# Our little ASTRO is coming in only 5 days--I need a little advice!



## knittingmolly (Jun 13, 2014)

Here's a picture of Astro at 6 weeks that the breeder just sent me. I totally adore him already.


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## MiniPoo (Mar 6, 2014)

I have had my minipoodle Dakota for about a month and a half, and we do restrict his movement around the house both for housebreaking reasons and because he will bite my older dogs. We have baby gates separating the kitchen and sunroom from the rest of the house and he runs around there the most but one of us was with him most of the time to make sure that we caught him if he had accidents in the house. Now at 4-1/2 months we feel he can sleep on the couch in the sunroom for several hours without our being present. I only crate him now at night or when I leave the house.

I bring him into the rest of the house on a leash, again this is because he might bite my geriatric dog. We'll be glad when he loses his baby teeth in the next few months.

As long as you carry your puppy and keep him away from other dogs, you should take him out for short visits. If you take him out for too long, you might need a pee pad.

Use a kitchen timer to remind you to take him outside every hour or two. We place a crate next to our bed for him so if he wakes up.we can take him out at night. We have another crate for daytime use in the living room area. 

Good luck. Looking forward to hearing how it goes and seeing more pictures.


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

*Early Days of Puppy Training*

Ian Dunbar is not the only authority where training is concerned. Some dogs do not take well or at all to a crate. My Grace seems to suffer from claustrophobia. She hates to be confined and will not enter caves or enclosed places without a LOT of encouragement and even then is very nervous. Otherwise she is not a nervous dog at all. There are more than one way to do things and some ways suit some dogs better than others. Poodles especially standards vary in temperament and personality quite a lot.

"I would love to hear about training videos that will really break this stuff down into super concrete steps." Because of the differences nothing is concrete!


Unless you already have, Please see:

http://www.poodleforum.com/23-general-training-obedience/137842-how-train-your-new-puppy.html

Eric.:angel2:


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

*Early Days of Puppy Training*

Error


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

Eric is right, while it helps to have lots of ideas to pick and choose from, every puppy is an individual and you need to see what they respond to and be flexible in your methods.
I crate train from day one, but my girls did not spend lots of time in the crate, rather I spent lots of time with my eyes peeled upon them, and used the crate to give me a break to do other things briefly. 
My youngest Timi was free from the crate when I was home and began sleeping with me about three weeks after she came home (17 weeks), but she was pad trained - don't think I would trust an outside trained puppy that soon. She just got out of the crate when I am not home at 15 months. My earlier girls got totally out of the crate at closer to a year, but Timi was a bit too mischievous to get out that early.


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## knittingmolly (Jun 13, 2014)

Eric - thank you for the link to the puppy training thread. Also, thanks to everyone for reminding me that puppies are individuals and that this is a journey…

My fear is looking for easy answers, but I will remain open and try to pay attention to what is working for Astro (and us). I'm loving Kiko pup's videos.

MiniPoo- thanks for the practical tips. I feel so much better when I have those tucked in my brain!


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I did not use a crate when training my two pups - I did try with Poppy, but it didn't work for us. I am single, retired, and was able to have them with me every minute, and watch their every movement, as well as to take them out very frequently - if ever I did have to leave them it was in a puppy-proofed room with a tiled floor. They do have a crate in the car and settle well in that, which has been helpful for those occasions when one really has to be confined for some reason. A crate is useful, but not essential.

And while the concept of error free toilet training is great, it is just that - a concept! We would all like to be the perfect parent of the perfect puppy (or child), but we are all human and puppies are all canine - there are going to be puddles and messes, shredded possessions, needle sharp teeth, children squealing and running from teeth and claws, baby tantrums, some sleepless nights, and innumerable other missteps and small errors! The knack is not to beat yourself up over them, and certainly not to blame the pup - just stock up on a good enzyme cleaner, teach your children how to be like a tree, make sure your insurance covers puppy damage, and vow to be more vigilant in future. One puddle does not mean that your dog will never be housetrained - most of them get it eventually, just as most of them learn bite inhibition (to my mind even more important than toilet training!) and grow out of chewing everything in sight. 

