Tips !! Just brought a Dachshund Puppy

Hi guys ,

New poster here, just need guidance and help on a few things.

Firstly me and my gf recently brought a house and all she’s ever done is go on about buying a sausage dog ,I finally gave in didn’t I .

So now we have a 10 week old puppy! We’ve brought a cage, food , travel bag, toys, blankets.

It’s had his first set of jabs before we brought him and is microchipped too .
We’ve got his second set booked in for 14 January . So does this mean we take him outside until after this ?

We both work full time and my gf mum has already moaned at me saying I shouldn’t have brought a puppy cause it needs someone at home all the time . Is this correct ?

I looked into having someone come round on a daily bases to feed him and spend and hour with him but my gf is not keen on this .

I’m a contractor so I can bring him to work with me and check on him every half hour or so is this an idea? I’m not sure .

Just wondering what everyone else has had to do when they got a puppy because surely we sent the only ones who work full time with a dog .

When we go bed at night we leave him downstairs in his cage with all his blankets. He will cry for 15/20 mins but then will full asleep , he’s waking up 2/3 times in the night as well . Let him go for a wee then back to bed . Crying again .

Could I have some tips on the best things to do for the dog . As this is our first and we want to give him the best life possible .

Thanks

Puppies do need company yes. Also toilet training is much harder - how do you teach them to go outside if you are not there to let them out? Puppies can't hold their bladders. An hour a day of company is nowhere near enough.

I waited til I was able to work from home before getting a pup.

I dont believe puppies should be left alone but thats me, i have 3 dogs the youngest is nearly 10mth and none off mine has been on their own ever. Pups need company they get lonely and need training they can't learn toilet training etc on their own. Is there not someone that could take the pup during the day while you work?

Camz said:

Could I have some tips on the best things to do for the dog .

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Honestly? Take him back to the breeder's. It's generally recommended that dogs aren't left for more than 4 hours, and a puppy really does need someone around for most, if not all, of the time. Apart fom anything else, housetraining involved taking the pup out very often - even every half hour to start off with. And if you intend to leave the pup in the crate all day as well as at night, that's still worse. Let's face it, a pup is a social animal, like a human baby, and no one would leave a human baby alone for all that time. And at 10 weeks, he should be fed 3-4 times a day which is another reason he shouldn't be left all day.

However... I don't want to be negative, so let's see if we can make it work. If you take him to work with you, would he be in a crate in a van? This could be workable, though I'd start off by getting him used to being in the crate in the van while it's not moving, and then going a short distance. What is he like when he is left in the day at present? Ideally, teaching a dog to be happy being left should always be done in his comfort zone - so if he cries after 5 minutes, you start off leaving him for 4 mins, and if he gets upset when you open the door to go out, then you work on opening the door and not going out... Leaving him crying only confirms to him that being on his own is stressful.

I don't suppose your GF's mum could be persuaded to puppy-sit for any length of time? When the dog is older and OK with being left for a few hours, then you could maybe leave him at home but it would still be far better for him to have someone come in in the day.

After he has had his second booster you should wait a week or two before taking him out and about - your vet will be able to advise on the best timing. But in the meantime socialisation is very important and you can carry him places, in your arms or in a carrier, to meet people and see the sights. Just sitting on a bench near a road while feeding him titbits will help avoid him becoming fearful of traffic. He can also meet dogs that you know are vaccinated.

At night, again, it's much better if he is left to cry, unless he just cries for a few minutes and then settles down contentedly. Bear in mind that pups who end up not crying because they realise it doesn't work aren't contented pups - they're shut down and know that their situation is hopeless. Compare Rumanian orphanages... The best thing you can do would be to move his crate to by your bed, so you can hear when he needs to go out and take him out straight away, and comfort him if he cries. He'll be happier knowing you're near. Later on, you can move him out of your room if you prefer.

A couple of excellent books on pups are Gwen Bailey's The Perfect Puppy and (more detailed and my favourite) The Puppy Primer by Patricia McConnell.

Good luck with him - let us know how you get on, and we would LOVE to see photos!

My 2 cents - I would lean on GF mum to stay with the little sausage, if she doesn't work. Make an offer she can't resist. She may be reluctant at first, but dogs have a way of making humans fall in love. That was the case with my mother, who had been against having a dog all her life until we got one, warned us against getting a dog... and then in almost no time became a dog lover and advocate for all kinds of animals.

