Young Puppy Support Group

[DuchessDarty]

I’d been looking for one of these but the only puppy support thread currently running is for older puppies. I’ve seen a few threads recently from posters who have new puppies like me, and thought I’d start our own group as I’d love to compare notes. But all welcome!

To kick off -

My pup, DartyPup, is a female poodle cross who is nearly 11 weeks old. Very sweet, friendly, fairly calm, sleeps a good stretch at night in her crate no problem and is happy to play in the garden by herself if I’m in the kitchen/conservatory and we easily have eyes on each other. She has a lot of naps and is doing well with house training.

But- she has the usual puppy traits of being needy and nippy. She loves biting bare toes and has a witching hour in the evening (as another poster aptly describes it!).

I adore the bond we seem to have bit am finding it draining. My children are old enough to be hands on and are keen to be, but their periods of peak energy don’t always correspond with the Pup’s. And when it comes down to it, she often wants me and so will whine if left with them downstairs while I escape for a rest. If they mistakenly leave a door open giving her access to the stairs, she’ll leg it up to find me. A stair gate isn’t an option unfortunately due to the design of our stairs.

Both my kids have never been particularly early risers and I’ve always been secretly pleased about dodging 6am wake up calls ... until DartyPup.

Skeleton the enforced rest in the crate was the only thing that eventually worked for us as well with overtired biting. BiteyDog would scratch his bed up for a minute in his crate then collapse in an overtired heap and sleep.

I keep wondering how DuckDuckGoosey is getting on. I remember the overwhelming feeling of panic when we brought Biteypup home

SkeletonSkins the Canine Enrichment FB page is fab isn't it? Loads of ideas and most of them don't involve buying expensive puzzles and stuff. Just the joy of a cardboard box stuffed with paper and kibble Our old trainer pointed us in the direction of the page and she also recommended a website called www.dog-games.co.uk which is great for dogs that love to snuffle about and look for the sprinkled food.

Yesterday was the first day that Biteypup managed to get some sleep outside her crate, even while I was cooking a roast dinner I think the trip to PAH to buy a new collar must have been just too exhausting!

Hello, been ages (or feels like it) since I’ve been on here and it’s a whole new crew of posters since from when I first started this thread

I’ve fallen right off the puppy training wagon due to previously mentioned DC illness. It means there’s been no routine for DartyPup and all the training I did seems somewhat pointless as we’ve had regression - DartyPup now won’t settle in her crate and has been toileting in the house again. My own fault as for certain illness-related reasons she was allowed to sleep in bed with me and DC, and now we can’t settle her in her crate. (Probably time to buy her a bed anyway though).
And her separation anxiety probably wasn’t helped by me being away for 2 days last week in hospital with DC - DartyPup’s level of excitement upon my return was akin to a teenage girl in the ‘60s seeing the Beatles.

I feel guilty as DartyPup is an added complication and ‘nuisance’ right now and I am not currently able to fully give her what she needs, but having her by my side to cuddle most of the day is comforting and watching her play makes me very happy, so there’s that.

I’ve been reading through the units on the Facebook advice and support page. There is some useful info but I feel like they are at the extreme end of a particular approach to dog raising. There are a few things I’ve read that are in direct conflict to things I’ve read in two of the books I got, one of which is recommended on their reading page. You’d be in a lot of trouble @SkeletonSkins for your crate success!! Which sounds great btw.

SunnyPup did his longest stretch last night from 11-4 and after his 4 o’clock wee break went straight back into his crate when I asked. Major progress! He was persistently whimpering just before 6 and I wondered if he needed a poo as hadn’t don’t one last night. So took him out, nothing, it’s rainijg heavily and he ran back in. Then did a wee straight away on the floor, when I was cleaning that one up he did another!! Took him outside and he ran straight back in and started doing a poo!!! Luckily I caught him and got him outside for most of it. Toilet training has been going so well but seems he thinks he’s too good to get wet!

How do you start getting them to go to the door when they need the loo?

How do you start getting them to go to the door when they need the loo?

Mine was terrible at indicating even after many weeks. What solved that for us was training bells hung by the door which I bashed before opening it. It took less than two days to get him used to them and using them himself. We simply phased them out as he got older so now he just stands by the door and if you don't come he then barks.

Hi Duchess, thank you for starting this thread, its been so useful, it was like a "What to expect" for puppies 😊. I hope things get less hectic for you soon, Bluepup has an all-over-the-place life as I'm always being taxi for the kids but thankfully nothing health related. I have just booked her in for training classes that my older children will do from September so hopefully she'll like that, hoping the shift to school starting (for kids) and all that entails will be ok 🤞

Hi Sunny Bluepup is generally in the front room when we are home. I got toilet bells which I have hung on the back door and not used once, I'm moving them to the front room area to help Bluepup indicate when she needs the loo. So far she makes it outside because I watch her like a hawk, no indication by her.

