Does anyone fancy a "puppy survival" thread part 2

[Soubriquet]

Here we are again

Just jump in and join us

[BiteyShark]

vikjul I had the same feeling after DDogs first groom. We went a bit too short so he looked more like a Labrador than a spaniel when he came back . We now keep his fur a bit longer on his ears so he maintains his 'look'

[EmmaGellerGreen]

Hello. This is Toffee, he's 12 weeks old now and doing really well.

[towelpintpeanuts]

vikjul: just to update you on our behaviouralist appt. She was fabulous and really helpful: her take (sounds like you have come to a similar conclusion with what you've been doing with your pup) is that pup was experiencing a mix of fear and wanting to say hello to everyone: so barking really out of a place of confusion!

We were on a long lead in a park, rather than on road although that's where we work up to, and we did a mix of the following:

• sitting in a place where he could see people a lot further away so he was alert to them but not barking: click and reward when he sees people and doesn't react. Moving a bit closer, same thing.
  

- following dogs at a distance: letting him see them but not bark, calling him back; letting him get closer; calling him back etc etc.
So basically training him to see people and dogs but not bark.

We'll be working up to having him on a shorter lead/in increasingly pressured situations/with more people around, but it was a massive help in giving me confidence that it's totally get-through-able :-)

[Soubriquet]

Let Lexa off her lead today. Good as gold. Followed me like she should and came when she was called

[bluetongue]

Toffee is gorgeous

Lexa sounds like she's going really well Soubriquet. She must have a brilliant owner

This has been a pretty chaotic week for me and Bluepuppy.

I feel a bit bad saying this but if you can't admit such things in a 'puppy survival' thread where else is there? This is the week that I Ihad thoughts that maybe Bluepuppy is too much for me and he should go back to his breeder so he can have a 'worthy' owner. He's just turned 13 weeks and nowhere is safe. Being a whippet he's more like large post than a puppy really. He also broke through the baby gate a couple days ago and chewed up my IPad cover

Part of the problem I think is that the first few weeks were actually easier than I thought they would be. He toilet trained brilliant and his biting was never really that bad. Lulled into a false sense of security I was

He went to doggy daycare today and they had to separate from from a six month old Labrador because he was getting a bit over the top with her. She would have been at least twice his size

Anyway, I'm going to take things one day at a time and appreciate the crazy cuddle monster's good points

[BiteyShark]

bluetongue mine was a nightmare from day one. In some ways I think that is better than having a good puppy who then develops all the usual bitey puppy stuff later . I definitely had thoughts of omg for several weeks until he got through the worst of it.

[bluetongue]

Large post should read large cat

[towelpintpeanuts]

Taking a deep breath: after yesterday's good day, I'm another one who had a 'he needs to go back to the breeder and find someone who deserves him' moment today.

We had a trip to a big park today and pup barked at everything and everyone, nearly. It was hideous for both of us, and I felt like the worse owner in the world.

So much of what I wanted out of the dog experience was a companion for walks (love a good walk!) and if he can't cope with people/dogs on lead, then it's just going to be hideous. DH works in the middle of no-where and can take him to work, where he can run around in less dog and people infested areas, but that really wasn't our game plan! In fact, I took him over there this afternoon and he was good as gold: which also makes me feel it's me that's the problem :-(

He's such a star at home: happy to meet everyone, sleeps and chills beautifully, not chewed anything! He just needs to stop bloody barking on is lead!!

[BiteyShark]

towel keep working at it. Honestly I said I would never have a dog that pulled on the lead and I have a lead pulling spaniel . I suspect it will take me months to train him not to do it as it is kind of built into them to want to zig zag as they walk.

Also I think we can sometimes get fixated on the stuff that we are trying to correct. I have to remind myself that my dog is bloody lovely in the house even if he disgraces me outside

How old is your dog now?

