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!

First walk today, everyone had to come, everyone had to have a turn holding lead... she did so well, trotted along, stopped a few times for smelling, friendly to the couple of people we met and not too freaked by air brakes on truck that went on/off noisily next to us.

jenny70 how cute! I can't wait to be able to take our honey out. just another week to wait.

Things are going better with Monty and the cats but I have to oversee them 100%. He is still a bit too attracted to one cat but I am beginning to wander if it's not sexual rather than hunting (doesn't make much difference to the poor cat but may help in figuring out how to deal with it).

And away from the cats he is a good boy
www.facebook.com/nafsika.athanassoulis/posts/10154693642793141

This little beauty is starting to settle in. She's adorable but hard work, she's starting to get a bit bitey so we are going to have to work on that. I'm still only getting up once during the night at 3am to take her out. Accidents are few and far between she's really starting to show her personality! How's one else's fur baby coming on

Maggie is also feeling her feet, getting bolder -tackling the four stairs between our kitchen and living room already! She's been an angel at night, - going to sleep in the kids' beds with them at about 8pm, then I take her out for a wee at 11pm then in her crate next to my bed until 6.30-7am (and its the kids coming in that wakes her!). I'm waiting for my luck to run out! Started teaching he to sit yesterday and she does it for me. She's also getting bitier when excited and I'm aware of how much of a challenge getting her to not jump up to greet is going to be - she's so adorable at the moment it is welcomed but it will be an annoying habit later on, especially with toddlers or muddy paws . Need to get everyone on board to teach her manners!

Favourite toy is ovo eggs...will post a clip.

Can't seem to post a clip but this was her in a bag yesterday, heading out for a bit of socialisation!

Hi, a bit late to this thread, but can I join?

I have a 12 week old cockerdor. She's gorgeous, but she's also quite bitey. "In there" seems to be working a bit actually. Yelping and turning away didn't really do anything.

House training is going fairly well. We've had a few days of no accidents at all, but not usually consistently.

Night time- well...we were very lucky in the beginning I think. She was sleeping through til 7 with no accidents in her crate from day 2! However, the last few days she's waking up earlier (presumably the lighter mornings), so we were just getting used to this. Nothing we can do about it really, but this morning she woke up at 4.30!! I nearly cried because I woke up at 3 and couldn't get back to sleep. For the first time since having her, I let her out in the night for a wee (I know that's controversial, but she's asleep, so has never been whining to go out) but put her straight back in her crate, which she was NOT happy about. We had to let her cry it out for 30 minutes or so, before she went back off.

I'm really worried this will be her new routine, which seems to be going backwards. I don't think she woke because she needed the toilet, I think she just woke up. Our floor boards are ridiculously creaky, so if you're going to the toilet in the night, then it's pretty obvious. We can't not go though! Also, I have a cough, so that could have woken her...

Please somebody tell me this could just be a blip

Just to clarify, I meant it was controversial not to set an alarm and get up with them in the night.

mojitosbythesea back in the very early weeks with my pup I sometimes got up if he was awake and simply took him out and if he did not wee he went straight back. I do remember nights where he was awake all the bloody time and I was constantly up with him but he got the 'not talking or stroking etc and putting straight back to crate' message and now at 5 months I can see him wake if he hears us (I have a video monitor) but settles himself back down so don't despare if you have a few rough nights.

Puppy sleep is a bit like baby sleep training, everyone has their own ideas of what works. For me I think that some young puppies can have a lot of energy during the night, it's not their fault, they are just young so I bite the bullet, getbup and play with the puppy until he's ready to settle again. Usually it's a brief phase but it does mess with my sleep! Monty has some nights where he sleeps through for about 7 hours and some nights where he's sleep for 5-6 hours, wake up for 2, then crash again for another 3 hours.

Monty is also still crate training so the door is still open.

Seamus also woke up at 4.30 this morning, it was my husbands turn and he forgot to look at the clock and thought it was his usual time between 5.30 and 6.30

Our new morning routine is one is going down to take him out for a wee then he gets to come into our bed and have a snooze until I get up around 6.30-6.45. It's very cosy

He has started doing (according to the trainer at puppy class) something called submissive urinating. Basically he spray piddles when he gets too excited. Anyone got any experience of that? Otherwise he is doing well, we have let him off the lead a few times in remote areas and he has come back, still feel nervous doing that in busier areas as he likes to chase bicycles and loves running up to other dogs.

Molly does the excited wee when she's been left for while, obviously holding even though she has a dog door and knows how to use it. then when we get home there is some urine leakage, usually if I take her out straight away she will do proper wee.

I have been coming in the house, going around the house and calling her through the dog door, so at least she is outside and gets that message that if I need to go, I go out this way!

Was whispering to myself it was accident free day #1 (certainly not hoping toilet training would be done, but would be nice to have a glimmer), but alas poop on the floor 2 mins after coming inside. sigh. But my brother said it's a good sign she goes out at all at 11 weeks, so taking that as a positive.

Yes have had excited weeing here, just make sure you are not holding them in your arms when they do it [looks sternly at DDog].

