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!

Hi to all the new puppy owners that have joined. Very cute pictures.

Flowering mine had been given an oral wormer before I picked him up and after the car journey the poor thing was sick :( thank god it wasn't in the car though.

Skeletonskins thank you for that reassurance. I guess I feel guilty that she is in her crate and not with us because she is still so little yet as I say she does fall asleep in there quickly. And I know she needs it as before I realised that she spent about 2 hours wondering around the room or flopping down then getting up and it was so stressful as I was tired and it was clear she was shattered.

SkeletonSkins, possibly do you think it is playing? The rescue has 'issues' and has done really well over the past few months but I am worried she will hurt the puppy.
We have been fussing over the older dog, it's all been quite stressful.

Bitey, yes still picking vomit out of everything

gypsy I wouldn't feel guilty at all, sounds like she's desperate to settle and in fact the crate is her safe space.

flowering I know how you feel - we have an older dog who isn't really a fan of other dogs but it's been like a miracle. Our older dog can't be mixed with new dogs at all but he plays with the pup and everything now! I think most dogs give puppies the benefit of the doubt for a while and let them get away with murder!

Quick question about puppy pads. Tonight the puppy used the puppy pad for a wee (I didn't realise until after). We are still taking her outside regularly and when we see signs. But I'm now wondering if the puppy pad is going to confuse her?

I'd ditch the puppy pads completely, it's much better to start as you mean to go on and just take them outside from the get go. Using them teaches the puppy it is ok to go inside and once they're getting the hang of using them reliably you then need to teach them to only go outside anyway. Much easier (and quicker) to just do that from the start.

Love all the puppy photos. We certainly have a diverse lot of puppies here

I only have a small backyard with some grass but also lots of paving and pebbles/gravel. Bluepuppy seems to like weeing on the pebbles most of the time and the yard is really starting to smell from the dog urine. Yuck. Any suggestions?

Rinsing down with water after he's had a wee and then regular washes with a dog safe disinfectant (I use Formula H from PaH) should keep the smell down.

Thanks Cornflake. I hosed down outside and he wasn't impressed with the water

Bluepuppy was fine to carry around at first but is starting to get very squirmy. Can't wait until I can take him out and about on a lead.

I tried him in the car without the carrier. Have only driven him around the block so far as I don't have a harness yet. Not a sound out of him so I think it's the carrier that was stressing him out and not the car travel. He did start to squeal as soon as I put him in it at the breeder's house which probably says something.

blue DDog tries to drink from the hose or watering can

I rinse down a concrete area with a cleaner I got from amazon designed to be used to clean kennels etc which is 'paw safe'. Smells fragrant and DDog doesn't seem to mind the smell. I mention this because you don't want to put off your pup from toileting there I presume.

Bitey Amazon if course. Is there anything you can't buy there

The Aussie version of PAH were a bit hopeless but I remembered about reading on an American forum about using horse stable disinfectant. So I went to my local horse supplies / fodder shop and bought a big container of the stuff.

Bluepuppy has started doing somersaults during his zoomiies when he pounces on toys. I feel the Whippet wall of death is coming

blue I am not sure how I would have coped without Amazon :)

The zoomies make them go bonkers. Mine is too old for them now but his equivalent is doing a few laps of the garden when he gets a new chew to show off his prize

Thanks Cornflake that's what I thought. We've had a few accidents in the house this morning so that just strengthens your theory. Puppy pads are going to go. Does everyone else just seem to follow puppy around waiting for signs? There doesn't seem to be any pattern to her peeing/pooing

Smashie I followed the advice I'd read in various plaves online (possibly this thread as well) about when to let puppy out for toilet. First thing in the morning, after a long sleep during the day, after play/ exercise, after meals and last thing before putting to bed is what I've done (plus once or twice during the night, depending on how many times I get up to pee.

Occasionally I've caught Bluepuppy squatting inside and managed to whisk him outside but mostly it's been about putting him outside enough that he doesn't get a chance to have an accident.

Smashie After every meal, drink, play, sleep and frequently in between at first. All the accidents were when I sat there thinking it's been a while I must take him out to then turn round and find he had already been.

Managed to get Puppy out for wee and poo today so happyme! He's very tired though - injections today so he just wants to sleep and cuddle! Hopefully he won't decide nighttime is playtime!

Mine was zonked for 24hours after jabs Petra so u might be ok :)
Well done on the poo and wee, feels like such a victory when they new to it all doesn't it?! X

Petra mine slept all day after injections too, think it's very common!

Poor puppy just threw up
All his lunch :-( on the sofa :-(

Oh dear Petra can you phone the vets and see if they are concerned that he's been ill after his vaccinations?

Thanks Blue and Bitey after a rocky start this morning we seem to be back on track. My DD was left in charge for a bit this afternoon and managed to get her outside for all her pees and poos may put her in charge permanently!

Since I've got back in only one accident and that was because DS wanted my help opening something and while I went and did that she poo'd.

Oh Petra hope your wee puppy is feeling ok.

He seems better - currently eating my smelliest shoe!!!

Oh the poor thing Petra, really hoping he's feeling back to his normal self by the morning!

petra hope he's feeling better now. Ours has thrown up a couple of times (we now give him smaller, more frequent meals) possibly also because he will eat all sorts of rubbish in the garden.

We seem to be on track with housetraining, he hasn't had an accident for several days! And he's not 5 months yet! I've probably jinxed it now. :-) A bonus is that he does appear to let us know he wants out, which makes a nice change as First Dog expected us to somehow know telepathically.

And yes ours also gets the zoomies when he's overtired- I have to physically hold him to get him to sleep.

We pick up our puppy tomorrow and I am having a 'wtf am I doing?' Moment! Feeling quite anxious.