I'm getting a puppy soon (in a few days)?

Question

Its a mutt and is made to be very small. It is very little!!! It's only like a month and a week old. Where should it sleep??? My mother says that we should get a cardboard box and put some blankets and newspaper in there, what do you think??? Do you think I should buy it some toys, or do you think it won't be interested in toys yet. How many times should I feed it in a day? Do you think it will cry a lot in the night time? How old should it be when I start walking him? How old should he be when I start bathing him? How old should he be when I start brushing his teeth? Do you think I should buy a crate or carrier??? Fir the first 9 days it will be supervised and then it will be alone for like 2-3 hrs. one day this month it might be home alone for like 5 hrs.!!! I think I should buy a carrier, but they r really expensive at petco and pets mart (the only pet stores we have near us!) PLease answer these questions!!!

im 11 and my brother will also be helping me take care of the pup, hes 15. The dog is a pomerian mixed with something else they dont know (the father belongs to somebody else's dog and the owner of the father dog doesnt know the breed).

I have to get the puppy young because they are moving and cant take the dogs with them, I would rather take in a dog then let it go to the pound/shelter.

I was actually thinking of getting it litterbox trained, it will be easier when I'm away so that he doesnt get his bed and etc. soiled

Answer 1

K, first off, 5 weeks is WAY too young to be bringing it home - it really should be with its mother and litter mates for another 3-5 weeks.

Having said that... a cardboard box is OK, though a crate would be better. I wouldn't put newspaper in the box, as it is messy, and the inks used could be unhealthy. A benefit of a crate is that you can secure the pup in there when it is left alone.

Buy some toys, make sure you get a wide variety - chew toys, tug toys, balls, stuffies... start out with cheap ones, and once you know what your dog prefers, then move on to better quality, more expensive ones.

You should feed it 3 times a day, more than likely, but a vet can tell you better for sure (since it's so young, it might eat more often, every 2 or 3 hours, round the clock) and might have trouble eating plain food, you might have to soften it with water.

It WILL cry a lot, especially at night - remember, you just took him from his family, he's going to be scared and lonely! Make sure NOT to get mad at him for doing this, it will only make him more afraid.

You shouldn't walk him outside where there are (or have been) any other dogs until he's gotten all of his shots - at about 12-16 weeks. Until he's been fully vaccinated, he can get sick just by being in a place where other sick dogs have been. But before that, you can train him on a leash in your house, so that once he's big enough to see the world, he's already got the basics down.

Bathing and teeth brushing can be done whenever, but you have to be careful when bathing him that he stays warm and doesn't get a draft. He WILL lose his puppy teeth, though, so you could probably safely wait until he's about 6 or 7 months old to brush them, once his adult teeth are in.

If he's going to be left alone, a crate is really the best option - you can't leave him to run around the house unsupervised at any age, but as a puppy, when he's not house trained, and doesn't know what is expected of him, it's even more important to keep him secure and safe.

Answer 2

If you don't wanna spend too much, go with what your mom says: put him in a cardboard box - first line the bottom with plastic, then put some towels on one side for him to sleep in. get him some synthetic bones, they love /need biting/chewing. Add toys a little later. Leave a bowl of water near him. Expect he will pee/poo a lot - be ready to clean up after him, maybe up to 10x a day. He needs his immunisation shots and don't let him out for a walk till he's more than 6 months old during this time. He won't like being left alone, expect he'll cry or whine a lot in your absence. He's almost exactly like a baby The first year may be the most difficult, but you can train him. Read up on the internet about how to look after your dog - many good sites provide this info. You can get a cheap, 2nd hand carrier from a friend or internet maybe Having a pet is a COMMITMENT. If you are ready - go for it !

