Wees, poos, sleepless night - anyone else got a new puppy?

[bella29]

Having kidnapped hatwoman's thread about boisterous young dogs I thought it was only fair that I set up my own! If anyone wants to share hints, tips or general crises with regard to their new puppy, please do so here! You are among friends who won't blanch at descriptions of bowel movements, chewed possessions or sleep deprivation...

No, thanks for the help.

I had decided to use dry complete food already, was just overwhelmed at the choice!

I checked the ingredients of Pets at home own brand against some of the others and they seemed to be the same.

Can you swap them again if you find a better brand or should you stick to just one for a while?

Sorry for getting on my soapbox re dried foods - I thought when you mentioned pedigree chum you meant tinned food.
Once the pup/dog's on a particular food you can swap them, but it has to be done gradually over a few days to avoid any tummy upsets. Really then it's just a case of what works for your dog.

Hello puppy people.

Hooray for the sunshine, DDs have had pup running laps of the garden for ages

Incident at lunchtime though, pup got over enthusiastic and nipped DD1 really hard. I was abit shocked at first but pushed pup out of the way and really gave DD1 loads of attention rubbing her sore arm and cuddling her. Pup looked bemused, I did shout at her (pup not DD1).
We then ignored her for a while. She hid for a bit then found DD1 and licked her arm for about 5 mins!

hope we dealt with it okay. DD1 was fantastic after the initial shock she forgave pup and they were soon cuddled up on the sun lounger together

Hatwoman if you are there, how is your boy?

hi everyone. hope you're all ok. A is doing fine. we're taking him to my mum's this weekend - he'll get to occupy a house with no stair gate to keep him in the kitchen although there is a dog-safe porch. he'll also get to meet db's slightly mad springer and dad's 2 labs - all in lovely countryside so an action-packed weekend I think. sorry your dd got nipped, am sure she'll grow out of it (pup not dd)

Have a great time Hatwoman. Pup loved meeting my parents labs and DBs golden retriever. She was scared at first then in dog heaven!

Hello pup lovers

Just had a fairly eventful trip to the beach with dh, dc and both dogs. Got there okay, had a good play on the beach (nice weather, big waves) and then walked back along to dog friendly cafe for lunch when pup's lead broke - right next to a busy road! Fortunately he was very good and responded almost immediately to my near-hysterical screaming of his name, and I managed to tie his lead round his collar, but it really was a bit scary. The metal clip which fastens on to his collar had just completely fallen off (it was an Ancol lead from Pets at Home).
So beware - puppy walkers! I shall be popping a spare one in my pocket from now on. To add insult to injury we then got a parking ticket, but hey ho!

bella, how scary!!! Well done pup for coming back to you.

We took pup for the first walk yesterday. The first 5 mins were spent persuading her to actually walk not just sit there! We walked for about 15 mins and had to stop at every place a dog had weed in last ten years I think!

I did have to drag her twice when she parked herself in the middle of the road!!!

Hoping today she will be a bit more enthusiastic.

Hello all!

Just wondered how you were all doing - bell ringing, walking, whatever!

All okay here - pup getting very big now and he's lost most of his front teeth, so his adult gnashers are starting to poke through.

Have sent my faulty lead back to Pets at Home (found out it was their own brand of lead) & awaiting a reply...

Hi Bella.

All well here. Have lost a few more plants !!! Pup is loving going for walks. We go for about 20 mins, which is a bit longer than the recommended 5 mins per month of life but she was happy to go a bit further and is loving, loving , loving the walks.

We get out her lead and she sits by the door almost grinning! So far, have only met one other dog that was so aggressive its owner crossed the road yelling at us " he attacks puppies"

Hope we do not meet them again! House training going well, just the odd puddle now and again but no poops inside. How about you?

We were thinking about going to a wildlife park with her on Friday. Dh has taken the day off and we saw on the website you can take dogs on leads. We have spent the whole summer hols at home with pup, only going out for a few hours to the cinema or swimming or the park. So thought a day out would be nice. What do you think? Is it a bit soon, or am I being pfp (lol)? We can go around at a slow pace with plenty of rest stops. Would love your opinion.

Hope you have a good day.

Ooh - a wildlife park! I am envious, having been no further than the swimming pool ourselves this summer! Sounds good - is it a native wildlife park or wild foreign beasties (just imagining pup's eyes on seeing a giraffe or similar )

I think the key thing with the exercise is just not to overdo it until their bones & joints are calcified, which I believe is about 1 year old, even if they are happy to go further. One of my labrador books says no proper walks until 6 months old, while another says 3 half hour walks a day is adequate (?!). I'm erring on the side of caution, and as my pup plays quite a lot with my other dog outside I'm not really taking him out much yet. I also read (in notes the breeder gave me) that hip dysplasia is only 30% hereditary, and the rest is down to environment, exercise etc. That said, you do also have to factor in the socialisation aspect. What a minefield!

I'm sure a day out would do you all good, though, and pup can always have a rest while you have a leisurely picnic or whatever. Send us a postcard!

I do know what you mean about the exercise. I have worried that maybe 20 mins is too far but she is 13 weeks so not far off the 20 minute mark. Also because the weather has been bad she has not been throwing herself around the garden as much as she can do when the weather is better.

All the books give different advice. One says no more than 20 mins until 5 months and another says 2 x 20 mins a day from 3 months!!!

I do worry though!

It is wildlife park with wild foreign beasties! Pup will see all manor of things!

Have been rumbled - dh knows the full extent of my toy collection! Last night I was collecting up pup's toys and muttered something about not being able to find any of them when he said: 'How many are in his toy box then - only 19?'!
Can see the headline now: 'Wife's extravagant dog toy habit was final straw'...

Newpup - wild beasties!

