# new puppy,winter



## Duffy (Apr 16, 2013)

new to the forum-will be picking up my puppy in 7 weeks , can't wait!
Since will be getting into the winter months I am looking for suggestions on outdoor exercise, potty training, etc.


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## gunnr (Aug 14, 2009)

IN my opinion, you picked a great time to get a puppy. 
Winter has fewer distractions than summer and spring and since the puppy will be new, you'll naturally want too and will have time to work with it. If all goes well, and you're a hunter, the pup will be ready next season for it's first season.

If you live in a snowy area, you can have a lot of fun cutting "bobsled" runs with the blower, or shovel. This will allow the puppy to go to the bathroom easier and make for little race tracks. The walls facilitate retrieval work by establishing a natural line of sight to the handler barrier. My backyard used to look like a corn maze in snow for the dogs. I still cut paths for them to get to the trees to go to the bathroom.

Puppies don't regulate heat well for the first few months, so you'll have to get a sweater and keep play times to lots of short sessions and not one or two long ones. The puppy will dictate the pace. I promise. 
Everything that can be done on the lawn, can be done in the snow. Don't let it hold you back. 
Above all let the puppy dictate the length of the sessions in winter time. If he/she even begins to start to shiver, stuff 'em inside your jacket and bring it back in. You can't "toughen them up", you'll only compromise their development. V's aren't winter dogs by nature, but as adults, if their kept moving, they can tolerate some pretty low temps. Not like Chessie's or Newfie's, but low enough to hunt ducks. No shivering allowed.


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## mlwindc (Feb 8, 2013)

We got our pup right before Christmas. Winter is a good time to get a pup - home for the holidays, staying inside... The earlier advice is goody- anything u can do on grass, you can do in cold and on snow. Watch for shivering. W did have a little coat he wore to keep him warm. He did shiver and refuse to walk on occasion, I covered him in my coat and carried him home.


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## GarysApollo (Nov 27, 2012)

Great advice already. Puppies only need a few minutes outside and they are good to go.


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## tknafox2 (Apr 2, 2013)

Our first pup came to us in the fall, and we had a really rainy, wet ,cold one. We did a lot of indoor playing, and one of the best wear down games was to just toss soft toys down a long hall(or across the room) for the pup to chase, and sometimes I would toss one right after the other so I didn't have to wait for her to release it, she would just drop one and run to get the new one. Sometimes she would carry the first one back and try to get more than one in her mouth, or bring the first one back again. Many time all the toys would end up at the other end, and I would have to go retrieve them to start over. If you have stairs. Once they are big enough to negotiate them confidently... toss the toy down the stairs. Makes them tired fast! (it also makes them hungry)


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## jld640 (Sep 29, 2010)

Savannah came to me in the fall, too. It worked out fine.

I took great comfort in advice from a previous post (I can't remember who to credit)..."There is no bad weather, only bad clothing decisions."

Good luck!


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## Duffy (Apr 16, 2013)

Thanks for all the suggestions-I'm looking forward to trying them all.


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