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Original poster

New Puppy Mummies Part 2

991 replies

SallyBear · 24/09/2013 13:16

Just thought I'd start the new thread!

Toby (foxy coloured yellow Labrador) is now 13 weeks old. Long, lean and lanky. Still wonderfully tempered and is sleeping through and no longer messing in the house.

OP posts:
Original poster
SallyBear · 04/10/2013 12:30

Butch?!!! Bitch!

OP posts:
moosemama · 04/10/2013 12:33

Ah - I bet she has the same look on her face that Lurcherboy has a lot of the time these days!

He likes to sleep most of the day and perhaps place once or twice. Pip on the other hand likes to play most of the day and sleep once or twice! Grin

Original poster
SallyBear · 04/10/2013 12:45

I gave her a small meal so that she didn't feel put out that Toby gets three meals a day compared to her one. DH wants to make my mum eat once a day for a week to see how she likes it!

OP posts:
moosemama · 04/10/2013 14:14

I have portioned out Lurcherboy's feeds so that he gets a small amount every time Pip gets fed. It's really helped with his acceptance of having an annoying puppy yapping at him and jumping on his head trying to get him to play all the time.

I started off just giving him a bit each feed, but he definitely started to show a touch of middle age spread, so I've had to makes sure it comes out of his normal food allowance now.

mintchocchick · 04/10/2013 15:16

Did you find Pips teeth Moose? Maybe he swallowed them! Is he 16 weeks at the moment? I have a feeling this is the usual age for loosing puppy teeth. Is he very mouthy or does this reduce when they loose puppy teeth and start getting adult teeth in?

DH and I just had our first proper walk to local woods - only 5 mins down road, 10 mins there and 5 back but I finally felt a "this is it" sense, as though the hardest few weeks with high puppy demand coupled with not being able to go out the house/garden were over. We had a half hour break in the cafe as well with a quiet sleeping puppy at our feet which was lovely.

On a grassy area near the woods we tried 5 mins without lead, which was a bit worrying so I shook the treat pot a lot first so he'd know I had goodies incase another dog appeared. No other dogs but he got way over-excited and leapt around, barking at me, grabbing my coat in his teeth, flipping himself over a few times as he lost balance - he went manic! I didn't like that aspect so made him sit and put him back on his lead much earlier because of his loopiness. I'm hoping that he will be calmer next time especially as I'll be on my own most of the time walking him.

moosemama · 04/10/2013 18:33

Nope, haven't seen any of them mint and he's actually got the points of two adult teeth through, so must have lost those two before today, whereas the third was actually an upper canine and is a proper little hole. Grin

Yes he's the right age, he's 18 weeks tomorrow, it just snuck up on me. I hadn't even thought about it, so it took me by surprise.

He's not mega nippy or mouthy. Still easily tempted by flappy things or stuff being waved around and occasionally forgets himself if he's having a proper zoomie puppy mad half hour, but he's not mouthy/nippy with us at all generally.

I had an epic puppy parenting fail this afternoon and I'm so cross with myself ...

I've been ill, again, towards the end of this week and spent much of yesterday and today cocooned on the sofa feeling sorry for myself. Hauled myself up to prepare for the afternoon school run, prepared the kongs, did what I could to make myself look a bit healthier so I wouldn't scare the children etc, the usual routine.

Ds2's teacher ran her lesson over by 10 minutes, leaving all the parents standing in torrential rain waiting, when the entire rest of the school had already left. Hmm Got home, having been gone for half an hour, instead of my usual 20 minutes, to find Pip screaming the place down.

Had to leave him while I dealt with a dripping wet dd and change my own sopping clothes, but he just kept screaming. I told him to settle, he wouldn't, I told him quiet - he wasn't. I lost my temper and shouted shut up - he didn't - so I decided - as the neighbours were out - I'd sit it out in the living room and not go in until he shut up. He eventually stopped yelling after about 5 minutes and I went in - to find he'd wee'd in his bed. In my ill, brain addled state I'd forgotten to let him out for a wee before I went out. Sad Totally my fault, poor thing must have been desperate, as we haven't had a wee indoors since he was about 12 1/2 weeks old and then just to compound my incompetency I shouted at him when he was trying to tell me.

