Finally!!!

Well, at long last, the day has arrived - my husband and 3 of my kids are picking up our Golden Retriever puppy right now...without me.
I had to work (I'm the only employee!)

Aspen Gold should be in my arms in about 4 hours.
It's a long ride from her place of birth to her new home. I will post a picture of her and I on my myspace page, soon.

Congratulations, Jackie!! Here's to many years of love, devotion, and lots of play time for both of you!

Read your PM's my dear lady....You already know my thoughts on all this. I m just thrilled for all of you...

My husband called about 15 minutes after they picked her up - the poor baby pooped in her new bed in the SUV!!!
Not much different than a baby, huh??

Bluebird, you will have so much fun, I (I'm sure you all know by now) have a wonderful yellow lab almost 2 yrs now, but he's still my baby. Enjoy, enjoy!

Well Aspen is here at the store with me...she pooped on two different rugs while the boss was here! She is so little and cute. I have to take her to the vet next door in a few minutes.

Bluebird, I see you like to walk, well, in a short while you will have a great walking companion. My lab loves his daily walks. Are you going to crate train? I had really good success with this. With my first dog we didn't do this and he's never really learned, but he's a Shitz Tu (spelling?-appropiate name huh?!) and the little ones seem to be stubborn about this (and that and everything!)

What is crate training? I have never raised a puppy so I have no clue what to do. Our neighbor just loaned us a video on puppy care, my kids are watching it right now.
She is so incredibly cute! i feel bad for her, being away from her parents and siblings, but she does seem to love us already.
I definitely will be taking her on walks!

[ May 05, 2006, 12:13 AM: Message edited by: Bluebird ]

BB, crate training is the best! It's much easier to house train them and keeps them from chewing your shoes, pillows, trees, shrubs, flowers, window ledges, furniture......as you can see, I've been through the puppy stage a few times. Daisy is 3 and I still put her in her crate when I'm not home, usually. Even now she can find mischief to make her day a little more interesting. Dogs are very creative when they get bored.

I give Daisy a Kong filled with frozen peanut butter and dog food when she goes into her crate. When I pull it out of the freezer, I don't even have to say anything, she automatically marches her little buns into the crate and is a happy camper. I think she feels safer there than if I let her have the run of the house and back yard.

I'm not going to describe the entire process here - you can find plenty of information about crate training in books and the net.

The most important thing to remember when raising a puppy is: A tired puppy is a good puppy!

Congratulations on your new family member!

Daisygirl

I'm so happy for you and your family Jackie...I bet your new "baby" is adorable...crate training is truly the way to go...even I could do it...so that has to tell you how easy it is..
Many years of happiness with Aspen Gold...

I started by saying "kennel", gently ushering my puppy lab into his kennel home and always giving him a small treat. Now we say kennel or just open the door and he comes running into it. He learned so fast with so few messes, do look up this technique, you will be glad you did. Don't feel sorry for them while they are in there, they do feel its their safe place and like being there when you can't watch them, or even when they want to rest.

My son even crates his Mastiff (huge crate.) He had a smaller one until about a year then needed a larger one. Don't make the mistake made by most folks until they learn, NO food or toys in the crate, they'll make such a mess and WILL potty after eating. Feed, water and walk them awhile before your leaving and crating them. They will just sleep while in their safe crate. But as soon as you get home, walk the dog...

[ May 05, 2006, 08:31 PM: Message edited by: chatty lady ]

Let me know how you do with crate training, Jackie...Since I last visited we put down Buck the basset and now have Clifford II, the 10-mo. old basset hound! He's absolutely precious, and just loves our home, but in regards to house training, we're still struggling...His previous mom had him in a crate and we feel horrible putting him in there, soooo everyday is a new CHALLENGE!

Marsha
Bassett Hound Mom

Sorry to hear about Buck, bassett.
I don't know that I need to do crate training as it seems there is almost always someone home at my house!
Do you suppose it would be just as good to keep a puppy in the bathroom for a few hours at a time? If I put her bed in there and her water and some newspaper down? She's very good about using the paper.

Bluebird,

You will be VERY glad you taught your puppy to love his "little home" (crate). It gives him (and you) a safe place to be.

Locking a dog in a room can prove disasterous -- he could scratch and destroy things!

d.

