[Turi]

Hi folks,

So now that getting our puppy is in sight I’m allowing myself to make the final purchases.

As I’ve mentioned I’ve already gone a bit bonkers on the purchasing front and have got plenty of chew toys, squeaky toys, mooing toys (don’t ask – impulse buy !) rope/pull toys, throwing toys, ball toys (ok, you get the point – lots of toys )… a crate, some vet bedding and blankets, bowls, grooming products that will be ok until her adult coat comes through, puppy pads, treats, and a lovely red equafleece (kindly donated by Lozza! )

I’d like to get the following before she arrives:

A pen for when she is at my parents' - we're thinking a fabric pen as it will be easy to fold and put away. I've seen this but how high? I've heard Cockapoos are good little jumpers...! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/55cmTall-...9?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Dogs&hash=item2a176821c5

A clip-on bowl for her crate

Food – I assume I should initially start her on James Beloved (breeder’s food of choice) and gradually move onto NI? I'm thinking we'll end up feeding her a mixture of NI, kibble (we like the look of Barking Heads) and then other things such as stuffed Kongs, pig's ears, raw chicken wings etc.

A harness for the car

A lead and collar or harness – what would you recommend initially? Do I need a training lead? I don't really 'get' what they are...

A larger cuddly toy to snuggle with in her crate… any suggestions? I presume none with plastic eyes that she could pull off and swallow?

And a sounds DVD to get her used to fireworks and so on…

Oh, lastly… regarding worming and flea treatments… do I need to buy these? She will have been treated by the vet at eight weeks and we will be taking her to the vet for her second inoculation at ten weeks.

Thank you in advance for your help!

 

[Lozza]

I know the feeling Turi! Looks like you have every thing under control.

A couple of suggestions, based on what worked with Boston.

1. Pets at Home have these great pig ear strips. I found Boston would struggle with the size of normal pigs ears and he really liked the strips because he could get them up into the back of his mouth onto his molars. I still use them all the time now...particularly when I need 10-15mins of peace to distract him. He loves them!

2. Another chew suggestion is fish skins - see Fish for Dogs. Boston particularly loves the twists (http://www.fish4dogs.com/Products/sea-jerky-fish-twists.aspx). Again a great shape for him to be able to tackle easily. These don't last as long as pigs ears, but they are not as messy with raw meat like chicken wings.

3. I sorted out purchasing my flea and worming stuff from the vet on the first visit. They should advise you and have everything there for you.

4. Boston's favourite toy to sleep with is actually a duck with no stuffing (we call him Eddie). It is super soft and easy for him to grab onto and snuggle into (without being big). Boston has a tendency to really stretch out when sleeping, so a big toy wouldn't work for him. He has another big toy for rolling around with which is a stuffed dog from Pets at Home (we call him Stanley!)

5. We went for a lead and collar initially, but then in the first few weeks added a harness into his walks. I didn't really want to do this, but after him pulling for a few weeks (despite all his training, they still do it) I just didn't like the feel of the collar pulling on his little neck. I am much much happier now with the harness for walking. We still keep a collar on him most of the time at home.

6. I also thought about a clip on bowl for the crate, but then decided against it. There are pros and cons either way, but I didn't want to encourage wee'ing in the crate but suppling too much water. Boston has only had one accident in his crate and toilet training has been going really well (we have one or two accidents per month at most now). So I think it worked for us...personal preference really.

7. On blankets...Boston really loves chewing on his blanket. I was surprised by this, and so now on I also make sure he has access to his blankie whenever he wants it. I think this helped us avoid a lot of chewing on the furniture.

You are going to be a great puppy parent Turi and your little girl is going to be very lucky to have such a loving mum! When do we see first photos????

 

[ali-s.j.]

Have a look at the CCGB for what you really need - have you kept receipts
:laugh:

 

[Turi]

Hi Lauren

Thank you for your suggestions… it sounds like we need to pay a vist to Pets at Home… even though things can be cheaper online it’s good to see and feel what you’re buying! We could get ourselves our very own Stanley

We have the venison chews and liver treats and kong that you gave us and a stag bar so lots to chew on. Would you get anything else or see how she gets on with these first? The fish skins sound skiiiiinky lol (wonder if the cats would like them too?)

Re the first visit to the vet – would you suggest going before ten weeks or once we get her home to register her?

I think like you we’ll get a collar for home and a harness for walks. Just as well I didn’t buy one before now… I was going to get a boy colour!

I was going to get a clip on bowl for the crate for when she’s in there in the day for little chill-out sessions. I’d remove at night. Do you think having one on the floor in the kitchen will suffice?

One of our cats loves fleecy blankets and the way they squeak when she chews then – we’ve got a fleece one and a wool one too.

Thank you for your encouragement Lauren – so appreciated! I hope I do her proud! Attached a picture of the litter to another thread but here it is again. The litter at three days old!

