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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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.

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Original poster
SallyBear · 08/10/2013 18:45

Exactly! Look at me. I'm feeding my pup home cooked food (no rice or pasta)! Most people think I'm mad, but it seems to agree with him and he's growing every day it would seem!

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happygolucky0 · 08/10/2013 18:52

The whole world seems to have different views on what is right and wrong for people to eat, without even starting on the dogs !!!

moosemama · 08/10/2013 18:57

Yep, someone on here said it's the breast vs bottle debate of the dog world. I think that sums it up nicely. Wink

Original poster
SallyBear · 08/10/2013 18:59

I did roar when I read that comment. Very funny and true!

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Original poster
SallyBear · 09/10/2013 00:04

Toby at 15 weeks
here
Toby with DS3
boy and his pup

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Original poster
SallyBear · 09/10/2013 07:36

Toby has lost two teeth - top and bottom at the front and is getting two canines coming through. He wouldn't do a poo last night so I put a puppy pad near him - that was shredded this morning after breakfast! Thankfully unused, I should add Wink

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Ohalvo · 09/10/2013 08:08

Hi there! Floyd is back to his usual self - must have eaten something naughty. Vet said he was dehydrated because of all the sickness but by the next day he was right as rain.

Toilet training isn't going fabulously - woke up to a damp crate (in not sure it's pee but don't know what else it could be) and we ran downstairs and he did a huge ore so looked like he had been holding it in!

I have to go to work today so leaving him crated for first working day - will be back at lunch to let him out. Have out a rabbit water bottle in his crate - any success with these? Don't want to leave a bowl in there!

Got him an antler too which he loves - can I leave that in there with him while I'm out? It's pretty big !

Not much other news apart from we went to the beach yesterday and he loves it - hoping we can get this toilet training under control and still just peeing on the floor in the flat! Sometimes in the corridor on way up from toilet trip too - even if we have been out there for 40 mins!

Ohalvo · 09/10/2013 08:15

Just catching up on all the notes from the past few days! Sallybear, he is gorgeous!!!! How strange that are pups are becoming dogs now! :/ when should teething be expected? Floyd is in dry purina puppy and will be for another month or so but they we are planning on switching him...to what we aren't so sure!

basildonbond · 09/10/2013 08:23

Goodness!! Toby looks so grown up :)

basildonbond · 09/10/2013 08:33

Good to hear Floyd's back to normal

Fitz was a pain last night - very, very restless all evening, wouldn't go to sleep and kicked up a huge fuss about going into his crate. The crate has kept me sane for the last few weeks so I really hope he's not decided to take against it :( especially as I'm having to go into work for a couple of hours most days and I'm not confident about leaving him in the kitchen uncrated just yet (partly cos it makes the cats feel a bit more confident using the cat flap). He got wormed yesterday and only had a v brief socialisation trip up to the main road last night but apart from that everything else was unchanged. This morning he's not really settling - he's snoozing but not going into a deep sleep and springs up every time I make a move ...,

Ohalvo · 09/10/2013 08:38

Have you covered his crate? I cover Floyd's at the sides now all the time as it makes it a bit more den like! I bought an antler for him and whenever he can't settle he exhausts himself on hat then crashes...

basildonbond · 09/10/2013 09:05

Yes - we've always had an old duvet over it to make it den-like

He's got an antler but usually licks it for about 20 seconds and then drops it in favour of something else (usually ds2's toes ...)

moosemama · 09/10/2013 09:25

Sally, I have never really been a Lab person, but Toby is seriously gorgeous - how could you refuse that face anything? Grin

Ohalvo, so pleased he's better. They do love to worry us don't they?

We have a Road Refresher Non-Spill Bowl in Pip's crate attached with a bracket (didn't get it from there though - cheaper on Ebay).

It's great, as it only lets through a bit of water at a time, so no splashing or spilling if it is tipped, but if you use the bracket to attach it to the crate they can't tip it anyway.

They do sell crate bottles for dogs, similar to the ones they use for rabbits etc, but I think a bowl would be better, as that's what they're used to.

How old is Fitz now Basildon? Could it be his teeth? Usually 16 weeks onwards, but some can start a little bit sooner.

Ohalvo · 09/10/2013 09:33

Moosemama to the rescue again! Going to buy that now - you should be on commission ! Spreading to word to dog mummies everywhere:) just about to leave - think I can leave his antler in here with him? X

moosemama · 09/10/2013 09:39

Just glad I could help.

I think they don't recommend antlers are used without supervision, that's why I haven't bothered getting one for Pip.

Original poster
SallyBear · 09/10/2013 09:43

He is very cute, and has suddenly lost his puppyish look very quickly. Being a working lab, he never had that chunky look so looked quite lean and lanky (unlike me!).

