Re: [pyrnet] Newbie

["Ann K. Wetherilt" <wetheri@emmanuel.edu>]

First, congratulations and I'm filled with envy--there's no joy quite like
a pyr pup. We're hoping that next spring.... The only pyr I've raised from
puppyhood was what Barb Bowes would call my "heart dog" Paddington, now
waiting at the Rainbow Bridge. We got a lot of help from the book "Mother
Knows Best," by Carol  Benjamin, and from our trainer. I also recommend
getting your new baby into a puppy kindergarten class in a month or two.
Anyway, I'm no expert, but these are my suggestion.
Good luck!
Ann, Peg, Ivy Rose and Tori
pyrnet-l@pyrnet.org writes:
>  Our Pyr pup will be ready to come home with us on Nov. 18. She will be 9
>1/2 weeks. Most info I have is of the "basic" breed info..some very good,
>others seem not to get into too much detail. What I would like to know is
>1. is there a particular puppy food that we should get? (specific for this
>breed?)
There are large breed puppy foods available now. Our advice was to choose
one that is a little lower in fat and protein than average so that these
large bones, joints etc. can develop well without the pup gaining too much
weight too fast. They will eventually reach their full and proper size and
weight.
>
>2. how should I comfort her when she first arrives here? especially at
>night?
Try not to bring her into bed with you--if you do, it will be all over! We
took turns sleeping int he same room as the pup--the crate was too large
to fit in the bedroom--for the first few nights while he got acustomed to
being away from momma and the litter, and while he needed to go out during
the night. When she whimpers, be reassuring but matter-of-fact: "I'm here;
now you go on and go to sleep." Be prepared not to sleep much for a night
or two! One thing we did was to give the breeder a towel that she placed
with the puppies before we brought ours home. It gave him something to
snuggle with that had the familiar scents on it.
>
>3. should she get milk or is water at this age reccomended?
Only water.
>
>4. toys??? what specifically...we have "rope knots" the cotton ones,
>kongs?
>stuffed toys?
The rope knot has been a favorite of all of ours, along with a softer
rubber squeaky ball and a furry stuffed toy. Tori has a buffalo that's a
real favorite--it goes into her crate every night, and she carries it
around a lot during the day.
>
>5. how soon can we take a walk on the lead? How far? can I carry her? do
>you
>recommend a collar or a harness or the muzzle halter type?
We used a halter for a while, while getting him used to wearing a collar.
Yes, you can carry her--we carried our boy puppy a lot for the first few
weeks, while he was waiting to finish all four rounds of shots--we were
paranoid about parvo etc.! Try letting her wear a collar, then when that
seems ok, add a leash and just let her drag it around for a while. 
>
>6. A crate to fit her now, or a larger one that she will grow into?
If you get a larger one (which I recommend--she'll grow so fast!), put a
box or something in one end so that she only has access to a small space.
Part of the purpose of crate training is to take advantage of a pup's
unwillingness to soil its bed, so you want to prevent her being able to
"go" and then get away from it into another part of the crate.
>
>7. can I give bones? should they be raw? what type?
I wouldn't do this, at least for a while.
>
>8. should her puppy food be left out accessable,if not how long should I
>leave it down?
Generally, leave it down for about 15 minutes. If she doesn't eat it all,
you can give it back later, but there may come a time when you need her to
eat on your schedule, not hers, so we like to encourage them to do this by
letting them know that after a certain time it will be removed.
>
>
>    If you can help I would really appreciate it. For the most part the
>answers are pretty obvious, but I want to make sure that what I do is
>right
>for a Pyr! I have been waiting for 14 years to be in a position where I
>can
>have one and devote the time, love and energy she deserves, and I want to
>do
>it right...the first time!  thank you (in advance!) for any information
>you
>can offer.  Sincerely Michele Donald Calgary Alberta.   donaldmic@shaw.ca
>
>
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