I got a puppy!

[Silja]

He needs a bigger box.

I hardly think the dog looks distressed over the size of his box. If he felt uncomfortable, or was scared, or anything like that, I hardly think he would be sound asleep, looking happy. I'm willing to bet he only spends his sleeping time in there, so it doesn't matter that much if its tiny, huge, medium or just right. If he was room to stand, turn around, and lay down, I don't really see the problem.


Awww, cute dog though! Your in for one heck of a house breaking experience though, since he's so young.

But then why not give it more space, so that it can stretch out its body fully and have something softer to lay on? Puppies fall asleep a bit here and there, doesn't necessarily mean the place is overly good for sleeping, meaning that even a human can fall asleep on the floor, but we all see it as a better option and even a right to have a soft bed to sleep in.

[Adam loves Hilary Duff]

Where is he with the blue doll?

This picture:

Yeah I want to know where he is.

By the looks of it, he is in a room, standing on a box thing.

... Is he in that or on top of it? The room around him is either really dark or he's in a big box... My eyes are messed up...

He's in a 2 foot long rubbermaid blue box.
Now he has a 4 foot long crate.

[Alex]

I still fail to see the need for a cage. The only time either of my two dogs were in a cage was when they were flown from Perth and New Zealand to us.

*shrug* To each his own. Just be aware he'll grow. Fast.

[Metatwaddle]

Very cute dog you have there, Adam!

[.:Compact Disk:.]

Ah so he's IN it ok... All I wanted to know.

[Khristian]

I may be getting a dog in a years time.

I hope it looks like yours.

[Adam loves Hilary Duff]

I may be getting a dog in a years time.

I hope it looks like yours.

If you want one like mine.....
I'll tell you where to get one.

[Asparagus Queen]

Very cute puppy!! And the blue doll is hilarious. I love Blue.

About the cages though... Whenever we weren't home when she was a puppy she was in her cage. It was huge though, 4'x3'x3'. She could have an accident in one half and hang out in the other until we got home. Then when she got old enough to not have an accident while we were gone, we took the door off and she used that as her bed until the day she died. That was her house... It was a fold up one, so we brought it with us whenever we went somewhere over night so she'd have her bed. Cages aren't evil or bad if they are the right size.

[Morningstar]

What a cutie, Adam!

Cages aren't evil or bad if they are the right size.

Lots of people crate train. Some people say it is the only way to go. Some people disagree. Asparagus Queen is right, cages aren't evil. As long as the puppy isn't locked in it 24 hours a day.

Keeping the puppy in some small enclosure while you are gone or sleeping--whether it is a cage or a small room with a door or baby gate--is essential. You don't want the puppy roaming all over the house because not only can it chew everything in sight or pee any place it wants (which is no fun for anyone), it can get into real danger. Like decide to chew on an electrical cord or jump up and knock over that tasty houseplant that just might be poisonous. Or chew up something that gets stuck inside its intestines or causes it to choke.

And, by not penning it up, you really run the risk of never being able to potty-train it. Because it never learns that it is supposed to go in one particular place.

Also, keeping it confined while you are gone/asleep/busy is important because you are establishing the ground rules. Some dogs insist on being the alpha of the household. Penning up a dog tells it that you are the boss of the house, not him.

[ahoteinrun]

What a cutie, Adam!

Cages aren't evil or bad if they are the right size.

Lots of people crate train. Some people say it is the only way to go. Some people disagree. Asparagus Queen is right, cages aren't evil. As long as the puppy isn't locked in it 24 hours a day.

Keeping the puppy in some small enclosure while you are gone or sleeping--whether it is a cage or a small room with a door or baby gate--is essential. You don't want the puppy roaming all over the house because not only can it chew everything in sight or pee any place it wants (which is no fun for anyone), it can get into real danger. Like decide to chew on an electrical cord or jump up and knock over that tasty houseplant that just might be poisonous. Or chew up something that gets stuck inside its intestines or causes it to choke.

And, by not penning it up, you really run the risk of never being able to potty-train it. Because it never learns that it is supposed to go in one particular place.

Also, keeping it confined while you are gone/asleep/busy is important because you are establishing the ground rules. Some dogs insist on being the alpha of the household. Penning up a dog tells it that you are the boss of the house, not him.

My dogs used to roam the house free... until Gretal took a liking for our plants. We decided it would be safest to pen them off. So we got baby gates (big/sturdy ones) and since our house is a split level we just put them on the tops of the stairs. It works really really well. Dogs don't chew plants, or make a mess when we're gone, they can still guard the house (since they're on the ground floor) and they're happy.
Plus the gates have come in useful now that my brother has kids...

