New Member/Picking from a Litter

[LuigiTHEig]

Hello all,

My name is John and I am 25 years old. I am getting my very first puppy this Saturday. I will be picking up a 9 week old, Pure Bred, Male, Italian Greyhound. I am picking from 4 male puppies in a litter of 6. There are two Seal/White pups and 2 Red/White pups. The two pups in my avatar are the ones that I am most likely to pick, but nothing is set in stone. I am extremly excited and simply can't wait until this weekend!

Please give me a reccomendation for which color of coat you like best and any behaviors to look for when picking from a litter. I know Cesar Millan says pick the puppy with a medium energy level, but I am looking for more advice from than that because the breeder says they are all pretty high.

Thanks and I look forward to posting pictures when I bring Luigi home!

John

[Deerie me]

If you pick the puppy that rushes forward, you may find you are dealing with the pack leader/ most dominant pup. If you pick the one that's hiding at the back you may get a timid/anxious pup, so go for one in the middle of the two extremes. This is the theory but actually if the parents are timid all the pups may be timid and vice versa. Spend time with all of the puppies that you are interested in and you will probably find one that you gel with. Is the dog to be a pet or are you looking to do other things as well? If you want to show then you will need the breeder's help in choosing the puppy with the most potential, although this should possibly have been done at an earlier stage.

From your picture, I like the red and white pup but they are both good looking puppies. Congratulations. If you need any advice we are all here to help. If it is a common problem you will probably find threads on the topic already such as crate training, potty training and biting/ chewing.

Welcome to the DP from fellow skinny dog owner Tracy and Deerhounds Loki and Idun in England. Whereabouts are you?

[LuigiTHEig]

If you pick the puppy that rushes forward, you may find you are dealing with the pack leader/ most dominant pup. If you pick the one that's hiding at the back you may get a timid/anxious pup, so go for one in the middle of the two extremes. This is the theory but actually if the parents are timid all the pups may be timid and vice versa. Spend time with all of the puppies that you are interested in and you will probably find one that you gel with. Is the dog to be a pet or are you looking to do other things as well? If you want to show then you will need the breeder's help in choosing the puppy with the most potential, although this should possibly have been done at an earlier stage.

From your picture, I like the red and white pup but they are both good looking puppies. Congratulations. If you need any advice we are all here to help. If it is a common problem you will probably find threads on the topic already such as crate training, potty training and biting/ chewing.

Welcome to the DP from fellow skinny dog owner Tracy and Deerhounds Loki and Idun in England. Whereabouts are you?

Wow thats some really great advice. I esspecially like this theory...

If you pick the puppy that rushes forward, you may find you are dealing with the pack leader/ most dominant pup. If you pick the one that's hiding at the back you may get a timid/anxious pup, so go for one in the middle of the two extremes.

This dog will strictly be a pet NOT a show dog. This is my very first puppy and I would much rather focus on the relationship between he and I.

I am from Maryland which is on the east coast of the USA .

Thank you for your strong advice and I look forward to making a positive contribution to this website/forum.

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Welcome to the Daily Puppy from Oliver & Henry (Cavalier King Charles Spaniels) and their Mum, in London, Ontario. I just saw your entry in the Recently Added Puppy section.

It's very, very exciting to bring home a new puppy. Tracy already gave you some excellent advice, and there is plenty of that to be found around here. We want everyone to succeed with their dogs, as we have with ours. If you seek advice, you will receive it, and it will be forthright. By the same token, a more understanding, supportive dog community would be hard to find.

This is going to be a long week for you waiting for your new arrival. Enjoy it and get plenty of sleep now

Welcome again John. Deborah, Oliver & Henry's Mum

[Maddii]

Hi and welcome.. I'm sure whichever pup you choose will be lovely. As mentioned above though get plenty of sleep now before the arrival.. I am into week 2 with my new puppy and have bags under my eyes the size of suitcases!

[LuigiTHEig]

Hi and welcome.. I'm sure whichever pup you choose will be lovely. As mentioned above though get plenty of sleep now before the arrival.. I am into week 2 with my new puppy and have bags under my eyes the size of suitcases!

Wow thats crazy. Is this your first puppy? I have never raised a puppy before. I have been reading and studying on how to raise a puppy the right way, but I still feel like I am in for a rude awakening lol.

If this is your first puppy, how is it going? Is it what you expected it to be? Are there certain things you thought would be difficult, but are easy and vice versa? (Things you thought would be easy, but are actually difficult)

I just can't wait to get this whole process started. It is going to be so much fun and I am ready for the challenge.

[Maddii]

Hi and welcome.. I'm sure whichever pup you choose will be lovely. As mentioned above though get plenty of sleep now before the arrival.. I am into week 2 with my new puppy and have bags under my eyes the size of suitcases!

Wow thats crazy. Is this your first puppy? I have never raised a puppy before. I have been reading and studying on how to raise a puppy the right way, but I still feel like I am in for a rude awakening lol.

If this is your first puppy, how is it going? Is it what you expected it to be? Are there certain things you thought would be difficult, but are easy and vice versa? (Things you thought would be easy, but are actually difficult)

I just can't wait to get this whole process started. It is going to be so much fun and I am ready for the challenge.

