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 :)

Bucking like crazy on the lead again.

Doing well with sit, trying to do down, but just rolls on to her back fir a tummy tickle.

Was a bit mad this pm, jumping up and trying to get the beef joint-was lovely, so can't blame her, but also jumped up at DD when she was eating crisps. Got big telling off, and a while after that have put her in her crate to have a kip and a calm down. With the DC here all day when not at school I have to force her to rest...

Just been out and bought a safety car harness. Unfortunately, can't make head or tail of how to put it on or adjust it!

Well, we've just made our first house-call! He had a blast! One tiny weeing accident in the kitchen which we'll gloss over, and polished off SIL's dog's dinner when he'd paused for a rest mid-scoff, but apart from that, fine. Spent most of the time careering round the garden with his "cousin."
Took him out this evening for his first walk round the block on the lead. No pulling or dragging, not fussed about traffic. Brilliant.
Please forgive the boasting, but this is the first opportunity I've had to brag!

That's great Clam. Well done.

We can't take Koda out yet, but have started socialising him with friend's dogs. He is really good at wearing his collar, but I haven't tried him with the lead yet.

Great thread! I now have four dogs, having stupidly kept a pup back from my working cocker spaniel's litter 11 weeks old now. You would think i'd know better ....lovely pup, but mum (whistle trained perfect gundog) has now mutated into the teenage mum from hell, totally disobedient, and plays with pup 24/7 unless I split them up! Pup would be getting much more training if I wasn't constantly on watch for mum's influence... also Pup has fantastic recall for me, and zilch for all other family members: she just runs away and goes la la la la if anyone else tries to call her in. WTF? . Anyone have good advice about running a pup on with mum? i'd really appreciate hearing it!

No advice, sounds like you are a nutter dog lady!!! :o

Clam, am so jealous! Second jab tomorrow, but needs 3 as our vet does a different type of jab to the previous vet. However, they think we could still go for careful walks in a wks time, as long as not heavily dog populated area. Can't wait to try Summer outside! Though currently walking in the garden with the lead does not go well! Still bucking like a bronco :o

Summer's breeders kept a dog back from her litter, taking their total. They were going to keep Summer too but gave her up with a few tears.

Taking their total to 4 that should have been :)

A perfect whistle trained dog! Oh my goodness I am in awe

I am hoping that as our pup (9wk old springer) is from working-gun dog stock (not sure if right expression but it works!) that she has the potential to be obedient!

No advice on pup/mum relations but any training tips would be great

Hi everyone - have been a bit AWOL the past few days as we had to go abroad to a wedding - which meant poor puppy was left with a lovely family who look after dogs and have their own etc. I obv would rather not have left him but these weddings are obv things we can't miss - have another next weekend too.

Had a lovely break but as a result I have now got a lunatic puppy on my hands who is going mad, barking a lot in playpen, barking in crate again, was up at 5:30 (they got up then so he got used to it), isn't behaving very well at all and did a protest poo on the back door mat when I had to go upstairs. It's quite annoying as I think they didn't put him in the crate to sleep except at night so he has got out of the habit again. Puppy class tonight - great - not sure am looking forward to that with my annoying non-listening puppy. What the nipping is going to be like today I cannot say! All the hard work for nothing (I realise it's our own fault for having to go away) and we'll have to do it again this weekend! Perhaps we need to look for a dogsitter who won't get up at 5:30 and might keep a bit more to our routine for next time!

We are actually allowed for walks as of this week so I might brave that today! Although might not let off lead as he has been away for a few days and wouldn't vouch for his recall again yet - we have a very long training lead so can use that though.

Happy - it really does sound like we have the same pup and v frustrating after all the hard work we put in. Mine gets v excited when he sees new people and I am so strict on the nipping and jumping and I just don't know when it's going to get any better - we named him a croccobat last night as he was insane. I do think he was better before we left him (by no means perfect though) and that has faded to a distant memory. ARGH.

Hope everyone else well and sorry for massive me me me post!

Think we do have the same spiritual puppy Kings. Sorry things going hard for you too. Am more than a little fed up. Summer just will not stop biting and nipping. Only so much positive training can do, has been getting a few shouty NO's. Has ripped several of DD's tops on the back, where DD has turned her back to ignore her, then she jumps and bites her back!

When I try and do lead work, walking round the garden, when is she's not bucking, she's jumping up and biting my hand for treats. Am going to have to not treat I think, and go with praise instead.

Had jab today, went sweet as a nut. Needs another in two wks though as our vet uses different stuff though.

Oh boo Happy - do you immediately remove her and put in playpen/room when she bites? Like time out? So that she learns that one bite = no play temporarily? Sure you do!

Ours is okay although has been pretty excitable today. We went for our first walk! And I let him off the lead and he was fine. It was really nice and a positive after a night of more negative and a 5:30 wake up - did put him back til 8am with kong though...Think he will maybe regress he first night/day back and hopefully settle into it again. We're not planning on leaving him again after this weekend until another wedding in September!

The teething will just take time I suppose but still coming down on him like a tonne of bricks at the moment and will keep doing so until it abates...

Happy - how old is your pup? Ours is 10wks now and still nipping. DD has ripped tops and I have holey trousers from the little teeth hanging on. I have done a few shouting NO which doesn't help but relieves a bit of stress.

Ours is 11 weeks tmrw (think Happy similar?) and still going strong on the nipping if I don't stop him. Which I do. Constantly. DULL!

She is 11wks tomorrow-snap Kings!

Am really angry with her now. Have put her in her crate. She's just bitten DD badly enough to bruise her and bleed, on her face :(

Haven't used time out before now, as she's stopped biting once I've been firm with her. I find it really hard to deal with the biting, and won't tolerate her biting the DC at all. :(

So we are all at the same stage our pup is 10wks tomorrow!

