Adopting a puppy! Advice? (Pics too!)

[shakti29]

So my DH and I are adopting a shelter puppy. He is supposedly a lab/Newfoundland mix (I guess they make that stuff up) and we are naming him Kaz (after one of our favorite wineries in Sonoma).

Here is the pic that made us fall in love with him:

He is being fostered by a girl who volunteers at the local shelter. She rescued him and his brother after the shelter put down 3 of his siblings for no apparent reason (overcrowded I guess?)

We went to meet him and fell MORE in love:

Seriously, isn't he the cutest???

He got his 2nd set of shots Sunday and is being neutered on Wednesday and then we get to bring him home!

I emailed to check on him Sunday and his foster mom sent us a new pic:

He is all dirty after playing with his brother.

Anyway, we have 2 kids, 6yo and 4yo and we haven't told them yet. We are going to surprise them when we bring him home Thursday. Any tips for introducing him to a new family and kids? I'm thinking we need to set some strict limits with the kids, like "sit down and let him come to you" and letting them take turns taking him outside to go potty. Anything else you can think of? We plan to crate train and my DH will be able to bring him to work (nice to have your own business). Any other tips would be appreciated!

 

[wordbox]

I would also just let the kids know that there are rules that come along with the puppy: always being kind and gentle to him, having to take turns giving him food and water and walking him, etc. and that it's not all fun and games. They'll need to be responsible for him, too (though obviously, at those ages, you won't want to actually trust them to take care of him, but supervise). I imagine he's been socialized a bit already, and in my experience puppies that age love kids and all people and will probably climb all over your kids and slobber them with kisses.

ADORABLE puppy, good luck and have fun with him! And yay for adopting from a shelter.

 

[Miyoshi637]

Yeah for adoptions! He's super cute. But like Wordbox said, you need to set some rules. Be nice, gentle, don't pull his ears, tail etc. Be gentle when petting.(Common sense stuff, you already know) That they have to help you change his water and feed him. Have your kids help with cleaning up after him. I know they won't like that too much. Maybe slowly introducing him to the kids. Sometimes kids get a little scared with something so hyper! I hope all goes well too, good luck!

 

[grayxie]

Definitely no riding the puppy like he is a pony! No matter what you say before the puppy comes home, its just going to be a maul fest between the kids and puppy when he walks in the door.

 

[shakti29]

I would also just let the kids know that there are rules that come along with the puppy: always being kind and gentle to him, having to take turns giving him food and water and walking him, etc. and that it's not all fun and games. They'll need to be responsible for him, too (though obviously, at those ages, you won't want to actually trust them to take care of him, but supervise). I imagine he's been socialized a bit already, and in my experience puppies that age love kids and all people and will probably climb all over your kids and slobber them with kisses.

ADORABLE puppy, good luck and have fun with him! And yay for adopting from a shelter.

Yes, I think reinforcing the "kind and gentle" rule will be top priority, although they are very sweet and gentle with the dog we have now.

Yeah for adoptions! He's super cute. But like Wordbox said, you need to set some rules. Be nice, gentle, don't pull his ears, tail etc. Be gentle when petting.(Common sense stuff, you already know) That they have to help you change his water and feed him. Have your kids help with cleaning up after him. I know they won't like that too much. Maybe slowly introducing him to the kids. Sometimes kids get a little scared with something so hyper! I hope all goes well too, good luck!

And yes, the helping take care of him part will be very important. One thing I read said that you should treat a puppy like a new baby, be gentle, let him rest, be consistent, etc.

We are so looking forward to surprising the kids, but I want it to be a smooth, calm surprise. I don't want it to deteriorate into madness (which can happen sometimes with little kids).

 

[shakti29]

Definitely no riding the puppy like he is a pony! No matter what you say before the puppy comes home, its just going to be a maul fest between the kids and puppy when he walks in the door.

LOL Grayxie. I'm thinking I am going to make them SIT DOWN (the kids, not the dog, ha ha) on the floor and just wait for him to come see them first. He is still pretty young (8 wks) so hasn't gone into full-blown puppy-madness yet, so hopefully the mauling will be at a minimum.

