Hi

Gonna do a new topic.
my rottweiler puppy , arrive Saturday and I got some questions for you thanks!

I took 9 days of vacation, after that, my girlfriend will do 7 days of vacation. Then puppy gonna be alone only 2-3 hours each day while we both work, from 14:00 to 17:00.

What you suggest to do in first days since I've much time avalaible ?

Im sure I will spent 2-3 days just at home so she can get used to the place without meeting any person. Then any suggestion ?
I'm not the guy that wanna show the puppy to everyone, I think she should just meet 1-2 person each day for socialize, and that person should follow no eye, no contact , no touching.

Anyway for reasons Im not gonna explain, I will have for sure 2 friends coming to see her on sunday already , I just wanna know how you would do. I thought to let the puppy stay in expen, while guests arrive so she cant get picked up or "traumatized".

When we met the pup last sunday, she was smelling a bit of pee, I think its normal ofc. We can bath her first day when I pick her, or better wait couple of days ?

Thanks

Don't forget that a young puppy needs to sleep a lot. Just like a baby or a young child.

My dog smelled like a pig the day I picked him up from the breeder. A bath was the first thing I gave him ;-)
I don't know, if that was good or bad, but he turned out good after all.

New experiences are really healthy at this age so I'd allow interaction with your friends as long as they'll follow your instructions. She hasn't started a fear period yet and being handled, petted, talked to by different people for short periods helps her learn that new stuff is good stuff. My pup met 8-10 new people his first weekend home but still had it figured out by day 2 or 3 that *I* was his person.

My pup was a bit reserved with new people so I allowed people to pet, talk, and feed him as long as they were gentle about it. He figured out pretty quick that although other people can be cool I'm still the best thing in the room. Just don't overwhelm the pup and you will be fine.

I started marking for eye contact the second day as soon as he'd take food and it made a big difference. He would investigate the other person and then return to give eye contact and get fed by me.

At home you can start introducing new sounds and surfaces.

sorry didnt undestand Cathy, what u mean by marking eye contact ?

If pup watch you, you will say " yes" and reward ?

 Quote: Fabio Magnaghi

sorry didnt undestand Cathy, what u mean by marking eye contact ?

If pup watch you, you will say " yes" and reward ?

That would be marker training. It requires loading a marker but once you and the dog understand, it's amazing.

IMHO marker training has been the best development in dog training since we came of caves.

The Michael Ellis videos are outstanding and many of us here at LB are advocates of the method.

For the first couple of weeks, lots of loving, rewards for pooping and peeing outdoors, establishing a routine....establishing yourself as the center of the puppy's world, the person from which all things good will come.

Be gentle, steady, loving and fun. Enjoy it! They are only small for a very short time.

 Quote: Fabio Magnaghi

sorry didnt undestand Cathy, what u mean by marking eye contact ?

If pup watch you, you will say " yes" and reward ?

Pretty much. I had his crate on top of Tanners crate when I first got him due to lack of space. That put him at about eye level so I would just stand there and every time he would look at my face he got a "yes" and a piece of food. At first he didn't know what "yes" meant but he caught on very quickly. Using the crate was nice because it limited his movement/environment enough that he was very likely to look up at my face. The first few weeks I fed him almost all of his meals through marking for eye contact. Once we started going places I would randomly reward him for eye contact. It's a default behavior for him now.

this;

"I took 9 days of vacation, after that, my girlfriend will do 7 days of vacation. Then puppy gonna be alone only 2-3 hours each day while we both work, from 14:00 to 17:00."


in the modern day this is about the best start you can give your puppy.

this time you have taken off will come back to reward you so much later on.

personally I have no problem getting the pup out to be handled by as many different people in as many different places as physically possible.


I would do same even if I was intending on training a straight PPD.

what are your reservations with letting others touch yr pup, I think it is vital experience, given vaccinations and you control what the people do to your pup. please re-consider this.