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New Addition to the Family

Deborah

Veteran

After much thought, and Master 10 committing to a period of time of having certain responsibilities to show us that he is ready for the responsibility and care of a dog, today we brought a new member into our family.

Dexter is 4 months old. She is a cross Jack Russell / Chihuahua. We found her at the animal shelter. She was part of a litter that had been brought in by the animal inspector because the family couldn't afford to keep all the pups.

Master 10 is besotted. He wanted a boy dog and had already picked the name. When we got there and he saw this cutie, he was gone, telling his dad he didn't care if the dog was a girl or boy... he just wanted this one.

Day one has been eventful, we stopped on the way home to buy everything a puppy could need and then she was sick in DH's car (is it wrong that I was glad it wasn't my car??)

She is settling in well, getting to know our back garden, and playing with Master 10, and for a puppy she is actually quite calm:) We are about to head out for her first walk.

Now comes the training!

And I am not sure how it happened, but this non dog person, is feeling lots of love for this lovely little puppy!!

Any advice re raising puppies would be much appreciated. I have very little experience with dogs.

xxx Deborah

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44 replies

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Caro in Oz

Veteran

Oh they certainly steal your heart, she is gorgeous The only recommendation I would make is for Dexter & Master 10 to attend training together. Enjoy.

Deborah

Veteran

Excellent advice Caro. I think that will be our first order of business. My limited time with her today suggests that she may have had some basic training as she is responding well.

Lyn D.

Veteran

What a cutie!
Things might be a little easier since she is already 4 months old.
I can remember having to take puppies outside alot- especially as soon as they wake from a snooze, and when they appear to be sniffing. And there will still be accidents from time to time, but not to scold when it happens. Rather praise when they go outside where you want them to.
I am sure Dexie will be a great friend to Master 10, and they will grow up together
Such lovely news after losing some greatly-loved Fur-kids on the forum lately!

Deborah

Veteran

Lyn she is in her dog bed all snuggled up on Master 10's bed as I type. I am not sure she will stay there all night as despite no accidents I'm still not confident of her toilet habits or training. I may pop her onto her kennel before I go to bed. Thanks for the advice, I am reading up as much as I can..and as quickly as I can:)

ManidipaM

Veteran

Aww, that first photo is heart-melting!

Anonymous

Oh she is adorable! And he seems smitten!

Suz

(website)

Veteran

She's really sweet! Lucky boy. With Jack Russell in her she will likely be smart and energetic. Raising a puppy is a bit like having a toddler. They need love and firm boundaries and tons of patience.

Krista

Veteran

Ack! She's beautiful.
Puppies are busy but they do eventually calm down. I remember our dog was into everything when he was small but now he is just the best companion I could ever ask for.
Just a few tips:
- If she has a kennel or crate and you expect her to be there during the day when no one is home, try to get her used to it as quickly as possible. Even if she cries and whines, because she will! You can put a nice cushion in there for her to lie on, with a toy, even a shirt thats been worn by Master 10 so she has his scent nearby. We used to drape a towel over part of the kennel to make it restful and also so that our dog would not be distracted by the goings on outside. If the kennel is properly vented, a towel draped over part of it to make it darker will not make it too hot. Eventually she will come to see it as her spot and quiet space. Also, dogs will not go to the bathroom in their crate because they see it as their space, so as long as you are positively reinforcing bathroom visits outside you should be good!
- I found Cesar Milan's book, "Cesar's Way" a really great resource in the beginning. His philosophy spoke to me and I really believe that his mantra of "exercise, discipline, affection" is a great way to work with your dog. I don't use all of his techniques, but I can tell you that regular walks and exercise for my dog are the keys to his excellent behaviour.
- Finally, regular opportunities for her to socialize with other dogs (once she's up to date on shots, etc) is really valuable. A well socialized dog means that you can walk her and take her to the dog park without worrying how she will react to others and other dogs. We know people who have to walk their dog late at night because the dog can't socialize! That's not fair to anyone.

Sorry to make this so long! I obviously really like to talk about dogs. Enjoy this exciting time, Deborah! My husband and I now joke that we cannot remember life before our dog, he has brought us so much joy.

Raisin

Veteran

Gorgeous puppy! I'm sure your son will do well, he seems like a great boy.

Jjsloane

Veteran

Oh my goodness, how could you not cave in to that face?

Classically Casual

Veteran

What a happy post & adorable photos!! You've just given Master 10 happy memories that he'll have for the rest of his life. Dogs are wonderful. I'll defer on the puppy training advice to the other pros here. But there are lots of videos and books, plus classes to help. But dogs do need training, even if they're small. Have fun!

Anonymous

I second what Krista said. Definitely sign up for puppy training classes with someone who uses positive reinforcements. It is money well spent. If it's a small group class, the puppy will also get some socializing, which is very important.
If a behavior won't be acceptable for the dog as a fully grown adult, don't allow it now. It can be cute for a puppy to jump, be on the bed or furniture, lie in the middle of the floor, etc. but if you don't want it later, put a stop to it now.
Puppies chew. It's another reason to keep them in a kennel when you are gone. Be sure to keep your boots and shoes out of reach. Table legs and such can also be tempting for a teether. A puppy ruined a treasured desk made by the owner's grandfather. The pup was out of its kennel.
It will be the best of times and worst of times. You need a sense of humor.

ironkurtin

Veteran

I really enjoyed Temple Grandin's "Animals in Translation." Besides being generally fascinating she also has information there on why animals act like they do, which made me look at my cat in a whole new way.

Anonymous

Awwww, what a little sweetie!!!

My neighbor the dog trainer recommends The Perfect Puppy by Gwen Bailey as a good resource. It's available on eBay.

I hope we'll be seeing more of this little darling!

