# Puppy prep



## tripp (Jan 13, 2011)

My pup will be coming home shortly and one of my big concerns is keeping her healthy. I'm just kinda wondering how long after I bring her home is her next set of shots due? Also any tips on potty training and general obedience tips anyone can give would be great. Thanks for all the previous and future advice.


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## Grangeristhename (Jan 20, 2011)

hello!
shots: The breeders gave the first set of shots when Granger was 7 weeks. We then brought him to the vet when he turned 10 weeks for the second round. 13 weeks for the third round + the kennel cough vaccine. 16 weeks for the last round with the last kennel cough and the rabies vaccine. I don't think there is a set standard but this is what was recommended by Granger's vet.

Potty Train: I Crated (still do) Granger. What I would do is take him outside after he eats, drinks, plays, or sleeps. He wouldn't soil his crate but he did have a few accidents around the house. Just get Nature's Miracle to clean the accident. Granger is 17 weeks now and he walks to the door when he needs to go. He was potty trained maybe 2-4 weeks after we took him home from the breeder.
Also when he uses the bathroom outside, make sure to praise him and give him a treat. Say Great JOB! or Great Potty! Also, if you do take him outside and he doesn't use the bathroom in 10-15 min. Take him back inside and wait another 10 before taking him out. I did this so he doesn't associate going potty with just hanging outside. 

Obedience: We never let granger on the couch and he does go, we take push out and say no. He still bites and nips a lot. If you see they are going wild with the nipping and biting, give them a timeout. They may be tired and want to sleep when they go crazy. Other then that, let them out of the timeout after 10 minutes when he/she is calm. We are still having trouble with the nipping, I think it's a combination of teething, and just learning how to play the right way. 

Good luck! IF this is your first puppy, be patient and always find ways to leave him alone so you can have your own time. There were times that I feel like pulling out my hair (still do), but just separating yourself from them helps.


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## Linescreamer (Sep 28, 2010)

Ask the breeder to write down what shots have been taken care of and when others will be due. Very important -> the first time the paws hit the ground at your house should be "on the pee spot" . Once they do it there, they will be brought back to that spot every time to repeat the process. Be prepaired with treats in hand and say good potty (or whatever). Yes make a BIG Deal out of going in this spot for the next 4 weeks, and you will have a housebroken pet in no time.  Do not reward with treats when they wake you up at 2am. You can still say good potty, but don't jump up and down while praising them at 2am. Read other posts also.


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## 19Delta (Jan 20, 2010)

If possible use only 1 door for the in and out of potty training. We got Strider in the summer and he would go in and out of 4 different doors during the day, sort of confusing for such a lil guy. We ended up only using the front door and attaching a bell to it. Every time we would take him out to pee, we would take his paw and swipe the bell. Within a couple of days he was doing it himself to let us know he needed out. Strider still gets "bitey" when he needs to go out, we had to learn that when he starts biting, it usually means "HEY, I GOTTA GO PEE!" and not just a play thing.

Good luck,
Tim


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## tripp (Jan 13, 2011)

Thanks for the advice it makes alot of sense. Alot of people I've talked to are extremely big on crate training , actually they swear by it. I've read that alot of people on here crate train, is that the way to go?


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## MaggieD (Jan 28, 2011)

thats a big YES in my opinion. I didnt want to crate train bc the pup is just so darn cute but it is beyond the only way to go... it will provide your a dog a little den that they will actually grow to like and it will also give u the ability to put your dog away when your busy and not worry about what hes getting into... we got our crate and put it in the living room and would put him in it starting at 10 mins at a time during day and gradually added up.. and at night i would put him in it and lay next to the crate until he fell asleep or until i did lol. it provided him some comfort and it really minimized the screaming... after that he became comfortable just knowing i was in the house and around even if he was in the crate and now he is great whenever i leave the house. Also, the crate provides a great place for naps. he would fall asleep on my lap all the time the first few days I was able to be home with him but now he likes playtime so much he wont calm himself down and go to sleep UNLESS he is in his crate. I think that if you had to do one thing for your dog, crate training is the #1. It provides structure and a place of comfort (after he gets used to it)

Just whatever you do DO NOT let a screaming puppy out of the crate ;D because he will then scream even more everytime he goes in, thinking youll come save him!


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## JillandDan (Sep 8, 2010)

I agree 100% with crate training. We didn't get Holley until she was 16wks old. She never had to let anyone know when she needed to use the potty so we knew we had our hands full. We purchased a crate with a puppy panel so that it was just big enough for her at that time. She had a few little accidents in the apartment but was doing great the 2nd week. We also love the crate because we know she is safe during the day while we are at work. We also keep her food bowl in there so that she likes it more. We started out with the crate in our bedroom for the first week. We would lay by it until she fell asleep and then sneak into bed. Then we moved it to the living room and still layed by it. Now she will go to sleep on her own. It was very hard to hear her cry but we knew we couldn't go let her out because it would only cause more trouble. Just be strong. Vs are great at making those cute little noises and faces but it will be worth it to stick to the crate.


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