Puppy Survival Thread Part 5!

[GooodMythicalMorning]

Continuing Bitey's thread once more

The thread to be, where puppies grow and we meet new doggie parenting challenges every day.

I didn't expect it to be so hard! Wanted to cry yesterday as my romantic dreams of strolling through the woods with the dog running alongside did not resemble the wrangling of long lead & excited puppy 😂 I just can't see how we're ever going to get there...others seem to just take it all in their stride (or maybe have a less confident & gregarious Dpup!!) She was fab earlier but I'm quite sure she would have high tailed it on a couple of occasions. She'll check to see where I am so I do think she'd probably return reasonable quickly however I'm super nervous about the bouncy mayhem she could potentially get involved with in the meantime!!

I'm working with Elfpup at not running after people and dogs at the moment.

Bloody hard work and I have to make sure that I spot them before he does. I'm treat storming as we go past and he's such a greedy little pup the bombardment of chicken pieces is more appealing. It works with people and I have reasonable success with dogs (if I know I'm losing him I can grab his collar!)

If he spots them first though it's more hit and miss!

Sounds very similar! I need to think about different places to walk maybe...lots of open spaces here, which as Bitey says is helpful as at least she can't disappear out of sight terribly quickly but as you say Elphame, it means she can spot interesting things all over the place!

PerfectlyChaotic if you read back on the puppy survival threads (not sure which maybe part 2/3???) I lost recall completely. It was awful as he would just pick up a scent in the woods and go hunting. I dreaded taking him for a walk twice a day as I was terrified I would lose him. I never did the long line (to be honest at the speed he could take off it would have been dangerous) and took advice from my gun dog trainers in the fact that I needed to keep practicing etc. In the open space every time he ran past me I turned and walked in the opposite direction (never calling him). Yes it meant you didn't actually walk far as you did this zig zag back and forth motion . I also started randomly treating if he came to me on his own as well as practicing recall lots on the walk when I knew he had a good chance of getting the recall right.

It took several months and one of the things I can now look back on with hindsight is that I didn't make myself exciting enough to be with. BitetDog now doesn't leave my side on walks, he ignores all dogs and even if he sees birds to chase he will coming running back if I call him. I made the mistake of just thinking I needed to practice recall with treats when actually he was hunting and following scents as walking with me was boring and that was more fun. Whilst he got better with age it suddenly turned when I stopped walking him and played hunt the ball, chase me, find me, chase the ball. Much more exciting now as he gets to hunt and chase things with me.

Long post but what I am saying is from tearing my hair out and being close to tears or panic on every walk I now have a dog where I can be in a crowded field of dogs and people and he doesn't notice any of then, all he wants is me and to play ball with him. It does get better and I wouldn't have believed that 8 months ago. The only downside is I have had to accept that we won't be doing any nice 2 hour strolls in the beautiful forest here as walking is boring, instead we pick a small area where he hunts and chases me/balls.

Hello everyine!
I made my own thread but no one replied so trying here for some advice!

My young westie-poo (18 months) has always cried in the car, despite being a regular traveller, and I don't know how to stop her.
The only time she's quiet is when she's in DH's lap on the front seat with her nose out the window, but we're about to have a baby (I'm 40+4) so now this isn't really practical, also is not practical during winter when we've taken her for long walks and she's covered in mud!
We've tried a thunder shirt, to no avail; I think the crying is borne more out of frustration/boredom/not being in the mix of things. We have also tried bones/chews- she's not interested and whines!
We have a new Ford C-Max so have now given over the boot space to her, She has a bed there and plenty of space to move/look around.
If anyone has any tips I would be most grateful.
Many thanks

And here's a photo of her because she's lovely 😍

Hi FeedMyFaceWithBattenberg sometimes the board is very quiet hence no reply. I am not sure what to suggest but hopefully others will be along soon. Mine used to cry when enclosed in a crate but stopped when he got the full boot. Have you tried her in a crate as she might be the opposite? What happens if you let her cry? Is she upset or just protesting (because she wants a lap to sit on )

Morning @BiteyShark
No haven't tried her in the crate, but could do as still have hers from when she was a puppy, never really used it as far as "crate training" her though, that was her bed space but I never shut her in it or anything...
she does settle but often it can take a long long time (60 mins of an 1hr 30 min journey.... 😬)
Funnily enough, she's always better on the way back from wherever, if I pop her in the car and whizz her up the road 10 mins to the woods, you can bet your life she'll cry on the way up (say 7 mins of the journey) but be really settled on the way back! 🤷‍♀️😂

Maybe it's the excitement on the way or that she is just too tired to cry on the way back

