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Your daily routine with a puppy

62 replies

MiniatureRed · 04/04/2020 12:07

We're meant to be getting a puppy at the end of May.

After a long lay in and then breakfast in bed this morning, I've realised how massively my life is going to change.

What's your daily routine please? Are my weekends laying in bed gone forever?

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GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman · 04/04/2020 13:40

Are my weekends laying in bed gone forever?
It depends a bit on how the puppy pans out and how you bring it up, but you have kissed goodbye to lie-ins for a fair while. Months to years, depending.

Your routine needs to work for you and the puppy, but do your utmost to get the puppy wee outside before you go to bed.

And thick curtains where the puppy sleeps are very, very helpful. Otherwise you will be seeing a lot of those bright summer dawns.

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TeddyIsaHe · 04/04/2020 13:51

Yes it will massively change, for a good few months! My cocker is 7 now, but when she was a pup (after initial settling in) my days were roughly:

6am up and out for a wee/poo.
Quick play and then out for a short walk around 7:30am for 15 mins. These got longer as she got older. We now go for an hour in the morning (when it’s not lockdown!).
8:30am breakfast.
Play and lead training, heel work etc.
She was then happy to potter about for a couple of hours while I worked from home.
12pm lunch
Out for another walk, this one was another short one. Again longer as she got older.
Afternoon naps!
Early evening food. A walk and a bit more heel work/retrieving/lead training/general training.
Sleep.
Play time in between these times.

Obviously while she was house training I was outside in the garden with her every half an hour, after naps, food, water, play etc. That took about 4 weeks to crack.

She still goes out for an early morning walk now, but is happy to laze around a couple of times a week until 10am if I want a lay-in. But obviously still up at 6:30am to let her out for a wee first.

Depends what kind of breed you want re the amount of exercise they need. My dog needs to have a good off lead run once a day minimum and plenty of brain exercises as well. She also works in game season. But if you go for something like a lurcher you’ll get plenty of lie ins and rest as they generally love sleeping!

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MiniatureRed · 05/04/2020 11:42

He’s a miniature poodle.

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vanillandhoney · 05/04/2020 11:59

Are my weekends laying in bed gone forever

Not forever, but for at least a good 12-18 months if not longer!

When ours was very young our routine looked a little like this:

5-30/6am - up for the toilet and awake for the day.
7am - breakfast, then another toilet trip.

Then he'd have his walk (15 minutes, gradually increasing as he got older) and then he'd nap all morning.

12pm - lunch and toilet.

Then after lunch we'd so some training/play and he'd sleep a fair bit too. 5pm was dinner and then the witching hour! He would bite, zoom around the house, play, want to dig in the garden - it was really hard. He eventually crashed out about 8pm on the sofa and we'd take him to the toilet before we went up to bed.

He also needed to go out to the toilet 1-2 times a night until he was 5/6 months old. Normally around 1am and 4am.

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RedRed9 · 05/04/2020 12:06

Mini Poodles are supposed to be very intelligent. Set yourself up with a really strong training routine and it will take half the stress of puppyhood away.

You also need to seriously consider how you’ll socialise a puppy if we’re still in lockdown. They need to meet all sorts of people including children of all ages, men with beards, people with cycle helmets on, etc etc. Seriously the list is endless. (Ours used to get super freaked out at people with big hair and anyone in a wheelchair!)

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MiniatureRed · 05/04/2020 19:54

I am worried about that. I've read lots of tips though.

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talia66 · 05/04/2020 23:53

Congrats on your puppy! I struggled so much as first with my dog. He was slow to housetrain and loved to get up at 5am! I persevered. He is now about 9 months old (can't think how old exactly it is all a blur haha) and is blissful. He is housetrained and sleeps until 7am I can then lift him into bed with me. I have found if I then let him lay at the end of my bed he will lay in until whenever I want! I never thought I would let a dog on my bed but for a layin it is worth it, and it is only the morning, the rest of the night he sleeps alone. It is always a challenge at first (read the puppy survival thread!) I remember thinking "what on earth have I done!" but you will find your rhythm and overcome problems and I wouldn't change my dog now, he is a dream.

