It's home!

[puppypalavas]

Got our puppy today.
Been about 8 hours since we’ve had her and I’ve got puppy blues already!
She’s doing ok toilet wise. Maybe 3 inside, 3 outside and a poo outside.
Got her confined to the kitchen at the mo and she’s got a playpen in here.
We’ve got a deep sided box for her for our room tonight.
We’ve put her in her playpen probably 5 times, for short durations, 15 mins or so.
Then we went to the shop to find a box for her for tonight, so we were out for 40 minutes.
She’s howls and cries and barks solidly in her playpen.
As soon as she’s quiet we go in and praise her. Sometimes getting her out and sometimes leaving her in there.
Every single time though she has barked and howled in her playpen until she’s vomited. She’ll be losing weight at this rate.
Am I doing the playpen thing right?

[puppypalavas]

It’s just when she barks.
The breeder commented that she was “sensitive” which makes me worry that he knew she was very very clingy and prone to vomiting if upset.
Never had a dog like it (although they were a few months older than she is)

[puppypalavas]

She’s eating and drinking well, but as soon as she whines for even a few minutes she throws up everywhere.
She’s done probably 8 wees and a poo today too which is ok right?

[Wolfiefan]

She can’t be left. At all. I don’t know how you will do nappy changes.

[puppypalavas]

I’ll just have to get in the pen with her and do them?!

[puppypalavas]

She is so so lovely, but even the 4 friends I’ve asked for advice today said that there’s were never this bad!
Either that or they’ve forgotten!
How her litter mates are sleeping through the night and I can’t even have a wee!

[KateGrey]

How old is the child with the nappies? Could you change them on a very padded mat near the dog? What about putting the baby monitor in with her when you’re putting your child down for a nap?

[puppypalavas]

Yeah perhaps so. I’ll just get inventive.
I could do nappies next to the playpen.
She’s currently asleep with her head touching my husbands head both kipping down for the night on the floor.
That isn’t in the puppy books!

[Iloveautumnleaves]

Why didn’t you just take her to the bathroom with you?

Why can’t she just come with you when you bath the kids or change their nappies?

Does she have a crate she can CHOOSE to go in? You need to start teaching the kids that when she’s in there she is to be left alone.

If you don’t think you’re going to be able to do this, then take her back to the breeder, the sooner the better as she has a better chance of finding a new home now than in a few months.

[puppypalavas]

I didn’t take her into the bathroom or up to bedrooms to change nappies as puppy book says open up 1 new room a week to the puppy to stop them being overwhelmed.
So she’s just got the kitchen currently!
It’s ok. We can do this.
She did 7 hours sleep last night without a single cry as she was touching DH in their floor beds.
She went for wees at 1, 3.30 and 6am and did one every time outside with no accidents.
Every time DH heard her rouse in her box he took her out before she cried. Is that right?
Now to get through today!

[Hisaishi]

Puppy books DO prepare you for how awful it is, which is why I've never had a puppy.

"An adult dog of 2+ can be left up to 4 hours a day - not a session, a day, so not 9-1 home for an hour and back to work until 6." - show me any research where any experts say that is true. Anyone who honestly believes that people who don't do this are horrible and irresponsible need to wind their neck in. I love my dog but my entire life is not on hold for him.

I'd say about 1% of dog owners would be able to live like that. Yes, dogs love to be with us, but most are going to be totally fine with being alone for longer than that. If you are constantly around, then something happens to you (hospitalisation etc), it's going to be WAY harder on your dog.

To say they can't be alone for more than four hours a day is pure neuroticism. I have never been told by any trainer/behaviourist/expert that that is the case.

[puppypalavas]

Our old dog was never ever left more than 4 hours I can honestly say.
Longer than this and we got a sitter to pop in half way through. Maybe once a year.
Just didn’t dawn on me that this one cannot even be left for 2 minutes.
In all fairness she’s settling in already.
She’s had breakfast, weed and pood and instead of putting her in her playpen away from us all we have put her back in her bed box while we all get dressed in our bedroom. She whimpered for maybe a minute and has just been led there watching us for the past 20 mins without a peep. That wouldn’t have happened yesterday.
I can see that it will get easier. Very slowly! She’s doing great.

[Namechangeforthiscancershit]

Aww I am in the top 1% of dog owners (or the most present 1% of dog owners at least!) Hisaishi

I don’t know anyone who leaves their dogs Thor longer than 4 hours though and virtually all of my friends/families have dogs (some rescue some from puppies). We must be a neurotic bunch!

[Namechangeforthiscancershit]

OP well done- sounds like a good night. I hope you got some sleep amid all that! You had an exhausting day yesterday.

