LolaLayla Posted June 25, 2012 Author Share Posted June 25, 2012 Well I have ordered the 2 books recommended by Redwing and Dogmother so hopefully that will cover all topics. I have also bought two small metal bowls with non slip bottoms. I had a look round a pet store and will get some other things nearer the time like the vet bed and a crate (sorry I know it's not everyone's cup of tea). I have seen an advert in the local paper for a new vets that seem to do a cheaper offer for puppies vaccinations, micro chipping, worming etc. I phoned up our usual vet (who has dealt with an assortment of gerbils, hamsters and rabbits over the years) to find out prices and for the whole lot of things needed I reckon I will save about £50 even though I have to travel about 15 mins longer to get there. I feel a bit of a traitor to change vets but I know the local one is rather expensive. I am sure the treatment will be as good and the meds will be the same. Also I will want to have her neutered in the future so that is another reason to go with the new practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolaLayla Posted June 25, 2012 Author Share Posted June 25, 2012 Around about 12th July Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 Make sure that you get her insured (your vet will usually offer 4 weeks free through their preferred supplier) choose an insurer which offers lifetime cover for serious illness, not just one-off or limited payments. M&S and Petplan are both good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolaLayla Posted June 25, 2012 Author Share Posted June 25, 2012 The 'deal' with the new vets offers the 4 week insurance free. Thanks for letting me know about the best ones for when it finishes. They also offer free microchipping in with the deal, at my vets it is about £24 I will not mind paying to ensure she has everything she should get but there seems to be a huge difference with what you pay where. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplemaniacs Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 ;by law dogs must be restrained in the car; that means either a fixed barrier, crate, or harness + seatbelt adaptor. Gosh I did not know that, we rarely take ours in the car now, we used to use a crate. I shall have to buy something suitable. Chrissie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasperaliceuk Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 Congratulations - I have half a poodle, a miniature labradoodle but he's not curly. I can talk until the cows come home about dogtraining having now had to train up two puppies. Aside from Gwen Bailey the following is a must read. You can buy the books but you can download them for free here. http://www.dogstardaily.com/ Ian Dunbar is a very well respected chap in the dog training world. Just check out the Training Textbook section for the most important info on puppy training before and after you get your pup. I have crate trained too - even if you eventually dispense with it, it means your dog is used to one, useful for vets and should you ever need to take a crate on holiday to confine the dog, or in a car. Whistle training for recall is something which can be done from day one that you get your pup too. Combine it with meal times and you are well on your way to mastering a good recall. (I can give you a sheet of instructions if you like) Sign yourself up to a good puppy class straight away as they get quite booked up and if poss, check it out first before signing up. Walk away if you see any shouting at puppies, yanking on leads, physical force (my own personal preference is for positive reward training!) Poodles are very bright dogs (I think they come second in the league of dog intelligence after collies) so they are easily trainable. You could look at clicker training too which is a fab method of training - not everyone's cup of tea but if you click with it (excuse the pun) you can train a dog to do almost anything quickly. Get the breeder to give you a soft toy or piece of vet bed which smells of the mum to bring home with you just to help settle the pup. Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluekarin Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 Thanks for the link Sue. I shall be using the info a lot. Just reading the bit about toilet training an older pup and how to get them to 'go' before going for a walk. Makes sense but I would never have thought of it! My doggie bookmark folder is getting bigger by the day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolaLayla Posted June 25, 2012 Author Share Posted June 25, 2012 Thanks for the advice about training. I really would like to train her but there seem to be so many methods. I think the clicker may be a problem as I would probably forget to take it with me all the time Perhaps the whistle training would be better I will probably take a toy to the breeder next time I go and she could let the mum and pups play with it so that I could take it home with us eventually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 Don't get too bogged down with different training methods - basically anything that rewards pup for performing the 'wanted' behaviours (treats, toy, praise etc) is good and anything that punishes dog for not behaving is not good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jasperaliceuk Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 Don't get too bogged down with different training methods - basically anything that rewards pup for performing the 'wanted' behaviours (treats, toy, praise etc) is good and anything that punishes dog for not behaving is not good. Well said! Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 25, 2012 Share Posted June 25, 2012 Crate training is easy, just hide treats in the bedding and feed the dog in there with the door open. Ruby no longer uses hers as she and Cyrus like to sleep under the counter in the kitchen at night, but crate training her was a doddle and mean that she was clean and slept well very soon after I got her. Cyrus doesn't appear to have been crate trained at all and I have tried with him but i think he's too old (and dim ) to pick it up. he really creates if he has to go to the vet and be confined for any reason. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolaLayla Posted June 25, 2012 Author Share Posted June 25, 2012 I have just ordered the crate. I was not sure of the correct size but have gone for a small one. If it is too small in the future I can always ebay it. Thanks for all the advice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purplemaniacs Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 Crate training is easy, just hide treats in the bedding and feed the dog in there with the door open. Both my dogs eat in the crate, always have done. Millie will not eat until I have shut the door, not sure if she thinks Poppy will pinch her food if the door is open but for a lab to wait to eat is quite unusual I think Chrissie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 I have just ordered the crate. I was not sure of the correct size but have gone for a small one. If it is too small in the future I can always ebay it. Thanks for all the advice They do tend to sell well and quickly. Smaller crates are always worth hanging onto for sick chickens or other animals. I once fostered an inured retired greyhound who'd just had an op and came with his own crate; he needed to be restricted if I wasn't able to keep an