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New addition to our family!

3K views 20 replies 14 participants last post by  krandall 
#1 ·
My husband and I are picking up our pup-Cutlet tomorrow. So excited!:laugh2:
We went on a shopping spree and bought a carrier, couple of toys, food, treats and a pee pad some other fun stuff. We have absolutely no experience with pets as neither of us grew up with one, any suggestions for a couple of rookies?
 
#2 ·
Congratutions! My best advice is to enroll right away in a puppy class to educate yourselves (puppy will benefit also!). Remember puppy is a baby away from littermates and mom for first time. Invest asmuch time as possible in these first few months and it will pay off over and over in future. Finally, early puppyhood period is very demanding but it passes quickly and you will end up with a beloved companion. Havanese are the sweetest dogs imaginable!
 
#3 · (Edited)
Congrats on the puppy and welcome to the forum.
We would all love to see pictures of Cutlet so please share when he/she comes home.

The best advise that I was given when I brought Teddy home was to calm down and not get overwhelmed (esp in the first week. It gets easier so don't give up). The puppy knows absolutely nothing so there's a lot you can teach Cutlet (and yourselves). Repetition, consistency and patience is your key to succeeding!

I would also recommend:
- enroll in puppy classes (if available)
you can also learn a lot by watching dog training videos on Youtube

- Have a schedule for meal and walk time and try be as consistent as possible
Cutlet wont know how to walk on leash and may be afraid to go outside initially. Just keep encouraging him and use treats until
he gets used to it).

- If there's rules you want to have (eg no dog on furniture, no feeding table scraps, no dog in a certain room, etc), you and your
husband need to agree on them from day 1 and be consistent.

- Sign up with a good vet and get their emergency contact numbers (you never know when you need it).

Enjoy the funny, happy (and sometimes stressful) ride that comes with owning a puppy!
 
#4 ·
Congratulations. Puppies bring such joy. Loki is 7 1/2 months old and it feels like a long time since he was a 4 lb. puppy. He is potty trained, doesn't chew anything but toys, loves training, eats like a champ, etc. The one issue we have is that he doesn't like to be crated or even left in the family room behind the baby gate if I am in the house. Its not that he doesn't like his crate. He just doesn't like the door closed or to be away from me.

So my one piece of advice I have is to work on separation from the beginning. This is a good article that was shared with me. If you are home you might be able to do it. I wish I had seen the article before we brought Loki home. I took the first week off work and would have tried it.

Taking Measures to Prevent Separation Anxiety Related Behaviors | Whole Dog Journal
 
#5 ·
My best advice is to not give too much freedom in the house too soon. If you plan on using potty pads I would suggest getting an expen set up. Then you can put the bed, pads, and toys in there. Once your puppy is consistantly going on the pads you can expand the area gradually. I would also get your puppy used to a crate or carrier. I found that having a crate next to my bed has worked well for bedtime. This way you can hear your puppy if they have to go out during the night or if they just need some reassurance that you are there. Finally, I think it is a good idea to get your puppy used to being away from you. I would crate or pen mine when I was taking my shower, cleaning the house, getting the mail, running errands, or cooking or eating dinner. She learned that I always came back for her and also learned to think of her crate as her den and safe place. She goes in there on her own for naps during the day and at night for bedtime. Enjoy your new puppy! There are a lot of great people on this forum who give great advice if you have any questions.
 
#6 ·
#7 ·
Welcome and I love the name! So cute! Can't wait for pictures. Everyone has given you great advice and I really can't add much. I do think that scheduling feeding times to that they are at the same time everyday helps you predict when they need to poop. Seems to help regulate it. Also, handle their feet. Rub them, spread the toes and do a lot of foot touching. That will help in the long run as a lot of dogs hate having their feet touched. That makes it hard to trim nails. Also, rub their gums and teeth with your finger so they get used to it. Someday you will want to brush their teeth and that helps prepare for that. Also the vets will look at their gums sometimes and you don't want them to be afraid of that. I can hardly wait to see a picture of Cutlet!
 
#9 ·
Crate train. Crate train. Crate train. Best advice I can give, other than getting to a puppy class. There's a great dvd you can get on Amazon called Crate Games. I wish I'd known about it when I got my first dog. Though it may be hard at first, mostly listening to your dogs cries, it pays off big time in the long run.

Can't wait to see pictures of Cutlet. Cute name, btw.
 
#10 ·
Except there shouldn't be any crying involved if Crate Games is done correctly... the whole point is to teach the dog to love their crate! ;)
 
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#12 ·
Thank you so much for the advise everyone! Cutlet is a champ!
We love him so very much! He has has been with us for a week and he is already potty/pee trained (I don't want to jinx it, but we haven't had a single accident in 5 days)

He cried the first night when we put him in the crate, but hasn't protested once since. He walks in on his own and lays down quietly.

All your advise was invaluable! Thank you once again!
 

