Just got a lab-mix puppy for my son?

Question

I am wanting some information. I just got the pup about 2 hours ago and noticed that he is just sleeping and very skittish(?spelling). Is this normal? How old before I can start to train? How can I get him to trust me? I have had dogs before but usually they were older than 6 wks when I got them. Can I give him milk?

Answer 1

you shouldn't take a pup from his mother and litter mates until 7 weeks minimum and if possible i would take it back tonight and just wait 7 more days. with that being said, he will take a few days to get use to being away from momma and brother/ sister but immediately he is getting to know you and how you treat him; he is right now forming a bond with you and your son so treat him delicately and lovingly but sternly as you don't want him thinking he is the ruler of the roost and can do as he pleases.

immediately start with potty training. give him food twice a day on a set schedule and water 3 to 4 times a day on a set schedule. this way you can control his bathroom habits for the first few weeks (always make sure he has access to water but very very little unless he is outside whereas give him plenty). within 15 to 30 minutes of taking food/ water he'll need to eliminate so watch for him scratching/ sniffing and circling; these are signs he needs to go. take him to a set spot outside and telling him to go bathroom and praise him when he does; always take him back to that same spot to eliminate. when you catch him in the act, sternly in a barking voice tell him "NO" and immediately take him back to the spot where he goes bathroom.

at 9 weeks you can start basic obedience of sit, down, come, stay, training each lesson with each new week, 20 minutes a day (10 minute sessions), twice a day covering the previous week's lesson with each sesson. as he learns these commands, review them throughout the day outside of your training session as a means to not only assert dominance but to make sure he is getting his lesson; remember only offer the command once if he doesn't respond make him do it instead of telling him again (he will see this as the command being arbitrary and he can obey as he sees fit)

for earning his trust roll him on his back and rub his belly gently and tell him good dog, plus walk him and play with him. if you show him love he will trust you but at the same time you must show him you're the leader.

i would recommend professional training as it seems to help me with the things i sometimes forget. also a great book to read is good owners/ great dogs by brian kilcommons and art of raising a puppy by the monks of new skete and these books will show you the steps to not only train a dog but how to understand the dog and have the dog understand you. remember training a good dog is really just training yourself to effectively communicate with your animal on terms they understand.

good luck with the new pup, oh how i miss those days. oh and remember, depending on how old you son is try not to let him get too excited around the new pup until pup is adjusted to his new surroundings. he's going to be a little scared right now with being away from mom, just like son would be if away from you. give pup some space and reassurance and things will be just fine. sorry for the long winded message but i love pups and it is a great time to set a productive bond.

Answer 2

Just give him some time. He is a young puppy in a new home. This can be scary for a puppy. And it is probably the first time he has been without his mom or litter mates. Just give him some space, and be gentle and loving to him. He should come around in a few days, and you will see his true personality. You can start to train him yourself once he is comfortable in the home. If you want to take him to puppy obedience classes, they usually require the puppy to be atleast 10 weeks old, but that depends on the trainer. And if you are raising him, he will trust you. He is just uncertain right now of his surroundings. And i would not give him milk. He does not need milk. Sometimes dogs can be lactose intolerant, and it sometimes causes diarrhea. Just because he doesn't need it, i wouldn't give it to him. And because you have not had a puppy at such a young age before, i think you should do some research on puppies, and also take him to the vet so you know what kind of care they need. Good Luck, and have fun with your knew puppy!!

Answer 3

We have a lab mix too who is 8 months. She still sleeps a lot (thank the Lord). When she was a pup, she was very skittish and submissive - not so much now. We trained her right away to sit and lay. Potty training took about 2 weeks before she was accident free (she was 8 weeks). I don't think milk is good for their digestion, but I really am not sure about that one. Enjoy it!

Answer 4

6 wks old, I got a baby lab once about that age and he couldn't see yet. I didn't realize it at first, until I saw him walk right into a wall. Come to find out, he hadn't been weened yet. I fed him warm milk with a baby bottle. Hand your baby puppy and that will create a bond between the two of you. Also, if he came from a large litter, he may have not had the best of care. Take him in your arms and welcome him to your family. Give him a good strong name, I named mine Bear, he was a wonderful dog.

Answer 5

Sweet mom you are! Do not give him milk. This will cause a mess for you! Being separated from the mother he will be scared. Make sure you spend lots of time with him. Train him now on what you wish. The younger the better. All sounds normal for new pups. Give him time to get to know you as well. Your his new family now and he needs your love like always.
Best wishes and for caring..~smiles~

Answer 6

Do not give him milk, dogs are lactose intolerant. He will really have to get used to his surroundings before he becomes more relaxed. Considering he is so young, he is probably scared to be away from his mother. Just try to cuddle with him and be nurturing to him. Give it a few days and he will come around. If he is too young to eat solid foods or softened puppy food(with warm water), go to the pets store and buy a milk formulated especially for young puppies.

Answer 7

that puppy should be with mom until its 8 weeks old! did you purchase from a breeder, is it an abandoned puppy? it's obviously going to need an adjustment period, but really a respinsible breeder would not let you take the puppy home until 8 weeks. call a vet in the morning. no milk!

Answer 8

I got my dog at around 6 weeks and we just let him get used to the surroundings. Be nice to it, and let it learn who's the dominant one in the family, the caretaker, etc. Milk... check Google. You can train him whenever you want- first house break him though.

Answer 9

take him to a vet and make sure he is healthy. If he is young, its normal for him to sleep alot. i dont think milk is a good idea for a little tummy. and he's probably just freaked out by being away from his mommmy in new surroundings.

Answer 10

sure that's a solid theory to kennel prepare the domestic dog, my 2 365 days previous provider canines is kenneled experienced and that i kennel prepare my clientele' canines, and that i beg them to kennel new doggies surprisingly while they are actually not potty experienced. yet I do might desire to assert that its not a solid theory to maintain a domestic dog kenneled 12 hours an afternoon, ideally they might desire to be permit loose each 3-4 hours, after ingesting, and eating. once you would be long previous for an prolonged quantity of time i could advise installation a domestic dog room and education the domestic dog to domestic dog pads, or putting the domestic dog exterior in a canines run. this way it does not somewhat set you lower back on potty education. additionally reckoning on the age of your domestic dog, and the prestige of its photographs, if its a probability deliver it to the baseball field. Its a super thank you to socialise your domestic dog, and to get it began on starting to be a solid status citizen of the K9 community.