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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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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SkeletonSkins · 06/03/2017 17:41

Well he was fine, of course he was! Happy to see me and a bit clingy but didn't get up to too much trouble. Luckily my dad is having him tomorrow when I'm working a bit longer so I won't have to worry about him.

Also thanks for the advice - I took him to a field this afternoon and it was MUCH more successful - in fact I think he even enjoyed himself! Took the plunge and let him off the lead as i have heard its best to do this when they're little and will come back. Took lots of sausages and he was great. So that counts as a success!

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BiteyShark · 06/03/2017 19:15

Glad the walk was more successful. It's so cute when they are little and never venture more than a few feet away off lead. Mine is starting to get more confident and I have to have eyes everywhere to recall him as soon as I see any other dogs or people otherwise he is off :(

Sausages do seem to be a real hit with dogs. I also find tiny chunks of cheese are good but I do worry about the calories in them but my dog goes mad for cheese so I just use it for recall.

Dottymum2 · 07/03/2017 06:55

Please can I come and join the fun?! Picked up our cockapoo pup on Sunday, 8 weeks old today, he's gorgeously bonkers. Toileting going ok, 60/40 hit at mo! Getting used to the early starts, he seems to enjoy 5a.m!!!!

Does anyone fancy a 'puppy survival' thread?
Yokohamajojo · 07/03/2017 09:08

Oh my what a cutie, Dotty! we meet quite a few Cockapoos on our walks, they are lovely! Good luck Smile

murphys · 07/03/2017 14:41

Hi everyone,

Dp had his second vacs so we also started walks now. He really seems to love it and he walks so well, unlike my other dog who is just a bit wild at times. Did have a few sitting down moments and we had to greet every other person that walked by. Luckily they are all puppy friendly around here, so I wasn't sure who was more pleased to see who.

Toilet training....well I suppose we are going forward. We haven't successfully made it through the night yet. Although he doesn't wake me, there are always 2 or 3 poos on the paper in the morning, and what seems like a river of wees. I thought perhaps I should bring forward his dinner time from 6pm, so have been doing 5.30 now, but no difference to what occurs in the night. We have had some plops and wees on the mat, a little annoying when he has been outside for ages, then comes straight in and wees on the mat. He is 13 weeks now.

And he had a smack on the nose this morning. I know its probably not best practice but he wouldn't stop biting my legs as I was trying to walk up the passage at 5am this morning, after a horrendous nights sleep. Every step I took he nipped the back of my legs, they are honestly all pit holed and scratched. So there was a yelp and he stopped doing it. I felt awful though.

And another first today. I left him in the garden with our other dog whilst I popped to get the dc from school. Otherwise I put him in the kitchen and separate an area off so he cannot get into the rest of the house. I was late and so left him in the garden, when we got back he was happy to see us (only gone 15 mins), but I do need him to get used to the car coming in and out. Next step is to teach him to not run out of the gate whilst its opening and I am driving in. Will tackle that one next week Grin

Otherwise, he is lovely, so much better now and putting on weight (he was ill and very underweight). He is 6.4kgs now, up from 4.2 the week before. He has also become a lot more cuddly, which of course I am making the most of whilst he is still tiny.

BiteyShark · 07/03/2017 14:49

murphys some people are lucky and have puppies that don't toilet in the night. Mine needed to be taken out at night regularly and I worked on him being able to hold it for 1 hour per month of age plus 1 and even now at 5 months old I only assume he can last 6 hours and thus set an alarm as he is also a silent toileter. You may just have a similar puppy that simply can't hold it for long at night.

BiteyShark · 07/03/2017 16:51

This teething stage is really knocking my puppy for six. He is on and off his food and looks really sorry for himself at the moment. He won't eat then grabs a hard toy and after munching on it another molar comes loose which must have been giving him pain because he then starts to eat again. He was also sick this morning which I put down to him trying to find anything he can in the garden to chew to take the pain away. Can't wait for this stage to end.

SkeletonSkins · 07/03/2017 19:38

Oh bless him Bitey how old is he?

Our pup can't make it through the night - I get up about 4 to let him out for a wee but he always goes very quickly and straight back to be so less time than it would take me to clean up the mess in the morning otherwise!!

Had to leave pup again today for a couple of hours. Had a peak through the window when I arrived home and both dogs were asleep together on the sofa, so I'm feeling less guilty about leaving him now!

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Booboostwo · 07/03/2017 19:44

Monty is 12 weeks old and needs toilet once or twice a night. You have to be quite lucky to have a pup that can hold it through the night at this age.