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#17 ·
All of the advice above is good advice. I would also add that Havanese are a sensitive breed. Be kind, be calm, be patient. The pup will adapt to your energy. Don't forget Cutlet is a BABY with a teeny weeny bladder so you must have a HUGE amount of understanding, consistency, and patience. Tux had to go about every 45 minutes, but all dogs are different. You can read lots of info on different potty training methods and pick the one that will work for you.

Teach him that "no" ALWAYS ALWAYS means no, but with a soft gentle voice and CONSISTENCY. No need to yell or raise your voice. Once he learns that word, he will respect a softly said "no" as much as an angry one. The command "Wait" along with a hand up is a great/useful word/signal to learn right away. As you train be really generous with praise.

A dog brush is not a dog brush to a new pup. It is a foreign object/toy/enemy that he will feel needs to be controlled between the teeth. Talk softly and calmly even though your pup doesn't want to cooperate. Introduce grooming tools slowly. Let him smell and see everything first but don't let him think these are toys. Let him learn that grooming is another way of showing your love and attention. Introduce this once a day even if it is just for a minute or two.

Toys are toys, everything else is NOT HIS. Be careful what you let him play with as a puppy. You are setting the stage for a grown dog to either respect your shoes, or destroy them. SHOES are not toys, neither is paper. An empty plastic water bottle however can be great toy. Hands and skin are not to be chewed on either. If he goes after anyone's hands, say no, then find an acceptable substitute like his favorite toy.

NEVER EVER set your pup up for an expectation and then not follow through. It is vital that he knows that whatever you say, he can take to the bank. Don't ask if he wants to go for a ride until you are ready to walk out the door with him. You will find that you will have a very responsive and SMART dog that really listens to you because he can BELIEVE every word you say.

My dogs have always understood the English language. They even figure out spelling. LOL Use the same simple words for every action like you are talking to a two year old. They will pick up on language must faster if you keep it simple and trust that your dog is capable of learning. For instance: Just watch how fast he responds to the question, "Do you want a treat?" if you are ready to give him one immediately. Then you will see that he can do that with ANY word.

Tux learned the word "ride" after the first couple of uses of the word. He was only about four or five months old when I asked the question on about the third occasion, "Want to go for a RIDE?" and he ran to the door! I was blown away. The trick is to immediately associate "ride" with going to the car for a fun ride (not having to wait while you put your coat on, and certainly not for a trip to the vet).

Puppy stage is wonderful and challenging, but you will be molding him into the kind of companion you will have for many wonderful years to come. This Forum is a great place for advice. Enjoy!
 
#19 ·
Teach him that "no" ALWAYS ALWAYS means no, but with a soft gentle voice and CONSISTENCY. No need to yell or raise your voice. Once he learns that word, he will respect a softly said "no" as much as an angry one. The command "Wait" along with a hand up is a great/useful word/signal to learn right away. As you train be really generous with praise.
This is a great post with lots of wonderful information. However, "no" is a word dogs hear much too much, and it often becomes background noise, just like with children. It is far better to teach them an alternative, incompatible behavior, rather than just saying "no". Often the dog doesn't even know WHAT you are saying "no" about if you use it too often. So, if the dog has something something inappropriate, I teach "drop it", and then give the dog something that they CAN play with. That gets their mind of the "contraband" and onto something appropriate. Likewise, if _I_ make a mistake, and let the puppy potty somewhere they shouldn't, I don't say "no"... I rush them to their potty spot (or out doors, depending on the situation) and say "Potty here!"

My dogs have always understood the English language. They even figure out spelling. LOL Use the same simple words for every action like you are talking to a two year old. They will pick up on language must faster if you keep it simple and trust that your dog is capable of learning. For instance: Just watch how fast he responds to the question, "Do you want a treat?" if you are ready to give him one immediately. Then you will see that he can do that with ANY word.

Tux learned the word "ride" after the first couple of uses of the word. He was only about four or five months old when I asked the question on about the third occasion, "Want to go for a RIDE?" and he ran to the door! I was blown away. The trick is to immediately associate "ride" with going to the car for a fun ride (not having to wait while you put your coat on, and certainly not for a trip to the vet).
Boy do they EVER learn certain words fast! :) Pixel, who is an avid car-rider, even knows WHICH car is which. Dave has a Mini Cooper and a pick-up. She will happily ride in either, of course, but has a strong preference for the pick-up. He'll say, "Want to go for a ride in the Pick-Me-Up?" and she starts bouncing for joy. She will run to whichever car he has mentioned, as we leave the house, so she clearly knows which is which. :)
 
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#21 ·
I BET he has! And if you had more than one, he'd learn that too! ;) The other two don't seem to show such a BIG differentiation as Pixel, but I don't think they care so much which vehicle they are in. "RIDES ARE GOOD!" seems to be their attitude in general! ;) Kodi will run out, though, and when he's ahead, and going toward the wrong car, you can point to the other one and he'll go there. (we live WAY away from the street, BTW, so there is no danger of traffic... As well trained as he is, I'd never let him run to the car anywhere their could be moving traffic) He does that out in the woods too. at a cross trail, he will hesitate, look back at us, and with for us to point one way or the other. Then he's off! (because he ALWAYS has to be the trailblazer in the group! ;)
 
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