Rescued a new puppy! Need advice/tips please

[crabtree122202]

So here is our new girl! She is 10 weeks old and is Beagle/Lab? mix. I hope we finally found a great dog that will fit into our family well. So far she is terrific and the kiddos adore her.

Few questions:
What kind of shampoo do you all use? She came from a smoker and she seems to have dry skin. She's itchy but I don't see any fleas yet.

When do puppy's start shots?

When can I get her spayed?

Where should I put her crate? I'm trying not to have the puppy and baby waking each other up during the night!

Best chewy toys for a medium sized breed?


Thanks all for your input. It's been awhile since we have had a dog so I'm re-learning all this! Each tiny toy/thing is so dang expensive! I wish I knew someone who had a box of toys their dogs no longer played with! It's going to be trial and error to see what she likes/dislikes.

Denise~

[saving-n-va]

Oh she's adorable!

Just remember that puppies like to chew. So keep all the baby's stuff away from her. I remember my boss telling me about her lab puppy that ate/chewed EVERYTHING! The remote, her dad' glasses, you name it! So be sure she had good chew toys.

Not sure about the ages for shots, etc. its been too long since our dog was a puppy.

[kawakii]

What kind of shampoo do you all use? She came from a smoker and she seems to have dry skin. She's itchy but I don't see any fleas yet.

If she has dry skin you should stick to an oatmeal shampoo for Dogs, and make sure you completely rinse her off. If any residue stays on her skin it can cause her to itch more, cause hotspots, etc...

When do puppy's start shots?

Puppy shots start as early as 6- 8 weeks for things such as Parvo, etc... so your puppy should be ready for shots now. All puppies sould be vaccinated before exposing them to other dogs, or even new enviorments.

When can I get her spayed?

Anywhere from 5 to 8 Months of Age, depending on the puppy and the vet preference is reccomended in The USA by the SPCA.

Where should I put her crate? I'm trying not to have the puppy and baby waking each other up during the night!

Our dogs crate was in our bedroom close to us in the beginning so we could correct whining and make the puppy feel safe at night, once the puppy is crate trained you can move it wherever you want in the house--some people use the kitchen. It will depend on where you baby sleeps I would think. Our dogs sleep in our bed but their crate is still in our bedroom for when they do need to be crated.

Best chewy toys for a medium sized breed?

Kong toys are durable, and can be filled with peanut butter, yougurt and kept in freezer for a treat. We use Marrow bones for chewing, we buy them at the grocery store raw and Maddie and cooper eat them about once a week to clean their teeth and for a treat :) Make sure you give raw and not baked or boiled because it will cause the bone to splinter and your puppy could swallow the splinters.

Other good toys are ones that make the puppy think, make them get a treat out of the etc ...it keeps them busy and not chewing on things they aren't supposed to.

[snowwhite7]

She is adorable! Labs do chew, a lot and often things they aren't supposed to! Someone already mentioned the toys that hide treats and these are great. I would avoid the braided/twisted thread toys - often dogs chew them till the tiny threads come off and then they swallow the threads. These threads can cause issues in the intestines, so I just don't think it's worth the worry with these toys.

One more thing I would really recommend is to watch the Dog Whisperer on the Discovery channel...he is awsome and he is the reason my mother-in-laws dog (Jayne) is better with my husband and I than with her. Jayne runs away and dashes in front of cars, at children, and after bikes when with my mother-in-law. My husband and I walk her frequently and don't have this issue because we walk her with authority and as the leaders of the pack mentality. You will understand if you watch the Dog Whisperer. :D

Good luck and I think labs are awsome as long as the owners and dog are well trained.

[No1BeanCounter]

I have a 11 mo old lab, and yes they chew! I get most of his toys from Ross, TJMaxx and Marshall's.... you can find a lot of rubber chew toys there for $2-$4 compared to the $7 or 8 you'd pay at other places. Also, Goodwill and garage sales are great places to find stuffed animals for $0.25 or less a piece. Good luck!

[motherofmolly]

What kind of shampoo do you all use? She came from a smoker and she seems to have dry skin. She's itchy but I don't see any fleas yet. best thing for dry skin is to give her a teaspoon of oil in her food. mix this is with dry food...my grandma use to give our lab butter and bread. if she is doggy stinky, use baking soda on her coat...not much but just enough ...baking soda is great for taking the smell out. i sprinkle a box of it around the back of my dog kennel where the dogs pee alot..it takes the smell out

When do puppy's start shots? usually 3mths..but you should take her for checkup to make sure she doesnt have worms pretty quick

When can I get her spayed? 6mths

Where should I put her crate? I'm trying not to have the puppy and baby waking each other up during the night! ours are in the basement. finished basement. you want it somewhere out of the way so they have their own space, but not where they cant get to by themselves (if he/she is a housedog). should be big enough that she can turn around and lay down...if the crate is bigger then her and she is pottying in it..close off part of it ...if it is too big she will think she can potty in it..if it is the right size, she wont want to sleep in her mess

Best chewy toys for a medium sized breed? getting cheap toys are great for them just to tear up...but if you want something that will last, get a kong (brand name)...they are virtually indistructible...they also have a tire (looks like a mini tire) that last a long time ago..you can get them at petsmart or petco