Puppy Survival Thread Part 6

[Elphame]

As thread 5 is almost full!

@briteside oh no! But at least he didn't destroy anything? I guess a few days crate training without going anywhere again as maybe he scared himself escaping with the noise etc?
Had another really bad Friday. Ending up sobbing down the phone to my sister. Hoping for a better weekend. My main issues are

1. holding his wee when we're out and then releasing it the minute he gets in the car / the house. Everything starting to stink!
2. jumping up constantly when I'm cooking / feeding the kids. It's such a stressful time anyway and he makes it so much worse.
3. being destructive in the garden. I can't even let him outside alone in the patio area we've fenced off as he literally tries to rip apart the fences. Good points
4. he's adorable and loves cuddling
5. poos outside
6. sleeps 8pm to 6.30am
7. not really bitey Sorry for the long post - trying to get it straight in my head. If anyone has any tips for me to try please let me know!!

@duplodancer I feel your pain. I cannot believe what hard work puppies are. Thankfully mine is flaked out by her first walk in the park this morning so I can take my eyes off her for 5 minutes! If you're on facebook there is a group called Dog Training Advice and Support (which someone on this thread mentioned previously) They can advise you on specific issues but also have lots of information in files to read. You have to ask to join but they seem very fast to respond.

Bought new jeans about four weeks ago and BastardPup put a hole in the knee within half an hour of me putting them on.

Wearing them again today and because he has chewed at them he thinks I am wearing a giant toy. Little bugger...

Gosh @briteside that's impressive.

@duplodancer I to feel your pain. Someone further up the thread mentioned how they hate their pup in the morning. Here I am at 6:30am trying to deal with a bitey overexcited pup while everyone else sleeps. It's all very well saying 'distract them' but when they nip your Achilles at 6am it's so tempting to give them a smack

I've managed to successfully now leave him in his crate for a couple of hours during the day, which is a relief. I really need to work out how to get some work done this week though. I work at home and I barely got anything done last week.

@duplodancer @marioncole oh god I feel your pain!!
Just as we've been telling everyone how well Hunter has been doing and getting on, the last 2 nights he's cried when we've put him to bed. Sat night DH tried to take him for a wee but he refused, so clearly just wanted attention. Tonight DH went down to tell him off, but at 1:45am he was suddenly really crying - poor thing was desperate for a wee and poo! His feeding times got messed up yesterday and it's clearly caused havoc with his body, he usually goes to bed 10/10.30 and is fine for a wee until DH takes him before work at 5:45ish weekdays (or he'd wake up then need one) and weekends until almost 7! A blip which I think is our fault but a blip none the less 🙈🙈🙈

What times does everyone feed their dogs?
The reason I ask is I read don't past 7pm (to stop overnight pooing) but sticking to this I still get two lovely stinkers most nights!

@Autumn2018 we feed at 7am, 12 and 5pm.
@fizzledays oh no! It's so frustrating when something that was working, stops working! But I agree that it sounds like a blip.

Any top tips to stop 11 week old puppy eating plants?

I have two floor to ceiling plants either side of my sofa in the kitchen (open plan) and puppy can now jump up when I'm out.

That's fine, except it isn't when she also eats both plants. The only option would be to put a door between the sofa and the plant to block her.

Or somehow stop her climbing on the sofa when I'm out.

The only problem is the sofa gets used, and there is no way of securing s gate around it. The only other option is to put puppy in her crate, but she always wees and so it would be a daily bath and complete bed change at this rate; also not ideal.

@Autumn2018 we use guinea pig fencing to fence off furniture from our dog. Could you do that?

@duplodancer do you mean this sort of thing, or more chicken wire?

https://www.ebay.com/p/Small-Pet-Animal-Guinea-Pig-Exercise-Play-Pen-Portable-Fence-Cage-Indoor-Outdoor/1467292268

It's like this
Ellie-Bo Easy-Up Puppy Rabbit Play Pen, 61 cm, Silver, 8-Piece https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00IYQQWIG/ref=cmswwrcppapi_Z73UBbXYE8SBE
I just have the shortest 61 Cm but even though he's a big dog it's enough of a deterrent.

