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The doghouse

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Original poster

Does anyone fancy a 'puppy survival' thread?

999 replies

SkeletonSkins · 15/02/2017 16:09

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!

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Owlish · 18/02/2017 20:28

It's been over 11 years since my last dog was a puppy and I can't remember it being this difficult. I must have blanked it out from the sheer trauma Grin

Loving the puppy pics, they're all utterly adorable.

BuffyChiro · 18/02/2017 21:13

i was just celebrating that we were going to have an accident free day but I wasn't quick enough to take her outside and she's just peed in the house. Ahh well start again tomorrow.

SkeletonSkins - you're right. It just feels like there are so many things we should be doing but I think that socialisation is the most important right now.

I eventually want to get her on Lily's Kitchen but at the minute she's being so fussy - even from one meal to the next, so we are trying lots of different things. We got a bag of Iams from the breeder so I've been kind of using that as a base and adding chicken/ wet puppy food/ scrambled egg on top. So far she's turned her nose up at two brands of wet food and only seemed to like James Wellbeloved. My previous dog was a lab mix who would scoff whatever was put in front of him and I thought that was the case for all dogs...apparently not.

Original poster
SkeletonSkins · 18/02/2017 22:07

We're using Arden grange but after a good start he's now not so keen. Think I will have a look and see if there's something else that might work better. Can see myself spending a fortune on different foods!!

Had some friends round with an older but friendly dog for some socialisation and it went really well. Yet another worry is socialising him too much - I don't want to end up with him running across the park to play with every dog in sight!!

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Thewolfsjustapuppy · 18/02/2017 22:22

I feed a complete raw food, its dead easy and pup eats it.
One of the nice things about standing around in the garden late at night is I'm growing very familiar with it's night time inhabitants. We have an emabarrasment of fornicating frogs at the moment and their songs are really soothing. Normally the owls screech but they are silent tonight so I can hear the frogs.

Bluebell9 · 18/02/2017 22:56

We did our first proper walk off the lead today although only 15 mins. We were on the beach so could see dogs approaching but he was happy running from me to DP and if the kids got too far away, he was running to them too. I've found he stays closer off the lead than he does when he's on the extendable lead. Not that I'd like to try it out with another dog near by just yet!

No wees in the house for 2 days!! And he learnt a new command today, now he'll go to his bed and lie down when he's told to.

Thanks for the replies about enforced sleep, he doesn't seem bothered by it, so I'll just keep going.

BuffyChiro · 18/02/2017 23:01

Thewolf - raw feeding seems to be so much popular nowadays and I'm quite interested in it. It's just slightly daunting at the minute. When you say you buy a complete raw food do you mean it comes as a package - so it's nutritionally balanced and you don't have to worry about that yourself? What puts me off raw feeding is that I might miss out on such and such a vitamin or mineral.

A big reason why I'm hoping to get pup onto Lily's kitchen is because the meat they use is ethically raised. Do you know of any raw food companies that specifically use ethically raised / sourced meat?

I must admit, once I've managed to crank my eyes open, it is nice being in the quiet garden when everyone else is asleep. No frogs but we did just come across a dead bird courtesy of our cats...not quite so lovely.

Thewolfsjustapuppy · 19/02/2017 08:23

Buffy, there are a lot of suppliers of raw complete. When I first looked into it I was put off just like you as websites I read seemed so detailed and over the top complicated tbh. I stalked Facebook sites like "raw feeding uk" and their sister site "raw feeding uk suppliers and distributors". It's really not that complicated on complete and surprisingly not as expensive as I feared either. I started with Wolf tucker but now I use Wiggins.co.uk and the meat seems to be ethical (free range if not organic). I don't worry too much about vitamins and minerals as it's meat and that is what dogs digestive system is designed for anyway. I know most of it is digested as her poo is tiny nowadays! Most companies follow the 80-10-10 rule for proportions of meat, bone and offal though they are not always very clear. It is weird because the protein is lower in the raw food than the kibble she was on (14% on average). We are not a big meat eating family but I do supplement her diet with some fish from the discount isle in Sainsbury which she loves. I hear Morrisons is the best for raw feeders as their butchers are awsome but we don't have a local one.

Original poster
SkeletonSkins · 19/02/2017 12:00

How much does raw cost you? I'm just not sure we'd be able to stretch to it really.

