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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:
watsthestory · 24/09/2010 16:12

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assumpta · 24/09/2010 16:12

wats you know what, I wouldn't beat yourself up. These things are going to happen so seldom that I think as long as he has had a big play and is secure and not going to be able to hurt himself, he will survive this once. I know it's not something that should be done everyday with a 14 week old, but you have no option on this occasion. When we go to a family gathering in a couple of weeks, I am going to have to tether belle in their garden if I have not got the 'come' recall perfect, and let's be real about it, that is fairly doubtful. I will send for a special tie-in one 6 foot and not sure what the other length should be, 15 or 20 foot. It's not ideal, she won't be on her own, but their garden is not puppy proofed, so what else can I do. I don't have any of my family near to help.

Belle driving me bl*y mad, so I have given her a chewy bone thing that she can actually eat. How many of these can they have? I am ready to order in bulk!

WhereTheWildThingsWere · 24/09/2010 16:14

Bugger 30andMerkin beat me to it.

Grin

Merkin beware of giving puppies old unwanted items eg old cushions, plantpot etc, puppies have no way of knowing what is unwanted and what is not.

So if is ok to shred the old cushion, it is ok to shred all cushions. Ok to batter the life out of the old plantpot, then all plantpots are fair game, even those with plants in.

And puppies can't be told off for this because you have taught them to do it.

Stick to making puppy toys the most fun things in the world and competely ignore the chewing of anything else and you will get there.

WhereTheWildThingsWere · 24/09/2010 16:19

wats he will be fine, don't be stressed when you leave him or he will pick up on it, then he will be worried, no he really doesn't need water, maybe if it was a heatwave, but no.

assumpta in your case I would just plan to keep her on the lead, why do you need to tether her?

In what way is she driving you madGrin?

30andMerkin · 24/09/2010 16:31

WTWTW, we did think about that, but he seems obsessed by different textures at the moment and the the puppy toys just aren't enough for him.

Instead we're keeping his things in his 'dog zone', and we get them out at different times of day then put them away again, so they smell 'doggy' and we're giving him permission to play with them.

Fingers crossed!

30andMerkin · 24/09/2010 16:34

And when you say 'ignore' the chewing... how does that work out exactly?

Surely you have to stop chewing of furniture, anything potentially dangerous like cables, my boots (on my feet...) etc? I either try and distract, or if it gets too much do a big scary growly no. To be honest though, if dog has a choice of eating the kitchen stools and I wave a chew toy at him, he just blinks at me and keeps going through the pine.

Original poster
kid · 24/09/2010 16:35

Well teddy has made me really cross today and I'm not talking to him now Grin ok, I am talking to him but he really hurt me. He had done a wee and I bent down to clean it and he thought I was playing. He dived at me and bit my ear. I actually felt the skin split and now it's bleeding.

He needs to be on best behaviour for the rest of the night otherwise I'm going to hide all his toys lol
It's a good job he is so cute!
My ear really hurts, but I am a big wimp and it's probably just a scratch

OP posts:
littlemisslost · 24/09/2010 17:03

yeah I do agree that if you let them chew household stuff that you 'dont want' they wont know the difference between one cushion and another so its kind of a green light.
I also know what you mean about ignoring the toys lol, he is more interested in the cats toys than the dogs. I am going to get him some more from pets at home tomorrow I think because he does need them,.

I am concerned though that he loves playing with my dd but sometimes (quite often)he seems to snap/growl at her even when she is just stroking him, he never seems to do it to me or dh? she is a bit nervous now and keeps asking for me as he jumps up and chews at her clothing etc is this because she is small? he sees her as a play mate ?

assumpta · 24/09/2010 17:05

I love her, but I don't intend on standing in the garden stopping her from being able to explore holding her on her lead, when she would be happier having a bit of freedom, but maybe this is completely wrong. Is it???

She is driving me mad cause she is chewing everything no matter how much I play or what toy I give her. I take her to the garden she doesn't want to play. She is under my feet all the time, I don't want to crate her, but I am actually quite stressed. It has been like this since 6.30 today. I need a drink, but know I can't cause need to be up at 6.30am to start again! (don't actually NEED one, but would like one!)

I know it's a one off, sorry for rant.

littlemisslost · 24/09/2010 17:13

lol oh god it IS like having a baby lol
mine doesnt likle it in the garden unless were out there with her, we got fencing all fixed up and all possible escape routes so he could run around the garden freely but he prefers it indoors-or where ever we are

minimu1 · 24/09/2010 17:22

Ok you have finally defeated meSad

  • you must leave water down for a dog at all times. Especially if you leave it for 4 hours. So what if you have wee to clean up that is better than a dehydrated puppy.

MN is now officially hidden for the good of my health

Original poster
kid · 24/09/2010 17:31

How have we defeated you minimu? Are you determined not to post? I must have missed something.

OP posts:
littlemisslost · 24/09/2010 17:36

clearly there are differences in opinion on some things Hmm
I think I would leave some water if puppy left for 4 hours or so?

anyone got any advice regarding the snapping at my dd? I am taking him puppy classes in two weeks hopefully they will teach us about this stuff there?

Original poster
kid · 24/09/2010 17:43

We go puppy classes and have been advised to restrain puppy when he/she snaps at people. That sounds really, really mean, but by restrain, I mean place your hand down the dogs collar and don't let them go until they have calmed down. Your hand should go down from the top of their collar with your palm facing you. You sit or stand behind your pup. As soon as they have calmed down, tell them good boy/girl and let them go.
Just repeat it as often as necessary and they will soon get the message that biting means they can't play. That's the theory anyway.

OP posts:
watsthestory · 24/09/2010 17:47

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Original poster
kid · 24/09/2010 19:08

Teddy has a cough Sad
I don't know if I need to do anything about it though.
He started coughing yesterday, not constantly, mainly at night.
When he pulls on the lead his breathing sounds awful. When he coughs, he does one or two coughs then gags. If he has to vets, then so be it. I'm probably only able to take him tomorrow though and I just can't work out if it's serious enough for a visit to the vet.
God, it's even worse than when my kids are ill!

OP posts:
assumpta · 24/09/2010 19:15

Oh dear, poor thing. Hope he's ok.

pinkanimal · 24/09/2010 19:18

pmsl wats . kid I would go to the vet just in case, my opinion. Like I do with my kids, trust your instincts as they are usually right. At our puppy classes we have been told whenever he bites to give him time out, not in his crate though.

Original poster
kid · 24/09/2010 19:30

I was going to put him in his crate when he bit me but I knew he'd link the crate with punishment so I didn't put him in there.

He hasn't coughed at all for the last 2 hours. He is eatting as normal, still naughty energetic which is why I find it hard to believe he is ill. Yet when he does cough, I get worried Sad

I think I'll phone our vet tomorrow, evennif it's just for advice. I really don't think there is anything they can do for him at the moment. But if I don't do anything, I'll spend the week worrying about him.

OP posts:
WhereTheWildThingsWere · 24/09/2010 19:41

Sorry minimu Sad, though I don't know what else we have done to upset you.

I wouldn't leave water down, provided I had offered a drink before hand. I have never put water in a dogs crate.

WhereTheWildThingsWere · 24/09/2010 19:48

Actually I can't just leave it there, it is nothing to do with my convienience, but that water is bound to be knocked over or played with, leaving a wet uncomfortable puppy, or making it more likely to have pee in it's bed and cause it distress.

Of those I know who crate I don't think any of them leave water, they are just set up as beds.

There is no way a puppy would de-hydrate in a normal household setting in four hours.

dinamum · 24/09/2010 20:14

one of these

or

these

or

these

Totally agree with mini a dog should never be crated without water

assumpta · 24/09/2010 20:49

I must say I have been told not to leave water in the crate either. Is this a complete no no then?

littlemisslost · 24/09/2010 21:09

I thought you were suposed to give them food and water and toilet them before you leave them and as soon as you get back, never to 'leave' food or water in the crate but you can give it to them in the crate as long as its removed. I do worry about them not having a drink at all for 4 hours or more, 4 hours MAX I wouldve thought

iloverhubarbcrumble · 24/09/2010 21:59

WTWTW :o pls post videolink of Rudy's 'whippet wall of death' around the living room.

littlemiss Lots of useful info re snapping/nipping especially of DDs earlier in this thread - maybe do a search as I don't have a page ref!

Eating everything - yes yes yes, table about to collapse (no legs), door knobs falling off (screws removed by dog) Shock, headless slug removed from dog's mouth after wild exciting chase (advocate applied), pebbles treated like sucking sweets. Deer poo... oh I could go on, and on.. Pls treat (me) gently. Dog well.

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