[Mercer]

Hi, so my boyfriend and I decided to buy a puppy. We've had her for about 4 days now, and I just want to make sure that I do everything absolutely correctly. She's a jack russell/chihuahua mix, just in case that makes any difference. She was also the last of the 8 puppies sold. Alright, here goes:

1. The lady that we procured her (Lola) from told us that she had been trained to go on newspaper. However, now that we have her, we're using piddle pads rather than news paper (seemed more sanitary to me). She's not using them. I have been told that if we catch her peeing/pooing on the rug to gently pick her up, and put her on the piddle pad. But when I do this, she instantly stops doing whatever she was doing, and walks off of the pad. I've gotten her to use it once. I'm worried that she's going to get sick from not using the bathroom. However, I was also told that I would want to confuse her and bring her outside because then she would be trained to go outside, and not go on the pads. Don't get me wrong, I bring her out once in a while, but yeah. Is it possibly because she's in a new place? Or is there something about piddle pads?

2. The lady also apparently had not given her any shots. She's 9 weeks old. I'm planning on bringing her to Petco, and getting the puppy package there. But I heard that it was semi-unsafe. Any suggestions or feedback on this one?

3. When should I start doing heart worm and defleaing stuff? Also, how should I go about doing that?

4. If you have any other things I should know about having a puppy, please let me know. I'm trying very hard to be a good mommy, but I'm a pretty neurotic person/worrier. So anything that you think I could miss...please let me know!

Thanks so much,
mercer

EDIT: Here are some photos of my baby girl:

 

[briteday]

First you need to take any new dog in your household to your own vet within 72 hours of bringing them home. Take along a FRESH stool specimen so they can check for parasites, common in puppies. And you need to develop a working relationship with the vet so you can decide which vaccinations, when to spay/neuter, heartworm prevention meds, etc. This is not going to be accomplished at Petco unless they have a regular staffed veterinary clinic. You want your dog to have a vet that you can trust just like you have a doctor to call when you get sick.

Look around in the training section as there have been quite a few threads ont e puppy pads vs outdoor elimination lately.

 

[Mercer]

Awesome, thank you so much.
It's just hard finding a vet around where I live.

Would it be okay if I brought her on Monday, you think?
I've had her since Wednesday.

 

[rosemaryninja]

Usually I recommend bringing any new dog to the vet for a full check up as soon as possible after its arrival.

I would not expect her to have any kind of toilet training yet. Honestly, it's practically impossible for a 9 week old puppy to be completely trained to go on papers, pads or anything. I would forget what the lady told you about her current state of potty training and just go with the fundamentals -- in other words, treat her like you would a clean slate. There have been a bunch of howtos and help threads on potty training in this forum and the Training forum lately, so have a look around and give a shout if you still need anything else.

Like briteday said, find a vet that you trust rather than take her to Petco for the puppy package. A vet that can see your dog through its lifetime, or at least most of it, is an excellent investment and is one of the most valuable resources in raising a dog.

Have you considered enrolling in puppy class?

Try not to worry too much! Be as prepared as you can, but also be aware that puppy raising often comes with a lot of curve balls. At the end of the day, remember that you have an animal who loves to be with you and who trusts you. If you ever need any pointers, remember that DF is always here for you.

 

[Sunshyne]

Awwww, she's cute!

I would suggest finding a vet you like. Call around, ask tons of questions - esp if they have had prior experience with your breed of dog. You will need a vet at some point, and it's better to have one that knows you and your dog. I'm not saying Petco is bad, but I would prefer someone who was local and established. Ask around town, that's how I found Chloe's vet and I couldn't be happier.

I don't have any advice for paper training, sorry. Just be consistant and she'll hopefully get it. I thought I was literally going insane when Chloe was a puppy, it was the dead of winter and we had tons of snow. It sucked. But we stuck with our routine, no matter how cold it was or how annoyed I was, and she is now 99% potty trained.

Good luck, she is a cutie!

 

[alphadoginthehouse]

OMG...she is so cute. She is lucky to have you. Good luck. This is the best place for info and advice (the advice is given whether you ask for it or not! )

 

[spotted nikes]

It can help if you get some of her urine and wet the center of the piddle pad with it, so it will have "her" scent on it. They tend to return to pee where they have gone before. This just tricks her into thinking that the pads are "her" spot.

If possible gradually move the pads close to the door you go out of. Then she will already be used to going to the door if she has to go potty. If you can take her out, fine...if not, she'll use the pads.

I try to avoid exposing puppies to other dogs/puppies and places other dogs have been til they have all of their shots.

 

[Allydog]

I just have to say ....she is sooooo cute!!!!!!!

 

[Line-of-Fire]

Firstly: She's so cute!! D What a sweet face!

1. I'm sure that she's going to be okay. The piddle pads are probably just new to her. You could TRY putting newspaper over half of it, but that may confuse her. I'm not sure, because we've never used them. What we do is, when we see the pup going potty on the rug and/or floor, we scoop them up under their belly and say, "oops!" We take them straight outside and tell them "Go potty!" immediately. By scooping them up under the belly, it makes it so that they cannot pee on you. But they will still have to when they get outside lol. But when she does to potty outside, no matter how long it takes, (it should come naturally eventually) praise her like CRAZY! Give her her favorite toy, pick her up, kiss on her, love on her, whatever she likes the best that you do for her. Let her know she did good. But don't scold her at the young age she is.

2. I would be worried that she hasnt' gotten shots yet. She was supposed to get them at 6 weeks if I'm right. I would wonder if there was a reason the lady didn't do it. But do take her to the vet as soon as you can to get them. And I wouldn't trust petco.

3. We don't have fleas in AK, so I can't help you there...

4. Have fun these first weeks! They're great. Make sure to crate train her, so that she's okay in a box if you are away. First with the door open, then slowly work your way to shutting, then latching it. When you can latch it, open it immediately and reward her. Then gradually make the interval in which she spends in there longer and longer until she likes it. She shouldn't potty in her crate once she's used to it. Dogs wont usually potty where they sleep unless they're sick or HAVE to go. Also, I wouldn't worry much about obedience training this early. Maybe simple sit or down commands. But it's not a big deal until she's a bit older.

Have fun and keep us updated!!

 

[Taz Monkey]

Is there a reason you would rather her go on the pee pad than outside? Personally, I think every dog, no matter what size they are, should go outside. I think it's easier. Using a pee pad just basically teaches them that its ok to go on the floor, and then rugs, clothes, shoes, etc. are fair game. She's very cute though.

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Did you say she was potty trained on newspapers? You could try placing the newspaper on the piddle pads, and then slowly use smaller and smaller newspaper pieces until she's just going on the piddle pads.

 

[alphadoginthehouse]

Hey Lone, love the new signature!

 

[Lonewolfblue]

Hey Lone, love the new signature!

I screwed up though, forgot to put their names on there too, lol......