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'Socialising' a puppy in lock-down - doing our best....

54 replies

DontWatchTheShining · 01/04/2020 15:05

Would anyone like to have a support thread on this topic?

I know this isn't going to be easy (and circumstances are far from ideal). But we are where we are, and while on lock-down, we're going to TRY to simulate as many experiences as possible.

Our poodle (little girl called Chilli) is nearly 9 weeks old.

Here is our list (under development) for the next few weeks (haven't started a lot of it yet as she's so little. Will do so gradually).

  • Taking her for a walk in our arms every day (obviously can't put her down at all).
  • Bought a puppy carrier for my bike, so can take her on bike rides.
  • Playing recorded traffic sounds on YouTube.
  • Getting her used to the hoover.
  • Getting the kids to rollerskate and skateboard around her.
  • Wear outrageous outfits, including hats, wigs, stilettos, false beards, glasses, etc.
  • Try to help her separate by not being with her ALL the time.
  • Play a variety of loud voices on the telly.
  • Let her in a small area of garden, where hopefully the chances of other wildlife to spread nasty bugs are low.

Can anyone add anything to this? Anyone in the same boat like to update each other on progress?

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Ylvamoon · 05/04/2020 08:40

There is dog TV on YouTube.
You can play fireworks for dogs & other sound and lighting videos.
Have different radio stations and different volumes to get used to all kinds of sound pitches.
I usually play these to my puppies from week 2-3 when their ears stat to open.
Also, as your pup is a poodle, get a soft brush and brush her every day all over! Especially legs/ feed (toes) tummy and backside. Look into her mouth and ears... just Google dog health check for a visual guide..

Lara53 · 05/04/2020 09:58

Joining you! We have an almost 10 week old Golden Retriever puppy. We have a long line for walking and have taken her once to a local field to sniff. Other than that she has been in the garden with us and at front of house to be near the road/ other people/ traffic.

She has met neighbours dog from the other side of the road. Her Mum, Grandma and Aunty live next door so she speaks to them through the hedge!

midnightstar66 · 08/04/2020 10:10

Great thread thanks. We are due to get dpup at 9 weeks in around 4 weeks time and praying at that stage it will be possible to collect. (Know breeder well and already know mum of pups so no need to see them in their home/with mum etc thankfully)

I hadn't considered being able to carry her out and the skateboard/skates etc on our path is a fab idea

midnightstar66 · 08/04/2020 10:11

Also she's a Jack Russell so carrying is always going to be an option

Mostlydrinkingtea · 09/04/2020 07:47

Joining in, this is really useful. We have a 12 week old spaniel who we got at 10 weeks. I took him out in a large tote bag before his vaccinations. That was much easier than carrying him. Now he's allowed out I have walked him around the streets so he's seen a bus, noisy traffic and people from a distance. The puppy trainer told me to give him a treat each time he sees something new to make him feel that going out and about is a good thing.
Our vet agreed to do the vaccination but I had to pay by phone and then hand him over at the door.

JosieJosie1 · 09/04/2020 09:53

Hi @DontWatchTheShining we are also going to take her outside the front of the house at a safe distance when the bin men come to see them and hear bin being emptied into the lorry. Going to stand away from front door outside when I know the postman is coming and we will also watch him pull up with his van and deliver the letters.

Windyatthebeach · 09/04/2020 20:14

We have been working on behaviour expectations in different rooms of our house! For example ddogs are allowed in my bedroom by invite only - 2 stand patiently awaiting 'permission' to enter. Dpuppy is a quick learner and lies on the bed while I get ready!!
No chasing in there allowed!!.
Also they lie quietly on ds's bed at story time. Chewing pencils is more appealing atm...
Dh is on making a raised food table as she lies down to eat!! Apparently greyhound cross ddogs need raised.

DontWatchTheShining · 11/04/2020 08:46

@Ylvamoon - excellent tips about YouTube - thank you.

@Lara53 - your pup sounds great. Is she fully vaccinated already, if you can take her out with you? This is one of the issues we have - not vaccinated (and vets not doing it) so no trips out on the ground :-(

@midnightstar66 - yes, handy having a small dog for carrying!