[Wolfiefan]

I agree with Bitey. It's sooooo easy to just see the behaviour you don't want. Wolfie pup can't be let off in an unsecured area and has become really scared of (just some ) people.
Working on it!
But we went to a fun dog show and litter reunion at the weekend. Total of 6 hours in the car. Met dogs of all sizes. She was awesome. And still I'm dwelling on the fact she wouldn't let the judge near her!

[towelpintpeanuts]

Bitey: he is 14 weeks today.
Barking started at 11 weeks, and has escalated over about the last 10 to be honest :-(

But you are so right: I am easy to forget that he is easy to train; super well-mannered in the house; doesn't chew; sleeping and toilet training like a dream...! And that 10 days is not a long time. It just feels like forever, and I'm so conscious that it's impacting on my ability to socialise him well: it's hard to go to places on lead as his behaviour just isn't acceptable enough imo. Although my lovely behaviouralist says that the window of socialisation thing isn't now thought to be as big a deal as we once believed, so I'm trying to hold onto that thought!!

[towelpintpeanuts]

Thank you both. Being able to say out loud "this is hard....." is helping too! I knew it would be - I just anticipated different types of hard, iykwim!

[BiteyShark]

towel I think we all worry about doing the right thing. I am just as guilty of that especially as my personality is to do hard research so I can spend hours double checking myself. Think of the training to stop him barking at everyone simply as part of his ongoing socialisation. Just so you can see the other side, mine wants to be everyone's friend which means he pulls and lunges at everyone because he wants to play with them which makes walking in town or sitting having a drink near on impossible. I am envious when I see nicely behaved dogs with their owners and feel a kind of solidarity with those that look just as hard work as mine

They do change quickly as well. The things I am working on right now with him were never a problem before and those that I used to worry about have stopped.

[BiteyShark]

Wolfiefan the dog show sounds fun. What was the entry for that wolfdog refused to be judged on?

[towelpintpeanuts]

bitey: yes, that is a good way of thinking about it.

And I agree: everytime I see a well behaved dog walking down the road ignoring everyone I curse the owners who are clearly bastards for having such a dog ;-)

[Wolfiefan]

Wolfie dog is from exalted show lines. I would like to show her meet up with lots of wolfhounds, meet my friends and feed her liver cake I put her in the puppy class for practice. She did her usual flipping out and "HELL NOO!!" When the judge walked towards her! Yet we go to ringcraft every week and she's fine there because she knows everyone!
She completely unpredictable. She either goes "oh ok" and makes a fuss of the person or "AAARRRRGGGGHH!" And jumps about at the end of the lead like they want to beat her?!
She wasn't a rescue. From a great breeder and we have socialised her from a very young age. Hoping it's her age!! Seems 8 months ish is prime secondary fear territory.

[BiteyShark]

Ah yes I am in that 8 month period. I came home late last night and god help any intruder if they ever break in. He didn't realise it was me for ages as he had been asleep and for a little dog his bark and growling is very scary .

Hope the judge saw the funny side

[Wolfiefan]

It's just horrid to see her scared.
My mum just popped over and wolfiepup cowered against me. She loves my mum normally and we have to try and stop her knocking mum over.
Daft dog!

[vikjul]

bitey they do look strange when they're very short-haired, don't they! Although at puppy class last night there were some other mini schnauzer puppies there that hadn't been groomed yet, and everyone thought vikpup looked handsome so I felt very proud :-)

towel and bluetongue, I agree with bitey that it's easy to obsess about the stuff that we are trying to correct. I feel despondent over something most days, forgetting all the things that work so well (although DH is good at giving me some perspective). I have cried more than once about vikpup's behaviour, only to feel really silly the following day or week when a problem that seemed huge has more or less vanished and been replaced by something else. Examples of things I have worried about over the past week include:

• barking and straining at dogs on lead (definitely better this week than last week)
  
• pulling on lead (still very much a problem, but after last night's puppy class I feel more hopeful that I will be able to fix it)
  
• jumping around my feet and biting my legs and trousers literally EVERY time we cross a road (also got some tips from yesterday's puppy class)
  
• play biting (went from a huge problem to no problem and just when we felt confident that it was under control it has now reappeared again with a vengeance!)
  