Everywhere we went, puppy parties, dog training, vets etc someone had to follow us round with a mop. Fortunately it isn't as prevelant now he is older :)

I'm having a really bad day with the puppy. She's started chewing and playing with the corner of the sitting room rug and anything I do to try and stop her just makes her think it's a great game and she's growling and biting me. She's still very bitey, none of the recommended distraction methods stops her for long, it's like she actively prefers to bite fingers, toes and clothing than any of her soft toys. She can now get on the sofa and I've resorted to putting her in her crate several times to get some respite, even though she's not really crate trained, so I know I'm risking her thinking her crate is a 'prison' rather than somewhere to sleep and as her den.

She also seems to think that peeing and pooing outside is optional and will just squat and pee or poo anywhere in the house wherever she happens to be. She never seems to give any indication when she's going to do it and doesn't seem to have any kind regularity that I can see. I'm just so bloody sick of it now

Owlish we definitely all have those days so don't dispare. I have been there in terms of them getting obsessed with an object no matter what you offer them. Could you remove the rug for a few days? Seems drastic but I've found the easiest way to stop the behaviour is just prevent it.

Sleep - well we're 10 weeks tomorrow and still waking up at least once a night for a wee. He's also wanting to play earlier and earlier - 5.45 this morning - so you're definitely not alone. I agree that it's like babies and I think it takes time for them to adjust to our timings. We're going to try and keep him awake a little later although they do say sleep breeds sleep so who knows if that will work!

Our issue is leaving him alone. From next week he has to be left for two/3 hours while I work and I already feel so guilty. We are going to be able to leave him with our older dog, which I think will help, but so far he always has an accident when left, almost like a protest! I'm worried it's going to really set us back with toilet training.

It will get better guys - very very few dogs end up not housetrained if their owners are putting the effort in, and very very few wake up in the night as adults. We will get there!

I know it is very early days (9wks old and 3 days home) but I am starting to get really worried about Maggie getting separation anxiety. Can anyone talk me through how they built up to leaving their puppy? She cries immediately if I leave the room!

Here is Floyd. 8 weeks and 2 days. I'm not going to lie it is hard work. Toilet training is going ok but we are having some accidents including excitement wees. Starting on alone training by hiding upstairs for a few mins every now and then. He hates it but does ok. Already given up on proper crate as he screams bloody murder even if he can see you

sleepwhenidie you will have lots of people advise on getting your puppy used to being on their own. Lots of people do not advocate letting them cry at all and I think someone will be along to post a Facebook Link which details how lots of people do it which you might want to follow.

I read lots on seperation anxiety and the studies that actually listed numbers and I felt were actually research papers suggested that a number of things such as the sex of the owner, the personality of the pet, the number of people in the household as well as big life events such as moving house were the factors that affected whether a dog got SA. I also noted case studies where the behaviourist investigated reported cases of SA which turned out not to be as SA is very specific and thus required specific treatment. Based on that I left my pup initially when he had peeded, pooed and had eaten so I knew he was comfortable. I left him with high value treats and yes he cried initially for up to 30 mins before he settled himself. The time he cried got less and less but I deliberately left him every day in different rooms and places and monitored how he was. He now can be left at 5 months for 3 hours at a time and probably longer but I have someone to look after him when I work.

I guess what I am saying is look at all the different techniques and choose which one you are most comfortable with but even if your dog is sad when you go it is understandable and won't necessarily result in SA.

Owlish sometimes it can all get too much! Maybe try to deal with one problem at a time?

If she eats the rug, roll it up and put it away until she is older.
Overwhelm her with chews, I.e. buy one of each of everything the pet shop has and spread them out on your floor. Every time she chews something she shouldn't stick a chew in her mouth. You will get an idea of the chews she likes and buy more of them.

To relax her without using the crate as punishment try a baby gate into another room so she can see you but not bite you, or pop her on the lead (this won't work with biting but works with overexcitability).

For toileting keep her in one room only, take her out every half hour when she is awake.

Thanks Boobootwo. I'm a long time anxiety sufferer, as well as not being able to cope with even low-level stress, plus today is 9 weeks since losing my beloved old girl, so I'm finding it a bit hard to cope atm. I know how it's supposed to go and pup is so very bright; at 11 weeks, she's learned sit, down, paw, bed, spin and roll over, but her excitement is off the scale. I know I just have to be consistent with her, it's definitely my fault that she's not 'getting' housetraining. We'll have to block off her access to the dining room and kitchen, so I can keep an eye on her. I'm desperately looking forward to being able to walk her in a fortnight's time, to burn off some of her excess energy

Owlish you will get there in the end. I felt at times that mine would never be housetrained especially when others were telling me their dog was in a few days or weeks. With mine he just suddenly seemed to 'get it' but I think he was quite a few months old when that happened so it took some time.

Biteyshark, I can remember thinking that my last dog was a nightmare to toilet train, though she was such a good girl in the end, but this one is She is so adorable when she's not being a nuisance. We've had a slight breakthrough with her and the poor cat, they've had a brief, sleepy cuddle together this afternoon. Didn't last long before she started harassing him again though

Awww how cute they both look. Makes you want to curl up with them.

Owlish it can be very difficult to get over losing a beloved pet and the puppy may be bringing up all sorts of feelings. You'll get there. May I ask why you are not walking her? Is it because of vaccinations? Personally I take a risk and have had all my puppies out after first vaccinations. I avoid unknown other dogs and places where there might be dog or fox poo, but other than that they are out and about as much as possible both to expend energy and for socialisation purposes. The socialisation window closes at 14 weeks which doesn't leave a lot of time for seeing the world.

OMG I just saw the cat and puppy picture! There are no words!