New puppy thread part 2

[belindarose]

Previous thread too big for more messages! Amazing we have any time at all to post.
Wyrdmother, hopefully his tummy will be sorted soon then. Pop finally firming up here (sorry!) so I'm almost confident we can buy a huge bag of food. We still haven't offered much in the way of treats, just his normal kibble. Will need something more exciting for recall off the lead!

First puppy class last night went well. Got a babysitter so DH and I could both go. Makes it expensive but I really want him to feel involved as he's quite good at letting me do everything (and I'm quite good at taking over!). We all enjoyed it and pup showed off his 'sit' and 'wait' beautifully. His lead walking, however...! Oh well, lots to work on anyway. The other two puppies were much older, I think they'd mixed a couple of classes as people were away. We can't go next week but there are some younger puppies starting then. He fell asleep in the car on the way home and slept all night! Had to force him out to the loo.

Not sure how to get out for lead practice this week. DH working lates then away for the weekend. I can't walk with pushchair or free toddler. She'll have to go on my back in a sling I suppose, but can't in this foul weather! Or I'll have to force myself to get up in the mornings before DD wakes up. Just couldn't this morning!

Ooo i didnt think of bubbles. Bet my kids woukd love playing that with the pup

It's great. Some risk of them snapping at bubbles a bit close to DC'a faces though, so you have to manage where they all stand a bit.

Hi Guys (and alp and spam )
I ended up just lurking on the old thread in the end as I felt my pup didn't really qualify anymore, having got so big and sensible.
Ha! Not any more. He's 5 and a half months, and in the last few days has turned into a right lout. He's dreadful on the lead, pulling, biting and bouncing about, which he never used to do. He will walk to heel, if he's in the mood, but not at the moment. He's done two massive wees on the kitchen floor today, right in front of me looking at me whilst he did it!
And he now counter surfs! Yesterday he swiped a Tupperware box full of dog treats and polished off the whole lot! Today he's knocked the Nespresso machine onto the floor, spraying coffee dregs everywhere and smashing two expensive espresso cups.
We're going to have to re-puppy-proof the house!

Hi Everyone,
We're so excited; we've got our pup today. A Springer Spaniel! He's so lovely. He didn't wee on me in the car on a 2 hour journey home, and has eaten well, been lovely with DD's and not bothered the cats.

Can't sleep yet, I'm so excited. Both me and DP have grown up with dogs, so it's lovely to finally have one.

I'll be following with interest!

Oooh how exciting! There are a few fellow springer spaniel owners here (me being one!)

Sounds as if you are all doing great already!

Welcome to the thread

Been glad of pup's company since the kids went back to school and I'm stuck at home with a broken wrist.

She is currently curled up asleep on my lap whilst I MN. (She is not allowed on our laps at the table when DH or the kids are here but I sneak her up when they are gone )

Struggling with lead walking still - she pulls and pulls till she is panting. Stopping doesn't seem to work - she just pulls harder. Am keeping walks to a minimum until we sort it.

all going well here, had a really bad night before last as the polic helicopter was overheaad and eric kept barking for a lot of the night, seems to be clean in his crate at night now which is good.

I am also really glad of the dogs now the kids are at school they keep me busy.
cherry has a progress night at training next week which is bad as she seems to have taken a huge leap back since we got the pup and she is in tthe advanced class now so no chance of winning anything, mind you we have only ever got one rosette and been going since she was 12 weekss old. so my mission for this week is to find a way to train them seperatly.

how long after 2nd injections did people take their dogs out. is it supposed to be a week or 2 weeks? (I know the vet will tell me on tues)

I was told 1-2weeks by the vet so I asked my sister (also a vet) and she said the 1 week is because its so important to socialise them but the manufacturers recommend 2 weeks to cover themselves.

Hi everyone,I havn't posted for a while but have also been reading silently.Clam, your post made me laugh!.My cocker has discovered that he can jump up on the table and was caught eating dh's chicken noodle soup.We set a trap last night with some pizza [sprayed with the really nasty spray!].He still ate it![but looked very gookish for a while].I'm stuck on how to 'dissuade' him now.He also ate some salted dried plums and was pooping and weeing everywhere [not having had an accident for a while] and we couldn't understand why until we found the empty bag [and lots of plum stones in his poo].Finally we had a really long good walk the other day and he was perfectly behaved.Just as we got to the end cattle grid he saw some sheep and ran after them into the hills, with me frantically chasing him.10 minutes later i found him and called him, at which point he ran off again, knowing i was really cross.Eventually i had to say bye and start going home before he followed me and let me put the lead on.He has never chased sheep before!.Is this teenage shenanigans? or is thi just a sign that they are very confident and comfortable with their owners and are now displaying their real personalities.