Thanks so much Bitey...soooo reassuring! Agree with the being fun part - I do lots of chase, bring out fun toys etc etc and I do think she's getting it SLOWLY!! So just carry on the way I am I guess? We're working with a trainer too 😊 It can be a bit of a free for all in the regular places that we walk - it annoys me a bit to honest and therefore really want to be able to trust her off lead 😂

Sorry no one replied. A crate is not a bad idea anyway for safety reasons. If you're in the UK dogs must be secured for travel.
I would do a short walk before going in the car for a journey. You could also put her in the car and play or give her treats to try and make it seem a lovely place. (I used to climb into the boot with wolfiepup!) Then work up to the boot being shut. Then someone sits on the back seat to give her treats as you drive down the road. Build it up slowly.
You could try covering the crate if she likes that or adaptil too.
Wolfie pup used to cry and wee as a baby in the car. Think she would prefer to sit on my lap too but it isn't safe whilst I'm driving!!

PerfectlyChaotic yes sounds like you are doing all the right things. Just keep at it and get in lots of , or to get you through the rough times. It's like night and day with BiteyDog now as he sticks by me and we just get hassled by other dogs with no recall who either want to play with him (he doesn't want to know) or try and steal his ball . 8 months ago it would have been me shouting his name in a forest hoping he would come back eventually

Hi Feedmyface, is the crying upset? If so, what Wolfie suggests. It could be excitement though. My 18 month poodle cross was calm in the car until she started recognising the approach to different walks. We live very rurally and so I was able safely to pull over and stop every time she started up and not move again until she was quiet, bit like teaching not to pull on lead. She got it very quickly. She still squeaks and squeals when we arrive at familiar places but I don’t mind that. She knows I won’t open my drivers door until she is quiet and sitting. She travels in the boot wearing her harness and restraint strap.
Car journeys are stimulating though, most of the border collies at our agility class travel in covered crates so worth a thought if you can’t crack it through training.

@Cocobananas @BiteyShark
She goes off with the dog walker/sitter and he says she's quiet in his covered crate thing until he gets to the destination (so either home/there or dropping her friend who lives down the road) then she goes crackers whining. So maybe I should get what he has...

Sounds like it’s worth trying the crate. Bluepuppy was the same as Bitey’s dog. Screamed and cried in a crate / pet carrier but much better secured with a harness and seatbelt. It still took some time until he’s as good as he is now. Initially anything over half an hour I dreaded. Now I barely notice he’s in the car.

How’s your girl’s foot going Wolfie ?

My little dog just wouldn't settle on the back seat with a harness and seat belt. He'd be up at the windows barking at every car that dared to go past us. So we put him in the boot and it was the same thing, up at all the windows. In the end we got a crate for the boot and he is a lot more relaxed in there. We do try and walk him whenever possible before a car journey or there is still a bit of fussing.

Hello everyone! We brought home our lovely little golden retriever x Lab girl on Friday! She is 8 weeks old. Pic attached.
We may have had some moments over the weekend where we wondered what on earth we had just got ourselves into but we are all settling in well

Reading through this, looks like my idea of lovely forest walks might not go to plan...

How cute MrsTWH

So gorgeous! Let's not panic...the forest walks WILL happen - maybe just not straight away! Bitey we had an awesome walk just now. Braved dropping the long line in a big open space as you suggested. Could have cried with joy as she kept coming in to check in with me during play with another dog. She disappeared into the undergrowth at one point (& my heart did stop) but was very much looking for me and came as I whistled. Baby steps!!! I'm not much help on the car travel front. Dpup had been in & out of the car loads from day 1. Always in the crate with some vet bed. She goes to sleep. I did (& sometimes still do) scatter tiny bits of food in there to = positive association....

How cute MrsTWH

Glad the walk went ok PerfectlyChaotic

This is Harder than having a baby 😂
THE cat thought she was a rat and went all hunty, he’s worked it out sort of now
The dog humps a penguin teddy all day, she poops everywhere but is soooooo adorable. Weighs 2lbs lol

🐕

Those of you with large breeds when are you planning on neutering if at all?

She's already 7 months and hit 28kg so I'm dreading the upcoming season already. Knew I should have got another boy

Mrs. Gorgeous!
Foot? Can't remember what I had shared. Ate some sock, foot and bandage! Not great. Seeing dermatologist Thursday. Not a lot of sleep last night as she was crying.
Advice for wolfhounds is definitely not to spay before two. They need to finish growing. Madam had a first season about 11 months. Apparently early for a wolfie. it was ok. But the phantom she had afterwards wasn't much fun.