Puppy survival thread! July 2020

[Juiceey]

Roll up roll up... I'm a day late but here we are.

Latest update: Juiceypup is obsessed with DS's feet, who is now starting to get upset by it. He doesn't do it to anyone else, only him, and we don't know why. DS goes stock still as instructed but we have to prise his mouth open to get him off his toe. Has brought him to tears a few times.

[Imadreamer44]

Our pup loves toes too. We have to wear socks all the time to keep her somewhat at bay.

[muckandnettles]

@Juiceey thanks for the new thread. Who would have thought there was so much to say! Our pup is an outdoors pup we have decided as he is like a different dog if he can run around in a field or play with other pups. Hasn't once tried to bite outside. In the house or the garden it's a different matter.

@Imadreamer44 I have only just taken off my Ugg boots this last week or so as they were my protection against bitey pup.

[PuppyBonBon]

Super excited for this thread because I can finally join in!!! We are bringing our little lab home this weekend. Very excited, she's our first dog together (childhood dogs previously) and we've been waiting for her for 2 years. I'll attach a photo when we've picked her up. Nc'ed as this thread will probably be very outing with all my other threads!

[muckandnettles]

@PuppyBonBon how exciting! I only had to wait a few months for my puppy and was just about off the scale excited when I was about to pick him up! Have you read the previous thread?

[PuppyBonBon]

Yes, I've been skimming the June thread. I feel very warned for no sleep and biting In the early days. I've been watching lots of training videos and booked a 1:1 home training session with a trainer for day 4. We're also booked into her training classes for August when she'll have had her vaccines. Just trying to be as prepared as possible!!

[Mrskeats]

Can I join? New puppy here. So cute but lots of work. Can we have photos?

[ImBrian]

My puppy is being collected tomorrow, I’m going from being very excited to panicking

[ShadowsInTheDarkness]

Thanks for the new thread! This is 14 week old Chester AKA the carpet shark 😊

[muckandnettles]

Welcome new people! I feel a little like an old veteran now I've had 8 weeks of puppy madness. Still not quite there yet...though pup and I have been lying around on the floor for 10 minutes very chilled together and he wouldn't have done that a few weeks ago.

[GingerAndTheBiscuits]

We’re a week into having our rescue pup home and it’s not getting much better. Had a trainer over two days in a row to try to help me settle her but the stress levels are through the roof and I don’t know how I can work from home, train the dog and keep everyone safe at the same time.

[OliveButler]

@GingerAndTheBiscuits that sounds really hard. I understand - I am self employed and have done about 2% of my normal work. It is worrying - I hope you have someone to help. I have arranged for time out every day even if it is just an hour and to be honest I think the pups need to learn to fit around the family a bit. I think I've left the puppy less often than I left my babies which seems ridiculous.
I have a new problem if anyone has experience. Oliverpup has developed a real fear of noises which means he is very reluctant to go into the garden. I think it is noises he cannot see and so even someone sweeping outside next door or the kids playing 2 doors away will send him running back inside in fear. He can't go to the park yet so needs to be relaxed enough in the garden to do his business. Any ideas please?

[muckandnettles]

@shadowsinthedarkness your little carpet shark is adorable!

@GingerAndTheBiscuits - sending sympathy. I have no work on at the moment but I know if I did I would be really struggling to do any of it. So I'm broke but at least I have some time!

@OliveButler the best advice I can give is to have a look at the FB group Dog Training Advice and Support as they have a whole unit on fearful dogs. Poor pup, that must be awful for you all.

[GherkinsOnToast]

Can I join? 9 week old Gus has been home a week tomorrow. He hates his crate during the day but sleeps well in it at night, he waking once a night but is going right back to sleep after he's been out for a wee.

We take him out if he's sitting by the door in the day and if the door is open he is taking himself out.

We are working on sit but have mastered 'leave it!' as he like chasing toes and skirts!

[Borris]

4 weeks in here. Definitely made progress but still waking up at least once per night. Far fewer toilet accidents but mostly I think due to me taking her out really frequently... I'm not sure she's ever asked to go out, although has toddled out if the door was open. However also squatted on her bed this morning so 😕

Really enjoying being out on walks etc. Recall currently great for sausages. Ddog and dd are loving playing hide and seek.

