New puppy thread, where new puppy owners can come for help and advice and hopefully clever people like minimu, midori et al will check regularly (please) to help us...

[Happymm]

Exactly what it says on the tin really. Kings idea, that we have a thread where we can all come and ask for help, advice, support or just to vent and that the much more experienced people will come and help us out :)

I think it must be very difficult to manage a puppy and young DC; mine are old enough to be helpful and are also at school all day. I can't even imagine what it must be like to have to protect littlies from a nippy pup or to keep pup away from toys etc.

In those circumstances I certainly don't think that anyone should feel guilty about using a crate or playpen for more hours than might be ideal, or for using kennels/dog walkers, or for taking a dog-free holiday. I think we are all trying to do everything perfectly, but need to cut ourselves some slack and do whatever it takes to get through the grim puppy weeks/months with our sanity intact . I am just holding on to the fact that people like daisy, and all of my friends with dogs, keep telling me that it will be worth it in the end!

Mine did something new today - barked because someone walked past outside. This is worrying because we have a public footpath running along three sides of our house/garden, so lots of people walk past during the course of a day. Until now she has only barked once or twice if someone actually opened the gate, and stopped once I greeted them. I've already googled for advice and everything I've read suggests that it is very difficult to get them to stop barking at passers by. Hope it was a one-off! And maybe passer-by was an actual axe murderer or something, and thus deserved to be seen off [clutches at straws]?

Clam, I've booked a couple of nights in a dog-friendly hotel next week and am similarly concerned about barking, poo/wee accidents and chewing carnage. We are only popping to visit family, and I thought it would be a good practice for a future longer holiday...am now feeling very anxious about it! Am sure will all be fine [repeats to self ad infinitum].

Oh my gosh ... You are all going to LOVE THIS!!!! I just visited my doctor and he is putting me on VALIUM!!!!!!!

I'm laughing, but I am looking forward to getting a good night's sleep!

Oh my, Stressed, hope you're OK...have a good night's sleep,x

Am on countdown until we go away on hols. Pup going back to breeder. Am so hoping that 2wks there will be the making of her...they obviously have Summer's mum and her brother there. They also have a young black lab! Will be a busy house dog wise! She will have a ball am sure. They are heavily into training so hope they can sort her out...she'll certainly be tired out! :o

Think with all this though, have definitely decided that our holidays will all be dog free, just so we'd get a break, and be able to just focus on the DC.

Trying not to be so miserable about it all today. She hasn't been as bad. DH says my voice is too high, so have been using my butch voice on her-DC's find it v funny, with mummy and her deep voice :o Hope you're OK Kings, we seem to be on the same journey here-though not moving to far east!

Thanks for coming back Daisy, a voice of calm reason, rather than my shouty one or my new butch one! :o

How is everyone doing today? Better, I hope?

The Valium has worked wonders ... I'm not kidding!!! As I was in the middle of a panic attack in my doctors office yesterday, my blood pressure and pulse were skyrocketing ... I was crying my eyes out ... I was a mess talking about how awful things were and not with the dog ... With the kids!!!! they were stressing me out more! Took one last night, still woke up at2am, but no nausea or clamminess or racing heart and the rest of the day has been MELLOW!!!! Woohoooooo!!!! he pup even has a major loose poo accident in his crate overnight ... Didn't phase me ... Just cleaned it up and got on with it. now DH is about to go over the edge and I'm not sharing my medicine!!!!

Clam, lovely time here had a great walk with pups this evening, she was absolutely manic - ran like a loon for 40 mins she really needed it. Now fast asleep looking angelic - she bloody stinks though as she kept wading in rancid water oh and the farting....not noticed before the last couple of days but they are hideous!

She is going away for the night on Saturday. My very dear friend is looking after my daughter and Maggie overnight. Friend has an adorable huge British Bulldog who is soft as butter and very patient with Maggie who just bloody yaps and yaps and yaps at him, she climbs all over him and generally is annoying. However he loves a play with her and completely knows when his weight/size is too much, he has occasionally knocked her slightly and the minute he has done this he stops dead still and waits until she is off tearing around again - he is so so lovely :) He is 7 stone and she is about 10lbs

Tried to get a harness for her but the X small is too small and the small is too big - she managed to walk herself out of it! thankfully we were still indoors. So having to put up with collar/lead and choking however she is improving slightly and daughter is really working on teaching her.

I just need to start considering other transport options - what do you all do? My pup is little so sits on a lap or in the footwell of the car for five minute journeys, but when she is stinky and wet this is not ideal, my lovely car is always covered in sand and dirt. I have a Golf which means that a lot of the dog crates are too big for the boot and also sit below the lip of the hatchback. I can put her travel crate in but need to put the seats down and also have to drag it across the already down seats to get the door open and get her out. Even the small crate nearly fills my boot but she is so small that she needs something a lot smaller - any ideas?

Stressed that sounds good! I think calmness will ease any situation with animals and children, they all really pick up on your nerves/stress levels and react. The calmer you are the better the househould is IMVHO.

