Hello!
Ok, so my husband knew that we were looking at puppies, and talking about getting a puppy. He just didn’t know we would be getting one today.
Surprise!
We have grown our family by one – meet Murphy.
Seriously, can you even stand the cuteness? It’s like he’s smiling at us, and so happy to be in our family. That’s what we’re telling ourselves anyway.
Let me preface this whole thing by mentioning that I have always said that I would rather have a fourth child than get a puppy. I don’t know what has happened to me. Seeing puppies at baseball games got it started, and it just sort of snowballed from there.
He’s a golden retriever/Great Pyrenees mix, and we got him from a rescue. He was one of THIRTEEN puppies in the litter, and you can see that some of his brothers and sisters were also smiley.
We already have Martin – a large, beautifully behaved dog (also a rescue) – why rock the boat and get a puppy? (Did I mention we’re having our second annual fish fry party this weekend too? Crazy town. Plus, we’ve never had a puppy. We’ve never even had more than one dog at a time, for crying out loud. Martin, at a year and a half when we got him, has never had an accident in the house, never chewed on anything, doesn’t jump on people – nothing. The best dog ever.
All of the dogs we’ve ever had have been older, so that we dodged the whole puppy phase. But, sometimes you just need to say, “Why not?” So, that’s what I’m doing. No one staged an intervention when I got on this wagon, so I’m rolling with it. And so are my kids. I can’t remember the last time I saw them so excited. A great way to top off the summer, before the kids go back to school in a couple of weeks.
Martin has been relatively relaxed with Murphy (so far), starting to establish his status as the alpha dog with a bit of growling here and there, but we’ll see how things go as they both get to know each other. Martin has a very laid back and relaxed personality, so I’m hoping that Murphy takes his cues from him.
Right now, I think Martin sees Murphy the same way that Jerry Seinfeld sees Newman. I’m starting to think that we could rename Murphy to Newman.
Any puppy raising suggestions out there from those who have walked this road? Any socializing tips for working with my older dog? I’m all ears!
10 Comments
Cassie @ Primitive & Proper
August 4, 2015 at 1:54 pmhaha! love this and love the names martin & murphy together. 😉 so we have had 3 puppies and they have ALL been different. we used a blanket in the crate with one and that was a mistake because he would pee on it and now sometimes associates blankets with a place to pee. so this time around with catcher no blanket in the crate. he was really quick to train (still the occasional accident) but we just took him out repeatedly and every time he went he got praise and a treat. it worked well with him! i wish i had started walking him even earlier because he is hell on a leash. but some of that is also his instincts- he is a shepherd so he wants to be in front leading everyone which causes him to yank. he also is scared of cars so will run to the side of the road, stop, and then once they pass run directly into the road like he is going to chase the car, saying "haha you didn't get me!" i keep hoping he will figure it out if i just keep walking him.
Jenny
August 4, 2015 at 3:04 pmI'm trying to figure out the whole crate training thing at night! He's peeing on anything we put in there, and after reading your experience, I'm getting paranoid. Your German Shepherd is cracking me up with the cars – love their individual personalities! Our older dog is subtly asserting his Alpha status, and the pup is paying attention. He just keeps looking at me like, "Is he leaving now?"
Simply LKJ
August 4, 2015 at 2:43 pmSo precious. Crate training is the way to go. Oh, and only give water outside the crate…at time intervals, that way you can expect them to have to go at certain times (about 20-30 minutes after drinking) and it helps with the potty training aspect. The general rule of them is they can only hold it for about 30min-1hr per month of age in the beginning. As far a socializing, be sure to give your older dog one on one time still so he doesn't feel like second fiddle to Murphy.
Jenny
August 4, 2015 at 3:06 pmWe're working on the crate training. Trying to figure out how to do it at night since he's peeing in his crate! Nothing like being up at 4AM and outside with a puppy who wants to play, right? We're still trying to make Martin feel included and loved, but he is none too happy with this puppy invader right now. 😉 Nothing aggressive, just some growls here and there as he asserts is Alpha Dog status.
the cape on the corner
August 4, 2015 at 3:30 pmhow adorable! so tiny!
b
LoriU
August 4, 2015 at 3:45 pmOMG that last picture!! Precious!
cindyricedesigns
August 4, 2015 at 5:36 pmHi Jenny, Congrats on your adorable puppy! We've raised three goldens from puppyhood and they were all crate trained. You are possibly giving him too much space in there. Since they will supposedly not piddle on their bed he is thinking that extra space in the crate is for potty. (That is if there is extra space.) What we did was add a divider with corrugated board and ties to hold it in place. Then, as the puppy grows you can move the divider giving your puppy more space. Just be sure he isn't going to chew on the board and/or ties. We used a crate placed inside of a play pen (floor lined with puppy pads) for our chihuahua and that also worked for the little guy. Good luck!
Cindy
Jenny
August 4, 2015 at 5:46 pmThanks Cindy – we actually bought a crate that comes with a divider, so I think we limited him enough on space, for the same reasons you mentioned. I might have to reevaluate that if he keeps on peeing! How do you manage it during the night? That has been the biggest issue so far. But, it's only been one night, right?
Jennifer Schmitz
August 4, 2015 at 6:37 pmOMG the puppy is so stinking cute! I want one now! 🙂
I love labs so of course I have a spot in my heart for your Martin. He is beautiful and will make a wonderful mentor to the little one. Hopefully potty training will go smoother since you have Martin to show him the ropes.
designchic
August 4, 2015 at 11:09 pmOh my gosh, He is the cutest thing ever. Love the last image…adorable!