where if they pee on the floor its no big deal, it wont damage anything, because .... they are gonna pee. Usually, I have them tethered in the kitchen, I put eye hooks in the baseboard & the tether stays there, or I tether them to a door, I give them an old towel to lay on, I usually wipe my face real good with it before i put it down for them, but leave some scent on it for them. You can put layers of newspaper down but they usually tear it up. From 8-10 weeks if they are big enough to walk & will follow you take them out every half hour. Set a command for 'going" (I Use just 1 word at first "dookie")
When you take them out get them to the area & start saying dookie, dookie, dookie (if nothing happens its ok, just go back inside, try again in a few minutes) if something does come out, you start marking "good dookie" "good dookie" the entire time something is coming out, as soon as they stop, you stop. You can watch them and tell if they are looking for a place to poop, when you see that behavior, start encouraging with "dookie" (in a happy voice) once they take the position watch for stools, mark when stools pop out. Sounds goofy, but if done several times a day, within a week they will know what it's about.
If you arent watching them, tether or crate. Not so much that they may get into something you dont want, they can get into something that may injure themselves.
keep a leash on them 24/7 a 6 ft piece of 1/4" nylon rope, you can buy 50 & 100 ft rolls at wal mart for 3 bux & cut many 6 ft leads from that, because they will get soiled. Either soak in bleach water & let dry or just throw away.
other than the potty training, the only 'command' I teach is NO. Other than that get them to recognize thier name & start on "Come", all with food.
You can bond all sorts of ways, I lay on the floor with em & act like momma dog, they will want to mouth & chew, have chewies, soft stuff like wet rags, or wet "pig ears" to redirect with when they try to bite your hands, this is one way to teach NO BITE.
No eating from a bowl. Puppy ONLY eats from Alpha Dogs hands or anyone who will be assisting in training. Eventually everyone will need to be involved, but in the early stages keep it mostly from Alpha Dog. Basically be a human food dispenser. Have dog food with you everywhere, get a pouch or something like a pocket you can keep filled with food, anythime the dogs following you around, thats good, so drop treats in thier mouths, if they look at you, direct eye contact ("look a me"), thats VERY good, mark that behavior & give Xtra food. The object is to build focus.
You can let the pup lay by your computer desk chair while you play on the internet, gave a couple chew toys & tether them to your leg, every minute or so drop them a few tidbits of food.
Bathing, I bath them when they start smellin, keep it calm & try to get it oveer quickly, feed them tidbits as you bath.
Dont worry about much else, get them to recognize their name, the mark word & that they did good, "come" & NO.
Make sure they have those 4 down pat, before you try to move on to anything else.
You have a new child, you just didnt have to suffer the pregnancy )

Thanks Leih,

I really appreciate your response and it is just because there are so many different perspectives on dog care that I sought out individual views so I can develop my preferences. And yes, I'll continue to search the plethora of info available in previous threads; I gleaned some help from them, but felt driven to ask my list so I could collect the small differences.