Owlish · 07/03/2017 20:09

Tilly sleeps on our bed, has done from the start (I know! But my old girl was the same, so I like it) and she can go from about 10.30pm to as long as 7.30am without needing to go out. She has peed on the bed a couple of times, both times not long after going to bed. Still peeing indoors, even on the umbilical cord, she does it without any warning so it's always unexpected Sad

Does anyone elses's puppy seem to have temper tantrums? Tilly hates being restrained in any way, especially when having her harness put on. Today, she actually bit me hard enough to draw blood when I tried to adjust her harness while she was wearing it. I really hope she's not going to have a nasty temper when she grows up.

Owlish · 07/03/2017 20:09

She's 13 weeks on Friday.

BiteyShark · 08/03/2017 05:29

SkeletonSkins finding your two sleeping whilst you were out must be a relief, one less thing to worry about (owning a puppy just seems one long list of worries I find).

Mine is just coming up to 5 1/2 months and I was so glad to get the toileting phase over and now wishing the teething stage to pass. At least he hasn't been sick since yesterday but he still isn't over keen on his food except for some dried capelin fish we got him as a treat yesterday which stank the house out Envy

bluetongue · 08/03/2017 10:03

I'm hoping to join this thread soon. I've made some early enquiries about a whippet puppy. It will be my first dog (apart from my foster greyhound I had last year) and I'm equal parts nervous and excited.

After dealing with 37 kilos of untrained greyhound training is top of my list. Have already found a place that does puppy pre school and a local obedience school and puppy has only just been born Grin

sotiredbutworthit · 08/03/2017 10:33

I love this thread. It's so good to know we aren't alone in our puppy trials! Our most recent challenge is the destruction of dog beds!

sotiredbutworthit · 08/03/2017 10:34

Sleeping off the effort!

Does anyone fancy a 'puppy survival' thread?
BiteyShark · 08/03/2017 10:35

Oh dear that's a big hole :(

sotiredbutworthit · 08/03/2017 10:39

But he is just so cute!! His brother was not best pleased though!! He liked that bed!

Does anyone fancy a 'puppy survival' thread?
Patriciathestripper1 · 08/03/2017 10:49

Can we have done lovely puppy pictures please? I've got puppy envy and want to see the cute little faces pleeesssse?

LexieLulu · 08/03/2017 10:49

I got a puppy in January, I'm a bit poorly so can't really be arsed doing the math but she was born 12/11.

A puppy, a 9m old baby and a 3yo toddler is hard work Sad

We only got her as my dog died on Xmas eve, 6yo and very unexpected. My 3yo has been heartbroken and is still mentioning this dog (we told him that he'd ran away, I don't know if that was the best idea but I didn't want to explain death).

Puppy has ate one of my bank cards this morning that 9mo got out my purse. I feel outnumbered and ganged up on haha x

LexieLulu · 08/03/2017 10:51

This is Star, she's a cocker spaniel (show type) Smile

Does anyone fancy a 'puppy survival' thread?
sotiredbutworthit · 08/03/2017 10:52

LexieLulu I feel your pain. A three year old, a three month old and 2 ten month old pups. I must be mad!! And they are all male!!

Booboostwo · 08/03/2017 11:55

Owlish if she is still peeing on the umbilical cord I think you need to take her to your vets and insist on a full work up. It is very unusual for a puppy to do this. You may also want to mention the reaction to being restrained as she may be reacting this way because she is in pain. They are probably both training issues but it is better to exclude a physical problem.

If all is well you may want to try clicker training desensitization for the handling and restraining.

LexieLulu · 08/03/2017 12:25

SoTiredButWorthIt - I keep telling myself things will get better, but I am very much so struggling.

Just left the dog in the kitchen with the back door open so my children could eat their lunch without a dog trying to pinch. Just went to check on dog and he's dug up all my planters, there is mud all over the kitchen and my garden looks horrific.

That was ten minutes being left alone. TEN Sad

BiteyShark · 08/03/2017 12:32

LexieLulu mine is a cocker spaniel and when we first got him he dug massive holes in the lawn as well as every stone he could find. He doesn't bother much now with the digging as he has progressed onto eating plants. I think and hope these are just phases they pass through.

Do you have a crate you could put dog in when you need 10 mins peace so you know he isn't causing havoc in your garden?

LexieLulu · 08/03/2017 16:50

Yeah we have a crate, I need to use it more.

I thought I was being 'nice' leaving her in the kitchen, crate is in there and the garden to go out for the loo. I need to stop being nice as it's one step forward two steps back.

I am mainly struggling with her toilet habits, we can go on a hour long walk, she won't go the toilet. Second we're home she wee's in the kitchen.

I have been taking her out with little treats, in the hope that when she wee's outdoors I can give her a treat and she may learn? But nope still refusing to go the loo outside.

I didn't really do anything to house train my last dog, he just got it. So I'm finding it hard