Puppy Support Group 2

[DuchessDarty]

A continuation of this:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_doghouse/3600375-Young-Puppy-Support-Group

All age of puppies (and owners ) welcome

[BiteyShark]

Everyone I speak to says their pup was trained within a week

I think this is only true for a very very small number of dogs.

I suspect what most people mean is that they had no accidents after a week because they took their dog out frequently or recognised the signs and let them out.

That to me isn't toilet trained as I refer to it as the dog holds on all the time (within reason e.g. a reasonable number of hours) and asks to go out every single time so there are no accidents because the dog knows to go outside rather than you facilitating it all the time. Mine certainly took many weeks to be properly toilet trained by my definition.

[namechanged984630]

@SunnyUpNorth how do you teach the dog to use the bells?

[Keepsmiling1]

@BiteyShark yes I agree with you. I will consider him house trained when he lets us know that he needs to go and holds on until then (obviously within reason!) At the moment I think he goes outside because I take him outside frequently whereas if I didn't take him out I think he would wee inside. He does seem to take himself out for a poo but again I think if the door was closed he would probably poo inside rather than let me know he needed to go.

[Grassynoel]

Ah guys I had a flipping post typed out and I managed to delete it, fuming I am!!

Anyway, sorry I'm only replying now but I'm bloody not getting a minute with family life and the little furry terror.

He's 18 weeks now and really should know better. He's still pooing and peeing in the house, jumping up on the chair especially when someone has food. My poor son had a chicken leg on a plate yesterday and Grassyfeckinpup was up on it before he could stop him. Cue histrionics from son and roaring from me.

He barked solid for an hour and a half yesterday and I let a couple more roars at him as he was really doing my head in. I hate to admit it but for the first time I really could see myself bringing him back to the orphanage. I copped later that the neighbourhood kids were playing on a pogo stick and the noise of it was setting him off. I felt awful then.

Someone said upthread they felt overwhelmed with the training they felt they should be doing. I feel the very same. He sits when I flick my finger up as he thinks I have a treat. He knows stay but he's not very reliable. He's definately more relaxed when we leave, school starting back really help that, all the short comings and goings. I'm working hard on leave it and drop it but a lot of work is needed.

Other than that he's a little divil who couldn't give a shit. It's getting me down too.

[SunnyUpNorth]

I totally agree that I think a lot of people lie/exaggerate/ don’t realise when they say they toilet trained their puppy in a week. They must just be bringing it out so often they don’t have accidents. Which is great, we haven’t had many accidents but he definitely isn’t toilet trained as if I didn’t keep a close eye on him he would just wee indoors.

The bells thing we started around two weeks ago. When I call him to the door to go for a wee I tinkle them when he is close, then open the door and take him out. I also tried to lure him near them with a treat so he would accidentally nudge them with his nose which I wasn’t massively successful with. But in the last couple of days he has rung them a few times, then looked really surprised and then run out for a wee or poo. When he rang them I gave him a treat and made a load of fuss. We were outside a lot yesterday though so there wasn’t as much opportunity for him to need to ring them.

Think it was me who said about being overwhelmed with the training and socialising etc. I haven’t even started doing leave it and have only done drop it a tiny bit. There is just so much to train and get them used to. Not sure what I should be prioritising.

[SunnyUpNorth]

Ps @Keepsmiling1 a lie in EVERY weekend?!!! 😱 I’m so jealous! You might find after that morning wee the pup would snuggle back to sleep near you in your room or if you were on the couch for another hour or two.

[Keepsmiling1]

@SunnyUpNorth I know I am so lucky!! I don't have any brothers or sisters so my DDs are their only grandchildren and they idolise them. I had such an amazing relationship with my grandparents and I'm so glad my girls will have the same. But that does mean it is hard to give it up!! I am hoping when he is house trained he will come into bed with us after that early morning wee but I'm not risking it at the moment.

I remember when I had DD1 and everyone used to say how amazing/easy a newborn was and I found it such a hard time so felt I must be doing something wrong. Having a puppy is the same!! I know it's selfish but I am so glad others are finding it tricky as I don't feel so alone.

[Snoopdogowner]

Hi, please can I join in? I'm new to all of this. Mumsnet included. My cockapoo is 19 weeks old and we've had him since 12 weeks. I can honestly say it has been a really tough few weeks. But this thread and the previous one (yes I have sat and read every single post) has reassured me that I'm not the only one constantly worried and having anxiety over a freakin puppy. I'm wishing the weeks away for pup to be older. My little experience has shown me that crate training does work, frozen mashed banana in a kong proves to me a huge distraction and puppy school/ puppy daycare tires pup out like nothing else. Your posts are keeping me sane and let's me know that I'm not a complete heartless bitch for feeling the puppy blues. It will get better!!!!! Although had I discovered mumsnet and read the posts way before pup arrived would I have got one? Hmmmmmm

[yodl]

Hello everybody, I´m new here as well. We got a corgi cardigan puppy two weeks ago, he is currently 11 weeks old.

