Hi,
I'm looking for advice on what else I need to get in preparation for our Lab pup, (she will be 9 weeks). We're picking her up after christmas, (I know, it's a while yet, but I'm so excited and I want to get everything ready!)
I've already organised a crate, is Vet Bed the best thing to make her bed with? And if so, should there be something else underneath it-a bed of somesort?? As for toys, we've got a Nylabone (sp), a rubber ball, a rag knot, and a rubber toy with a ball at either end that has a jingle in it. I've made sure that all the toys are sturdy and big enough that she can't swallow them, or chew bits off them. Can anyone suggest anything else that would be useful?? (We also have food and water bowls, a collar and lead)

wow! sounds like your pretty prepared! hmm what else might you be missing. What kind of food have you stocked up?

How about some clothes to keep your pup nice and toasty outside during those cold winter days?

Well, I'm waiting on the food, as our breeder said she would give us enough for a few days-I guess I will carry on feeding her the same. (I think it's a complete pup mix).
Were you serious about clothes??!! Is she likely to get cold outside? Until she's older, her trips outside will be kept to minimum-loo trips to the garden, vet trips in the car, and some training and playing in the garden. I'd never given this any thought-Help!!!

Personally I don't think you need to worry about *clothes* for your pup .....she will , as you say , be inside for quite a while except for trips to the vet and loo breaks ...even when you begin walks it will only be very short trips until she is older.

I am positive that your breeder will give you ALL the help and advice that you need :)

Melody

LOL, don't panic. I only suggested it because the dog will have to go out sometime. And althought it's not a very practical idea i think it's adorable to see dogs wearing clothes! Makes me want to hug and squeeze them to death!

It seems to me that you have everything pretty well planned and thought out. I'm sure any other things that may be lacking (none that i can think of) will become more apparent as time goes by.

:) Thanks guys, what about the bed issue??
Nic

Puppies usually just collapse wheverer they are when they are tired ...Hudson definitely did. If you are having a crate , will the pup sleep in there? If so then I would have thought that washable vet bed would be fine ...H sleeps on an old flanelette sheet :D

Melody

I find that a furry comforter works best with my dogs. They love how soft and fluffy they are and they settle into them very well. My pup loves to pass out in his cage on his leopard pattern comforter. He looks so peaceful and knocked out. He also likes to suck on it as if it were his mother's nipple or something. Maybe the dog equivalent of a kid sucking on his thumb, who knows.

What about a small quilt ( baby size ) and maybe a sweater of yours ( for the smell ) and a cuddly toy for the pup to curl up with ( he will be used to sleeping with the other pups and mum )
good luck with your puppy
Liz

I am a great supporter of the vet bed types. They wash and wear exceedingly well - in fact I still have one that is15 years old and still going strong. Get at least two and then you have one in the wash and one to get filthy!:)
If you go this way, it pays to shop on-line or go to a large show where you can get special prices - the pet shop prices are extortionate. If you can get to LKA, you should be able to pick up a bargain.

I plan for pup to sleep in the crate at night (and any other time she wants to). So Vet Bed in the crate, with one spare (excellent idea!) and something of mine and a toy. Should I put anything else under the Vet Bed as the crate will be in the dining roon, where the floor is brick (can be quite cold). Any recommended sites for buying Vet Bed at reasonable prices? (I looked in the pet shop and Phew, 22 pence per centimeter!!!!!)

As jean says ...A champ show (LKA is on mid December) failing that go to Google.com and type in Vet Bed UK for lists of retailers....

I think if the crate is going to be on brick I would put thick newspaper underneath (some may disagree) as it is a very good insulator

Melody :)

Ok, I've found some sites now! How big a piece will I need? I want to buy two that will last well into adulthood, pretty generous in size-she's a Labrador. Also, what's the difference between Vet Bed and Vet Bed Gold? I really want the one that keeps them dry if they have any accidents.