Told you I still make stupid mistakes with my dogs. Blush Sad

mintchocchick · 05/10/2013 07:16

Oh dear Moose don't beat yourself up about that. Even at the best of times, not feeling unwell , we all make parenting mistakes! With puppies just like with the children. But being unwell on top of it all is just too much demand.

I'm making loads all the time, with my kids and this puppy and I don't let myself off the hook that easily, I tend to be a bit harsh on myself so I know where you're coming from. But we all learn something about our limits from such times.

Hope your kids and DH cheered you up last night.

We're kind of into a routine now (reluctantly at weekends) accepting that 6am is get up time for one of us, not just get out of bed but immediate sweep and mop of the floor while Zebo is in the garden with kong and breakfast. Bright dry mornings like this one mean I can take a cup of tea outside to be with Zebo while the floor dries and watch him getting annoyed with the birds flapping around and licking my shins! Why does he lick my shins so much? Better than biting but weird. Don't think my previous dog ever did that.

basildonbond · 05/10/2013 10:14

Definitely don't beat yourself up about it moose - Pip would have forgotten about it 2 minutes afterwards and you're doing so much good stuff with him that the odd mistake won't hurt him or your bond with him

Fitz went all through the night from 9:30pm to 6am last night - I was going to take him out at about midnight but he was so completely fast asleep (snoring) that it seemed a shame to wake him - I kept on waking up all night long as I was convinced he wasn't going to last - I should have had more faith!

BunInMyOven93 · 05/10/2013 12:21

hellooo im joining in! :D haha.

I have an 8 week old dachshund X jack russel called Wilson.

Hes absolutely beautiful but jeeeeze is he a handful! :p x

moosemama · 05/10/2013 12:47

Welcome BunInMyOven93.

Did he sleep any better last night?

BunInMyOven93 · 05/10/2013 15:52

Hello!! :) thankyou!

amazingly, yes! I managed 8 hours sleep.

I kept him downstairs though but in a very comfortable environment. He.was in my downstairs toilet with his crate with the crate door open. Had all of his blankets, cushion and toys. I put a puppy pad on one side of the room and his water on the other. He cried for about 15 mins. Then nothing for rest of night!! i kept the big light on for him too. I got up at 7:30am and he was just sat in his crate chewing his toy. He did a few wees and a poo on his pad during the night (i want to keep them just for now). So a very good night! i think he could be scared of the dark. Or a closed door on his crate. He goes in it of his own accord no problem and will lie in it for hours. But as soon as i shut the door on it he starts whimpering.

We're having an outside toilet training day today. Which is going very well too. He now knows that 'wee wee' means "lets go outside to toilet". He does.his business, gets praised, then he runs back inside on his own lol. Im very proud xx

BunInMyOven93 · 05/10/2013 16:17

sweetkitty. Im very jealous that you have a rhodesian ridgeback pup!!!!! We have (at my dads, shes still part mine i only moved out this year :p) one called Molly. Shes an old lady though shes.12 this month! had her since a pup and shes absolutely lovely!!!! i know quite a lot about the breed (inherited illnesses etc) so if you have any questions id be happy to offer some advice from experience! :) xx

moosemama · 05/10/2013 18:29

Oh that's great news Bun. Smile

I should imagine it was all just a bit too different being shut in the crate, in the dark at night with everything suddenly going quiet. So by being able to move around and having the light on you minimised the amount of change he was having to face.

BunInMyOven93 · 05/10/2013 18:50

We're getting there eh! :) thanks for your dropping treats inside the crate tip too. it seemed to.work literally within an hour xx

BunInMyOven93 · 05/10/2013 18:51

We're getting there eh! :) thanks for your dropping treats inside the crate tip too. it seemed to.work literally within an hour xx

BunInMyOven93 · 05/10/2013 18:51

We're getting there eh! :) thanks for your dropping treats inside the crate tip too. it seemed to.work literally within an hour xx

BunInMyOven93 · 05/10/2013 18:52

Oh.god sorry about triple post!!!! stupid phone xx

moosemama · 05/10/2013 18:58
Grin

It's surprising how fast they can change their opinions when there's food involved isn't it!

moosemama · 05/10/2013 19:03

We've had a lovely afternoon out with our two this afternoon.

