Is there a new puppy thread?

[FiveHoursSleep]

If not, could this be one, please?
We have just agreed to offer a home to a 6 week old GSD x collie? pup whose mum was rescued from an Irish dog pound.
We pick him up in a couple of weeks. Time to drag out the crate and chew toys...
He's living in a kennel atm with his mum and siblings so we''l be starting from the top when it comes to toilet training too.
Who else has new puppies and what stage are you up to with them?

[tabulahrasa]

I'm having to get a new jacket for my birthday, I forgot that I haven't walked outside since I didn't have a dog, lol.

Today's argument is clearly going to be whether tiny dogs belong on the couch or not, he's worked out how to get on it and thinks it's great, I say he's going to be 8 or 9 stones and there's no chance.

[doublemocha]

Lord I know - the temptation to curl up on the sofa with a 8 week old puppy will be great, but a fully grown Vizsla... mmmm.

Actually, we are hoping to have a couple of no go areas in addition to the sofas. Upstairs and the dining room. Our friends have managed this really well by being firm and consistent. What about everyone else? Am I just kidding myself?!

[poobum5]

double. when we got our rescue dog who was 6 months old we still had the baby gate at bottom of stairs. she just never went upstairs, then when gate came down she never really tried to and when she did was easily disuaded with a quick "no"
the rescue that we fostered that came to us when we had no gate up was a different matter! He was always escaping upstairs and causing havoc. (then again he was totally bonkers!)
But I do think that if you can be very careful to stop them ever being able to get upstairs form the beginning they learn pretty quick.
I am considering a baby gate across the stairs for a bit when we get our puppy actually until he gets the idea that upstairs is a no go area.

[FiveHoursSleep]

Our lurcher is allowed on the sofa (s- supposedly we have a dog sofa and non dog sofa but she takes no notice of this), so I guess the puppy will get up there too.
We have a no dogs on beds rule though.

[fanoftheinvisibleman]

Our kitchen doesn't have a door on into the hallway so I am using the crate sideways across it to block access to the hall and stairs. He is allowed in the kitchen, conservatory and living room (supervised!).

Ds is allergic to dogs which is what made us look at Border Terriers in the first place. He spent a lot of time with puppies and mum before we committed but I want to keep him out of bedrooms just in case. I'm afraid I'm allowing the sofa though. Our old cat always took residence up there before we lost him so it doesn't really bother me.

I've dug out an old coat for dog walking and to be fair it's lovely. It's from my pre dc days when I could still afford to discard £150 coats after one winter!

I bet you're excited about your Border Collie Poobum5, more lovely dogs.

Was pleasantly surprised last night. Popped him in his crate and didn't get a peep out of him. He was the last to leave though and had been on his own since sunday. He slept in his crate happily whilst I did school walk and has managed some wees and poos outdoors, so far so good!

[tabulahrasa]

I have no issues with dogs on other people's furniture, it's not a 'dogs shouldn't be on the couch' thing - I just don't have room for an adult dog up there and I'm trying to just never let him up there so it isn't an issue later.

He, however seems fairly adamant that that is where he should be, lol.

He's currently not allowed upstairs, but he will be when he's bigger, housetrained and less of a holy terror chewy. I've got a door that stops him though.

[FiveHoursSleep]

The kids think we are picking the pup on Sunday but actually I'm driving up to get him tomorrow.
Trying to work out what we need...

[fanoftheinvisibleman]

Ahh I bet you're so excited fivehoursleep! The kids will be in for a nice surprise then.

[FiveHoursSleep]

I'm excited and terrified at the same time. My youngest is just about off to school so life was going to get a lot easier. There goes that plan!

[doublemocha]

I think that's fab FiveHoursSleep, really tempted/been considering to do this myself when we pick up our puppy. Might give the puppy a bit of settling in time before the kids get back too. Good luck!

[tabulahrasa]

Are you going to try and keep him to yourself till Sunday? lol

[fanoftheinvisibleman]

I know what you mean about excited and terrified at the same time fivehoursleep, that's how I felt last weekend.

I know it's early days and we will have our moments but it has been much better than I'd expected so far. He hasn't fussed at all at night yet (touch wood) and is managing to toilet outside mostly and is also using puppy pads indoors if not. He's still having the odd accident but has 'asked' to go out a few times too so I am so pleased at second full day in.

He's such a happy little chap too. He is obviously happy to be in his crate as he taken himself off there to sleep twice today too.

Good luck tomorrow.

[ijustwant8hours]

Hi, anyone want to offer some moral support?! I am 5 days into puppy ownership, he is lovely and sweet but he keeps going bonkers with nipping and going for peoples feet and legs, the kids are terrified of him and dont help as their first instinct is to run(i have told them not to until I am blue in the face!) he is only 9 weeks old and I know it will improve but my goodness my patience is being tested!

I also think I may have messed up by trying to teach him a "leave it" command by luring him away with a treat as I am sure that he is now tugging at my trousers to make me tell him to stop so he can get some cheese....

