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!

Dottymum2 oh what a terror umm nope don't think I will take you up on the offer even if he is free.

Mine is still giving me grief with his stroppy behaviour but I had a lovely cuddle on the sofa last night where the 12kg lump fell asleep in my arms so he is forgiven.

Well I've had a nightmare day and convinced myself I've got a horror on my hands! Had my friends little girl all day today, so we went to the park. Absolutely great to start with, he say nicely while we had ice cream, really friendly with other dogs etc but then all of a sudden this woman walks past and he starts growling!! And after that, he was scared of everything and didn't growl again but tried to run away.

Then, brought him back to the house and he started randomly barking at little girls coat??? She wasn't wearing it. Then friend came round to pick up little girl and he went mad barking at her!!! Oh god I was MORTIFIED. But then something clicked - woman in park was wearing big rustly coat, friend had on a rustly coat and actually a few weeks ago my friend came round and he was so nervous of her until she took her coat off. I asked my friend to take her coat off and then puppy was all over her, giving kisses etc! So I have a dog that's afraid of coats....

I can work with that, right? I so want a friendly dog he was fine with her when she left and been fab with friends little girl all day. Think we will need some more walks in town etc to get used to diff people.

SkeletonSkins that sounds stressful. At least you have worked out what he is afraid of.

Mine didn't like shop signs that were stood on the floor or the postbox and I had to get him to try and touch it. Even now he will sometimes square up to street signs.

It's reassuring to read all these puppy stories!

Ours still very attached to me, whines if I even leave the room. I've tried to encourage DH and DD to play more with him, but because I've been doing 95% of the work with him, they haven't bonded as much.

And because I'm the one doing most of the work, including hours spent in the garden in my dressing gown, I've ended up with a cold and cough.

Oh and he pees in his sleep.

My Ddog one morning decided she would be afraid of the coffee machine and refused to go past it while it was on. Never did it before or since.

So this was me at 12.30 last night
Joy. Woken by puppy. Assume he needs a we so take him outside. Get out to find dog up the road is barking so puppy won't pee as he is to scared. Know that when I take him inside he will probably pee on the floor if he doesn't pee outside. But now I need a wee as I'm stood outside in the cold at 12.30. Come inside with puppy having not peed. Leave puppy to go to the loo. Return to a wee on the floor. Wet sock. Pee footprint across the living room.

Oh and I left the living room door open whilst cleaning up the pee from the floor. So the dog went running off into the front room where it's pitch dark and no access to the sodding light switch unless you are a contortionist so I think I have dropped my wee soaked sock in there trying to grab him.

Things didn't get much better after that to be honest. I was glad to be at work. Hubs was unexpectedly home today so he had the joy. Apparently Eddie was a little shitbag.

Got a dog trainer lady coming over on Saturday to give us some tips and offer reassurance that we are not losing the plot

Oh funky that sounds so stressful. Especially as it happened in the middle of the night when your patience is probably at its lowest anyway. I hope today is better for you. Only two more days until Saturday. Let us know how it goes with the trainer.

Random how your pup is scared of coats skin! At least with knowing what it is, you'll be able to work on it. Has your dad been wearing a coat when he's been coming round?

Alias my puppy is extremely bonded to me to. Even if everyone else is here, he will cry and scratch at the door if I leave the room. He will wag his tail a bit if DH comes home from work but if I come into the room after leaving him for 5 mins he will jump, run around in a circle and act like I've been gone for 5 years.

My friend looked after lionpup yesterday while I was at work for the first time. He was there 4 hours and didn't sleep! The longest I've ever known him to stay awake is 2 hours. Those of you with older puppies, do they still sleep as much?

I'm finding it very hard to keep hold of him while we take him out. He wriggles and cries and struggles to get on the floor. He absolutely hates being held for longer than 5 mins. It's very difficult as I ahve a 3 and 5 years old that I also need to keep ahold of when crossing roads ect. Lionpup gets taken out about 3 times a day and I don't want to reduce this but might have to if he gets any worse. Still another 3 weeks until he can go on the ground.

Lion my puppy still sleeps a lot when we are just sitting in the house but tends to open his eye if I move about just to check nothing exiting is happening without him. I guess the difference is he doesn't have the mad periods followed by the zonked out sleep like he did when he was little.

My puppy was all me, then all DH and now back to all me again. I am sat here again this morning hiding to see if he starts howling again after we have left him ( he can't hear or see me but I have means of listening in ).

I do wonder if having a puppy is like having a baby in that after a few years you forget how stressful it was and go and have another one because right now I keep saying I would not do it again

Funkymoover I have made that mistake many a time not going to the toilet myself before taking puppy out then find he wants to take his time whilst I am jumping about trying not to pee myself in the garden

This puppy stuff is so hard. Now I have friends who tell me having a child is worse than having a puppy (I am child free by choice) but I an not convinced

aliasjoey it is reassuring isn't it to read everyone else's woes because otherwise you would think it must just be you being rubbish.

