New Puppy Mummies, Part 3

[DharmaLovesDraco]

New thread, because quite frankly I can't do without you all :)

I think Toby must be a professional sleeper, though he's got latent night owl tendencies. We went to bed and to sleep listening to the dulcet sounds of hide bone being chomped last night!

Finn is the best sleeper. I'm up for work and there is no sound from his crate. He has always gone down at about 10.30 and we get him up at about 6.30 and we've never had to get up to him during the night. I'm hoping that doesn't change too much now he's six months.
I think we must be the sleepy family.

I don't know what's got into him :(. Karmic retribution for me being so smug about how easy he was I suppose

Since the first couple of weeks we've had him he's always gone to sleep at about 9:30 and then not a peep out of him till 6:30-7. Last night he was still wide awake at 11:30 - wanted to go out and do a poo and then started taking all his toys out of the toy box - in desperation I put him into the crate and turned out the light but about half an hour later he started crying. I ended up sitting on the floor in the kitchen in the dark saying "settle" whenever he was quiet and eventually he conked out and stayed asleep ... I'm shattered

Moose - I hope Pip settles again once you all get back to normal - must be very frustrating though ...

Re crate - I've started leaving him out during the day for short bursts like the school run and so far it's been ok however when I have to go to work I'm out for 2.5-3 hours and I'm torn between worrying that he'll be upset in the crate and in danger from chewing something he shouldn't if he's free

BB - how much of a chewer is he and how easy is it to puppy-proof an area for him for the daytime? We use our kitchen for minty as there are only cupboards, drawers and appliances so nothing to chew, but we have to be careful about work tops as he can jump up and will grab egg cartons, bread etc! He is ok left in the kitchen for 2-3 hrs if necessary and there is little evidence of anything other than sleeping done in that time! I think you get a sense if they're bored or upset by things like paw marks on work tops, tea towels & stool cushions grabbed & chewed.

Well we survived the first night with a free-range Pip. He did whinge a bit when we first turned the light out, but dh sat on the sofa in the dark in the living room for 10 minutes and told him to settle whenever he stirred - like we used to when he was tiny and he went to sleep.

I did put the baby monitor on, so I could tell if he was wandering around and getting up to mischief, but all he did was get up for a drink once and have a little whinge while he fell back to sleep and that was it.

We went to bed at 10.30 and he woke us at 7.30 with a rather loud yowl to let us know he needed a wee.

So overall, a success I think.

Where is Fitz's crate Basil? Can you do a bit of puppy proofing and try leaving him for say, te/fifteen minutes longer than a school run or something this weekend and see how he is?

Pip is in the kitchen here too, like Minty, although ours isn't a traditional fitted kitchen, as it's an old house with a pantry and a few other er, quirky design features (I hate my kitchen) so not quite as easy to puppy proof as Mint's. I did have to clear the surfaces before I went to bed last night and ended up removing dd's aqua beads and half of ds2's Lego minifig collection from the kitchen table. Lurcherboy would never have bothered with them, but I'm not so sure with Pip.

He's tall enough to take things off the table without even stretching his neck now, but hasn't jumped up to get things off the work-top - yet. I still move anything tempting just in case though.

Just measured Pip for a new fleece housecoat, as he was doing a great impression of a racehorse, wandering around the kitchen with his blanket draped over him last night. I figured with the minus temps forecasted, I'd better get him a housecoat before he starts waking us up to tuck him back in after he gets up and wanders around in the night.

He has grown an inch since I last measured him in December! He's now 25" to the shoulder. I did think he might have, as he has to bend down to get an fuss when I'm sitting on the sofa these days.

Ordered him a coat 2" longer than his current length and am now wondering how long that one's going to last! Some people have told me their Lurchers stopped growing at 6 months, but others said they carried on creeping up until well after their first birthday.

wow moose - Pip is enormous!

We have a large open-plan kitchen/dining/playroom which leads out onto the garden and Fitz's crate is in there

The room is fairly well puppy-proofed but there's still quite a bit of stuff he could damage (sofa, dining table etc)

I have been trying to train Fitz to stay on his outside-crate-bed so I can send him there for mealtimes etc but have not had much success so far ... he picks up some things instantly but others he looks at me like I'm doing the equivalent of suddenly talking in Ancient Greek for the dc ... so the crate has been v useful as a place to 'park' him with treats when we're doing something he would really like to get involved with but where a puppy's help isn't really necessary ....

