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

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?

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kid · 24/09/2010 22:16

Teddy is always eating the stones outside our house. He will also pick up anything that is slightly off the floor, that includes attempting to eat chewing gum too!

He has started eating our top step. No major damage done yet, he is just nibbling where Moby started. Maybe he is trying to even it out?

At pupyp class, they advised us to rub lemon juice or garlic on the lead to stop the biting of it. I didn't have any lemon so I cut some garlic cloves and and rubbed that on the leather lead. Teddy decided that garlic tastes quite nice, so he decided to lick the lead for a while. I am hoping it will do the trick as I am sick of wresting the lead off him.

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pinkanimal · 24/09/2010 22:17

just wanted to say that the bolt on bowls are great, we got one really cheap and it arrived really fast. if anyone wants the exact link to the one we got just shout and I will find it. Wink I feel a lot better knowing Storm has water (even though he guzzles most of it as soon as he is put in the crate!!) Confused ilove my door pinger's are chewed beyone existence and the carpet is slowly dying a horrible bitty death! Shock happily settees are mostly ok and no major casualties as yet! Grin

watsthestory · 24/09/2010 23:01

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kid · 24/09/2010 23:18

Sorry to hear puppy is mad tonight Grin
Teddy is sound asleep by my feet, he has been sparko since the kids went to bed a couple of hours ago. OMG, he is going to have me up all night isn't he Confused

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kid · 25/09/2010 00:10

My baby has lost his first tooth tonight! Let's hope all the other needle teeth fall out soon and that the biting stops instantly.

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kid · 25/09/2010 10:38

I phoned the vet and they think it sounds like kennel cough and need to see him. I don't see how they can make that diagnosis over the phone so quickly!
I really, really don't want to go Sad dh isn't here so it's down to me to take him. I don't like vets, nothing personal just previous experience.

I am hoping i am over reacting and everything will be fine.
With kennel cough, don't they cough all the time?
How long will he have to be kept away from other digs and how long till he is better?

Not having a good morning so far. Feel really pathetic for feeling so worried Sad

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assumpta · 25/09/2010 11:34

Hope he's ok. Better safe than sorry. Belle was weeing tiny drops and going very often, I am glad I followed my instincts, she had a bad dose of cystitis and had to have 10 days of anti biotics.

littlemisslost · 25/09/2010 16:10

found a doggy creche Smile so he will go there when Im at work and be with people and other doggies

he is just trying to nibble everything and everyone at the moment[shocked] he bit my nephews ear and my dh tummy, he is little terror

Isn't it frustrating having to wait these 2-3 weeks before we can take them to puppy classes etc because I don't want to confuse him trying to teach him things now and then starting again nat puppy classes in 2 weeks

kid · 25/09/2010 16:28

Home from vets, they have put him on antibiotics for 7 days and he is to be kept away from other dogs for 7-10 days. No puppy class for us this week.
I am sure he caught it from another dog there, I wonder if any of the other pups caught it?

At least he is going to be ok. Dh finished work early and came with me Smile

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pinkanimal · 25/09/2010 17:51

littlemiss you won't confuse your dog by training him. We started classes last week and Storm was the most advanced pup there as he already knows sit, lie down and paw. He now knows leave it also. the sooner you start the better, and I'm sure the more experienced on here will say the same. DO NOT let him get away with biting everyone or you will never get out of it. Say "ouch" loudly and get up and walk away, don't give him any attention for a few minutes.
kid sorry to hear bout poor Teddy, you were right to trust your instincts.

kid · 25/09/2010 18:15

Thanks pinkanimal. I was quite worried about him even though I knew it wasn't serious. I've only had him 5 weeks and already he has needed to go to the vets. Oh well, lets hope its the first and last time for a while at least.

littlemiss Teddy started puppy classes 2 weeks ago when he was 14 weeks old. I hadn't done much with him tbh, but I had taught him to sit and lay. It didn't confuse him as when we did that at puppy class, he was able to move to the next stage of a release command. Agree that you should be working on stopping the biting, I am still working on it now. Teddy does still bite, but its getting less often now thank God!

Teddy is feeling so sorry for himself today. He looks so sad and has been moping around all day. Antibiotics usually kick in after 24 hours so hopefully I'll see an improvement by tomorrow night.

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watsthestory · 25/09/2010 20:25

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kid · 25/09/2010 20:28

Glad ringo was okay, he sounds lovely Smile

teddy was weighed today, he is now 10kg, what a lump!

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littlemisslost · 26/09/2010 15:00

watsthestory-Smile aww how gorgeous!

I am not letting him bite, I am trying to get him something else to bite/chew whenever he starts and saying STOP loudly each time, its mainly when he is excited, when he first see us or when we come home and he is manic

I have watched Youtube and there were several different ways to teaching them to sit, roll, lie down etc so thought it might be conufsing if he learns one way wth me then another at puppy school but will see what i can do

assumpta · 26/09/2010 16:02

Belle, 12 week cockapoo has just snapped and caught my dd2's face when she bent down to pick up something off the floor. She also broke skin on same dds foot and leg this morning totally unprovoked. Dh is not at all happy.

pinkanimal · 26/09/2010 18:14

wats glad Ringo was ok. littlemiss I never said you were letting him bite I was just giving you the same advice that was given to me. (shuts up, zips mouth and throws away the key)Wink
assumpta Shock what a naughty girl Belle is. She really needs to know that that behaviour is really not acceptable at all.

kid · 26/09/2010 20:33

assumpta Sorry to hear your little girl got bit, pups can get so excited and they just don't know how to calm down.
I can understand your DH not being happy, but puppies need training just like kids.
Maybe you could keep a long lead on Belle in the house so you can prevent her from getting too close to your DD. It will mean you are in total control of how close she gets to your DD and will hopefully prevent any more nipping. You can get short training leads for training them in the house. I only have a 50ft one for Teddy for training his recall.

