Never had a puppy before - so many questions!

[BabyBadger]

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Hello, I'm new
We picked up our puppy just over a week ago and we are both smitten by him. He's our first pup as we got our last dog as a 4 yo rescue. I just have so many questions

- what is the best food for him? The breeder had been feeding him puppy iams and so we've continued to do that but is that the best? You have to feed so much of it and I'm wondering if there are foods that are more nutritious and so you feed less of it?

- at the moment he sleeps in a crate next to the bed, he was waking once for a pee at about 4am but now he sleeps though until 6.30 which is great (I do appreciate I sound like I'm talking about a baby here!). We eventually would like him to be sleeping downstairs, when should we start to do this?

- he's had his first jabs and we've got 3 weeks until the seconds and I know he can't be walked until then but we live on a farm so would it be okay to walk him on the private lanes and fields?

- he's a working cocker x springer spaniel so is bright as a button, I've been doing a bit of 'training' with him, just coming to his name, looking at me, sit and down for a maximum of a couple of mins twice a day. Is this too much too soon? I don't want to fry his wee puppy brain.

- last one I promise! My mums got a 5 month old puppy and so they've spent a bit of time together when they are together they play really hard, looks really rough but neither of them have squeaked or actually got each other, when you put your hands between them there's not actually much contact but it just looks a bit scary. Is this normal puppy play or should we be interviening? They let each other sleep and also drink at the same time, share toys etc. Also, will having a friend that he always plays with as the only dog he knows effect his future interactions with others? Or will it be something he can differentiate between?

Sorry, I know I sound like a total novice and so any help much appreciated

x

 

[JoanneF]

what is the best food for him?

Have a look at www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk

It is an independent dog food comparison website which scores all types of foods (dry, raw, wet) on a scale of 0 to 5. You can set filters for your dog's weight, age etc and choose to view only the foods scoring, say, 4 and above. Then you can show them listed according to daily feeding cost so you can see what gives you best value for money. But remember to transition gradually from what the breeder gave you, over a 2 week period or so.

We eventually would like him to be sleeping downstairs, when should we start to do this?

I would leave it another couple of weeks or so, you want to be able to hear him move if he needs to toilet, and you definitely want to keep him confident and not distressed. When you do start moving him, do it gradually, a couple of feet at a time.

would it be okay to walk him on the private lanes and fields?

The risk to unvaccinated dogs or part vaccinated dogs is from rat faeces and urine so I would say no, these are not great places. But what you can do is take him out in a carrier or in your arms or a sling and allow him to observe the big world out there without being on the ground. If you live by the coast, taking him to the beach as the tide is going out and has left the beach freshly washed is pretty safe.

Is this too much too soon?

No, puppies are great at keeling over and falling asleep if they are learning too much! You will see when he has had enough but short and frequent training is great!

Is this normal puppy play or should we be interviening?

It is but do be prepared to step in if you feel any bullying is starting, if one seriously gets more bossy than the other. Or if one is getting tired and they just need some time out.

will having a friend that he always plays with as the only dog he knows effect his future interactions with others? Or will it be something he can differentiate between?

Never been a problem in my experience, as long as they don't see each other 24/7 - then you can get an issue called littermate syndrome. Once he has had his second vaccinations it might be a good idea, if you can, to introduce him to a calm older dog for positive role modelling.

It sounds like you have made a great start though!

 

[Josie]

Good morning @BabyBadger and welcome to the forum! It seems puppy mania has taken over

I can answer what I can from a personal perspective but I'm no expert! My boy is 10 now and I have to think hard to remember him as a puppy.

• There are so many different varieties of food out there. I personally feed my boy James well beloved but there are lots of members on here that also feed raw. We have a few food companies on our directory which may be handy for you to look at? you can ask them questions on here.
• I personally would say no to walking him on private lanes and fields, only because he may pick something up from wild life, like badgers and foxes. Again I'm no expert but someone will be better informed than me on this subject!
• Puppies need lots of mental stimulation, especially working breeds like sprockers. So I would continue to work that brain of his! Just make sure to stop when he's feeling tired or starting to lose focus
• The playing sounds fine to me. I think that he would yelp out if it got too rough and then the 5 month old would realise and stop or if he carried on you can always stop the play for awhile! I 100% think you should make sure he interacts with as many dogs as possible. Are you going to go to puppy classes? the more socialising he has the better in my eyes. That also applies with different social situations to.

Hope that helps a bit

 

[Violet Turner]

Keep him on the food the breeder had him on, then if you want to change the food do it gradually because changing it suddenly can cause upset tummies. Also with regards to the crate, I would do it slowly because he's still only young, I would do this by each week take the crate a little away from your bedroom until finally he's down stairs. I wouldn't walk him just yet because their could be disease on the paths or fields. It's great that you are socialising him, puppies will play rough they know when is enough. No you wont fry his brain keep up with the hard work! Ask away if you need anymore questions answering!