Bluebird, We all do what we think is right for our circumstances. I have never crated most of my own dogs, heck they sleep with me. I do however put a gate up to keep them in the bigger bathroom if I am going to be gone a long while. There are no cords in there, nothing in the cabinets except towels and wash clothes, the toilet paper roll is removed.. They are little so I don't remove the soap from the sink, they can't possibly reach it anyway. Most people do crate their animals if going to be gone and I will crate a foster away from my own dogs to be on the safe side and make sure there is no fighting. If Aspen does well on her paper and there is usually someone around then play it by ear...Where does she sleep at night? A crate can be good for that but in my home all my dogs have always picked a bed and person to snuggle with, what is one to do??? They are just like children after all.

She has her own bed. I do not want to let her on the beds or couches.
I can't believe how attached she is to me already!! It's so sweet.

I ditto Danita, it's a good thing for him to learn even if you are always around to watch him (which is very hard to do) It keeps him out of trouble AND out of the dog house so to speak. It's very easy to get upset at your puppy when you come home, and look up to see coffee tables, curtains, woodwork destroyed. And retrievers can and will do this, especially if kept in a small room like the bathroom. They are very social animals and would probably be happier resting in their crate with it in an area with the rest of the family. Good luck Bluebird. They bring great joy and fun!

Even though I crate Daisy when I'm away, she does still sleep with me - and she's about 78 lbs! Her litter was kept in a huge crate in the breeder's bedroom and I believe that's why it was so natural for her to be in a crate. Yesterday I left her out for about 3 hours and when I came home she had chewed a shoe and dumped out a couple of flowers I hadn't planted yet! I guess she got bored and wanted some fun!

I want Daisy to be comfortable in a crate because I never know when I may have to kennel her or she may have to be in a crate in an animal hospital at some point in her life.

If you get a crate and put a blanket over it, put some blankets and/or pillows in it, it will feel like a warm, safe haven, somewhat like a wolf den.

Daisygirl

Oh most definitely, let the dog sleep with you! They are so soft and warm and cuddly. My husband and I fight over who gets to cuddle with him at night! (Mines a 65 lb labrador).

Good point on the crate, it would be alot less scary for them to be crated in a hospital or kennel situation if they were already used to it.

Before I got Daisy, I slept with 2 layers of PJs, a down comforter and a wool blanket on top of it all. Now I just need a sheet, quilt and Daisy. I'm serious too!

I just left Daisy contained in the kitchen with the crate door open. Guess where she was when I came home - yep, she was lounging in the crate!

[ May 07, 2006, 07:05 PM: Message edited by: Daisygirl ]

Congrats on the new family member!

I never knew how much pleasure a dog could be until I got Taz. Although, I do know that I've been spoiled. She never bothers ANYTHING - except socks. LOL.

And I do agree with Chatty and Downdog. Maybe it's not for everybody, but I'd vote for letting the dog sleep with you. They are pack animals and are happiest when with their "family." I love that soft, warm body snuggling next to me, softly snoring during the night.

Whirlwind

You finally got your baby????? Can you post a pic here? You sent me a newborn pic but I'd like to see what she looks like now. I'm so thrilled for you! We sleep with Diz but she isn't very big. Like lying next to a little heater.

Trixie sleeps wherever Trixie wants to sleep, either with my son, or with me if my son isn't home. She is spoiled rotten and I love walking by his room and seeing her laying her head on the pillow, just like my son. It looks like two children laying there, instead of a boy and a dog.

She also has a recliner that's hers. Course she only uses it to watch Animal Planet. Or so she says...who can believe her? She lies like a dog.

JJ

Kelly sleeps with us. She's either under the bed, on her bed, or in bed with us. After we get up, we have to open my daughter's bedroom door so she can jump in bed with her. If we don't, she scratches until my daughter gets up and lets her in.

And like you Jawjaw, I love seeing her snuggled on my daughter's bed.

We forgot to bring in my granddaughters dogs dishes yesterday afternoon and this morning very early we heard little chirpy noises. When peeking out onto the deck we saw about 20 little chipmunks gleefully gobbling up the Eukanuba dog food left in the dish and some were bathing in the big water bowl. Cristy ran and got the video camera. We just let them finish their fun while her pitbull Prince watched from the window turning his head from side to side, rather confused. What a hoot!!

[ June 03, 2006, 09:44 PM: Message edited by: chatty lady ]

My girls, Reeta & Rosee, ran all over the house last night when we got home from the mountains. They were sniffing and licking everything and having a ball just being home. You could see the happiness ion their tiny faces and that made me happy to be home as well. I guess our modest surroundings mean more to them than the pricey home my granddaughter has. It is good to be home again, goofy plumbing and all.

Congratulations!!!!! I have a Pittbull and a Dachsund... They love each other SO much and they keep me company on walks.....