My advice and reflections on being a single person raising a gigantic puppy in a small apartment during a pandemic
jesusrules15
New member
@brewserx I don’t understand the view of youtube training videos in this way... its a video. They only have so much time to show you whats going on, its more instructional than... realistic? Idk, they are guidelines, not the bible.
I don’t mean anything against you, I just see a lot of people say things like that and I don’t get it.
If you watch a piano tutorial that starts with the basic chords and then speeds up, its not unrealistic— you just haven’t gotten to that point.
I don’t mean anything against you, I just see a lot of people say things like that and I don’t get it.
If you watch a piano tutorial that starts with the basic chords and then speeds up, its not unrealistic— you just haven’t gotten to that point.
@jesusrules15 You’re totally right. I guess when somethings visual, even when the professional trainers say it’ll take time, there’s an inherent false expectation set up by their dogs’ immediate success. There’s also a DIY allure to YouTube learning and it’s cheaper than a trainer so I’m sure a lot of people hope for it to work out as a plan A or B.
I don’t expect my dog to learn all her commands quickly and I’ve made plans for Petco socialization and an professional 1 on 1 trainer should it come to that, but I want to wait and see how things are going before I utilize the latter.
I don’t expect my dog to learn all her commands quickly and I’ve made plans for Petco socialization and an professional 1 on 1 trainer should it come to that, but I want to wait and see how things are going before I utilize the latter.
jesusrules15
New member
@wshare I would 100% crate train and not stress about the play pen. 2 birds 1 stone with crate training in my opinion. They can play outside when you walk them and in the apt other times. Are you a first time dog owner? Sounds like you may be getting a puppy? Definitely do not stress yourself out trying to nail everything and expect perfection right off the bat! Sooner than you expect you and your pup will find a groove!
@wshare My current dog was already housebroken when I adopted her, she’s about 3.5 years old and I’ve made her crate a second safe space for her (she also has a “place” aka big soft bed) so I just got lucky that she’s chill and doesn’t have any issue being in there. I haven’t really had to lock her in there unless I was cleaning something I needed her to avoid - she’s blind hehe.
My non-professional opinion that my family used raising golden retrievers growing up, if it’s a puppy (8-12 weeks) keep them frequently on schedule (think potty every 3 hours-ish) Make sure your crate is an appropriate size, if using one. If it's too large then your pup will do their business in one corner and then move away from it. It needs to be somewhat small but still comfortable to move around in / lay down. As they grow, you expand that space for them until they're fully grown and can use up the entire crate. It seems mean at first but it is for their own good! Literally, don't shit where you sleep. They will of course cry and whine but you’ll have to ignore unless they’re crying for another reason. But the crate should NEVER be used as punishment - in order for this to be effective they need to see the crate as safe and relaxing.
My non-professional opinion that my family used raising golden retrievers growing up, if it’s a puppy (8-12 weeks) keep them frequently on schedule (think potty every 3 hours-ish) Make sure your crate is an appropriate size, if using one. If it's too large then your pup will do their business in one corner and then move away from it. It needs to be somewhat small but still comfortable to move around in / lay down. As they grow, you expand that space for them until they're fully grown and can use up the entire crate. It seems mean at first but it is for their own good! Literally, don't shit where you sleep. They will of course cry and whine but you’ll have to ignore unless they’re crying for another reason. But the crate should NEVER be used as punishment - in order for this to be effective they need to see the crate as safe and relaxing.
@arun4545 Wanted to let you know that crate training is going great so far! He likes the space and will often go inside on his own.
I did also set up a playpen for him to play freely during the day. He seems to like it but I worry that he’ll get bored. I can’t take him out for walks until his shots are all taken care of.
I did also set up a playpen for him to play freely during the day. He seems to like it but I worry that he’ll get bored. I can’t take him out for walks until his shots are all taken care of.