I think I would have lost the plot ages ago had I not had a couple of friends in RL assure me that this is normal and just go with the flow as eventually they calm down.

burdog aren't they funny . Last night as mine was on my lap on the sofa so much higher than normal he decided that he didn't like seeing the top of people's heads when they walked past our wall by our house and started growling

[whispers very quietly so not to tempt fate] no howling or crying today. We have rejigged how we leave him and he is left a bit less time on his own but hopefully we have nipped this in the bud.

Our pup noticeably sleeps less these days, seems to get up and have a couple of hours playing, then sleep on and off for the rest of the morning but after that he's mostly awake! But calmer if that makes sense.

Omg my pup has just pulled up the corner of the carpet and chewer it I've repaired the damage as much as possible but it looks awful and he keeps going back to it at every opportunity. I was literally out of the room for less than 2 mins.

Lion can you put something on top of it to discourage more chewing. We had to drape our blinds up over a chair for several weeks when mine was little as he kept biting them and jumping on them (floor to ceiling blinds). Just to give you hope we have them down now and he doesn't pay any attention to them at all.

Definitely agree put something on top of it so he can't get to it - they do forget!!

It's in the corner between a wall and a door. The door opens into this room so if I put anything there, the door wouldn't open. He's pulled it up again this morning. I have to keep the door shut because the dog stays in the living room and the cat is in the kitchen. I'm going to have to put him in the crate every single time I go into the kitchen now.

I'm glad your pup has forgotten how fun the blinds are now bitey

Lionpup didn't get fed last night as he went to bed so early. I normally feed him at about 7pm but he was already asleep. I assumed he would wake up but he never did!

I've got to leave him for work today. My friend is coming in to let him out and have a little play but I feel so guilty!

Hmm about the carpet I presume it's fun now because of the chewed/frayed bits. Gaffa tape over it? Might want to try and chew the tape so must make sure no edges but was thinking it might 'hide' the bit he is eating.

The guilt of leaving pooch never goes away I think. I spend ages worrying about the poor thing when I know 90% of the time he is probably asleep.

Yeah definitely like duct tape or something might be worth a try?

Definitely glad I decided to try out other puppy class - went last night for the first time and got lots of good advice. She said pup is getting overwhelmed as I'm seeing socialisation as needing to meet everyone when pup should be focusing on me and not going up to everyone else anyway! So I'm going to take him into town later with some of his tea in a bag and reward him for focusing on me, not stressing out etc and not expect him to want cuddles from everyone!

How is everyone's pups today?

Mine is at day care so stress free day for me today

Hi Skeleton yes I am now having to undo the initial puppy class thing of dog meeting other dogs and people because it confuses the dog when you are doing recall. So many conflicting advice and I found I just went with it until someone explained why it was not a great idea for my dog that is very very (too much) friendly and wants to play with everyone.

Hope you enjoy your walk into town. It's a lovely sunny day here so hope it's the same for you.

Thanks I will try some tape and see if that helps. I hope he forgets about it soon as I'm having to put him in the crate every time I leave the room which isn't ideal.

I'm home now and he was really pleased to see me. I love seeing how excited he is when I come in I've got a job interview to go to soon so ill have to leave him again for an hour but I'll come back and take him on the school run with me. I feel so bad for leaving again. Bitey, I know he will just be asleep like your pup but it doesn't make you feel any better does it? How are you getting on with the crying when you leave?

We had a play date with a huge Labrador yesterday. It was so lovely to watch

Good luck for the job interview

The crying or rather howling has stopped. I spied on him all the time he was on his own yesterday and there was nothing. I think he heard something and as my DH was still around and could hear him and went back to check it reinforced that noise = we come back. He is a bit territorial of his house at the moment, started barking if people knock, so I think it might have been some noise that started him off and we made it worse.

It's important that we can leave him for a few hours at a time so the ignoring him coupled with me taking him for a walk prior to leaving seems to have nipped it in the bud.

Bitey if I pee first he pees on the floor while I'm gone. Can't win.

Totally worse than having a baby at the moment. Like having a reborn crossed with a stroppy toddler that is into everything he shouldn't be!
Newborn baby was easy compared to this. at least they wore a nappy and stayed asleep when I left the room (most of the time, if I crept out carefully)

Eddie has been going mental for the last hour. Has finally crashed out. Was racing round the lounge with an empty plastic milk bottle and racing out into the garden up to the side gate and trying to escape!

How did your interview go Lion!? Good luck

Puppy trainer coming tomorrow. Looking forward to getting some reassurance and some tips!

Funky the good news is the stroppy peeing toddler matures a lot sooner than the human version :)

Mine seems a lot calmer inside the house (complete loony still outside but we are working on that) and for the last two nights he has been quite happy to curl up on his bed either in our bedroom or the lounge whilst we watch tv. Can't believe we have got to this point given how manic he used to be. I keep telling him he is a good boy and hoping I don't tempt fate and he gets all naughty again.

I hope I'm not tempting fate but although Eddie does go mental from about 4-5 pm till about 6.30 ish once he does crash that's him in his basket for the evening bar a few wee trips outside if he gets woken up. He is still very sensitive to noise and gets disturbed very easily (if I leave the room he will try to follow me every time!) but generally pretty good in the evening once he's stopped looning about