advice for new dog mom

[KindRedSpirit]

Our new house came with a dog,med sized,we got him shaved and brought him in-all new to me...ADVICE?????????????????

[melamama]

second the crate advice, it will save your sanity. Feed him in there, let him sleep there, and put him there when you are out. Make sure it fits his size-big enough to stand up turn around and get comfortable, but not big enough so he can use part of it for sleeping and part as a toilet. He will think of it as his den-his safe place to sleep. Don't let your kids play in the crate, it should be his place.

also, obedience training--there are lots of great training books, but one I like is Mother Knows Best by Carol Lea Benjamin
or take him to a class

good luck

[cumulus]

Is this a full-grown pooch or a puppy? Castrated? Is it a wizzpopper?

[KindRedSpirit]

We are guessing he is 3-5 yrs,very well behaved,house-trained it appears, as he has yet to go potty in the house(since the 26),He is great with the kids too.I am thinking he must have had a great owner at some point,he is so good!
He is also intact,and his rearie smells better than my 16 mo.old!
We did get him a kennel/crate,but we have felt no need to put him in it yet,he didn't seem impressed with it either,it may just be for time-outs if he ever gets bad.
Knock on wood!

[calgal007]

No, no, no -- the crate isn't for timeouts. It's a safe place for the dog, and should be used as such. In the wild, dogs seek a cave or other small place in which to curl up in. In the home, the crate is the alternative. It is not a punishment, it's a secure little place. Use the crate for under-four-hour trips away from the home, and for times when you have lots of activity in the household. Also for when you just don't want a dog underfoot, it's fine to crate them and be moving around the house. It makes them feel secure.
Point number two -- a well-exercised dog is a well-behaved dog.

[KindRedSpirit]

that makes sense to me,exept he never goes in willingly,when we go in the car he barks and whines in his kennel.

[calgal007]

He'll get used to it; I throw a biscuit in before my lovely little brood bitch goes into her kennel. Have you tried a "goodie ship" to keep him entertained during his time in the kennel? (It's a hard rubber disc with three holes in it -- you fill the holes with cream cheese or peanut butter. They lick out the goodie then chew on the disc. It's a beautiful solution; chewing relieves the stress of being left alone.)

[adventuregirl]

I never crated my dog and have never regretted it. I can see the use, esp for certain dogs, but if you don't feel the need, why force him in? If he is well trained and responsive to your commands, you may be just fine without it. Our dog will go where we ask him to and stay there without problems.

I do advocate neutering, esp w/kids around. Male dogs can become more aggressive when left intact and there are so many homeless dogs out there (just like he was). Just think of seven puppies just like him, homeless... Too many dogs are put down in shelters everyday.

Try to figure out what he does know by way of commands, and see how he is with learning new ones. That will give you a much better picture of what you need to do.

[beanma]

another no crater here. our two mutts do have beds (dog pillows) and they know to "get in your bed" if we tell them to, but i really don't see the need to crate our dogs. you'll have to evaluate, though. we've had them both since they were pups and i do trust them with our almost 2 year old dd. brian kilcommons has some great dog training books out there if you're interested in that sort of thing.

why the shaving? fleas?

[KindRedSpirit]

beanma-we shaved him cos he is half poodle and was one big dredlock so we had to get him cleaned up for health reasons,and it is too cold for him outside now without a thick coat .luckilly, no fleas

I never thought I'd do this,but we are going to get him neutered poor guy,we had a few bad walks lately,with neighbor dogs in heat and he went crazy!