Puppy survival thread! July 2020

[Juiceey]

Roll up roll up... I'm a day late but here we are.

Latest update: Juiceypup is obsessed with DS's feet, who is now starting to get upset by it. He doesn't do it to anyone else, only him, and we don't know why. DS goes stock still as instructed but we have to prise his mouth open to get him off his toe. Has brought him to tears a few times.

I've started getting old children's toys from the charity shop for our lab puppy as he gets bored of them pretty quickly. 3 toys for £1 so much, much cheaper than pet shops. They have so far all survived well and there's a good variety of textures and jangly noises to keep him entertained.

That's reassuring @LBee2020 we've got a house full of toys and was wondering about just using some of them but wasn't sure how robust they might be. I guess I'm with him all the time so can keep an eye on him/them.

Would it be a terrible idea to get a pair of sacrificial shoes? He loves chewing shoes so much, if he had a pair the teens have outgrown, that might keep him v occupied.

But would it be a confusing message?

@Emrysmcdogface I'd be wary of sacrificial shoes! We kept them all out of harms way in a big box with a lid by the front door till she'd grown out of chewing them. It does happen. By about 4 months she'd pretty much lost interest - though not completely, now at 7 months you can safely leave shoes out. She'll chew on a yak chew or ostrich bone instead.

We have sacrificed all of the children’s outgrown slippers. All the shoes we wear are tucked away in the porch!

I must admit there are times DPup has got hold of some of DHs shoes when he's been at work and I let her chew them for a minute of peace and quiet
Don't tell him!

@Emrysmcdogface

Would it be a terrible idea to get a pair of sacrificial shoes? He loves chewing shoes so much, if he had a pair the teens have outgrown, that might keep him v occupied.

But would it be a confusing message?

Well Link successfully destroyed an almost brand new DM of my sons, so I’m going for avoid all shoes!

Yak chews were another wasted tenner, he has no interest in them.

Oh and definite doggy smell in my living room. Have been airing out and using loads of Febreze but I can still smell it. I'm in a group for miniature poodles and they all insist they don't smell! Well this one does.

I let OwlPup have an old pair of DS' school boots. They were very worn so they had become his 'chicken boots' (boots he only wore to go in the chicken coop). OwlPup pounced on them one day when he left them by the patio door. They were so close to falling apart I let him have them. He loves them, has a good chew
on them every day. If I'd spent £10 on them as a dog chew, I'd say they were well worth the money.

Right I'm going to find some old shoes now.

I hope all had a happy day!
Today I carried Oliverpup (all 7kgs) for miles. We stopped and watched traffic, sat on a bench in the park watching dogs, kids and cyclists / runners. Watched the tube trains passing overground and watched people in and out of the local shops. I no longer care about looking weird and pup has slept really well today - all the watching has tired him out!
I am working with the family on yelping and turning their backs when Oliverpup bites and he bites a lot. I don't care about mouthing but once the jaws shut even a tiny bit, we do it (thanks Victoria Sitwell). I need to address the jumping up next. I have 2 quite large scratches on my face from him jumping up while I was bending down. Not his fault but I have had to layer the makeup on.
My parcel from Different Dog arrived today and so far so good. Super expensive though. I'm spending so much and can't really afford it. I need to get some work done so I can pay for all this but I find myself watching 'It's me or the dog' on YouTube instead.

Photo attachment fail.
He looks very noble. Total idiot though!

Aw @OliveButler that sounds like you had a lovely day. we need to work on the jumping up here too.

After being fantastic on our weekend away DPup has been a bitey, manic whirlwind all day today, I'm absolutely done in.

Feel like we're still making no progress on leaving her either, the max I've managed is an hour. Wondering how everyone else is getting on with this?

Nobel is the right word @OliveButler ! He looks super regal

We have had a mixed day, he can get through the hedge to the neighbours, we keep fixing the gaps, and he makes new ones, so it's in the garden under strict supervision only. Makes life a bit exhausting!

@Imadreamer44 we can’t even go upstairs to the loo without her having a meltdown, so an hour sounds like amazing progress. We consider it a victory if GingerPup stays in a room when we leave, or goes back to the room after following us. She’s relentless!

Beautiful dog @OliveButler

He's just beautiful @OliveButler.

Our garden's not puppy proof either @Emrysmcdogface, roads to the side and front, so pup is on a long line outside at all times (except for toileting which he does in a pen which surrounds the patio door. It's really not the most hygienic place to have his toilet, but it's the easiest option for now...). It does make it very stressful, doesn't it?

@Imadreamer44 I've left pup for about 2 hours but he was crated and likely slept the whole time. He barks/whines when he hears the door go, but stops within about 30 seconds. He's fine if he can't hear us. If we sit in the garden with friends, say, and he can hear us, he'll bark and bark and bark.

Manic here too today. Not entirely his fault, naps were thwarted by Tesco delivery and unexpected guests so he's really tired. I've put him to bed already, an hour earlier than normal, I'm too tired to deal with him.

I've managed to stop OwlPup jumping up at me in the morning/when I let him out of the crate after a nap by getting him to 'sit for cuddles'. Not a chance with my DS though. I'm actually considering having a lead on him when my DS comes into the room just so I have a bit more control over him and can then work on getting him to sit and not jump up. He's been so bitey today (after I said on here only yesterday or the day before that biting had reduced) and has bit my son or his clothes every single time he's been near him today. But then my DS is so much more exciting than me. So maybe a big part of the reason he doesn't jump up at me is that I'm just a bit too boring to bother.

@OwlInAnOakTree some trainers recommend a "house line" where you have a lead without the handle (cut it off a cheap lead) and have them on it when they're out of the x pen or crate so you can have more control. I think it's the McCann training on YouTube that demo it the most.

@OwlInAnOakTree i think that’s the problem with my DH - he reacts so loudly to the biting that it becomes part of the game and so she persists in biting him whereas she seems to get bored of biting the rest of us. She’s just caught his hand when he was trying to play with her. It’s eroded any good feelings he had towards her so I’m impressed if your DS is still keen

@GingerAndTheBiscuits yes, same thing really. I get stern and stand still, DS screeches and jumps about. It's really not the pup's fault at all! DS veers from loving pup to calling him vicious and says he hates him. He's quite the drama llama though generally though. He spends less and less time with him, to be honest, but he does understand it's not forever. He's just waiting it out until OwlPup plays as nicely with him as a friend's 4 year old, well-trained and beautifully behaved border collie.

Thanks @PuppyBonBon, will have a look at the McCann videos. I've just ordered the acme whistle (along with another zillion pup-related things...).

I’ve got pup on a lead in the house tonight because otherwise DH will put her in the car and dump her outside the rescue if she bites him again 😬

Oh @GingerAndTheBiscuits, must be so hard when DH isn't on board.

I do endless puppy shopping too! This week it was a bait bag and more toys. Managed to get a plush set of 5 toys and they sent a voucher for a free hedgehog toy, that'll arrive tomorrow. 6 toys for £16 isn't bad right? They're Toozey. Also had to get some chuck it balls because she takes great delight in ripping fluff off tennis balls, and eating it. We've got coloured fluffy poos... So tennis balls are out for the time being. Also got her a dragon kong knot toy, it's rope, plush and crinkle noises. She loves it!!

It’s not entirely his fault, she really does go for him more than anyone else when it comes to biting and he is understandably fed up of it. Pending a miracle she’ll be returning to the rescue for assessment and rehoming next week.