No accident yesterday but then decided to randomly wee on a cushion today! Typical. He's getting more confident every day which is great.

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BuffyChiro · 19/02/2017 12:46

Thewolf - thank you for giving me so much information, I really appreciate it. I'm definitely going to look more into raw feeding as it does appeal to me a lot.

We've already had a poo and a wee in the house today Confused . I've just carried her for a wee walk around the block to try and get her more used to car and street noises and then we had a little walk about the garden on her on her lead which was nice - it's such a lovely day here Grin.

Jenny70 · 19/02/2017 13:17

Still waiting for that accident-free day here! It will come (repeats to self often!).

Thewolfsjustapuppy · 19/02/2017 14:20

Skeleton, cost does depend on the size and age of the dog. Pup is 12kg and costs me about £1.80 per day to feed. It will be a lot cheaper when I finally get the nerve to DIY but it will also be a bit harder work.

Thewolfsjustapuppy · 19/02/2017 14:22

Pup is 5 months and we still get about three indoor wees a week -mainly its my fault for forgetting she still needs to go out so regularly and expecting her to wait so she just squats in front of me Hmm

Original poster
SkeletonSkins · 19/02/2017 14:28

Thanks for the info re raw feeding, will do a bit of research. He's eaten a bit better today so fingers crossed

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fannydaggerz · 19/02/2017 16:32

I have 3 dogs and getting a puppy soon. I've not had a puppy for years, I'm really looking forward to having her here.

In regards to toileting, if you're using puppy pads, you can take the pad out to the garden with you and they can sniff it outside.

I think hoping that toilet training will be easier as I have 3 dogs that go outside already and pup will follow suit.

Owlish · 19/02/2017 17:28

I've just had Tilly out twice, where she huddled against the doorway, refusing to do anything. So I've brought her back, left her on the sofa while I picked up a cup to take into the kitchen and, yup, the little bugger pissed on the sofa Hmm

Original poster
SkeletonSkins · 19/02/2017 19:35

Definitely in the same boat! Apparently wet grass is just absolutely traumatising and it's much nicer to wee on our older dogs bed...

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AnotherDayHasGone · 19/02/2017 20:19

If you read articles on the internet it suggests you can toilet train them in less than a week Hmm when I found the reality was it took DDog several weeks before he consistently asked to go outside with no accidents and I am still on my guard if I think he hasn't been for several hours. In fact toilet training was the hardest thing I found followed closely with the biting Sad

BiteyShark · 19/02/2017 20:31

SkeletonSkins I bet your older dog wasn't very impressed with his wet bed Grin

BuffyChiro · 19/02/2017 20:56

Argggghhhh she's peed on the carpet twice in the last half an hour Angry

Original poster
SkeletonSkins · 19/02/2017 22:27

Bitey older dog has already abandoned that bed as pup has touched it which he is disgusted with. Poor guy is being very tolerant but would defo send Toby back if he could! Pup just doesn't give up with wanting to play - idolises older dog despite older dog being very uninterested.

Buffy we've had the same with house training tonight - it's raining here which seems to have completely changed the rules of the game with Toby. He's not a fan of getting wet!!

HA toilet trained in a week! Well no fear I don't think anyone on this thread has that miracle pup, we're all in the same boat!

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Jenny70 · 20/02/2017 05:39

Must say it is very reassuring to see we're all in the same boat - few wins, few losses with the toilet training - I feel like I have a toddler to watch over, waiting for any signs!

And biting, she's good with me, but she can be very excitable and snappy to the kids (9 and 11), and I don't want that. But they squeal and jump, which excites her more.... our teen is good, firm and playful with biting toys on hand to divert the jaws.

Owlish · 20/02/2017 11:18

So far this morning puppy has peed twice and pooed once in the house, even though she's peed and pooed outside already this morning Sad

Owlish · 20/02/2017 13:05

Now she's managed to get onto the sofa by herself. She's only the size of a potato, ffs!

Booboostwo · 20/02/2017 13:47

Hello everyone with your gorgeous puppies!

This is Monty, he's a 10 week old, long haired GSD. Mouthing is his worst habit at the moment as he has really sharp little teeth. He also has a tendency to bark at other dogs so a lot of socialisation is needed! His toileting is OK and he sleeps through the night which is a miracle!

Does anyone fancy a 'puppy survival' thread?
Owlish · 20/02/2017 14:03

Booboostwo he is an utterly adorable fluffball!