I think it is a good idea to take your puppy everywhere with you, as long as you can ensure her safety and that she will not be overwhelmed. Remember that a dog in a hot car can die in minutes, and that she will need to be in a part of the car that is fully air conditioned, and cannot be left in it when the AC is off - even wide open windows won't cool it enough on a sunny day. I really would use a crate in the car, for her safety and for yours, so think about how to position it so she cannot get too hot. I would try to control how many people she meets at first, too - one or two at a time may be easier for her than dozens, especially small children! The aim is for her to have as many happy experiences of as many different things as you can manage (the checklists on the internet are actually very helpful in reminding you about things that you might otherwise miss), and as few really scary ones as possible. I also found that teaching my pups that I would protect them from anything that threatened them paid dividends in the long term. Poppy spent a great deal of her puppyhood firmly between my feet, while I fended off large friendly dogs, and explained to large friendly people that she preferred not to be loomed over. Even now, as a far more confident adult (lots of socialising, praise, encouragement, training classes, walks with other dogs...) she will run to me if she is concerned about anything.

The most relaxed new dog owner I know has two children - she says she practised on the children and finds puppy shenanigans easy to cope with by comparison! I bet you read every possible book on pregnancy and babies and child raising, and then found your own way that works for your family - it will be very much the same with your puppy. The most important thing is to love her and enjoy her fleeting puppy weeks - practically everything else flows from that.


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## Quossum (Mar 18, 2011)

Can't wait to see more pictures once you get him home!

I might come from a different perspective on crating since we're a performance family. For me, crate training and total comfort with the crate IS essential, as the dogs must spend a lot of time in there while at shows, usually in close quarters to many canine neighbors. 

That said, as far as housebreaking is concerned, it's not so much the crate per se as it is the idea of diligent supervision. Especially in those formative days, you want to have your eye on the pup at all times so that accidents don't get a chance to happen and become a habit. I use crating and also tethering--attaching the dog to me so that he has to come with me everywhere and is never more than a leash length away so that I can catch a potty moment and hustle him outside. If I can't directly supervise him, then he's in the crate. (This is the puppy stage, of course. Older dogs earn their privileges. But then, Sugarfoot Jones is 3 and a half and I still don't trust him out of my sight!)

As far as outings, yes, I would take him to as many places as possible (though when traveling in the car he should be crated for safety; there are some seatbelt / harness combos that are reasonable, too). I would be cautious about germs but not paranoid--I wouldn't take him to a place dogs frequent and put him on the ground--but taking him with you on errands and such is fine. I agree about not overwhelming him with people, especially children with their grabby hands, until you see what his personality is like.

Good luck!

--Q


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## PoodleRick (Mar 18, 2013)

IMO, puppy training is a lot like raising kids. All the books and videos help but aren't necessarily step by step "maps" to training. As has already been mentioned pups have their own personality and respond differently to training. I take the " let the puppy, or kid, tell you how to train them" method. Example: When my kids were little they were fairly easy going kids and responded well to explaining why things needed to be a certain way. Our neighbor was an authoritarian type, was very strict and just laid down the law type. Their style of parenting would have crushed my kids and my style would let their hellions burn down the neighborhood. So I guess my point is read and watch as many books and videos as you can and try their methods but observe the results/reactions to those methods and make adjustments. Some of Dunbar's method will work for Astro and some won't but somebody elses will. Oh yeah, and patience, lots of patience. Best of luck and keep us posted. And pics, we love pics.

