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The doghouse

New Puppy Mommies in here *blerk*

1000 replies

Awks · 13/08/2013 16:34

Got our new puppy on Saturday. I was in tears this morning and I'm a pretty experienced dog owner. Its just so hard moaning cow that I am He is a 9 week old cocker and is a beautiful, cuddly boy but is a massive shitting machine. And not in the garden either.

So any new puppy owners want to weep in here then please do.

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ChickensHaveNoEyebrows · 13/08/2013 16:41

Aw, sympathies. I have a 2 year old cocker/springer cross that regularly brings me to my knees. Good job he's lovable . My puppy is 5 months now, and a totally different type of dog. He is a breeze. We barely notice we have him, tbh. Whereas the spaniel is a neurotic, angst ridden Duracell bunny, the cockapoo pup is a playful, chilled out dude. Things that helped with the spaniel when he was younger: teaching him to play fetch, crate training, hiding his food in boxes, scattering his food in the garden, clicker training little and often. Basically, wearing them out mentally is the trick. Toilet training took a while with the spaniel, too, so just persevere. He was reliably clean by about 6 months. The cockapoo pup is still having the odd accident, but they are few and far between.

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Awks · 13/08/2013 17:18

This pup seems quite chilled but you cant tell till they get a bit older, can you? it's the shitting that's a pain plus the fact he's howled for the last 2 nights. We've never let our dogs upstairs and always done the crate/door open thing overnight. I'd just forgotten the annoying bits really. He's gorgeous though.

I don't get the crate training thing though. Online it says that they should be in their crate all the time you arent actually feeding or playing with them, the schedule I read was like out for half hour, garden for 15 mins then back in it for 2 hours, repeated 3 times a day. That sounds horrible.

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SallyBear · 13/08/2013 17:30

We are getting our new puppy in 10 days (eeek!) time. The breeder said that they barely mess in there cage, and as soon as she plonks them on the grass they poo/wee so that's comforting.
I thought about crate training, but to be honest my kitchen isn't big enough to have a crate in there. So I've decided on a puppy pen, plastic bed with old baby sheets in it until he's bigger. It's been 14 years since we last had a pup, and the advice is very different now. I've bought puppy pads to encourage him towards the door, some toys and chewy things. I left a blanket with the breeder to put in with the litter so that hopefully it will help settle him in with us a bit better. We've been visiting him weekly, and he seems to remember us which is nice.

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ChickensHaveNoEyebrows · 13/08/2013 17:34

When the pup(s) were crated, they were fed in it, had their beds in it but were only shut in if I couldn't supervise them. So, night time and if I had to pop out. I always left them with a kong or chew to keep them occupied. Now that the pup is not in danger of being eaten by the spaniel, he isn't shut in at all. He chooses to sleep in the crate sometimes, but we'll probably remove the crate for good once he's been neutered.

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Awks · 13/08/2013 18:00

Sally it's exciting - we picked ours up on Saturday on the way home from holiday - I'd set everything up before we went. We brought him home and he seemed to settle well, went in the crate to sleep and didnt make a sound all night. I thought I was super doggy mother. Sunday night he shat a million times on the dining room carpet and howled. All. Night. Bet you can't wait and have read the Perfect Puppy book 14 times Grin

He's been good today though, has wee'd on the lawn every time I've told him to. His crap is quite loose though so will keep an eye on it. The vet said not to worry it could be the wormer or the 1st jab.

Chickens that's my plan with the crate too. I've shut him in it this morning while I took dd2 to the orthodontist and he wasn't howling when I came home so that was good. He's trying to eat my foot at the mo though!

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SallyBear · 13/08/2013 18:39

Yes all very excited to get him next week. We have wood floors downstairs apart from DH's office which is carpeted. I'm going to take up any rugs to make accidents easier to spot. We have an offer of a crate but I'm still unsure as we didn't crate for SallyBear. Toby will benefit from the fact that I'm home all day, so hoping that we will get him house trained fairly quickly.

I'm pondering diet - what are you ladies feeding your puppies and how are you finding it?

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Awks · 13/08/2013 20:52

Hi ours are wooden too apart from the dining room, which is where he unfortunately likes to crap. Outside our kitchen we have a terrace which is covered in tiny stones but he likes to crap round the side which is grass so I do think a nice surface underfoot is important to puppies.

We're feeding Burgess sensitive as it seems to have decent ingredients and it's a local company and I am tragic like that.

Have you bought a Kong yet Grin #wholenewworld

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everlong · 13/08/2013 21:02

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

SallyBear · 13/08/2013 21:02

Yes I have a kong and an antler piece. The antler is for after his baby teeth have dropped out.

Just started watching The secret life of dogs on itv. Sniff!!!!!