[Morningstar]

My dogs used to roam the house free... until Gretal took a liking for our plants. We decided it would be safest to pen them off. So we got baby gates (big/sturdy ones) and since our house is a split level we just put them on the tops of the stairs. It works really really well. Dogs don't chew plants, or make a mess when we're gone, they can still guard the house (since they're on the ground floor) and they're happy.
Plus the gates have come in useful now that my brother has kids...

I used baby gates as well. Kitchen only when both dogs were little. No wood to chew (both were super duper chewers when little). And a tile floor that was easy to clean up if one of them had an accident. Plus the kitchen was big enough for them to move about.

Regarding those houseplants. Lots of them are poisonous to dogs and cats. I learned the hard way. Several years ago, I had a great philodendren plant with the long vine and all. The dog that I had at the time, an airedale, was a bit of a chewer. She kept getting horribly sick--vomiting, not eating. Several trips to the vet later, including xrays (about about $500 in total), we still couldn't figure it out. Then one day I was watering the plant and noticed that it's vine was getting shorter--instead of growing longer. I did a bit of research on the plant and sure enough, it is poisonous to dogs. That crazy little airedale was eating the plant! Once the plant was moved to higher ground, the airedale had no more gastro problems.

[KPpinky05]

I got a puppy,too! And just like yours! Except my dog's fur actually looks like rocky road!

[ahoteinrun]

My dogs used to roam the house free... until Gretal took a liking for our plants. We decided it would be safest to pen them off. So we got baby gates (big/sturdy ones) and since our house is a split level we just put them on the tops of the stairs. It works really really well. Dogs don't chew plants, or make a mess when we're gone, they can still guard the house (since they're on the ground floor) and they're happy.
Plus the gates have come in useful now that my brother has kids...

I used baby gates as well. Kitchen only when both dogs were little. No wood to chew (both were super duper chewers when little). And a tile floor that was easy to clean up if one of them had an accident. Plus the kitchen was big enough for them to move about.

Regarding those houseplants. Lots of them are poisonous to dogs and cats. I learned the hard way. Several years ago, I had a great philodendren plant with the long vine and all. The dog that I had at the time, an airedale, was a bit of a chewer. She kept getting horribly sick--vomiting, not eating. Several trips to the vet later, including xrays (about about $500 in total), we still couldn't figure it out. Then one day I was watering the plant and noticed that it's vine was getting shorter--instead of growing longer. I did a bit of research on the plant and sure enough, it is poisonous to dogs. That crazy little airedale was eating the plant! Once the plant was moved to higher ground, the airedale had no more gastro problems.

Gretal never did get sick from them... we think she ate them because she doesn't produce a certain type of chemical that processes fat in her stomach. Ie. She can't gain weight without a special suplement, and when we got her she was like a furry bag of bones. So... yeah. But we penned them up anyways, and it's worked out. That was... 6 years ago now, Gretal hasn't eaten a plant since we penned her up. She's a good dog.

[Khristian]

I may be getting a dog in a years time.

I hope it looks like yours.

If you want one like mine.....
I'll tell you where to get one.

Ok, where would I get one?

[Adam loves Hilary Duff]

What a cutie, Adam!

Cages aren't evil or bad if they are the right size.

Lots of people crate train. Some people say it is the only way to go. Some people disagree. Asparagus Queen is right, cages aren't evil. As long as the puppy isn't locked in it 24 hours a day.

Keeping the puppy in some small enclosure while you are gone or sleeping--whether it is a cage or a small room with a door or baby gate--is essential. You don't want the puppy roaming all over the house because not only can it chew everything in sight or pee any place it wants (which is no fun for anyone), it can get into real danger. Like decide to chew on an electrical cord or jump up and knock over that tasty houseplant that just might be poisonous. Or chew up something that gets stuck inside its intestines or causes it to choke.

And, by not penning it up, you really run the risk of never being able to potty-train it. Because it never learns that it is supposed to go in one particular place.

Also, keeping it confined while you are gone/asleep/busy is important because you are establishing the ground rules. Some dogs insist on being the alpha of the household. Penning up a dog tells it that you are the boss of the house, not him.

Before my old dog Rover died.
He jumped over the gate well we were gone.
He roamed around the whole house and then pooped on the carpet.

So we are making sure Rocky doesn't do that.
We let him walk around the house alot, but we try to stay near him as much as possible.

Edit:

HE IS A SHE!