[louise12]

Hi, this is my first post and first ever dog, so apologies in advance if I ask anything too daft or outrageous!

We are due to get our first ever puppy next month and obviously want to make sure everything is ready for him - we're frantically reading puppy and Golden Retriever books, but I guess at this stage I'm mainly after any tips to make his initial introduction into our family as easy as possible and also any advice on common/obvious mistakes that I may make.

Also it's going to be quite a long journey home when we pick him up (about 3 hours) - should we try to do it without stopping even if he's sick, or should we keep stopping and putting a lead on him to let him have breaks?

 

[acritzer]

That is a long ride, but if he's in a crate of some kind it will probably be alright. Or, you could have someone hold him on their lap with a towel. Of course, it couldn't hurt to stop half way and let him out.

For other advice, I can't help much we've only had our puppy 1 week. Our other Golden was 14 months when we got her, so we missed all the fun!

Only advice so far, watch the pup carefully...seriously, they can squat and do their business faster than you can get to them if you look away. Ours is almost 8 weeks and even if we take her out and she goes, she could have to go again with 20-30 min. I think we need to be religious about every 1/2 hour...regardless of behavior.

 

[Jo Ellen]

Welcome to GRF! This is an exciting time for you and your family

I don't have any time this morning, rushing off to work, but just wanted to say I think you'll find that your new puppy will probably sleep on his way home. It should be an easy trip for all of you.

 

[Willow52]

:wavey: and welcome! You have so much fun and love coming into your life soon. Carsickness isn't a given. He may be fine, so don't worry too much.
I'd probably stop about every hour for a potty break.

 

[jenlaur]

Congratulations on your first puppy! Since my Riley is only 4 months old I still have some things fresh in my mind that I will share:

1. For the trip home: we had a 3 1/2 hour drive. We took a towel with us to rub on the mom to get her scent on it. Allow the puppy to sleep with the towel. It will comfort her those first few days away from the mom and the rest of the litter. My daughter sat in the back and held her for the ride. We had a towel on the seat and she did pee on it once on the way home. We thought that would be less stressful for her than putting her on a leash (which she had never been on before) and stopping. Our breeder did not feed the pups before pick up because they can get car sick.

2. For us a crate was a must and a life saver. Still is. She had to get used to it but now she loves it and asks to go in it when it is bed time.

3. Make sure you have the same food on hand at home that the breeder is feeding her now. If you want to transition her to a different food wait a couple of weeks.

4. Have plenty of things at home for her to chew on. One of Riley's favorite toys was (and still is) a soda bottle smashed flat. She will chew and chew on everything including your hands. A firm "No biting!" and redirecting to an appropriate toy will work. You have to be consistent. Took Riley about 2 weeks. Those teeth are sharp and she drew blood on several occasions.

5. Your puppy will be going outside to potty about every 20 minutes (I kid you not) and Riley woke up 2 or 3 times a night for the first couple of weeks. This is something crate training will help tremendously with. When she goes potty outside praise her like you are having a party! The neighbors with think you're crazy but goldens really do well when you praise them. When she goes potty inside do not get mad at her...it is your fault, not hers that she went inside. Buy some Nature's Miracle for accidents.

6. And most important: enjoy her! They are puppies for such a short time. Take lots of pictures and share them here. We love to see pics.

Just so you can see the light: Riley is now 17 weeks old. She is potty trained, sleeps through the night, attends puppy class (she's in her second session), walks well on a lead and doesn't bite. I still watch her like a hawk if I give her run of the house and I crate her when I leave. She is still very much a mischievous puppy and will try to chew shoes, underwear, tissues from the trash, goodies in the litter box and more. But she is a joy to have. It's like she's been with us forever. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[timberwolf]

Congratulations and welcome to the forum!!!
You are going to love being owned by a golden
Be sure to post pics - we love pics!!!
If you need info on goldens, you came to the right place.
There is such a wealth of knowledge here

 

[cubbysan]

The most important advice I can give is use the crate. It will end up being your best friend.

I have had two experiences with picking up puppies and having a 3 hour plus ride.

The first the puppy thew up, peed and pooped multiple times on my husband. We were not prepared for that. He never travelled well in the car until his senior years.

The other was just last weekend. We did stop once, but MacKenzie had no interest in going to the bathroom. She curled up in a blanket on the floor most of the ride home.

 

[Noey]

Our pup slept all the way home on my lap. They are more secure in your arms driving back, my opinion, over putting is a crate in the car. All new noises and places. It's alos good bonding time. Whomever gets to hold him for 3 hours will be the one they bond too first!

Make sure you carry him all over the place, don't let him wonder around if you have to stop. Keep it limited. He is too young to be off leash and walking around on the ground at rest stops/stops.

Make sure to have water with you and offer the pup water as much as possible.