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Awks · 13/08/2013 22:06

I saw the antler things today and thought wtaf Grin

They can teach a dog to diagnose cancer and I can't teach mine not to shit on the floor. Excellent.

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SallyBear · 13/08/2013 22:10

Puppy pads apparently work well. I will find that out next week!

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MissMummy1 · 13/08/2013 22:18

Can I join?! I am picking up my new springador puppy (Aulay) in a week's time!!

I already have a 6 year old fox terrier/border collie cross but seem to have managed to blot out most of the bad bits of puppy hood. Confused

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Chippychop · 13/08/2013 22:25

And me.. Black lab arriving on sat... Feeling nervous and a bit housebound in the summer hols!

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Awks · 13/08/2013 22:29

Hey all welcome. I thought it would be a breeze as we've always had dogs but I was in tears this morning and hysterically accusing dh of not supporting me. What an idiot.

What do puppy pads do that newspaper doesnt, Sally?
MM1 Aulay's a lovely name - we called ours Jarvis yes...yes, I know
CC how exciting, what's it's name?

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Awks · 13/08/2013 22:29

ooops its'

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TooManyButtons · 13/08/2013 22:36

Awks You're not filling me with confidence - we pick up our 8 week old cocker on Thursday; unfortunately appalling bad timing means we're in the middle of having a new kitchen fitted so I'm on the edge as it is...

It will be ok, won't it??

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MissMummy1 · 13/08/2013 22:38

Thanks so much Awks

When we went to see him at 5 weeks (note: we were only going to look, not buy.... Wink ) the breeder was using puppy pads and he waddled straight from his crate over to the pads at the door, and then out onto the grass. I expect to kick myself for being so laid back about toilet training in a few weeks time!!

We will be using a crate as he will be sleeping in the garage - it is attached to the kitchen and has underfloor heating, so essentially the warmest room in the house! He will have his crate in there as 'his space' overnight and during the day if we are out. I am lucky enough to work from home though so he will rarely be left.

Eventually he will be a part-time gun dog with my DP.

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everlong · 13/08/2013 22:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

moosemama · 13/08/2013 22:55

Hi

We picked up our 10 week old rescue lurcher pup last Friday (pics on profile).

He's very underweight, so currently on between 6 and 8 meals a day, depending how many we can squeeze in (he has a knack of sleeping through at least one mealtime a day). The inevitable result is that he is pretty much either eating or pooing at the moment and his poos are not at all nice, so I feel your pain.

The first day we brought him home we put down puppy pads, as his foster mum had used them and he managed all but one 'toilet' on them. We laid one in front of his crate (in case he couldn't hold it when first waking) and one by the doorway of the room his crate is in, plus one just inside the back door.

Second day we removed the ones near his crate and just left the ones by the doorways and since then he's just had the one by the back door.

We've found the best thing to do is spend as much time outside with him as possible, making sure we have a clicker and lots of treats with us and make a huge fuss of him when he happens to 'go' out there. Seems to be working, because other than when dh arrived home from work this evening and pup got over-excited and forgot himself, we haven't had any indoor toiletting at all today, either on pads or the floor.

We are keeping the back door open at the moment, but make sure that someone is always with him and that we take him straight outside if he so much as sniffs the floor, as well as after naps, food, drinks of water and 'mad half hour' play sessions. It's time consuming, I'm getting very little else done and frankly, I'm completely knackered, but I think it's well worth the investment in time and energy, as every positive reinforcement he gets for going outside, drastically increases the likelihood that he'll repeat it and quickly learn that going inside is totally non-rewarding compared to going outside.

As for the crate. Our pup is in his overnight, but still gets up at 2/2.30 ish and again at 6.00 ish for a wee and needs some reassurance around 3 and 4 o'clock. I am currently sleeping on the sofa so that he doesn't disturb the rest of the family and we have gradually moved his crate from alongside the sofa next to me, to the other side of the room to the kitchen since last Friday, to get him gradually used to being alone. He now wakes and whinges a bit about 3 and 4, but goes back to sleep if I shush him and say 'settle'.

During the day I leave the door open and he goes in and out of it whenever he likes, plus I pop him in there if he starts to look sleepy and close the door while he's asleep so I can get some jobs done (like feeding the dcs! Wink). I also pop him in there if I can't watch him, eg when I go to the bathroom and when the dcs are eating, because, being a lurcher, he can already stretch his paws up to the edge of the table and is verrry interested in their dinner. Hmm He definitely sees it as his safe place, as he takes himself in there if he is tired or a bit unsure of something, like when a helicopter flew over the garden yesterday.

Finally, it's very early days. Going to a new home is very stressful and can affect some pups much more than others. Often this shows itself up through upset tums etc. Also, the food he's on might be having an impact. If it's one that has a lot of fillers etc in there will be more waste, than if he was on a natural diet or high-end, grain free kibble. Depending what food he's on, you might want to think about slowly transitioning him onto a food that will result in less waste products.

