[nypenny]

Hello Everyone,

We just purchased our first boxer puppy... she's a nine week female fawn, the cutest thing ever! We stopped by a pet store and after 4 hrs of playing with Penny, we decided to buy her...it was an impulsive purchase as our house is not puppy ready. We decided to keep the dog at the pet shop until we're ready with all the essentials necessary to maintain the puppy during the transition phase. But honestly...as the mins are going by we're freaking out...in a good way i guess.

Our question and concern is this....my boyfriend...Bob the builder is making his patented 7x8 doggie cage which includes the kennel and the area fo the wee wee pads and enough room for her to play and do whatever. We are prepared that the puppy may cry the first couple, few or who knows days...but should we confine the puppy to the kennel when she gets home? or should we let her have free range w/ the cage? I should also add that we're a working couple therefore, the pup will be alone for about 8hrs and we want to do our best to make our baby feel at home, ease and secure....any advice or suggestions?

Also, is it a good idea to let the puppy get familiar w/ the house, of course under our supervision, by letting her sniff the furniture and the area upon her first couple of days after her arrival?

 :? we are anxious TN

 

[Donya]

i am a new boxer mom too so i dont have the most experience but when we brought maverick home we didint confine him to the kennel right away. We expected that he might not like it and moving to a new home and leaving his family was traumatic enough so we kept him in the living room with us where he could still be supervised and gave him a lot of attention. He is only crated when we are not home or basically when he cant be in our sight...

Also there is a list in the puppy section of things to have on hand when you bring your puppy home. it is a sticky so its easy to find. It was very useful.

You should find out what brand of puppy food she is on now and buy that same food so she can be transitioned to your choice of food slowly to avoid upset stomach.

hope that helps

 

[JeanenesBoogerBabies]

Welcome to the board!  You sound very excited to have a new puppy...my first suggestion would be to hire a dog walker or relative/friend to come in and visit your new baby during the day to break up the time in the crate. Puppies can't be in a crate for more then a couple of hours at a time...they simply don't have the control over their bladder,etc. and if the pup becomes accostomed to messing in it's crate, you will have an inordinately difficult time housebreaking...puppy pads tend to send the opposite message...that it's ok to go in the house...it can slow things down. There are MANY wonderful articles on the beginning stages, what to have when you bring puppy home and what kind of schedule they need.  Usually, crate training involves about 15-20 minutes out of the crate wtih you RIGHT THERE by her...(if a puppy messes in the house, it's OUR fault, not theirs...we have to pay attention)and then back in the crate for a bit...then out to potty...if they don't potty, back in the crate for a bit more and another chance to potty...once they potty outside, they can be in for that 15-20 minutes of supervised play again...it's pretty simple and works GREAT!

Congrats on your new baby!  Can't wait to see pics when she comes home!

 

[Mastray]

Hello and welcome! I personally hate pee pads!!! Odin's breeder did that with them and WOW... he just thought he could go ANYWHERE IN THE HOUSE!! Some people think it's good to keep a puppy confined to one room and slowly lead them to more and more freedom... and some do it all at once. I agree though... you MUST visit the puppy section!! Can't wait to see pics!!

 

[Ky_IsisnOnyxsMama]

well theres nothing i can say more than Jeanene and Marie,..they are right on and i agree totally..pee pads to me are like telling a baby ok pee on the floor for awhile then all of a sudden its wrong and you have to use the toilet..a dog cant think through that..well they can but why ask them to?.jsut brings frustration..unless its an only option for a short time ( people that live somewhere like a townhouse ) that they dont want pup to catch anything outside til all the shots are done..personally i have never used them..

also totally agree with a dog walker,neighbor,friend etc..to take her out .. 8 hours is asking way too much and jsut going to bring frustration onto you and her...her bladder is so little it cant hold on that long...

the stuff in the puppy section is so so helpful..and we are all here to help also..everyones been through it all and more hahaha...

welcome to the group and congrats on the new baby..looking forward to tons of pics..as you can see we are all pic adicts haha

 

[luvmyboxers]

Well, I can't add anything that everyone else hasn't already said.  So, I'll just welcome ya'll to the forum.  You'll learn lots of stuff here.  Can't wait to see pictures!

 

[nypenny]

thank you guys!

Your advice really helps us...we are a bit nervous becuase we want to do this right.

We will post pics of penny when she comes home.

 

[Diesel-and-Kira]

I have something to add.
Find your own vet. Please do not use the vet the pet store suggests to you.

good luck! it's like bringing a skin baby home. Nap when they nap, otherwise you'll get no sleep for the first few days. lol

 

[Barbs2Ks]

Welcome to you and Penny, can't wait to see pictures she sounds so cute.  I would suggest that you take the puppy to the vet soon for a checkup; many pet stores purchase from non-reputable breeders.  The only other advice I can give is get some Natures Miracle for puppy accident cleanups.  You are going to be so happy to have a boxer in your life.

