What toys, beds, & chews!?!

[Midwest Exotics]

We have finally found our doggy & are shooting to go pick him up on Saturday in southern IN.

We are making the 4.5 hour trip to pick up the newest member of our family & wondered if anyone had any good advice for us.

What should we expect when traveling home this long with him. We are obviously going to be stopping at least a few times as of course kaiden will also have to stop. =]

Im going to bring along a cooler with some bottled water & a dish so he doesnt become dehydrated. I'd imagine offering food wouldnt be the best idea until a bit after we get home?

What else should i bring, baby wipes, a towel or two, carrier, leash, collar, what am i forgetting?

I also wanted to get some input about what type of beds, chew toys, & general toys to look into. Should i stay away from rawhide?

I've already been looking into this & talking with the breeder, but what foods do a lot of you recommend? I know everyone & every breed will vote differently, but i wanted to get some opinions of other owners.

I suppose i should unleash what we are getting to help everyone understand how to help even more. We have decided on a lab & he will only be a few weeks weanable when we get him, so i'd imagine the chewing is going to be the "best" part of all to deal with. haha SO, we want to provide toy chewing encouragement too. Any tips?

Here is a photo two of the pups, we still arent sure which one or color we are going to be coming home with, but this was a photo sent a few weeks ago that is too cute.

Any tips & advice would be greatly appreciated! We are going to the store on Thursday or Friday to prepare! As for now, i've been trying to proof most of the house! :dance3:

We just mainly want him safe & happy from the start!!!!

 

[RDZCRanch]

A friend of mine has two chocolate labs and she swears by pig/cow hooves as their chews. You can hide pasty treats inside the tips of the hooves and it occupies any dog for hours. Basically the same concept as the kong but I don't like rubber and they can chew on the hoof afterwards without getting big chunks to swallow. I don't know about any other chew that would work for big dogs since I only have small dogs but thought I'd share what I heard from my friend.

Also, I prefer science diet for food. It's made by Hills which is one of I think two companies that actually employs a veterinary nutritionist (veterinarian specializing in nutrition) and so far every animal I've switched onto the food (cat or dog) has turned out the better for it. You'll get a lot of varying opinions though so ultimately it will be up to you to choose what you feel is best for your dog. I would stick with large brands though or brands that have been rigorously tested.

 

[eroomlorac]

My dogs all love choo hooves, too. Even my little 7 lb'er. DO crate train this puppy. I believe it is very important to have all dogs crate trained. It helps the dog be a 'good dog' by preventing him from getting into trouble potty wise or chewing when he can't be watched.

Those two puppies are adorable. Enjoy your new dog! How exciting.

 

[alli713]

I agree, crate training a puppy is a must! So make sure and have a crate ready for the pup when you get home. When I got Lila she was so small, I bought a big crate and it comes with a movable divider for as the dog grows. Because you only want enough room for them to turn around or else they will go to the bathroom in the crate and it defeats the purpose.

My lifesaver when Lila was a puppy was kongs stuffed with peanut butter and treats. She'd sit there licking it forever. You can also freeze water mixed with wet dog food inside of them.

I also used a toy called a Tug-A-Jug and put some of her food in there and she had to work to get the food out. It kept her out of trouble for a bit of time.

I do give Lila rawhides, but I do them supervised since some dogs do inhale them and can easily choke. Otherwise she loves the nylabones, and probably any teething puppy will.

 

[VolunteerChin22]

Congrats on your puppy! Here is some general puppy advice I learned over my three puppies and I think makes raising them easier.

Amen to crate training. Don't buy a crate that is too big for the puppy now or they will learn to use the bathroom in it. If you want to just buy one because he is obviously going to be a big dog, buy one that has a divider in it. Also, if you put it by the bed and let them sleep in it at night they will bark less. As the weeks go by slowly move it closer to the door and then finally out of the bedroom if you don't want to keep it in the bedroom. Even if you don't plan to make them sleep in it later, you may need it in the future and it will be much easier now than trying to do it later. I also trained lola that I say "house" and she goes in on her own - I started by giving her a treat everytime she went in and it eliminates all the chasing and yelling trying to get them in. She got so used to it that everytime she heard the treat bag she went in her house LOL!

Also, limit the amount of space the puppy has access to in the house until s/he gets better at the potty training. Babygate a bathroom or kitchen and make sure the puppy is supervised out of their area. Little puppies who have access to the whole house get confused about where they should and should not potty and it increases chances of accidents.

I tried to use puppy pads and found they were a waste of money because they just played with them. However the idea is that you consistently keep edging them closer to a door over time and then finally the puppy associates the door with going to potty. If your pup can resist playing with them they might be a good idea.

Everyone in your house must maintain the "rules" and the potty schedule. It wont work to have some people feeding the dog from the table but not wanting the dog to beg. My husband loved to break the rules and has turned our Lola into a begger but at least she only stares at him. Young puppies need to go out every 1.5hr -2hrs and after drinking, playing, sleeping and eating. It will also be easier if you limit food and water after 7/8pm. Makes holding it at night easier.

