New Puppy Mummies Part 2

[SallyBear]

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.

Morning all so much to catch up on. Firstly we took Nala for a walk yesterday, me and the 4 DC. The DCs wanted to go to a packed play area I kept Nala away from the main area but she got a fair bit if attention, she's very friendly but jumps up a lot which isn't good when people are bringing their DCs up to meet her. Also met a charming man who told me he used to have an American Pitbull and another who asked if my dogs hair would grow and did I know she's going to get big! I couldn't help it and told him she's a short haired breed as she's an African Lion Hound and long hair wouldn't be good in the African bush!

Anyway she met a pug pup who she wanted to play with then we met my friend with a 6mo Huskador who is huge she was terrified of him he was barking at her and trying to mount her. Whilst this was going on DS was throwing stones in the lake then decided to fall in up to his neck. So got him out stripped him, wrapped him in my jacket and carried him to the car where I had a change if clothes. My nerves were shattered.

I'm definitely looking at getting her a harness have looked at the ones moosemama posted she's so small and skinny just now though.

Also what's everyone doing re car travel? Harness/crate. I have a 7 seater. One of the back seats is jammed at a funny angle so I can't get it out. The boot space isn't great with all 7 seats in. Nalas been sitting in that seat but she tends to move about a bit, I'm thinking if getting a harness until I can get the seat sorted then take the seat out altogether once she's bigger. Of course now the DCs are fighting about who gets to sit in the back with the dog.

That sounds a bit stressy Sweetkitty! A puppy walk is enough of a challenge - I can't imagine juggling that with rescuing child from pond!

We did our big local park yesterday with my elderly Mum, DS2 on his bike and chips/coffee in outdoor cafe. It was so busy, met loads of kids and dogs and I know what you mean Sweetkitty about the comments! Lots of people say to me "he's going to get big you know" and I just smile and say "well I hope so, it is a big breed". Someone said "why would you have such a big dog - do you live on a farm?" Didn't have a smart answer for that and it made me feel very judged and a bit annoyed.

Sweetkitty - car travel - we use a washing basket attached to car seat with seatbelt. Has been fantastic but he's getting bit big for it. If on my own he goes in that. If someone with me he now goes in passenger seat footwell with them in seat, so he's between their legs. After quick treat he lies down quickly and sleeps there (though he does pop up at every slow/stop for lights to see what's going on!).

I don't like car harnesses as our puppy has long hair so I imagine VERY muddy once we start proper off lead walking so needs to be on floor of car. There is a good big Three Peaks travel crate that I'm thinking of getting but not sure it would fit in your boot if yours is 7 seater. What about footwell?

Sweetkitty - we had the jumping up when greeting children problem. Most adults crouch down which is great. Yesterday I was very strict at having short lead and making Zebo sit before child came close. Then I crouched down to keep under control. Although it's more time consuming, as he ignores first few sit commands as he's so excited about the approaching child, if I'm strict and keep saying it, he gets there, meanwhile adult with child has usually clocked that things are being done in a certain way, so holds child back till Zebo sitting.

Sounds very laborious and it is a pain to be honest but we had no jumping yesterday. I'm determined to have it like this because of having a large breed who will be muddy and strong.

PAH go two types of car harness. I got a medium sized adjustable one for Toby that didn't involve shoving his head through a loop. It clips around and has a D ring that you either attach the seat belt loop add on bit too, or your lead. It was £16 and quite good I felt. It has plenty of adjustment for Toby so I will get quite a bit of use out if it before he outgrows it. Toby is a Labrador so classed as a large breed.

Somebody suggested squeezy primula for training.

Hi All. Your outing sounds incredibly stressfull Sweetkitty. Also thinking of getting the harness suggested by Moosemamma as (a) diplodog pulls like a train and (b) her neck is getting sore where the collar is (she's now been diagnosed with food allergies which affects her skin and is on a hugely expensive hypoallergenic diet with hydrolised protein and no treats). We continue to stop everytime she pulls, but she doesn't seem to associate stopping with pulling. She's far too nervous and / or excited when out and about for us to use treats effectively unfortunately to keep her to heel. We tried a cheaper harness and it was rubbish and I was also worried about it rubbing her. We crate her in the car which works really well - probably the only time she's really calm and happy when out of the house.

