Going to a New Home

Litter anxiety causes whining

The best thing you can do is sit the puppy on your lap on your return trip home. This allows your new labrador puppy to’get your scent’. Your new puppy has been in a litter for 8 weeks. By the time you arrive, the pups will have been fully weaned and have had restricted access to their mother. Its not their mother that they are missing. Keep your new pup in close proximity to you for the first week. These first few days with you provide a wonderful bonding experience. However, during this time, you can expect that there will be some crying and whining from every 8 week old pup. Each pup is different in its response to change. Some will seem depressed and clingy for the first few days. Others will be fine for the first day and night but, on the second night, when they realize that they are not going back to their litter mates, they may lose their appetite or get the runs. Make them feel at home and secure. Give your pup lots of physical affection, comfort and attention. Provide their own place, in a ‘crate & exercise pen’ where they can go to be alone when they want. Routine and consistency in a secure environment will help them to settle in. 

Keeping warm

An 8 week old Labrador pup does not yet have the capability of keeping itself warm for extended periods. Plan to have your 8 week old puppy live in the house until 16 weeks. House-train your pup before it goes to an outdoor kennel. This will give you the flexibility of bringing them inside anytime.  

Pups at 8 weeks of age are very cute

Your new pup should settle in quickly. They will be comforted by the routine and the companionship of their new family. As you will soon find out, they are very active and playful. Why not get down on the floor and play with them? When you play with them, always leave them wanting more rather than getting bored. Your pup will enjoy exploring their new home. I suggest that you expose them to lots of situations. If you plan on driving a lot, take them in your car with you for trips, but do not to leave them in a car alone. Encourage them to haul their toys around. If it is warm enough, allow your pup to walk through puddles. It will be very entertaining as you watch them learn about their world. Puppies grow up very quickly so be sure to enjoy every stage of their growth! 

An 8 week old puppy is a baby

Keep in mind that an 8 week old puppy is still a baby. They have only just learned how to pick up objects and carry them around. At eight weeks, they do not have complete bladder control. They are used to having litter mates. They will be scared and insecure because their whole life is changing. The breeder will have done as much socialisation as they can, but nothing will ever be as difficult for your pup as their transition from their birth place to the new home. 

Learn how to read their signals

An owner of a new puppy must accept early toileting accidents but learn how to read their pup's signals. You will soon be able to anticipate when they need to go to the toilet. If your new pup 'offends', pick them up and carry them outside. Leave a bit of their droppings in the area you want them to use. The smell will encourage them to go there again. Do not punish your pup, even if they just went on your carpet! Yelling only confuses the puppy because elimination is a necessity. They just have to go. Schedules will prove very helpful About 10 minutes after eating they will have to go to the toilet. An 8 week old puppy has limited bladder control being 1hr for every month of life. This means 2hrs balder retention at 8wks of age. Toilet training comes with maturation and patient training on your part. If you confine the pup to an exercise pen with corrugated paper on the floor it is very easy and convenience for you. After your labrador puppy has been outside, exercised, and you have seen them toilet, you might take them to other areas of the house for short periods of time without the risk of accidents. 

Teething

I suggest that you puppy proof your house. It will save you a lot of frustration. A Labrador doesn't get his adult teeth until about 6 months of age so provide lots of chew toys. Labrador puppies are retrievers and as such are very oral. Everything goes into the mouth. They were bred for this. You will never change this behaviour so ‘remove items’ you value. Restrict access and don’t let your puppy ‘free range’ through your house. Show them the toys they can chew on and let them chew on their favourite objects. However set limits for them. Don't let your pup chew on furniture and especially your shoes and clothes even though they are teething. If you find them chewing on something they should not, then remove the puppy to a secure location and give them an appropriate toy. At 8 weeks a pup won't be able to break large pieces off and swallow them. Once your Labrador is old enough to tear things, you will need to be careful that objects don't get a caught in the throat and choke them. Ingesting threats can be fatal because the puppy can’t pass the item through their small intestine.

An indoor dog

At about 6 mths of age, the best thing you can do is make your growing puppy an outside dog that ‘comes inside’. Your dog will become a member of your family 'pack'. Pack order and behaviour is instinctive to all dogs. Regulated living in the house provides them the opportunity for training, conditioning and bonding. Your labrador will quickly learn to identify and respond to your commands. Dogs learn by habit and in context. They do not ‘generalise’. This means that their learning is not immediately transferable from one context to another. An totally outdoor dog will get used to being alone and might become a dominant dog. You will have a much more rewarding relationship if you have kept your labrador pup inside for least for the first 5 months. 

Their sleeping place

Identify their sleeping area. Whenever you take the pup out of their box, take them outside and praise them when they toilet like they are the only pup in the world who has ever done such a thing! Your pup will naturally try not to eliminate where it sleeps. Give them plenty of toys. They will entertain themselves. If they are busy with their toys then they will not be unhappy and start barking or whining. It will become their safe place away from the kids and other distractions. Their new sleeping place won't be immediately obvious. They have been sleeping on a soft pile of littermates. 

Pups learn to come for a treat

Pups learn quickly to come for a treat or snack so carry a few chewable treats in your pocket, then call your pup, ‘mark’ the reward and treat them for their obedience. The puppy quickly learns that they will be rewarded every time you call them. If your puppy learn the coming to a call result in them being ‘put away,’ they might just resist your call.

Teach your labrador puppy to sit.
Hold a treat slightly backwards past his nose, toward his eyes and this will encourage them to lift their head and they will automate move into the sit position. In the beginning treat before you give the command 'sit'. The initial process is in reverse. Release the treat when the pup sits. Give lots of praise and you will soon find your puppy eagerly sitting to receive the praise and reward. 

Jumping up may seem cute

Jumping up may be cute right now, but you don't want to encourage this. A full grown Labrador is far too powerful to jump on a person. Settle them down and provide a reward and lots of praise when they get it right. Exuberant praise will teach your pup what you want from them. 

Toilet Training

After introducing your puppy to the house. Offer him food, preferably the same type used by the breeder or shelter where you adopted him. We use Royal Canin Labrador Puppy / Adult. When they’ve finished eating, head straight to the potty area and wait for them to eliminate and it will certainly happen within ten minutes. You’ll quickly work out the timing. Always give lots of praise when your labrador puppy complies with your directions. Labradors love to please and they love approval.