[Borris]

Forgot the obligatory photo

[GingerAndTheBiscuits]

@OliveButler I second the recommendation for the Facebook group. There’s a lot about desensitisation and counter conditioning which might help him with the noise

[OwlInAnOakTree]

Our update: pup's just over 12 weeks, so nearly 5 weeks with us. Honestly, I think we're pretty lucky with him. But then, he's a border collie, so maybe just a fast learner? He's slept through the night for a couple of weeks now. Toileting outside, he sits by the patio door and looks at me if he wants taking out. I don't think he's 100% yet but it's been several days since the last wee inside. He's good at entertaining himself and is calmer than I was expecting when alone with me. Although can be a bit bonkers at times too. Biggest difficulty remains him and my DS7 together. Both get overexcited, then pup gets bitey, DS gets screechy, pup gets more bitey... He's not as bitey as some sound, but at only 12 weeks that could get worse as teething kicks in?

All that said, I've kept his world very small for now. He lives in the back room and kitchen. Occasionally has trips to the hallway where we do some training but isn't allowed in the front room (yet) or upstairs (ever?). So that definitely helps as the rooms he's in are largely puppy proof with wooden floors and ikea sofa which I'll be able to get new covers for! I'd find it incredibly stressful if he were in the front room which is carpeted, good sofas, DS's toys, etc. etc. I'm not entirely sure when I'll give him a bit more freedom. For now I'm too frazzled to consider it. So yeah, despite him sleeping well and possibly being easier than some other puppies, I am still beyond exhausted by it all!

Second jabs on Monday. Can't wait to be able to take him out. Although slightly terrified too.

[OwlInAnOakTree]

Forgot the photo... Here he is with his lickimat just now. Bed time soon.

[OwlInAnOakTree]

I seem to have made it sound like he's not very bitey at all. He is. I have holes in my clothes and scratches and puncture wounds on my hands and arms to prove it! But it's definitely not constant like some people are experiencing. Very thankful for that!

[marmite51]

What do people put on the lickimats? We've got one, but not used it yet. We attempted a bath today in the kitchen sink, and it went well, he didn't object at all to jugs of water over his head! He really seemed to love the towel dry too.

Upset tummy seems a lot better after two days of chicken and rice, we're re-introducing his kibble just now. I think his main problem is eating all the plants in the garden!

[marmite51]

That's a pic of him with his Snuggle Puppies lamb, it's from his crate and he sleeps across it at night. Recently he's taken to moving it round the house to sleep on. Very cute! It has a heartbeat, which he seems to love.

[OwlInAnOakTree]

Aww, my pup's got a snuggle pup too @marmite51. I wish I'd seen the lamb one, very appropriate for my collie. I'm convinced it helped him settle in his crate at the beginning. He's slept well from day one.

Lickimat, I've used mashed banana, peanut butter, cream cheese, potted beef paste and potted salmon paste. I feel like I shouldn't really use the potted, processed stuff...I bought it thinking it would be ok until I looked at the ingredients...I can't imagine it's that healthy for dogs. But he LOVES those. Particularly the salmon. Gets far more excited about that than any of the others. So I've bought another pot of each. It's only a few teaspoons each time. He does love the mat. He goes in his crate whilst I do bedtime with my DS. Then he gets his lickimat when I let him out. He refuses to go for a wee when I let him out of the crate and immediately charges into the kitchen looking for the lickimat. He rarely barks in the house, but does if his lickimat isn't ready for him.

[Borris]

Have just ordered a lickimat . I must step away from Amazon!

[smilingthroughgrittedteeth]

Food from the veta has worked wonders and i have a different puppy, hes much livelier and happier so hes tummy had obviously been hurting.

The biting is deiving me insane, hes put holes in nearly every outfit the kids have worn by hanging off them. He doeant do it to dp or me we tend to get our hands chewed. Weve started to use a spray bottle so everytime he jumps and nips the children we spray him and say leave, its working, hes not bothered by it but distracts him long enough to divert his attention. He is sleeping through now till 5.30/6.

I need to get him some new food as the food he was weaned onto by the breeder obviously doesn't agree with him. Im thinking James wellbeloved as its grain free but doea anyone have any recommendations?

[RonBurgundyspanpipe]

Morning, can I join the new thread. We're on week 6 with pup and it's been quite a rollercoaster of fun and times we regret getting her. She sleeps through in the crate in the kitchen and doesn't really chew things she shouldn't but still very bitey at times. She is bell trained but as the garden has been changed so she can only go in part of it toilet training has gone backwards and there are lots of accidents in the house.