# Couple questions on new puppy.



## HeyJude (Feb 2, 2011)

Hi there. I picked up my new puppy today, he is my birthday present from my husband, (we first saw him yesterday and fell in love). We were not suppose to pick him up till next week because he is only seven weeks old, but the breeder called us and said all the other pups went home, and would we pick him up? Anyways, to my questions.
He is AKC registered, saw both parents OFA'd good. He was not well cared for, he is so thin it scares me. I am taking him to the vets tomorrow, even though I have a vet check record. When I asked her what she was feeding, I was told puppy chow, yuck! When I got him home I realized I forgot to ask her how much he ate today and how often she feeds him, her answer was a scoopful for all the puppies twice a day! This can't be enough for him, he acts like he is starving all the time! I'm sure he has to be wormy, I'll have that checked, but how much food can I increase this little guy to safely in a few days? I figure he needs at least 2 1/2 cups a day to start, split up in three meals? Oh, I bought 4Health puppy food. He is a long haired so you can't tell how thin he is from his photo, more hair than dog, that is for sure. He is 7 weeks tomorrow, 8.5lbs, not very big at all.
One other question, his coat. It doesn't seem like he has a double coat at all, just alot of long hair, is this normal?
Also, he hates being in his pen, how long does the crying last? I finally sat in there with him till he fell asleep, and blessfully, he is still sleeping! How stressful for him, new home, new food, new parents, poor guy.
Any help would be appreciated...
Here are the photos of him after we got home.


----------



## lizzyjo (Jan 6, 2011)

Is he in the house with you...when you said pen i wasnt sure what you were talking about. He seems a little light in weight. I am sure no expert. My puppy weighed 11 pounds at 7 weeks.


----------



## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

Oh my, what a cute little fuzz ball!! 

You are right about him needing more food - 2 1/2 to 3 cups a day of good quality food. You can feed one cup three times per day. Not familiar with the food you mentioned, but I'm sure it wouldn't take much to upgrade from puppy chow. Transition him to his new food gradually. Get some puppy chow, and mix in a bit of the new food, upping the new kibble amount gradually, a bit more each day - do the transition over the course of a week or so. 

Don't know about his coat - puppy coats change a lot as puppies grow and their puppy coat gets shed out and replaced with an adult coat. Maybe others who have raised long-coats can give you some more info on that.

oh yes, the pen, I assume the exercise pen? Yeah, they will cry and carry on at first - you will need to stand firm and not give in. He will learn that fussing won't get him anything.


----------



## JKlatsky (Apr 21, 2007)

When I feed puppies I feed about as much as they will eat in about 10 minutes. I put no more than 1 cup in the bowl per meal. When they walk away from the bowl, I pick it up regardless of how much was left. If they eat the whole cup I will not offer any more. Generally when they first come home they eat 1/2 to 3/4 a cup per meal and I feed 3 times a day. 

When they are puppies they don't have a double coat. As they grow their adult coat with all the guard hairs will start to come in. It starts around the tail and goes up the back at first- it'll generally be a shinier slightly coarser hair. The coated dogs I've seen have been the same...it just seems to take longer. (Although I suppose it's possible that you have a coat without an undercoat?? I haven't seen one before so maybe someone else can chime in) It's easier to see on sable pups because their puppy coat is a brownish/reddish color of their undercoat and their darker guard hairs come in as they grow....


----------



## Miss Molly May (Feb 19, 2010)

What a adorable puff ball thanks now I have a bad urge to get another one! For sure have him examined by a vet. Use the back of the bag of dog food for feeding guide lines some bags have 2 to 3 cups a day and other will have 5 to 6. Oh he is sooo cute!!!!!


----------



## shepherd513 (Jan 26, 2011)

One other question, his coat. It doesn't seem like he has a double coat at all, just alot of long hair, is this normal?

I have a long coat, I'll have to post pics at some point of when he was just a baby. His coat looked just like that. He was little and fluffy. It takes longer for their adult coat to grow in. His guard hairs will be slightly courser but he will still feel silky. Gideon will be 9 mo. in Feb. 13 and he has a nice long flowy silky coat with slightly courser guard hairs.

As far as his weight, he should def. be eating more but I wouldn't be too concerned. Once you get him on a good eating plan he'll take off! I brought my guy home the day he turned 8 wks. and he was really thin and only 8 1/2 lbs. In one week he gained 5 lbs. and has been growing like a monster ever since! He's now about 75lbs and is a very strong, big healthy boy with a beautiful coat!


----------



## HeyJude (Feb 2, 2011)

lizzyjo said:


> Is he in the house with you...when you said pen i wasnt sure what you were talking about. He seems a little light in weight. I am sure no expert. My puppy weighed 11 pounds at 7 weeks.


