# The journey home and first night with puppy



## HugoBleu (Jun 5, 2016)

Hi everyone

We are due to bring our little puppy home (who is still to be named) next week and I have just been wondering a couple of things about our first day/night with him.
I have done a lot of research regarding caring for a puppy and training in general but there are still a few things I am unsure of.

First of all, the journey home. It is about a 2 hour car journey home and I'm unsure of how we should travel with him. He will be just over 8 weeks when we get him. Is it best to have him on my lap with a blanket and toy? Is this legal? Should I prepare a small box again with a blanket toys in etc and place him in that on my lap or on the floor between my legs? I think he will be too small for a harness. Should we stop after an hour so he can go wee, although he won't have had his 2nd vacs so wouldn't be allowed down in public places. I have a small doggy water bottle and lots of treats to keep him occupied. 

I was also wondering about the first night, we would like to at least try and crate train him however from what I've been reading this requires some time spent getting him used to going in and out of the crate, making sure he is happy to go in by himself, tempting him with treats etc and it has me thinking, will this be too much for him on his first day with us? But he will need to sleep in there.. But then I don't want to just plonk him in there and go off up to bed without getting him used to it first?! As I've read this can cause more anxiety and stress.

Apologies for all the questions! But this seems like somewhere I can get some good advice!

Cheers X


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## MHDDOG2016 (Jan 2, 2016)

Hi,

Welcome and congrats on your new addition. Our puppy Jasper is 15 weeks old and we collected him at the age of 8 weeks. We brought a hard carrier for travel for the car, as that is the safest way to travel. I had a soft, fleece blanket (it was cold when we got him), a chew toy, and the breeder sent us home with a small fleece blanket with mom's scent on it. We had an hour and a half car trip. He whimpered for the first 5 minutes and then fell asleep and slept the entire drive home. We made sure not to leave until he had just gone to the bathroom 

We crate trained him from the first night and he actually did really well. We made sure he had a soft fleecy bed, the fleece scented like his mom, a hot water-bottle (it was cold), and a snuggle puppy (a stuffed dog from Amazon with a beating heart inside). When it was time for bed, we took him out to the yard for one last bathroom trip, then put him in his crate, said "night night", covered the crate with a blanket and shut out the lights. The crate was in our bedroom next to my bed. He cried for about 10 minutes off and on and then slept for about 4 hours. Once he woke up, I took him out to pee without turning on lights or talking to him, then he went right back into his crate. Slept another 3 hours. The second night was a lot harder for some reason. He woke up and cried every 1-2 hours  The third night was more like the first, and the fourth was the magic night he slept from 10-5! He has been sleeping from about 9:30-5:30 ever since! I work part-time during the day, so from 8:30-11 he is crated, then from 11:30-1:30 (he gets walked and plays a little 11-11:30. He really seems to like his crate. I leave him a couple chew toys to play with. I ALWAYS take him out to potty before going in his crate, as well as immediately coming out of his crate. Not sure the size of your puppy, but Jasper was 4 pounds at 8 weeks and is 10 pounds now at 15 weeks. He has a 24 inch crate and he has plenty of space. We will likely get a 36" in a couple of months that he will then use for the rest of his life. 

I like the crate b/c he feels safe and secure, so if we travel, he will have something secure and familiar to him. 

Good luck! Looking forward to seeing pictures of your new bundle!!


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## Kirsty p (Dec 4, 2015)

We brought Rupert home in a dog crate in the boot if tge car. He cried for about 5 mins and then slept the rest of the way home. We crate trained at home from the very start. We put the blanket with mum's scent in the crate and he went straight in. We left the door open all day so he could go in and out. When he did go in he got lots if fuss. 

The first night he cried for 10 mins and settled down and only needed to be let out once. By night 4 he was sleeping all night. Weve only stopped using the night time crate in the past few weeks and he's now 7 months.


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## Susie59 (Mar 13, 2016)

I am picking my puppy Fynn on July 2nd. When leaving in a crate overnight do you leave some area of newspaper incase of needing to wee.


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## halfpint (May 10, 2016)

I'm so glad I found this thread. Exactly the same questions I have. Picking Ernie up next Sat. 3 hour journey home. Hopefully have afternoon and evening to get him settled. I had same query re: Crate. Conflicting advice online. I might wait and check sleeping arrangement with breeder and how comfortable he is with the crate.


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## 2ndhandgal (Aug 29, 2011)

I had picked Chance up first thing in the morning and she had her meals in her crate as well as some snoozing. Her crate was then in my bedroom and she settled in there fine as she could see and hear me and Molly.

I made sure she had emptied properly before bed (however long it took) and for a short time we got up in the night and took her out. I also got up in the morning as soon as she stirred and took her out and this meant she was totally clean over night from the start.


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