[knewcom3]

My family put down a deposit on a puppy! I wanted to say THANK YOU to all of you guys for the help with the breeder. I researched so much and contacted our local GR kennel club and we found the best breeder. When we met the puppies this past weekend (3 weeks old!) we also met the mom, grandma, and great grandma dogs. We are just so excited and needless to say these 4 weeks are going to take SOOOO LONG to pass.

Does anyone have any recommendations? This is our first GR puppy! Our sweet girl who passed away over a year ago was a GSD and we got her at 3 months old at the Humane Society.

SO, does anyone have any crate training, potty training tips? Also, we want to make sure the transition from mom to living with us is smooth!


This is Mac and his brothers and sisters. We will not know which of the three boys we get until it is time to take them home. Our breeder likes the families to get plenty of chances to bond with all of the dogs before making a final decision.

 

[Puppy_To_Be_Named_Later]

Read up on socialization and do all that you can. Buy a crate that can expand as he will grow fast. Make sure the crate isn't too big or he will pooty in the corner. And the biggest tip I can give is have a super amount of patience.

 

[nolefan]

Congratulations! So glad that you've been patient and done your research and it is now paying off. That's the best! I'm glad the forum has helped you make an informed decision. I've learned so much here over the past couple years and it makes me so happy to hear people like you who have also benefited.

The puppy book that my next puppy's breeder recommended to me is by Dr. Ian Dunbar 'Before and After Getting your Puppy.' I also love "Goldens Retrievers for Dummies."

I know you will have fun shopping for all the puppy paraphernelia. It's a great way to pass the time. Check out the search feature if you haven't done that already, it will be a great way to find info on this forum. It's how I found my last crate, shipped to my house, great price.

My ideas:
1) Start getting recommendations for local dog training clubs for puppy kindergarten. The good places don't always run classes continuously and the good ones will fill up fast.
2) Baby gates... start searching garage sales if yours are all gone. I have a hands free gate by the first years that is the best.

BTW, I love the name Mac!! Cant wait to see the photos from your next visits! Have fun! And welcome to the forum!