Also I forgot to say my pup's size re the travelling, she is about 12 inches high and will probably only reach about 14-15 inches at full height. I was thinking of one of the softer nylon type temporary kennels?

spam I got one of the car harnesses from Pets@Home. You need a degree in origami to get it on him, but he's as good as gold once done and just lies down on the seat and snoozes. If he gets wet/muddy though, will need some sort of seat protector/towel underneath though.

Stressed-will you share with me?

Devil pup just will not stop biting me did get cross with her tonight and tapped her nose with my finger. She just gets beside herself and winds herself up and tries to bite bite bite!

Aaaaaaaaaaaargh!

You Ok Kings? Xxx

Hi everyone! Sorry for radio silence today - just been v busy and bloody typing in my iPhone is starting to do my head in a hope our new modem arrive soon. On my own again tonight as husband out with work but have been feeling more positive again. I know he'll be great eventually, he has actually been really good the past few days, and it has been a bad few weeks with other stuff too and bad weather isn't helping etc. Also am going to leave him tomorrow for about 3 hours so will see how that goes. Think I might stop feeling guilty as I need the break!

Also been chatting to other dog owners in the park and they all independently thought he was older than he was (5-6 months) because of how he acted etc so he can't be that bad (I hope!) and they all said the chewing calms down a lot when adult teeth come. And jumping and biting too. They do calm down, or learn the park is for being mad! The first few months are tough apparently. Don't we know it!

Have stopped feeling guilty about putting him in pen. I let him out and if he chews everything and my daughter can't play I put a lead on him and if I get fed up of that or he is still trying to dash around I then put him in pen.

Happy - thank you for checking up on me and sorry your pup is driving you mad... I do honestly have times when I want to scream at him and send him back but seem to have slightly come our of my deep low!

Stressed - gosh Valium?! Poor you. Hope all a bit better. I bought some when I was travelling in Vietnam for long journeys on buses etc - they're great! . Send some over here will you?

Hope everyone else well.

Spam - we also have a clix puppy harness for the car - clips into seatbelt buckle. Still loads of room on body (we have xs and puppy weighs just under 5kg - apparently sizes come up big) but head getting a hit tricky to get on over snapping jaws!

Hi, not been on for a while, had a busy week. Organising a fun day in the park tomorrow and as usual have bitten off more than I can chew (as it were!!). My little dark destroyer is giving us highs and lows still. Been to 2 lots of training classes this week and she was wonderful. Bright, lively, coping really well and really working her little socks off. At home the biting continues. Today been horrible, she seems to have gone back to the leaping at us and biting. Especially bad with the kids when they are sat on the sofa.

Somone at dog training suggested a water pistol for the biting. Have yet to get a small one that I can keep to hand but am going to give it a go. It certainly worked today when DD was playing in the garden with her. She wouldn't leave her toy so as DS's water pistol was lying on the table as DD said leave, I squirted her . She dropped toy immediately, DD said good girl, then threw the toy which she went after. We repeated it a few times and she was lovely. Enjoyed the throw fetch game and on third time immediately dropped the toy on leave and happily waited for it to be thrown again. Maybe it will work with the biting in the house. Just think DS's huge 'soaker' gun may be a tad OTT for the house! She will also be going to stay with a puppy boarder when we go on holiday for 2 weeks. Have my supervisors coming next week so will have a more in depth chat with them again about her behaviour. Sigh.....

Wags, your pup and problems are so like mine. Will await with bated breath your next lot of tips! Getting quite desperate. V fed up with it tbh....

Spam - we also have a car harness for shorter journeys, but a crate in the boot for longer or muddy journeys. Have a look at this company - they only sell crates/cages and have a big range. The Ferplast 80 fits in the boot of my little Yaris perfectly, and the boot stays mud-free because the crate is fully enclosed.

I'm sorry some of you are still struggling with the biting; since ours bit the groomer a couple of weeks ago she has been a million times better. I wonder what magic strategy the groomer used!? Or maybe I was so mortified that I have been super strict since then? Not sure!

Anyway it's the last day in school so have mixed feelings about the holidays this year - pup is always more excitable when the DC are around. I've booked her into kennels on Saturday so that we can go to the cinema and for pizza, and think this will probably be a weekly thing for now

Wow ... I actually slept all night!!! First time in 2 weeks!!! I was on my own with him last night as DH had a dinner with his staff from England. H head his time out moments, but once I put him down for the night, he was great.

Ok ... On to a new day!

Hi, I am getting a lab puppy in a few weeks time. Can I check with you guys what I will need, and what is recommended by pet shops but not actually any use at all.

Just typed a long reply to you alow on my PC where all the keys keep sticking, but the sodding thing has just wiped it all off! Will try again later!

Alow - you'll need nerves of steel and a stash of tranquilisers going by this thread! Sorry not very helpful I know, but I think this thread has been invaluable in showing what the reality of having a pup can be like, and should be compulsory reading for prospective owners.

