Buying a puppy

R

RiceHorn04

100+ Posts
So, I've finally made the leap into the world of being a dog-owner. Here's a picture of my dog, he's a labradoodle.:

My dog

I'm going to be picking him up in the middle of June. Since I've never owned a dog before, what exactly needs to be done to puppy proof my place? I am most worried about him getting into speaker wires and computer wires, how do I either block these things off or discourage him from chewing on them? Also, what type of crate is preferable, the plastic type or the metal, cage-like type?
 
I don't think its possible to puppy proof a house for anything that has lab in its blood. You are going to have to monitor the puppy at all times when he is out of the crate. Use a leash to help keep him corraled. You can just let him drag it around. Go with the wire crate because you can break it down for easier transport.
 
you've got to beat the **** out of him to keep him away from stuff. i mean, when he even sniffs the computer wires you've got to just lay into his ***.

kidding, of course.

i think the thing that most people don't realize is how much WORK the initial few weeks are. they can't just be out of the crate running around the house or they will not only be getting into the wrong things, but pissing all over everything. not that you're going to keep them locked up all day, but they need to be watched...all the time. when you can't watch the little one, he/she needs to be in the crate. you may think you're being cruel...and if you've got it in there for 8 hours at a time you are, but it's just the most effective way to train.

and again, i was kidding, don't beat the pup.
 
Cute pup. I just recently purchased back in Feb a lab. Great dogs. Basically just buy a big crate. I have the plastic kind, but like another mentioned the wire you can breakdown easier. Read a book and get as much info on training and care as you can. It's a LOT OF WORK the first month you have him. Be prepared for restless nights the first week. They will be whining like you won't believe at night trying to adjust to the kennel. As far as proofing your place, can't really be done. They will have at the carpet and/or walls/doors if they get bored. Trick is to always watch them and have a LOT of toys around for them to play with. If you have any specific questions or anything, feel free to PM me. Goodluck.
 
SO cute! if i could afford it, i would absolutely get a goldendoodle as my next dog. poodle mixes are generally awesome and super smart. a friend of mine just got one and had it potty trained in literally 4 days - he knows to go to the door whenever he wants to go out.
i used a wire crate with my dog for the first 2.5 years of his life. he did well with it and never managed to escape or chew any holes in the crate. FYI, get a small crate from petco/petsmart - even without the receipt they will usually let you return it for a larger size as your puppy grows - you just tell them you bought the wrong size (unless your dog totally destroyed it). good way to save some $, since crates are pricey as they get bigger.
give your puppy good stuff to chew on, and whenever he chews on something wrong and you catch him, redirect to the appropriate toys. Most puppies love chewing on the mini kongs made for puppies (the blue and white ones), nylabones (the clear rubber ones, and also the ones with the little bumps on them), and rope toys.
as far as puppy proofing - i agree with whomever said that it's almost impossible to puppy proof. basically just make sure you are watching or very close by at all times when the puppy is out of the crate. if you are home and don't want to crate him, but can't keep a close eye on him, you might consider babygating him in a larger area, such as a kitchen or bigger bathroom, and seeing how he does before you trust him loose in the house. if you find that there's one thing the puppy always chews or goes for and you can't break him of it or puppy proof it (for me it was the corner of a rug in the living room), you can buy some Bitter Apple spray to put on it. I had to reapply it every couple days, but eventually the dog figured it out (I will admit my dog is not the smartest so it took him a bit longer than most).
as for potty training, remember to take him outside immediately after you take him out of the crate EVERY time. In the beginning, you will need to take him out a ton - I think I took mine out every two hours for the first couple weeks.
socialize him as much as you can (kids, dog parks, other pets, etc). as he gets older, exercise him a lot - walks, runs, fetch, dog park, etc. that will really help if there are problem behaviors at home. a lot of people get puppies, leave them in crates all day, get home from work, take the dog out to go to the bathroom, and then sit down on the couch, and get mad when the dog is hyper or chews on something, etc. dogs need exercise to be happy!
Go to Barnes and Noble and look for a good dog training book, something simple and related to puppyhood - I think mine was called Dog Friendly Dog Training . Read it before you get your puppy. Prepare yourself for a couple eaten shoes or socks or underwear here and there, and prepare to feel like you have to constantly monitor the puppy and may be irritated at times - people forget that there are some tough sides to getting a puppy, and are then shocked when the dog pees on their fancy carpet or ruins a brand new pair of shoes. it is all worth it in the end though - dogs are the best.
good luck!
 
Get control of him as quickly as you can by putting him into a group training class. They will teach you how to train your dog. They have them at Petsmart and other places. You can usually buy a 8 weeks of group training for arouns $100.

Also get a bottle of bitter apple. You can get this at most pet supply places. Spray it on anything that you dont want him to chew on. It is not harmful and has a very bitter taste that they hate.
 