The rest will follow and fall in place, but keeping the puppy company at this stage is really important IMHO.

As far a crying at night, crates and toilet training:

Being crate trained is a good thing. Never know when this becomes useful, staying at the vet overnight, for example... So, if a dog doesn't mind being in a crate - it's good.

But as far as toileting outside - my approach was to sleep downstairs with the puppy. Whether he was in his crate or on his bed or with me doesn't matter. What matters is to be able to wake up, swoop the little monster and run with him outside when he makes a little noise. Lots of false alarms, of course, and lack of sleep. On the positive side - ours had no more than 1 or 2 accidents inside the house.

At the moment I’m off work until the 3rd jan . So he’s with us all the time . I work from 6am till 2pm . Gf works from 9am till 6pm . So realistically he would be left alone for 5hours .

That’s why I thought maybe pay someone to come around for an hour inbetween that time . I wouldn’t leave him in the crate locked up in that time he would be roaming around , he’s already toilet trained as we have a litter tray for now.

I can bring him to work and spend time with him that way , as I’m on jobs by myself , I’ve seen other guys do this .

Asking her mum is an option but after her moaning we shouldn’t of got him I’m not so sure as she has her own dog (a rottie at that )

I have a retired neighbour that might look after him in the day as he doesn’t do much so I could ask him

Camz said:

So realistically he would be left alone for 5hours .

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Ah, that sounds much more doable, particularly if you get someone to come in halfway through and can take him to work as well I'm not a great fan of litter trays as it can reinforce that it's OK for the dog to go indoors (if you take him to someone else's house they won't have a litter tray so he might think the rug is a good substitute). But I'm sure it works well for many.

If GF's mum's Rottie is good with dogs then he/she could make a great playmate for your boy. Rotties can be absolute cuddle monsters. But of course you'd want to do careful introductions. If they get on well, there's a good chance she'd be delighted to puppy-sit!

Atm we got the litter tray because I wasn’t sure if he was allowed outside. Once he has his second lot of injections i thought it be ok to try him in garden to go toilet .

Her mums Rottie is a bit of touch and go . He was a rescue 2 years old , and must of had a bad past because some big dogs he feels threatened with and not sure if he will go for them . He seems to be alright with the small ones but never too sure .

It's fine to take him in the garden straight away, as long as you don't have a lot of foxes or stray dogs: according to a vet website I found, 'Puppies require a vaccination course of two injections which can start from six weeks of age. We normally give the second vaccination four weeks later. We advise that your puppy is not allowed out until after the second vaccination. However, you puppy may go out in your own garden for toilet training and can mix with other healthy, fully vaccinated friend’s and family’s dogs within their own gardens. If you are thinking of attending a puppy party to get your dog socialised with other dogs, this can be done after first vaccination, provided that all puppies are vaccinated to this level.' (New Puppy)

Can I firstly say I dont intend to beat anyone about this but....
The OP is a good example of why we need a waiting time when buying puppies and kittens. It sounds like a great idea, everyone is enthusiastic and then the sh1t hits the fan as reality kicks in as they realise that they've done no planning or prep in the whole wonderful 'surprise its a puppy' idea.

While I do think buyers should be better prepared most of my blame goes to breeders. They are the ones entrusting this precious living creature to a new home and it should be their job to make sure that the new owner is fully prepared and prepped to take care of the pup/kitten.

@Camz Youve had some good advice so far, read it then read it again and then decide if you really have everything sorted out if not as @JudyN says it might be best to learn from this but to return your pup until you are better placed and more organised to take on the HUGE responsibilty that is a pup.

When I brought him I had a little bit of research online , but most of my advice was from the women I brought him off .

She did know we both worked full time and she didn’t say it was a problem. ( tbh I’m not surprised by the conditions they was living in.

There’s no way they would take the dog back as it was a money thing for them no doubt

I’m taking all the advice on board , this is the reason I am on the forum to get advice and care for the pup .
Either way he isn’t gunna be left alone when we are out . Since xmas everywhere we been he’s been coming with us .
He’s been introduced to a Staffy and a spaniel cross. And was nice to see him excited .

Camz said:

When I brought him I had a little bit of research online , but most of my advice was from the women I brought him off .

She did know we both worked full time and she didn’t say it was a problem. ( tbh I’m not surprised by the conditions they was living in.

