Newbie question...again

[benb]

Okay, my wife and i both work and we are about to get our first RR this weekend.  Starting Wednesday July 3rd my wife is leaving her afternoon job and will be able to be at the house with him from around lunchtime through the rest of the day.  Till then, I went ahead and took some vacation days for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday so I could be at the house with him all the time his first few days.  Is this okay to do? I've had some people tell me that i should not because he'll get used to me being there all the time when starting on Thursday I won't be able to be there constantly anymore.  Thoughts???

[oscarsmom]

Ben - stay home with your pup!!

He'll be stressed from the transition away from his family, tavelling, etc. and he'll really benefit from your presence and attention for a few days straight. We got our pup over the long memorial day weekend at the beginning of the the summer (2 years ago now) and it was awfully nice to spend a good 3 solid days just getting to know him and love him.

He'll have to adjust to a lot of new things and schedule changes during his puppyhood - you and your wife leaving for work will be the first, but you don't need to make that change right away. If you can, enjoy having some one-on-one time for him right out of the box - they grow like WEEDS and looking back, you'll be SO glad you had the opportunity to enjoy his tiny baby puppyness

Boy do I want another puppy now!!

Very excited for you,
~Natalya

[benb]

Thanks!!  I'm so excited.  I'll post pictures sometime Saturday so everyone can see him!!  I'm such a proud future parent...If i'm this obsessive about a puppy i wonder how i'm going to be when i have kids!! haha

[oscarsmom]

I'm such a proud future parent...If i'm this obsessive about a puppy i wonder how i'm going to be when i have kids!! haha

  I totally know what you mean. My boyfriend and I mutually agreed that we could NEVER have kids, given how much time and energy we throw into worrying about out ONE DOG! In truth though, raising a dog, and a big one at that, has made me realize that I would actually make one heck of a mom... not that I'm anywhere near ready!!

~Natalya

*Sorry if you explained this already, but is your boy a show or companion pup? Are looking forward to doing any specific competition/training with him? Other than chasing squirrels and sleeping that is...

[Rosebud]

Ha Ha  you will very quickly realize that your rr IS your 1st child ;-)

[benb]

I totally know what you mean. My boyfriend and I mutually agreed that we could NEVER have kids, given how much time and energy we throw into worrying about out ONE DOG! In truth though, raising a dog, and a big one at that, has made me realize that I would actually make one heck of a mom... not that I'm anywhere near ready!!

~Natalya

*Sorry if you explained this already, but is your boy a show or companion pup? Are looking forward to doing any specific competition/training with him? Other than chasing squirrels and sleeping that is...

He's just a companion pup.  I would love to do extra activities with him like agility or coursing but won't show him.  I don't plan on stopping with just one though so maybe in the future when i have more experience i'll try to get one with show potential.  When we buy a bigger home with a bigger yard i want at least 2 or 3 though, so we'll see!!

[caro]

Ben, during those first few days you are home with him, I would start getting him accustomed to being left in his crate, just for short periods to begin with and don't forget to give him some favorite toy to keep him company or a bone; perhaps start off with putting him in his crate while you are in the house, then just leave him for an hour while you go into the garden or do some chores, but get him used to it so when it comes time for you to go to work, and he is on his own, he won't completely freak out.  It also helps to leave a radio playing or the television on so he thinks there is somebody else in the house and he isn't abandoned.  Do not leave him loose in the house.  That can be total disaster!

Caroline

[oscarsmom]

He's just a companion pup.  I would love to do extra activities with him like agility or coursing but won't show him.  I don't plan on stopping with just one though so maybe in the future when i have more experience i'll try to get one with show potential.  When we buy a bigger home with a bigger yard i want at least 2 or 3 though, so we'll see!!

Me too!! My boy is ridgeless, but I'm already planing for our next RR pup (like you, bigger house is a prerequisite must - we're presently apartment dwellers...). I'm not sure if I have the patience for conformation showing, but I'd at least like our next RR to have a ridge! At the very least, I'm just in love with the breed and want very much just share my life with more of them

*Can't wait to see pictures from your first weekend with him...

~Natalya

[oscarsmom]

Ben, during those first few days you are home with him, I would start getting him accustomed to being left in his crate, just for short periods to begin with and don't forget to give him some favorite toy to keep him company or a bone; perhaps start off with putting him in his crate while you are in the house, then just leave him for an hour while you go into the garden or do some chores, but get him used to it so when it comes time for you to go to work, and he is on his own, he won't completely freak out.  It also helps to leave a radio playing or the television on so he thinks there is somebody else in the house and he isn't abandoned.  Do not leave him loose in the house.  That can be total disaster!

Caroline

Wise post Caroline - I got caught up in the love of having a new "baby", but those crate training basic steps are really critical to getting them comfortable in their new home - with or without you there! It's obvious you have plenty of experience raising more than one little RR

~Natalya

[melissap]

 

I totaly agree with Caro - It is great to spend the time home for you and  for the puppy, but DO have him go into his crate so you can work on that conditioning wether you are home or not so he  gets used to being crated when he can hear you in the house. This way, he will be reasonable about it One day you may need to crate him for house guests and or if you have a party that he should not be in the middle of ~ or what ever other reasons may arise down the road!

It is great that your wife will now be home in the afternoons!!! this will help expedite potty training and puppy habbits and give him lots of bonding time too 

Good luck with your new boy & be sure to bring a camera when you pick him up.

MP

[benb]

yeah thanks for the advice...i had read that in some of the books i bought about crating him while we were there so to not freak him out when we left but just wanted to make sure that I was doing the correct thing taking time off to be with him.  Thanks all!!    You're advice and comments are always welcome!

[benb]

Also, on a side note...I broke my hand this past weekend and i have a hard cast on it.  It just covers from about 3 inches below my wrist to just below my knuckles so i still have full use of my fingers and thumb but what kindof affect will this have on the pup, if any?  Common sense tells me that he won't think anything of it, but i don't claim to be a dog expert so...any comments?  What about when i get it off and he only knows me as the man with a black hand?  This is probably a really dumb post...

[melissap]

There are no dumb questions, but I am laughing really hard right now at the thought of your puppy chewing the cast Otherwise: I think he will most likely think nothing of it 

Just don't bob him on the head with it.... LOL

MP

[benb]

haha...yeah he might not find that too funny

[Breezybare]

I too think spending the time with your new pup is a good idea.  Very important bonding time!  I picked Zuri up from the breeder on a Tuesday, home on a Wednesday and didn't have to go back to work until the following Tuesday.  So I had spent 7 full days with her.  I have 2 girls, and she is definitely like my 3rd daughter.  For those of you without kids, bringing home a puppy is like having a newborn!  Though I have to add, puppies are sleeping through the night A LOT quicker!!

Definitely get him used to his crate.  The first couple of nights are going to be hard unless of course you have already decided to let him sleep in your bed!

Do you have a name picked out already?

Sabrina