eye on him and make sure he didn't start to hoon around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolaLayla Posted June 26, 2012 Author Share Posted June 26, 2012 That will encourage me to hoard DM Something I don't need much of a push to do Still planning things. I have a little cat bed that the rabbits used years ago if they sat inside. As it isn't used anymore I thought I would give it a wash and it could be an extra bed. Think the name Lara seems to be sticking. Although I have thought of a few different ones OH thinks it is the best. The breeder gave me her vets number to phone to confirm that the pups were healthy. I called today and all is well. I suppose I should say when I eventually pick her up that I will get her checked over again incase something has developed.....what do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 I would, you will need to get her registered with your vet, checked over, micro-chipped and her vaccinations started if appropriate. They usually give a puppy goody bag too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolaLayla Posted June 26, 2012 Author Share Posted June 26, 2012 Ok. YS is back from his holiday away with friends (that could be another whole thread ) and is complaining about the names we like. We still are keen on Lara although Lulu is another option. He wants Brie DD wants Pixie Well we can't please them all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 Your puppy, you get to choose the name . I like Lara but Lulu is nice too . I think Lulu would suit a little poodle . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lavenders_Blue Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 Can you pop names in a hat and decide that way? I think I like Lulu for a poodle too, BTW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolaLayla Posted June 27, 2012 Author Share Posted June 27, 2012 YS now suggesting Oscar(pup's a girl ), Cooper and Penny. OH still keen on Lara. He thinks it is more distinguished. I said well she is hardly likely to be going to Cambridge. His reply - well we shouldn't deny her.... The only slight problem with Lara is my accent makes the name softer (and a bit posh as YS would say) but up here the 'a' is short and the emphasis is on the 'r' which makes it sound quite harsh. Oh dear this is me over thinking again... Ha, maybe I should call her Lara Lu and see how the name works on a day to day basis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluekarin Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 When choosing the name for our puppy, I had a few names mulling around my head. I practised saying they out loud (in the garden, with no one around ) to see how they felt. The current owners of our pup also suggested choosing something you can shout when out and about and usually ending in an A makes this easier. We were torn between Fen (the name they gave her and was after Fenton in the Youtube vid) Lilly (Harry Potters mum as we are HP nuts) and Neela (Urdu for blue, as she is a blue roan). I eventually went with Neela, which was my first choice and now the more we say it, even though she isn't even here yet, it feels right. As Neela is effectively my dog, I had the final say on the name, but I was very sure to make sure my hubby was happy with the name, as he wasn't 100% keen on getting one at all. I like Lara and Pixie (especially if she seems to be a smaller poodle), but I would imagine Lulu would suit a poodle what ever her size Can't wait to see piccys of her Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seagazer Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 Ah congratulations on the puppies both of you. If the poodle puppy is anything like Cookie (3/4 poodle) then she will be absolutely stunning. I've seen Bluekarin's puppy photo and she is so gorgeous. We went with a crate for Cookie and she absolutely loved it, she would disappear and we'd find her in there happily asleep or just resting. We don't have it now - it was quite a big one as Cookie is standard poodle/golden retriever size. The main thing with puppies is consistency, everyone has to use same commands and also frequent trips outdoors to prevent any accidents in the house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LolaLayla Posted June 27, 2012 Author Share Posted June 27, 2012 Like you bluekarin I have been trying calling out the name. DD does not really like Lulu so I think she will be Lara but as I said possibly Lara Lu. Neela is nice and easy to say I have been out today to get a toy to take over when we next see the pup and I am keeping it next to me to get my scent on it so hopefully even after I have gone there is a reminder. How often do you see your pup? Seagazer, I think consistency may be a problem as YS has all sort of plans but I will need to rein him in He imagines she will be all over the house from day one but I have tried to explain that for so many reasons that would not work. I am trying to decide what to do with the flooring in the utility where I will have her 'area'. At present there are carpet tiles and I was going to change that to cushion floor but OH thinks we should leave it and see how badly it gets marked. The breeders have the pups in a carpeted area and there doesn't seem to be much of a problem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 You're right, it's best to keep them restricted to a smaller area at first otherwise they just go crazy and can't get a toiletting routine sorted out. You might want to decide (and agree) now whether she will be allowed on furniture or upstairs. Mine are allowed in any room downstairs but not on furniture and not upstairs - a couple of stairgates from Freecycle sorted that out. Ruby is very good about that but Cyrus (my rescue hound) was obviously allowed on furniture at some stage but is learning that it's not permitted here. The know that when the doorbell goes they have to go straight in the kitchen while any guests come in. The could easily vault the stairgate if they wanted but it helps to make sure that any visitors are settled before the dogs come to say hello. My kitchen and utility room both have stone floors so no problem with cleaning up any accidents, but do avoid 'piddle pads' as they just encourage the pup to go indoors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluekarin Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 We have only seen her the once but the owner updates their website with new photos so we can see her. Not the same I know. We are hoping to see her this weekend, or a night next week. If I could, I'd see her twice a week I want to take a toy over next time we go with our smell on, and for it to get some of the litter smells too. The owner is giving us a piece of the fleece they are sleeping on now for a comfort blankie. I would say get your ground rules in now, otherwise she'll be confused. We have the steadfast rule that Neela is not allowed upstairs. Our cats sleep up there during the day and they need a safe haven. If they won't listen to that rule, say its actually very bad for their legs coming back downstairs and can cause arthritis later in life. Which it is, as there is too much pressure put on the joints coming down the stairs. As for the flooring - I'd leave it and wait and see what happens. They may be some accidents when she first comes to live with you as she will be a bit homesick and not understand where the loo is etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