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Winnietheshit · 05/04/2020 23:55

How many poos a day do they do?

How long does it take to get over the revulsion of picking up warm poo?

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MrsEricBana · 06/04/2020 00:05

talia66 I could have written your post. It was awful at first but now pup is 1 he is the same - sleeps on bedroom floor then hops on the bed at 7ish and happy to snooze on till I get up. He's wonderful. I did find it very difficult for the first few months though.

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MrsEricBana · 06/04/2020 00:07

Poos usually 3. Not revolting at all when it's your own dog, in fact pleased he's done one 😂

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RedRed9 · 06/04/2020 07:52

How long does it take to get over the revulsion of picking up warm poo?

All dogs are different but generally speaking poos vary in revoltingness depending on what you feed them. Kibble has lots of bulking agent in it so generally makes big, moussey poos. Wet food makes slightly smaller, very slightly firmer poos. Raw makes very small, solid poos.

DP did all the poo picking at first but I got over it once we started raw feeding.

Also, weirdly, it’s not so bad when it’s your own dog!

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Girliefriendlikespuppies · 06/04/2020 08:07

The first few months are hard from 8 weeks until 26 weeks ish was the most intense. Then the routine was put the puppy to bed in his crate about 10pm , he would wake about 2am for a wee/poo and then again at 5am 😩 normally at 5am he would refuse the crate so if sleep with him on the sofa for a bit.

But it doesn't last forever pretty soon he went from 10pm until 5am before needing the loo and by 16 weeks would go from 10pm until 7am.

Now he is almost 10 months he will go 10pm until 8am and then usually after going to the loo and a bit of breakfast will go to sleep again!

Have you got a partner or older kids to help op? I'm a single parent but my dd is a teen and was good at helping out some mornings when I was on my knees and needed to go back to bed for a bit!!

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scochran · 06/04/2020 08:17

I got my new pup 3 weeks ago. Am still sleeping on sofa to let her out over night, it was every 2 hours but last night I had to wake her at 2.30 for toilet. That feels like progress!
I get up by 6 anyway to walk my old dogs. I carry her ina bag so she can see bikes and runners and other dogs. Today she met 2 nice horses calmly and saw sheep. She can walk in2 weeks so hoping this helps her. We have cats and rabbits and 3 children of different ages so I hope she is getting plenty of experiences.

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MrsTumbletap · 06/04/2020 14:47

@talia66 does he not need a wee when he wakes up at 7am? I love the idea of lifting my puppy in bed for a cuddle at 7am if it means I get a bit more sleep!

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Ifeel1000yearsold · 06/04/2020 21:47

I last had a puppy 14 years ago. She slept all night from 8 weeks and snuggled for ages in the morning.
We are getting another puppy in May. I’m terrified reading these stories Confused

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Perfidy · 06/04/2020 22:01

Ours was a nightmare in the morning from 5.30 to about 9 till we realised after her early morning weE we could just pop her onto the end of the bed and she’ll go Back to sleep. He4 first wee is about 7 am now she’s 17 weeks.

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MiniatureRed · 07/04/2020 17:27

Ok, that sounds optimistic! Let out of crate and outside for a wee when he wakes, then bring him onto my bed for a bit? I assume I can only do this after he's toilet trained- can't bear the thought of an accident on my bed!

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Circletime27 · 07/04/2020 19:14

The first few months are horrific, I genuinely didn’t even like our puppy at first, he was a biting, shitting, monster. He slept really well at night too but they take up your whole day. The routine is generally up at 5am toilet every 20 mins, eat, play, nap repeat. It didn’t help that it was November so cold an muddy outside, it was grim.

He’s 7 months now and much better. The puppy days are not a distant enough memory for me to say that I’d do it all over again. I’d go for a rescue next time!