I left him on his bed with a kong while I went up to the corner shop and was a bit longer than I thought as I bumped into a friend - no drama when I got back so maybe I'll stretch it out a bit longer tomorrow

Oh my word - someone just sent me this video of a dog stealing food in spectacular style. Thank heavens Lurchers aren't that bright - although we did catch Lurcherboy asleep on the kitchen table a few times when he was younger.

It sounds as if Fitz will settle back into being in his crate while you're out then, if he was settled enough today. I would keep Pip's crate in a heartbeat if I had a bigger kitchen, for the same reasons you mention.

Well done to Pip for making such a big change so easily. Perhaps that marks an increasing security which might make it easier for you to go out during the daytime.

Our kitchen isn't big enough for a crate and there have been many times when I've wished for an open plan downstairs, but I like the dog having free run of an area at night and when he's left in the day, so a small kitchen is really useful then!

Hi .have had no internet since wed which usis v hard. Have escaped kids and dog to a cafe to read my emails.

So my puppy is going for his 1st outside walk later. Should be fun. Went to puppy training this am. He was the youngest and shyest. He just wanted to be held or hide. The trainer was v nice and adapted stuff for us. She was impressed he could do sit and down. They also do some socialisation with older dogs after.

We only had one indoor wee yesterday and no poos inside since Wednesday. He asks to go out a bit too.

Am persevering with kongs. If I put dry stuff in it he doesn't get that you have to push it to get more. When I put wet stuff in he will lick it out but only if I'm holding the small end!!which sort of defeats the purpose! He holds other things in his paws to chew but not that! Have just ordered a bigger one and a quest one. We will get there!

Hope you are all on and the dogs are enjoying the frost. Will catch up again when I'm reconnected.

Hi reup, sounds like he's doing really well. It's not unusual for them to be really shy at their first puppy class - he'll come round. Pip was terrified at his and hid behind my chair shaking for the first session - now he comes out and actually plays with the other puppies.

I have put a new picture of Pip up on my profile - it's the one dh chose to have my mini canvas painted from and really captures his character. It's a little out of date, as it was taken in October, but I hadn't seen it until yesterday and love it - even if his head does look too big for his body in it! Best thing about it is you can see how scruffy his face in. For some reason that doesn't seem to show up in most photographs.

He's beautiful Moose! What gorgeous eyes, how can you resist? He really has such a lovely expression, what a great picture to have made into a painting.

I haven't quite got the hang of putting up pics but I'll try a recent one of minty!

Aw thank you Mint. I think so, but I could be a touch biased.

I have come on this morning to post a massively positive update.

This morning I have been working upstairs in the house, as both boys now have the pox and are in bed. I have been up and down a few times, but more up than down over about an hour and a half, with the last stint being quite long, as I was trying to tune in a tv and dvd player for the poorly boys and .... not a peep out of Pip!

When he was in his crate he used to whine and get louder and louder until he was really yelling, starting the minute he heard the living room door open, but this morning, having free range of the kitchen and a nice snug bed, he was absolutely fine.

I left the kitchen door open, but closed the dog-gate and he was completely quiet, except for the very last time I went up, when he did one little whine - I just said "Quiet, in your bed." from the stairs ... and he did!

I left him with Mum this morning while I took dd to school and she said he was much quieter. He used to finish his breakfast and then start to whinge before starting his kong - basically as soon as he noticed I wasn't there, but this morning, he just ate his breakfast, then lay down in his bed with his kong and he was still happily stuffing his face when I got home.

Next week will be the big challenge, when all 3 dcs are finally back to school and I have to leave the dogs home alone for the school runs again after over a month of hardly being left at all. Am feeling much more postive about it now though.

Our lil pup has been such an angel since we got him a fortnight ago and then last night he whimpered and yelped all night, every hour on the hour. I'm damned if a dog is going to pull the same tricks on me as my kids. We left him to it, but didn't sleep a wink.
Any suggestions?

