Hi everyone! I just joined this forum as Im welcoming a a portie puppy on May 30th to the family, our little Georgie. I’ve never owned a dog before and I’d like to know any tips, tricks, extra info anyone is willing to give as I would like to be as prepared as possible for when he comes home. We will also be feeding him a raw food diet (BARF) and if anyone has any tips on that as well I’d love to hear it. though I’ve done a sufficient amount of research I’m also wondering if anyone had pre-dog-mom jitters and if this is normal? To be honest I’m kinda nervous about taking on something so new especially in this time as I don’t know what my work schedule will be like. Just wondering if anyone can relate or maybe my anxiety is just getting the best of me right now
Congratulations on your new puppy. I don't feed raw so can't really help you there. One of mine loves raw meat, the other thinks that it is for rolling in! My biggest tip would be to get your puppy used to being left alone before you have to leave him for a long period. Start by just closing the door on him for short time, so he doesn't have you in sight all the time. Then begin to use your external door, - go into the garden, or run the car engine for a few minutes. Gradually lengthen your absence. Porties are quite a hairy breed, so I would also teach him from the start to stand quietly to be groomed, this will help you for when grooming will be a longer job. Not everyone likes crates, but with soft blankets and a cover they make a snug den for a puppy, and prevent a lot of damage by chewing. They can help with house-training too. I'm sure others will have their own big three tips.
How exciting - not that many sleeps now before Georgie will be home! My little one slept in a crate from when I brought her home. I put two soft toys and an unwashed shirt of mine in the crate, but never covered it. She also only went in it at night [it is in my bedroom] and she still rushes into it when it is bedtime. Regarding raw feeding, I can probably help you with that as I have been a raw feeder since mid-2011. Are you thinking of buying in ready prepared raw food, either fresh or frozen, or will you be preparing it yourself, as I do?
For the first few weeks I always had mine in big cardboard box beside my bed, so they could hear and see us, and could hang my hand nearby to reassure them if need be, I also put in a worn t-shirt /jumper to help them get used to my scent. Alarm set for every 2/3 hours for first week, working time up till they would whimper if they wanted to go. When they whined to go to the toilet it was a swift, out of the bed, outside for a wee/poo, No playing or fussing or anything else.
so my mother actually owns a meat processing warehouse and they have a line of raw dog foods, it’s called Keoni if you’d like to look it up. It’s a mixture of muscle meat and bone though there’s no organ meat included so the organ meat we would get separately and mix in (and I’ve heard giving organ meat in small amounts once a week as a puppy is best for him). It comes frozen in patties.
That looks ideal - will you also be giving Georgie any vegetables and fruit? I cannot buy any raw pet food here so I buy fresh meat - mainly poultry - turkey hearts/gizzards/liver, sometimes ox lung - packing and freezing it in portions. It is actually the same meat I have, from my poulterer, only I cook mine and Tikva had hers raw! She has a chunk of frozen turkey neck for her breakfast, straight from the freezer, and for her evening meal I defrost whatever meat she is having, cut it up and mix with defrosted but uncooked vegetables, sometimes cut up fruit, and she also has various vitamins and mineral supplements. Offal she has twice a week - turkey liver - and I throw in a raw egg also maybe twice a week. If I can get fresh sardines or similar, whole with heads on and ungutted, I freeze them and she will have one for her breakfast instead of the turkey neck. There are times when I think it would be easier to feed kibble, especially when I am up to my elbows in raw meat, packing it for freezing, but I could not go back to that. It is more work for me but just as I like to make sure I know that what I eat is healthy, I like to know the same for Tikki - as I did for Pereg [the girl in my avatar] before her.
For sure, feeding a raw food diet is the best for our little guys. Though I do get what you’re saying as it is going to be a lot of work and I think I’m prepared for it. It’ll probably be easier as well as the food comes prepared. We will be included