Sunny our pup has started going to the back door when he needs the loo but I have no idea how he worked it out! I suppose as soon as he went towards the back door I will open it and then loads of praise if he does go to the toilet.

Our boy doesn't like the rain either, if you're convinced he needs the loo you might need to stand outside with him and close the backdoor, that's what I do!! Keep a brolly handy!

So puppy went from 10.30-4 then cried, put him out and he did a wee and poo. Optimistically I thought I might get a bit of a lie in but no he was awake at 5.50 😫

Not sure if he wakes at 6 out of habit as he wasn't desperate for the loo or his breakfast and has now fallen asleep again!

His injections went fine Ystd, he didn't even notice! I'm gutted though as the vet said not to put him down outside for another two weeks!! I was thinking one more week, not being able to take him out properly is so restrictive and I'm starting to feel slightly trapped now!

Morning Girlie Bluepup seems to be ready for the day at 6 too, will be useful to have this alarm clock in September for school routine tho.

Glad Girliepup was ok for injections yesterday. It must depend on which brand is used as to when they can go on the floor. Bluepup gets hers done tomorrow and vet said she can go on outside floor one week later, I'll be counting the days.

@DuchessDarty sorry your life is tricky at the moment. Hope all will settle down soon.
We had a lovely first walk on the beach yesterday, although we were a little longer than we’d planned to be. I don’t really understand the point in keeping walks short to save their joints when she’s running around at home constantly. Will stick with it though and keep to 15 minutes today.
We had a terrible night. She was whinging every hour. My dh was completely unhelpful (he has work today - and pup does only want me to be fair).
We spent 3 weeks confining her to the kitchen and now we’ve been letting her snuggle up on the sofa with us in the lounge and so that’s where she wanted to be last night.
Don’t know whether to go back to keeping her in the kitchen (although it’s not so comfy for me) or what...it’s all so tricky on no sleep

Sounds like we had very similar nights @Girliefriendlikescake!

I’ll get some of those toilet bells and give them a go. He also won’t go outside on his own, I keep bringing him out for a wee etc. So last night I was standing in the rain in my dressing gown while he refused to come out! Need to encourage him somehow to go out by himself.

I’m quite looking forward to the kids going back to school as I feel it will provide some more structure to the day.

I’ve been finding it quite claustrophobic being at home most of the day with the kids and the weather being bad and feeling like we all have cabin fever.

That's exactly how we feel sunny and it's not doing my dd (13yo) much good being in all the time either. She has probable ASD (awaiting formal diagnosis) and needs structure and to be out doing stuff otherwise becomes completely unmotivated.

I'm working today so my dads coming over to puppy sit and keep dd company, girliepup (feels a bit wrong calling HIM girliepup 🤣)
hasn't had much company with men so that will be good for him. My dad is a complete softy so I expect anarchy when I get home!!

Sunny do you not just pick him up and put him out?! That's what I've been doing! I sometimes keep putting him back on the grass even when he wants to go back in and won't let him in until he wees. I think he's figured out now that if he wants to come back in he has to squeeze a wee out 😆 and tons of praise when he does wee/poo outside obviously.

Puppy has been passed out on his back in his crate since 7am 🙄 he really didn't need to be up at 6am ffs!!

Sorry for multiple posts 😶 blame puppy brain 😉 blue do you know which brand your puppy has had? Mine is called Nobivac DHP...

🤣snap, bluepup also fast asleep since 8!!! Not sure what i did to exhaust her after only being up for 2 hrs? She had vaccine called canigen.

@SunnyUpNorth you're right. I do like human parenting and pick the bits that work for me and pup and ignore the rest

@Girliefriendlikescake I’ll be honest, I’d be putting her down is ‘less risky’ places after a week. It seems to be different vets are extra cautious. I’m sure we must be having the same vac as you as we did 8 weeks and 10 weeks and ours said 1 weeks. In fact, Skeletonpup will be in the floor this weekend as I’m at a dog training weekend all weekend for my older dog. I think it’s pretty rare for dogs to catch these diseases anyway, never mind after two vaccinations. Some of my dog training friends are very lax about puppy being down before vacs (I wouldn’t do that, I’d worry to death) and they literally never catch anything.

Hahaha @SunnyUpNorth that was why I did a big disclaimer, I know it’s not really what they advocate at all but I agree that some of what they suggest is a bit extreme. Hard to align it with the realities day to day life!

I feel awful saying this, but SkeletonPup slept until 8.30am this morning . I love how happy she is when I get her out the crate in the morning, it warms my heart and makes it worth it!

I feel like the enforced crate rest worked really well yesterday and although we had about an hour of crazy before she crashed at 10.30pm, that’s a lot less than before where it’s been just insane from 6pm until bed time.

Second attempt at the second vaccination today ha!

Hope you’ve got the correct day!

