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The doghouse

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

Original poster

Puppy support

656 replies

ChestyNut · 05/12/2018 17:07

Not sure if there’s is a current thread for support for new puppy owners, would anyone be interested?

ChestyPuppy arrived on Saturday and is 10 weeks old.
Finding it tough as forgot how brutal the early days are. Our Chestydog died after 12 years earlier this year, he was my best friend Sad

Highlights of today have been...
Standing in the pouring rain in pjs and a coat shouting “do wee wees”

Dealing with a puppy pad snow storm from her shredding during the night.

Turning into a bitey hyperactive monster during a visit from my friends

Please tell me it gets better?Grin

OP posts:
Thread gallery
56
ouchyoubiteybugger · 17/12/2018 18:47

Your poor mum hope she and chest pup are ok Flowers

BiteyShark · 17/12/2018 18:51

Oh no, hope your mum is ok Chesty.

I fell over this year when I was with BiteyDog and was in pain so had to be helped up by DH. Just the whole commotion upset him and he is an adult dog.

Cromercrab · 17/12/2018 19:15

Talk to the vet! Brilliant! yes, of course. The breeder said I can 'potty' him outside provided I fence off an area on a terrace or similar and sterilise it. TBH, I can't see myself doing that. But I will check with the vet for sure.

Wolfiefan · 17/12/2018 19:21

Sterilising the outside? Shock
Wolfie pup went outside to toilet from the beginning. On a lead to stop the madam eating trees and gravel etc!!
But not in public.
I didn’t set an alarm overnight. I slept near pup and she woke me when she needed to get out. If you use an alarm it can apparently take them longer to sleep through the night.

purplegoat · 17/12/2018 19:51

Welcome crab! You do sound prepared. Hope it goes well when you get your pup. We've just been taking him out in the garden on the lead and it's fine so far.

Hope your mum is ok chesty Sad

We're doing ok (I think) our main issue is puppy vs resident adult dog (she's not very enamoured with purple pup right now). She's doing well, giving warning growls and a snap if pup doesn't get the message - but not hurting him but we're making sure it's all supervised and removing him to give her a break when he's getting a bit OTT.
Hopefully they start getting on a bit better soon

LittleLongDog · 17/12/2018 20:03

Oh Chesty! How’s your mum doing?

How do your pups tell you when they need a wee/poo? LittlePup does lots of sniffing which means I can spot the signs in the day, but at night he’ll just get up silently and have a wee.

He goes every single time he’s taken outside (apart from that stormy day). Even if he’s been recently he’ll still do a tiny bit before waiting by the door to go back in. So I feel he understands going outside and the cue ‘wee wees’.

purplegoat · 17/12/2018 20:12

Sounds like you're making good progress longdog we're only
On day 2 so may be a bit much for him to get it yet. We've had a couple of accidents but we're taking him out regularly. He slept from 1.30am til 6am this morning which at 8 weeks and his first night away from mum is fab!
(Husband is feeling it though, he's off this week and I get to go to work for a break!)

Original poster
ChestyNut · 18/12/2018 06:09

Thanks for well wishes for mum, she’s got a painful knee and shoulder and grazed elbow, don’t think she’ll be able to move this morning Sad

Chestypup has not used the kitchen as a toilet overnight but proceeded to go out for a wee and come back in and poop on the kitchen floor Hmm

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 18/12/2018 08:08

Oh dear. Baby steps.
Hope your mum is able to get around a bit today.
Purple I’ve got the same issue to look forward to if I get another dog.

LittleLongDog · 18/12/2018 11:02

Ouch Chesty! Hope she recovers soon. Good news on ChestyDog though!

Ooo are you thinking to get another dog Wolfie?

We’re getting on well with the training here. Think we need to start practicing with the lead next. Every time we’ve put it on so far he just settles down to chew it. Hmm

CatnissEverdene · 18/12/2018 20:12

Hi can we join you all? Our sprocker baby came home on Saturday aged 8 weeks. She's been amazing, settled really well and seems to adore our 5 year old working cocker.... who's not quite as enthusiastic. We got her as he's way too focused on me, howling when I leave the room. But fingers crossed, he's been very kind and gentle with her.

She's done all her toileting outside today, every half hour in torrential rain hasn't been that much fun but the kitchen floor is dry which is bliss. My only worry is that she's not eating very much but it's only her 4th day with us. In terms of tablespoons, how much were all of yours having at 8 weeks? She will eat it hard as a treat (puppy kibble) but seems to hate it being soaked.

Wolfiefan · 18/12/2018 21:24

I really want another wolfhound. I know it’s awful but they don’t live that long. I’d also love her to have a friend to run with. No dogs play chase quite like a wolfhound. I’m hoping that one breeder in particular may have a pup for me. Might be about a year but that suits us. No rush. I waited long enough for this one!
Oh Catniss can I see a Sprocker baby? Please. Pretty please.

purplegoat · 19/12/2018 10:05

Welcome catniss sounds like your pup is the same age as ours, he came home on Sunday at 8 weeks.