First we went to the local pet shop, as the rep for Canagan was in and they are very good at offering discounts if you catch them. Pip and Lurcherboy were fussed and adored by all and Pip sat nicely next to a teensy toy poodle pup without batting an eyelid.

Then we went to a nearby park that's well away from roads and were able to let Pip off to chase Lurcherboy for the first time outside the garden. He had an absolute blast and came back to the whistle every single time - even mid-chase! Shock I was very proud of him. Smile

Then just to make the day even better he play bowed at two different dogs - an English Setter and a Labradoodle - interestingly both big dogs again, but huge progress nonetheless.

I have to keep it in perspective though, as we were with Lurcherboy and the whole family again, like last Sunday and he's a different dog confidence wise when we're all together, compared to when I take him out alone. Not sure he'd have approached the other dogs if he'd been on his own with me.

Mummy2BI · 05/10/2013 20:11

Welcome BunInMyOven93 I have only recently joined too but its so good to read that others are going through similar things and there is some great advice given on here!

Moosemama sounds like a wonderful afternoon out as a family! Sounds like pip loves being out as a family too!!

Well I haven't had a good day we seem to have gone backwards and have had wees and poos in the house today I really don't understand why as he seemed to be really getting it and is clean all night so can obviously control the need to go Hmm
I do let him out regularly so not sure how to deal with this??

Hope everyone else is enjoying their weekend!

moosemama · 05/10/2013 20:42

When you say you let him out - do you go out with him every time Mumm2BI?

Ideally you need to go with him and reward him every single time he goes outside until he decides it's only rewarding to 'go' outside and going inside is pointless.

That said, there can be lots of reasons why toilet training can slip back a bit. Just the fact that it's the weekend, different routine, perhaps more people in the house can make the difference, as can him just having a bit of a flighty day. As long as you are consistent and keep at it he'll get there in the end.

mistlethrush · 05/10/2013 22:33

Mummy2 - we took our dog out on a longline and kept her in a 'boring' bit of the garden until she did what she was meant to... (OK, she was 2+, butwe were having to teach her that outside was a good place, and inside wasn't - whereas she had learned that you normally do things inside....)

Mummy2BI · 05/10/2013 23:02

moosemama sorry bad choice of words yes I do go out with him (I have to anyway as he is so small he can't get down our decking steps yet!) but once on the grass I do let him wander round should I stay right by him?
I verbally praise him when he does something but should I be doing more, he isn't really bothered about treats so training in general isn't easy!

He does usually do something outside when I take him out but he hasn't got yet that outside is the only place and he never asks to go out so will wee in random places sometimes not long after weeing outside!

Maybe a longline would help mistlethrush could be worth a try?

Original poster
SallyBear · 06/10/2013 05:24

Hi Mummy. What treat are you giving your pup? Try a variety - cheese, liver cake, pepperami, ham, chicken, apple, carrot etc. not just dog treats. You might not have found the perfect treat yet!

Moose - did you try the pigs ears on Pip yet?? Toby goes nuts for them, and they are definitely a proper treat.

Toby is doing well socialising with other dogs now, which is fabulous. I think that the initial big dog telling off in the park that he got has faded now, but I avoid them as I don't want a repeat performance.

He sleeps for about 11 hours now. I keep finding him asleep under my bed when I go upstairs at night! Silly puppy.

OP posts:
Mummy2BI · 06/10/2013 07:56

Thanks for the ideas SallyBear I have tried cheese and he doesn't seem to like it, ham and chicken he does like but only the first one or 2 bits then loses interest which makes for very short training sessions Sad. I am going to give the other things on your list a try!

Sounds like Toby is doing brilliantly, both with sleeping and socialising! Gizmo is doing great with his socialising too, he greets every dog big or small with a friendly wagging tail and so far he has only met very friendly dogs which has been great for his confidence when out Smile