Does anyone fancy a 'puppy survival' thread?

[SkeletonSkins]

Just wondering whether anyone else has got a puppy recently and in the same boat as us? Interested to hear how how others are getting on.

We've had our 8 week old puppy for a few days now and things are okay... he's a complete cross of lots of different breeds so enjoying trying to work out what in him!

House training seems to go great and then at night he just sits there in the middle of the grass not wanting to even walk around! Never mind wee!

Our older dog isn't particularly impressed but has been good with him so far. Just looking forward to him sleeping through the night without needing a wee. Completely forgot how having a puppy completely takes over your life for a little while!

So pathetic!

Well, first puppy class done and I have to admit he was a complete star. I can't believe this is the same dog that I couldn't get to walk further than my drive just a week ago! For all the nightmare moments, this is a good one. Was so lovely to take him and I was really proud of him. He made some new friends too!

SkeletonSkins I'm so pleased for you!! Well done puppy!

Hi can I join please?

We will be picking up our black miniature schnauzer puppy up on Sunday! I'm so excited. Is there anything you lot have brought that you've found really helpful?

Sotired, the pictures of your dogs bed slowly deteriorating are hilarious the guilty brother just looks like butter woudnt melt

What did you do with your puppy's when you brought them home? I've got a 3 and 5 years old and luckily it will be bed time for them by the time we've brought the puppy home so he can have a little bit of peace to explore the place.

Is anyone else raw feeding?

Lovely to hear about your pup! Main things I've found useful is chew toys and a treat ball that you put biscuits in and they come out as puppy rolls it around. It makes tea time last a bit longer and makes him use his brain! Oh and his kong of course.

When we brought our puppy home we just let him explore, including outside, had a play and then he slept really! Prepare yourself for lack of sleep that first night though as they do find it hard without Mum and siblings bless them.

Considered raw feeding but the faff and expense put me off to be honest. As my dogs do well on dry it didn't seem worth it but I always have respect for those that do it!

Thanks for the advice! I can't wait to get him!

I've already ordered toys including a Kong. I've heard so many great things about them. I'll add a treat ball to the shopping list.

I'll just be getting the pre prepared raw food. I couldn't trust myself to do it diy.

How old is your puppy now skins?

SoTired, I took a mouthful of my drink before I opened this thread, I choked seeing that pic

LionSock the first link on this list is a great little guide to having a stress free first night with your puppy. The rest of the links on there are all well worth reading as well, they cover pretty much every part of puppy raising.

May I join please? I have 12 week old Tolly, a cavalier king charles spaniel. I lost my utterly gorgeous cocker girl a month ago, and it's been a shock to re do the puppy thing, I'd forgotten how full on it is!

Toilet training is whizzing waaaaaay over his head right now, he has not got one single clue. After Sunday ending with the whole downstairs awash in pee we've sorted out a tighter system and a play pen outside so he can't eat leaves/run around/lick moss off the paving slabs/have a paddy at being on a lead and that's working as he at least concentrates a bit! He does sleep right through the night though so I'll forgive him ;)

He does insane bitey monster in the evening too. I'm doing the compulsory sleeps I used to do with my cocker and it works very well for him, but even with day sleeps he's a mess by 8pm and needs to go to bed!

Rumbling, I had the opposite scenario. I lost my King Charles dog on Christmas Eve (age 6, very unexpected) and now have a puppy cocker spaniel!

Sorry for your loss xxx

My pup (Star) has been doing soooo well with house training. 3 walks a day means that she does everything outside.

But this week we unexpectedly were both out the house all day, so the in laws looked after her. They commented on how untrained she is and she'd pooped so much. We were shocked as she hadn't been like that at home.

Anyway today, my FIL came round as I was hoovering. Daft me put Star in the kitchen instead of outside (I am kicking myself for this) and FIL walks into room, she had pooped everywhere.

Gutted! We'd been telling the in laws she's not been making messes at home (she hadn't I swear!). FIL was very smug and gave me a good "training your dog talk".

So wound up! Their dogs are almost feral they are so naughty. But to have to bite my tongue being told I'm not training my dog? Urghh

Thank you Lexi, I'm so sorry about yours xx You are in for the most wonderful dog, I loved my cocker to bits. Gorgeous and clever and the best partner dog imaginable. I resisted the urge to have another cocker in part because my mobility has gone down a bit and she was high drive, I felt bad when I couldn't always keep up with the very physical life she would have loved us to have, and because she was a tiny, tiny cocker. A real pocket rocket. Her best friend was a king charles and they were the exact same size, hence Tolly.

We've actually found our cocker to be so lazy so far. We literally have to drag her out of the house to go for a walk.

She's shoe type, so we were told this was a lazier version of cocker, but she is shockingly different to our King Charles.

Things will probably change, she's only 4months and we've been waiting for the weather to pick up to take her on some good hikes.

Show* type

LOL Pops was like a squirrel on crack for the first eighteen months! I'd have loved her to be lazy even occasionally

How is she different to your King Charles???? Inquiring minds with cavalier puppies are dying to know! Tolly is so chilled out compared to Pops.