FlorenceFearne

Bless your heart, Deborah, for adopting a shelter dog. She's adorable.

The single best piece of puppy training advice I can give is that once you have read the books, and you know the all hows and the whys, you will have to be patient and consistent. Make sure there are no exceptions made to the rules, or your dog can hardly be blamed for getting confused. People often forget that no matter how smart your puppies may seem, they are young and they are not human. They don't instinctively know what you want, and punishing them for that won't help.

Anonymous

This post brought tears to my eyes. Dexter is beautiful and Master 10 looks as if he is in love! My friend has a Jack Russel/Chihuahua mix, she's a great little ball of energy.

suzyq

She's a beauty a perfect lap dog with energy to burn for Master 10.

My daughter got a standard poodle for her 8th birthday. She was in the 4 H program through middle and high school with that dog. My daughter is 25 now and Sydney her poodle, slightly blind, hard of hearing and wobbly on her feet still has great moments of puppy energy.

I would highly recommend agility training for the two. The bonding, trust and energy burn would be invaluable.

Good luck!

JulieJohn

Veteran

Gorgeous! We had a Jack Russell mix and she was a perfect friend: brilliant, a good hunter and digger, and so loving. I never realized I was a dog person either, but the dogs in my life knew, and they convinced me.

This potty-training method worked for us: when Dexter Ann starts to pee inside, pick her up around the waist and rush her outside, set her down on the grass, then praise her in a happy voice whether or not she has any pee left in her. She may look confused, but she will eventually do the math ... pee+outside=happy!

I really enjoyed puppy classes with my lab-beagle, Penny, and she still loves doing tricks she learned back when she was a schoolgirl. It was fun socializing too, for the dogs and the humans.

DeclawedJaguar

Veteran

I too teared up at the photo of Master 10 with Dexter. That love is palpable!

My personal favorite books on dog training are The Other End of the Leash and The Puppy Primer by Patricia McConnell. The author is an animal behaviorist from the school of positive reinforcement.

And yes, patience is the absolute key to surviving the first few weeks with a new puppy. Enjoy those precious moments!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

How heartwarming. Dexter is beautiful.That photo of your two kids is stunning.

I am a dog person with every fibre of my being. Nothing compares to the bond you can have with an animal. I love how Master 10 was drawn to a particular fur baby. That's extra special. Looks like it was love at first sight.

My suggestions are two-fold:

To understand that puppies are like babies. They require time and attention. You have to stay patient, kind and problem solving. It's when people aren't that these poor dogs end up back at the shelter. I'm always on the dog's side.
If you think Dexter is cute now - wait till she's an adult. Dogs get cuter and cuter because their personalities develop with you.

Tous les Quatre. I wish you all the love, companionship, and cherished memories in the world as a family of 4. xo

Louise

Veteran

Oh what a cutie pie! That piccie of master 10 snuggling with Dexter was just heart warming it bought a tear to my eye. Hopefully they will be strong loyal friends for many years to come x

rachylou

Veteran

Awww! She's got a good face, a good expression.

I'm a Cesar Milan fan, who's often set up as the anti-thesis to Ian Dunbar, the animal behaviourist called the father of positive reinforcement training and denizen of my hometown. I don't find they are so different actually, and I prefer Cesar because Dunbar and his wife Kelly really irritate me in real life. To me, IRL, they're like soccer moms for dogs: a little self-promoting and narcissistic about their own agenda. As commercial as Cesar is, he's not in the same sort of snit.

However, all that said, here's a good link to a couple of good articles by Dunbar: http://www.jaquenetta.com/Crat.....Dunbar.htm

and

http://www.ncraoa.com/articles.....train.html

I would advise not to lock up a dog in a crate for long. Dogs like their dens. Dogs are not good with being imprisoned and isolated. They will soil their crates if they have to - and a puppy will then roll around in *it.* And learn to eat poop. And go mad when they get a little bit of freedom. Dogs were meant to walk all day; to spend 8 hours only able to lie, sit, stand up and turn around is unhealthy. A contained AREA is better - one large enough for a poop place *over there* and a nice clean den area *over here.* A contained area where it can feel in-touch with the rest of the pack.

Schedules are helpful for a keeping a dog regular and emotionally secure.

I had my six-week rescue puppy paper trained in three days - but that required getting up in the middle of the night as soon as she moved and putting her on the puppy pad.

My last advice: start training the dog that it's OK to be alone right away.

Ingunn

(website)

Veteran

Congratulations! What a cutie, and such a lovely addition to your family. I have no advice, as my only pet experience is with a cat. But I recognize what Angie said: They only get cuter and more wonderful as they develop their unique personality. Good luck to you all!

Scarlet

Veteran

Oh how lovely! I am thrilled for your family.

cciele

Veteran

Awwww, so cute! I'm sure she will be well loved in your family. I have no experience with having dogs as pets, so no help there. But definitely some sort of puppy training class!

Kristin L

Veteran

She looks adorable! I'm so happy for your family!

Day Vies

Veteran

She's darling. Congratulations! And no it's not wrong to be glad it wasn't your car!

Debra

Veteran

Nothing like a boy and his accomplice she's certainly a heart stealer and good plan........taking DH's car

Adelfa

Veteran

Gorgeous pics! Happy boy, so glad he has her. My bit of advice, very simple so you can share it with M10, is that any consequence (good or bad) that you deliver has to be immediate. Praise or a food reward must happen right when the desired behavior occurs. Gentle scolding ("No, no") must happen during the behavior or immediately after it happens. If you can't do it then, you've simply lost your chance for that time. Don't think, when you find a problem later, that the puppy "knows" and can comprehend a belated scolding. In fact if the puppy is doing something good when you find the problem then what you'll actually be doing is punishing a desired behavior.

I have a Master's in Behavior Analysis and I think this is a really common mistake!

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