I managed to get Teddy a harness today as the collar was making him cough even more when he pulls on the lead. You'd think the coughing would stop him from pulling but clearly not!

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assumpta · 27/09/2010 07:57

(kid) thankyou. I thought i as really reading the signs and getting her to calm and time out before things got out of hand. This came out of nowhere.

I have toys and chew. I praise, I tickle, I rub, we all do! We let her relax/sleep. I give her work it out toys to get treats out, she goes mad. I play with her outside, she gets worked up and goes mad. She won't stay in garden and play on her own, but yet isn't that keen to actually play when we are there. She won't/can't play fetch. I haven't stuffed a kong because won't the food go everywhere and then she goes mad sniffing for it. When I gave her treats in her crate ONE time, she tore the crate apart looking for more, days afterwards. Rawhide, can she have this, 12 weeks, or are they suitable, I think someone said they stink and go all soggy.

I am reinforcing 'leave it', but We can't say it when the moment has passed. I have read loads and did not go into puppy ownership without reading up on everything I could.

She has started walking out and about the last few days, and I realise this will take time, if she doesn't choke herself before hand.

Please tell me what to do! Sad and Confused

WhereTheWildThingsWere · 27/09/2010 11:01

assumpta you are doing a good job, please try not to worry.

Biting is normal it is what puppies do, though this can be very upsetting for children obviously, how old are they? What are you currently feeding? Are you spending specific chunks of time playing with her/training her?

It is worth remembering that a potential problem with the 'new crossbeeds' is that while temperament can never be considered a certainlty with any dog it is much less so with these as you just don't know what they will inherit. Both Poodles and Cockers are working dogs and if you end up with a puppy that has inherited a strong sense of needing to work from both breeds then you could have a puppy that needs to be kept very busy indeed.

I have friends with a Springer/Collie that has taken years to calm down and it is only by really channelling it into some serious work, he now does working trials, agility and flyball, that plus 3 hours hill walking a day keeps him relatively calm!

All that said she is really young and lots of puppies are really hyper, she obviously is very food orientated and I would definately be stuffing Kongs preferably frozen, I don't understand the 'wouldn't it go everywhere bit', I'm not sure whay your concern is? Another thing to try (if she is fed dry food) is just to feed her by taking great handfulls and chucking it in the garden or house for her to find, she can be fed all her food this way and it will be a great game for her, you need to stay with her and praise her for looking. I wouldn't ever let a dog 'play in the garden on it's own' there are too many dangers and too many cases of theft.

I gave Rudy rawhide from 12 weeks, yes it's a bit smelly and messy, but that's dogs for youGrin.

I would just like to say that I am just a dog owner, I have a fair bit of experience in owning and looking after dogs and a very keen interest in dog behaviour and all things canine but as of yet no qualifications.

littlemisslost · 27/09/2010 12:05

Pinkanimal I didn't take it like that anyways lol Smile blimey its all a bit tempremental here isnt it, too many women lol

Well I am off to pets at home today to get some good chewing toys and a babble ball because my friends dog had one and Billy LOVES it. His biting is normally first thing in the morning when we come down stairs and when we come home its just excitment bless him. He has just chewed the DS charger now Sad doesnt work! I thought Id removed all wires but he dragged this out from under the sofa little terror Wink

assumpta · 27/09/2010 13:30

Thank you for your advice and support. I think I am putting a bit too much pressure on myself, and expecting too much from Belle. I am going to be consistent with her . I have actually been patient and calm with her and ranting here instead of at her. I think I need a couple of early nights, but I am such a control freak that I am afraid that dh will undo all my good work. She is a good girl most of the time, I am probably expecting too much. It is a comfort that all, or most, pups do this, although I have been told until at least 6 months old. But if she has not got out of this stage before she is spayed, will this continue forever, as I have been told that if you spay them before their first season, they stay in puppy mode as they don't get a chance to mature? True or false?

PurpleFrog · 27/09/2010 14:46

We are also still having problems with biting. I thought it was getting better, but it seems to have got worse again. Rory's biting is also mainly first thing in the morning and when over-excited. Since I am the one that goes down and takes him out first thing, I am still wearing really old clothes then changing 10 minutes before I leave for work. He hasn't drawn blood recently but I have some interesting bruises on my arms.....

He is now 15 weeks and this weekend we tried him on a raw-hide chew as I was having problems getting more puppy nylabones locally. He likes it a lot.

I was wondering if the increase in biting again meant that he was teething? Apart from increased chewing, are there any other changes in behaviour associated with teething in dogs? Do they get a bit clingier? Or anything like that?

watsthestory · 27/09/2010 15:56

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assumpta · 27/09/2010 19:46

watsthestory I do feel for you. I know that you are shattered. Do you have someone to help at all?

I don't know about the teething, but how typical is it that when things seem to be getting better, it turns back to being a nightmare.

WhereTheWildThingsWere · 27/09/2010 20:25

Teething is a frigging nightmare, lock up everything bitable (including your children), chant with me 'this too will pass'......

assupta no she won't get stuck in a permanent puppyhood, I would do lots of research on spaying (if you haven't already) don't just go with what your vet suggests.

wats god bless you, what about if you try this, when he wakes up take him for a wee, no eye contact or talking, then take him back to bed with you? You might get an extra two hours.

Alternatively what about just letting him sleep in you room?

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