Page 30 | Puppy Survival Thread Part 6

MuddyWellyNelly · 31/10/2018 16:42

I have the same problem. I'm trying clicker training for most things. So I reward for the alternative behaviour I want, like sitting quietly. It works: I can waft my dressing gown in front of him and he will sit nicely waiting for his reward. That is, until the clicker is away and he's bored or over tired or just being a prat and then he launches at it like we'd not done any work on this. To be honest I'm having this problem with everything. He's great when we're doing a training session but very forgetful afterwards My reading has put this down to dogs not being good at generalising; but it's very frustrating. I'm also trying to teach him when he's allowed to tug and when he has to leave. Again he seems to get it whilst "in session" but not the rest of the time.

Fishypieandmash · 31/10/2018 17:14

So glad I’m not alone! Fishypup is so lovely, but yes, can be an annoying prat at times.

Fishypieandmash · 31/10/2018 17:15

We’ve just been having a go at ‘stay’ and he was so good. No doubt it will all be forgotten by tomorrow.

marioncole · 31/10/2018 18:17

Same problem here. Some days I think "ooh we've cracked it, he doesn't try to bite me anymore" but then today he ripped my new coat 😣 when he bit me. I did yelp and then I put him in his time out room. He was very contrite when he came out but then he was snapping again within 10 minutes 🙄 He's very good at giving a paw to anyone who goes near him now though!

He's having his first session at doggy daycare tomorrow. I work at home but I'm finding that 'working' can be difficult. I also thought that getting him used to it will help when we need to use them for holidays. Fingers crossed 🤞

marioncole · 31/10/2018 18:19

Everyone with a dog tells me the biting is just a phase that will pass.

Fishypieandmash · 31/10/2018 19:26

Good luck with the doggy day care. I’m going to put fishy pup in as soon as he is old enough and house trained.
Yep, fingers crossed with the biting. Just before I got him I cut my old well-loved dressing gown up. Thought it would be nice and comfortable for him in his bed/crate etc.
I bought a new one. Big mistake.

BirdyBedtime · 01/11/2018 12:53

Fishy - how old is FishyPup? BirdyPup was exactly like this and I can't count how many pairs of tights, leggings, t-shirts got ripped in the first 2 months (so 9-18 weeks). Like you nothing that is suggested online worked for her.

She totally calmed down for a few weeks but is at it again now - I put it down to teething. She does however now 'gets' being ignored (turning round with arms folded), although has started jumping up which she didn't do to start with. We're going with getting her to sit - which she gets, rather than down which she doesn't seem to understand. It works around 50% of the time.

We did go through a spell of carrying something round our necks on a bit of string to quickly whip out when biting was going on.

She's really bad when we come in from our morning walk still and bites arms etc - luckily she has learned not to bite too hard, but it's still not great - she is 6 months next week. Still just a baby really.

MuddyWellyNelly · 01/11/2018 13:51

Birdy that's interesting. Muddypup is full on crazy after his walk. He comes inside, grabs his teddy and starts running wall of death around the house.

Fishypieandmash · 01/11/2018 14:11

Birds, fishypup is only 10 weeks . I’m just wearing the same old pair of (now holey) trousers everyday. It’s very early days and I know he will improve. I’m probably more concerned about him barking when I’m not there (I’ve got one of those camera things). Popped out for milk this morning for 20 minutes, leaving a yummy Kong for him in his crate. He maintained interest for all of 3 minutes then barking and crying for the rest of the time. This too will pass I hope ...

marioncole · 01/11/2018 19:48

Doggy day care was a huge success. I left him chasing around the garden with a fully grown Dalmatian. I got loads of work done and he's exhausted. Result 👍

fizzledays · 02/11/2018 07:50

@marioncole our pup goes to doggy daycare twice a week and it is AMAZING. He loves it and gets so excited in the mornings when he figures out where he's going. It's been brilliant for him socialisation wise!

Kennel cough vaccine....has anyone else given it to their pups? Because he goes to daycare we thought we should give it to him, but 5 days or so later he started having a little cough and 8 days on still does. Anyone else had the same? It's not terrible he just occasionally does a couple or coughs, maybe 2-3 times a day. Wondering whether we should have got it at all 🤷🏻‍♀️

BiteyShark · 02/11/2018 07:55

fizzledays I gave my dog KC vaccination from the start as he goes to daycare. It's like the flu vaccination in that it only covers certain strains so won't prevent all types. Also the KC cough is really quite something to hear when a dog has it so he may be coughing for a different reason or have a very mild version.

marioncole · 02/11/2018 08:34

@fizzledays I wouldn't have got it but I'm on a health plan at the vets and it's included so I may as well get it.

fizzledays · 02/11/2018 10:34

@BiteyShark oh when he does cough it's horrible, and he now has gunk from his nose... just seems massive coincidence for him to have some symptoms about 5 days after getting the live vaccine? Surely it's side affects not actually having KC?

