Ruby The Vizsla?

[midori1999]

Has she arrived yet? I know she was 'due' the day of my scan...

You read my mind. I am such a sad git dog fanatic, that I found myself thinking yesterday: '8 Feb: that's Ruby, isn't it?'

Hope your scan went well, Midori.

Hello

Yes, she is here! She is settling in very quickly. Absolutely adored by all the family, and the feelings appear to be mutual

She responds to the commands for "down" "sit" and "in your bed"

I am having no success with toilet training. She runs around the garden very excitedly but has only managed 3 wees & a poo outside compared to umpteen inside! Any suggestions welcome. I am taking her out at least once if not twice an hour.

Last night she howled in her crate for an hour. Ten minutes in, her howling changed so I came down to check on her and she had pooped everywhere Poor thing. We cleaned her up, took her out again and then put her back in. Fifty minutes later she was fast asleep and slept until 5.20am - which I didn't think was too bad. She wouldn't settle then so I put her in her bed in the sitting room and I laid on the sofa and slept there with her. I am sure this is "against the rules" but she was doing so well that I didn't want her to feel too sad and rejected. Vizslas are incredibly sensitive to separation anxiety I am hoping she will last longer tonight and she definitely won't have me on the sofa again!

She is just a baby give her a few days to settle down and then I am sure you will see things panning out better. I bet she is just so cute!

That lovely picture first thing in the morning you are shattered from their howling on the first few nights and then come into the kitchen and see this cute wriggly, tail wagging cutey and you forget all the tiredness! (and that lovely puppy smell!)

Minimu - she is definitely cute

I agree that it is such early days and she is so tiny still. She is already very settled in many ways - happily playing, eating, responding when called. That's why I took the brave step of being with her from 5am - the same way I would treat any young baby who was feeling alone or frightened or just wanted a cuddle. She didn't get an actual cuddle, as I am hoping to instill some rules from day 1 but she was so happy to fall straight back to sleep with me close to her.

The toilet training will come too. She managed a wee in the garden before I left to get the children from school and you would have thought she had won the Olympic Gold the way I cheered her on

I am assuming that ignoring any accidents is the best way to approach at this stage? Should I put her outside if I catch her "mid-flow", so to speak?

Yup, drips and all