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Courtesy of Dog Breed Info Center - reprinted with permission (I've made some additions as well)
Are you ready
for a PUPPY?
for a PUPPY?
A dog will do his best to please you and keep you smiling. He will curl up with you when you are
feeling down or need some serious relaxation. He won't hold your mistakes against you or prejudge
you for your looks, faults or lack of know-how. He'll be your unconditional friend and will play ball
with you as long as you wish. He'll forgive you for all your mistakes, never holding them against you
later. Sleeping at your feet and loving to please you, he will enjoy just spending time with you. He'll
do his best to protect you, because you will be his master.
However, a dog also relies on you for everything- from his food, water, shelter, exercise, grooming, to his
companionship, training, veterinary care and protection. Know what you are getting into. Are you
prepared to spend the next 10-15 years of your life taking care of your dog? That is about how long your dog
will live. Can you afford the added expense of a dog? When you get a dog, it is a life long commitment, and
should not be treated like a piece of furniture that you can just "get rid of" when you get tired of it. After all, this
dog will be part of your family. Would you get rid of your children because you were tired of them wetting their
beds? Before you bring a dog into your home, think long and hard. Are you prepared for the responsibility?
A quick note on potty training: This is a very stressful process for those that have very flexible work schedules
(like myself) to those families who work the 8-5 jobs! (Take it from me, I'm in this business and it still stresses
me out potty training my own puppies!!) It's not an easy task it can be very challenging and certainly very, very
frustrating. It can take your puppy sometimes up to 10-12 months to fully understand the idea, especially if it is
up to you to let your dog out to go to relieve themselves. Realistically, you would want to be prepared for your
puppy not to be fully potty trained until it is between 7-10 months of age. It is pretty common also for puppies to
eat their poop! I know, gross right? Well this is an added stress to the puppy process especially if you have just
taken home an 8-12 week old puppy in the middle of the worming process and you are trying to get rid of worms.
Puppies can be pooping anywhere from 5-10 times a day at this age!! No matter how much you watch that
puppy, the minute you turn around they are having an accident somewhere, and in some cases, cleaning up
after themselves. I would say potty issues are the most stressful part of having a puppy, which is why some
decide to rescue an older dog (great idea!), even a year old and up, to avoid all of this stress. Of course, in
the end, it will all be just a memory, but it's something to seriously think about.
The decision to get a dog needs to be carefully thought out. Do you honestly have the time to take care of a
dog? Keep in mind that puppies need to typically be fed 3 times a day from 8 weeks to 16 weeks, so someone
would need to come home at the lunch hour during the day for feeding and cleaning. (Lots of cleaning at this
age!!) Petite/Toy breeds this most applies to so they don't become hypoglycemic. You may be ok feeding twice
a day for more solid breeds, question to ask your vet. Other things to think about: What kind of dog should
you get? Some people think a dog is a dog. I hear them say they don't care what breed of dog they get. There
are many different breeds with many different personalities and needs. Honestly think about it and do your
homework. Think about your family as it is right now, and how it will be in the future.
Every family has its own needs, schedule, personality, medical problems, space and time limitations. If you take
a good hard look at your family's situation, you can match a dog that will fit into your lives nicely and not just
make things more awkward and difficult.
Is anyone in your family allergic to dog hair? Are you bothered by hair on everything from your clothes to your
toast? Some breeds are heavy shedders, while others hardly shed at all. Do you have children? Are you going
to have children in the next 10-15 years? Do you have friends who visit your home who have children. Some
dogs are excellent with children and would be their best friend. Some are only good with children when they are
raised with them from puppyhood, while others are very sensitive and may bite your child if they are pestered by
him or her. Do you mind holes being dug in your yard? Some dogs like to dig, while others are less likely to dig.
Do you mind hearing a dog bark all the time? Some dogs love to bark and do it all the time, while others are
more quiet, barking only when necessary. Do you mind if your dog has a tendency to wander away from home,
or would you rather have a dog that would be more likely to stick close to home? Some dogs like to roam. It is in
their nature, while others have a strong instinct to stick close to home. Some dogs will kill your cat, while others
will be your cat's best friend. Do you have time to exercise your dog?