Rick


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## Viking Queen (Nov 12, 2014)

You have received lots Of excellent information here. I would add that I took Iris with me to as many pet friendly places as I could. Places like Lowes, Home Depot, etc. We are in a very pet friendly town. I would put a stack of old clean bath towels in the car, grab one up along with the pup and head into a store. I would drape the towel over the cart, where kids usually sit, plop the pup into the cart and go about my business. This way she was safe from germs but able to get out. Towel would go into a trash bag in the back of the car for later laundry. Easy peasy! Iris loved her outings and I thought it was important for socialization to get her out. We also did lots of trips to the bank drive through and a few local fast food drive throughs. They all offered dog cookies if they knew she was there. If they did not offer cookies then I gave her a little piece from my supply. It just reinforced a pleasureable experience.

Enjoy your new pup. He is really beautiful. Can hardly wait for homecoming pictures and stories.

Viking Queen


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

knittingmolly said:


> Hello friendly poodle people,
> 
> I received so much good encouragement, support, and guidance from this forum as I struggled through the process of finding my breeder and now I can't believe I'm saying it, but our puppy is due to arrive here in just 5 short days--and I'm so excited to meet him!!
> 
> ...


*Just remember to breathe and stay calm even when things don't seem to be going the way you want.*


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## itzmeigh (Apr 28, 2014)

I'm so excited for you!! I just talked to Wendy yesterday and we talked about little Astro! (She sent me about 5 pictures of him, his little face is to die for!) We talk about once a month or so. She's very nice. 

I'm with Quossum, we aren't a performance family but for me crate training is a MUST. We travel and I need for my pets to know that sometimes they have to be confined away from me. Sometimes it is about safety and sometimes it is just because I'm tired of holding their leash.

We use a tether in the car instead of a crate because a crate just wouldn't fit. A crate would be the safest option. But the tether works to hold everyone in place. 

My older dog gets car sick so she doesn't travel with us as much. I didn't want a repeat with Hazel so we have spent a lot of time with her in the car. Hazel is the most awesome "car dog" ever! She becomes so relaxed and just super chill in the car. I wouldn't blink about taking any length of car ride with her! You'd never even know she was back there!

Good luck with little Mister Astro! Tell him Cousin Hazel says Hi!


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## sunnyday (Mar 12, 2015)

I'm re-reading "My Smart Puppy" by Brian Kilcommons and one of the first things in the book was a reminder that puppies *sleep*. A lot.  So lots of crate breaks can be valuable for this reason too. Yes, you're going to want to snorgle all over him all of the time, but if you can just time your snorgling to when he's recently emptied and ready to play, then hopefully the whole process goes smoothly.  

It's been a while since I've housebroken anybody, but I'm thinking that when I get my puppy, I might be super strict about crate-time during the first day, so he can get established to the rhythm of our household and we can avoid getting him too overstimulated or having any accidents when we aren't yet used to watching him. But after that he will be tethered to me or out in the yard with me most of the time he's not sleeping, I imagine.  You'll note that Dunbar describes taking the crate along with you throughout the house: settle him with a chewie while you're working at the computer, or while you're writing a letter, or whatever quiet activity you're doing -- he's right next to you learning what we do during quiet times. So it's also not about abandoning him to his long-term confinement area in the opposite corner of the house all the time either.

Oh, and as for socializing, I was listening to some of Dr. Dunbar's iWoofs podcasts recently. He says that parvo isn't really that scary. I mean, it's serious, but a puppy who's not a teeny guy in the whelping box will probably pull through if you notice the signs and get vet care promptly. (Distemper, he says is way scarier, but a little harder to transmit.) So parvo shouldn't scare you away from socialization. I am going to ask my vet how serious the parvo and canine influenza risks are in my area, but then I am absolutely going to carry my puppy around in arms to ALL THE PLACES. I hear that little boutique stores can be very accommodating, especially if the dog isn't on the floor threatening to mark on the merchandise, and of course hardware stores are popular, and just sitting on the sidewalk near a row of shops (always making sure that puppy is getting a *positive* experience and not getting overwhelmed by crowds.)


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## knittingmolly (Jun 13, 2014)

thank you THANK YOU ALL!! So many good, practical ideas and so many reminders to ENJOY myself. This is exactly what I need to hear. You all are helping bring my blood pressure down a whole lot. 