Hi again.. it's not that bad, honest and the fun bits outweigh the 'bad'. This isn't my 1st pup but I had forgotten about puppy raising until it was all brought back to me with Jasper . This forum has great advice and info and if you get stuck I'm sure someone on here will be able to offer you help and advice. I would suggest getting a crate or playpen though as personally I think they're a life saver. Shannon the girl in my avatar used a crate until she was 1 year old when I could trust her to be clean and not to chew anything she shouldn't chew. Jasper my new pup is using a playpen which has a little more room but he's crazy at the moment and keeps barging the door . I don't think it's going to last long! He is clean in his pen though and is sleeping 6 hours at night now before needing to go out. Just remember to enjoy your new pup... they are so cute and funny

[snifferspommom]

Hi John and welcome! Italian greyhounds are just so elegant!

To add to the new puppy experiences: I was not really a dog person. My Sniffers, who will be 1 next month, is our very first dog and I struggled the first couple months we had him. Potty training brought me to tears almost every day and I kept asking myself why we brought this creature home! (Maybe being female I tend to get over emotional, as accidents didn't really phase my husband.) No matter what the books/articles say, it's not easy and you can't do it in 2 days, hee hee!! Don't believe that a puppy will not soil where it sleeps either. Many of us on this forum has had to clean out their puppy's crate a time or two, or three...!! Stick to a consistent schedule of numerous potty breaks, praise the dickens out of him and he will be on his way! Sniffers has been accident free along with sleeping through the night for probably 6 or 7 months now.

Another thing that I researched the heck out of was food. There are so many choices! There are a few food-related threads under Health and Care. I lurked on the forums for weeks reading various topics, gleaning great info and advice before I joined.

Just have fun with your pup, expect some hard times, when everything seems to be going smoothly expect some setbacks, and be vigilant about your pup's surroundings.

As hard as it was those first few months, I cannot imagine life without my little furball!! Every time I look at him I smile!

Good luck and can't wait to see pics of your new little guy!!

[LuigiTHEig]

Hi and welcome.. I'm sure whichever pup you choose will be lovely. As mentioned above though get plenty of sleep now before the arrival.. I am into week 2 with my new puppy and have bags under my eyes the size of suitcases!

Wow thats crazy. Is this your first puppy? I have never raised a puppy before. I have been reading and studying on how to raise a puppy the right way, but I still feel like I am in for a rude awakening lol.

If this is your first puppy, how is it going? Is it what you expected it to be? Are there certain things you thought would be difficult, but are easy and vice versa? (Things you thought would be easy, but are actually difficult)

I just can't wait to get this whole process started. It is going to be so much fun and I am ready for the challenge.

Hi again.. it's not that bad, honest and the fun bits outweigh the 'bad'. This isn't my 1st pup but I had forgotten about puppy raising until it was all brought back to me with Jasper . This forum has great advice and info and if you get stuck I'm sure someone on here will be able to offer you help and advice. I would suggest getting a crate or playpen though as personally I think they're a life saver. Shannon the girl in my avatar used a crate until she was 1 year old when I could trust her to be clean and not to chew anything she shouldn't chew. Jasper my new pup is using a playpen which has a little more room but he's crazy at the moment and keeps barging the door . I don't think it's going to last long! He is clean in his pen though and is sleeping 6 hours at night now before needing to go out. Just remember to enjoy your new pup... they are so cute and funny

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5585

My puppies homemade kennel/playpen

[kian]

I see you are asking a lot of questions and doing your research, that is great. The advice you have been given is from experienced owners and I would take it to heart. Yes, you will be tired, your routine will be centered around this little, hyper creature with sharp teeth. The puppy years are the most challenging and yet the most fun and rewarding. The way you start this guy off could impact him for a long time.

Nothing ever goes as clockwork with a living breathing creature. I told you patience in your other thread and that is the one thing most new owners struggle with. You have dog, not a human so don't think like a human and expect your dog to get the training you are teaching straightaway.

Your pen looks great, be sure to provide lots of proper chew toys, but don't expect your dog to automatically take to them. Pups have to be taught what they can chew.

Good luck, rest up and ask away!

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

John, I also want to reiterate what several people have already said. There is so much fun and love waiting for you. Yes, it is challenging, but you seem to be highly invested in doing the right thing and have given this a great deal of thought. Now it all comes down to the implementation.

With your desire to succeed, I am sure you will. Keep your camera handy and takes lots of pictures. They grow up before you know it. Enjoy the silly times and the growing and learning together. This is a new experience for both of you. Love and patience and you're on your way.

Only a few more "sleeps" before the puppy comes home! Enjoy every single minute of it.

[LuigiTHEig]

John, I also want to reiterate what several people have already said. There is so much fun and love waiting for you. Yes, it is challenging, but you seem to be highly invested in doing the right thing and have given this a great deal of thought. Now it all comes down to the implementation.

With your desire to succeed, I am sure you will. Keep your camera handy and takes lots of pictures. They grow up before you know it. Enjoy the silly times and the growing and learning together. This is a new experience for both of you. Love and patience and you're on your way.

Only a few more "sleeps" before the puppy comes home! Enjoy every single minute of it.

Only a few more "sleeps" for sure! Can't wait.

[Mali, Sasha & Me]

Welcome to the GP John!!!

It's great that you are doing your research and are asking all the right questions.

We've all done the new puppy, sleepless nights and everything else that goes with having a new puppy (or adopted an older dog) so ask away as someone will have a solution that will work for you (there will be plenty to chose from)!!!

[Sadie G]

Welcome John! I posted in your other thread before I saw this one

[RubyJeansMom]

Do you have him yet? Which one did you pick?
I'm looking forward to seeing pictures of your new addition.