Well I had two days of waking up and taking Pabs straight outside - wee'd and poo'ed straight away. Then DH came home from skiing and routine appears to have gone straight out the window - poo everywhere!

Pabs is having a sleepover at my friends tomorrow who provides puppy day care for me at the minute as I have to catch the 6am train to London - I am dreading going to bed without him tomorrow night so used to him sleeping across my neck and choking me all night

Our KC loved walks, being outside, and was extremely loyal. Could 100% be trusted off lead, would never walk further than a couple of foot away from you.

When KC and DS were being looked after by in laws (they babysit when were both in work, both dog and children), KC would become my sons shadow even when he went to bed at 7pm. This was not something that the dog did at home.

Cocker seems to be far more independent so far, not really needy at all. Training seems quicker with cocker for basic demands, our KC seemed a little thick to be honest.

Oh and playfulness, our KC didn't really play that much at all even as a puppy. Very short 5min bouts of playing, our cocker could play none stop for hours.

Every dog is different mind, but if your KC was anything like mine, you have got a lovely loyal companion xxx

Rumbling, I'm sorry for the loss of your beloved girl. We lost our Border terrier the day after Boxing Day so know exactly how you feel. We got Tilly, a JRT six weeks ago, as we couldn't face having the same breed again either , but felt we needed a little terrier again I'd forgotten how much hard work puppies are

Furrymuff, Tilly sleeps across my neck too. Just as well she's not much bigger than a guinea pig!

Hi all

I haven't posted for a while. Jasper is now 16 weeks old and I haven't had any "OMG what have I done?" thoughts for a couple of weeks now.

We spent £475 on replacing a broken, old fence on our right hand side, and having a new gate across the driveway on a Friday only for him to find a way into the left hand garden through a small gap in a hedge! We did laugh. He couldn't find his way back so he just sat in the neighbour's garden until someone noticed and went round to fetch him.

His bad habits now are
1: Being very bitey when he is tired. I can always tell when he needs a sleep as he starts growling and being a bit vicious.

1. Barking at people out on his walk.

He's cracked toilet training. I remember a couple of weeks ago exclaiming in exasperation "I can't remember the last time he did a shit outside!" but now I can't remember the last time he did one indoors. He's capable of holding his bladder from 10am to 5am when I get up for work.

He's taken to sleeping on our bed, which we don't mind at all - although for the last couple of days he's preferred the floor which I also don't mind.

He's getting big (Labrador) and today he is now big enough to reach the kitchen work counter on his hind legs so that's life over for us - I'll never be able to leave anything out again.

Recall so far is great - we have a mix of pavement and field walking, he pulls on the lead so I think I might have to get a head collar but I let him off lead in the field and he's great although we have yet to meet another off-lead dog.

He knows a lot of words and commands so far - although it's hit and miss whether he obeys them LOL.

all in all, I'm glad we did it and I can't imagine life without him now.

And here are my latest puppy pictures, both taken on Sunday. He's doing his party trick of showing his paw without being asked when he spies food, and he just looks so happy and smiley in the other that I want to show him off.

ScarletPower mine started to reach the kitchen counters a few weeks ago when he snatched DHs sandwiches off the edge of the counter and ran off with them in his mouth

Now we have to put things right to the back to avoid his counter surfing actions but it won't be long until he can actually jump up on them in which case nothing will be safe.

Thanks Owlish. I'm sorry about your border terrier. My girl died very suddenly aged only four, it just is not something you're ever prepared for.

LOL Lexie ok, I'm convinced it's personality more than breed now! My cocker learned at the speed of light, I could teach her a new trick in ten minutes and it was in there permanently, and her recall was not bad - improving as she got older - but she lived in her nose. Not really much for playing by the time she was about 4 months old, she wanted to do whatever I was doing, not entertain herself. Outside she did the classic spaniel thing of bum up, nose down, ears off. Inside she was a velcro cocker. She did full operatic wailing if I walked out of her line of sight, or God forbid into a shop without her even if I left her with another family member, although she was fine if I went out of the house and left her in her crate. I only once ever tied her up outside a shop, it was a tourist information beauro and she was in front of an open doorway in my clear sight the whole time less than fifteen feet away. She howled her head off, when I got out of the shop she was surrounded by elderly people trying to soothe her and unable to believe one tiny cocker could make that noise!

So far the KC is much less nose oriented but also picks up tricks fast, is finding toilet training waaaaay harder, but plays for ages. He would rather play with me but will settle down to chew or run up and down with a toy for a good twenty minutes.

Rumbling, I honestly think I just got a really stupid KC ! I am finding it amazing how quickly I can teach my cocker sit/paw/lie down/bed etc. Stuff that my KC would just look at me daft no matter how hard I tried.

Bloody loved that stupid mutt ha!

Scarlet, so cute. And yes, when people ask what commands she's learnt I rattle some off, then say "she knows them, but whether she does them depends on her mood!!"

• in denial!

Sorry to doggie losses, but yah to new puppies and their happy, loving faces.