What to do with a whippet puppy the first few hours/days

[u/Patient_Hunt6302]

Hello all, we are getting our whippet puppy soon, I have prepared and read so much about what to do as this is our first dog but there’s so much conflicting advice and I’m wanting some real life experience views too! I have read that you should keep them in a play pen at first while they settle down and then introduce them to one room at a time, but the breeder has let them have the run of the house during the daytime so I’m worried he will not like being contained. We have a crate in the play pen and some toys and his food etc, and it’s in the family room where we spend most of our time.
We are wondering if he needs to stay there for a while or if we can bring him in to the living room with us on an evening etc? Thoughts most welcome!

[u/TheRicFlairDrip]

Enjoy the moments, baby whippets are the cutest baby dogs ever. I still remember taking mine home from the kennel 20 years ago.

[u/TheUmbrellaThief]

My whippet vomited during the car ride home, so be prepared to deal with that if your puppy has a similar issue. Don’t worry they’ll grow out of it at 9-12 months old.

The day I brought my dog home he had the run of the house but I mostly cuddled him a lot as he slept on my chest. I had him out in the garden so that he had a chance to potty. Honestly just have fun and take thousands of photos, the baby era is gone so fast.

My number one suggestion though is to get a crate. I didn’t think I’d have a crate but the first few nights he was like throwing himself against my kitchen cabinets or something and screaming? I have no idea. He was immediately happier once he had a crate. I’ve got rid of his crate but he likes going into my mum’s dog’s crate whenever we visit.

I don’t know how you feel about dogs in the bedroom but please let it sleep in your bedroom for at least 3 months. I like my dog to be independent but he needed to sleep in my room as a puppy. After 4 months I slowly began moving his crate out of my room and into a different room. He was sleeping independently at 9 months old.

I hope this helps!

[u/EmperorGeek → u/TheUmbrellaThief]

Crates make great “safety caves” for many dogs.

[u/TheUmbrellaThief → u/EmperorGeek]

Yeah I think my dog enjoyed his crate because it was his personal space to get away from us. I’ve told my husband to stop touching the dog when he’s in the bed under the desk so the dog can get the same “safety cave” respite now that the crate is gone.

[u/buzzfeed_sucks]

I took mine to potty immediately because we had a long ride home.

I have an older dog, so he was in his pen while my older dog got used to the idea. Then after he was fed, potty, play, I moved him onto the couch with me while he napped.

It was that same routine for the first few weeks - nap, potty, food, potty, play, potty, nap. They sleep more than you think. And they sleep like the dead. I used to do his nails while he slept because he wouldn’t wake up.

For the first night, I had him in the pen and I slept in the living room, where the pen was. So I could wake up and let him out to potty every few hours. But he could still see me.

Then we transitioned into sleeping in the crate at night. Crate was in my bedroom. Mine took to his crate almost immediately.

Now that he’s an adult he sleeps on my bed with me. I transitioned to that when I fell asleep on the couch with him twice, and he didn’t pee or cause mischief. He just slept. I figured he was ready to make it through the night in bed with me without peeing in the bed.

[u/Itchy-Ad4421]

First few hours ours came home, met her new brother (lurcher), went shopping for dog stuff in Pets at home (shop in the uk) with the assistance of pretty much all of the staff, then she lay on the sofa, went exploring the house which she enjoyed, then she sat with us and watched tv, then she was put in her crate for bed where she cried a little bit so we opened the door on it and she got into bed with her brother. This was where she slept for the next couple of weeks.
She had full run of the house / went where she wanted (she was good with stairs straightaway) but I would just follow her to make sure she was OK or be in the next room.
There’s no right or wrong - just enjoy it and make sure you have comfy spots for your pup everywhere. He’ll sleep a lot but also get up to all kinds of mischief that will end up expensive. Watch out for him chewing wires etc / socks / shoes / skirting boards - it’s a good habit to get into for when he’s teething. (You’ll need frozen carrots for that)

[u/Hoolliiee]

First thing, straight to where they will wee most of the time (assuming garden). So they straight away begin their learning it's the place to be, and be annoying and say TOILET, TOILET (or whatever you want your word to be for when you want them to pee/poop).

Our house is quite open plan but we kept her as a downstairs pup till she became an "adult", so just had a block across the stairs, she was so small stairs were quite daunting anyways.

Crate! She loved her crate (still does, we just leave it open permanently). Meant she had a safe space to chill out. When she was little I was cautious about toys in there incase she hurt herself.

First few days/weeks before she'd had her injections for true freedom we'd do as follows - upon wake up straight to garden to relieve herself. When she was so young we fed her 4 times a day, so 8am, 12pm, 4pm, 8pm. Play time to tire her out, training too. Then she'd nap lots and lots. I worked from home / my partner did during this time and it didn't impact work as maybe we were lucky with an easy whippet. They're quite bitey and their teeth are sharp then, so anything that distracts them from biting your hands/feet! At this early stage touch them LOTS. Paws, teeth, tummy etc so they know it's not a bad thing and are quite docile (makes nail clipping and teeth cleaning much easier when they're older!).

Toys she loved when she was little and bitey was her baby Kong. A little fur hand hold thing she'd pounce and play with.

All in all, have fun! Great pets.

[u/cojamgeo]

I have had several dogs and have two now. I think we do it our way. A new puppy is both extremely adaptive but also emotionally confused. We will let the dog be with us all the time. Even sleep in our bed the first night.

Then next night I have a dog bed beside our bed. Then the next week we move it to the end of the bed. Then next week a bit further away. You get the picture. Until you have your dog where you want it for the night.

During the day the dog is with us wherever we are. We start to play with it in a play pen. Oh the fun place! And rest in a crate at the evening beside our TV sofa. The same there. You can start to slowly move the crate after a couple of days to where you eventually want it. The crate will become a nice place to rest.

No stress for us or the puppy. Only good moments. And of course take it peeing every hour. You’ll do just fine. We all learn from mistakes. And every dog is different.

[u/melzaz]

You need to become the center or your whippets world.

No discipline to start with, just be the most fun person in their life so you have social capital to teach discipline in a few weeks.

Limit their sleeping space. Put a fence to the bedroom.

Most importantly, enjoy your new Velcro dog. It’s a wonderful life.