And still no pictures

This will all be worth it.

[Hisaishi]

"Aww I am in the top 1% of dog owners (or the most present 1% of dog owners at least!) Hisaishi

I don’t know anyone who leaves their dogs Thor longer than 4 hours though and virtually all of my friends/families have dogs (some rescue some from puppies). We must be a neurotic bunch!"

Wow, good for you, have a massive bunch of flowers and a rosette.

It's nothing to do with being in the top. I know people who are home all day but that doesn't mean they're a good dog owner.

[puppypalavas]

Yesterday was horrific.
I’m not gonna lie there were tears!
Onwards and upwards!
Worried about outing myself for being a shit puppy owner if I put photos up!! But believe me, she’s a cutie!

[Namechangeforthiscancershit]

It's nothing to do with being in the top. I know people who are home all day but that doesn't mean they're a good dog owner

I appreciate that- hence the comment in brackets. I am at various times a useless dog owner especially as am not well but I have lots of people to help etc. Turns out that it does take a village to raise a puppy (well mine at least).

I’ll take the rosette though please as I never win anything.

[Namechangeforthiscancershit]

Worried about outing myself for being a shit puppy owner if I put photos up!! But believe me, she’s a cutie!

You definitely are not a shit puppy owner, but I totally recognise that feeling. And still get it.

[BiteyShark]

Sounds like you are doing great.

You have got a hard time on this thread but it's good that you haven't been scared off which unfortunately happens to a lot of people and you are now adapting things to help your puppy.

Remember whilst you and her are struggling at the moment on the leaving for even a few minutes it is VERY early days and taking it slowly and with time you will get there. It's bloody hard and anyone who tells you differently had an easy puppy. Lots of us on here didn't so we do understand.

[BiteyShark]

Oh and I don't post pictures of my dog because whilst my posts are very outing I would prefer not to doubly confirm it with photos so don't post them if you don't want to.

[Orchardgreen]

This forum is extremely helpful

thelabradorforum.com/

Especially this thread
thelabradorforum.com/threads/puppy-problems-will-things-ever-improve.1680/

[itisitis]

I have a new pup who is now 14 weeks. We brought him home at 8 weeks, so very tiny and ideally shouldn't have been away from mum but she was starting to reject him. I took a month off work to look after him. This also co-insided with the school holidays, so I had no school runs to do. I never left the pup, he slept downstairs so not with us, and this was his biggest separation. We've never had any issues, he sleeps literally like a baby but is up at 5/6am for a week when he starts to cry.

Puppies take time and accidents are inevitable, but please don't leave them for long periods when they've just left their mum. The vomiting is a sign of separation anxiety.

[FrankieChips]

There was a BBC show about life with a puppy. It might still be on iPlayer. Could be interesting to see how others coped (and they did find it difficult too), I have no words of wisdom as I’ve only ever hadn’t cats. And I wouldn’t even adopt a kitten never mind a puppy! Good luck. I’m sure all will be well once you nail the routine.

[Costacoffeeplease]

You could have taken her to the bathroom and back again. Opening up a room means putting them in the room, free, for a period of time, not putting them on the bathroom floor for a few minutes and picking them up again

I’m glad she had a good night and the house training is starting well

How old are your children? I’m a bit surprised the breeder let her go to a family with children still in nappies - labs mouth, nip and chew, A LOT, your children are very quickly going to have to get used to that, and not leaving anything lying around that pup can get hold of. If she destroys a favourite toy or piece of clothing it’s your/their fault for leaving it within reach

Don’t give her old toys/shoes/clothes to play with, as she won’t know if the next ones she finds are brand new - specific dog/puppy toys only

[Costacoffeeplease]

Hisaishi would you like to be left in a room with no company or stimulation- and especially a toilet, for more than 4 hours every day?

Twat

[DoinItForTheKids]

This is why I won't have a dog!

I had a very elderly cat which I got from Cats Protection, she was a real love, but she didn't have much energy and literally spent all day fast asleep aside from visits to her cat litter tray / food bowl. I was ok with leaving her for the day because we cuddled all evening when I got back. Even then if I stayed at my other half's for the weekend, we had a cat sitter come in, give her love and fusses, feed her, check her water, empty the litter tray and make sure she was alright.

If I had dog I'd know that I'd want to have someone go in and take it out at least once in the day - there'd be no one home from 8.30 am to 4.00 pm and the animal would deserve a good long walk (not a quick flit round two streets) and because I know I can't afford that, that's why I don't have one.

It does sound like you're doing a lot better OP and pup sounds to be getting much better settled. I too would recommend watching that puppy documentary - it shows you how new absolutely everything is to them and how much help they need and it is indeed a lot.