Answer 3

A puppy shouldn't be taken away from its mother until 10 weeks old. This way they develop social skills from their brothers & sisters. When you pick her up have a box with a blanket it it for the new puppy. When you get home show him/her outside where to go. Say "toilet" wait until he/she goes and praise with treat and say " Good Dog". The puppy should be let out every hour to go to the toilet.The bed should be low to the ground, to make it easy for the dog to get up and down. If you want to use a box cut the front edge down for easy access. If you want you could use a heat bag to simulate the warmth of the mother and maybe a watch that ticks that simulates the heart beat. I suggest feeding 3 times a day, but only very little portions and the puppy will have a small stomach. I don't think you need a pet carrier. When you are out put her bed and toys into the laundry so if the puppy goes to toilet it will be easy to clean up. If you puppy is a small dog you might not have to walk it, just play with it.
Only bathe a dog when it is dirty.
Good Luck

Answer 4

You should keep it somewhere like where you can close the door and sleep with the dog for the next few days. Yes you should get toys for it and get them before he comes. You should pick up some books on your puppy and puppy training, feed him what the puppy food directions tell you to do, you should get a carrier if you know how big he is and how much it will cost you. If you want to by a crate you should have one that gives him the ability to spread out while lying down and sit in his crate. You might want to keep him indoors until he is comfortable and is potty trained. I know this because I had a German Shepherd for a puppy. Crying doesn't matter as long as if you can tolerate him.
How old are you and what kind of dog is it?

Answer 5

Wow....lot's of questions.....I would go and get a book on this, then sit down and read read read. It will have all this information and more. Plus, you will have it as reference when you have questions.

And yes...get a carrier...it is a great investment. Also, smaller breeds have much smaller bladders and need to go outside more often. Five hours may be difficult for a puppy that size. Also, and this may sound horrible, but always supervise your dog when it is outside. A friend of mine had their small dog snatched up by a hawk when they left it alone out in the yard. I see hawks in my neighborhood all the time, looking in the yards. Just keep an eye on him at all times.

Answer 6

I know that if you have a Craigslist.org for your city that you can pick up a used crate and X-pen, which will save you some $. Better to spend that $ on a crate now than have to replace your furniture, couch cushions, carpet, etc.
Just curious - why are you getting the puppy so young? Puppies really need to be with their mom and siblings until they are at least 8 weeks old. Five weeks is much too young for a puppy to leave it's mother.

Answer 7

Look for this book:
Before and After Getting Your Puppy by Dr. Ian Dunbar.

See if the library has it---or anything by Dunbar.

Call the local humane society and see if they rent dog crates. Then price the crates at Walmart, Petco, and try some just "doggie" sites such as :
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/
http://www.petedge.com/

If you live close to a petedge warehouse and can pick up the crate it will save you money.

Definitely get a crate that the pup will fit in when it is full grown and he will use it for the rest of his life.

Best wishes!

Answer 8

If you can get a kennel, put blankets in there. But, a Big cardboard box is good too. Put a tick, tock clock next to it, because that is the sound of its mother's heart, so it won't cry all night. feed it twice a day. It may not be hungary when it comes home though. I'd say, start walking it as soon as you can, so it gets in the habbit of that. Yes, buy toys. and lots of them. give it baths at least once a week, when it turns older than 5 weeks/months, your decision. You don't really NEED to brush its teeth til like 1 year old. Buy a crate. Definately, they feel lots more comfee.
Hope i helped

Answer 9

just to let you know you cant expect the puppy to be able to hold it for longer than and hr and a half at this age, therefore leaving it alone for 5 hrs, you are going to have a lot of messes to clean up, just remember it is a big responsibility. it may need a warm water bottle to sleep with for a while as it is so young and it would be reassuring for him. he may or may not cry a lot at night, he will probably cry some for the first couple of nights until he gets used to sleeping alone

Answer 10

NEVER bring a puppy home that is under 7 weeks....and 8 is better. Especially a tiny breed. They can have a lot of trouble adjusting and can have difficulty maintaining their temp and blood sugar. Many die.
Clearly it does not come from someone good, or they would have told you all you need to know. These are all basic questions.
Be prepared for the possibility of vet bills due to the problems of a VERY SMALL and YOUNG puppy.