"Training" a dog is simple ... note that I didn't say "easy"
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. Give them a command, and when they execute the action you wish to associate with that command, throw a party. Dance, sing, pet, praise, give treats, whatever your dog indicates that they like. For the first few times, you may have to manually manipulate the dog into the action (such as "SIT"), but be consistent with both the command and the praise, and they'll get it amazingly quickly. 15 minutes a session, twice a day, and your dog should be able to master just about any command you want. In fact, I've taught DJ to bark when he needs to go out in about 3 days by linking his old "bark" command (heh - it's "ou?" ... "woof!" i.e. sucks!) with the new "outside?" command, then I throw open the door so he can go pee. Once I can do this at a few different houses, he should be all set - he's already got it at my place.

The above posters are right - puppy work is WORK. I can't stress enough the need for exersize. Take puppy for a walk, or throw the ball, or just wrestle around on the floor. Chewing comes from two things - boredom or frustration. You can counter the frustration by training, so that the dog feels like he has a job (that job is to please you, his master), and you can counter boredom by exersize, since exersize leads to tiredness which leads to napping
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.

Dogs rule. As proof, here's DJ!!!

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I'm glad the ____doodle trend is catching on. Those dogs are so awesome. Congrats. Dont give him an inch. Thats my advice. Dton let him get his way on anything even though he'll be so cute. He'll love you no matter what. DON'T GIVE AN INCH.
 
My soon to be sister in law has a labradoodle...interesting personality on that dog.

Anyway, for a first time dog owner what you really need to do is just buy a simple book on dog training. For potty training, the best advise is to take your dog out often and praise when she goes. Remember that puppies have small systems, so ALWAYS take them out right after they eat or drink. Potty training isn't that difficult for most dogs, but its often time consuming. If your dog goes on teh carpet, don't get mad, its probably your fault for not taking it out often enough.
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I've had many a lab in my life, and I agree with the other posters in that Lab puppies love to chew...moreso than any other breed I've ever owned. Have chew toys and balls available.
 
Crate

these are great crates, can work with dog when small, get bigger with them, and you don't have to try and cheat stores by returning it when you're done with it.
 
1) The crate should always be just big enough for him to stand up and turn around. No, it's not cruel: they see it as their personal space. If you buy it too large and he is not housebroken he will probably go in there, thus making it more difficult to housetrain.

2) Puppies don't gain control over their bowels until 3-3.5 months and their bladders until 4-4.5 months. General rule is they can hold it for as many hours as they are months old.

3) Train early and constantly. It will set boundaries and improve communication between you and your dog. And SOCIALIZE, both with all different kinds of people and dogs.
 
This thread makes me sick...

Why on God's green earth would anybody get a Lab mix dog. Get a straight up, God's best huntin' dog ever created Labrador Retriever. Put the damn thing outside where dogs belong. Build him a solid kennel. Work him on retrieving commands.

Your dog would be MUCH happier than 98% of crappy *** dogs that sit around bored out of their mind wondering how much trouble they can get into.
 
It makes me shudder that people will buy any dog from a breeder when there are so many that get euthanized every day. Town Lake alone euthanizes more than 10,000 a year. That's less than 35% of what goes in there. My dog is a mix (dalmatian/pointer/lab?) and is an awesome retrieving dog. He'll leap off of waterfalls to go get his toy when purebred labs won't. But I digress....

Dogs are pack animals. They are not happy being alone in a backyard. You are their pack, you are the alpha. They want to be with you. If they get bored, it's your fault for not exercising them enough, it's not because they weren't sitting outside all day long.
 
lol DLev... you remember that.... well that was separation anxiety. Hasn't destroyed a thing since he got out of that phase.
 
Don't be fooled by their health guarantee. Any breeder that's worth anything will refund your money and let you keep the dog if the dog fails the hip/eye exams at the appropriate age. The "breeder" that you are using "will give the purchaser a replacement puppy" They word their guarantee this way because they know that very few people will trade-in their 2 yr old dog even if it does have a genetic defect.

I also notice that none of their breeding stock have any titles of any kind (show/field/obedience/agility). This is because anyone that has taken the time, money and effort to put a title on a dog would never allow it to be bred to produce a litter of mutts.


Here are some good articles.
www.woodhavenlabs.com/articles.html
 
Labradoodles are not created for agility/field/conformation titles. The point of the breed is for them to be a good family pet. Breeders are concerned more about temperament than about conformation. Additionally anything crossed with a poodle is usually significantly helpful for people with dog allergies, as poodles have hypoallergenic coats. So, the two most important things a breeder might look at when choosing dogs to breed are coat type and temperament. Personally, in looking for a dog, I'd care a lot more about the breeder dogs' temperaments as family pets than I'd care about any field/agility/conformation titles, and I'd imagine people choosing labradoodles are looking for similar things.
Also, their health guarantee is more extensive than the guarantee I had for my dog when I got him from an AKC breeder. What other kind of guarantee would they give?
 
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