@Snoopdogowner I know exactly how you feel wishing the weeks away! I´m constantly cheking my calendar calculating how many weeks and days today, how long do I have to wait before our life starts to settle down again etc.

We have a week long vacation coming up in October and to be honest - I can not wait! At first I was worried how our pup will cope, but right now... I just want to sleep as long as I like!

It´s been really tough and I´m still not sure if I´m doing the right things... We didn´t crate our pup, he sleeps with our old dog, they get along well. Sometimes I hesitate if this is the right way to do things. He pees on his puppypads at night and is ofcourse not housetrained yet, so I´m worried that maybe he won´t ever be, if I let him pee inside...

It´s crazy how much stress something so small can bring along! I have twin boys and raising them while they we´re babies was a piece of cake compared to raising a puppy.
The last time I was so stressed out was when we brought home our first dog.

But I´m taking this experience as a stressful lesson - the thing I already have learned from it all is that I´ll never adopt a puppy again. I´ll always have dogs, but not puppies. I don´t enjoy the puppyhood, I´ll push through, but I won´ t do it again.

[ClownsandCowboys]

It's a bit like babies though, I hated the newborn bit and just made myself get through it!

1 week today our pup comes home. I'm really nervous, because I know how hard it's going to be, but DH doesn't seem to grasp it.

She is already crate trained and breeder sent me a pic today showing that she already sitting on command!

I'm not sure how to transport her in the car next week. Breeder is about an hour away. If she goes in crate in boot, I'm worried she'll just cry the whole way? Maybe I'm being soft.

[TokyoSushi]

Tokyopup is settling in well here, he's only 9.5 weeks so it's early days, but he's taken to his crate pretty well with only a small wee on the pad when I get him up, although he was making a right fuss at 5:45 this morning so I had to get up for the day then, but he did a massive poo pretty much straight away, so at least there was a reason.

We've only had a couple of wee's inside and no dirty protests so I'll take that as a win!

I think the place we got him from started off on the right foot as he's keen to toilet outside and seems to have a really lovely nature.

The problem however is - he stinks! Absolutely smells dreadful!! It's not coming from his bum, it just seems to be coming from his little body! We've not bathed him yet but they did bath him just before we picked him up on Friday - you could definitely tell. Any suggestions, this seems to go way beyond 'dog smell!' 😷

[Snoopdogowner]

I'm in awe of all you lot with babies AND a dog. I would not cope! You've done amazingly! I have washed pup 5/6 times so far. I'm not a massive fan of dog smell and he has been quite muddy at times

[Girliefriendlikescake]

Hi newbies 😊 welcome to the thread, it's kept me sane since we got dpup!!

Tokyo if he smells that bad I'd bath him and if no improvement id take to a vet! It wouldn't be his ears (ear infection) or similar would it?

I'm so tired, dpup did sleep okay last night, we put him on his bed next to our bed and he settled okay (Mind you he was knackered!!) But I still woke up regularly checking on him 🙄

Today was another busy day but he coped pretty well with it all, I think he will be glad of a quiet day tomorrow though.

His belly is still up and down so will try and see the vet this week if it doesn't improve.

Our dpup is 15 weeks tomorrow!

[ClownsandCowboys]

6days until we pick up pup and I'm getting a bit scared now. Not sure if reading all the puppy threads is helping or not!

I know long term it will be brilliant, but the first few months... eek!

[Girliefriendlikescake]

Clowns I felt the same before getting our pup, sometimes the threads can scare you! I think it's wise to be prepared but pointless worrying about stuff that might not be an issue iykwim.

Fwiw as hard as it's been getting a puppy I have no regrets, dd and I absolutely love him and can't imagine not having him now. It's a bit like having a baby in lots of ways, they make up for all the hard bits by being so cute 😉

I'm off work today as full of cold and am feeling rubbish. I'm curled up on the sofa and puppy keeping my feet warm 😊

[yodl]

@Snoopdogowner fortunately our boys are already 7 years old so I´m not dealing with puppies and babies at the same time. Children are already helping quite a lot with the pup and in a few years time I hope they´ll do short walks with our corgi as well.
I´d never do it, I always admire the ones who are willing to take these two massive responsibilities at the same time.