hey all, hope you don't mind me joining in
we passed our home inspection yesterday so our lurcher puppy will be coming home when she is between 8 and 9 weeks old (she is 6 weeks at the mo).
dh and i went to vistit her today, she is so lovely, really cuddly and gave us lots of sloppy kisses, we took her some balls to play with which held her attention for about 2 mins but when we gave her a knot of newspaper she went mad, chasing it around and ripping it to shreds.
Although we both had dogs as kids this is our first family pet, she will be introduced to double trouble tomorrow, heaven help her they are very excited!!
Any tips from you experienced lot would be greatly received,
TIA

Congratulations twinmummy! I was ridiculously excited when I passed my homecheck. The lady left after the centre had stopped taking calls, so I was on the phone first thing the next morning, panicing someone else would have reserved my pup in the meantime lol.

Sorry though, no tips here, I still haven't a clue what I am doing

hello - can i join in? We have a nealry 5 month old beagle puppy. I am totally in love with her and I think she's pretty good. my DH though thinks she's awful and never imagined a puppy would be so much trouble!

We were warned that beagles are hard to train but so far she will sit and stay (for a little while!), lie down and (mostly) comes when she's called if there aren't too many distractions around.

I think that's pretty good. Although she does take absolutely everything outside that isn't nailed down - the telephone, remote control, clothes, oven gloves to name a few!

Oh and she LOVES children, which is essential in our house!

Anyone else have a beagle out there?

This thread has been a fantastic read. We took delivery of our Bernese Mountain Dog puppy this afternoon at 8 weeks old. He's christened the floor and is now fast asleep under the table. Can't believe how heavy he is already - we saw him at 6 weeks-and how big his feet are. This is my first dog, although my husband's had several. Will be picking up tips from all the puppy professionals on here!

Hi all, especially to all the oldies (Spam, Clam, Alp and Kings)!

Glad to see my old thread still going strong, and onto Mark 2! Was such a help when devil pup was young. Have lurked a bit on the old one, but life has been pretty full on so didn't get chance to read and post :o

Summer doing really well. No biting still, unless the DC's really work hard at winding her up. Still jumpy though. And now is so big! Looks like a dog, not a puppy! Just coming up to 5months. Can now reach the kitchen counter and swipe stuff, and get on kitchen table to snaffle at the fruit bowl, and anything else left. Has a very oops, sorry face when caught:o

Still pulling on the lead though-have tried stopping, but get nowhere and she just stands at full stretch.

Any tips for travel sickness though anyone? Summer has a vomit every time in the car-now runs back in the house when she thinks we're going in the car bless her, or spends the trip over salivating so when we get anywhere she is gunked with spit! Got to inlaws and she decided to get rid of the spit all over her by jumping in the fish pond :o Definitley a lab! Vet says we can do anti sick pills for big trips or a Valium as she's getting stressed, but these will obviously all zonk her out, so couldn't for example take her to local hills for a romp...

We've booked ours in to have the snip on Friday. Oh Lordie, he has no idea what's coming.
Despite having been very naughty this week, he was the star of puppy class this morning - last one of the series and has been 'promoted' to the next one up. Did everything well. Loves the off-lead romp at the end. There were 3 golden cockapoos there - triplets!

How's the weekend going for all you puppy owners? We're doing okay but DH is away again so another weekend on my own with toddler and pup. Everything's going well really, although sometimes it's a bit hard managing them both (eg, we just get outside for a play and DD decides she needs a poo so we traipse back in, put dog in crate with a chew and off upstairs to the potty. Where she decides she doesn't need one after all but does need 3 dozen stories before she comes back down again. Repeat throughout the day...). Pup is much easier to manage and doesn't complain!

I did my two full days back at work this week. Apart from getting up at 5.30 so pup could have some free time before DD got up and I had to get ready, it went well. Friend's DH, who just list his job, agreed to come round in the middle of the day for a bit. He brought his own dog and they played in the garden. He was perfectly happy to be left and fine on my return. No accidents, and no complaints from neighbours so I assume he was quiet!

I need some handholding for my next challenge though. Because DH has been working late/ away and we've got a 2 yo, we haven't managed walking far yet. He's a terrible puller and our trainer said to change direction each time he pulls. This is very sensible, but means a walk of 20 minutes takes up about 3 metres of space and we don' get anywhere. I can, however, do this with DD in a sling or while she's asleep (as it's literally just in front of the house). But I haven't dared go anywhere for off lead stuff and feel I really should have by now. Can anyone offer any reassurance? Partly it's to do with managing DD, but also worries about him not coming back and we haven't got the car cracked yet. He loves sitting with a passenger but I can't have him next to me while I drive as he leaps about. What do you all do in the car? Crate?