@wshare I was thinking of you so thanks for the update!!! Thats great that he’s going in on his own 
means he feels comfy and safe in his little space. In terms of boredom — especially if you’re WFH right now you will probably be worrying about him not being bored but he’s a puppy! He’s getting used to you and his new home and sleeping a ton. Don’t keep all toys out (if you have any) at once because then he may get bored. Keep one or two out and rotate any others so every time you whip them out they retain their novelty. You can also look into lick mats or snuffle mats for meal time feeding and generally keeping him busy with mental stimulation.
Whats his name?! Sounds like you’re both doing great
means he feels comfy and safe in his little space. In terms of boredom — especially if you’re WFH right now you will probably be worrying about him not being bored but he’s a puppy! He’s getting used to you and his new home and sleeping a ton. Don’t keep all toys out (if you have any) at once because then he may get bored. Keep one or two out and rotate any others so every time you whip them out they retain their novelty. You can also look into lick mats or snuffle mats for meal time feeding and generally keeping him busy with mental stimulation.Whats his name?! Sounds like you’re both doing great
@arun4545 His name is Teddy! You can see a pic of him in my post history.
I’m going to scoop up a couple of his toys now and will rotate. That’s super smart.
He has his first vet visit this afternoon. While he’s there (I can’t stay due to covid restrictions), I’ll walk over to the pet store to see if I can find a lick mat. I think the Kong is difficult for him bc his nose is so flat. The lick mat might work better.
Thanks again for your thoughtful responses.
I’m going to scoop up a couple of his toys now and will rotate. That’s super smart.
He has his first vet visit this afternoon. While he’s there (I can’t stay due to covid restrictions), I’ll walk over to the pet store to see if I can find a lick mat. I think the Kong is difficult for him bc his nose is so flat. The lick mat might work better.
Thanks again for your thoughtful responses.
raiden0108
New member
@endspiel People should print this out and laminate it. We have a 7 month old golden retriever and live in the burbs but, holy hell, do I feel all of this so hard.
Just another plug for pet insurance - it saved us when the pup was not even three months and had gastroenteritis and pneumonia. I get the idea of saving $x per month in an account instead of paying an insurance company, but that’s not going to help if your puppy gets sick or has an accident and you are stuck with a massive vet bill before that account has a chance to accumulate.
This is hands down one of the best write ups I’ve seen on here. Thanks for this!
Just another plug for pet insurance - it saved us when the pup was not even three months and had gastroenteritis and pneumonia. I get the idea of saving $x per month in an account instead of paying an insurance company, but that’s not going to help if your puppy gets sick or has an accident and you are stuck with a massive vet bill before that account has a chance to accumulate.
This is hands down one of the best write ups I’ve seen on here. Thanks for this!
@j0ky I still don’t buy into pet insurance. Instead of paying into pet insurance, my partner and I put 100$ a month aside for the dog in a dog fund. Insurance in Canada is outrageous and would be $60+ a month with an $800 deductible per issue. Now we have $900 + $1000 that we put in initially saved. It’s also collecting interest.
We decided to do it this way because we have the “disposable” income to spend on the vet (which I know a lot of people don’t have) if we need to but we also got a COVID puppy and weren’t sure what the world would look like in a year. People should look at their finances and make the choice for themselves bc insurance isn’t the only way to protect your pet.
We decided to do it this way because we have the “disposable” income to spend on the vet (which I know a lot of people don’t have) if we need to but we also got a COVID puppy and weren’t sure what the world would look like in a year. People should look at their finances and make the choice for themselves bc insurance isn’t the only way to protect your pet.
@smith10 I spent well over $2k the first year on my puppy and insurance covered all but $200 of it. This is in the States though, so obviously not directly comparable to Canada, but I would have exhausted what you're saving by month 5. They also cover things like nail trims and heartworm pills. It's also very unlikely that I'll ever have to make the $ or dog decision in the future if she needs an expensive surgery. I 100% recommend it for the US.