Blog

14 week golden retriever puppy waking up at 4:30am everyday. What can I do to get him to sleep until 5-6am?

If he goes to bed around 9-930pm. He wakes up at 4-4:30.

If he goes to bed between 10-11pm. He wakes up at 4-4:30.

Naps: he generally sleeps 2-4 hours for each nap, following the 1 up 2 down method.

So I am getting a puppy next week and I wanted some input/advice on how I should go about letting my puppy out. So last time I had a puppy I was in school so it was easy to adjust / take care of my puppies needs. Now I am post college grad with a 9-5. Since I do not have all the time in the world I am looking for an efficient and responsible way to keep my puppies bathroom needs taken care of.

I also want to state clearly for the people of reddit that I have accepted I need to do whatever is necessary for the puppy for its health and happiness. I do not want this to seem like he wants a puppy but none of the work that goes with the puppy. Its more or less a conversation of efficiency and educating myself further on how to take care of a puppy.

So as a baseline I am going to state that I expect to take the puppy out frequently. I think the metric is roughly for every month they are old is how often they should go out.

I will also say I am against the idea of pee pads. I am on the border of maybe getting one of the fake grass pads to encourage peeing on something like grass. I am not familiar with the implications of this compared to pee pads.

Then to double down I want to crate train and think this is very important to do for every dog. Planning on sleeping in the crate for a while and taking “scheduled” nap times. Then feeding and such in the crate.

So my first problem is I work 40 mins from home. So it is not as easy to just go home on break. That would be easy if I had to do it once but it seems I will have to do it several times a day which will not add up.

So here are my potential solutions (I am open to more ideas or criticisms of these!)

a.) My Dad lives 20 mins away from my work. Sadly he is a hour from my work but I can take my puppy to his house in the morning. Then take 2-3 breaks a day (Depending on where we are in the timeline). Then after work get the puppy and go home. This option seems like a lot of burnout. Also lots a travel. This seems like worst case scenario.

b.) I am not too sure on how I feel about this one to be honest. I would create a smaller pen area in my house with the crate inside it. Get a grass pad and put it in the pen area. I will have about a week and a half with the puppy before having to go back to work so I feel we can get her used to the pad. Then go home once a day to make sure she gets outside and to monitor any thing she would need. I really hate that this does not enforce crate training. If she sleeps in the crate and or has “Crate time” would that make up for it. Then ofc when she gets older she would not need a pen. I do not know how realistic this is and if this would enforce bad behavior.

Now typing this out I feel as a I actually only have two options. I do not want to leave them with family members that do not have the same level of care as me. I can not afford a type of daycare.

Do we have any ideas? Any solutions? Any problems with anything I have presented?

Thanks for everyone taking the time to read this and respond if yall did

Hello, reaching out for general advice.

The possibility of 2 kelpie puppies coming to us has unfolded very quickly.

I have had dogs previously but other than the kelpie puppy we got when I was 6, they have all been adult rescues.

We lost our bestest boy, a kelpie/husky cross, about 20 months ago, and while everyone else has been ready for about a year, I have been the holdout, not yet ready. But, the past couple of months, I've known it's time. This week, an opportunity has come about, to potentially get 2 kelpy pups. We're leaning towards it, but it's not set in stone.

I grew up with a kelpie, she was my childhood dog. So I am very familiar with the intelligence, the energy levels, and the time requirements (re: walks, activities, socialisation) of adult kelpies.

Our bestest boy, was a kelpie/husky cross, but he had a rough go of it before he came to us. He never was fully comfortable inside on his own. He loved it if it was sit on the floor with one of us, but he wasn't comfortable if you just sort of had to go and wash dishes say, or sleeping inside anywhere other than the laundry. So it been about 15 years plus since I had regular inside dogs also.

Further, and the genesis of my core question, is that what I have no memory of, other than the car ride home 40 odd years ago, with my pup next to me, is what a puppy needs.

The logistics involved (pet insurance / reconnect with our vet / register them with the council) I'm across. Obviously the neutering, next round of vaccinations /worming etc.

And of course they need bedding, bowls, hi-nutrition puppy food etc. Toilet training, which I still remember from that Little Golden Book from when I was 4. (Positive only – never frighten them – and this was written in the 70s). Puppy obedience training from about 13 weeks

But what do they need beyond that? What is good for them? There'll be plenty of love and cuddles, and the two of them together for some company the times when we're not there. We are an active family, so wherever we go outdoors they can come, they can come to the kids soccer and netball training with me and watch, and go for little walks. They can come on hikes and all of the things we do as a family.

But, I guess, what I'm asking, is what is the best way to set up our house for them initially? We're down under in the mythical land of Oz (Australia), so it's coming into summer and warm weather, tending towards hot to very hot from this point on.

My dad was old school, dogs belong outside, never inside, so I don't remember toilet training or any sort of inside bedding or sleeping.

We're of course modern softies, so the pups would be inside the house with us. But where is best for them to sleep? How do we set it up? What bedding is best? How do we set up their area?

And when they come round with us, what kind of puppy carriers do people use, i.e. when we're walking carrying them? What kind is best?

And is a harness best for walking them? Or a lead? Apologies if these are obvious questions. All my googling is leading to people selling me stuff, which is fine, but I need to know what I need to know first.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Hi everyone, I rescued a very small desi puppy about a month ago. She is roughly 2 months old now. I’m a student (MBBS), and managing studies plus caring for a young puppy has become overwhelming. I love her a lot and abandoning her is not an option, but I need help to do things right.