@Mostlydrinkingtea - brilliant idea about treats for new things.

@JosieJosie1 - hadn't thought of the bin men - fantastic idea. Does mean getting up early, though... Shock

@Windyatthebeach - sounds like you're doing amazingly. Different behaviour in different rooms is beyond anything I can even imagine at the moment....

Hope everyone's getting on OK.

We're so enjoying having Chilli, who seems very happy and settled now. There are quite a few challenges to being stuck inside, though, and I'm a bit worried about it at the moment. She has so much energy, and is doing a lot of zooming about and play-biting. Doesn't ever break the skin, and it's always in the course of wanting to play, but it's tricky. Trying to do "small yelp and then walk away" thing, but this is hard to do completely. For example, she grabs onto the bottom of our trousers and holds on as we walk away (so it's great fun if we yelp and leave).

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Givemeallthewine · 14/04/2020 18:55

We’ve taken our puppy outside the last few weeks for the clap for carers (held in arms). Neighbour came out banging a saucepan the first week - he was traumatised! The second week the same thing happened and he didn’t bat an eyelid Smile

JosieJosie1 · 15/04/2020 08:33

Hi all! How are you getting on? We are able to get pup his second set of vaccinations luckily so he is due them next week. We have lots of children living in our cikdesac and they’ve been out front playing at different times. They know we have a puppy and they’re all mad to see him so once he has his vaccinations we’re going to put him on his 5 foot extendable lead and let him run over to them so he can meet some kids. They’re all 9+ and some have dogs already so hoping it’ll be ok for them to pet him with us a bit away. Our good friend who lives nearby has a very well trained dog and has offered to let his dog into our back garden when they’re out on their walk so that the pup can meet a dog too! Our next door neighbour has a dog but it’s a wild golden retriever so would prefer the pup to meet a calmer dog first. Our trainer said quality over quantity in a time like this. Really hoping restrictions will be lifted a bit by mid May. He is only 2 and 1/2 months now so he would be just over 3 months by then so still have time to socialise him to people. A neighbour called to the door to offer an old dog bed (from a distance!) and the pup went mad barking and running around him in circles. wouldn’t let him pet him! So work on socialisation definitely needs to be done!

Windyatthebeach · 15/04/2020 13:08

Dpuppy is growing daily. Just need to work on respecting our other ddogs.. Her current attitude is
I can fit on here, matterless if there is space or not...
Notice a ddog's nose underneath here!!

'Socialising' a puppy in lock-down - doing our best....
JosieJosie1 · 15/04/2020 23:05

Had a good socialisation day with our pup! Our next door neighbours were out the front of their house on their front garden. Two adults, two kids and a Labrador! We put the pup down into their garden and stood back and they cake down and all played with him for ten mins. He was good as gold. No fear, nice and gentle with the kids and the Labrador was very good with him too! Overall a very positive experience! Picked him back up and popped him in the bath then just in case he picked up anything on his fur but they e also been all working from home and isolating for weeks so hopefully all will be ok. I was so pleased he was good with the kids as he hadn’t met any before.

Windyatthebeach · 16/04/2020 15:25

Dpuppy is grasping lie next to other ddogs not on top!!

'Socialising' a puppy in lock-down - doing our best....
Theoscargoesto · 17/04/2020 08:55

I met a bloke yesterday at the park (socially distanced of course) with a wonderful dog who had been caged with no socialisation for its first 2 years of life. The man said it had taken lots of work but she is well socialised now. I just thought that perspective might help a bit: you are all doing so much and there are some great ideas here, and there are well socialised dogs who have had far worse starts in life than yours-it will be fine.

DontWatchTheShining · 17/04/2020 10:47

@Givemeallthewine - that sounds great about the clapping. We've taken our puppy out for this, too. She seems a bit bewildered, but not frightened.

@JosieJosie1 - sounds like you're making amazing progress :-)
How brilliant that you can do that with the neighbours.

