Any tips on our first night with our new baby?

[nursejess80]

Hi! I found this site earlier today and have so far found it very informative and entertaining. My husband and I are picking up our 8 wk. old blenheim baby girl next Friday, and I'm nervous about transitioning her into her new home. Any tips on how to make her first night as stress-free as possible? Do those little toys that you can heat up really help them at night? I'm so excited about her, but also very nervous!! Any advice would be much appreciated!

[Cathy T]

A new baby blenheim girl!! How exciting. I found with both of mine that the first night was actually the easiest...they were so exhausted from the first day of newness that they slept like...well...like babies!! Both of mine sleep in crates and have done so since their first night home. I've heard lots of good things about the snuggle puppies. For Jake I used a warming disc and a ticking clock. He beat up the clock the first week...guess he wanted peace and quiet Can't wait to heare more.

[Karlin]

Welcome!

The good advice I had was to put the puppy in a high sided roomy cardboard box next to the bed rather than a crate as it is more like the whelping box and you can reach in a calm the puppy if she starts to whine in the middle of the night (though realise you will need to get up at 3 ish or so to take her out for a wee and a poop but at least a wee for a while yet).

Snugglepuppies get rave reviews s they combine a heart sound and warmth and puppies adore them. If you use anything else warmed, like hot water bottle, be SURE it is safely inside some sort of sleeve and then wrapped carefully in several layers of soft cloth so the puppy cannot push the covering off and burn itself. But puppies do really love something warm to sleep on and cuddle against at night.

[Lindsay]

Hello fellow Tennessean! I used to play in a softball tournament every summer in Germantown

Welcome to the board and congrats on the new baby! I second Karlin on the snugglepuppies. I have never used them with mine but I have heard very good things about them from this board and from other people as well. Also just be sure to start good habits from the beginning. Don't give in every time she cries. So excited for you and good luck!

[Crittercall]

I'm no help. I started off my first Cav in a crate and hubby didn't think it was fair that one dog slept with us and one didn't, so she was soon sleeping with us too! (She was also a bit older, which makes some difference.)

[Scouty girl]

Welcome!!

It just seems like yesterday that I brought Scout home. Actually, it was June 5, 2006. I got the best advice from my Vet. After Scout cried two entire nigts (yes they can cry all night long), I moved her wire crate into my bedroom right next to the bed. She wimpered for about 30 seconds and went right to sleep.

She woke up sometimes in the middle of the night. I ignored her, she walked around in the crate for about 30 seconds whined a little and went right back to sleep. I have never gotten up to take her out in the middle of the night. I also have a Newfoundland and when she was young I never let her out in the middle of the night.

Scout has never soiled her crate since the day I brought her home. She was only 10 weeks old. Of course there are occasions when I have to get up in the middle of the night if they are not feeling well or there is a bout of diarrhea. That's understandable. However, I did get up very early with her around 4:30am and would stay up for the rest of the day until around 9:00 or 10:00 pm. Mostly for work reasons, but I had to make sure Scout had time out of the crate before she had to go back in.

She is now 10 months old and has been sleeping with me since September. She is a cuddler and love to sleep right up against me and in the crook of my arm. Enjoy your puppy. They are a LOT of work, but worth it when you see results...

[Caraline]

I tend to do a similar thing to Karlin. I place a box next to my bed and if the puppy wimpers I talk to him & dangle my hand into the box & pat him.

I give the puppies plenty of latitude for their first few days. Some people get all worried that if you indulge the puppy on its first night home you are setting yourself up for failure. This however has not been my experience at all. Usually the first night I will snuggle the puppy up in bed with me until he is all sleepy & calm & then place him in his box. The next night might only require the dangling hand into the box, and then from there in I can start edging the box out of the bedroom & nearer to where I want him to eventually sleep.

If you already have one dog you will probably find it easier than if this little puppy will be the first.

Good luck. It is very exciting.