He seems to be settling in well, has been pooing and weeing outside when we take him but is going overnight in his pen (but outside his crate). He hates going outside though and really puts the brakes on when trying to get him outside, currently trying to coax him out with treats.
Then he sits down and whines once we're in the garden, he eventually gets down to business but I feel awful when he sits there whimpering on the end of the lead, he looks so small!

He also keeps jumping at our other dog's face and nipping her ears so I feel bad for her too.

I think the puppy blues have hitSad

Cromercrab · 19/12/2018 14:00

I'm looking for a puppy carrier/sling for the early weeks when new arrival can't be put on the ground and then for a bit beyond when I assume he'll get tired and won't be able to walk as far as me. (I'm sure it will be very soon that he is outrunning me!) Any recommendations?

Whoseranium · 19/12/2018 14:18

purple it’s fine to keep your older dog and the pup separate at this point if he’s constantly mithering her, it’ll giver her some peace and won’t have a negative effect on their future relationship. Puppies are annoying little buggers and loads of adults don’t appreciate their attentions. It’s also good for pup to get loads of one on one time to bond with you. Obviously you don’t want to just shut your older dog away all the time but if you can separate them a bit more whilst keeping everyone happy it’s absolutely fine to do and I’d definitely recommend it.

I’ve had four pups in the last ten years and every time their contact with the adult dogs, especially the oldest ones, has been limited in the early days because they’re such annoying little buggers. They would get closely supervised play times together and we’d all chill out in the same room once the puppy had conked out but they never got completely free access to each other. As they got older (and less of a pest) we’d gradually spend more and more time together until it was the norm to be together pretty much 24/7.

Original poster
ChestyNut · 19/12/2018 15:47

purple puppy blues are normal I think I’m starting to come out of the other side. It’s tough Flowers

OP posts:
ouchyoubiteybugger · 19/12/2018 18:09

Aww I want to see the sprocker, puppy blues here too as we have biting and now back to the vets as we keep eating gravel and bad things. She's so clever and utterly dumb as a brick it's amazing

LittleLongDog · 19/12/2018 18:39

I am SO tired.

And I don’t want to clean up wee any more.

DP is home now so I’m going on strike for the rest of the evening. I’m going under a blanket with a cup of tea and the Christmas chocolates and I’m not coming out.

CatnissEverdene · 19/12/2018 19:45

I've tried to post a photo but the part to add them has disappeared off the bottom of my screen for some reason...…….. I've just re-registered after a break for a while.

We've been doing really well apart from the eating but today has felt like a long slow torturous day after a 5am start. We've had wees everywhere and I'm feeling a bit "oh god what have I done" even though I can't put into words how much I adore her.

Original poster
ChestyNut · 19/12/2018 22:10

It’s just like Groundhog Day! Pee Pooh eat pee Pooh bite run round like a loon pee Pooh , nap repeat x100 Grin

Oh the days of leisurely get up drink coffee instead of eyes open, in garden freezing in pjs waiting for pee and poop!

We’ve had 2nd booster today...7 days to go

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 19/12/2018 22:24

Honestly when we got our pup I was so tired I almost started to hallucinate. Felt really out of it and could’ve sobbed every time she had an accident or started the biting craziness.

ouchyoubiteybugger · 20/12/2018 06:53

We have an old poo ! Never been so happy at 5am ! Last day at work today so hoping kids will let me lay in and do the early shift tomorrow ( not holding breath) dh is so in love with her but also shattered as he does the late diarreahoa shift. Fingers crossed my Xmas present is a puppy doing solid poos.

FrangipaniBlue · 20/12/2018 06:56

FrangipaniPup likes to bite. Not furniture or anything. Just people.

Starts as a gentle chew that gets harder, sometimes he nips and snaps too.

Anyone any idea how to "discourage" this, it's driving me up the wall Confused

XXcstatic · 20/12/2018 07:45

For those who haven't got their puppies yet, I really recommend waiting for May/June. It's so much less painful standing in the garden half the night if the weather's ok Smile

Also consider a re-homed young adult. I'm not going to guilt-trip anyone about getting a pup -we did - but there's definitely something to be said for starting off with a dog that's already house-trained, but still young enough to learn easily.

LittleLongDog · 20/12/2018 08:14

FrangipaniBlue LittlePupwas like that at first (and when over excited can still return to it). We found standing up and turning our backs on him quite effective. Also, shoving a toy in his mouth instead and praising him when he was chewy with that and gentle with us. And what’s worked really well has been teaching him ‘leave it/drop’. Don’t get me wrong, he still has mad crocodile hour in the evening, but generally he’s massively improved.

Congrats ouchyoubiteybugger! Let’s hope it’s a sign of things to come.

We’re aiming for a bath today. He’s been a bit itchy and I’m hoping it’s nothing a good clean won’t solve. Wish me luck!