PoodleRick - I hear so much wisdom in comparing this to child rearing and I remember that I ALSO read everything I could get my hands on before having my first child. Pretty quickly I learned that i could trust my gut and pay attention to what was working AND that it was (and STILL is) vital to keep a sense of humor and that's the best approach. I think I've been thinking of this dog adventure something entirely foreign that I have NO CLUE how to approach…it helps to think of it as parenting--I've got plenty of that under my belt! 

itzmeigh- Wendy told me that you had spoken to her about "Slim" and I was sad to tell her that the name didn't stick…too many people outvoted me.  However, I might call him slim just occasionally, when we're all alone. Astro is a pretty great name too, and it makes my kids happy. 

Thanks for your excitement and support!! I love that we have connections with some of Astros relations! And if it weren't for Quossum, I would not have found Wendy--so THANK YOU to you both!

VikingQueen - I LOVE the old towel tip!! I'll be loading the car up this weekend. 

fjm- It will crack me up to watch my kids ATTEMPTING to "be like a tree," but it'll be so good for them!!  Your reminders that mistakes are par for the course are SO welcome and exactly what I need to hear right now. Thanks for giving me confidence and renewing my excitement! 

THANK YOU ALL--you are all invited over for a puppy party.


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## knittingmolly (Jun 13, 2014)

The buying of puppy loot is a bit out of control, and Albors, the cat is getting nervous.


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## itzmeigh (Apr 28, 2014)

Oh the puppy loot! Yes! It gets addicting! There's always "one more thing!" 

Yeah I told her I wasn't sure you stuck with Slim but I couldn't remember your name to tell her your name! Haha! But we narrowed it down and knew it was you!

He was my favorite in the litter, that's for sure! I'm still keeping an eye on her little Phoneix! He isn't breeding age right now but about the time he is I should be ready for Poodle Number 2! (Maybe. Who knows, I might decide one is enough again!)

Hazel had several names before we settled on Hazel. And since I'm "from Houston" (I'm not, but close enough) I have to give a thumbs up to anything named Astro!

I can't wait for more pictures! You better get his 52 Weeks thread going!


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## knittingmolly (Jun 13, 2014)

YES--the 52 weeks thread is lovely. Quossum told me about it first and I had a hoot looking at little Sugarfoot as he grew--FABULOUS pictures and I was totally charmed by the Haikus. I will go right now and look at Hazel's too!

I hope i will find time to participate. I might find it necessary, since the folks here are likely to offer the appropriate degree of gushing for my precious little Astro--something I might not get enough of in the real world!


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## peppersb (Jun 5, 2011)

knittingmolly said:


> The way Dunbar describes his method for house training, it seems like the puppy will spend MOST of his first few weeks INSIDE the crate. It makes sense that I will want to confine the dog to his crate a lot in order to prevent accidents and reduce the number of things he can destroy, but isn't that a bit sad for the little Astro? …and for us? should I take him out for his hourly outdoor bathroom visit and then let him run around a restricted area for a few minutes before returning him to his crate?


I used crate training for Cammie and for Sam when they were puppies and it worked very well. What I found was that puppies naturally sleep a lot. So most of the time, I'd have a happy sleeping puppy in the crate next to me as I worked on my computer. (I work from home.) The second the puppy woke up, I'd rush outside and the puppy would naturally do his business. Then we'd spend some time playing and get him all tired out -- no need to rush right back to the crate. But pretty soon, the pup would be looking for some nice comfortable place for a nap, and he'd be back in his crate. It seemed like a very natural rhythm. I don't remember the timing exactly, but I think we were going out about every 3 hours. Certainly not every hour. The pup was happy, I was happy and we had very few accidents. I also got up every 3 hours throughout the night when my puppies were young. I think that really helped with the house training. You don't want to ask your pup to stay in a crate longer than he can physically wait to pee/poop. 