Happymmm, are you due to be having any more contact with the behaviourist? Have you been in touch with the breeder for some support? Really feel for you, you're obviously getting to the end of your tether.

I knew going into this that my life was going to be turned upside down ... But knowing beforehand and then the reality of it all ... Oh vey!!!! going wee and poo outside DOES NOT COME NATURALLY TO DOGS. cats are so much easier. I've read many boards and this one allows us to tell it like it is without judgement, which I love.

this dog, coupled with 3 kids who have no clue how to act around a puppy, in spite of them whining about wanting a puppy SO BAD!!!!!!! and then them not wanting anything to do with him because of his puppiness drove me to insomnia, dry heaves, panic attacks and not being able to get a darn thing done because all I did was stress about the dog ... Thank god for Valium ... Sad ... Having a puppy has turned my life inside out so badly that I need happy tabs to get through the day. I've never felt such stress in my life ...

But that being said and now that I'm more settled down, things ARE improving. I'm more settled, which is key ... Do whatever you need to do to settle yourself down. Realize the first weeks are going to be heck ...

It also doesn't help that we are having a horrible heatwave ... Heat index of 113 degrees F right now ... And it's going to be this way for another week. pup hates going weepoo outside ... Sigh.

Betty, you're right, I am...
It's the biting that I find really really hard. Even in the evenings, she just won't settle unless tethered to the sofa leg with a chew. Otherwise she's constantly jumping up snapping and biting at me.
She also jumps and bites the DC, which causes me untold anxiety and stress. Feel I have to watch constantly. It's not fair on the DC as get a bit stressy with them now too.
She's 15wks now, and should be at least getting the message a bit....:(
She's taken to barking at other dogs too...why?
Have chatted several times with behaviourist. Going to phone breeder tomorrow. She's going to the breeders next week for 2weeks whilst we're on holiday. Am seriously hoping she comes back a changed dog, else she's going to have to go back permanently. I can't face this going on and on really. She gives me absolutely no pleasure whatsoever. :(

Happymm I am so disappointed to hear that your pup is still getting you down. It might not be much help but there were many dogs older than yours at puppy training who were still jumping and biting so its not just you! I got jumped up at and scratched on the arm by someone elses pup!

Been a bit busy to sit and update our progress but things are going OK. I still feel a bit confinded to our living/kitchen area as we don't want pup having full run of house and having to catch dog, put in utility room each time I need to put something back/go to loo/chage a nappy ettc gets a bit boring!

I have noticed that she has moments when the biting starts its almost like she is having a tantrum at not being played with or if I start to try and play with my DS - I try to forsee this happening but its hardwork! I also must try to timetable in some time to actually play with my DS and his toys as we tend to hang out in garden etc with pup rather than sit and play so I hope he doesnt feel too neglected as it has been a lot of pup,pup,pup focus.

Puppy trainign classes are going well apart from tonight when pup was wired and not really behaving! I bought some new fish4dog treats and she loves them so kept jumping up for them where as i think the dry kibble-y type ones are good enough but dont' make her feel desparte for them.

It was heel work class tonight.........mmmmmm.......this looks like its going to be harder than sit especially as we've been doing everything worng so far

Stressed You are having a hard time! Keep focussed on the end goal of a well behaved dog!! We will all get there, but when youve cleared the 3rd lot of wee up in a day its hard not to open the front door and say "run quick!"

I decided to keep our dog on Burns as her poops got more solid, but a massive garden centre near us sells every type of dog food including the one that Kingsroadie recommended so I have somewhere to nip to if I decide to change and need a small pack to try. Plus its open on a sunday so any emergency dog food that needs to be bought can be got at!

Hope tonight and tomorrow goes well for you all

Ah yes, I now remember reading that she's back to the breeders for your holiday. Hopefully that may turn her round then. I'm sorry I've no advice...my only puppy came to us when I was 12yrs old so it's sort of lost in the mists of time, do remember she was chewy but not constantly snapping like yours. Our current dog was 4yrs when we got him and hasn't snapped once even when the dc have fallen on him by accident.

What about shouting out to Minimu for some additional advice? It is a worry for you as obviously she's only going to get bigger over the next few months. You must enjoy your holiday and forget about the dog as much as possible.

Stresseddogmommy - good that the meds are doing the trick. I could do with some to deal with the dc!

Sorry, don't know why I mentioned our dog never having snapped...a trained adult dog of 4+ years is a totally different kettle of fish to a pup.

Aargh, meant stressedpuppymom.

I know this has been said before but it's pretty frustrating when you think they're over certain behaviour, and then up it pops again.
Ours hasn't done a poo indoors (other than overnight in the kitchen) for weeks. This morning, DD took him out after breakfast at 6.30, he did one, she came back upstairs for a shower and he did another, HUGE one on the dining room carpet!!
That was a nice start to the day. He's almost 16 weeks. Why???