A lot of people actually encourage puppies to jump up though

I don't think she'll be getting as much attention when fully grown though. I usually crouch with her and tell her down as well.

Will have a look at harnesses, I think long term because she is so big we will take a seat out the back, we only need 6 seats and this makes the back huge.

Sally, no I have't. I noticed them in the petshop yesterday ... and so did Lurcherboy but wussed out of buying them. They just look so gross.

Dh fell out with Pip this morning.

I had two seizures in the night which meant dh got disturbed a lot. Pip woke up at 6.00 to go out, dh went down and then I heard him getting cross, so got up. Turned out Pip had gone out, then gone back to bed, but wouldn't re-settle and dh wanted to go back to bed. He usually re-settles when you just say 'settle' to him, but wouldn't this morning. Dh was tired and I got downstairs only to be shouted at about 'that bloody dog' which was just what I needed. Then when I sent him back to bed he refused to go, saying he was too angry. He did eventually go up and as soon as he'd gone I said, 'settle', 'quiet' and Pip shut up and went to sleep until 8.00 am.

It's his own fault Pip isn't listening to him though. He hasn't done any training or reinforcement with him whatsoever, training is all down to me, while he gets to play and do the nice bits. Then he gets cross when the dogs only respond to my cues, when how can he realistically expect them to be any different if he hasn't worked on getting them to generalise that the same cues mean the same thing regardless of who gives them. I am so cross with him. If he were the one that hasn't been able to leave the house for longer than half an hour for the past 6 weeks I might have some blooming sympathy, as it is, any complaints he has are of his own making.

Another sleepless night last night :( stuck to the same routine as the night before and he was wailing and wailing. Started at 3am for half hour. Then 4:30for half an hour. Then 6am for half an hour. I caved and told dp to get up with him and he did at 6:30. He came down and let him out. All he wanted to do was play and eat stones and bark off the floor :/. He was so well behaved the night before. Feel like we're going backwards now!!!

Bun, I would keep working on getting him to settle for longer in his crate and make sure he's having short periods on his own during the day as well, so it doesn't come as a total shock when everyone goes to bed.

I have the opposite problem, Pip is fine overnight and actually likes going to bed (probably because he gets tucked in with a hot waterbottle and blanket) but can't be left for longer than half an hour in the day. We're making progress, as he wouldn't even let me step away from his crate without screaming the place down at first, now I can go on the school run and be out for up to half an hour while he eats his kongs and he's fine, but starts yelling the minute he's finished stuffing his face. He was 10 weeks old and very poorly when he came to us though and his foster home had done nothing in the way of training with him, including getting him used to being on his own for short periods.

i have to leave him for the first time later on for about an hour. DP is off work today and, like yours, is very angry with poor wilson. Saying he wanted a lie in etc. I said welcome to my world and try being 32 weeks pregnant with no sleep!! im gonna try and do the treats dropped in the crage again today. He has an upset tummy though :(. His "breeder" didnt have a clue about anything!! was feeding him 4 times as much as he needed! i took him to the vets the first day i had him and he said its a good job i took him away and realized he was being over fed or he may have done himself a lot of damage. Poor soul! think this is another reason why im so molly-coddley and soft on him. Xx

moosemama I hope you feel better, you've been through the mill with your health recently. Best wishes

I find the dog easy to deal with its 3 year old DS who is the biggest problem, wish clicker training would work on him doesn't help I'm on my own all weekend as DP is away running a marathon.

I've had to leave Nala from the off, probably max 2 1/2 hours, today I walked her, fed her, took her outside then she went in her crate with a bone. She's usually shattered after a walk, I think she enjoys the peace and quiet.

I bought her pigs ears oh moosemama they smell revolting. I have a strong stomach too the poo doesn't bother me but I couldn't have these things in the house. She loves them though, if she's being bitey I throw her pigs ear in the garden for her and she happily chomps on it for a good half hour.