@Autumn2018 usually at 7am, 12pm and around 5pm! Yesterday it slipped to 2pm and 7pm - I was up at 1:30am when he needed a poo!!!

@duplodancer I think definitely a blip! I hope!!

@fizzledays ah that's clearly where I'm going wrong, feeding too late in the evening!

Can I join? Our 11 week old vizlsa puppy arrived on Friday. He spent the first 3 weeks since leaving his litter with the owners of the sire. They are experienced gundog owners. So he's been with loads of other dogs. Has had a bit of training and got used to his crate, being left alone etc. He's lovely. But you know: the biting. The jumping on the sofa 1000 times. He's got on the dining room table twice to steal the cats food. Which is only there to keep it away from the puppy! Today I think I let him get a bit over tired and he was hard work. Of course. He's a puppy!

The only thing that's bothering me a bit is he's growled a little when I lift him off the sofa. I'm going to pick him up at other times to make sure he's used to it. I don't want to let him on it as our DS is 3 and I don't want the puppy jumping up when he's sitting there. Any other tips to dissuade him from going on the sofa? And growling at me

@Autumn2018 we were feeding him at 8, 2 and 7 and his poo schedule was mental, I was having to walk round with him at 10:30 every night. Now it's much easier for us and so easier for him! :)

Thanks for the heads up. Today it is too late, but tomorrow I do final feed at 5 the latest!

@MuddyWellyNelly welcome!
The tips for stopping them jumping up on people might apply? You get a lot of food (even a whole meal) and then you start feeding them it by hand when they are all paws on the ground, if they jump up you stop, then when they get down again you keep feeding. You gradually slow down until they are waiting for ages for each bit of kibble with all feet on the ground.
Eventually they associate jumping up (or getting on sofa?) with treats stopping.
I'm trying this at moment with mine for jumping up.

That's interesting. I've been feeding at 6am 12pm and 6pm. I might make the last one a bit earlier. We're not getting any overnight pooping but he's usually done about 3 poops by about 9am so they're obviously backing up! Oh the biting, doing my nut in today. And I took him for a walk on the lead in the garden - that was a disaster. Realised afterwards I need to get him used to walking on a lead around the house first so I'll try that tomorrow.

Maybe not such a blip, just had to get up with him again (2.30am) but he seems to have a runny tummy so how can I possibly be cross with that if he's poorly!
Any advice from anyone on how to handle? He's been managing to eat his own poo lately which I think has triggered less "normal" poo...gave him some bits of older dog kibble yesterday... plain diet and some rice in the morning maybe??

Thanks @duplodancer interesting that you say that. I went to bed with my puppy book and worked out a similar plan. So this morning I did some clicker training on exactly that vein. Waited for him to volunteer a polite sit, click and treat. Took him back and forth between chairs and sofa. I've measured out his daily ration as between that and the biting he's going to be eating lots of it!

He's currently raaar'ing my croc. I'm prepared to sacrifice it for a bit of peace

@fizzledays we are battling upset stomachs constantly and have the vet looking into what his problem is so I'm an unwilling expert!
Rice works very quickly. Make it tastier with white fish or plain chicken. When you cook the rice keep the water and then when I wean him back into kibble after a couple of meals I sometimes add a bit of the rice water which also helps to bind. I find it very effective so I take it slowly and only do rice for a day or so or they can get bound up.

Thank you @duplodancer! Just took him to vets and they've given us a very bland food for him and some probiotic/antibiotic - mainly because we're going away this weekend and he's going to a dog boarder so we want to make sure he's ok! I tried rice this morning but he wasn't keen, but he wasn't keen on anything. Hopefully the medicine works :)

@fizzledays lucky you! Bet you miss him though.
Interesting about the probiotics- my mum suggested that for us so might ask the vet next time about it.

duplodancer my vet always gives out pro-kolin but you can get it cheaper from places like amazon.