WE have a few little steps down from our back door to the garden and he wont go down them by himself so I have to go out but then if it’s raining he just dashes straight back in. I don’t like to close the door as the design means the top step is very small and I’m worried he would crash into the glass. I’m sure he would learn his lesson quickly but I still worry!

What sort of routine do you have with yours in the evening? He seems really sleepy for most of the evening, he gets disturbed when we get the kids ready for bed and then he might play with a toy for a little while but then just nap again. He doesn’t seem to get zoomies (yet!) but I’m wondering if he should have a bigger burst of activity in the evening to tire him out for bed. But to be honest by then I am so shattered I can’t muster up the energy to play in the garden with him, I can just about manage brushing him a bit!

At least the sleep deprivation is confirming to me that I def don’t want any more children!!

@Blueskyandsmiles and @Putanotherwashon thank you for well wishes

lol at “what to expect for puppies”! I read loads of posts on this board before getting DartyPup and kept hearing the advice of join the Puppy Support thread so looked back a long way for one, but it appears there hadn’t been one for baby pups for well over a year, so I wasn’t sure the demand was there and am glad to see that isn’t the case!!

DartyPup sleeps so well in bed with me, like from 10:30pm to 7:30am. I wish I slept that long but anxiety keeps me up most of the night. The problem is that she can’t keep sleeping with me as she’s basically taking DH’s spot, and he won’t share a bed with her. He’s been on the sofa the last week as I’ve had an ill child in with me for some of that, but DartyPup is going to get a rude shock soon.

Definitely agree @DuchessDarty that the thread is helpful!

Our older dog sleeps in our bed (for similar reasons, fell into it due to life and never undid it) but there’s been a few nights he’s had to sleep in a crate and he’s been totally fine and doesn’t seem bothered now he’s a bit older so I hope the transition is easier than you think.

@Girliefriendlikescake I’ve attached a picture of our vacs, just had second one and been told a week today.

Evening routine - we don’t really have one as most of it is trying to get her to chill out as she can be crazy from 6-10pm!! She’s fed at 6pm and I give her a little something at 9 for supper to keep her tummy full - could @SunnyUpNorth pup be waking up a bit hungry? Maybe a snack in his crate when he first wakes might help or a snack a little closer to bed time? It’s hard to juggle as you don’t want her to need the toilet but a couple of my friends have mentioned it helped him.

I’m trying to force a nap at 6.30/7 while we have our tea and it does seem to be helping. I think if your pup is naturally sleeping thoufh I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Probably once you can do an evening walk it might help?

Hope life settles down soon for you all DuchessDarty You started a very informative thread, so thank you

I have decided to give in and contact a 1-2-1 trainer recommended by the lady who ran the training classes 12 years when we had our old fella as a pup. Unfortunately our old trainer is not currently running classes due to personal reasons. We are currently attending puppy classes and have booked into the next block of novice classes with a local acredited trainer, but I think we need some pointers on a 1-2-1 basis when it comes to dealing with the savage biting and cat encounters. I want to make sure I'm not reinforcing any negative behaviours that could bite us on the bum later and currently I'm feeling a bit anxious and overwhelmed and I think some one on one advice could put my mind at rest. Other posters on the thread seem to have good success on a 1-2-1 level. Any advice about 1-2-1 training gratefully received

Putanotherwashon Every hour? You must be exhausted. Have a or as appropriate.

Our vaccinations where pup on ground after 1 week, although they did suggest staying away from water courses for 3 weeks for the lepto part of it to be fully active, but I'd never heard that advice before

BiteyMcBiteFace if possible get everyone around that needs to be there when you have the 1-2-1.

It's amazing how much you can cover and do in that session compared to a group one.

Thanks BiteyShark There's only me and DH anyway in the household anyway. Don't think the cat will want to be involved in the session Although if a stranger comes she normally can't resist sticking her nose in

I think it would be good for DH, as currently he isn't very involved with the training, or walking. Our puppy classes are on a Saturday morning and he goes sea fishing every other Saturday I think that's why I feel so anxious, as it feels like it's all down to me to get it right So far he has only walked her once on his own and that was this morning after I had a dig at him yesterday.

Hello all! Over about a week I have read this whole thread from start to finish and hopefully soaked up all the info. We collect our pup in 2 weeks time. I'm excited but nervous.

One thing I'm debating is what size crate to get. The breeder says leave room for newspaper so he can wee in the night but I'd read to only have space for his bed so as to not encourage toileting in the crate. So I'm faffing and not making a decision but do really need to order it soon.

I feel like I have so many questions which will probably answer themselves once he's actually here. I'm not very patient though.

He'll be 9 weeks old when he comes home and is a Whippet

@Calmisthemantra we have a cocker spaniel and got a 30” crate. It’s an EllieBo one and we bought the divider for it as it is still a bit big for her.

I guess whippets are bigger than cocker spaniels? Not very helpful am I?