My dogs get sterilized bones with the filling and pig ears. The bones however make a lot of noise and could scratch hardwood if they fling it around. I have found that fleece braided ropes make great dog toys and take a while to destroy. I can't give the stuffed toys anymore because they destuff them everywhere. Lola also likes the Nylabones but tends to lose them around the house and the boxers could really care less about them. Eh.

I feed Nutro brand because it has the best nutritional ratio and balanced protein. It also does not have corn in it. I have seen my dogs have better coats on it compared from what I was feeding initially. I highly recommend it.

You might want to bring some plastic bags and extra towels/bedding in case they get car sick or have an accident. My dogs are sleeping angels in the car but you never know.

Good luck!

Forgot to add if you have carpet don't buy resolve (it stains the carpet) use Woolite pet carpet cleaner spray. It's AMAZING!!!

 

[Midwest Exotics]

Thanks everyone, i know we are going to feel overwhelmed when we make it to the store to pick up his supplies, so i thank you all for the input!!!!

So with crate training we dont have to start out keeping him in a separeate room? I wanted to keep him in our bedroom, as once he's fully trained he will sleep in there or our sons room.

I will probly be back for much more crate training & potty questions as time goes on. Thank goodness we have mainly hardwood & tile floors, all of which he will only get a chance to be free on until he knows better. <3

Im happy you all made mention of how important crate training is.. chris didnt want to do it, he figured the pup would be fine on his own in our computer room. I saw that as being a nightmare waiting to happen. haha

I will admit, im very nervous & dont want to create a monster. (Trust me, we have a friend with a boxer-monster in training.. & not the good kind) eek! Now that he's already nearing 80ish pounds he's running them & thats not happening here.

So when you say moving him closer & closer to the door, what do you mean? In his crate? Sorry, im not 100% following & would love to know because any advice will be strongly considered.

One more day closer..

Anyone have any advice as far as our current cats? They have lived with other cats before & i've dog sat plenty of times. They do seem bothered by my cousins dogs, but they also havent gotten to experience one their size.. only this new *huge* creature coming in that tries to swipe their food. haha

I think they will adjust to having the puppy grow with them & eventually get over it, however, im not expecting them to dance around with joy for a while. Any tips to help make it easier on them would be appreciated. =]

 

[alli713]

Crate training is a must for any puppy. I would never confine a puppy to a room. That's just asking for the puppy to learn to go to the bathroom in the house. You need to confine them to a small area like a kennel when you're not watching them so that they don't go to the bathroom on the floor.

It also works well for sleeping at night or if you need to go to the store. Lila stayed in her kennel when I went out to eat or the store when she was younger. Now that she's 2, I trust her out and about if we're not here, but as a puppy there's no way I'd let her run around unsupervised. The puppy will get into trouble that way.

Crate training also allows them to be house broke faster.

I would never use puppy pads. The only time I think they're okay is if you live in an apartment and don't have easy access to outside. They can train the dog that it's okay to go on the floor, not all dogs figure out that only on the pee pad is okay.

I think they meant move the puppy pad closer and closer to the door. That's not a way I went about it as I don't use puppy pads. Me and Lila used a bell. I taught her to ring the bell that I had hanging by the door if she needed to go outside. Every time before we went out, I had her hit the bell with her nose. She eventually caught on so that it worked okay. But there were times she'd just ring it because she wanted to go outside, not to go potty.

But with time, I learned how often she needed to go out. She also did not get free range of my apartment as she would go on the floor if I wasn't watching her. So for the first months it's important that if you're not watching the puppy, it needs to be in it's crate. Don't leave it in a room if you're not in there, then it will go on the floor.

If you see the puppy starting to go on the floor, immediately pick it up and bring it outside to go. The dog will naturally stop peeing when you pick it up. Then when it goes outside, lots of praise and/or treats.

House training can be the worst aspect of puppyhood, I dread it.

 

[Tiatrack]

Congrats Kate!

Another vote here for crate training. I didn't do the moving-the-crate thing. The most important part is consistency. EVERY time the pup is done eating you say whatever word you chose (we use "out") and take them out until they potty. EVERY time they wake up, use your word and take them out to potty. This needs to be almost instantaneously after they wake up. Praise him/her when he/she potties. Keep the crate in your room, because he/she will wake up in the night and need to go potty for the first few weeks.

When they are really little, I don't let them play outside much. I like them to associate outside with potty and not playtime when they are potty training. Once they can tell you when they need to go out, I allow more outside roaming time. My last puppy I potty trained was about 3 years ago, and using this method she had ZERO inside accidents (and lhasas are notoriously hard to potty train).

As for food, I like to teach people what to look for on a label. Corn is bad. I like to not see too many "by-products" on the label. I actually really like Costco's cat food because it uses zero by-products, and I bet their dog food is the same. It is also quite affordable.

