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!

Booboostwo, she's only had one vaccination so far, second is next Monday. I've actually taken her on a short walk today, in an area where I know there is little dog activity. We have puppy socialisation class tomorrow evening, that usually wears her out!

Owlish, can be hard and with losing dog so recently, it must be even harder.

No advise on separation, we're gradually getting there with longer periods of being out of sight, and out of house - but she much prefers being with her people, which is understandable, but not entirely possible.

Owlish The corner of our living room rug is beyond salvation. We actually got the pet corrector spray and it helps. Only makes a hissing sound which startles them and makes them stop and then you reward when she stops. You could use a tin that rattles instead.

Seamus has finally got the hang of chews and loves them. Totally didn't get it at first

My latest chew for unhappy, gummy, teething puppy, who spends her time sucking blankets at the moment...fish skin! she loves it and it doesn't hurt her gums. smells a bit rank though

Oh dear not sure I could stomach fish skin breath from my puppy. His normal food contains quite a bit of fish and that is bad enough

Ours quite likes a chunk of raw carrot. Nicer smell than fish skins!

Another first -first thunderstorm! Big thunder and lightening about 11pm, not a peep, left puppy alone. Then again at 3am, woke the whole house with blasts of thunder. Still nothing, so went to check, she was fine - but very excited to see me at this odd hour!
Took her outside for a wee, unfortunate timing as a huge crack of lightening and thunder as we were outside, she shot inside like a bullet! Hopefully not too scarred, she was OK inside for the rest of the storm (now fading).
YAWN

Jenny, thunderstorm? Where abouts are you? Bless her! My dog when I was a child HATED thunder. She used to stir ages before it actually started. It was the only time she was allowed on the sofa.

So my puppy is still waking up at 6, but we've ordered some black out blinds for the kitchen. We've not long been here and the existing blinds are paper thin, so hoping this might help. We'll see.

The biting is still a bit of a problem, but not with me bizarrely. She does occasionally give me a nibble, but she really goes for my DP. I think I have a firmer voice and whenever she has bitten me, I have put her in the kitchen, closed the door, which is glass, so she can see me and then I turn away for a minute. I then tell her to "sit" and say "no biting" again (I say it straight after she does it) in a firm voice and then let her back in. It's very rare she bites me now, as I say, so I think that method has been effective.

Right someone tell me we will get there with the house training. Wees we're basically sorted but I'd say he pops more in the house than outside. I know we just need to be consistent and keep taking him outside but he just doesn't show any signs! Just before he was racing round the room and stopped literally mid stride for a poo. No sniffing, no circling, nothing!

Ah yes look out for the manic running round the house. This used to signal time for a poo but it was so hard to catch him he would often start pooing and I would have to run outside with him mid poo

It will get better honestly. I still manically praise my boy when he goes outside as it was so hard training him to do that.

It will get better. We often get the manic thing at poo time, not sure if they are manic at wanting to do a poo, or the crazy running spurs them into action!

We're not there on wees, but pretty good on poos... fingers crossed!

She definitely knows the commands to go, if I have a food treat (yesterday my breakfast toast), she will drop and give me anything for it! The toast was so funny, she saw it and strained like crazy to do a poo for a piece of my toast!

Pup's surpassed herself today, she hasn't peed outside since 6.30 this morning, every single one since then has been inside . I know it's entirely my fault, but it's really getting me down. I'm going to try umbilical cord house training, even though it's totally impractical to my living style.

Owlish this phase will soon pass. Keep thinking that when it gets you down. Could the weather be putting you puppy off? It has been terrible here with rain.

Oh no Owl how frustrating! I had one who peed inside till 11 months, two weeks of umbilical cord training was what finally sorted her out and she lived to 15yo house trained. The first 11 months though were pretty tough!

What are you cleaning accidents with? Simple solution is brilliant for removing all smells, even the ones only the puppy can smell.

The weather is definitely not helping our house training - the garden is a complete mud bath and he's just not keen! I take him out but he just stands there completely disgusted.

On the plus side, our older dog played with him properly for the first time today and it melted my heart. I was so so worried about how our older dog would take to a puppy and at times he's seemed so miserable with the new arrival so to see them really play was just so lovely.

Also had a second lot of vaccinations today and he was a little celebrity at the vets. Lots more confident and less shaking so some progress made there.

Need to crack down on this biting though - I think I've let him off too many times and it's doing nothing but increase the frequency. Definitely going to have to get firm. It's just so easy to make a mistake isn't it?

Owlish, hard work isn't it? Sigh

What is umbelical cord training? Just following them all day, or actually on the lead?

Biting is hard to break, we have toy to bite always in our hands, but still she gets us.

And she does the grooming "gnawing" on my legs, like she does to herself, but on my jeans, sometimes with skin - OUCH.

Tilly doesn't seem to mind the rain, though she hates the wind, but she find outside just too exciting and would rather muck about picking up twigs microscopic bits of 'stuff'. We've created a pen right outside the door and have cleared it of things she might find interesting, though the layout means that there are huge pots with plants in on the boundaries and she has a good old root around them. I hit a low point this morning by stepping in a cold poo in the bedroom (she sleeps on the bed - don't judge me ), wearing just socks 

Yes, umbilical cord training is keeping the puppy attached to you with a lead, so it can't sneak off and do nefarious things 💩 It's a bit of an arse-ache, but it's supposed to be good way to housetrain recalcitrant pups. Especially when the owner is a lazy mare  Little shit angel is now asleep on my lap.

Well we've been on our first walk. Definitely not a huge fan to begin with! Cars and motorbikes very scary apparently, even too scary to be tempted by a sausage. I got our other dog out with him and this boosted his confidence enough to go for a trot around the block. That's enough for one day though!

We've got a local 'dog cafe' that we're going to try out tomorrow so hopefully a good socialisation opportunity

Skeleton, how exciting! Tilly will be allowed on 'proper' walks in just over a week, I'm so looking forward to it.

What the...? Easter eggs for dogs?

I found a website once that does birthday cakes for dogs using dog food :) tempted when it's DDogs 1st birthday.

The umbilical cord housetraining is going ok. I've got her on two leads clipped together, so she can get a fair distance away to play, and we've only had one accident, when DP came home and pup had an 'excitement wee' without even squatting. If she heads toward the front door (our only garden is the front), I ask "do you want to go outside?" and I take her out. I bloody hope this works, after 4 1/2 weeks 🤞🏻

Glad to hear the umbilical training is going well! A turn (for the better) in the weather is definitely helping here. Lesson for next time - get a puppy in the summer!!

Anyone else have a puppy who's not keen on walks? He just sits down and refuses to move! I think it's just a case of getting him used to it and the car noises etc but I feel so cruel! I encourage him round with some sausage and we only go round the block.

In other news me and OH are both back at work today so pup will be left for 2 and a half hours! I know not long in reality but feels like I'm abandoning him. He has our big dog for company and lots of toys so I'm sure he'll be fine. Wondering how many accidents I'll come home to though!

Mine used to refuse to walk on the road at first. Is there anywhere you can go where you can let yours off the lead as that made a big difference to mine in terms of wanting to walk as well as training recall. Obviously this requires a safe place to do that but I now drive mine to such a place rather than walking him round the streets.

I am sure your pup will be fine for that length of time and unlike mine yours has your big dog for company. They may be a bit sad to begin with but they soon get used to you coming back :) mine always brings me a toy in his mouth as a present when I return which is so sweet.