Wife wants to ship dog outside

[Sunjbr]

We are getting a new GSP pup here in a few weeks. Wife wants dog to be outside. I want dog to be inside where we can enjoy her all the time. . We have to young children and she is worried about a number of things. She is worried about flea and ticks being brought into house. She is worried about the mess and dirt that she will encounter. We had a little house dog that did not shed prior. Got from a pet store and think it had some type of hyper activity disorder. Dog was crazy all the time. She ended up selling him. We had a flea problem with him and ended up pulling fleas out of our youngest hair. Which isnt good there and can see her side on that one. . What types of things can I do to help soothe her fears and get my hunting buddy inside with me.

Beside the normal Frontline/ Advantage flea and tick, what other options are out there. I read somewhere about Adams. Dont know much about that? Any Help with anything will be great.

[Echo Hill Kennel]

Just tell her it's either her or the new pup
Seriously though I love a new pup inside there is so much you can teach them at that young age as long as you keep it all positive. As far as shedding, its going to happen but a daily brushing will help. I feel very fortunate to never have had fleas on any of my GSP but I do know once they get in the house what a pain that can be.
Also it is nice to have a dog house trained but remember many puppies can not completely control their bladder until up to 4 months or longer so be patience.
Try not to get the puppy all excited when you see him. Some people when they come home they get the puppy so wound up and excited it will soon begin to learn this bad habit.
I am sure some others will have some good ideas for you on here.
I wish you the best of luck, there is nothing better then looking down at your feet and having your pup laying there waiting for you!

Enjoy!

[RichK]

I live in the country and have had a few dogs in my life. I've NEVER had a flea or tick problem and myself and my dogs spend a lot of time outside.

Your wife is going to encounter dirt from the dog just as she is going to from your kids when they go outside. Cleaning is part of life, problem solved.

[Cajun Casey]

Treat your home against fleas with an insect growth regulator such as methoprene or Nylar. They are very safe, less toxic than caffeine, and will keep fleas from reproducing. Use a crate and inexpensive fleece blankets to minimize dog dirt. Make sure everyone is on the same page as far as what the dog is allowed to do. I recommend www.siriuspup.com for early development guidelines.

[shags]

Are *you* ready to do any of the vacuuming, mopping, carpet cleaning, dusting, dog bathing, supply ordering, vet tripping, flea stuff applying, crate cleaning, dog bed laundering, yard scooping, etc that will keep your home to her standards?

Walking the walk helps a ton.

[CDN_Cocker]

Ship the kids outside - much easier.

[benelli]

We've had good luck with Frontline - a couple of times our GSP has come back from my parents' house with fleas, and an application of Frontline does the trick. Advantage has some not-so-great reviews online, so we've stayed away from that.

A good vacuum is definitely a worthy investment - we have a Hoover Windtunnel that is one of the top-rated ones on Consumer Reports and we got it on Amazon for I think around $130. I do end up vacuuming about twice a week and by the time I do the whole house the canister is maxed out, and there's definitely lots of dog hair mixed in there, but it comes up easily.

The dog is also kennel trained and he spends several hours a day in his kennel, which helps keep him out of my hair. I'm at home with him all day, and I tell my husband not infrequently that he's lucky he has a wife who is willing to put up with his dog (although really it's *our* dog, and honestly I do more of his training). But to be honest, I'd have a fair bit of sympathy for a wife having to put up with an indoor GSP if she's not on board with it. I like our dog, and I'm able to handle him and all that, but he drives me bananas sometimes, especially if he hasn't gotten enough exercise ... and he requires a LOT of exercise.

The dog has been great with the kids, though. We have a 20-month-old and a 2-month-old. The toddler loves the dog, and the dog tolerates the toddler quite happily most of the time, and has never once shown any aggression in spite of eye jabs, "dental exams," pony rides, bonks on the head, and even a prostate exam or two.

[RoostersMom]

My husband doesn't think the dogs need to be inside either. By taking care of the dogs mostly myself (cleaning, feeding, kennels, brushing) he has changed his philosophy a bit and we have 4 inside now. The chessies and beagles are outside. I absolutely think the best thing that YOU can do is to take care of the things she finds objectionable. Get the dog on Frontline or check with your vet to see what works for fleas in your specific area. Feed a good quality food (dog will shed less). Brush him/her every couple of days outside (let the kids do it!).

The number one thing I would do is absolutely wear that puppy out - a tired dog is a good dog. The more exercise he/she gets, the better he will settle in the house. Start with the end in mind - if he's not to be allowed on furniture then he should never be allowed on the furniture - not ever. If he's not allowed in the kitchen, he should never be in the kitchen. Crate train him and work with him a lot for the first couple of months.

BTW - I would never leave a pup outside for the first year. You're really missing out on the bonding and the obedience opportunities. Though I'd prefer they all be inside, I at least have convinced my husband that any new pup gets the first year inside - then we talk about whether or not the dog can stay inside or not.

[CDN_Cocker]

On a serious note, I use Revolution on both the cat and dog and never have had a problem with fleas since I switched to it. The cat is in and out constantly so he's the main perpetrator when it comes to fleas but they don't touch him with Revolution.

[DougB]

Run the dog a lot. A tired dog is a good dog. You can try running the wife. I never had much luck at that.

[CDN_Cocker]

Run the dog a lot. A tired dog is a good dog. You can try running the wife. I never had much luck at that.

Me either... made problems worse hahahaha

[Hattrick]

Let ur wife hold the puppy on the ride home when you pick him up. Probaly will solve the problem:-)

[jwnissen]

Let ur wife hold the puppy on the ride home when you pick him up. Probaly will solve the problem:-)

The only reason she let me get my shorthair is because she held er when she was 3 weeks old. Now she doesn't even want to look at puppies.

[Tyler S]

Children raised in homes with dogs have less problems with allergies.... Read that somewhere , just something else to stack your deck.

[Sharon]

Run the dog a lot. A tired dog is a good dog. You can try running the wife. I never had much luck at that.

LOL too funny. I use Advantage and have never had a flea in the house. It's a fact that when a dog comes in to the house, escpecially if it has been raining , there will be mud /dirt. Not to sound like my relationship always agrees either but maybe this should have been decided on before pup was ordered up. Was she quite willing to have a pup? Young kids and a pup can be more than many women are willing to tolerate - especially if they are the ones home all day.

[Hattrick]

Look if any dog can win ur wife over it will be GSP just the dog a chance. Let the kids do the talking. I bet she ends up taking better care of the dog than you in long run:-) have fun keep us posted