Yes, I mean x-pen. I have a large pen that usually goes outside, inside, for him. I have his crate in there, but I think I'll take his crate out and just crate-train him. He does NOT like to be away from us. he is getting along great with my 2 special needs poodles, being a very good boy!


----------



## HankGSD (Oct 28, 2010)

What a cutie. He is lucky you brought him home.

Hank screamed in his crate for a few weeks. He would get up on his hind legs and shake the bars if you can imagine an 8-week old pup doing that. It was horrible and the first two nights it went on ALL night. Now he LOVES his crate. In fact, I had to buy him a new big boy crate this week and he actually cried and danced around in a panic when I was disassembling the old one. 

At this age, I think it would be ok to let your boy eat as much as he pleases, maybe one cup per meal, 3 meals per day. Go by the package guidelines although sometimes they are a little on the high side. My breeder told me to wet and soak Hank's food and mix 1/4 cup plain yogurt in it to entice him to eat in the first few days home.


----------



## shepherd513 (Jan 26, 2011)

I've included a few photos to show you Gideon's coat when he was a baby. It looks very similar. The photo in the middle is when He was nine weeks. You can see the growth difference even in one week.


----------



## HeyJude (Feb 2, 2011)

shepherd513 said:


> I've included a few photos to show you Gideon's coat when he was a baby. It looks very similar. The photo in the middle is when He was nine weeks. You can see the growth difference even in one week.


He looks just like our puppy! His littermates didn't have half as much coat, I really love his.


----------



## robinhuerta (Apr 21, 2007)

7wks at 8.5 lbs isn't really a tiny puppy...just maybe a little thinner or finer boned.
Puppies can range all over the board in weight.
I've had 12 lbs to 18 lbs at 7-8 wks....but my puppies tend to have thicker bone....(the bloodlines).
Friends have had litters and their pups have been slightly smaller in frame, and they were at the 9 to 12 lb range at 7wks.
Feeding your puppy better, and deworming him, will help him generate better coat condition and body weight.
Best wishes to you!
Robin
*What a cute lil baby!


----------



## SARAHSMITH (Sep 19, 2010)

I crate trained my puppy over a long period because the crying was really tough to endure and my young daughter could not sleep through it. I would also sit next to him until he fell asleep, even with the door open and my hand in the crate for the first few nights. Then put the crate up high and next to me right near where I slept, and then slowly moved it away and eventually he went in his crate in a different room without a problem. Others have toughed it out with the crying and this has worked as well.


----------



## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

He's adorable! Yes, as others have said, he still has his wooly puppy coat. My longcoats started getting their longer adult coat around 4-1/2 to 5 months old, generally with a stripe of longer hair down the back and spreading from there.


----------



## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

HeyJude said:


> Oh, I bought 4Health puppy food.


If you haven't opened it yet, return it and pick up one of their adult formulas. 4Health puppy is fine for small and medium breeds but not for larger breeds. 




HeyJude said:


> Also, he hates being in his pen, how long does the crying last?


 Mine's still crying in the pen after almost a week. I'll keep you posted lol.


----------



## HeyJude (Feb 2, 2011)

Emoore said:


> If you haven't opened it yet, return it and pick up one of their adult formulas. 4Health puppy is fine for small and medium breeds but not for larger breeds.
> 
> 
> Mine's still crying in the pen after almost a week. I'll keep you posted lol.


I've already opened the bag, but I can buy another and mix them? 
Also, I can get him to nap if I sit in his pen till he falls asleep then if I'm quiet, I can leave. If he wakes, I just stand there till he falls asleep again. He did cry (and scream) all night, no sleep for me! He's already peed and pooped in the house a few times too, guess I'll have to watch him a bit closer!


----------



## Myamom (Oct 10, 2005)

Check your stores policy....my PSP will take back opened bags.


----------



## XTOL (Jun 9, 2010)

HeyJude said:


> I've already opened the bag, but I can buy another and mix them?


Dont worry about it. While the 4Health puppy formula isnt optimum it wont
be a problem to use the bag you have. Just transition your pup over to
one of the adult formulas when this bag is about gone.

When I got Abby she was on Purina from the breeder. So the first bag
of kibble I got was Purina. The next bag was 4Health puppy. After that
I started her on the 4Health Chicken and Rice Adult. No problems at all.
Just make the transition slowly over a week or so.

BTW...adorable little fluff ball...


----------



## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

I agree with Xtol. Next bag is enough time to switch over, so long as you're not feeding the 40lb since it would take half his puppyhood to go through a 40lb bag!