Every dog needs exercise or they will go stir-crazy. Some dogs need daily vigorous exercise and you would
need to take them out every day for a run or a nice long walk, while others will get enough exercise just by
running around the inside of your house. Some dogs need a job to do or they will become restless, bored,
very destructive, and unruly. Other dogs do not mind lying around the house with nothing to do, but
generally EVERY dog needs some sort of structured exercise - this is in the form of walks once they have had all
of their vaccinations (16 weeks). Some can be highly obedience-trained, while others cannot. Get the point? All
breeds of dog are different, and all families are different. Find a dog that fits well into your family, so you and
your dog can live in harmony. Having a dog can be the most rewarding thing you have ever done, or it can be
your worst nightmare. It's your choice. Do your homework. Research the different kinds of breeds and take a
long hard look at your life and don't forget, that cute little puppy does grow up to be an adult dog. Never adopt a
puppy, or adult dog solely on looks.
feeling down or need some serious relaxation. He won't hold your mistakes against you or prejudge
you for your looks, faults or lack of know-how. He'll be your unconditional friend and will play ball
with you as long as you wish. He'll forgive you for all your mistakes, never holding them against you
later. Sleeping at your feet and loving to please you, he will enjoy just spending time with you. He'll
do his best to protect you, because you will be his master.
However, a dog also relies on you for everything- from his food, water, shelter, exercise, grooming, to his
companionship, training, veterinary care and protection. Know what you are getting into. Are you
prepared to spend the next 10-15 years of your life taking care of your dog? That is about how long your dog
will live. Can you afford the added expense of a dog? When you get a dog, it is a life long commitment, and
should not be treated like a piece of furniture that you can just "get rid of" when you get tired of it. After all, this
dog will be part of your family. Would you get rid of your children because you were tired of them wetting their
beds? Before you bring a dog into your home, think long and hard. Are you prepared for the responsibility?
A quick note on potty training: This is a very stressful process for those that have very flexible work schedules
(like myself) to those families who work the 8-5 jobs! (Take it from me, I'm in this business and it still stresses
me out potty training my own puppies!!) It's not an easy task it can be very challenging and certainly very, very
frustrating. It can take your puppy sometimes up to 10-12 months to fully understand the idea, especially if it is
up to you to let your dog out to go to relieve themselves. Realistically, you would want to be prepared for your
puppy not to be fully potty trained until it is between 7-10 months of age. It is pretty common also for puppies to
eat their poop! I know, gross right? Well this is an added stress to the puppy process especially if you have just
taken home an 8-12 week old puppy in the middle of the worming process and you are trying to get rid of worms.
Puppies can be pooping anywhere from 5-10 times a day at this age!! No matter how much you watch that
puppy, the minute you turn around they are having an accident somewhere, and in some cases, cleaning up
after themselves. I would say potty issues are the most stressful part of having a puppy, which is why some
decide to rescue an older dog (great idea!), even a year old and up, to avoid all of this stress. Of course, in
the end, it will all be just a memory, but it's something to seriously think about.
The decision to get a dog needs to be carefully thought out. Do you honestly have the time to take care of a
dog? Keep in mind that puppies need to typically be fed 3 times a day from 8 weeks to 16 weeks, so someone
would need to come home at the lunch hour during the day for feeding and cleaning. (Lots of cleaning at this
age!!) Petite/Toy breeds this most applies to so they don't become hypoglycemic. You may be ok feeding twice
a day for more solid breeds, question to ask your vet. Other things to think about: What kind of dog should
you get? Some people think a dog is a dog. I hear them say they don't care what breed of dog they get. There
are many different breeds with many different personalities and needs. Honestly think about it and do your
homework. Think about your family as it is right now, and how it will be in the future.
Every family has its own needs, schedule, personality, medical problems, space and time limitations. If you take
a good hard look at your family's situation, you can match a dog that will fit into your lives nicely and not just
make things more awkward and difficult.