Current issues I’m facing

1. Feeding problems

She doesn’t eat properly.

She refuses curd rice most days, but likes curd separately, i didn't give her anything other than just rice and curd which she ate.

She doesn’t like dal at all.

Sometimes she sniffs the food, licks it, and leaves.

I can’t give chicken daily because I’m a student and don’t earn, but I can manage it occasionally.

I give her one egg daily, which she eats. And I'm a student, my pocket won't allow pedigree or dogs food it's expensive.

1. Stool and tummy issues

she eats her own poop 💩

Sometimes after eating, her stomach becomes tight.

I’m unsure if I should deworm her now and what the schedule should be for a 2-month-old puppy.

1. Coat and skin

Her coat is not soft.

I made the mistake of bathing her daily in the beginning because I thought she's dirty, cause I keep her in my room so she also comes on my bed

1. Behavior

She is very small, and the dogs in my hostel might k'll her, i don't know how to get them socialize so that when I'm not here she manages on her own

1. Hygiene and smell

She pees inside my room.

Even after cleaning, the room smells, and it’s affecting my space.

What I need advice on

An affordable, balanced diet for a 2-month-old puppy (considering I’m a student).

Whether curd and rice separately are okay, and what simple homemade foods I can offer.

Proper deworming schedule for her age.

How often to bathe her and how to help with coat softness and itching.

How to manage whining and mild separation anxiety.

Toilet training tips suitable for a small room.

Any general guidance for caring for a young rescued desi puppy on a student budget. Thank you to anyone who reads this. I really want to take good care of her despite the challenges, and any practical advice would help a lot

This is a really random post but I really worry whenever I think my dog might be unwell and need to see the vet, I'll not sleep, I'll feel sick and lose my appetite until hes ok or seen the vet. Ill also start thinking things like why did I do this to myself by getting a dog in the first place (even though I love him soooo much) and I'll think 'never again' after him. I just want him to he healthy and happy all the time and if I think there is something wrong I just feel awful. Does anyone else feel like this??

hello! i have a 9 month old golden retriever who is my pride and joy. she’s an excellent puppy. from the months of may- july we completed a 6 week training program, 1 class for 1.5 hours for 6 weeks. however, she is not trained at all. we have tried to keep up with her training, but she doesn’t care. she doesn’t listen unless we are holding treats, and when we do have treats on us, she gets super eager- excited and lunges, demand barks and never settles. how do i encourage her to settle down to receive her rewards (treats)? for instance, if i tell her to sit, she will sit for approximately 0.2 seconds before getting too excited and lunging for the treats and demand barking/ squirming in place out of excitement.

she’s very food motivated. she begins another 16 week training program at the end of the month.

We are trying to figure out how best to manage the holidays with our golden retriever puppy. She will be 18 weeks old by Christmas time. The problem is my family doesn't like dogs in the house, so she would have to stay in the garage (which is heated). We can't let her loose out there for fear of getting into something. I also don't think her play pen will be a feasible option as she has climbed out of it before and scoots it around. So her crate would probably be the only option for us. But we are unsure how long she'd be able to stay in there. We'll be around to take her out and do 30 min or so of play. This will also be her first time at their house. Not her first time meeting them though.

I know our concern at the moment is that when we leave her in the crate at our home to leave to do some shopping for ~1hr she is just barking nonstop in her crate. Never had any accidents in the crate nor has she panicked trying to escape.

Edit: I forgot to add it won't be an overnight night stay, just a day trip.

Hi everyone! I have a 6-month-old, 8-lb puppy who’s generally very sweet and well-behaved. He listens most of the time, but he’s still a typical puppy — he gets excited, tries to pull on socks, grabs my hair tie, etc. None of this is an issue with me, but my grandmother is visiting for two months and I really want to make sure she feels safe around him.

She has very fragile skin, and in the past the puppy accidentally nicked her finger, so she’s been scared since then. My pup isn’t aggressive at all, but he is enthusiastic and curious, and I don’t want him accidentally scratching or startling her.

Some extra context: • On the days I go into work, I send him to daycare. • At home, he normally has free range around the house. • If I’m working from home, I usually work in the basement while my grandmother stays upstairs because I can’t pay full attention to him while working. • Holidays are coming, which means more days off, more cooking, more time upstairs, and less ability to supervise him constantly. • I also have another family member visiting for an entire month in December, which will take up even more of my attention.

Because of all this, I’m trying to build healthy habits now so the next two months go smoothly — both for my grandmother’s comfort and my puppy’s routine.

How do I manage a friendly but energetic puppy around an older family member who’s nervous and has delicate skin? Any training tips, boundary-setting ideas, or management strategies would be so appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

Hi everyone, I’m from India. I’m feeling really worried and heartbroken after the recent Supreme Court decision about stray dogs in my country. The order says that stray dogs should be removed and kept in shelters, but the truth is that India does not have enough proper shelters. This makes many of us fear that these innocent dogs will be killed.

People who love and care for stray animals are already doing everything they can. I have 27 indie dogs living in my home, and I’ve been looking after them for years. But because they are Indian breeds, very few people come forward to adopt them. Most people still prefer foreign-breed dogs, which makes the situation even harder.

That’s why I am reaching out with hope. I’m looking for kind-hearted people from anywhere in the world who truly love dogs and know how to care for them. If you or someone you know can help adopt these beautiful indie dogs, or help me find safe homes for them in your country, it would mean the world to me.

Please connect with me if you can help in any way. Your kindness could save lives.

Thank you from my heart.