I think she will be too big to sit on a car seat eventually so will probably take one of the rear ones out an harness her to the seat belt.

Moosemama - my DP is the same I'm doing all the training trying to turn her into a calm placid dog indoors and he comes in and play fights with her argh!!! Then complains when my training apparently isn't working, ie for the biting in 5 minutes flat. Anyway hope your feeling better soon

Hello all - sorry haven't been replying to messages but was away and then work has been mad. At he vets waiting to be seen at the moment- floyd (who is 13 weeks tomorrow) has been vomiting all day and haven't eaten or had sip of water since 7am. He's been so lethargic and though we better get thinks checked out - of course a Sunday is even more expensive but couldn't wait till Tomorrow . You never know!

Will respond to everyone's messages soon - sorry for just rambling on about floyd by bought everyone would like to be kept updated. X

Thank you LadyTurmoil. It's a longstanding problem, although episodic, so I'm used to it really, but it still frustrates me beyond belief, as it always seems to happen when I really need to be firing on all cylinders.

Sweetkitty, that's what I was afraid of with the pigs' ears.

My dh has really annoyed me this weekend, complaining when the dogs don't respond to his cues, but not actually doing any training with them - and he does know how, as we attended dog club together for years before we had the dcs. Then when we've been out and they've come flying back to the whistle he's gone on and on about how incredible it is - oh yeah, of course, because they taught themselves that didn't they!

We've been to two separate popular dog walking spots today to try and meet as many dogs as possible for Pip and managed to meet a massive ... 2. Where is everyone? Still, both times Pip approached them himself, timidly, but still an approach and both times they were lovely gentle adult dogs with great communication skills - so 2 good interactions is better than several rubbish or scary ones.

Ohalvo - poor Floyd. How did you get on at the vets?

Thanks Moosemama, and hope you're feeling better after what sounds like a miserable night. Have started walking with her as suggested at home today with some success - luckily she loves her new kibble and will do anything for it. It was the fleece lined harness I was looking at - there's someone local who fits them.

Hope he's ok ohalvo

Now should I be worried if a dog eats car poo?

Yes Nala raided the cat litter tray just after the cat had used it no kisses for mummy then

Cat poo obviously

George keeps eating cat poo and it makes him vomit (not surprising) and has given him the runs, oh the joy.

How is Floyd Ohalvo?

Diplodocus, I mentioned the fleece lined collar as your pup must wear a collar and tag, containing your name (not the dog's) and address (can be number and postcode) by law. So even if she has the harness, she'll still need a collar.

Oh OK Moosemamma - sorry misunderstood - yes we'll certainly be keeping a collar on her. She has a tag. We're also looking for a soft collar as well, but the one she's got is pretty soft and I think it's the pulling that's causing the probs.
Diplodog suddenly getting very chewy and ate the skirting board. It's a bit of a problem as she can now no longer have those rawhide chews which she loved due to her prescription diet. Am going to get a selection of non-edible ones today and see if I can find something that takes her fancy.

The cat poo incident seems to have done her no harm as yet. But now she knows where it is she tries to get at it whenever she can.

Had a lovely walk today in glorious sunshine with DS and Nala, she met her first friendly dog who actually started playing with her.

I need to get her a tag as well

Just taken Finn on a walk/carry to the station along very busy roads. He seems unfazed by lorries, buses, motorbikes and trains which I think bodes well for when he can walk properly.

Pigs ears are greatly appreciated by Stanley...not so much by me when he drops a cold, soggy well-chewed one on my bare foot while I'm stood cooking tea.

I've been taking a tube of primula out on walks, it's so convenient and Stanley loves it so will recall nicely for it.

Stanley's 15 weeks old now, and is turning from cute puppy into quite the handsome young dog (shameless link to new photo on profile ). His toilet training is pretty much 100%, he's not had an accident inside for weeks, and will now wait until he's let out rather than just peeing where he is if the door's shut. Only a few weeks ago I was sat sobbing thinking he'd never get it.

TMB
Stanley is gorgeous.