Chapter 4 - Day1 (The Arrival)

Chapter 4 - Day 1 (The Arrival)

Harleigh was quiet in the puppy carrier all the way home.  After seeing the conditions at the breeder, I knew she had been left to her own devices and there had been little to no training.  I didn't know what to expect, but I knew to "expect the unexpected".

Initially, I was planning to let my new puppy have access to most of the downstairs:  the foyer and den (hard wood floors with oriental rugs), the kitchen, back hallway, laundry room/mud room/bathroom (tiled floors), and the half bath (also tiled floor).  First mistake!   Too much space means too much to get into, too much to damage, too much to mess on.  All doors got shut, all doorways got barricaded.  We are now limited to the eat-in kitchen and back hallway.

After hearing, "They like to pee on the rug", we decided to roll up all our carpets and put them in another room.  At least for now.    She remained in her travel carrier while we rolled everything up and put it away.  

RULE #1:  Don't leave anything around you do not want damaged.

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When we let her out of her carrier, she tentatively inspected the area.  She seemed very timid and shy.   

I introduced her to her bathroom space and I actually got a pee pee on the pad!  I was thrilled.  

She appreciated her new bed!

I fed her lunch and she ate almost all the 1/3 cup!   I expected her to have a BM, but she climbed in her bed and went to sleep.  She was exhausted.  

She had a pattern that first day, sleep for 1 hour, play and investigate for 30 minutes, sleep for another hour.

There were a couple potty mistakes that day, but I knew they couldn't be avoided.  But training had started and there were success stories, too.  She had a good dinner, played a little more, used the pee pad (again!), and then conked out in her bed.

Since her space was limited, it was easy to keep an eye on her while I worked at the computer station in the kitchen.

Rule #2:  Define her space - making sure there are separate areas for eating, bathroom, and playing.  

__________After hearing, "They mess in their cages and then walk in it," I turned to the internet for advice.  I think the problem at the breeders was that she had multiple puppies sharing large cages.  According to the internet (I will always be grateful to the World Wide Web), the puppy's crate should have just enough space to stand, turn around, and lie down in a small bed.  The internet authority pointed out that the puppy will NOT use the bathroom in their bed.  The mistake many people make is giving the puppy too much space.  I had to block off 2/3 of the crate I was using and replace the crate bed with a smaller one.

Rule #3:  Prepare the crate correctly with just enough space for the puppy to stand, turn around in, and lay down in a small bed.

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When my husband got home from work that evening, we put her in her crate, so we could have a little break together and watch an hour television.  I put the crate in our bedroom, so she could see us while we were watching TV.  She was very good.

After the television show, I took her back to the kitchen and we played about an hour, she did both bathrooms, then she tired out and was put in her crate for the night.  

I set my clock alarm to go off every 90 minutes.  Sometimes she woke we whining to get out before the alarm went off.  In each case, she would use the bathroom, play for about 30 minutes, get tired, and be ready to sleep for another 60 - 90 minutes.  To say the least, I woke up exhausted!