Mine cried considerably less the 2nd night than he did the 1st. And then even less each night after that. Last night was the 5th night and he only cried about 10 min.


----------



## HeyJude (Feb 2, 2011)

Emoore said:


> I agree with Xtol. Next bag is enough time to switch over, so long as you're not feeding the 40lb since it would take half his puppyhood to go through a 40lb bag!
> 
> Mine cried considerably less the 2nd night than he did the 1st. And then even less each night after that. Last night was the 5th night and he only cried about 10 min.


I only bought the 17lb bag, he is such a little guy, I figured the food would go bad before I could feed it all to him.

He is still crying when I put him in the pen. I needed to do housework and couldn't watch him closely (didn't want him to chew something), and he howled the whole time! Yikes, I've forgotten what it was like to have a new puppy! What have I done?!


----------



## Micky (Jan 1, 2011)

Your new sweet fuzz ball looks like a long hair like our Stella ! I simply adore her puffy hair especially when she is full of static!!!


----------



## XTOL (Jun 9, 2010)

HeyJude said:


> I only bought the 17lb bag, he is such a little guy, I figured the food would go bad before I could feed it all to him.
> 
> He is still crying when I put him in the pen. I needed to do housework and couldn't watch him closely (didn't want him to chew something), and he howled the whole time! Yikes, I've forgotten what it was like to have a new puppy! What have I done?!


Not a chance...once he gets into the routine he will go through that 17lbs in no time.
They are little bottomless pits. All that growing requires a lot of food.

What have you done? You brought home a 7 week old baby.
A baby that has been taken away from everything he knew and
the only thing in his life right now is you.

Give him some time. He will need to be with you a lot at first.
He will cry when he is not with you. It will get better.

All too soon he will go from crying baby to Tasmanian Devil/landshark.
Take lots of pictures. They grow so fast.


----------



## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

Hi Hey Jude . That is one lucky puppy to have found you.

I am not going to ***** foot around here. I would like to see places like this closed down . 

The poor little pup looks underfed, looks like a dandelion puff ball with no underlying tone or muscle. You "He was not well cared for , he is so thin it scares me" . Poor pup. He looks underfed , looks like a dandelion puff ball with - blow on it and it disintegrates. He has no underlying tone or muscle . He has no reserves if anything should challenge him -- . 

, At 7 weeks the other pups in the litter had already gone to their new homes !?! . 

When did they leave ? When were they vetted, when were they vaccinated ?? 

Hey Jude you take care of that little one and I hope that he becomes the little devil that every pup should be , and that he is a member of your family for a very long long time. Wishes to you.


----------



## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

Jklatsky -- what gorgeous movement on your pup !!!


----------



## JKlatsky (Apr 21, 2007)

carmspack said:


> Jklatsky -- what gorgeous movement on your pup !!!


Thanks! That's Tag  I think so too!! Not too bad for a workingline dog...


----------



## HeyJude (Feb 2, 2011)

XTOL said:


> Not a chance...once he gets into the routine he will go through that 17lbs in no time.
> They are little bottomless pits. All that growing requires a lot of food.
> 
> What have you done? You brought home a 7 week old baby.
> ...


He is already doing better. I don't mean what have I done in a bad way! I'm just wondering if I've lost my mind in my old age?! He has already won my heart and will have a long lovely life here. He is sleeping at my husbands feet right now.


----------



## HeyJude (Feb 2, 2011)

carmspack said:


> Hi Hey Jude . That is one lucky puppy to have found you.
> 
> I am not going to ***** foot around here. I would like to see places like this closed down .
> 
> ...


He was vetted the week before, at six weeks. I've some medicine (from my vet) for him for Giardia, and he is wormy, but other than that (neither are good), he is doing great. No, he has no reserves, but I will take good care of him and love him to a big, healthy pup! I must admit, I didn't have much to spend on an AKC registered pup, but I've lots of experience with dogs, groomer for 32 years now, and I've two handicapped poodles that I live with, so I think he will be fine, and I very happy with him. I don't like that he is that skinny, and I didn't like that the breeder was only feeding him a scoop of food a day! But... I knew when I saw him I was only getting what I could pay for. Because of my handicapped fur-kids I was afraid to get a rescue dog, otherwise I would have. He is safe here and will have the life of a king like he deserves, I just pray his littermates got a good home too...


----------



## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

so glad for your pup -- deplore the circumstances that he came from. 

What did you name your little king.


----------



## HeyJude (Feb 2, 2011)

carmspack said:


> so glad for your pup -- deplore the circumstances that he came from.
> 
> What did you name your little king.


We haven't decided yet, it is either "Chewy or Shadow".


----------

