Possibly buying a puppy.... Advice?

[JaeG]

Hahaha...mature...at two??? I have a 9 year-old, ginormous, head-sitting (my head) Chocolate Lab who is still a goof! Lol. But I love him...View attachment 1198871

So cute! Our girl is half choc lab and she still plays like a puppy and is endlessly exciteable at the age of 5 years. I had a trainer tell me she would be 2 1/2 - 3 years old before we saw any maturity, and they were right. I almost cried back then - she was about a year old and I already felt like I'd put in so much training. She's a good girl though.

 

[Labradors]

Chew toys! Labs love to chew, so if your pup has lab in it, good indestructible chew toys are a must, and will save your shoes and furniture from getting destroyed! We loved Zogoflex chew toys when my two were pups. We also got into the habit of putting all our footwear into Rubbermaid containers that were too tall for the pups to get into.

Linda

 

[CapricornFarm]

BYC, i would recommend obedience classes. Having a set time you need to show up helps make you do it now instead of later. Plus your dog needs to learn to behave around distractions. Be sure shots are completed before starting classes.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Crate training is more costly, puppy pads and such, plus awkward for when the dog is older. I have no problem with shoveling poop in my yard.
Don't walk your dog in public roads or on the ground where other dogs have been until he has had his parvo virus shot.
@PeepersMama

Er, I think when most people refer to crate training they refer to training their dog to sleep in a crate when alone or at night.
Here's a great guide on it!
http://www.akc.org/content/dog-training/articles/how-to-crate-train-a-puppy/

OP, I also strongly advocate crate training especially for a large high-energy dog like you are describing. It's a great tool. You don't have to always keep them in their crates when you're gone, but training them to the crate first is a huge boon. My dogs have graduated to just having free reign over the bedroom when I leave the house, but only after mastering crate training. They still frequently, willingly, go and sleep in their crate at night or when left alone with no provocation and they go in their crates at mealtimes which makes managing my older dog's food aggression a breeze because they both have a safe space to go to away from eachother at dinner time and they are happy to do so. It also kept them safe from eating my whole house any time I left and still does. It's good for the dogs and good for people. I know lots of people in my neighborhood who don't crate train their dogs and the dogs are a mess. 9_9

 

[PeepersMama]

Sometime at the end of December, I'm going to be buying a puppy. (Hopefully.)

I have a book for training, but could you give me some advice on how to deal with the hidden problems of puppy-raising?

Thanks!

Knowing you have chickens, and seeing that a lot of the important topics have been covered, here's my experience with dogs - and chickens.

First, australian shepherds are insanely smart and I love them. SUPER easy to train, eager to please, and once they figure out that you do NOT want them to chase the chickens, they just don't. It's awesome. Close second to them are german shepherds. Even the puppies are hardwired to do EXACTLY what you want. Only issue I have with them is the health problems they tend to have because they're so intensively bred. :/

As for training, be CAREFUL. Once they kill a chicken, it takes 10 times as long to train them to stop. I have absolutely ZERO tolerance for ANY dog chasing, messing with, or scaring my chickens, and every dog that has the guts (stupidity) to step inside my yard knows it. (Shoot I ranted -__-) Be firm, but always reward them when they look back at you instead of the chickens.

I'm probably the least adequate person to give dog training advice, because I have very little patience for untrained or disobedient dogs.... But I wish you luck!

 

[rosemarythyme]

I love dogs... and puppies are adorable. I've done "puppy" once. Never want to do it again.

Plan where the puppy will stay and puppy proof the room/house as much as possible. Figure out who will be taking care of feeding, walking, etc. If possible get the puppy on a day when at least one person will be at home all day to stay with it. If you don't already have a veterinarian (as well as an emergency clinic*), I would find one in advance. Also plan for obedience classes... not just for their behavior but also socialization with other dogs and people.

*Be ready for emergencies. Puppies get into everything!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I second the idea of waiting until warmer weather to get the puppy, if you can, as it is much, much easier to housebreak during the warmer weather both for you and the puppy. Cold wet weather can make some puppies reluctant to go outside when they should, so they don't go outside when you take them but find little corners inside instead.

After raising 7 puppy projects for Guide Dogs for the Blind (given as an 8 week old puppy and returned as a fully trained and socialized young adult ready to enter blind training around 12 to 14 months of age), 5 Labs, 1 German Shepherd (several more short term projects), and 1 Golden Retriever, I have a few thoughts for training a Lab puppy.

(I've also done Dog 4H/Agility and have had a Sheltie/Collie, Miniature Schnauzer and Aussie. Currently I have trained a rescue Rat Terrier. Also, my daughter became a Vet Tech and brought dogs home from the program for house training, so I have some ideas about general breed personalities.)