 

[JeepKuntry]

Boxer owner here from Tennessee also.  To be exact, Clinton, TN.  My advice and I'm sure people will mention this is with boxers, they actually do better if kept inside.  With the warm summers, I wouldn't leave a boxer outside.  If you had to, I'd make sure they had plenty of shade and water.  Also, they don't have a thick coat so colder weather can be an issue.

 

[samsonsmom]

[quote="JeepKuntry\";p=\"36532":1i9g82gx]Boxer owner here from Tennessee also.

 

[Guest]

Boxers can just steal your heart can't they?  They are soo cute at that age.  If you work consistantly with the pup, they can learn to start going outside pretty quickly.  I have a 10 week old fawn that I got when she was 6 weeks.  She is now only have an occasional accident and we have her out for hours at a time with us.  Just this week she has started going to the door or whining when she has to go potty.  She only pees when I don't notice.  She has already learned the rudiments of housebreaking (without a pee pad) in 4 weeks...I would suggest just having enough room in her kennel for her to turn around in a lay down in.  If it's bigger than that, she will take a corner to potty and a corner to sleep.  I know you will have a wonderful time with Penny!

 

[southerngirls]

Well i cant really add anymore than what has already been said. Cant wait to see pics of your girl!! BTW whats her name??

 

[sully]

You came to the right place.   I recommend reading everything you can on this site.  Use the search function for everything you can think of and read all the stickys.  I researched for months before taking the plunge.  This seriously was the best website I found.  It makes me a little nervous she was an impulse buy!   But I wish you the best of luck and everyone here will help you whenever they can.

 

[nypenny]

Thank you all for your replies this really helps and puts us at ease. Just want to clarify that the section we have for Penny is inside the house in our family room not outside.

I have a question for you all...this is what i don't understand and I've read different opinions on this....I'm curious as to your thoughts.

Penny is 9 weeks old and by the time she comes home she'll be 10wks and she's up to date w/ the shots. I've read tand was told that puppies under 14 weeks should not be socialized, taken outside for walks or to a park b/c of fear of catching deseases from other dogs in the area. I live in a dog friendly town and everyone picks up after their dog. When we purchased Penny, she was in a play pen with 5 other puppies (not boxers) and they do everything in the pen. We noticed when the puppies pooped, they immediately picked it up or the smell will give it away. At times we noticed when one of the pups pooped the other puppies steered away from that area.

So what's the difference? I can't socialize my pup just yet or take her outside? but she's in a play pen w/ other pups? its confusing

your thoughts please

 

[Kate]

You can't can't control the situation in a pet store and have no idea how many people or other dogs have handled or been around your new baby, or whether other puppies in the backrooms are sick.  That is why everyone is telling you to immediately (like the moment you pick up your baby) go to your own vet and have a complete check-up, including a fecal examine to rule out worms or other parasites that could cause problems.  There is no way of knowing who the pet shop purchased the puppy from in the first place, or what kind of diseases the pups have been exposed to and might come down with after an incubation period - in otherwords, buyer beware.  Protect yourself financially and legally by getting an independent medical exam asap - it may be the only recourse you have if there are problems with the puppy once you walk out of the store.  Hopefully, your new baby will be wonderfully healthy and you'll have no problems.  I only say these things because many years back I had a very bad experience with a pet shop.  Good luck to you and let us know how it turns out!!

 

[nypenny]

Re: Our First Boxer Pup...question

Thank you all for your replies this really helps and puts us at ease. Just want to clarify that the section we have for Penny is inside the house in our family room not outside.

I have a question for you all...this is what i don't understand and I've read different opinions on this....I'm curious as to your thoughts.

Penny is 9 weeks old and by the time she comes home she'll be 10wks and she's up to date w/ the shots. I've read tand was told that puppies under 14 weeks should not be socialized, taken outside for walks or to a park b/c of fear of catching deseases from other dogs in the area. I live in a dog friendly town and everyone picks up after their dog. When we purchased Penny, she was in a play pen with 5 other puppies (not boxers) and they do everything in the pen. We noticed when the puppies pooped, they immediately picked it up or the smell will give it away. At times we noticed when one of the pups pooped the other puppies steered away from that area.

So what's the difference? I can't socialize my pup just yet or take her outside? but she's in a play pen w/ other pups? its confusing

your thoughts please

 

[samsonsmom]

As far as taking outside, it's recomended that until your pup has ALL her shots, she be kept in her immeadiate yard, no dog parks, etc...Socializing with other dogs after you bring her home is fine as long as they are up to date on their shots...Like Kate said, I would have an appt already scheduled with a vet when you pick her up and that would be my next stop...A clean bill of health will start you off on the right track and also if there are any issues, they can be addressed right away.