The bowl looks good. I will need to buy a new crate as we borrowed one that belonged to a cocker. I've left him all morning as I've got a paed appt and a trip to Sainsburys to get through today. Left him with two kongs. He couldn't quite believe his luck!

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basildonbond · 09/10/2013 09:44

He's only 12 weeks so don't think it's teeth (in general biting has got much better)

I think it's partly that he's decided I'm HIS person and therefore needs to keep a beady eye on me just in case I do something suspicious (like leaving the room without him ...)

Original poster
SallyBear · 09/10/2013 09:50

I'm Toby's person (or DH is if he's home). It's like he just settles off to sleep next to you, you DARE to get up and move then he's up and following you! By the time it's the evening he's whining to go to bed he's so knackered! I think that I'm doing him a favour by leaving him in his crate for a couple of hours in the morning and an hour in the afternoon as he can sleep!!

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moosemama · 09/10/2013 09:55

I've just ordered a couple of Fallow Deer Antler chews, as I'm told they're a bit softer and less likely to call tooth fractures.

Pip gets 4 kongs and at least one busy buddy when I do the school run and the little gannet eats the lot in less than 40 minutes. Hmm Hence my thread asking for recipes yesterday.

Basildon, what wormer did he have - I've heard some dogs are restless after having Advocate applied.

I am off out to lunch with my Mum today. Has to be a cafe with outdoor seating though as his lordship still yells if I'm gone longer than half an hour so he's coming too. Hmm I seriously need to get out of the house though, so no choice but to take him with me.

Lifeisontheup · 09/10/2013 11:27

We've taken to putting Finn in his crate for an hour or so three times a day as he wakes up the moment anyone moves if he's in a room with you. If he doesn't get enough sleep he's like an overtired toddler, hyper and bitey.
If he goes in his crate he sleeps well, and is much more pleasant to have around.

diplodocus · 09/10/2013 12:51

Toby's lovely, Sallybear!
Well we've found a lovely new trainer who does an individual home visit as part of the group course, so we're hoping she can give us some advice ew. Diplodog's anxiety and pulling on lead. We're getting so much differing advice. One neighbour (who's done a lot of dog training) has said we shouldn't take her out on the road untill she trusts us more, which sort of makes sense. While she's very friendly and affectionate with us she still gets anxious if we accidently make a loud noise or trip over her so I don't think she trusts us completely, and I'm not sure she's confident we'll look after her in a stressful situation. Others suggest we really need to get her out and about as her "window" for socialisation is closing (she's probably 16-18 wks now). All a bit stressful. She's fine with other dogs, but quite boisterous and more like a younger puppy, which may get her into trouble as she grow. We've ordered her a harness which we hope will help with the pulling and maybe help her feel a bit more confident.

moosemama · 09/10/2013 14:01

Had a lovely lunch and was delighted to find they allow dogs inside the cafe, so not only was it tasty, we were also toasty! Grin It really helped Pip to sit there for over an hour watching other dogs come and go without trying to interact with him. So much so that he ended up plucking up enough courage to sneak under the table and say hello to a lovely Labrador girlie. Smile I'm growing to like Labradors more and more by the day, so far they have been the nicest, most gentle of all the dogs that Pip has interacted with. Smile

I think getting advice from a trainer/behaviourist at this point is a very sensible move diplodocus. It's hard, if not impossible to give advice when you haven't actually seen the dog and been able to assess her body language.

Socialisation is an ongoing process. Yes it's ideal if you can get a lot jammed into the birth to 12/14 week window, but all dogs need continual socialisation right through to maturity and beyond. It gets harder after the initial window closes, but that doesn't mean it's not possible, just that it's probably going to take a bit more time and effort.

Pip is 18 weeks now, fine with just about anything and anybody - except other dogs - he's absolutely terrified of them. We're giving him as much gentle exposure as possible, being led by him and letting him set the pace and he starts puppy classes next week. I know he'll get there, he's just going to take longer and need more gentle, careful handling than other pups.

Original poster
SallyBear · 09/10/2013 14:03

Labradors are obviously working their magic on you Moose Grin

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moosemama · 09/10/2013 14:09

I think they are Sally. Grin

My experience of them was coloured by a particular Lab I was asked to help with training when I was first starting out. He was honestly the thickest dog I have ever met and had some of the most disgusting habits too. He was about 10 years old, had been totally spoiled and never had a day's training in his life. I found it very hard to find anything I liked about him and it came as a bit of a shock, as I'd never met a dog I didn't like before.

Then came a series of deliquent chocolate labs at various dog clubs and I think I just got a bad impression of them. Typical story of the minority spoiling the rep of the majority I suppose.

I am ashamed of my prejudice now. Blush

Original poster
SallyBear · 09/10/2013 14:32

I've heard that chocolate labs tend to be very disruptive, blacks tend to be very clever and yellows are the most biddable.

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