Tomorrow is the Day!

[hanson]

And... he is coming home!

<--- --- ---

[GotOne]

Congratulations on the new addition! Get a good night sleep tonight, it will be fun for the next few nights:)

[Scott M]

Congrats Chris. I think you'll be pretty happy.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Get a good night sleep tonight, it will be fun for the next few nights:)

LOL, I'll second that. Have fun with him!

[hanson]

I hate to even say anything as I may jinx myself but night 1 was bad. I didn't fall asleep until 4am or so when I let him out of the kennel. He peed in the kennel, [PoorWordUsage] in the kennel, wouldn't quit barking, I pretty much had enough. Well all that wore him out and then both of us slept in the living room from about 4am to 9am just fine.

Night 2 was a bit better. I let him out to pee & [PoorWordUsage] a couple times through the night. He'd bark for awhile once he was back in the kennel but eventually quiet down.

Last night was a dream! I played around with him until he was [PoorWordUsage] out, took him outside to pee, put him in the kennel and he just laid there looking at me like 'leave me alone, I'm tired'. I took him out a couple times to pee but his barking and whining was very minimal. I actually woke him up this morning.

So far his inside accidents are minimal, and more my fault than anything. He'd go to the door and I'd think, you were just outside... well give him 10 seconds and he's peeing on the floor. Only [PoorWordUsage] inside was the first night in his kennel. I think he was mad more than anything. He's good at letting me know he needs to [PoorWordUsage].

So we played A LOT this weekend when he wasn't sleeping.

[hanson]

Guess you can't talk about p-o-o-p in a dog forum, sorry about the PoorWordUsage.

[machohorn]

Hanson, the fun has just began, Take pics every week , you will not notice him.her growing but look back every month at the pics and you will be suprised,

[S.D. Ice Angular]

I second the take pictures every week or even every day.

Sounds like the start of a nice dog.

When I first got my lab (9 years ago) I wore her out playing with something all the time. Pheasent wing on a fishing rod was her favorite

[Ralph Wiggum]

Be strong and he'll be fine in the kennel in no time. I wore ear plugs at night for the first week or two.

And I'll third the suggestion to take lots of photos. Before you know it...

He'll go from this:

To this:

(OK, so maybe not quite that drastic )

[LABS4ME]

Looks like the screen door grew some too! lol

Good Luck!

Ken

[Ralph Wiggum]

Looks like the screen door grew some too! lol

I'd had enough of the nieces and nephews putting their hands through the screen

[MuleShack]

Nice looking dog Chris.

Our chocolate was mellow the whole week from 7 weeks to 8 weeks, but then "she" developed an attitude and wanted to start biting everything...mostly my hands.

If i can offer one suggestion that has worked for me so far after 7 weeks with her. From day one when we got our 7 week old home I asked her to sit before we opened the crate door and also before we opened the kennel door. It took a little coaxing on the first day, but she got it and has automatically done it ever since. We come to the kennel door and she is sitting and wont move until the gate is opened. I dont even have to ask her to sit to come out of the crate in the morning. This has also made the transition of entering the house a more controlled event. I tell her to sit and stay while I open the house door and walk in and then tell her to come and then she comes in under control and calm. I may just have an easy dog to train or a smart cookie

[Neighbor_guy]

I used to toss an old tick tock style alarm clock in the crate. That seemed to help with the separation durring that first few days away from mom and the litter mates. (no barking)

I also use the smallest crate I can stuff the pup into and let the crate grow with the dog. A small tight crate seems to help prevent the "accidents" in the crate.

[311Hemi]

I used to toss an old tick tock style alarm clock in the crate. That seemed to help with the separation durring that first few days away from mom and the litter mates. (no barking)

I also use the smallest crate I can stuff the pup into and let the crate grow with the dog. A small tight crate seems to help prevent the "accidents" in the crate.

I did both of these also, although I covered the crate with a light blanket and put a radio on some AM talk radio right outside it in our bedroom.

[ironrangegemneye]

From the time I brought mu male black lab home until about a couple weeks later, I would fill up a plastic nalgene water bottle with warm water and place it under his crate blanket. He would cuddle up to the warmth like it was his mother.