Does anyone fancy a "puppy survival" thread part 2

[Soubriquet]

Here we are again

Just jump in and join us

[BiteyShark]

Jumping in between this board and teenager one

I need both boards and

[fessmess]

My 7 month old decided to bite the hoover whilst growling and barking today. Never done this before, odd. Reckon she was playing?

[BiteyShark]

fess someone said at this age they can have fear periods. Mine is now approaching 7.5 months and recently started barking at the noises from the washing machine and any bag that flaps in the wind

[Soubriquet]

Anyone else have a good retriever?

Lexa loves nothing more than me throwing her teddy, chasing after it and bringing it back to be thrown again.

I've never had a dog do this..they have all raced after it and then not bother bringing it back so I'm loving this

[AmIAWeed]

I was just looking to see if a new one had started!
Toilet training question.
PuppyDog got really good within a week of going outside, wimpering a little, sniffing the ground - all signs he needed to go, i'd pop him out and off he'd go.
As he's got more confident though, as soon as he hits the garden he runs around and plays for 15 minutes, goes to the toilet and asks to come in. Just now however (and once last night) he'd be outside playing, not do anything. I'd come in with him, he instantly wee'd.
We went back out, he went mad playing, did a poop - asked to come in and wee'd - BARGH!

So, I think he's getting distracted in the garden. How do I overcome this? I did think of a specific toilet area, cornered off so when I pop him there it's toilet time, when he's in the garden its playtime...Is there an alternative anyone has tried?

[Soubriquet]

Basically stay outside until he's had a wee

Possibly even take him out on a lead and let him off once he's been to the toilet

Lexa has become a bugger for it now. I could be out there for 20 mins whilst she races around doing puppy zoomies and I'm stood there going "Lexa, wee-wees" and she looks at me then races off again.

Eventually though she does give in.

If after 20 mins she doesn't do anything, I go inside, sit down for a couple of minutes and then take her straight back outside. But I don't let her out of my sight during this time and if she shows signs of sniffing, I go straight out again without sitting down

Usually works

[AmIAWeed]

The lead is a good idea - thank you.
We have a puppy harness that's a bugger to get on quickly but I can pinch one of the cats collars for quick clipping on!

[Soubriquet]

We have a harness for Lexa too..she's too small for a collar yet

But I'm going to get her a red dingo collar when she's finally big enough.

I love their range

[AmIAWeed]

OMG I can't WAIT until PuppyDog is big enough for collars. I know he isn't a fashion accessory....but he will be the best dressed dog (not outfits - no jumpers or tutus here) but I fancy a DuBarry or Barbour collar - possibly even a nice wax jacket for wet walks.
How cool is this jacket?

[Soubriquet]

That is very cool

My old dog let me dress him...here is with his "pucci" hoody and his bandana collar

And a bit of tinsel for Christmas photos

[AmIAWeed]

mmmmm, am now eyeing up puppydog and wondering if he can pull of a bandana!
Your old dog was the perfect model, he looks fab

[Soubriquet]

He was a complete softy bless him

A rescue dog. I got him as an adult and he was very traumatised. I even had to go and buy a dog pushchair for him because he was petrified of traffic. He also had something wrong with his paws. The skin would flake off and sores developed if he walked on concrete too long.

So he had his buggy and he would get out when he wanted to walk and stare up at me pitifully when he wanted me to pick him up and put him in it

[Kipperiscool]

Ooh a puppy thread! Mine is 11 weeks old (and toilet trained, hurrah) but anyone have any tips to coax my poor cats downstairs? They hate her with a passion.
Mine's a terrier Soubriquet but she also retrieves-it's brilliant fun.

[Soubriquet]

Mine is a chihuahua..and if you have any cat tips I'll gladly hear them

My cat is pissed.

She refuses to come in at all during the day and I physically bring her in at night so she can eat.

But she isn't happy about being in.

I went out and bought some zyklene to see if that calms her down but nope it does nothing...

[Kipperiscool]

Mine are hiding on the landing!

[Wolfiefan]

Can I sneak in? Posted on the last thread but I think my pup was at a different stage to most people posting. She's now 8 months. Still working on the cat thing. Still training. Going through a fear period and people are SCARY!!!
How are you all getting on with recall? Any top tips for a giant scaredy sighthound.
Here's my baby!

[Soubriquet]

Oh she's gotten big hasn't she! Still beautiful.