 

[arealhuman]

Welcome to the forum! You'll get some great advice here, not that I can help as I've never had a puppy.

 

[Caro Perry]

Harri came weaned on to James Wellbeloved but not being a big fan of kibble, I moved him on to Butternut Box at 3 months. He loved it.

We did the same as you for the first few nights and he slept through without needing a night time wee. After 4 nights we started moving his crate away from us and he was downstairs in the kitchen within 10 days or so.

Training is excellent for wearing them out!

Once he's had his jabs get him to meet other pups as well as your mum's and play ( a lot of vets offer puppy parties). The more he gets to meet and play with before 16 weeks the better socialised he'll be.

We sound like you in location. Harri had to restart his lepto jabs as we need the 4 version around here (and that's a whole thread to itself!) and his breeder had just done the 2. I did walk him out a little a few days after his second Parvo jab but we avoided other dogs and I kept him away from lamp posts, trees, gate posts, standing water etc. He was already exposed to rats in the garden - we live next to farm barns - so I didn't actually see much point in not. This was on my vets advice - obviously you need to listen to yours as it may be different around you.

 

[BabyBadger]

Have a look at www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk

It is an independent dog food comparison website which

Have a look at www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk

It is an independent dog food comparison website which scores all types of foods (dry, raw, wet) on a scale of 0 to 5. You can set filters for your dog's weight, age etc and choose to view only the foods scoring, say, 4 and above. Then you can show them listed according to daily feeding cost so you can see what gives you best value for money. But remember to transition gradually from what the breeder gave you, over a 2 week period or so.




I would leave it another couple of weeks or so, you want to be able to hear him move if he needs to toilet, and you definitely want to keep him confident and not distressed. When you do start moving him, do it gradually, a couple of feet at a time.



The risk to unvaccinated dogs or part vaccinated dogs is from rat faeces and urine so I would say no, these are not great places. But what you can do is take him out in a carrier or in your arms or a sling and allow him to observe the big world out there without being on the ground. If you live by the coast, taking him to the beach as the tide is going out and has left the beach freshly washed is pretty safe.



No, puppies are great at keeling over and falling asleep if they are learning too much! You will see when he has had enough but short and frequent training is great!



It is but do be prepared to step in if you feel any bullying is starting, if one seriously gets more bossy than the other. Or if one is getting tired and they just need some time out.



Never been a problem in my experience, as long as they don't see each other 24/7 - then you can get an issue called littermate syndrome. Once he has had his second vaccinations it might be a good idea, if you can, to introduce him to a calm older dog for positive role modelling.

It sounds like you have made a great start though!

What great advice, thank you so much! That website is brilliant and it only rates the iams 1.6 so will definitely be making a change.

At the moment the pups are very equal and about the same size but soon he'll be a lot bigger than her so hopefully they'll come to some sort of agreement!

 

[BabyBadger]

Good morning @BabyBadger and welcome to the forum! It seems puppy mania has taken over

I can answer what I can from a personal perspective but I'm no expert! My boy is 10 now and I have to think hard to remember him as a puppy.

• There are so many different varieties of food out there. I personally feed my boy James well beloved but there are lots of members on here that also feed raw. We have a few food companies on our directory which may be handy for you to look at? you can ask them questions on here.
• I personally would say no to walking him on private lanes and fields, only because he may pick something up from wild life, like badgers and foxes. Again I'm no expert but someone will be better informed than me on this subject!
• Puppies need lots of mental stimulation, especially working breeds like sprockers. So I would continue to work that brain of his! Just make sure to stop when he's feeling tired or starting to lose focus
• The playing sounds fine to me. I think that he would yelp out if it got too rough and then the 5 month old would realise and stop or if he carried on you can always stop the play for awhile! I 100% think you should make sure he interacts with as many dogs as possible. Are you going to go to puppy classes? the more socialising he has the better in my eyes. That also applies with different social situations to.

Hope that helps a bit

It doesn't help a bit, it helps a lot
I was googling like mad about taking them out before the second vaccine and all it mentioned was other dogs and so it makes so much sense now you and other posters have said it's more about wild animals. I can't believe that didn't even cross my mind. I definitely won't be putting him down but might take him for a few carries up to the farm so he can see the goings on.
We're booked into puppy classes starting mid march but they are the training ones, do you think it would be worth going to some socialisation ones too? I think my local vets do puppy parties.

 

[BabyBadger]

Keep him on the food the breeder had him on, then if you want to change the food do it gradually because changing it suddenly can cause upset tummies. Also with regards to the crate, I would do it slowly because he's still only young, I would do this by each week take the crate a little away from your bedroom until finally he's down stairs. I wouldn't walk him just yet because their could be disease on the paths or fields. It's great that you are socialising him, puppies will play rough they know when is enough. No you wont fry his brain keep up with the hard work! Ask away if you need anymore questions answering!