 

[Turi]

Have a look at the CCGB for what you really need - have you kept receipts
:laugh:

Uh-o. Have I gone a bit OTT

 

[Laura(L)Izzie]

Turi just in regards to the vets, generally I think most people take them a couple of days after you get them home just for the initial 'check up' & they weight your pup & things like that to make sure everything is okay, then back again for the vac at 10 weeks & you can ask either time about fleaing & worming, it depends when your puppies treatments run out as to when you will need them. Can't wait to see how you get on x

 

[Turi]

Turi just in regards to the vets, generally I think most people take them a couple of days after you get them home just for the initial 'check up' & they weight your pup & things like that to make sure everything is okay, then back again for the vac at 10 weeks & you can ask either time about fleaing & worming, it depends when your puppies treatments run out as to when you will need them. Can't wait to see how you get on x

Thanks Laura . Our vet is lovely so I'm sure she'll love it - ha! Hardly likely

 

[Laura(L)Izzie]

Thanks Laura . Our vet is lovely so I'm sure she'll love it - ha! Hardly likely

No problem One of our vets loves our two So i'm sure they'll love seeing you & your little cockapoo! He commented when Izzie went for her 1 year booster how gorgeous she was I thought that was lovely from a vet who deals with so many dogs everyday x

 

[Turi]

Of course he loved gorgeous Izzy!

 

[Lozza]

OMG! So cute!! Just adorable little bundles of puppy goodness. You are making me want another one. I could just see a little blonde pup running alongside Boston (have been trying to convince the other half but he is not having it! I will wear him down eventually!)

We have the venison chews and liver treats and kong that you gave us and a stag bar so lots to chew on. Would you get anything else or see how she gets on with these first? The fish skins sound skiiiiinky lol (wonder if the cats would like them too?)

I'd use the liver treats chopped into smaller bits for training, rather than as a chew. I would definitely add pig ear strips to your list. These are the ones we use (http://www.petsathome.com/shop/pork-strips-dog-treat-by-pets-at-home-32322). They also come in a bulk size - and I am sure there are other equivalents out there.

Re the first visit to the vet – would you suggest going before ten weeks or once we get her home to register her?

I called the vet beforehand, explained the situation and they advised me as to when to come in. Helps to know during this conversation about when the vaccinations have been done at the breeder and the type of vaccine. I am sure the receptionist at the vet will give you all the info you need.

I was going to get a clip on bowl for the crate for when she’s in there in the day for little chill-out sessions. I’d remove at night. Do you think having one on the floor in the kitchen will suffice?

We always put Boston into his crate for sleeps during the day and we didn't give him access to water during this time. We never put him in the crate for more than 2 hours...usually it was about 1.5 hours. We never seemed to have an issue with hydration, as I was keeping an eye on this carefully (even the vet said he was well hydrated at his checks). I found that Boston normally goes for water at two points: after he's been eating (particularly something like a pigs ear), and after he has been walking/running/vigorous playing. When he would come out of his crate, he's not normally go for water, so I figured this was fine for him. It might be different with your pup. I would probably not buy the clip on (save you the cash), see how you go first. If she goes for water after being in the crate, then consider it.

There was one thing that I missed off the list. Puppy cam. I must admit, we are at an advantage because my other half is a bit geeky and loves a good electronic gadget. BUT, puppy cam is absolutely brilliant. I can see what he is up to, any time, day or night...it gives me such peace of mind (like right now I know he is asleep on his bed in his room whilst I am sitting on the sofa in the other end of the house, all by just using my iPhone). Puppy cam is the first thing I check when I wake up, and the last thing I check before I go to sleep (does this make me neurotic??).

If you guys are really interested in getting it setup, let me know, and I will see if I can convince my other half to give some more hands on instructions (or gosh, if I really worked my magic, try and convince him to set it up for you during a puppy play date...now that would be really sneaky of me!).

 

[flounder_1]

We had a clip on water bowl for Lolly as she had a tendency to stand in her floor standing bowl and spill it everywhere! We never felt the need to remove it at night as she only had an accident the first night and never in her crate after that! I had trouble finding one I liked. Pets at Home only sell metal round bird ones that I wasnt' keen on. I bought one from Partners Pets store (which happens to be out nearest pet superstore) They do have an online shop but I can't find the bowl we bought online.

 

[flounder_1]

http://www.ultimateanimals.co.uk/acatalog/dog_crate_water_bowls_dog_crates_dog_cages.html

I found it somewhere else. The top bowl was the one we had. It has a little lip/lid to help stop extra spills. Lolly never chewed it until she went to stay at our friends while we were on hols and they left the lid bit off! Then she realised she could chew it so my advice would be always use the lid thing!!! lol

 

[flounder_1]

Oh and we found a car harness a terrible faff to get on and off and that was only when we tried one when she was about 7 months old. I'd imagine a small puppy would be even harder. We used this
http://www.ultimateanimals.co.uk/acatalog/cupL.jpg

until she was about 7 months old and from then we have used her old 30" metal crate in the boot.

 

[flounder_1]

Sorry keep thinking of other things! lol Lolly came to us on Arden Grange but we decided to change her to Barking Heads as I liked the reviews and it was recommended to us. Before we changed her food she suffered with terribly dirty ears and had a couple of ear infections. Since the change of food her ears have stayed beautifully clear! I hadn't linked it to the change of food until I was chatting to the lady in the pet shop. I'm so pleased with it for this reason alone!!!!