@Windyatthebeach - your dogs look fantastic Star
And a huge win that DPuppy will sleep next to the other dogs - hurrah!
Oh, and in response to an earlier post, I will take a picture of Chilli in her sling, I promise Grin

@Theoscargoesto - thank you so much for this. Exactly what I needed to hear this morning. Finding it a bit tricky, and worrying...

So, our news: finally managed to get first set of vaccines and microchipping done, which is a huge relief. Can't wait to give Chilli more freedom (still don't feel she can explore garden round edges, where I suspect foxes go, etc., and to have a date in a month's time when we can actually take her OUT feels amazing).

Bit worried about not being able to introduce her to other people, and young kids, but nothing we can do about that. She's still pretty bitey, and has some seriously mad times, so I've been scouring previous threads for tales of crazy puppies who've settled down into nice non-bitey dogs. I find the "ignore and walk away" advice quite unhelpful for some of the behaviour? How can you do that if they're grabbing your trousers (and some skin) and growling, and it actually hurts? Walking away makes it into a game. This morning, I clapped my hands loudly, which made her let go, and then immediately did some "sit" training (which she's good at), which seemed to calm her down, but the attention also feels like it's sort of rewarding her. Aaargh. Trying to give lots of positive attention too, and get some training in, but it's hard sometimes. First puppy, so it's all new. She's eating and sleeping well, though, and when not going crazy she's beyond lovely.

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copycopypaste · 20/04/2020 11:02

Got the first set of jabs for Dotty finally, so hoping to be able to take her out in 3 weeks time. We've been trying to walk her around the garden on a lead, but as soon as you put it on her, she sits down and refuses to move Grin

'Socialising' a puppy in lock-down - doing our best....
DontWatchTheShining · 20/04/2020 16:14

Hi @copycopypaste, great news about jabs.
3 weeks? We were told 5? (Four weeks till next jab, then another week)

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Wolfiefan · 20/04/2020 16:19

Oh she’s lovely!! Try bribing her to move with treats when the lead is on!

Don’t watch my first was a bloody nightmare for biting. Made all of us bleed at some point. Ripped holes in clothes. Chewed through a wall. Blush soft toys kept to one side to murder is great. Get their attention by waving something round and toss it away. Training is a great distraction. As is a frozen carrot or a bit of peanut butter stuffed in a kong.
Big girl now is awesome. I’m often told how calm and gentle she is.

copycopypaste · 20/04/2020 19:16

@DontWatchTheShining she had her first one last week, we've been told to wait 15 days for the second lot, then wait a week and she can go out. So 22 days from the first injection

BeeBella · 20/04/2020 21:11

We're getting our puppy in a month, I'm dreading the biting/mouthy stage!

Wolfiefan · 20/04/2020 21:20

The FB group dog training advice and support has good files of advice.
Ice cubes or frozen carrots or kong stuffed and frozen all helps.
Dig out old clothes to sacrifice! I wear two layers. Grin
Training is tiring.
LOTS of things they can chew. Mine is raw fed and so has raw bones. Nylabones etc.
Fluffy toys. Hidden from pup but within your reach. Wave in a figure of eight at pup eye level then toss away from you for pup to chase and murder. Confiscate when murder is complete. Until next time.
Have a safe space you can leave pup if it’s all too much for a minute. Room divider, stairgate or crate (used properly!)

DontWatchTheShining · 21/04/2020 14:40

@Wolfiefan, thank you so much for the encouragement and tips re bitey puppies. Helps so much to remember this is a phase, and extra nice to hear about your lovely dog who also had such a phase....

@copycopypaste - interesting. We have to have 28 days between vaccines. We weren't given the option of a shorter timescale, but perhaps should have asked :-/

@BeeBella - sounds like the extent of the nipping varies from dog to dog... so you may be (relatively) lucky?! What kind of a dog are you getting?

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Wolfiefan · 21/04/2020 14:56

Different timescales for different vaccines? Lepto 2 or 4?

BeeBella · 21/04/2020 15:06

We're getting a miniature poodle.

DontWatchTheShining · 21/04/2020 15:10

Ooh, snap, @BeeBella! (No pun...)

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