 

[grrrick]

Congrats! My only advice is to hang onto your boot straps! Puppies can be a handful. I wouldn't worry too much about a 3 hour drive. If you stopped once, maybe twice, he should do fine. We are picking up a new puppy next month and it's an 7 hour drive without stopping.

Advice: Patience. Training. And lots of toys!

 

[Traz]

First WELCOME & CONGRATULATIONS! You do know pictures ARE REQUIRED on this fforum. LOL

I agree with above. Crate especially, at least until they are house trained. We had about a 2 1/2 hr drive home. We did stop once mostly because we had our 8 month golden with us also. Do not let the puppy walk around where the other dogs usually go. They haven't had all their shots & could pick up a "germ" from other dogs. YOu can even wipe their paws after they walk around. (Samething, no pet store floors until shots are done) Mine are both still small enough I put them in the cart when we go. I like to go because it is good socialization.

Have a nice chew toy around at all times. If they are chewing on something they are not suppose to tell them no, mine & give them their toy.

If you get a big crate partition it off so they only have a small area. Enough to stand up, turn around & lay down. I just brought a puppy home 2 weeks ago tomorrow. Right now his crate is partitioned to be 12inches by 18 inches. They are less likeley to go in the crate then. I also have an 8 month old we did the same thing for. No beds or blankets at first. The towel or a stuff toy mentioned above is the only thing that should be in the crate unless a hard bone or chew toy. (nothing that they can chew a part off of. Our breeder gives each puppy a toy that has been with the littermates & Mom. Pillows etc encourage them to pee as it is soft & soaks stuff up.

You can't let them out enough. Wake up, outside...play 10 minutes outside... Before & after eating, outside. If you are not right with them every second they should be in their crate. Do not let them con you in to letting them out if they cry. OOur breeder did get them use to settling down at night using a pigs ear. I continued it at home a couple day & mine settles right in, no crying.(don't normally care for pigs ears myself) I have been fortunate with both of my recent puppies sleep through the night DRY. I am up late so it is always 12-1am when they settle down for good & I let them out last. Today they slept until 9:15AM.

If I don't want to put him in his cage, but I am busy on the computer or something, I tether him with a collar & leash right by me & give him some toys. That way he is out of the cage but I know he is not getting into anything.

Make sure you "Puppy proof" before they are home. ELECTRICAL cords, any chemicals, etc. We lost 2 phone charger cords to our 1st one.

There is so much more, but that is why this forum is so great.

 

[NuttinButGoldens]

All 5 of my Goldens were short pickup drives, except Comet in 1997. His breeder was 2.5 hours away.

I put a towel on the passenger seat of my Ford Ranger at the time, and he curled up and slept the entire trip without ever waking up. It was a wonderful start to a wonderful dog that remained, well, wonderful his entire 12 years

 

[FeatherRiverSam]

I'd be very careful about where you stop to let the puppy do his business - rest stops can be dangerous because of the high exposure to lots of dogs and the possibility of picking up parvo.

I'd look for area's which are open and safe and steer clear of the rest stops. When I picked up my puppy , Sammie, over thirteen years ago we had a 3 hour drive. I put her on the seat next to me on a towel and I know this is going to sound silly but I sang to her just about the entire trip. She was an angle as she slept most of the drive home and never did have an accident in the car. I remember singing that same song to her when I had to take her in to be pts. She was sure a sweetheart.

Now my brother on the other hand drove up to Washington, an eight hour drive to pick up his Setter pup and that puppy barked the entire drive home. They're all different.

Welcome to the site and enjoy every minute you have with your pup - before you know it you're helping them into the car wondering what happened to all that time.

Pete

 

[louise12]

Wow - thanks for all the advice, this is definitely the place to ask!

Okay, I've ordered a crate, bought some bowls, a collar & lead, toys, I will ask the breeder what food the puppy's used to - is there anything else really obvious that I've forgotten?

We're all so excited now, I'm not sure how we're going to get through the next 5 weeks of waiting, lol. (I think we'll probably spend it arguing about names). We're going to visit the pups in 2 weeks, so I'll be able to post some pics after that

Thanks again for all the help!

 

[Nicole74]

I'd contact the breeder now and buy the puppy food before hand. Good luck and I can't wait to see pictures.

 

[iluvlucy]

agree with all the posts. i would have the puppy in someones lap on a towel like most stated. & crate training is the best & would suggest leaving it in your bedroom at night so she knows you are nearby & then she wont cry all night long. they really need their people. "golden retrievers for dummies" is a great book to read now before she comes hom. and be consisitent with training & dont give up. esp with the nipping/biting as they are relentless & way more work than we ever thought but sticking to it really makes a difference for a great dog. we were lucky as i only worked pt when we got her & took off a week to get into a routine. if you can take a few days off -even better. good luck- you will love being a golden parent. they are the best dogs around truly... and go to puppy class also! : )