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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?

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PurpleFrog · 02/10/2010 18:53

Hmm - wats - 6.45 you say! Envy

I was flaming well up at 4.40am this morning!!!!!

dd was swimming in a gala this morning otherwise I would have put him back in his crate after our visit to the garden and left him to howl/bark it out.

I have warned the rest of the family that is going to happen tomorrow as no-one has to leave the house early....

A couple of weeks ago we were doing well on that front - we were averaging 6.00am. What has happened? Is it teething that is waking him up early again? It is definitely not the daylight. Confused

Original poster
kid · 03/10/2010 09:08

Teddy had me up at 5:50 this morning. Why doesn't he understand that I'd like to have a lie in at the weekend?!

I finally changed his food over so I'm expecting an extremely calm dog from this day on! So far this morning, he has been naughtier than ever. He waits for me not to look and then nicks shoes, bags, magazines etc
he has also been trying to eat a door frame! Crazy puppy! I bought him some teething treats from pah yesterday. They contain all sorts including clove, which I'm hoping will remove the need to chew on my feet

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WhereTheWildThingsWere · 03/10/2010 11:01

I do feel sorry for you all, truly ungodly hours of waking.

I have never suffered this as my dogs have always slept with me and Rudy would happily sleep until 10am if we let him (sometimes he does if one of us get a lie in).

At this age though they might need a pee what they really want is you.

littlemisslost · 03/10/2010 18:49

Billy is pooing and weeing all over the bloody place GRRRRRRRRRRRRR
on a better note...I got him a Babble Ball from Pets at Home, its hilarious he doesnt leave it alone, he barks at it like mad lol great entertainment for all

Original poster
kid · 03/10/2010 19:45

I think I know what a babble ball is, I'm sure a neighbour has one for their dog.

For the rest of the day, Teddy was brilliant. My 2 young nephews were here and he was very good around them, even though they are hyper!

I love his calm behaviour, long may it last Smile

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watsthestory · 05/10/2010 18:18

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Solo2 · 05/10/2010 18:52

Sorry to butt in again but this thread is so useful for not-quite-yet-dog-owners, to experience, by proxy, the reality of life with a puppy.

What would be extremely interesting and helpful would be for people to write a typical 'day-in-the-life' of you and your puppy from first thing in the morning to late at night and even middle of the night! Should I start a new thread - or would anyone be interested in doing it here?

I'd really like to know the minutiae like - "4.40am woken by howling, puppy had pooed all over his crate again, spent 20 mins cleaning up and then quick shower, fed kids and had to wipe up yet another puppy wee...then did bried game in garden with puppy before taking him for a short walk...then took DCs to school and came home to puppy destruction...." etc etc.

It's like before I had children, no one could really warn me exactly how it would be in fine detail - eg how it feels to not sleep through the night for 5 yrs (I had premature, non-sleeping twins). I want to have my eyes wide open for when we get our puppy (golden retriever), which is why this thread is so brilliant.

Sorry again for butting in. Everyone sounds like they're doing so well and being so stoic!!!

Original poster
kid · 05/10/2010 19:49

Don't apologise for butting in solo2, thus thread is for anyone with or about to get a puppy.
I can't believe how easy teddy is, I know it hadn't always been plain sailing, but it's getting easier and easier.

My days aren't very structured so probably not the best person to give you a typical day. I can say I am woken up daily around 6am by a paw scraping across my face.

We also end up doing tug of war with the lead when teddy bites it on every walk. Oh, he also drags me down the road, criss crossing in front of ne making it look like we are dancing!

He dives on us on the settee when he feels like it, bites out feet, nicks our shoes and sits in front if us barking if he wants anything.

I do love it when he just wants cuddles, they are the best!

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30andMerkin · 05/10/2010 20:04

Wow, just been to first participating puppy class - I don't know about the dog, but my head is spinning, so much to take in!