Not all puppy advice is equal for all breeds. You will need to understand the breed and the personality of the puppy you are getting.

While every dog is an individual, pure breeds do follow certain behavior patterns. Hybrids/mixes/mutts are more difficult to assess as it depends on the dominant traits received by the dog. Some get all the good qualities of one parent breed and all the bad qualities of the other. Or a mix in between. Or follow one breed more closely. Poorly bred animals can be hyper, anxious, and fearful. (Genetics do matter).

You say you want a friendly dog above all. Labs are one of the friendliest dogs around, if from a responsible breeder. They are also energetic and can be pretty goofy. They roll with the punches but need a steady hand to help keep them focused and out of trouble or they can be a handful.

Your first choice mentioned, though, was a Lab/Chow cross? That gives me a bit of pause for a first time dog owner. It will depend on which side of that equation the puppy receives. As stated, the Lab side is people loving, easy going, energetic, and stranger friendly. However, the Chow side, generally speaking (as there are always exceptions) is much, much more difficult to train and not recommended for a first time dog owner. Many Chows are loners, deeply wary of strangers, and can be aggressive to strangers. As this is a first time puppy for you, I would think more about this particular cross unless you have seen prior litters and know the temperament is like the Lab and not a Chow. (Hybrids aren't always the "middle road" between the two...genetics can be funny).

If you have a Lab, then yes, after initial transition home, and all puppy first puppy shots have been given, I would begin to socialize your puppy by taking him places. Labs love to socialize. Think short, controlled outings, not day long trips with him/her bouncing along without a thought. Each step of the way should be a learning experience for your puppy, and you have to make sure it is always a positive experience.

If you go with the Aussie, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd, or something like a Sheltie/Collie, those can be more stranger wary and definitely more environmentally sensitive. Taking them too many places too quickly can sour them. You need to help them become comfortable with new situations by slowly and carefully introducing them, always in a positive way, so they feel safe. (Lots of food treats help).

Prevention is the number one best teacher. Do not let your puppy get into situations or behaviors that are bad. As one poster stated, it is much, much harder to retrain than to train correctly the first time. It is very difficult to train if you have soured them.

I recommend the crate training as well. As the little one adjusts to your home, he or she will need to earn their privileges. They need to have a space where they can decompress when you are not actively watching them or if they have had a lot of stimulation. The crate should be just big enough for them to stand, turn around, and lay down. Do not put food/water bowls in it, or you will have them eliminating in the crate. It is used mostly at night time for sleeping, and in the daytime if you are away and can't take the puppy. NEVER leave a puppy in a crate (other than night time) for more than 4 hours. The crate is used only for a safe place, like a crib or playpen, when you cannot be actively watching them.

When your puppy is out of the crate, which is most of the day otherwise why have a dog, it should be on a dragline so that you can gently guide it away from trouble. You will need to do a puppy check in your home to be sure to remove anything that is dangerous for your puppy to get into. You should also be keeping an eye on it so that it can't get into stuff, otherwise you will be constantly going from one crisis to the next which is negative behavior reaction rather than training. (If your puppy pees on the floor while you weren't watching, take a newspaper, roll it up, then hit yourself over the head saying "I will watch my puppy better, I will watch my puppy better.)

Keep the puppy in a safe area (usually a kitchen or den) until it has proven itself able to not pee or poo on the floor. If you give it the run of the house too soon, it will find little corners to potty in which will make it very difficult to housebreak as it will have scent marked the house.

Take the puppy out every 1 1/2 to 2 hours to the area you wish it to potty in. I highly recommend training it to potty on command by doing this: On leash lead the puppy to the area (do not carry it unless emergency run, it needs to walk there on its feet). Wait until the inevitable (which is why warm weather works much better). As soon as the puppy begins to pee, say "Good dog, do your business, good dog." When puppy finishes, give it a small bite of cheese (Mozarella string works really well as you can keep the packet in your pocket and pull off small bits at a time). Repeat this EVERY time you take the puppy out. You are being proactive to get it to connect relieving outside and to its area. You are also conditioning the dog to potty on command by saying "Do your business....or you can say "Go potty." This is really, really, helpful and will prevent you from having to walk around and stand around forever as a dog finally figures out it should relieve.

I recommend beginning gentle leash training almost immediately upon receiving the puppy. Always be gentle with your puppy. Never yank or bodily drag it around, but also do not let it bound off wherever it wants. If a Lab, or other large dog, absolutely do not let it lunge and pull on the leash or you will be exhausted by the time it is an adult with walks being a nightmare.