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moosemama · 13/08/2013 23:03

Puppy pads have their place. They are supposedly impregnated with a scent that encourages the pup to that spot, rather than going on your floor.

They should only really be used as a back-up to proper, intensive house training, as a means of protecting your floors and making it easier to clean up.

So, pup goes on the pad, say nothing, remove and replace pad. Pup goes outside, shove super tasty treats down his neck straight away with profuse praise. Going inside = no reward, whereas going outside = powerful positive reinforcement.

Oh and Awks, you are not alone. I was vile with my family yesterday and felt tearful because I was so tired. I also had a go at dh for not doing more to help. Blush Often people don't realise that proper puppy raising is a bit like having a baby, but without the hormones. (Except babies don't wander all over the place, making you walk well in excess of the recommended 10,000 steps a day whilst waiting for them to hint they might need to toilet so you can whisk them outside and tell them how clever they are. Imagine if babies were born that mobile! Shock )

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littlewhitebag · 13/08/2013 23:46

Ear plugs were my friend when we got our pup!

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topbannana · 14/08/2013 07:38

Morning all :)
I technically should not be here as the LandShark is nearly 6 months now but wanted to offer you some words of comfort.....
I had not had a proper indoor puppy for 12 years
I thought I knew all about puppies
It was horrendous :o
Now though I have almost blanked it out of my mind forgotten. We went to see the breeder last weekend as DH was doing a job for them and they have another litter of 8 week olds there. While I did not dive outside to play with them (unlike DH Hmm) the sight of them did not send me screaming for the hills. I can see us having another pup at some point now whereas at 2 months I was adamant that I would never even entertain the idea :o
It will get better and surprisingly quickly too :)

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SallyBear · 14/08/2013 07:51

Topbanana, I know that I'm in for a shock, as I'm dreading the combination of messing in the house and small children. Confused

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lainiekazan · 14/08/2013 08:04

I gave up on puppy pads after half an hour when the dog ate two! I spent a week with my eyes literally glued to him. I was exhausted, but it paid off because he had one accident and since then (3 months - he is 5 months now) he has never put a paw wrong. I took him outside every 20 minutes, after every drink, after every meal, and went wild with appreciation every time he performed.

(still struggling with just about everything else though!)

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moosemama · 14/08/2013 08:48

Well, moving him into the kitchen was an unmitigated disaster.

It started off well, he went outside with me, wee'd and poo'ed, then actually took himself off to bed and went straight to sleep. Then 45 minutes later Lurcherboy decided, if I was going to be on the sofa, he may as well come in the living room with me. I told him to go back to bed and he woke pup up scrabbling in his basket - cue serious wailing. Hmm

He just wouldn't settle and ended up full on howling (I'm a tad sensitive about this, having just done intensive behavioural work to stop Lurcherboy howling when we're out) and gnashing the bars of the crate. At this point dh came downstairs and I burst into tears again. I was just soooo tired. I wanted to let him out to check if he perhaps needed another wee, but couldn't get a long enough break in the screaming to reward him by opening the door. Hmm

Dh helpfully pointed out that we went through the same, but worse, with Oldgirl when she arrived. I have long-term memory problems and hasd actually forgotten this fact). With Oldgirl we ended up having her crated in our room and moving her a foot at a time across the bedroom, then the landing until we moved her downstairs and she screamed the blooming place down all over again, but thankfully settled more quickly. BUT Oldgirl was an emergency rescue and came to us at 6 weeks old, so a lot younger than Pup who is 10 weeks and generally more independent.

While dh was trying to persuade me to take a painkiller (I have a chronic pain condition) and go upstairs to bed, pup eventually stopped screaming and fell asleep. Dh decided to give in, got up out of the rocking chair to go and woke him up again. Hmm So, I gave up and decided to move the crate back into the living room. Took him out for a wee, which he did on cue, then he got back in his crate, settled down and went to sleep quite happily.

Dh won the argument and sent me to bed and he stayed on the sofa. Apparently, pup woke at 2.30 (previous kerfuffle was from 12.45 to 1.30) had a whinge, dh said 'go back to sleep' and he did. Hmm Then he slept till 6.20 am.

So, I will put the crate back in the kitchen during the day today and work on rewarding him for being in there and being quiet, building up the time I'm out of the room.

Think I'm feeling under pressure because my neighbours are away at the moment. They were so lovely about Lurcherboy's separation anxiety and I feel like exposing them to a screaming pup would definitely be taking the proverbial p, so ideally I'd like him to be settling by the time they get back. I think I need to just try and forget this for the moment though and concentrate on making sure he feels secure.

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