BirdyBedtime · 02/11/2018 12:51

It's crazy isn't it Muddy? I think it's because her heart is racing. One of the things that works for us (although it's more difficult when she's soaking wet) is actually to cuddle her

Fishy - if she's only 10 weeks thing will get better, honestly. I was reduced to tears so many times in the first month to 6 weeks and went through some real spells of regret. I'm not saying it's perfect now by any stretch but I can see a chink of light at the end of the tunnel ..... and I am defintely enjoying my living hot water bottle in the cold evenings

Just not looking forward to the impending teen-hood which I think is beginning to show signs of arriving

Fishypieandmash · 03/11/2018 09:01

Fishypup had his 2nd vaccination yesterday.
He was really poorly afterwards, lethargic and in real pain, could hardly move.
Took him back. Vet wasn’t sure if it was a reaction or if he had hurt himself.
He had an X-ray (general anaesthetic )
Nothing showed up on the X-ray, so took him home. After a few hours he showed signs of recovery, and pleased to say he is back to his normal bouncy self this morning, apart from a runny bum, which is to be expected I guess. Poor fishypup

MuddyWellyNelly · 03/11/2018 10:25

Oh no @Fishypieandmash that must have been scary. So glad he feels better today. Does the vet have any theories?

Fishypieandmash · 03/11/2018 12:55

Muddy ... no not really, said he hadn’t seen a bad reaction like that before. He’s fine now, hanging around near the fridge hoping for chicken or cheese (I spoilt him yesterday)

fizzledays · 03/11/2018 17:14

@Fishypieandmash oh no!! We ended up calling the vets yesterday because he definitely had a horrible gloopy nose and bit of a cough - side effect of the kennel cough vaccine 100% poor thing! Horrible to see them poorly.

Fishypieandmash · 03/11/2018 17:57

@fizzledays you feel so helpless don’t you?
On a positive note, we’ve just been playing in the garden (aka waiting for him to have a poo) and he wasn’t in the least bit afraid of all the fireworks going off around him.

austech · 04/11/2018 01:05

May I join?

Here is austechpuppy:

He's eight weeks old.

Enni2S · 04/11/2018 06:24

@austech he's gorgeous :) such nice eyes as well, what is he?

I just need to vent as nobody seems to lisen and I'm going through a phase of just hating everyone! Ennpup is now 9 weeks old and has had loads of visitors, all of whom have 'tips' on how I should be raising my DDog. No, I will not be squirting water in his face every time he cries in his crate to teach him to be quiet. No, he's not allowed to just mill about our house and 'be a puppy'. FFS.

Everyone keeps commenting how lovely behaved Ennpup is for 9 weeks, and how we really lucked out. Well, I spend all day keeping Ennpup on a schedule of meals, play, toilet breaks and restricted access/supervision, which is mighty tiring, but it's 'easy' that I've got such a sweet puppy who already knows how to sit.

What pisses me off the most is that DH (who was initially against a dog due to commitment/chewing/peeing in the house etc) is constantly letting him get away with things because he's 'cute', and is really not helping with being consistent. I taught Ennpup to wait by the door in a sit whilst I open it, DH just lets him barge straight through. I put Ennpup to bed for a nap so we and guests could eat peacefully, DH took him out five minutes before food and then had to put him in the kitchen where he screamed the house down, before putting him back in his crate where he'd been peacefully sleeping earlier. Cue more screaming. Poor pup! Ennpup then peed in the hallway because 'I could tell that he wanted a wee, but I needed to get my shoes'.

Ennpup had more accidents yesterday than in the entire rest of the week combined!

DH has just come in as I forced him to get up with Ennpup this morning. 'I don't know how you do this all day.' He left him downstairs and now he's peed in the kitchen.

Grrrrrrrrrrrr

(Sorry for the massive rant, my bucket of water is just starting to overflow) I'll try stop now Ennpup is lovely.

MuddyWellyNelly · 04/11/2018 17:55

Oh Enni2s I feel your pain! DH is getting a little better at following my lead, but I'm actually having to do some things in secret so my cue words don't get ruined! I've got the terrible (wonderful, really!) toddler to deal with too. I was just starting to use the heel command after some nice off lead walking beside me, and DS immediately just starts saying "heel, heel" whenever he felt like it. I think I might start teaching him in french .

Muddypup is now 15 weeks. What stage of training is everyone at? He can do a sit and he's getting good at sit/stay. He is still quite enthusiastic to run towards us on walks but it's not really a recall. I would say he's definitely better at not jumping up when we walk in the room but still horrendous at counter-surfing. There just seems to be so many things I need to work on and quite often I'll work on one thing (eg sit stay) then because he's so food motivated, he starts barking or lunging for the treats so I need to go back to my "no mauling for treats" session.

fizzledays · 04/11/2018 18:26

Amazing @Fishypieandmash! My mum and dad did that with our now 9 yr old lab and fireworks have never bothered him. Sat here now there are a few going off and he looks up curiously but not fussed!

Enni2S · 04/11/2018 18:45

@muddy Ennpup is 9 weeks and will sit without treats in low distraction environments. He has some recall inside but zero out in the garden, and he just figured out 'down' without a lure (but with a high value treat) today. He can do basically nothing else, although he is becoming a master at ankle biting. I introduced the leash today, he will walk very nicely when bribed with liver.