I wrote this a week ago but it took me awhile to get the photos together, so some of the info is out of date.
Introducing our new little ball of fluff: Zoey! She is ¾ Australian Shepard and ¼ lab. As of Saturday she was 8 weeks old (birthday is March 10, 2012). Here is a picture of her mom (30 pound, Australian Shepard) and dad (40 pound, ½ Australian Shepard & ½ Lab).
Mom (left) & Dad( (right)
Because Alex was gone for his half Ironman this past weekend, our friend Heather had the task of holding our little girl on the way home from Tacoma. Zoey was really good all the way, she was crying a little bit but was a lot better than I expected.
After we got her home, we had a great weekend of playing outside in the wonderful weather we had this weekend.
Even at 8 weeks old the herding instinct is coming out. She loves to herd the cat around the house. She just has the problem of getting mouthfuls of cat hair. Keagen (the cat), I think is having fun with the puppy. He always has the option of jumping up to higher ground but seem to always want to lie on the ground or try pouncing out at Zoey.
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I love the puppy energy crash. Going at 100 miles per hour to 0 instantly, needless to say we had some great family puppy naps.
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Night time is still a little rough. We are crate training her and she doesn’t like being away from me. We bought her a cuddle pal and heartbeat pillow but she was not interested in either of these things. All she really wanted was my hand in the cage. I broke down and slept all night next to her cage….
Really, how can you say no to this face?
After I am with her she falls asleep within minutes… I attempted to move back to my bed but she woke up. After we both fell asleep she woke up again at between 4-5am both nights needing to pee. She cried a little bit when I put her back in the cage but after I laid back down she went right back to sleep. On the third night she fell asleep within minutes and stayed asleep all night!
The best thing we did for the sleeping situation was having something with the smell of her littermates on it. I had brought with a stuffed toy to rub all over the other puppies but was generously given one of the blankets they had been using. She loves it!
After reading tons of information on the internet we decided to start clicker training Zoey. She is picking up on commands really quick! As of today she can sit on command and is about at 50% on shake and touch. Not bad for two days of training and only being 8 weeks old. I think we have a smart one!
For anyone getting a puppy soon and are looking for a starting list of what to buy here is what we got (from online research and past experience) and how Zoey likes it so far. I highly recommend buying the bulk of the items from Amazon or discount stores. Prices are so much higher at pet stores.
New Puppy Checklist
1. Dog Crate : We got the life stages one , it had a partition that you can move as the puppy grows.
2. Collar and leash: Currently Zoey hates both of these, it will take time to get used to.
3. Chew toys: We got a lot of chew toys because there are so many different types.
Squeak toy.
6. Dog Waste Bag Dispenser: I got the really cute one from Petego with Polka Dots. The is the best idea ever if
you take your dog on lots of walks and field trips. We have used these while doggy sitting for people. Don’t
forget the refill bags (when you buy in bulk they are $0.02 per bag).
7. Food and water dish: We have heard stainless steel is the way to go to prevent germs.
8. Housebreaking pads: Have not used them yet but plan to when we leave her along while at work. After
reading reviews Wee-Wee brand seems to be the best for the cost. Some of the cheaper ones have horrible
reviews.
9. Doggy Gate: We will be blocking Zoey into the kitchen when we are gone. We have the gate installed and
seems to work great so far. I know she is going to out grew the gate at some point because her breed can
jump really high. It will work for now.
10. Clicker: For clicker training. She loves the clicker… she knows after the click comes a treat. The clicker
works great so far.
11. Stuffed toys: The pick pony toy is one of her favorites. She loves pouncing at it.
12. Ball: This JW Pet Hol-ee Roller ball is great for puppies. Having a tiny mouth Zoey is still able to carry this
ball around. For added fun I put treats inside the ball for her to get out.
13. Food: Try to stick with the food it was no before coming home. It will make there little tummy happier. We
bought the wrong food but her tummy seems to be doing okay so far.
14. Treats: Make sure they are in the same family as the food. We are using IAM’s all-natural food so we are
sticking with an all-natural treat. We all have little raw hides for her to chew on (sent home with us).
15. Blankets: Cheap blanks of the cage and holding the puppy. Get lots so you can wash them if they get peed
on.
16. Doggy Bed: I just made a fleece tie blanket for the bed. We will get her a real bed after she is through the
chewing stage.
17. Potty training door bell: Starting to train with this bell so she has a way to let us know she needs out.
2. Collar and leash: Currently Zoey hates both of these, it will take time to get used to.
3. Chew toys: We got a lot of chew toys because there are so many different types.
- Nylabone Rino Puppy Teethe n’ Tug Chew Toy: Deuce our roommate’s dog got to this toy first and the rope is torn in two. Zoey likes the teethe part in the middle and wants to play with the rope but I won’t let her.
- Nylabone Puppy Teething Rings Chew Toy: She really likes this one. She likes to walk around carrying this in her mouth.
- Nylabone Puppy Chew Toy Starter Kit: By far her favorite so far. These chew bones are flavored and she loves chewing on them!
- Nylabone Puppy Double Action Chew Toy, Regular: This toy is a little big for her right now. I will take it out for her in a couple of weeks.
- Baby Kong: Got to love a Kong. This one is made out of a softer material so it doesn’t hurt the puppies teeth. Put a little peanut butter in this and she is entertained for awhile.
- Touch (heat): Pet Stages Puppy Cuddle Pal
- Sound: Pet Stages Calming Heartbeat Pillow for Pets
- Smell: Stuffed toy rubbed on littermates or old used blanket with littermate smell
Squeak toy.
6. Dog Waste Bag Dispenser: I got the really cute one from Petego with Polka Dots. The is the best idea ever if
you take your dog on lots of walks and field trips. We have used these while doggy sitting for people. Don’t
forget the refill bags (when you buy in bulk they are $0.02 per bag).
7. Food and water dish: We have heard stainless steel is the way to go to prevent germs.
8. Housebreaking pads: Have not used them yet but plan to when we leave her along while at work. After
reading reviews Wee-Wee brand seems to be the best for the cost. Some of the cheaper ones have horrible
reviews.
9. Doggy Gate: We will be blocking Zoey into the kitchen when we are gone. We have the gate installed and
seems to work great so far. I know she is going to out grew the gate at some point because her breed can
jump really high. It will work for now.
10. Clicker: For clicker training. She loves the clicker… she knows after the click comes a treat. The clicker
works great so far.
11. Stuffed toys: The pick pony toy is one of her favorites. She loves pouncing at it.
12. Ball: This JW Pet Hol-ee Roller ball is great for puppies. Having a tiny mouth Zoey is still able to carry this
ball around. For added fun I put treats inside the ball for her to get out.
13. Food: Try to stick with the food it was no before coming home. It will make there little tummy happier. We
bought the wrong food but her tummy seems to be doing okay so far.
14. Treats: Make sure they are in the same family as the food. We are using IAM’s all-natural food so we are
sticking with an all-natural treat. We all have little raw hides for her to chew on (sent home with us).
15. Blankets: Cheap blanks of the cage and holding the puppy. Get lots so you can wash them if they get peed
on.
16. Doggy Bed: I just made a fleece tie blanket for the bed. We will get her a real bed after she is through the
chewing stage.
17. Potty training door bell: Starting to train with this bell so she has a way to let us know she needs out.
