New Puppy Mummies, Part 3

[DharmaLovesDraco]

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

That was appalling new mummy posting! Much better night last night.

Have been reading but not much time to post as my lovely mum finally lost her 8 month battle with peritoneal cancer at the weekend and on top of that dd has been going through 11+ exams and interviews - I feel shattered and like I haven't had time to grieve yet - funeral is next week

Fitz is doing brilliantly (most of the time) - he's settled into puppy day care one day a week which is great cos next week he's going for three days as I have so much to do. He seems happy and he's very tired in the evenings after being with the other puppies all day! He's learned how to catch (balls and treats) and is retrieving beautifully. He's also started sneaking up behind me when I'm in the kitchen and nipping me on the bum which he thinks is hilarious (I don't!)

Welcome to all the new puppies - I hope you're enjoying the first few weeks

So sorry for your loss Basildon.

Good luck to your dd.

Pip started nipping dh and I on the bum a month or so ago. We were very strict with him about it. Fortuantely, for some reason, he never did it to the dcs, just us. He's grown out of it now, thank goodness.

I am very sorry for your loss Basildon, too, a tough time for your family.

Welcome to all the new puppies, keep posting!

All is well here, Hector is fab. I am knackered! Done nothing all week but expected it this time, they are asleep on the mat together at the moment but we are just going to take them to the golf course. It's closed and I know the greenkeeper, Harry can have a mega run around and Hector is safe for the occasional potter as no dogs are usually around the course.

House training is fab, clickering super too, it's just manic!

So sorry for your loss,Basildon. Sounds like you have lots on your plate at the moment. Take time for yourself and to grieve.

We have a name-Maggie! Only one accident today so far. I'm reminding her frequently. She's just over 8 weeks. Is it too early to start trick teaching?

It's never too early to start training anything, they learn so quickly when they're tiny, but try to make sure nothing you teach, trick-, is going to interfere/confuse standard basic training. eg don't teach sit up and beg until your dog understands she shouldn't jump up to greet, don't teach give-paw if your dog has a tendency to swipe with their paw to get attention.

I did teach Pip 'high-five' and 'paw' quite young, but he's never been a jumper - probably because he's so lanky he has no need to jump up!

Clever Pip!

Maggie has only had one accident today. V proud. She attacking my feet constantly- not so good!

May I join you please
We got a pesky puppy last Saturday and I'm shattered (now 9 wks)
We already have a gsdx who is 9 yrs

Now I'm here can I ask a question about teeth. His are really really bothering him. It's not just the chewing and nipping, he's really hurting with them. I've been giving him bits of frozen Apple (was not impressed with carrots) as well as the normal chew toys but I don't want to give too much. Is there anything else we can do to help. Any great teething toys you know about?
Apart from that he's doing really well. Very bright, really getting the housetraining, wakes me once at the most in the night and has started learning commands.

The vet mentioned told me about freezing low salt stock cubes?

Have you seen those toys where you load them with treats? If he's quick young, you could just use boiled chicken. It won't help the soreness but it will distract him long enough to chew if he's getting something out of it.

Mine keeps chasing my feet and hanging off my socks when I walk. What's the solution? Have tried distracting but she's not interested.

Thanks for the training advice. I think I'll focus on the toilet training for a few more days and then begin commands. She's picked up on the 'be quick' when we go into the garden.

Welcome TWTCJ. What sort of pup do you have - any photos?

Best advice for teeth and nipping is to give him as many things as possible to play with and chew on and constantly redirect him onto those items, then tell him he's a good boy when he chews them instead of you.

As PickledMoomin said, low salt stock cubes can help, you can use them to freeze kibble into kongs or soak a knotted rope toy in them, then freeze.

Pip loved/s cardboard boxes and really seemed to get some relief from gnawing on the corners of them. We chuck in a handful of kibble or other treats, then reseal them with paper tape and let him loose on them. Yesterday he unwrapped his own Amazon delivery (it was a new treat ball). It took him an hour and a half and he was beside himself when he discovered it was a ball!

Some dogs do just seem to get it quicker than others, but keep on being consistent with redirection and time-out if necessary if they get too ott and they will get the message in the end.

Oddly Pip was never nippy when little, but now he's a teenager seems to have decided it's ok to use his teeth in games. He has good bite inhibition, so it doesn't hurt, since he has his adult teeth which aren't needle sharp like puppy teeth, but we are doing a lot of redirection and also great theatrical wails of agony, stopping the game and turning our backs and he seems to be getting the message.

That's good about cardboard boxes. We had been giving him them but we weren't sure if that was a nono or not.
Hes a border collie called Griff and is currently 'terrorising'our other dog. She's being very good with him and he seems to be being good for her too.
I have a filled kong in the freezer and have ordered another and some other freezable toys. I didn't want to buy too many toys to start because our other dogs have never been very interested in most. I say that, he has far too many already
I've also ordered some of the bitter apple for the coffee table and door corner which seem to be the worst targets apart from my beshoed toes.
I posted his pictures on the showcase your dogs thread but I'll try and add them to my profile

My parents have a collie (blue Merle). She's lots of fun but very energetic.