DS has a scratch on his face from a nip

She seems to be less nippy with me as I tend to react straight away but the kids seem to be fair game iykwim.

Having said that she has just launched herself at my leg!

Don't want to be a drama queen , but think I may get in a trainer to do some one to one work now, before things get worse. Just in case I'm doing anything wrong. Want to help sort our situation out now rather than later when she's bigger. Also we can't do puppy school till sept.

Anyone have any recommendations in Worcestershire (obv asking minimu this one!)

I think that sounds like a good idea, re: the trainer. You need to get this one sorted if she's drawing blood!
Why can't you do puppy school til September though? I vaguely recall you saying something about being away in Aug, but what about now? Aren't there any other schools you could make a start on? For instance, I've heard lots of people say that you have to wait for a new course to start, but I managed to find one where you can join in at any point, and do your 10 weeks on a step-on-step-off basis. So different puppies in the class will be at different stages but it still works. And this particular puppy one runs Saturday or Sunday morning, so if you can't make one of those days one week, you can switch to the other day. As it's unlikely for may people to be able to commit to 10 weeks solid without other commitments, that flexibility is useful. And if you're away on holiday, you pick up again as soon as you're back with the next session on your own sequence.
I'm in Herts, but surely other schools must run something similar elsewhere???

That sounds like a good idea Clam, will have a look around for other puppy classes. The one we're signed up to is a kennel club approved one locally. Only do 10pups at a time, hence the wait. There's no vacancy next month and we're away for two weeks in august.

We have been socialising her loads, been on the school run three times, and behaved like a model puppy. Let everyone pet her, nearly 600kids and adults of varying shapes and sizes without even a lick, just an interested tail wag. Also have carried her to the park to watch kids playing football, been to the train station etc etc, and nothing seems to phase her. Even DH walking past her nose with the lawn lower at full throttle!

Going to find a trainer too. Must stop the biting. DD's wound is quite a deep puncture wound:(

Just walked her round the garden on her lead, I bought her a new squeaky fish which I gave her to hold in her mouth as we walked, didn't stop her jumping up at me but did stop her snapping and biting, as didn't want to let go of the fish! Did pull loads though!

Happy sorry to hear of the biting troubles. I think (touch a lot of wood) ours may not be quite as bad anymore so hopefully we are getting somewhere.

She might be a lot better on the lead when out and about properly you know? Ours wasn't great inside - often chewing although had been working with him not to and to heel - but today outside he was absolutely fine. Too much distraction I think! Right - off to puppy class now - report back later...

Is there a dog in the world who goes out on walks and doesn't even think of doing a wee or a poo?
Is my dog a weirdo?

Hi Alp, yes I have two fully whistle trained working breeds and its great. (the terrier is something else though, but thats a whole other chapter ). So basically yes, it can be done. Find a good trainer who is used to gundog breeds and they will show you the ropes. `i can walk my two off the lead in a busy High Street and they will walk to heel and sit and wait by a shop without moving until released. It did take a long period of regular training to achieve, though. Re the nipping, I would say this is because your pup didnt learn manners from mum when with the other puppies. This is a crucial time when puppies learn to inhibit their bite, and mum will tell them off forcibly if they don't! Your pup is trying to play with the dcs and has NO idea how to go about it. A few suggestions for rules over the next 4-6 weeks: 1) NO treat training as a rule; just use loads and loads of fuss when you get a result. 2) supervised time with dcs ONLY when pup has already had a run. No chasing, no running etc. Pop pup on a lead the first few times so you can give him a firm tug if he jumps up. NO screechy voices from dcs, only gentle voices. Keep the pup seperates from the Dcs at ALL times when you are not there to directly supervise. This will teach the pup that his place in the pack is belwo that of the kids. Do not smack the pups nose if he nips as this will lead to fear aggression. Firmly move his mouth away with a firm NO. If he gets really out of order (and I do mean really) then quickly and firmly pin him to the ground by the scruff of his neck and wait until he goes limp and passive, This will not hurt him; it is the equivalent of the parent scruffing him when he gets out of hand. Your pup has not had much discipline in the litter, so it is up to you to teach him what is and is not allowed in your house. Dont despair; if you are patient he will reward you with beautiful behaviour eventually!

Thank you for those ideas. Think you are probably right about the mum not teaching them, as every time I visited, mum was in a different room and the pups were all in a pen in the kitchen, so bit of a free for all. In their defence it was a massive litter of 12pups so a little uncontrollable I think

Have been clicker training her the last couple of wks so will sit, and stay for me to walk away a couple of steps then rewarding her with a click and a treat. Will cease treating and just give her praise and a cuddle.

Was treating for walking on the lead, but ceased that as she was jumping up and biting my hand!

I don't smack her at all. Just shout no or ow. She stops for a moment, then just comes back for more until she does get out of order, so will try the scruff of the neck thing. TBH she goes mad whether she's had a run round the garden, training session or anything.

Currently looking angelic, snoring half in and half out of her bed in the sitting room :)

12 pups ? Definitely the problem, then. That is too big a litter for any mum to discipline on her own, so it sounds as though your pu had little or none. Dont despair, you can do it now! Just be very firm, from tomorrow. I know lots of people swear by clicker training but to be honest, I have learnt that if you are firm and consistent and the pup respects you, your voice and hand signals work quickly and well. You may be doing much too much lead work with the pup (I may have got the age wrong) at this stage. I would focus more on something like teaching a retreive, which uses up intelligence and energy, rather than lead work, which means that the pup needs a 'let down' play time afterwards. Does that make sense?

(Updated my profile pics)