There’s no way they would take the dog back as it was a money thing for them no doubt
.

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And this is why I hate the cash buys you anything system. These kind of breeders need to be taken out and strung up by the short and curleys.
Can I just add, you do a pup no favours buying from them, Its not rescuing its condemming the mother dog to yet more litters so anyone reading this if you turn up at a nasty, dirty, money grabbing breeder walk away and call the RSPCA or animal protection.

Well thanks for your input . Like I said I’m here for the advice and I appreciate everyone’s feedback on this .

There must be plenty of full time adults around that have a dog. He will be cared for and won’t be left alone

People do work and have dogs but they make provision for the dog to have companionship and exercise and affection while they are out. This is the big thing. Personally I'd agree with the other posts- take him back to the breeder and get a cat unless you can be sure of providing a happy life for him. Dogs are pack animal, not meant to be in solitary confinement. So if you keep him, you have to step up and do the responsible thing and get him everything he needs. You and you OH will be the winners if you do: you'll have a lovely well-adjusted little dog and not a worried, snappy and unhappy one. That's the BEST Christmas present you can give yourselves!

Last thing re breed: he's a long dog. I've had long dogs in the past (corgis) and they have the same problems: backs. Therefore as he's growing don't let him jump from anything like a sofa, don't let him whiz up and down stairs. Or do anything to promote twisting or falls. Growing spines are very fragile and you want him to have a healthy one.

Oh, he is so tiny, and so precious!

There's many here, I'm sure, me included, who bought a puppy not quite knowing what we were letting ourselves in for and then realised we were underprepared and that the dog didn't come from the best of breeders. Given that your work days overlap, that you can take him to work, that you are happy to get someone to come in partway through the day, and that your neighbour and/or GF's mother can help out, and - most importantly - that you are willing to learn and want to give him a great life, I don't see why you can't give him a really good home.

Do keep researching and asking questions. Also, if he seems confident, I would work on leaving him for short periods right now, so it's not too much of a change for him when he does have to be left. 'Short periods' could be anything from nipping to the loo without him coming too to nipping to the shops for 20 mins, depending on him. It's a good idea to record him (audio is fine if you can't do video) when you leave him just so you know that he's OK with it and not howling.

JudyN said:

Oh, he is so tiny, and so precious!

There's many here, I'm sure, me included, who bought a puppy not quite knowing what we were letting ourselves in for and then realised we were underprepared and that the dog didn't come from the best of breeders. Given that your work days overlap, that you can take him to work, that you are happy to get someone to come in partway through the day, and that your neighbour and/or GF's mother can help out, and - most importantly - that you are willing to learn and want to give him a great life, I don't see why you can't give him a really good home.

Do keep researching and asking questions. Also, if he seems confident, I would work on leaving him for short periods right now, so it's not too much of a change for him when he does have to be left. 'Short periods' could be anything from nipping to the loo without him coming too to nipping to the shops for 20 mins, depending on him. It's a good idea to record him (audio is fine if you can't do video) when you leave him just so you know that he's OK with it and not howling.

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Appreciate the positive feedback , just needed the guidance.

I’m not given him back or re-homing him, we are ready for the commitment, I will give you updates on how he is getting in.
If I have to pay for someone to
Come around if I don’t take him to work so be it.

REALLY not getting at you but I guess like everyone else on the forum, I'm instantly on the side of dogs. Good for you getting the things he needs. But to be honest it's the breeder I'd like to get at. Why did he not care enough to ask you questions and so focus your mind on how to look after a puppy? Simple answer: he wanted your money.

End of the day mate,none of us were born dog experts,end of,you learn as you go along. Some pups are easier than others but they all need time and effort. Best advice I can give you is to remain calm and confident around your dog at all times,belive me it goes along way.
I work full time and manage to keep perfectly healthy and happy well rounded dogs. Its not rocket science at the end of the day,it's mainly commonsens.
I hope you have many happy years with your dog...just like I have

Hi Camz

I go and visit a puppy for a hour in the morning and half hour in the afternoon. I am a professional dog boarding service and care service.

Definitely don’t let him out before His inoculations only in your garden.
Plus don’t let him roam free his spine is still growing and he must not jump about on furniture as per previous info.

The puppy I visit is crated then I take him out in a room with soft bedding and no furniture in. I let him outside to pee and poo and train him to sit and play with him.

Maximum of a hour to be left if that.