Not envious.
Nope.
Not a bit.
Bet they have a cafe & a gift shop too.
Definitely not envious.
Envious, moi?

Awww Bella. Will think of you and your pup whilst we rollick with rhino and stampede with giraffe!!!

Sorry to hear you were rumbled! We seem to have collected a few more toys! Her favourite though is old cardboard boxes, can spend at least 30 mins(!) ripping them up.

We had to go out for 3 hours this morning and pup was so pleased to see us when we came back. She ignored her lunch just to follow me around the kitchen whilst I made Dds lunch. That is the longest we have left her yet. My friend regularly leaves her dog for upto 6 hours. I think that seems along time. Is that too long?( I am not contemplating doing it by the way!) felt guilty enough this morning.

Personally I wouldn't leave a dog for 6 hours either. I work by a max of 4 hours (for an adult dog) although we have very, very occasionally left my older dog a bit longer, when I was giving birth or something daft like that!

Have a fantastic day tomorrow & say hello to the outside world for me. I remember it well

Well, we had the most fantastic time!!!
The wildlife park was fantastic, all manor of beasties! Loads of open space and places to stop too. Pup is shattered after 5 hours of non stop fun. It was an hour and half journey to get there but well worth it.

Pup was an attraction herself, it took us 30 mins to get into the park as we were stopped so often by people petting her and asking questions. I was so proud of her All the hard work not letting her jump up was worth it. She sat down to meet everybody, did not nip anyone and 3 people asked us if we were guide dog training

Very proud of her. We went back to the car for our picnic and she got in her cage and had a 20 minute sleep, woke up all refreshed for the second half.

Hopefully, children and pup will sleep well tonight. Would throughly recommend wildlife parks and puppies! Next time will have to try the beach!

Sounds great, newpup! Will have to try a similar outing one day. At the moment I cannot wait until the children are back at school & pup's a bit older, when we can go for good bracing autumn walks. Did some gardening yesterday and he curled up beside me and fell fast asleep on the grass - so cute!
Have a good weekend, all

Morning Bella,

I am looking forward to the bracing Autumn walks too. After our lovely day yesterday, DD1 was up all night with a violent sickness and diarrhea bug!! I have never seen her so sick

Poor thing is asleep now all washed out and exhausted! I have a mountain of sheets and towels to wash and bathrooms to clean!

Pup slept in until 7.15am though and is so tired from yeasterday, she has slept all morning! She seems to have gone off her food though. Maybe, too much excitement yesterday?

My DDs go back to school on Thursday so it will be a bit quieter during the day, pup will miss them.

Have a good weekend, hope your boy behaves himself.

hello all. I'm also looking forward to longer walks. We had a lovely time at my mum's - long walks with dbs springer then a morning frolicking with dad;s labs - but A has pulled a muscle - he was limping loads so we took him to the vets and he's off walks for a week - been a bit nice to be let off the 7.30 am regime but I miss it too, if that makes sense.

Hello puppy people!

Hope your DD's feeling better now, newpup - sounds like a nasty bug.

Poor A as well - it's frustrating when you can't get out, isn't it hatwoman? Hope he's on the mend soon.

My pup's fine - still eating plants, still hoovering up shrews the cats have left but otherwise no major incidents! Our training classes start soon & I am really looking forward to having some one-on-one time with him. How are your classes going hatwoman & will you have to skip some if A's injured?

Hatwoman sorry to hear about A's paw. Hope it is better soon. Glad you had a good time at your mum's.

We start puppy training on Tuesday evening, looking forward to it too. Does anyone mind if I ask how much their classes are?

I have been asked to pay £35 up front for a years membership to a dog club and 5 lessons. Does that sound right?

DD is right as rain today spent all yesterday in bed sleeping it off. Full of beans today, just hoping DD2 does not come down with it !

Taking pup to pets at home today for food supplies and a new collar, puppy collar getting too small . Might sneak a toy or two in Bella

Sounds like a bargain on your dog training, newpup - my course is £70 for 6 weeks. Pup had better behave & do his homework

Glad DD's better

I have to 'fess up, folks. I have assumed the mantle of bad puppy mother. Today I:

forgot to feed the puppy - his lunch, at any rate.

I know. I know

My only excuse is that it was dd's 1st day at school and I was going to feed him as soon as I got back (at 1.30pm) instead of just before I left (at 12.30pm). Unfortunately, dh called me to say he was home & I needn't rush back so I had a coffee & stayed out until 4pm, then couldn't work out why pup was so excited to see me - even more so than usual.

I shall be ringing the RSPCA myself to save anyone else the trouble...

it's ok. I've done it too. we also, between us, managed to give him 2 dinners one night. our puppy classes were £70 for 6 so £35 for 5 sounds fine.

Hello everyone,

We've been in new house one week tonight. Puppy v. happy from day one. Loves the garden, especially as it's full of pine cones she can crunch on.

She was a little scared of the trains at first (hasn't heard one before, let alone close up) but is getting better (we can't walk her locally without going over railway bridges).

I've had her off the lead on the nearby common several times and she's coming back beautifully. She rings her bell when she needs to go out (she's more and more reliable about this) and she's used her special spot in the new garden right from the start (we put sand down for her so it was a familiar surface).

Seeing her so happy and easily adapted has really helped me to cope with the move.

Hope all's well with everyone

Hi everyone -wondered if i could join in. I have a 11 week golden retriever who we've had for three weeks. He's a real sweetie. Like everyone else we've had good and bad days. On the whole he is a good dog, sleeps alot. His favourite game is chasing my 2 yr old around and nipping his clothes. Can anyone give me any suggestions to discourage this? At the moment I tend to say "No" and encourage him to play with one of his toys/bone instead.