My nan always swore by high value treats to coax dogs back.

She likes getting a liver, rubbing a bit of garlic salt all over it, baking it until it's hard and then cutting it in to tiny pieces.

She then puts it in a plastic tub and shakes it when she wants the dog to come back. No dog has resisted the garlic liver yet

[Wolfiefan]

I make liver cake for training. At the moment I don't let her off unless in a secure space. Other dogs are too interesting and other people too scary. Wondered about getting a whistle. Using it in the house and rewarding with very high value treats then taking that outside?
And yes. BIG! Weighed this week. 48.5 kg!

[towelpintpeanuts]

Hello, hello all! I've been a bit quiet lately, so: update on our pup who is 13 weeks tomorrow :-) I'll look out a photo for cuteness!

The goods:
1.Totally sorted on toilet training in 'his area' and not had an accident in there for weeks now. Although we opened a new room to him and he promptly wee-d in there!

1. Sleeping through the night for the last couple of weeks - he's awake around 6, but just seems to sit in his crate and wait for us (although we haven't made him wait long)
   
2. Loves learning tricks! He has learnt sit and come on verbal only, and lie, nose (touch his nose to our hand), give paw and 'bed' with verbal and hand signal. Super cute and he adores showing it off to people!
   
3. Biting is sooooo much better.
   
4. Loves meeting people in home and is really good with everyone - even a couple of rather over-keen toddlers a few days ago were treated beautifully.
   

The not so goods:

1. He's nervous around both dogs and people when we are on walks: and shows it with a very unfriendly bark! He's getting slowly better with people via lots of socialisation and chicken, but he is defiantly the nervous dog eyeballing the other pups at puppy class. Luckily we are in a really quiet puppy class with only 2 other pups and one is not a pro-active player either so it's very calm, but socialisation with dogs is slow going and I can imagine he'll always be more of a person dog than a dog-dog, if you know what I mean!
   
2. He decided over the last few days he doesn't like being lifted into the car either. Although someone's sent me a cool game to do with him on that that I started today and is starting to kick in already.

[Wolfiefan]

Ha at lifting into car!!!! Funnily enough I don't do that!!!
I use a ramp and have her trained to walk up and down on command. How big is pup? A possibility?

[towelpintpeanuts]

Ohh, lots of posts while I was writing my essay - sorry!

Wolfie, she is gorgeous! And so is Lexa: I do love a dog in a bandana!

I think I need to make me some liver cake or garlic liver (I HATE liver with a passion and never cooked it for the kids - what these dogs get us doing!) Which recipe did you use, Wolfie?

[fessmess]

soubriquet garlic is poisonous to dogs!!

[BiteyShark]

Wolfiefan yes to the whistle for recall. If they run off it carries further. Also it doesn't have any 'tone' about it so they can't tell if you are angry/panicking etc because they are running away to far .

I use the acme whistles as they have the pitch on them so if you lose it you can get another one with exactly pitch.

[AmIAWeed]

I may not have mastered toilet training but cats we are good with so far.
We have 5 cats....the puppy will at some point be pack hunted and tormented.
Biggest boss cat. Walked up to Puppydog, smacked him on the nose walked off.
Princess cat, fat cat and outdoor cat. Sit up high and watch him, sniff him when he's asleep
Baby cat (10 months old) bops Puppydog, rolls over, waits for puppydog to pounce and bops him again.

Seriously though, our bungalow is split and the cats all have one half and Puppy the other, Puppy was only allowed in their half (the lounge) when he is sleepy so the cats could come and sniff him in their own time. They have a tunnel from the lounge to utility so as well as jumping up high they can leave the room without being followed. Cats don't come into the bedroom area/office area of the house and I keep Puppydog there with me during the days.
We also do some meets with baby cat and Puppy in the kitchen as no pets are usually allowed in there so it doesn't 'belong' to anyone, boss cat has started coming in there as well under supervision when Puppy is awake and playing

[towelpintpeanuts]

Yes, I can imagine lifting 48.5kg of dog isn't an option! He's a mini schnauzer and we park on a busy road: so ramp sadly not possible.
Someone in my puppy class posted something called 'the elevator game: where you teach them to stand, then to be lifted a little (treat) then lift more each time. We did that this morning and he tolerated being lifted well (although clearly thought I was mad...) so I think I'll just keep building it up inside and ignoring his protests, as not going in the car isn't really an option!