Hi there!

[spaceapple]

Hi, guys!

 

I've been lurking around the boards for a while, and since we're picking up our border collie puppy in a week and a half I thought I'd introduce myself. We currently have a Westie, and this will be our first border collie. It will also be our first time having two dogs in the house, so if anyone has great advice on introducing them I'd love to hear it. I've already learned a lot from reading the boards, but I'm sure I'll have plenty more questions down the road!

 

Here's our puppy. Her name is Kate.

[Falon's Mom]

She is adorable. I hope you have many happy years with her.

[spaceapple]

Thanks!

[Gideon's girl]

My only advice is protecting your Westie from a mouthy puppy is protecting your puppy. I'm assuming your Westie is as much of a terrier as my JRT. She has no sense of humor about puppies mistaking her for a chew toy, unless she is the one doing the invitation to play.

 

I let mine get to know each other through the crate first. They can read a lot about each others behavior that way.

[spaceapple]

Thanks for the advice. Several sources I've read suggest leaving the puppy in a crate pretty much all the time for the first few days. Does anybody have input on that suggestion? I think I'd rather get started house training her right away and keeping her on a short leash attached to me.

[Murray Momma]

Murray was my first puppy and I can say the crate saved my sanity (and really helped with housetraining). My mom had an old book kicking around from one of their first dogs. It's out of print but I see Amazon has it still!

http://www.amazon.com/How-Housebreak-Your-Days-Revised/dp/0553382896/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377530844&sr=8-1&keywords=how+to+housebreak+your+dog+in+7+days

 

Now having introduced a second dog (although older than Murray) into the house, the crate has again proven useful. I tahnk my lucky stars that the new dog was properly crate trained. In my experience, crate training is crucial.

 

Best of luck with the new pup. Such a cutie!

[gcv-border]

What a cutie!

 

I agree, crate training is crucial --- but IMO you don't have to have a new puppy in a crate "pretty much all the time" [Of course, there may be mitigating factors such as introducing to resident dog(s).] I would say close to 100% management is imperative for the first few weeks to months of a puppy's life. What I mean by 'management' is crate time, tethering to you, never out of your site, manage introductions to people and dogs etc. As you have read, puppies (and untrained dogs) get into trouble when left to their own devices. It is easier to prevent bad habits from starting than to try and fix them.

 

Good Luck,

Jovi