Hi all,

Ollie is home, finally! He's doing ok, I think. He whined a lot on the journey home - 3 hours - but I ignored him and talked to him when he was quiet. Then the last 30 minutes he was quite vocal and he must have needed a wee because I took him in and let him out, then went to get him a drink and I came back and he had weed...:( But that's ok, since then he has done one poo and two wees in the garden. He's met a few people and played in the garden and slept a fair bit. We just had a play in the garden and now he's lying at my feet. He is crying a bit now and then but I figure that's normal considering he was with his Mum and brothers a few hours ago. So, anyway thanks for the information about crates. It is a bit mind boggling! I now have the smaller crate that I brought him home in inside the larger crate. I'm building up to putting him there for the night but am expecting a night of crying because he didn't really settle in it in the car. The only thing about him crying is that I don't know if there's something I should be doing that I'm not, I don't actually mind the crying itself. Apart from the usual am I doing this right, am I doing that right business, he is totally gorgeous. I've got loads of pics already and will post them up somewhere eventually. Anyway, will let you know how the night goes tomorrow sometime. If it was good I'll be on here early, if not then it will be later so you'll be able to tell!

That was a load of waffle wasn't it! You'd think I was suffering from sleep deprivation already!

Anyways, night to you all and all the beautiful pups / dogs out there. :)

Hi Sarah
so glad he's finally home .
Expect a restless night . He will cry as he's used to being snuggled up with mum and the rest of the litter .
Cant offer much in the way of advice as Gus has always slept upstairs with me but good luck anyway :D
Look forward to seeing more of you on the board ;)
Lel

Glad he is home safely ! How did last night go ?

It will get easier as soon as he settles in more !

Lucy

Last night. Well...I took him out at 11pm and put him in his crate at about 11.15pm. I then left the room and he howled and barked and scratched and basically went nuts for about 30 minutes. Then he calmed down for 20 minutes and then started up again. I was in the next room - the racket he was making! Thought he would wake the whole street! Anyway, he settled for about an hour and I took him out at 1am when he started whining again, but I waited until he was quiet so he didn't think he was getting let out because he was whining. Then back in crate - tail right between his legs :( More noise on and off until 3am when I took him out again for a wee. I'm ashamed to admit that I bottled it and didn't want to put him back in his crate :o so I left the crate door open and shut him in the room. He whined for a bit but it wasn't as frantic and he calmed down quite quickly. Then I dropped off and was woken by the kids at 6.10am. Went into the room expecting a mess but he hadn't made a mess so I was well pleased :D He's been sleeping a lot today and hasn't eaten much so I'll keep an eye on that, but he's drinking and seems ok generally, although he does seem a bit quiet. We just went upstairs and left him in the room for 20 minutes and when we came back down he was sitting in his crate so that was good. Two wees in house so far today, but more out than in. So, it's going ok. Had his collar on for a bit which he didn't seem to mind too much. Got to get some pictures up somewhere because he is so beautiful.

Don't know what I'm going to do tonight. Probably leave him in room with the crate door open and see how it goes. Someone suggested a milky drink - is that just normal milk warmed up? I'm also not sure about treats for training - he doesn't seem fussed about his dried food and I'm not sure what else is ok to give him. Any suggestions?

Hi, yes I give my pups a little warmed milk (full-cream as opposed to semi-skimmed, but as you have small children you'll have the full-cream anyway!), maybe thickened with some weetabix, out for a wee/poo, then into their bed with either a nice rib bone from the butcher or a Bonio (something that pup can't get large enough bits off to choke on) - something to occupy them so they don't realise they're being 'abandoned' - don't forget the pup will never have been alone before - there will always have been Mum or siblings to snuggle up to.

My boys (nearly 4) still gallop in after the latenight wee and leap into their beds and wait for their biscuit - they only get it actually in bed, so it's a firmly fixed habit now.
:)

Hi, congratulations on your new bundle of joy :D. I use a cage for my Pharaoh Hound pup, he only goes in there when we go out and at nightime he just sleeps on the landing with a stairgate to stop him from going downstairs. Maybe its best just to leave the door open at night and just close it when you leave the house. Goats milk is best for puppies, I think its something to do with the fat globdules being easier to digest, cows milk can sometimes give them the runs. My pharaoh breeder gave me something called Lamlac, its is a powdered milk for lambs, not too sure how easy to get hold of but Marley loved it.
Clair

I wa also told not to give full fat milk by my breeder . Was advised goats milk or the semi skimmed with the green lid :)

That's strange, Lel, because bitch's milk is stronger in fat and protein than both cows' and goats' milk - goats milk being better for dogs than cows.
:)