lovedquilts

Set feeding times in the am and pm. take her out first thing in morning, then feed, if she does not finish pick up the bowl. You need to have a schedule, dogs love schedules, I hung a bell on the door and rang it whenever I took them out when they were puppies, now they ring the bell whenever they need to go out. One more thing, depending when bedtime is, pick up water 2 hours before don't leave water out all day until the pup is housebroken. I feeling about rope toys is throw them away, I lost a dog to one, he loved to eat it and got a blockage, 2 surgeries and 5000.00 later he passed away, Kongs are all they get now. hope this helps.

mocha827

Whatever kind of toy you get DO NOT get the ropes tied in knots as a pull/chew toy. We got one with mint strips for the bad breath for my dog and she somehow swallowed it. The knot got caught in her stomach and we spent about $4200 to have it surgically removed. If you told me before that I would have ever spent that much on a dog I would have laughed long and hard, but when you are in the moment, somehow it happens. Enjoy your new addition.

janjj

What size puppy is it? My son and family just aquired a small dog. about 12 lbs full grown I guess.
Some of the play things - a tennis ball, and one of her favorites is an empty 1/2 gal plastic milk carton. Also they hang a bell on a cord on the door going out. Sophie (her name) rings it when she needs to go out.

Aunt Retta

I love puppies! It is really nice to have a crate trained dog. My sister can tell her dogs to get in their crates and they do. If not crate trained they need to be trained to go away from you when some company comes over. I tell my dog to go to the bedroom and she goes to our bedroom with no trouble. As far as food I feed puppies twice a day, with some training treats throughout the day. They should always have water available. My dog often gets a big drink during the night.Your dog could be a great dog with some good training.

Quilt Mom

Lots of good advice here already. Just another opinion... Our dogs are so different! Our lab/St. Bernard mix had to be fed three times a day from puppyhood until we lost him. Finicky stomach. Our pug now gets two meals a day, because she feels left out if we sit down to eat without feeding her! :lol: We just divide the food accordingly. Water I leave out all the time.

Crates are wonderful! Our little one likes it for the security it gives her when strangers are here. That is her space, and not accessible to the children who visit. We take it when we travel, for the familiarity of it in new places. (It's just like taking care of a baby sometimes!) Start now. You will be glad you did.

cizzors

I have always fed puppies 3 times a day til 6 months. After that twice a day. Like the vet said, "Can you survive on one meal a day?" I have 4 dogs now-two eat twice a day, one if she wants breakfast, otherwise just supper, and my old man only wants supper.

nycquilter

My first yellow lab, Millie, LOVED LOVED LOVED her crate. If left to her choice, she'd've lived in it. We used to lock her out of it to make her sit with us! Our second lab, Maddy, hated that Millie was unhappy and learned to open the crate to let her in. To open it, you had to push the two parts of the closing mechanism together, then lift it up, then pull it toward you. Maddy learned to help her sister--we got it on tape as who would believe it otherwise? And both Maddy and Millie would sleep together in the same crate, that was made for one large dog, not two and were as happy as peas in a pod. They were funny, to put it mildly!

Quiltbeagle

I keep food and water out 24/7 for my almost 4 year old lab now, but when she was a puppy I took it away just after dinner to help with the housebreaking. As far as toys, she's chewed up and destroyed everything except her puppy Kong and her regular (adult) Kong chew toys. She loves them (especially when we put dog treats in them) and they hold up extremely well.

Mona Marie

As I am an animal health tech, my advise may not be worth much. You know what free advise is worth! You sound as if you are doing things all right. I would say grate him if he is chewing on things when you are gone but otherwise if not and potty training is good let him run. As for chew toys don't give him plastic, not good for insides. I would get dent-a-bone or rawhide bones for him. Having his food out all day is good as that way he does not over eat and, could, get sick. Also get him some of those toys that he can get his teeth into so that you can play tug-of-war. Picking up water a 9pm is good so no accidents is good also.

JS

A puppy should have three meals a day for the first year. Depending on size of dog dictates the amount given.