I need hand holding for my big challenge jough

Sorry for essay. And weird bit at the end!

Belinda, I am in the same position as you. Husband works away, so I am on my own with pup and kids, (I have 3) and back in work part time.

I have found that pup pulls much less when just with me, than he does when the kids are with us, probably because we walk slower when going at kid speed, and because he is distracted by them. I am trying to walk him alone as much as possible, so I can praise him and give treats for walking nicely, and he seems to be improving a bit. I know it's awkward, but could maybe the toddler go in a pushchair?

I find our pup is actually better off lead than on, and sticks quite close to me. If he goes too far, I call him back, and he races to me for a treat I was very nervous letting him off the first time, but a lovely man whose dog he was playing with persuaded me to give it a go. His logic being that if the dogs were playing together, and he called his back, mine would come too to carry on playing. I found though that even in the middle of a game, he came straight back to me

I have since done the same thing with a friends dog who will normally not come back, when I called mine, they came as a pair. Maybe you could try with your friends DH and their dog?

Oh, and for the car, I have taken the parcel shelf out, and he goes in the boot which is lined with a blanket.
He hated the car at first so I made lots of very short journeys, with the kids singing to him so he knew he was not alone (The puppy in the bus goes Woof woof woof being a favourite).
He now knows car = walk so loves it.
I lift him in, tell him sit, and he waits for me to shut the boot. We have a Picasso though, so plenty of room for him, it may now work with a smaller car.

Thanks, tooearly (always is!). Can't imagine managing with three kids and a puppy! Sort of why we're getting the puppy bit out of the way now, I suppose. I'll try the off lead tomorrow with my friend, I think. Two toddlers, but two of us to catch! Pushchair not an option really as DD so resistant to it, I'd have one screaming and one pulling! And wouldn't be able to change direction with the pushchair.
Will try the boot of the car. Could practise on the drive with DD. Thanks again.

Good plan. I find even with my youngest walking at a snails pace, if pup is off lead he will run back and fro, and in circles round us, so wears himself out and its a lot less stressful

Hello All!

Good weekend here - pup is growing fast and turning into a good pet to have about the house. She is not leaping and biting at all anymore and can even cope when my 2 yr old tries to cuddle her

Belindarose - trying to walk/train with a 2 yr old is v.hard work! I don't let DS out of pushchair when dog is on lead as I can't control either of them!

I found that walking round the garden getting pup to walk well round there was a helpful start as I could work out my technique and pup knew what she should be doing without too many distractions.

We have always let her off the lead too - we have a 4m piece of cord that we hook round her collar and drags behind her. It gives me something to grab onto/ stand on when others are walking past as well as a bit of extra confidence I am more confident letting her off leads in the woods - the playing fields seem too much of expanse of open space!

We have a whistle to call her back with which she really responds to. I send my 8 year old off to hide behind trees and blow whistle and pup runs to find her. Gives DD as bit of responsibility too

We have a crate for the car as we were having disasters without. Luckily my mum had a spare so we are using that. We started by building up slowly, first in the car crate with a kong just on drive, then switch engine on, then short journey etc etc building up.

Good luck all

Sorry typing on phone so all a bit haphazard!

I can't wait to be able to take Barney out for walks. Just under 2 weeks to go!

Things are getting better here. He doesn't bark as much when left alone and last night he slept from 11pm under 6.40 am. I was actually up before him!

As they get older and can hold their wee for longer, they sleep later. Ours used to wake for a wee at around 5.30 . Now it's more like 7.30, although now we're all back at work/school we're up before that, which wakes him. He's not particularly desperate to go outside even then though, and prefers to have his breakfast and then go.

Hello, I posted ages ago when we'd just brought home our border terrier puppy at 7 weeks (she'll amazingly be 14 weeks tomorrow) because of her biting and nipping feet. Am happy to say she's now MUCH better mainly due to careful but well aimed use of a plant water sprayer on her back when she went for the lunge. She'll still at times look too interested in feet, but knows now to back off. We start puppy class tonight and I'm so excited! Am fully expecting puppy carnage, but she can sit, do down and when she feels like it and there's nothing interesting around come when called. The old thread was so great at calming me down, because at one point, I really thought we wouldn't be able to keep her because of the biting, especially because we live on a school site as my DH is a teacher.

One odd thing, though if I can put it out...has anyone else's puppy's ears suddenly flopped down/gone bit odd? I've been told this is because they are starting to teethe and the calcium/cartiledge energy that is used to hold up ears is now being deployed to the tooth/jaw area? Is that true? Any thoughts gratefully received, because although cute, right now, she looks like she has sticky-out Ewok ears ! Thanks!