NWR: Getting a Puppy

So my FH and I are thinking of getting a puppy after the wedding. I was just curious for those of you who have dogs, how do you trian a puppy and leave them in the house while you're at work? If we end up living close to my FH's job then he can go home for lunch and do what he needs to do but I worry about leaving the dog alone all day.

We're thinking of getting a puggle and i CANNOT wait. I want one soo bad. Any other recommendations on types of dogs? We definitely want something small.

Re: NWR: Getting a Puppy

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Posted by Shmar

So my FH and I are thinking of getting a puppy after the wedding. I was just curious for those of you who have dogs, how do you trian a puppy and leave them in the house while you're at work? If we end up living close to my FH's job then he can go home for lunch and do what he needs to do but I worry about leaving the dog alone all day.

We're thinking of getting a puggle and i CANNOT wait. I want one soo bad. Any other recommendations on types of dogs? We definitely want something small.

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I just FM you...

Re: NWR: Getting a Puppy

We have a yorkie-poo and she is AMAZING! So easy to train, never chewed on anything! We trained her on wee-wee pads because we werent home during the day (There are a zillion websites that tell you how-but FM me if you want specifics). Getting a puppy was our best decision ever--she is almost 2 now and we are OBSESSED.

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Re: NWR: Getting a Puppy

I have a huge crate. I go home at lunch time and let them play. I have 2 puppies so I cannot trust them together. They 'get in trouble'. They are never in the crate when I am home (unless it's night time).

Re: NWR: Getting a Puppy

you have FM

Re: NWR: Getting a Puppy

leaving a new puppy home all day is tough. most little guys need to eat 3x a day and their bladders are not big enough to expect them to hold it in for 8+ hours! honestly i wouldn't get a new puppy unless you're sure you can come home on your lunch break everyday. also dogs are really social creatures, if you're both working full time you might want to think about getting 2 dogs so they have company...it really helps.
As far as dog breeds, it really depends what you're looking for. Do you want a lap dog, or a dog that can go for runs with you? Something energetic or mushy?
For smaller dogs I love the cavalier king charles- very sweet dogs, def. a lap dog.

Re: NWR: Getting a Puppy

Ohh I want to get the same dog right after the wedding a Puggle.

Re: NWR: Getting a Puppy

We have a puggle!!! His name is Henry. We actually have two dogs...Jake is six. Potty training a dog was a lot harder than I remember it being. It took Henry about 8 months to get the concept of peeing outside. He is awesome now but occasionally still has accidents. My husband and I work long hours and it was tough at first with a puppy but now we have a schedule and he can hold it in for about 9 hours.

Puggles are awesome. He is a big mush but very ENERGETIC!!!!! Also becareful on what you mean by 'small' He wasn't supposed to be bigger than 20 lbs and he is now 27 and still growing.....but we love him anyway!!! Good Luck and FM me if you want more information :)

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Re: NWR: Getting a Puppy

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Posted by Shmar

Any other recommendations on types of dogs? We definitely want something small.

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Defintely look at a Maltese!! I LOVE mine!!! He is the best!

Re: NWR: Getting a Puppy

I have a pug who I am 100% in love with. I look forward to coming home to him every night!! It's a big responsibility and it can be inconvenient at times, but well worth it!!

Re: NWR: Getting a Puppy

We actually just decided to get a Puggle as well. We wont be getting one until around late September, so thats a few months after the wedding, but i cant wait! Good Luck!!!

Re: NWR: Getting a Puppy

puppies are great but IMO a lot of work. My mom and dad always had an animal in the house. We first had a cat but my dad was sooooo allergic that after he died we decided to get a dog. We got a Bichon which are basically hypoallergenic. He is now 16 years old. We also got 9 months ago a cavachon( half cavalier spaniel and have bichon). She is adorable but a lot of work to get her to be the kind of dog everyone enjoys. We kept our bichon in a crate for about 1.5 years and he is a fantastic dog. We now are keeping the little one in a crate and she is doing great. So I would recommend to try to get the dog when you have time to really train it but definitely no matter when you do get one crate train her/him. Good luck and enjoy they really are so great and give unconditional love.

Re: NWR: Getting a Puppy

house training our pomeranian was a hard task. we tried the weewee pads because we both worked fulltime, but she never did get that concept. it really helps if you or your fh can go home on your lunch to let it out to go to the bathroom and to run around for a bit. most puppies cannot hold it in for more than a few hours, and the smaller the dog the smaller the bladder. we ended up dropping her off (and picking her up on our way home from work) at my dh's parents house bc his dad is retired and he pretty much trained her to go outside. iit takes a lot of time and patience to train them. f you give the puppy a lot of chew toys, they should be satisfied with them and not chew on your stuff. the american kennel association toys are very durable, they are the only brand of toys our pom cant chew through. good luck!

Re: NWR: Getting a Puppy

We got a beagle two months after we got married. She was 3 months old when we got her and just turned ONE today actually.

We love her. We didn't find 'potty' training to be that difficult. One of the best things I read while doing my research was not to expect the puppy to get the hang of being able to hold it/knowing to go outside until he or she is about 6 months old. At 5.5 months Maggie picked up going outside and has been a dream ever since.

We loved her so much we decided to have a baby!






Eta: We keep her crated during the day. She NEVER goes in her crate. When she was smaller and couldn't hold it all night, I 'tricked' her into using hte weewee pad, I let her pee by the back door, then cleaned up, but didn't treat it with the smell stuff and put the pad over it, she went there every time because she smelled it. It sounds gross, but it works.

Re: NWR: Getting a Puppy

We have a pekingnese and to potty train him, we would bring him outside about 15 minutes after he ate and wait until he did anything. After he did, we would reward him and tell him how good he was and he got the hint, to get the treat, go outside. He occasionally has an accident, but for the most part he is wonderful. We tried the wee wee pads, but he thought they were toys and wrestled with them!!!