 

[Janev1000]

Hi Turi

I moved Biscuit onto NI over just a few days and had no issues with this at all.

I would also definitely just go for the one bowl of water on the kitchen floor. If she goes on to NI you will find she probably doesn't need much water anyway.

You might want to wait and see if you'll need a harness first and just try her with a lead.

As for cuddly toys - we bought some in the baby section of HomeSense. They had some good ones with soft eyes.

Good luck with a pen - Biscuit hated his from the moment we put him in it. Nothing would make him like it!

I highly recommend the Stag Bars. They last for ages and seem to be really good for their teeth.

Happy Shopping!

 

[DONNA]

Hi folks,

So now that getting our puppy is in sight I’m allowing myself to make the final purchases.

As I’ve mentioned I’ve already gone a bit bonkers on the purchasing front and have got plenty of chew toys, squeaky toys, mooing toys (don’t ask – impulse buy !) rope/pull toys, throwing toys, ball toys (ok, you get the point – lots of toys )… a crate, some vet bedding and blankets, bowls, grooming products that will be ok until her adult coat comes through, puppy pads, treats, and a lovely red equafleece (kindly donated by Lozza! )

I’d like to get the following before she arrives:

A pen for when she is at my parents' - we're thinking a fabric pen as it will be easy to fold and put away. I've seen this but how high? I've heard Cockapoos are good little jumpers...! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/55cmTall-...9?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Dogs&hash=item2a176821c5

A clip-on bowl for her crate

Food – I assume I should initially start her on James Beloved (breeder’s food of choice) and gradually move onto NI? I'm thinking we'll end up feeding her a mixture of NI, kibble (we like the look of Barking Heads) and then other things such as stuffed Kongs, pig's ears, raw chicken wings etc.

A harness for the car

A lead and collar or harness – what would you recommend initially? Do I need a training lead? I don't really 'get' what they are...

A larger cuddly toy to snuggle with in her crate… any suggestions? I presume none with plastic eyes that she could pull off and swallow?

And a sounds DVD to get her used to fireworks and so on…

Oh, lastly… regarding worming and flea treatments… do I need to buy these? She will have been treated by the vet at eight weeks and we will be taking her to the vet for her second inoculation at ten weeks.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Hi i tried clip on water bowl it was rubbish Buddy kept knocking it and there was water everywhere in his crate so i dont baother now.

Id get a lead and collar to start if you want a harness its best to take pup with you to the pet store to get the correct fit,i think by training lead do you mean a long lead this is when your teaching recall etc so i wouldnt bother buying till you need it if you need it.

Buddy loves his big cuddly toy brought from the pet shop but it now has no arms and he has started to pull the insides out ha ha

I have the souns dvd its good if you remember to use it ! once we were able to go outside i stopped using it,i would carry Buddy for short walks outside before he was allowed to go for walks so he could hear car sounds etc close up.

Id get flea and worming tablets from the vets as they tend to be stronger and better then shop brought,your breeder will give you a list showing when she was last treated etc.

My best purchase by far was the soft crate for the car i think it was by ancol my cars an Aclass so not a maassive boot and its a great fit ,im still using it even though Buddys huge now ,so much better then wet muddy dog on the back seat! you can wash the inside as well which is great.

Also dont know what id do without my equafleece def get one when shes big enough it saves you bathing them everyday!

 

[DONNA]

Just thought ,dont leave all these toys out for her to play with,save some and use for a special treat ,i dont like the tug ones they made Buddy hyper he mainly loves fetch or chewing on his stag bar,i did buy him a toy where you hide treats and they have to work out how to move the pieces to get the treat great toy but expensive.
Be warned the best toy is either your knickers or shoes ha ha

 

[Anita]

Hi
Frisbee sleeps with a big floppy dog hot water bottle cover, great for the first few nights with the hot water bottle inside but now he just likes to snuggle up to the empty cover. I don't think you can ever have too many chew toys but Frisbee's favourite things all seem to be things he has pinched - hats, gloves, shoes etc.!

 

[Sezra]

Training leads are great for teaching recall when you fast start going out but aren't letting them off the lead. They are also useful as they got older and forget what recall is! We used Daisy's alot when she was in season and we wanted to give her a bit more freedom. I no longer use my extendable lead as I think it is what taught her to pull on the lead .

We bought one of these bowls.. http://www.roadrefresher.com/ .... in pink! It is great as they dont get wet ears from them hanging in the bowl!

What a lot of fun Turi and so exciting! xx

 

[Emma]

Hey turi I feed Maggie barking heads and am really pleased with it. Pets at home do a large soft toy with rope arms and legs. Maggie had gets since day one and only needed a replacement at Xmas, she takes it everywhere with her.
I used a puppy pen rather than a crate for Maggie so if ur using a pen at ur mums I'd recommend http://www.croftonline.co.uk/scp/Puppy_Play_Areas_and_Pens/products.asp?partno=FP1190, delivery was efficient and customer service great as a bit of mine broke in transit they had a new one with me the next day! It was the highest I could find and Maggie can still jump it! But usually is quite happy to be in there. Emma xx