Thank you! That's great about the crate, I think I'll keep him where he is for another week or so and start moving it slowly away. At the moment my bf can dangle his hand down from the bed and pup goes rights up to the bars and kind of pushes himself against the hand so maybe we should reduce that while he's right next to the bed and then move crate away little by little.

 

[BabyBadger]

Welcome to the forum! You'll get some great advice here, not that I can help as I've never had a puppy.

Thank you, it's been so helpful already and I'm sure those won't be the last of the questions!

 

[BabyBadger]

Harri came weaned on to James Wellbeloved but not being a big fan of kibble, I moved him on to Butternut Box at 3 months. He loved it.

We did the same as you for the first few nights and he slept through without needing a night time wee. After 4 nights we started moving his crate away from us and he was downstairs in the kitchen within 10 days or so.

Training is excellent for wearing them out!

Once he's had his jabs get him to meet other pups as well as your mum's and play ( a lot of vets offer puppy parties). The more he gets to meet and play with before 16 weeks the better socialised he'll be.

We sound like you in location. Harri had to restart his lepto jabs as we need the 4 version around here (and that's a whole thread to itself!) and his breeder had just done the 2. I did walk him out a little a few days after his second Parvo jab but we avoided other dogs and I kept him away from lamp posts, trees, gate posts, standing water etc. He was already exposed to rats in the garden - we live next to farm barns - so I didn't actually see much point in not. This was on my vets advice - obviously you need to listen to yours as it may be different around you.

Oooo I was looking at Butternut Box today, it looks great. Do you get it delivered to your door? Does it work out much more expensive than a high end kibble?

Yes, I think I'll have a chat with the vets when I go in for his second jabs. He will have definitely already been exposed to rats, like yours, in the garden as well as pheasant and partridge! Is the 4 version for your location in the country or becasue you live rurally? I didn't mention to the vet where we lived and I'm thinking now I probably should have done.

 

[Caro Perry]

Oooo I was looking at Butternut Box today, it looks great. Do you get it delivered to your door? Does it work out much more expensive than a high end kibble?

Yes, I think I'll have a chat with the vets when I go in for his second jabs. He will have definitely already been exposed to rats, like yours, in the garden as well as pheasant and partridge! Is the 4 version for your location in the country or becasue you live rurally? I didn't mention to the vet where we lived and I'm thinking now I probably should have done.

Mainly because we have so many rats around! The 2 covers the main strains of lepto so it was really just a belt and braces job and if you google lepto 4 you'll find some dog owners are very anti it.

Yes do the puppy parties too! The training sessions don't give the pups a chance to play with each other which is what they need. It's lovely watching a shy puppy develop confidence around other pups and then get stuck in to the melee!

The Butternut Box is delivered every 3 weeks- it arrives still frozen and costs me about £2.60 a day for my size of dog. More expensive than kibble but it's human grade meat and veggies. If you want to try it once the pup is 12 weeks old then send me a PM and I have a code that will give you a discount off your first order

 

[Violet Turner]

Thank you! That's great about the crate, I think I'll keep him where he is for another week or so and start moving it slowly away. At the moment my bf can dangle his hand down from the bed and pup goes rights up to the bars and kind of pushes himself against the hand so maybe we should reduce that while he's right next to the bed and then move crate away little by little.

You can put a t-shirt in the crate and then you wont need to dangle your arm!

 

[Josie]

Yes make sure you do some socialisation that doesn’t involve training to

I think you will be just fine

 

[JoanneF]

I think my local vets do puppy parties.

Just a word of caution - these can be great, if they are well run but if they are not well run, they can be a bit of a free for all and some puppies find them overwhelming, especially if they coincide with one of their fear periods.
With socialisation, quality is better than quantity. Letting all and sundry (people and dogs) near a puppy can be overwhelming and frightening - the opposite of what you want. Control the socialisation by being selective, especially with other dogs and kids. Look for calm role model dogs, and children who can be trusted not to get over excited. Socialisation is not about plunging your puppy into every new experience, but rather allowing him to see, hear and get used to people and situations calmly and from a safe position.

 

[JudyN]

I agree with JoanneF about the downside of puppy parties. I went to one at Pets@Home with my manic lurcher pup and couldn't believe that all the other pups were sitting on their owners' laps, either dozing or apparently paying attention to the staff telling us about dog food while Jasper wanted to hurtle up and down the aisles and eat the birdfood and the rabbits. Then another lurcher pup came along and the two of them turned into a big noisy ball or fur, teeth and claws as they happily fought each other. Left to his own devices, I'm sure Jasper would have duffed up the other pups good and proper and it really wouldn't have been good for their socialisation.

Sleeping - another approach to moving your pup downstairs is to do it in one move, but you move down with him and sleep next to the bed on a campbed or mattress. Then you can gradually move yourself back upstairs - not so much increasing distance gradually (though you could gradually move your mattress to the far side of the room, but the time you're in the room with him for.