Play little games while walking together....go slow, go fast, let the puppy learn to keep up with you and always, always, be in the heel position on the left. Be gentle but firm and consistent. Never allow puppy to bite the leash, though it will be tempting, especially for the herding types. Keep a relaxed leash but you are the leader not the puppy. If the puppy gets ahead, slow down. If the puppy is dragging behind, kiss smack your lips and encourage it to come forward. Cheese held at puppy level can encourage a slow poke. Once in heel position, feed the cheese. When you stop, teach the puppy to sit. (Lift the leash to raise the head as you gently push on the hind quarters....soon puppy will do that by itself). If the puppy wants to wander off in a different direction, reverse directions and encourage a heel position with cheese reward. You literally work the heel/lead position until puppy follows you at the heel position no matter where you go, no matter how fast you go.

Keep sessions short. Always end on a positive note.

That's enough for right now as that will take you several months to perfect. After that, real training begins, and if you are interested, I can have more suggestions.

Good luck with your puppy. I personally would recommend a full Lab or something soft like a Sheltie...those are so sweet and smart, and make excellent first time dogs.

LofMc

 

[tastyacres]

I agree with what @Lady of McCamley said.

I'm in the process of training my first puppy (I've worked with behavioral issues in older dogs)... She is way easier than I expected but also a lot of work!

I am always taken back to the bond between me and my dogs! Make sure your puppy knows he/she can trust you and it will make things a lot better.

Definitely, do lots of socializing, Basic leash training, basic obedience, etc.... Training can make a hell of a lot better when done in short positive periods.

Kennel training is good.

Wish you the best!

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

I’ve gotten two puppies two years in a row - one in December and one in November. Shoot, I just got my chickens a month ago.

Yes, I guess it can be more challenging to take a puppy out in the winter months. But, it also can be a real pain in the spring when it’s wet and muddy. At least the ground is hard and not a mess when you come in. Oh and dogs love snow! It’s so much fun to take them out and let them play.

I recommend a long lead. Like at least 40 foot. That way when you have them out, you can let them run, play recall games, etc. and still be able to catch them. Most of these leads are nylon, so be careful because they can wrap around ankles - in the winter not a problem, but a bare ankle with nylon wrapped around causes much pain.

Work on recall, recall, recall. It has been great for my dogs who are now 3 and 2. We even have a safe recall word so that if they need to come back “right now!” They will do so.

Having a new puppy is like a newborn baby at first. It’s at least two weeks of crying puppy to go out in the middle of the night.
I recommend crate training as well. But, really look into it. You don’t want to use puppy pads unless they are going to be in a confined area for an extended amount of time.

Oh and we have a lab poodle mix and a golden retriever poodle mix - so both rather high energy dogs.
I will be back to comment more - got to get ready for work now!

 

[dainerra]

First, australian shepherds are insanely smart and I love them. SUPER easy to train, eager to please, and once they figure out that you do NOT want them to chase the chickens, they just don't. It's awesome. Close second to them are german shepherds. Even the puppies are hardwired to do EXACTLY what you want. Only issue I have with them is the health problems they tend to have because they're so intensively bred. :/

GSDs may be bred to work closely with humans as are aussies. But being hardwired to do exactly what you want is pretty far from the truth. More like "yeah but that is boring why don't I do this instead" Once you have them trained, yes they know it forever. But with an inexperienced owner they are more likely to train you instead.
And they will make up their own way of doing things if you aren't careful.

The problems with most breeds, including GSDs, aren't because they are intensely bred. It's because they are carelessly bred. For every good responsible breeder out there, there are 20 idiots who shouldn't be producing puppies. Many of them don't even know what health issues they should be testing for, let alone how to go about doing it properly. "My vet said his hips are good" isn't a valid answer unless your vet happens to be a certified orthopedic specialist. When most vets say your dog is healthy enough to breed mean "There are no apparent physical issues making it impossible for your dog to successfully become pregnant (or sire a litter) and your female isn't more likely than average to die while giving birth" Unless your vet does a lot of extra research just for you or is already an expert in your breed, he isn't even going to know what tests are available or recommended for a certain breed of dog.

Since the puppy is a mix, and I'm going to assume accidental litter, you are going to have some health problems to keep an eye out for. Basically anything that is common in either breed that isn't a recessive trait. And any recessives that are found in any 2 of the breeds in the family tree
Labs - hips, elbows, eyes and exercise induced collapse are going to be the big ones.
Chows - eyes, hips and elbows as well as patellas (knee caps). They can also be very prone to skin issues and hot spots. Especially in poorly bred dogs.

Anything with herding breeds - collie, aussies and to a lesser extent GSD - are going to need to be tested for sensitivity to heartworm meds or make sure the vet prescribes one safe for herding breeds.

Socializing doesn't mean let everyone pet and greet your dog. Or meet and play with other dogs. It means you expose them to sights, sounds, smells and varied environments. You want your dog to be able to focus on you and not be frightened by new and different things.