Nic,
If you fancy buying a book a really good one is The Perfect Puppy by Gwen Bailey. Something else you could do is look for a good puppy socialization/training class as you have plenty time to check several out to find one you like. I would get a couple of Kongs too as they are great for stuffing to keep pups busy, also maybe an activity ball. I don't think you can have too many toys as I rotate so that they never get bored, plus they are such fun to buy. Good Luck with your puppy, any names chosen yet?
Anne :-)

Hi Anne,
Thanks for your advice, as for names, my three year old daughter likes Lucy and I'm quite keen too, so Lucinda it is for the third part of her kennel name, and Lucy for ''everyday use'!!! :)
BTW what would the best treats be to stuff in the Kongs?? When we had a Lab as a child, I remember him having Bonios-are those good for pups? What other treats can I use for training etc??

Stock Nutrition sell the rubber-backed "vet-bed" in all sorts of prints(60" x 40", so you can cut it into smaller pieces, or use as is) for £18.00 + £4.50 p&p. You'll save the p&p at a dog show, and if you're lucky, they'll have competition and lower their prices even more at the show, as they did in Peterborough!

They've added Christmassy ones to their range - either a big Christmas tree, or lots of little ones!

I was looking for Kash's thread, Preparing for a new puppy, but I can't find it. I know it goes back some time now. Can anyone else find it?

LynnT

Hi Lynn! Thanks, now I've started looking, there seem to be endless sites, I'll have to do some serious price comparisons!! Where is LKA?

LKA is in Birmingham, Nic.

Lynn, it may not be the same, but this looks very like bedding that I bought when I was over with Philippa. The price was great, it looks nice, washes well, dries quickly and would have been fine if I'd given it to an older dog. But I gave it to young master Brett and now I have vet bed shreds :-).

Oh dear, Sharon!:( Mine's stood up to my bc pup so far. Maybe she's not rough enough with it!:D
LynnT

Oh dear! And Labs are pretty 'chewy'. Perhaps Vet Bed would'nt be the best thing, does anyone with experiance of Lab pups (or others that like to chew) have any suggestions? (Not meaning to sound ungrateful for the advise from those with other dogs!!)
Nic

Boston's love to chew, I just put a blanket in their kennels. Nothing with stuffing in them or by morning it's all over the place. I use Kongs, Hercules (raised dental tips), Galileo and Nylabone's. :)

Hi Nic, 'real' greenback vet bed is expensive, but it stands up to almost anything. I've still got some bits in use that date back to a litter whelped in 1992. They've survived many dogs - including the depredations of Teelin the Toothy Terror :-) - and although they look a bit ratty they are still perfectly useable. If I were you I'd go for grey or brown fleece rather than white. The coloured stuff is usually a little dearer but it doesn't become as dingy looking with age. Ready cut ovals from pet shops are very expensive and its usually better to buy a big bit and cut it to size yourself. I like to use a double thickness for each bed, but I have giants who need padding under their elbows and doubled beds may be overkill for a lab. Unless you see more pups in your future I wouldn't buy a bed at this stage. Your cage may not be big enough for an adult sized bed, and whatever you buy will probably be nibbled. If you need to draught proof the bed area, strong cardboard boxes (cut down and reinforced with elephant tape if necessary) work fine for pups and can be replaced at no cost.

Nic,
Try charity shops and jumble sales for blankets etc that can be used and discarded if destroyed, it means that chewing phases aren't so expensive ;-)
Anne

I've found the thread [link http://www.champdogs.co.uk/cgi-bin/board/topic_show.pl?tid=13668&hilite=advice%20for%20new%20owners#91463] advice for new owners [/link]
HTH
Dot

Thanks Dot :)
Nic

Thanks, Dot. The advice thread is really helpful to read. Kash's thread was all about things to buy to prepare for a new pup which is why I was looking for it specifically.
LynnT

LynnT,
Don't think I saw that thread. It's a good idea.:)
Maybe if Kash reads this she may feel kind enough to re-do it onto the advice thread ;)
Dot

