hi,I keep on reading about the basics...could someone recommend a book, web link or something I can get my teeth into it (or the puppie's) which explains what they are?
Ruby's previous owners thought she was a HE...would it be difficult to get her used to a new name?
also, how can I teach her to come back to me when walking off the lead? she's a terrier X 6 or 7 months old.
Thanks,
Resi

Hi Resi

Wow - that's a tall order. 

Many people recommend a book called The Perfect Puppy by Gwen Bailey and one of my favourites, probably long out of print but you may get a second hand copy is The Obedient Dog by John Holmes (ISBN 0091593312)

There are various threads on this board about teaching the recall (come) and if you use the search option at the top of the page it should bring some up

Like many other things learning about dogs takes a lifetime.  There is rarely a problem in changing a dog's name, just don't do it more than once - maybe call him Rudy or something similar

Good luck

I changed my Dylan's name from Archie when I got him, never had a problem. He was 14 months old, I imagine a younger dog would adapt even easier. I suppose it helped that he had negative connotations with the word 'archie', so was much more eager to respond to Dylan.

thanks everyone, picking up Ruby (ex Benji) tonight!

Good luck, i'm sure he'll be a little star! How on earth did his previous owners think he was girl???

obviously not a good biology student..by the way she is a girl: RUBY....so far all is good, lots of vomiting in the car... peeing from excitement (I had only gone upstairs to the loo myself...) and poo in her bed....but lot of running with doggie friend Max on the beach (wh tried to attack her the first time they met, long story). currently she is sleeping underneath my chair. she seems a bit clingy. would it be a case of settling in as in being unsure about where she is etc or a characteristic of her personality?
thanks for the help anyway!
Resi

eeeek  :rolleyes:  sorry about that... I'm obviously not a very good english student!! 

I'm new here so shall just offer a small opinion - if you think Ruby is clingy, I would start to teach her to be alone straight away - even if it's just shutting the door while you watch TV and leaving her to settle down in another room with a toy for a few minutes and then build the time up, or closing doors as you go around the house, so she can't always follow.  Having one dog who is sometimes overly-clingy, I've made very sure that my latest puppy is confident about being alone by putting him behind a stairgate and giving him lots of kongs and things to chew and getting him to accept that he has to be on his own sometimes.  Ian Dunbar does a really good book called Before and After Getting Your Puppy that addresses this.  I'm really pleased with my pup - at 22 weeks, he's really laid back about settling down on his own and if I go out for a couple of hours in the evenings, I don't have to worry if he's stressed like I do with the other dog - which is no fun for either of us.  Just a thought...