Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

New Puppy Owners

869 replies

kid · 21/08/2010 17:15

I know there are a few of us that have recently picked up new pups.
Were your puppies lovely and calm when you first got them or were they mental straight away?

I can't believe how calm Teddy is being so far. He has slept a lot but even when he is awake, he just nibbles gently on your fingers or rolls his ball with his feet.

He has not had any accidents in the house yet which is a miracle.

I am wondering if this is the calm before the storm?

OP posts:
lou33 · 03/09/2010 17:08

hi everyone

today i practically lived at the vet

i had to take dora in the morning for her 3 monthly puppy check and worming, then at 2 i took eddie for his second jab, followed by boris for his booster and worming

total cost for all 3 dogs (including some cream for a sore patch under boris' armpit) was 100 quid almost

dora was 13.9 kg which is just right for her atm, eddie was 3.4 kg, also good, but boris (who is only recently a more regular resident) was overweight

its because my bf and his exw spoil him and wont eat a bloody meal without giving him a bit of it

i have been slowly doggifying him over the last few months , so now he at least eats dog food rather than human food all the time (such as boiled eggs and toasted soldiers, i kid you not), and i tend to not give him titbits, tho bf is terrible for it

he even plays with sticks which he never used to, and runs about being a dog now and spends the majority of time sleeping on a dog bed rather than under the duvet

eddie is a bit tired, i think the jab has left him not 100%, he really squealed during it and has spent the time since just generally whimpering and lazing about

currently he is lying over my lap like he has fainted Grin

watsthestory · 03/09/2010 20:37

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

watsthestory · 03/09/2010 21:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

lou33 · 03/09/2010 22:06

aw wats, hopefully he will start feeling better soon :(

lou33 · 03/09/2010 22:28

i just put a pic of eddie on my mn profile if anyone wants to have a look

Original poster
kid · 04/09/2010 09:22

My pup is 13 weeks old which I know is still quite young, but do any of your similar aged pups chase/retrieve a ball?

Moby loved chasing a ball although he didn't always return it! I can't remember what age he was or how we got him to chase it.

Teddy has a vet appt at 3 today. I have no idea how to get there! I'll borrow a satnav from someone, don't want to get lost driving around in the city.

OP posts:
WhereTheWildThingsWere · 04/09/2010 09:50

Good morning allSmile.

wats sorry to hear about Ringo, did the vet say what they though it was? I hope you see an improvement in him soon.

lou33 Eddie is just too cute for wordsGrin.

kid Rudy will retrive anything to hand perfectly [smug emoticon]Grin he is 14 weeks on tuesday. I taught him a very painless way with a clicker, will give you the method if you are interested.

Have a lovely puppy filled Saturday everyone.

Original poster
kid · 04/09/2010 09:59

Yes please do share the method. When we take a ball to the park with us, dc get a bit fed up having to chase the ball all the time lol

OP posts:
WhereTheWildThingsWere · 04/09/2010 10:14

Ok, you sit with a pile of treats a clicker and a ball, preferably a new one.

Don't do it when pup is super excited or he will just be trying to wrestle the ball off of you.

Sit holding the ball in one hand ask Teddy to sit and wait for Teddy to touch it with his nose, as soon as he does click/treat - repeat many times, until he understands that to get the treat he has to nose the ball.

Eventually with hold the click/treat and wait for a bigger response (this is called shaping) ie trying to bite the ball, then click/treat.

Keep doing this (over a period of session and days not all at once) until when you offer the ball he takes it and holds it in front of you, in order to get the click/treat.

Now every time he does this say the word 'fetch' repeat a lot.

Now in essence what you have taught him is that the word fetch means 'get your ball and sit in front of me holding it' he will release it in order toget the treat and you can introduce the word 'drop' or 'give'.

So now when you throw the ball accross the room and say 'fetch' he knows he has to get it and be sitting in front of you holding it to get the click/treat.

SimplesGrin.

Tbf I had to go through all this rigmarole as whippets are not naturally a retrieving breed. You may find that all you need to do is hold a ball and Teddy will automatically take it and you can miss out lots of stages, make sure he is sitting though and it is all conducted fairly calmly, or you may find that he just nicks it and runs off.

Original poster
kid · 04/09/2010 11:03

Thank you for that, I'll start that thiscevening when he is calm.
So far, I've tried getting to show an interest in the ball and as soon as he dies, I'll give him a treat. As soon as he knows treats are available, he is 100% focussed on them and nothing can get his attention!
Maybe with the clicker, it will work. Definitely worth a try either way

OP posts:
watsthestory · 04/09/2010 11:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

WhereTheWildThingsWere · 04/09/2010 11:26

My sympathies wats I have been through that, try reading my old thread here.

We have cracked it now, but it took endless patience and perseverence.

watsthestory · 04/09/2010 12:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

pinkanimal · 04/09/2010 13:02

ok peeps how do I get DD who is 3 to leave Storm alone to sleep? She keeps going in and waking him up, before we get the chance to realise where she is she has already done it. He keeps getting really tired and snappy with her, which tbh I can't really blame him or tell him off for. I keep getting really angry with her because she is always in his face, holding him down or grabbing him. This morning she grabbed him round the neck with both hands!! Angry

Original poster
kid · 04/09/2010 13:18

If you manage to find a way to make your 3yo leave storm alone, let me know so I can use it on my 8 and 11 year olds!
They are forever picking teddy up and carrying him around the house, it's so annoying!