I found the comments about each puppy being different very interesting. My dogs are naturally relatively calm. So while this kind of crate training worked very well for us, it might not work for everyone.


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## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

Congratulations on Astro's soon to be arrival. I advocate crate training from the very beginning because it is so much easier on a dog if he is already crate trained when he has to stay at the vet's office. A long time ago when I worked at vet's offices, it was so sad to see dogs that were upset and frantic about being crated... on top of dealing with being sick or having surgery. A few days of training makes for a lifetime of easy crating; it is well worth the effort. Enjoy your pup and take lots of photos; they grow up quickly.


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## vegas (Jul 5, 2014)

I am enjoying this thread even though my puppy is still months away. Lots of great advice and experience here to learn from.


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## Viking Queen (Nov 12, 2014)

That little guy, Astro, will be with you in no time. Get some good sleep for at least a couple of nights before you go get him. 

I remember with the excitement of getting Iris that I was having trouble sleeping for a few nights before I picked her up. I was all worried about whether she would like me and if I would be a good Mommy to her. Of course those worries were not very rational and they all faded away once I had my hands on her and made her mine.

So, sleep well, breathe deeply and enjoy your new kid! You are well prepared.

It really is like waiting for Christmas morning in the middle of the year for you!

Blessings, Viking Queen


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## knittingmolly (Jun 13, 2014)

If it's possible, I think that my 12-year-old son is even more excited than I am. He crammed his entire gangly body into the tiny crate tonight, just to get closer to the doggie's spot. Totally heartwarming. 

peppersb- i love your description of life with your puppy…it sounds like an ideal, comfortable rhythm and I'm hopeful that things will be smooth like that. Since I work from home and spend a lot of my day running errands or doing house-related chores, I'm picturing little Astro just hanging out near me all day. sigh.:love2::love2:

Getting enough sleep is not my greatest strength, Viking Queen! But, those are wise words! :act-up: 

Vegas - I will look so forward to watching your puppy adventure unfold! Do you know yet where it'll come from? How many months do you have to wait…boy can I relate! Little Astro was a two year project...

Thanks for the crate-training wisdom, Charmed (and everybody else!) I'm totally convinced that it's worth my while to give it a shot. If he goes for it, I'll be prepared for all sorts of circumstances--which increases our flexibility.

Pictures are coming soon! Truly, y'all are the best.

--Molly (and--soon--Mister Astro)


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## BorderKelpie (Dec 3, 2011)

*I remember with the excitement of getting Iris that I was having trouble sleeping for a few nights before I picked her up. I was all worried about whether she would like me and if I would be a good Mommy to her. Of course those worries were not very rational and they all faded away once I had my hands on her and made her mine.
*

I'm so glad you said that! When I picked up my last pup, I worried the same exact thing. Especially when I went to go pick him up. Herding breeds can be a little aloof with strangers and that's what I wanted, but it kind of hurt my feelings when he didn't act like a poodle. He adores me now, but it took a day or two. 

The silly things we worry about, huh? 

Astro is going to do just fine, as are you, knittingmolly! Take a deeo breath, relax and enjoy the ride!


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

How many more sleeps now?!


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## knittingmolly (Jun 13, 2014)

Two more sleeps! We watched the movie Apollo 13 for our family movie night--an astronaut flick in honor of little Mister Astro.

He arrives here in Albuquerque at about 4pm on Monday. We thought a lot about ways that we could go and pick him up, but it just wasn't possible. :sad: I'm a bit worried about the trauma of the flight, but we'll be at the airport to greet him with with treats lots of gentle hellos.


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## Muggles (Mar 14, 2015)

How exciting! So soon now. I'm sure he'll be fine on the flight and ready to embrace his new home.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I picked up a puppy at JFK in December with my brother. It was a mini doxie for my niece. It was all good after some problems with the puppies (there were two on the flight) being sent to the wrong part of the airport. I would suggest not giving too many food treats (if any at all) until you get home. You don't want to accidentally make him associate a car ride with feeling queezy.


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