As for toys, get things that stand up well to little sharp puppy teeth. Also, don't buy toys that resemble actual items that you don't want the dog chewing on (i.e. toys that look like shoes).

 

[Sycamore Chins]

Crate training is amazing - it gives them confidence and you as well, and a confident dog is a happy dog!

Kong has puppy toys which are softer than normal kongs. I swear by kongs - I have one for each dog and the first one we've bought is still kicking at 5 years old.

You'll quickly learn your puppy's likes and dislikes and also what toys will withstand its chewing. My border collie loves squeeky toys but rips them apart in 2 seconds. Tennis balls last about 20 minutes for her while our sheltie will keep her tennis balls in tact for infinity.

In our family we don't buy them stuffed animals either - because they cannot tell the difference between theirs and yours.

Same thing applies to beds. I start off with the relatively cheap sheep skin looking ones that fit most standard kennel sizes. But while you're potty training I wouldn't put it in the crate with them unless you want to wash it every day. If the dog takes good care of the sheep skin ones then they'll get an upgrade but if they chew holes in it, then that's all they get.

For the cats, let them come to the puppy - don't let the puppy go chasing after them right off the bat. We've introduced cats to dogs and dogs to cats and after the initial scuffles are worked out they will determine how much association they want with each other. I always provide a getaway for the cats tho. The cats stay in my bedroom with their food bowls and litter boxes and we put a baby gate in the doorway that the cats know they can jump over or get under but the dogs can't. This also keeps the dogs from eating the cat food and rummaging through the litter box.

 

[cintistatern2005]

Yes definately crate train and make sure there isnt alot of extra room in the kennel because they will pee where they arent laying if there is extra room. They wont pee in there sleeping space. Only leave enough room for them to turn around and lay down. Buy a bigger kennel with a divider so you can make it bigger as the dog grows. My first dog i did the paper training and it took forever. The next one i did crate training and honestly it was so much faster. I tell my dogs to get in their kennel they run right in and then give em a treat and it works wonders. Definately with a lab puppy put all things you dont want chewed up. I didnt read the other threads so im sure everyone else covered this!! Have fun!! They are a joy!!

 

[alli713]

Another thing I would use to keep Lila busy was raw bones. Lila was always getting into something and had so much energy that I was doing anything to keep her busy as a puppy. I would just pick up a bag of raw bones (the ones with the marrow in the middle, or knuckle bones) at the local meat market. They're pretty cheap.
I would just keep them in the freezer and then give her one in her crate or on a designated blanket. Obviously they can make a mess which is why you would want to do it either in the crate or make sure the puppy learns to stay on the blanket.

You have to introduce these slowly as if you give them too much they can give them diarrhea.

If your puppy cries while in the kennel, just ignore it. If you go and let it out, it will learn that when it cries and barks, it gets to come out. If it is crying and barking for some time, you can work up to longer hours in the crate during the day. Just make sure and always let it out when it's quiet, not when it's barking.
Lila would sleep just fine in her crate, but there would be times I would want to get some work done and so I would put her in her crate and leave her in there alone while I was still in the house. She would cry knowing I was there, but you just have to ignore it. Eventually they will stop. Otherwise too, every time you leave the house they'll cry and bark wanting you to come back.

It's very easy to create bad habits in a dog, so it's best to start them off on the right foot.

I would really suggest looking into local dog obedience classes. You can start off at puppy class which will help you learn about taking care of the puppy as well as giving the puppy some socialization. Some puppy classes are better than others. The one I took Lila to was horrible. A woman stood in the middle of the arena and talked the whole time. So Lila got so frustrated from me making her sit still. So we stopped going. But obedience classes for when the puppy gets a bit older are great if you don't know how to train a dog correctly.

 

[Midwest Exotics]

Yes, we are actually going/sending him to a training class via the police department. My dad is an officer & knows some people, so we have lucked out there, however, i dont think he will start on any of the good classes until he's much older, but i could be wrong. We not only want a dog that listens, but also one that can help protect our house & us. (even though we are well aware that a lab isnt the 100% best watch dogs out there, but it seems to be a good medium for us.) =] My brother who lives next door is terrified of dogs & is upset that we are getting one as is, so we want to make sure the dog isnt jumping all over him, etc..hehe.
We also have a friend whos mom trains shepards & all kinds of other dogs for the departments, so either route we take im sure we will be pleased. Ive watched some of the training classes from our local petsmart & primarily all they do, as you said, talk. We certainly want something more interactive than that. All in due time we will find out what works for us & the pup. First thing is to get to know him & work on potty training!

We are so excited. We went out last night & picked out a few toys for him for the ride home & are going out tomorrow to pick up his collar & some other things that he just couldnt live without. hahahah

We have talked about this happening for so many years, it really doesnt seem like its happening! EEE!