Solo tomorrow I'll happily tell you waht my days are like - then the experts on here can tell you what I'm doing wrong Grin

I guess that's the first thing about a day in the life of puppy ownership - no time!

assumpta · 05/10/2010 21:18

Hi, just a quick question. Belle, 13 weeks, was going into her crate quite happily but I have just realized that she really has not been using it during the day as much. She has taken out her cost bits and sleeps on them on the floor during the day. She doesn't make a sound in it when I need to go out, but what should I do to make it commonplace again. I have tried putting treats in there in the beginning, but she started getting a bit frantic tearing it apart looking for treats when there wouldn't be any in there. Any ideas?

assumpta · 05/10/2010 21:19

Cosy not cost

Original poster
kid · 05/10/2010 21:48

I've not used a crate for any of my dogs so have no experience but, how about trying to play with her while she is in the crate, a bit of tug of war or something?

Teddy prefers to sleep on the floor rather than on his comfy bed. I wonder if its too warm in there for Belle? Have you put your heating on yet?

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assumpta · 05/10/2010 22:00

No kid, no heating yet. Not sure at all what to do, and as I said I have only realised it now, I hope she doesn't get funny about it.

watsthestory · 05/10/2010 22:15

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assumpta · 05/10/2010 22:23

Wats - how old is your pup now? Does he manage to stay clean and dry when you go out? If so, how on earth did you manage that? Were you nervous the first time or how did it come about?

Original poster
kid · 06/10/2010 00:14

My dear little pup who has been good as gold all night just decided to start eating the edging to our laminate flooring. He has already done a little damage but it's no big deal as we fully intend to replace all flooring as soon as he is 100% (or as close as) house trained.
To deter him from doing more damage, I have put a drop of teatree oil on it. He us most disgusted with the smell of it so that should keep him away for now.
It was going to be either the oil or bleach, I figured the oil was the safest option Grin

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watsthestory · 06/10/2010 07:26

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assumpta · 06/10/2010 09:01

Wow. Very impressed!Envy do you shut his crate door at night? How long can you leave him during the day without accidents?

Tea tree sounds a good idea, I suppose you could put a few drops into the water when washing the floor too!

Belle actually went into her crate this morning on her own, and I decided to give her some treats while she was in there, just out of my hand, rather than sprinkling them all over the place. I hope she still likes it as I am starting to think about fireworks month night.

watsthestory · 06/10/2010 09:23

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PurpleFrog · 06/10/2010 10:20

My pup was abducted by aliens last night and another one left in his place.....

... well - that is the only explanation I can think of to explain why after 2 hellish nights of pre-4.00am waking, Rory was still quiet in his crate at 6.30am when my watch alarm went off. Of course, I had been on alert tossing and turning since about 4.00am waiting for the whines and barks.... Blush

I was a bit concerned that he was ill, so got up and went downstairs to check on him before going to the loo. He was still lying down in his crate and gave me such a puzzled look. Grin

Fingers crossed that this is the first of many post-6.30am mornings!

The last two mornings had been so early, that after a visit outside he was put straight back in his crate.... for a while at least. Maybe he has at last got the message?????

Knickers0nMyHead · 06/10/2010 16:33

Can I join please?

I got Diesel on Friday, although he is 1 so I dont know if still classed as a pup, but he needs teaching all the basics.

I decided he could have the run of the kitchen yesterday as I was out a few hours, I came back to a chewn up freezer plug Hmm

So he was in his crate this morning whilst I was at college.

littlemisslost · 06/10/2010 19:12

Hi all, how is it all going? Ive had a horrible couple of days with my little Billy.
He had his second lot of injections and that night started getting really poorly, in the night he was crying (he nevers does usually) aand all the next day he had diarrhea and then vomiting. At first vet said not to worry as lots of puppys get a runny tummy etc and then it started getting worse, and by the follwing day it was every half hour one or the other. Vet called him in and he was very poorly, had a sever reacion to his vaccinations and had to have fluids and another anti sickness and finally tonight he has kept food down and is starting to get back to his normal selfGrin
Poor little thing Sad

littlemisslost · 06/10/2010 19:13

Hi knickers, you'll have your work cut out starting at 1 Hmm but we will support you Grin welcome

Knickers0nMyHead · 06/10/2010 19:32

Oh I know, and I am dreading it!!!

Knickers0nMyHead · 06/10/2010 21:31

Added a photo of hin just incase anyone fancies a look!