Is anyone in your family allergic to dog hair? Are you bothered by hair on everything from your clothes to your
toast? Some breeds are heavy shedders, while others hardly shed at all. Do you have children? Are you going
to have children in the next 10-15 years? Do you have friends who visit your home who have children. Some
dogs are excellent with children and would be their best friend. Some are only good with children when they are
raised with them from puppyhood, while others are very sensitive and may bite your child if they are pestered by
him or her. Do you mind holes being dug in your yard? Some dogs like to dig, while others are less likely to dig.
Do you mind hearing a dog bark all the time? Some dogs love to bark and do it all the time, while others are
more quiet, barking only when necessary. Do you mind if your dog has a tendency to wander away from home,
or would you rather have a dog that would be more likely to stick close to home? Some dogs like to roam. It is in
their nature, while others have a strong instinct to stick close to home. Some dogs will kill your cat, while others
will be your cat's best friend. Do you have time to exercise your dog?
Every dog needs exercise or they will go stir-crazy. Some dogs need daily vigorous exercise and you would
need to take them out every day for a run or a nice long walk, while others will get enough exercise just by
running around the inside of your house. Some dogs need a job to do or they will become restless, bored,
very destructive, and unruly. Other dogs do not mind lying around the house with nothing to do, but
generally EVERY dog needs some sort of structured exercise - this is in the form of walks once they have had all
of their vaccinations (16 weeks). Some can be highly obedience-trained, while others cannot. Get the point? All
breeds of dog are different, and all families are different. Find a dog that fits well into your family, so you and
your dog can live in harmony. Having a dog can be the most rewarding thing you have ever done, or it can be
your worst nightmare. It's your choice. Do your homework. Research the different kinds of breeds and take a
long hard look at your life and don't forget, that cute little puppy does grow up to be an adult dog. Never adopt a
puppy, or adult dog solely on looks.
EX-PEN PUPPY SET UP: - This is a NECESSITY.
What?!
Peter Rabbit & Mr. Duck.
Compliments of Scarlett- This
is what happens when you leave
certain toys with your puppy,
unattended. Always be sure you
know your puppies chewing
habits before you leave toys with
them when they are not being
watched.
Scarlett demolishes every
non-chew-proof toy she can get
her paws on!
Compliments of Scarlett- This
is what happens when you leave
certain toys with your puppy,
unattended. Always be sure you
know your puppies chewing
habits before you leave toys with
them when they are not being
watched.
Scarlett demolishes every
non-chew-proof toy she can get
her paws on!
Photo by Suzz
This Ex-Pen Set-up above is the perfect form of containment while your puppy is in "Training". It
basically is a 30 inch Ex-Pen connected together in a rectangular shape. (you can also put it
together in a perfect square with the crate in the back corner, it just depends what space you
have to work with at your own house.) There is a 24 inch crate with a divider panel in the end
corner. You will use the divider panel while your puppy is small so the space they have in the
crate is just big enough for them to stand up, turn around, and lay down. If your crate is too big
for them in the beginning, they will potty in the crate. You can get beds that fit perfectly into
these crates. The way it is shown is with the divider panel. It shows the smaller beds that will fit
in the front while you are training them. Once they are bigger and no longer need the limited
space in the crate you can get the beds that fit perfectly into the 24 inch crates. The crate door
should be left open for the first few months while your puppy grows and learns and is able to hold
it for longer periods of time. (the door is attached to the inside of the ex-pen with a "snap-hook"
so they don't accidentally close the door while they are playing). Normally people phase out this
set up somewhere between 5-7 months of age. (This can vary for each puppy so just be your own
judge, if your puppy does well with crate training early and you don't leave the house for long
periods of time you can phase out the Ex-pen set up sooner.) The floor is a piece of linoleum from
home depot, the entire roll of it that we cut out cost only about $22 - check their clearance rolls
that they have available - normally on the end caps of the aisles. The one that I recently bought
was a 6x8 foot piece and I was able to cut it right down the middle and I had 2 full pieces for the
set up shown above as a rectangle (one as a spare just in case). You can also cut it in a square if
that is the shape that is going to be in your set-up. This is so, if your puppy has to have an
accident, it is on this piece of linoleum, where it is easy to clean up, and you are protecting your
floors for later! You would use a bleach/water solution in a spray bottle on that linoleum for clean
up - as you are unsure when you first bring your puppy home if they still have worms in their
system. This is also one of the reasons you do not start your backyard potty training yet as you
don't want to deposit worms in your backyard or you will never get rid of them. You are setting
your puppy up for success by having the door open to the crate so they are not forced to have an
accident inside their crate. Basically once you see your puppy is no longer having accidents
overnight, then go ahead and start closing the crate door overnight. Always have water available
to them, those water bowls you can find at most pet stores that screw onto the inside of the
ex-pen. Leave only tough toys alone with them in case they are strong chewers, and always
remove their collar when you are not home. Monitor how long you leave them alone and how
many accidents they are having in those periods of time, and eventually when you start to see
them having less and less accidents, it's time to start the crate training with the crate only and the
door shut. Just make sure you start with short periods of time in the crate with the door shut
while you are home, use treats as rewards, and build up to longer time periods while you leave
the room and the house. GOOD LUCK!!