Found it :)

I searched under the keyword of NEW posted by KASH and [link http://www.champdogs.co.uk/cgi-bin/board/topic_show.pl?tid=7101&hilite=new#36608]here[/link] it is :)

Fiona
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Thanks for taking the time to do that, I'm finding all this advice very useful!!
Nic ;)

With the arrival of our puppy on Saturday I too have found this thread UESFUL!! All the questions about beds have been answered!!
I did wonde rif there is not some sort of bean bag to pop in the crate as well for puppy to snuggle into ?

thanks for all the tips!
jude

Jude, beanbags and pups don't mix :-). Those little white beads are the devil to clear up after the pup's little white teeth have ripped into the bag :D.

a great thing to do is to get her booked in for puppy classes for when she is vaccinated. you can buy your pup as many toys and clothes as you like, but finding her some little friends is one of the nicest things you can do! :)

Thanks to LynnT, I've found somewhere very close by for puppy classes!!!
Nic :)

Try a cheap ground sheet or builders plastic then newspaper then cage with vet bed, saves the inevertable pee soaking into the brick, wood or carpet. Very easy to wipe over in the morning. Bet you can't wait to be mopping up. Ja:)kie

Yes!!!! Well, my youngest child is 16 months and in nappies so I'm used to cleaning up the more unsavory facts of life! And at least the dog will still appreciate me when its thirteen, as for the children......!!!
BTW the cage has a plastic 'drip' tray, where should this come in the layering mentioned above?
Nic :)

You may want to get a wire cage big enough to accomdate your pup into adulthood. However, alot of puppies tend to potty in their cage if it is too large. Consider buying a wire cage and putting some 1x4 pieces of wood in between the holes to make the cage smaller. I find cages help alot with calming down particularly fearful and timid pups because it helps them feel more secure.

You may want to give him a hollow bone full of peanut butter or a treat everytime you put him in there so that he associates his pen with something positive.

After you've placed him in the cage it is very likely that he will howl all night. It's a good idea not to let him out until he stops howling. Most puppies will continue to howl even if you give them negative attention. Dogs are social animals and need attention and will repeat anything that gets them attention, negative or positive.

Last but not least, you shouldn't (in my opinion) use his cage as a punishment. You should try and condition him to look forward to "quiet time."

Can't think of anything else at the moment but if i do i'll be sure to post it.
Good luck!

Rob

Nic,I've got a crate with the "drip-tray". I put a layer of a couple of sheets of newspaper under the bedding and I've yet to find the wee having gone through to the base. I hate to think how much my pup would have to do to over-fill it!

Fiona,thanks for finding that link:) I tried all sorts and couldn't get anywhere.

LynnT

Ah, well yes, Ref: drip trays, I throw that in the garage, because whatever you put on top of it will slide about and encourage the pup to chew it. I put the vet bed on to the cage if the pup pulls it back it wont slip. Ja:)kie

PS: I have the luxury of being able to put a small cage within a puppy pen so the pup can sleep in the cage and use the paper in the rest of the puppy pen to pee & poo. All mine so far have prefered to sleep on the wet paper, but thats pups for you.

Just a thought - Most pups need bathing from time to time, finding the most delightful substances to roll in so you could buy a couple of towels especially for the puppy and some puppy shampoo - Shaws is a good brand. Its always a good idea to give puppies a couple of baths during the first few weeks in their new home - even if you just go through the motions and maybe not even use shampoo. It will stand you in good stead when she HAS to be bathed as if they have not been got used to it when small they can put up quite a struggle. Saying that my lab probably only had 3 or 4 baths in her life! Make sure she is 100% dry before she goes outside again afterwards.

Hi Nic,

I've also got a little one in nappies and all I'll say is - watch out for the bins!!. On the odd occasion I use disposable instead of cloth Holly is desperate to get to it :(

Have fun with the puppy :)

Fiona
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