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Good advice about the bone. I will try something like that. When does the puppy chewing stage usually start and how long does it usually last?

Thanks for your lengthy replies julie and cass. I'm really grateful for the detail. I know all pups are different but it gives me some really useful information about what to expect. Julie, I'm interested to know what you mean by your secure kennel because I think this means different things to people from different countries. We are hoping to train our puppy to use her kennel outside (in conjunction with her indoor crate) for downtime so she has a choice, kind of like my kelpies did. Our property (in the suburbs) is gated and secure with a nice big backyard for her to play in and explore. Do you think it is safe for her as a young puppy to roam outside when we are home or better to fence off a small area around the kennel? I am worried about barking, but my mother plans to visit and play with her when we are at work so we will soon see if that is a problem. As for loud noises it's usually pretty quiet where we live, and if there was a thunderstorm I would definitely make sure she was indoors for that. The weather is heading into summer and our winters are quite temperate here so we don't have great temperature shifts. There are warm and cool spots throughout the garden for her. I think you're right about crating the new puppy in the bedroom. But I was prepared for weeks of sleepless nights in fact! We definitely see our dog as a member of the family, but I ask these questions because I want her to be confident both inside and outside the house and to strike the right balance between giving her attention to bond with her but not too much that she has separation anxiety when we're not here. My much-loved kelpie often slept next to me with her head on the pillow and expected to be spooned (!) and I have a friend whose poor outside dog is only ever allowed in a very small, cold part of his big house. I'm trying to find a happy medium between the two. If you know what I mean.

Thanks, Waffles. I am aware of the need to exercise my dog. My husband plans to walk her in the mornings before he goes to work and I plan to run/walk with her when I finish work as well as lots of playing in the backyard and walks with all three of us. Actually, that reminds me of another question. When can you start walking your puppy outside your property and when can pups start running...? I don't mind if our pup has a crate, but I was under the impression they were left in their closed crates, unable to get out, into adulthood. I would be interested to hear how long you crate pups at night with the door closed? I'm guessing you start to leave the door open when you get the feeling you can trust them but how long did that take people?

Thanks, Root Beer! How long did your puppy take to trust him loose in the bedroom? So your dogs sleep inside? Finally, what do you do when you had to leave the puppy alone while at work? Outside or inside? Sorry for so many questions. Just trying to do right by my pup and my neighbours.

This is my first post on this forum. Great website! We are very excited to be getting our first border collie pup in a couple of weeks (she's about five weeks old now) but my research has thrown up conflicting advice on what to do. As I child we had kelpies and, if I remember correctly, they spent their first nights in the laundry before sleeping in or outside when they were older. I see a lot about crating pups, but not really sure what this means in terms of how long you crate them and to what age. To be honest, I don't really like the thought of her being stuck in a box. Other people have suggested the pup goes straight outside to her (open) kennel at night so she gets used to it. She sleeps outside in a big open kennel with a chicken wire pen around it at the farm she lives at now so she's used to that, but she's with her brothers and sisters. The kennel my husband built it actually probably a bit big for how she will be as a fully-grown dog so it may dwarf her! If anyone can shed some light on the pros and cons of both and how they personally dealt with their new puppy it would be greatly appreciated. I am also interesting to hear what people think about leaving her outside when we go to work. Bad idea? Good idea if she has a pen around her kennel for now like her farm environment? Or allow her to roam freely in the garden to get some stimulation and exercise, and start to feel at home. Is there anything I should know that might maake border collies more difficult to deal with than kelpies in terms of their development and level of maintenance? Any advice you have would be most appreciated!