Hellooooo! Long time no speak...just been catching up on all the new/old puppy happenings

Stanley (cocker spaniel) is now 7 months old, and fab! He's definitely going through his teenager phase, but we all adore him so he's easily forgiven. His recall is still 100% with his whistle - he was playing with a group of dogs on a walk yesterday, one pip on his whistle and he was back at my feet in milliseconds. I've been complimented on how well trained he is several times, although I'm pretty sure most of it is down to luck

So, we're planning to do it all again, and are starting to plan for a little brother or sister for Stanley this summer. OH has his heart set on a border collie, but I've put my foot down on that one! So we're getting another cocker, ideally an orange roan girl. I'm getting excited already even though it won't be for a few months!

TMB! How exciting!! I'd hoped to get a puppy from Toby's parents as the breeder wanted a final litter from his mum, but unfortunately the dad has moved to the US!! Bugger!!

Hi there - Can I join you please? I have spent several days looking through the great advice on this tread.
We are getting a border collie pup on 17th February - seems like ages away :-)

I'm a bit worried about how she will cope with the cats (2) and the chickens (4) but am working n the principal that we can train her to ignore them...
Also a bit anxious about the DS interaction with the puppy - they are 15 11 and 8. 8 yr old is very sensible and will do as told, but 11 year old is not. Do NOT want wound up anxious puppy ...

Hello can I join too please. We are getting a 10 week old cocker spaniel on Saturday. My first dog ever. I am so nervous and I am not sure this thread has helped! It cant be worse than bringing a newborn baby home for the first time can it??

If you had to give a complete newbie your top three tips, what would they be please? I've read numerous books but you can't beat first hand tips.

Hi to you both! How exciting, new puppies

My top 3 tips would be:-

1. don't expect to get much else done in the first couple of weeks, between cleaning up after them, standing in the garden with them, helping kids get used to them etc they take up SO much
2. limit the space they have free access to for early days. We didn't get on with a crate which is an ideal way of limiting their space, but if you're not using a crate find another way to reduce their area. Otherwise they wee everywhere! We use a kitchen stair gate and kept puppy in the kitchen so we only had that area to protect and clean
3. take them everywhere you can in your arms. If you don't have kids at school, hang around by a school at the end of the day so lots of people & children can come and say hello and get them used to being fussed over

Hi everyone just trying to catch up you all post so much.

Nala is just short of 6 months now growing like a weed, she's a ridgeback bitch.

Anyway major trauma here last week she cut her leg quite badly whilst out walking just beside her dew claw. Vets, op, £250 later (luckily insured), she's in the mend, she's very depressed about wearing her cone of shame and only having lead walks am hoping she'll get the all clear on Thurs.

And of course then DD1 caught her finger on a door and had to stay in hospital for an op so we have 2 invalids here.

pufflemum and toomanybuttons I'm the proud owner of an almost 4 months old cocker spaniel, we got him at 10 weeks so nearly a month ago, he is so lovely. He's doing really well. A bit bitey obviously! toomany please tell me more about the dog whistle. My pup's recall is coming along but it's going to be a big step having him off the lead in a public place, perhaps a whistle will help!

Cocker spaniels rule

Nigella the whistle I use is a 210.5 dog whistle from eBay. I started blowing it before I fed Stanley, so he started to associate it with good things happening. Then when we were out on walks, when he was already running back to me I blew the whistle and then rewarded him with a very high value treat, in his case a piece of chicken - being the greedy little monster he is it didn't take him long to get the message.

I recall him with the whistle several times each walk, reward him then send him off to play, so he doesn't associate the whistle with going back on his lead/playtime being over.

He really is bomb proof (at the moment!) - one pip on the whistle is enough to get him to stop dead and sprint towards me, licking his lips .

Meant to say, if you've not had him off the lead in public before, practise practise practise recall at home, so his response to the whistle becomes a conditioned response, one he doesn't have to think about, he just does it. Against all my instincts, we let Stanley off his lead from his first walk, which although was terrifying, it seems to have worked in our favour.

Our old English sheepdog puppy is 6 months old and we've gone for off lead walks from early on, despite me feeling really nervous. I ALWAYS have a handful of sausage chunks in my hand on every walk and recall often just for a treat and to reinforce positive associations.

I am however dependent on this system and can't imagine weaning myself off. I once couldn't find my bag of sausages and went really panicky!

To start with, the first couple of times off lead I took DH along for 'back up' incase something awful happened!

Whistle training great, I just don't have enough hands free.