• wriggling around and biting when I try to put the collar on (I have despaired over this one for a week, it's been driving me crazy and I've been furious with poor vikpup (and with myself for being angry at him)! Then today I just put some treats on the floor in front of vikpup and told him to wait, and he sat completely still while I put the collar on - I would never have believed this yesterday.)
  

Today, I'm feeling inadequate because I don't understand how I'll ever be able to find and remove tics from his black coat, or how to brush him properly and keep his beard clean... Then I try to tell myself that it is unlikely that I will be the one mini schnauzer owner out there who can't manage her dog's coat...

I think that the key is probably to just accept that there will be ups and downs, that it all takes lots of time, that some of it will work itself out by itself, that the puppy really doesn't need to be perfect in every way - and not to despair too much.

And towel I do think that you will have a wonderful companion for walks eventually! By the way, thanks for sharing what your behaviourist said. Good to hear that letting pup observe other dogs rather than meet all of them is the way to go. Maybe a long lead is a good idea, might get one.

[BiteyShark]

Grooming my spaniel is hit and miss, it really depends on his mood as to whether he will object or not. Going to the professional groomers does help.

vikjul do you have tick twizzlers. They are great and even I can manage to remove a tick one handed whilst trying to hang on to biteydog with the other hand. He hates anyone touching his tail

At the moment I am trying to get him used to me using a finger brush for his teeth. It isn't going well but I know that dentistry is very expensive and often not covered by insurance so I need to keep trying although the temptation is to not bother .

[Cocobananas]

Cocopup is very greedy...I cut her to two meals a day by making her lunch a training session rather than in a bowl. Then sometimes a kong, sometimes just a few dried sprats tied up in a tea towel. I think that dogs will work and behave well for food so don't have a problem with using part of daily food allowance for training or as a precursor to settling. She is nearly a year old now and we do a short training session occasionally at lunchtime but still have a raw bone or filled kong mid afternoon Which keeps her happy until I am ready to do a second walk.

[totallyliterally]

I've been totally lost in puppy world the last few days!

We had a trainer over on Monday night and she was fab. Felt so much more confident after it. Learning how to teach our puppy sit/down etc.

She said we were doing a lot of stuff right with crate etc.

Need to now crack the car, started another thread.

In a way ready other people really worry about if they're doing it right is reassuring as I am so worried I'll mess all these early weeks up and 'ruin' her.

Was up 3 times with her last night for wee/poo and then up for the day at 5:45am. She went back in crate well except last 3:45am. As she was awake more and wanted to play (with the cats) and then cried for what felt like forever. But was 'only' less than 3 mins.

I knew she was ok as just done a wee and poo.

On the toilet training we have had no accidents since day 2 (when I wasn't I charge ) and she is asking to go out by going to the back door already. So pleased with that. Although fully aware at 9 weeks it is a long journey yet!

[bluetongue]

It's weirdly reassuring to hear everyone else's worries! Had a dream last night that Bluepuppy was stolen and I found him because he heard me calling his name and did his sad whippet whining. Think it means I really do love him and want him.

I didn't tell the whole story about what happened when he got through the baby gate. The bathroom door was open and some medication must have fallen out the back of a drawer and onto the floor behind the vanity where I couldn't see it on the ground. He fished out a packet of antidepressants and the packet had teeth marks on it but all the tablets were still there. I pretty much felt like the worst dog owner in the world when I found it

[BiteyShark]

blue my dog could get over the baby gate but doesn't seem bothered to try. I think you can get taller baby gates for pets which might be useful now bluedog knows how to get over it/through it.

DDog has full run of kitchen but he is supervised in all the other rooms so whilst we have put medicines in draws we haven't really dog proofed them as we rely on him not being in there on his own.

[totallyliterally]

How is such a small puppy so loud?

Rubbish night last night. I was up 5 or 6 times with her and for the day at 5am. I'm shattered!

We have a pet gate (with a cat flap!) it is much taller