Also i read somewhere that I shouldn't crate him until he is 12 weeks, has anyone heard that?

Thanks!

[fanoftheinvisibleman]

Hi Ijustwant8hours. I've got a piranha puppy too when it comes to feet! It's worse with ds too as he darts around so quickly

I have finally got ds to stand still and shout me rather than shrieking and dancing about. He usually let's go if I clap and shout his name. I do the loud 'ow' and turn my back on him. He has tried divebombing my ankles but he gets bored quickly if I stay statue still.

Their teeth are like pins though aren't they? What breed is yours?

[doublemocha]

You can also 'time out' them for nipping I think, by putting them in another room (not their crate), they hate being away from you so will get the message eventually.

Gwen Bailey's book recommends directing their biting onto soft toys, plus what fanoftheinvisibleman said too!

From what I read, it's patience and persistence with nipping as it's all part of normal puppy behaviour and all about learning bite inhibition.

Never had a dog but can't you tell I have been reading?!!

[ijustwant8hours]

Hi, thanks both. I think my main problem is that if I stand still he just seems to think "wow easy target" and really starts to go for it! He is a border terrier - he definitely has that terrier thing going on. Other than luring with cheese the only way i can get him off is to pick him up, and then he often growls and tries to go for my hands! What have you got fan?

I'm trying to work on bite inhibition with my hands (ow!). I am not sure who thought it was a good idea to breed dogs with sharks!

Mmmm maybe if we all wear our wellies all the time the kids wouldnt feel so exposed and he wouldnt be able to get a grip.....

[tabulahrasa]

Mine went extra demented for wellies when we had a visitor turn up in them, lol

[fanoftheinvisibleman]

Mine is a Border Terrier too. I can definitely see the terrier chase instinct in him and I swear he's as sharp as a pin. He's already worked out that if I'm swiping a toy around on the floor and he wants to grab it that the most effective way is to immobilise my hand!

Ours is just about 9 weeks too.

[FiveHoursSleep]

Can you try teaching him a useful command like' sit' when he's going for your ankles, then giving him a controlled game with a soft toy instead?
I'm going to see if I can get the puppy home before the kids get home from school so it's a surprise for them. Then we have the whole weekend to settle in as a family- fingers crossed.

[lunareef]

We've had our pup for nearly a week, feels like longer she has settled in really well apart from the howling and pining at night time. Goes on for about half an hour. Neighbours are going to love us.
She nips feet too. When she does it I give her one of her own toys to chew, she even has a stuffed dog toy to wrestle with.
Of course my kids want to be chased but hate the claws and teeth when she catches them up. It's so hard to tell them otherwise as they just don't listen. Pup is a diamond when the kids are at school. Doing really well with toileting outside. She's 8 weeks old today.

[FiveHoursSleep]

We have the pup home. The Lurcher wasn't keen at first but she's happier now. The kids are happy enough so far, he's had a wee (inside), a poo (outside) and a couple of sessions in his crate. God knows what we are going to do with him tonight....

[fanoftheinvisibleman]

Good luck tonight five hours. You might be lucky and get one like ours who likes his sleep.

Can I ask what peoples thoughts are on swapping foods? I've made an almighty error with mine. It was done with the knowledge that doing it once would probably mean doing it forever but he prayed on my weakness...not eating!

He'd picked with food from the start and on second day he turned down two meals on the trot so I ended up putting a tiny bit of chopped chicken in there. You can guess how that went can't you! He now looks expectantly at his bowl without budging at all till I start dropping tiny bits of chicken in. He's on Eukanuba at the moment but I'm scared of upsetting his tummy. The chicken itself isn't a huge problem as I cook it at least every 2 or 3 days anyway. But should I change his food as he just doesn't seem to like it? Is it too soon?

I should have known better...I pandered to my cat too and child too, cat gave me 16 years of faddy eating and child on his way to 7!

[ijustwant8hours]

I have never had a fussy dog- they all ate what they could get! New pup seems ok on the dried food (soaked a bit so its soft), I swapped him onto that straightaway as the breeder had him on mince. i might change brand though as although he is eating it ok he has a bit of a runny poo problem. Could you mix them together fan and then maybe cut down the chicken? Or you could try to tough him out for a bit? How long do you leave him before substituting?

We seem to have a tiny bit of progress on the ankle nipping, seems marginally better today. DH has been yelping at him! Good luck tonight five hours!

[ijustwant8hours]

Bloody dog, he has just sat in the kitchen doorway and watched me standing in the cold calling him like an eejit. I came in to get him to find that he hadnt just been sitting there but had infact been doing an enormous wee.....

[fanoftheinvisibleman]

I'm such a sucker for panicking when they won't eat. I don't know what to do really.

Mine has been more bitey today. He made a savage attack on my feet tyhis afternoon and I made the mistake of pointing at him whilst telling him to stop. He started bouncing around with glee and promptly grabbed my finger and started a tug of war with it. Ouch! Monster pup!