Maggie is attempting to terrorise our cats but they're not standing for it

TWTCJ Picture looks gorgeous. I've got a six month old Border Collie who is currently shredding an empty takeaway pizza box!
Mine is really interested in toys, unlike my previous dogs. I find rope toys and a split deer antler work well for chewing. I also give frozen raw bones which he loves and keep him occupied for hours.
I also feed him the odd meal in this www.amazon.co.uk/Nina-Ottosson-Dog-Tornado-Activity/dp/B001KZ8FWE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1390745044&sr=8-3&keywords=dog+maze which keeps him busy for a little while.

BB - I'm really sorry to hear about your Mum, I remember you saying she was ill. Really sad, you must be all over the place. I hope you can use lots of support from friends and things like puppy daycare to help get you through and just ignore the less important jobs.

Old clothes tied into knots or old slippers are favourites for chewing in our house . Our puppy likes to grab something, run into the garden for bit of a play then come back in without the toy! Over the course of a day all toys, chews etc get left out there and a wet day like today no one wants to collect up soggy toys so they are strewn across the lawn and puppy is lying on his bed with nothing to chew!

Oh he's a cutie TWTCJ. Those little speckles on his nose are known affectionately as 'norty spots' in some quarters. They always seem to appear on dogs who have amazing personalities.

Mint, our garden constantly looks like a landfill site for similar reasons - only Pip's favourite game at the is emptying the recycling bins. So we do actually have rubbish strewn up and down the lawn. Between that and all this rain it really does look dreadful.

Going to go and upload some pictures of Pip unpacking his new treat ball now.

Hello Jayne, Griff looks v cute! We have a border collie pup too, Meg, nearly 7 months(pics on profile). She is great fun but very energetic- far more than previous 2 males. She has black freckles too, but more white than your Griff. I might try bitter apple- she is a shocking chewer (and roller in deer poo). Nipping and house training now over and we are into barking and burglary.

Pictures now uploaded of the devastation wreaked when you give your pup his own Amazon parcel to unpack.

Nipping just hasn't happened at all here, I am being incredibly lucky with this pup. Oddly, this one does play with toys, Harry just doesn't 'get' toys at all, you guys have mentioned upthread.

We've ditched the crate moose, it's been open anyway for the last two nights and the boys sleep together. No accidents at all from 10pm till 6.15am, but you have to fling him out of the door asap

No poo's at all in the house and two wee's, both of which our fault, one DH lost the keys for the patio door and two, the tumble dryer repair man arrived, I shut the dogs in the study to greet him and direct him into the utilty etc.

Cardboard boxes are used a lot here, also small pop bottles, with lid on are great fun! Have lots of 'brain' toys too, which I rotate, the spaniel would 'work' for hours, so needs a fair bit of stimulation. Crisp wrappers in socks work well too, supervised obviously but the noise is interesting.

Have just enquired about agility for Harry, and going for a taster in two weeks. The lady who is the trainer has 7 (yes 7) collies, how mad is that!! Oddly, the one she got to Crufts was a puppy when the trainer broke her leg, so all the training she did was done from the sofa. The trainer said she wore him out using his brain, which just shows you doesn't it?

We have lots of soggy toys in the garden too!

Puppy doesn't quite 'get' kongs yet, but I think that comes with age?

That's a good amount of devastation moose!!!

Barking and burglary- and I was looking forward to the nipping being over with. Meg looks gorgeous
That's some carnage moose. He looks very pleased with himself

For some reason I can only get it to let me add one picture. It may be because I used to have it all set up under my original name. If I add another it puts it up but changes the first one to the same picture too

Needa, we put small water bottles in socks too and I bought Pip a furry fox bottle cover toy for Christmas as well. I'd forgotten that. Crunchy bottles are his absolute favourite.

He was very pleased with himself TWTCJ and of course had far more fun with the box than he did with the ball inside it.

Lots of people are having that problem with their profile pictures - I think Mint has the same issue, maybe it's something that needs raising in 'Site Stuff'?

Yes I do have that photo problem and raised it with site people but got my reply to a thread and a reply to an email which I didn't understand! All techie stuff so should get my teenage son to sort. I feel I am drowning under silly jobs like broken toaster, broken dishwasher, nightmare muddy floors and lots of puppy training to do!

What do people do about dog pulling when it's icy underfoot? I am dreading the morning as we have ice forecast and I need to walk minty at 8/9am with school run as I'm working rest of day - I work from home so it's easy minding dog but not easy fitting in a proper walk later in the day especially given that the school run walk takes an hour so if I leave him at home then I feel he's missing the best walk of the day. But I am SO unsteady on ice.

Moose - he had such fun, and must have been a quick clear up compared with the nightmare of outdoor muddy toys!

Mint, Yaktrax are your friend in icy conditions.

... and yes, a very quick clean-up for me - I made dh do it! There wasn't as much mess as when I let him have about 20 ft of the packing paper at Christmas.

I know what you mean about feeling like you're drowning under endless silly jobs. I feel like I don't know where to start - and the constant cleaning of muddy paws and subsequent towel washing isn't helping.

Oh yes I've got those yaktrax things! Had forgotten but then there's been no need for snow boots or my woolly hat this year so I'm not organised. I've been loving these mild weeks recently - my dog walking gear each morning has been jeans, hoodie, gilet, gloves and walking boots - no coat, scarf, hat, snood, or thermals needed and it's been wonderful leaving the house at 8am every day without a winter coat on! Especially given we live in Yorkshire!!

But all set to change I think. I am really keen to try raw food for minty - are many other puppies on it and how d'you find it? There is what sounds to be a really interesting programme on TV this Friday on Channel 5 - the truth about dog food. Worth watching.