basically is a 30 inch Ex-Pen connected together in a rectangular shape. (you can also put it
together in a perfect square with the crate in the back corner, it just depends what space you
have to work with at your own house.) There is a 24 inch crate with a divider panel in the end
corner. You will use the divider panel while your puppy is small so the space they have in the
crate is just big enough for them to stand up, turn around, and lay down. If your crate is too big
for them in the beginning, they will potty in the crate. You can get beds that fit perfectly into
these crates. The way it is shown is with the divider panel. It shows the smaller beds that will fit
in the front while you are training them. Once they are bigger and no longer need the limited
space in the crate you can get the beds that fit perfectly into the 24 inch crates. The crate door
should be left open for the first few months while your puppy grows and learns and is able to hold
it for longer periods of time. (the door is attached to the inside of the ex-pen with a "snap-hook"
so they don't accidentally close the door while they are playing). Normally people phase out this
set up somewhere between 5-7 months of age. (This can vary for each puppy so just be your own
judge, if your puppy does well with crate training early and you don't leave the house for long
periods of time you can phase out the Ex-pen set up sooner.) The floor is a piece of linoleum from
home depot, the entire roll of it that we cut out cost only about $22 - check their clearance rolls
that they have available - normally on the end caps of the aisles. The one that I recently bought
was a 6x8 foot piece and I was able to cut it right down the middle and I had 2 full pieces for the
set up shown above as a rectangle (one as a spare just in case). You can also cut it in a square if
that is the shape that is going to be in your set-up. This is so, if your puppy has to have an
accident, it is on this piece of linoleum, where it is easy to clean up, and you are protecting your
floors for later! You would use a bleach/water solution in a spray bottle on that linoleum for clean
up - as you are unsure when you first bring your puppy home if they still have worms in their
system. This is also one of the reasons you do not start your backyard potty training yet as you
don't want to deposit worms in your backyard or you will never get rid of them. You are setting
your puppy up for success by having the door open to the crate so they are not forced to have an
accident inside their crate. Basically once you see your puppy is no longer having accidents
overnight, then go ahead and start closing the crate door overnight. Always have water available
to them, those water bowls you can find at most pet stores that screw onto the inside of the
ex-pen. Leave only tough toys alone with them in case they are strong chewers, and always
remove their collar when you are not home. Monitor how long you leave them alone and how
many accidents they are having in those periods of time, and eventually when you start to see
them having less and less accidents, it's time to start the crate training with the crate only and the
door shut. Just make sure you start with short periods of time in the crate with the door shut
while you are home, use treats as rewards, and build up to longer time periods while you leave
the room and the house. GOOD LUCK!!
| The carpet floor is lined with Linoleum. If you have hard wood floors you can use this or painters-tape down some vinyl plastic sheeting instead. Either one works fine, the Linoleum may last longer since it is thicker. You will use Potty Pads for all potty in the pen for the first 2 weeks, no backyard training until 2 clear fecal results. ***Remember this is not forever, this is only pre-crate training, so once your puppy can hold it for longer then you would just have the crate for containment, and no Ex-Pen set up. Most people phase out the Ex-Pen set up somewhere around 5-7 months of age. |