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Sostenueto · 07/04/2020 19:30

6 am nip out into garden. 8 am walk. 9-11 nap. 11-12 play or train. 12 lunch. 1 pm garden for wee. 3 pm play and nap and maybe wee. 5 pm walk. 6 pm dinner. 7-8 pm play. 9 pm wee. 10 pm bed. That was puppy years.
Now at age 2.........up when I get up which varies from 6-8 am. Straight out for walk. 9 am leave to do shopping appointments whatever. 11 am let out in garden. 12 midday lunch. 1-2 play and as much attention as she can get. 2-3 nap. 3 pm short walk. 4-6 generally follow me round, vie for attention. 6 pm dinner. Wee in garden then general loafing on settee, watching TV barking at tv sitting on lap, playing, vieing for attention. 9 pm short walk. 10 pm supper sharing then fight for room in bed!😀

Your daily routine with a puppy
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Sostenueto · 07/04/2020 19:40

Please don't crate dogs. I think it's on of the cruelest thing you can do. I have always had staffies who all went to training classes did their puppy, bronze, silver and gold obedience. None of them have ever destroyed anything in my home even when left all day when I used to work. They have never ever even touched the grandchildren toys. When I go out I have always put them on my bed. When I get back 99% of the time they have been in same spot. If they have fretted they may be waiting at door. They have never messed indoors, even as pups it would be on puppy mats. ( Or newspaper next to back door before puppy pads). Train your dog, love your dog, but don't ever crate them. There really is no need. If you have to put them in the kitchen with a toddler gate. Crates are CRUEL! And absolutely UNNECESSARY!

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Worriedaboutcovid19 · 07/04/2020 21:54

My pup is 12 weeks. He's been a dream so far! But it depends what breed and temperament!

Mine goes:

8.15am - bang on - he wakes up in his cries and barks/whines a bit. DP gets up let's him out for the loo. He then has breakfast and play till i get up.

6pm - he has food.

Midnight - crate. He goes in his crate with a treat and sleeps until 8.15am.

Between morning and crate he obvs sleeps and plays in the house and garden. We can now go out for 2 hours without him crying if we leave the radio on and he fine!

We can't walk him yet due to no vets doing the vacc and his previous owner/breeder didn't bother. But as hes a toy breed and a puppy the house and garden seems sufficient for now. Hes knackered by bed!

After growing up with German Shepards, border collie and Labradors, i was dreading the puppy years from those experiences. But hes an absolute dream and spends 80% of his day cuddling next to us asleep or quietly playing on his own. He only chews up his toys and hardly barks/cries.

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Worriedaboutcovid19 · 07/04/2020 22:01

@sostenueto sorry but i strongly disagree. Crate training is completely safe and fine as puppies. Would you rather a dog chew through a live wire or fall down the stairs?!

Our puppy actually chooses to go in his crate (door open) whilst we potter about doing house chores. Then he puts himself in there at midnight when me and DP go bed.

He doesn't cry and it makes him feel safe.

When i am 100% sure he can be left without chewing a wire or attempting the stairs (hes too small to get up and down so would fall right now). Then he won't have it.

All my friends are the same, my breeder is the same. I grew up on farmland full of dogs and my parents did the same.

All LOVELY well balanced dogs. No issues or incidents. And even when crate training wasn't mandatory, still chose to chill in there depsite door being wide open.

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MiniatureRed · 07/04/2020 22:05

^ sorry, thanks for your opinion but we are going to use a crate. Modern research shows they're a great thing for pups and the breed group I'm in, plus the breeder recommended it too.

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MiniatureRed · 07/04/2020 22:10

That was to @Sostenueto not you, Worried!

@Worriedaboutcovid19 yours sounds dreamy! What breed? I can cope with a dog that wakes at 815!

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Worriedaboutcovid19 · 07/04/2020 22:15

@miniature Hes a shitzu!! Easiest puppy ive ever experienced! This morning he actually let us sleep till 9am!!

He already knows how to sit, lay down and go to bed on command! However hes suddenly decided to ignore his puppy pads out the blue! So toilet training again. Can't have it all i suppose!

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