Even now our puppy gives me anxiety every single day. I regret the decision. I won´t give our puppy back and I find him quite cute but I can´t wait for him to grow up. I still can´t say that I love him like I love our golden retriever. But I´m not worried since I didn´t love our golden either when she was at this destructive demon age.

My friends ask me why did I make the same mistake all over again and that I´ve should´ve known that I´m not a puppy person from the first experience. Tbh, I was hoping that things have changed since I´ve become a mother and have grown more patient etc. But it turns out that even if the puppyhood is indeed a slight bit less stressful than it was the first time I still don´t like it. And I won´t do it for the third time, that´s for sure.

[yodl]

• I should´ve known
  sorry for all the mistakes, English is not my first language :)

[ClownsandCowboys]

@yodl tbh that is a little bit how I felt about my my dc as babies! I remember with dd (second child) thinking "why did I do this again, when I hated it the first time!"

Our dc are 10 and 7, dd has ASD. We have chosen our puppy carefully to be an emotional support to her. Puppy's mum supports an older child with ASD, and the breeder selected the our puppy on temperament. So fingers crossed.

[Girliefriendlikescake]

Clowns my dd is 13yo and has ASD, she did struggle with some aspects of getting him. She found the change in routine hard, she also struggles with emotional regulation so swung between being so excited to quite anxious about him. She also gets jealous that the puppy loves me more than her (he doesn't but she finds it hard to believe he can love two people equally!)

The first few weeks were the most intense and things have settled a lot now.

What helped us was having him crate trained as this gave us both a break during the day. Allowing dd to do as much for him in practical terms as she wanted, so she likes to feed him, train him basic commands and we always walk him together.

I also picked a puppy that was the quietest and calmest of the litter and his mum was also very gentle/soft natured.

Our puppy experienced dd having a melt down last week, I bought him in with her for a short while to see how they both responded. The puppy settled near her feet and dd did begin to calm down, afterwards she held him for a while and talked to him which was nice to see.

[Calmisthemantra]

Mantra pup is now 11 weeks and just had his final jabs. Vets said he can go out in 5 days but avoid any still water or places rats may go as the Lepto booster is in 2 weeks. Can't wait to take him out to explore the world!

The evening crazies are driving me nuts, he's generally ok in the day but in the evening he changes to a bitey feral beast .

I also have a child with ASD and hoping Mantrapup will be able to help him. Whippets seems to be part cat part dog and love lounging round on the sofa so fingers crossed.

I really need to increase the training on 'leave it' and 'wait' and they'll be the most helpful to me at the minute

[ClownsandCowboys]

That's good to know Girliefriendlikescake. We have also picked the clamest, quietest pup- just like her mum. Apparently her mum is very good at picking up on building meltdowns and acting a bit like a weighted blanket!

DD is very good with animals, she does seem to have a special bind with them. She has been around dogs before, my parents look after a dog and she is brillaint with him- walking, picking up poo, feeding, playing. Fingers crossed!

[Keepsmiling1]

@yodl you have described how I feel exactly. I have never had a dog before and although I find him cute he does cause me anxiety every day and I do regret my decision. I wouldn't send him away (DH and DDs wouldn't let me anyway!) but if I could turn the clock back I wouldn't have got him. I am desperately hoping that once he is a bit older and house trained I will start to enjoy it a bit more. I know I am taking it out on DH and DDs and I hate that.

[yodl]

@Keepsmiling1 it DOES get better, I promise! I´ve been through it and it´s funny how it is, to be honest. It´s weeks and months hard work and then one day you wake up, look at your dog and realize that your getting your life back and he´s turned out to be quite lovely. With my golden this realisation came when she was about four or five months old, didn´t pee all over the house, slept through the night and started to listen what she was told.
In the meantime I´m going to rely on this thread here, it´s a lifesaver! I only found out with our current puppy that puppy blues is a thing and that I shouldn´t feel ashamed that I´m regretting this decision.
And I find so much comfort in others telling me they know how I´m feeling, so thank you, Keepsmiling1!

[Girliefriendlikescake]

Clown your dd sounds similar to mine, my dd is also very animal orientated and brilliant with them.

Keep I'm sorry you're finding it so hard, I'm sure it will get easier as the dog gets older.

[Snoopdogowner]

@Keepsmiling1 & @yodl these threads have definitely got me through some dark days. I feel like everything I wear has some kind of hole in it due to a teething pup and I cant be bothered to replace anything until he stops with the chewing! It is a constant worry and people just don't talk about the difficulty of puppy days!!! We will get through this together!!