OP posts:
lou33 · 04/09/2010 14:48

What about sticking the kids in the crates instead?! :)

assumpta · 04/09/2010 15:18

Hello, just got belle home after a 2 hour journey. She got sick with 15 mins to go. We brought her to the side of the house for a wee, but she didn't go. We gave her some food and water and she polished off the food and drank a little. After about 15 mins outside she did a wee, I said 'wee' gave her a treat and made a huge fuss. I waited for a poo but nothing happened. She is now back inside. Do they normally wee and poo at the same time, or what sign will she give me before she needs to go. Should I have waited longer outside or take her out in 20 mins? She is adorable!

musicposy · 04/09/2010 15:24

WTWTW that is a very useful guide, thanks. My 8 year old sheltie will fetch and retrieve (for a few goes, anyway), but Poppy, our 4 month puppy, just looks at you as though you are slightly deranged. Grin

Have put a photo of Poppy up here when she was about 10 weeks and we took her in the dolls pram - pre-vaccinations!

pinkanimal · 04/09/2010 17:10

will do kid Wink. Lou33 lol not a bad idea, we have a huge crate for when Storm is older and both kids will fit in it comfortably. Actually maybe Husband will fit in it too!!!! Grin Peace....Wink

Original poster
kid · 04/09/2010 18:52

Teddy went vets and was terrified! I had to carry him in there as he practically glued himself to the floor.

The vet was very nice and he checked teddy out. I was pretty nervous as the vet was so thorough I was convinced he had founda problem.
He weighed him and checked his eyes, ears, hips etc. He weighs 8.4kg which I have no idea if that's good.

He needs to be wormed again in 3 months time which I think I'll do at home.

I did the retrieving training at home with him and then when we went park, teddy found a stick. I threw the stick ( a very small one I should add as I worry about injuries) and teddy chased it. A huge improvement to the other day so looks like the training is working so I'll keep it up.

OP posts:
booyhoo · 04/09/2010 19:03

woke up this morning to find a HUGE swelling on the side of WB's face. took him to vet and they took out some of the fluid that was in it to look at under the microscope, fortunatly it is 'only' a swelling caused by what the vet said was like a blood clot. he thinks he has either banged his jaw or stabbed himself with something sharp. gave him an antibiotic and painkiller. he now has a baldy spot where they shaved him and apparently the lump can take 6-7 weeks to go down!!! but thankfully it was nothing very serious. i was soooo worried the whole way to he vets. and on a plus, by pure coincidence, another man had his two 9 week old goldens there aswell and they turned out to be WB's brother and sister. WB is huge compared to them.

iloverhubarbcrumble · 04/09/2010 19:28

Just caught up with the last couple of pages - hello again to everyone - taken up with our little bundle here. Realising we have a VERY confident puppy who needs lots of work & stimulation.

This and our tiny garden does not make for much peace, so we have started to take her out much more, allowing her to run in a springer fashion (zigzags) with trailing lead twice a day in the park, meeting lots of friendly dogs. We are probably going over the 15 mins but otherwise we have a large bullet with pincers bouncing off the walls at home..

I've mentioned before how Lola has moments of 'berserker' behaviour where she goes for our legs (now shredded, despite two pairs thick socks etc). (We are way beyond the yelp, ignore, arms folded approach). However we are trying to see this as a phase, aiming for calm, making sure she doesn't get hungry between meals (kongs). And straight to her crate for a calm down after a hectic few moments as she's usually tired.

Still very draining, we are always strangely over dressed.. I am definitely having moments of wondering what we've done but took great comfort from Valhalla saying it's just a phase and not to worry.

Anyone else having this type of behaviour? Be reassuring if so, we chose the 'most placid' Shock of the litter.

booyhoo · 04/09/2010 19:33

we have also been experiencing what you call berserker moments. WB seems to jus decide ankles are what he wants and he will bark at our legs. i am just putting him in his pen at the moment because as you say, the yelp and ignore doesan't work.

Original poster
kid · 04/09/2010 21:03

We too are experiencing the biting. Teddy doesn't the mad beserk behaviour but moby did it.
I am consoling myself with the fact he won't nip forever. He has got me quite badly 3 times on the same thumb. Once was when I pulled away so his teeth cut a line along my thumb. The other 2 were done today when I grabbed a stick at the same time. His teeth went in on both sides! Still, give it a few days and it will be all healed

OP posts:
minimu1 · 04/09/2010 21:28

Kid can I just say that it really is not a good idea to throw sticks for dogs even little ones they can cause massive trauma even death.

If the dog once gets used to playing with sticks then they tend to always want to. Can you use a ball so I can not worry about this Sad.

Glad you have got a new vet sorted out.

The nipping will pass but quicker if you do remove the puppies consistently they get into nipping mood but it is a very tedious stage Smile