 

[grayxie]

^^I can't wait to see pics when he arrives!

 

[Tracy]

aw, i don't have any tips, he's sooooo cute!!

 

[Irishgal]

Yeah for adoptions! He's super cute. But like Wordbox said, you need to set some rules. Be nice, gentle, don't pull his ears, tail etc. Be gentle when petting.(Common sense stuff, you already know) That they have to help you change his water and feed him. Have your kids help with cleaning up after him. I know they won't like that too much. Maybe slowly introducing him to the kids. Sometimes kids get a little scared with something so hyper! I hope all goes well too, good luck!

I love that, and agree. Yay for adoptions, for rescue moms and dads and rescue kids and moms and dads who teach their children how to love an animal and all the rescue operations out there!

 

[wordbox]

They have a cute kids book called Tails Are Not For Pulling. You should check it out! It could be a fun way to introduce the puppy, too (read the book and then ask them questions about it, then say how important it is to remember because you got the puppy).

 

[jenny70]

OMG! He's precious!! Congrats on adopting!

 

[EVEXXX]

A few tips;

Be consistent in your training otherwise he will get confused.

I think he should have one trainer who sets the rules and other members of the household should know what these are.

Be kind! Never hit or hurt your dog.

Reinforce good behaviour . ( with love and attention and/or treats)

If he is naughty he needs to know why and will need a guide towards positive behaviour. Dogs cannot read minds!

Big dogs can take a lot of time and energy.

They need lots of love and attention, regular walks, feeding and grooming.

Do some research online regarding the health of this breed.

Make sure you can afford vets fees as well!

So be prepared!

Dogs are a blessing so please take the best of care and be patient with them.

Good luck x

 

[shakti29]

They have a cute kids book called Tails Are Not For Pulling. You should check it out! It could be a fun way to introduce the puppy, too (read the book and then ask them questions about it, then say how important it is to remember because you got the puppy).

Good idea...maybe I will try to get by the library today to pick that up!

A few tips;

Be consistent in your training otherwise he will get confused.

I think he should have one trainer who sets the rules and other members of the household should know what these are.

Be kind! Never hit or hurt your dog.

Reinforce good behaviour . ( with love and attention and/or treats)

If he is naughty he needs to know why and will need a guide towards positive behaviour. Dogs cannot read minds!

Big dogs can take a lot of time and energy.

They need lots of love and attention, regular walks, feeding and grooming.

Do some research online regarding the health of this breed.

Make sure you can afford vets fees as well!

So be prepared!

Dogs are a blessing so please take the best of care and be patient with them.

Good luck x

Thanks for the tips!

 

[stellamaried]

He is soo cute!!! I'm not a dog breed expert by any means, but I can see why they saw lab and newfie (though I suppose "lab" is the standard guess -- it was for my mutt of unknown origin too!! -- and it's hard to tell with puppy fur how they're going to turn out!). He looks like he's going to be big.

Anyway, sounds like you have a great plan in place and I wish you the best. Having just recently gone through that stage (we're almost at 5 months now, thank goodness!), just remember the puppy crazyness won't last forever. I thought I was going to lose my mind sometimes, lol, and I don't have kids! Good luck! And don't forget to post more pictures!

 

[stellamaried]

I just realized that he must have been separated from his mom before 8 weeks. I know that happens sometimes with rescues (and I suspect that my boy may have been), but it's far from ideal and it's something you should be aware of. For example, puppies learn bite inhibition from their moms and littermates when they're young, so you may have your work cut out for you if he's a nippy puppy (labs are especially mouthy). My guy was nippy, and it was difficult for me sometimes, so absolutely supervise your children at all times (though you should anyway). Also, socialize, socialize, socialize as soon as you get him. Before he has completed his his shots, try to have play dates with vaccinated dogs you know with good temperaments. Take him new places every day. They say puppies should meet 100 people in 100 days; the more, the better. Puppy classes are wonderful, for you and for him.