Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
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
LittleLongDog · 11/12/2018 15:08

Phew - The cotton buds are paper. I was thinking they were sharp pointy shards of plastic stick. Thanks so much guys. I will be watching him very very carefully over the next few days.

Lesson learnt to make sure the lid is on the bathroom bin properly!

FrangipaniBlue · 11/12/2018 21:31

There you go @ChestyNut @Wolfiefan we have ears up today!!

Puppy support
Wolfiefan · 11/12/2018 21:46

Oh my. Too cute. You’re not helping with my puppy broodiness. I want to kiss that nose!! Grin

LittleLongDog · 11/12/2018 21:58

Aw Frangipani he has a heart on his nose! What a sweetie.

FrangipaniBlue · 11/12/2018 22:21

GrinGrin

Wolfiefan · 11/12/2018 22:36

He does! He so totally does. Bet he’s stolen yours Frangipani and that of everyone he meets.

anniehm · 11/12/2018 22:57

Top tip - start training now if you haven't already, they are sponges needing to learn at this age. By 10 weeks we got our ddog off lead in the park and he knew sit, stay, come etc. Biting is the hardest bit, especially with nippy breeds like mine - he thinks I'm a sheep if I'm too slow to get my walking boots on! Hang in there, first two weeks are the hardest (might be eating my words as dh has been wanting another puppy as ddog "needs" a sister (I've tried saying he would consider her a girlfriend!)

itcuddles · 11/12/2018 23:52

Annie hardest part for me is actually getting her to the park, she's not a fan of walkies. Maybe my pup is broken!

FrangipaniBlue · 12/12/2018 08:06

Mine too @itcuddles !!!

He would quite happily live on the sofa venturing only to the garden for wee's and poops!!!

sparkle789 · 12/12/2018 08:27

Glad littledog is ok.
Sparklepup didn’t cry last night dh slept on the sofa and he was a lot happier. Also no wees or poos in the night and he did a poo outside this morning. Feeling more positive today hopefully it continues!
Frangipani he’s gorgeous

sparkle789 · 12/12/2018 10:27

Those of you whose pups sleep in crates, how long was it until you shut the door at night and did you have a dog pen if the door was open?

BiteyShark · 12/12/2018 10:48

sparkle789 I shut the door on night one but my crate was massive so more like a play pen with a roof.

sparkle789 · 12/12/2018 10:51

Bitey did the pup wake you when it needed the toilet? Ours is big so I think he’d be ok but I don’t want him to wee in there.

BiteyShark · 12/12/2018 10:54

I slept next door and used a baby monitor. At first when he cried I would take him out for a quick toilet break and then back again even if he cried for attention. After a while days he started to work out night was for sleep or peeing. I then used the alarm method as he couldn't make it through the night but also kept the baby monitor so I could hear if he was upset (because mine did have a poorly stomach intermittently so I needed to make sure I could hear him).

LittleLongDog · 12/12/2018 11:47

Not a bad night for LittlePup. Up at 2am and 5am for a wee. I had set an alarm for both but I missed the 5am wee by five minutes.

Shattered today though! The reality of doing this every night in a row for a while longer is starting to sink in.

Think we need to do some training and learn a new command so I can feel more positive again. Sit went really really well.

DanielCraigsUnderpants · 12/12/2018 14:04

I have a soft crate in the bedroom. I have a normal crate downstairs but I shut the door the first day.

DanielCraigsUnderpants · 12/12/2018 14:09

I would just leave the room to put my son to bed with him in it and with a kong. Then come down finish pottering about and let him out with he wasn't whinging. After two weeks of being off work and building the time up I went back to work and put him in the hard crate. I don't have the room to have a puppy pen. My older dog is loose in the lounge with him. Looking forward to phasing the crate out altogether but the two hours they're alone at least I know he's safe.

Vallahalagonebutnotforgotten · 12/12/2018 14:37

Ideally the crate needs to be small at night. If you have a large crate it takes longer for the puppy to be dry at night.

Dogs prefer to wee away from their sleeping area so if you have a large crate they can wee in the crate but away from the sleeping area.

They may very occasionally wee in the crate no big deal clean it up and next night will be better Smile

I do shut the crate at night from day one but sleep near the puppy then I can calm the puppy if needed.

I do not recommend setting alarms it is proven to delay night time training

Dottiepup · 12/12/2018 15:10

How’s everyone getting on today? Dottie was up at 5.30, so i got a lie in 😬

Still nipping the boys constantly, but I’m trying my hardest with the clicker to distract her. It’s all about perseverance I guess!

Can I ask, What do you do with puppy when kids are playing? Our house is tiny, only 2 downstairs rooms, so I’ve been putting her in the kitchen & closing the stair gate. But she cries so bad even though we’re only separated by the stair gate! But if I don’t she just terrorises the boys & destroys their toys 😕

LittleLongDog · 12/12/2018 16:03

Dottie I’m either playing with/distracting him (when he’s being active) or I’ve worn him out enough that he’ll settle behind the stair gate. There is a tiny bit of grumbling first though.

When we first started leaving him behind the stair gate we would return and reward him when he was quiet for a second and are lengthening the time. The first few days were spent fully behind the gate with him.

No idea what to do about him playing with things that aren’t ‘his’. I don’t have children so I’ve just put everything high up!

itcuddles · 12/12/2018 17:11

Itdoesntcuddle pup had her first off leash play with some big dogs we came accross on our walk today. Was utterly terrified she'd get hurt by the big Alaskan malamute but she loved it. We've got an extremely happy tired pup now.

Needed that pick me up after having a meltdown last night wishing we never got her. Feeling pretty guilty now Blush

LittleLongDog · 12/12/2018 17:17

itcuddles that’s so great! I think it’s important to look for a positive after a negative. Don’t feel guilty, you’re allowed to feel crap sometimes.

I can’t wait for our first adventures outdoors. I wonder if I could just carry him around outside for a bit so he has a few more outside experiences under his belt? 12 weeks feels like forever away.

sparkle789 · 12/12/2018 18:05

That’s great itcuddles, lovely you had something positive:)
Thanks to those who recommended the Facebook group. I started following the crate training steps on it and he did really well. He even took himself in there for naps. Going to work on the steps to get him to stay in while he’s awake but I’m really pleased about how it went. I’m also feeling a lot happier and more positive today.

Cotonrafa · 12/12/2018 19:12

We have got the same puppy!

Original poster
ChestyNut · 12/12/2018 19:35

Little you can take them about and about if you carry them pre 2nd vaccination. I carried Chestypup up the street for a walk Grin

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread