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.

We don't do scatter feeding, pup seems to find this hard! He's been fine with bowl feeding three times a day.

On his holiday adventures today he's sat in a cafe, met some goats, hens and donkeys, and been for a walk in a forest with a crashingly loud waterfall. Completely unphased by all of these, he's such a quizzical wee thing, just looks and takes everything in!

We've discovered he doesn't like walking in the rain, at all! Will sit in the crate in the boot of the car and just look at us, as if to say Are you kidding?? Even when he needs a pee he's straight back in, doesn't like the rain at all. Good luck to him, we live in Scotland!

£88 seems a lot for a training session!

I saw one trainer quoting £75/hr! And we’re in the West Midlands. I paid £35/hr for an IMDT-affiliated trainer.

£75 an hour?! Good business to be in. £35 seems reasonable @GingerAndTheBiscuits. I've decided to book a session. Pup's been home over 7 weeks now and I've been able to change absolutely nothing of how DS and him interact. I just don't know what to try or do. To be honest, I think the problem is my DS. I've had him 7 YEARS and can't change his behaviour. I probably need Super Nanny rather than a dog trainer. 😆

How was bed time tonight Ginger? Hope it went ok.

Your pup sounds fab @marmite51? taking everything in.

Thanks @muckandnettles. Whistle arrives tomorrow so will start with Exercise 2.

Well! She cried for three minutes and was silent for 20! I was tempted to stay up there for the night except for I hadn’t let her out for a final wee or locked up. She was lying in the hall staring longingly at the stairs when I came down Soooo. I’m going to try heading upstairs again later and see what happens. I’ve moved one of the many beds into the hall on the off chance she’ll settle there. If she goes nuts I’ll just come back down and pretend I’ve been to the loo! I think she might just be teasing me with this glimpse of getting back to my bed!

Would DS sit in with the trainer @OwlInAnOakTree? Maybe he’ll take instruction better from someone else. DD9 soaked up everything the trainer said to us and routinely reminds us of it. It’s quite annoying 😆

That's amazing @GingerAndTheBiscuits! Well done pup. Yes, DS will be doing the training with me. And I'm hoping he'll be like your DS afterwards.

I AM IN MY BED. WITHOUT A DOG.

Cross everything 😬😬😬

Damnit. Lasted an hour!

Oh dear @GingerAndTheBiscuits hope you managed to get some sleep...

This morning we are mainly eating carrots....

An hour is progress though @GingerAndTheBiscuits! Hope you get even longer tonight.

What a great start @GingerAndTheBiscuits. Two hours tonight. 🤞

Good progress Ginger. It's baby steps but that's how it starts with a puppy but it's just that yours has taken longer down that path than others. 🤞for you.

Oh gosh @GingerAndTheBiscuits I’ve been following this thread and you’re having such a tough time. I really hope you get some sleep - everything is easier with sleep!

We visited our boy last night and he came straight to me and was totally chilled with his siblings. Not the most dominant but middle of the pack and happy to be away from the others. Long may it continue. I know I’m biased but he’s the most gorgeous puppy ever.

He is super cute @m0therofdragons!

I admire all the optimism here. Sadly once I came downstairs she didn’t settle til 2 and woke up for the day at 6. Will try again tonight anyway but I’m not sure it’s the breakthrough I was hoping for!

Super lovely @m0therofdragons !

Our puppy was a middle of the pack too, and he's been pretty good, to be honest! A bit bitey when tired, but generally very biddable (Although being a lab helps with that too!)

I'm just very tired trying to deal with work, which is taking about 9 hours a day, along with puppy care, and looking after DS who has a long term condition too!

Thank god DD is fabulous, she does a lot of looking after him.

Two mornings on the trot my puppy has found a magic portal to next door. We thought we’d fixed it but nope. Once he’s there all recall or interest in food or toys disappears and only exploring forbidden territory is of interest. It’s a good thing that next door is a great neighbour. I think I’ve burnt through a lot of good will this morning by getting her out of bed to retrieve the Steve McQueen re-enactor.

Hope everyone survived another night!

I was on my own last night as DH away with work for the first time in 5 months. Very odd! But we survived. And I've managed 2 walks on my own which were relatively successful. Now sat at my desk about to start work with the pup on the sofa next to me chewing DH's old gardening trainer that's been sacrificed.

Had some success with food this morning. On another thread about food someone had suggested adding a dribble of weak chicken stock to the kibble so I tried that this morning. Success!!! She ate virtually the whole dish in one go without stopping to find me to feed it to her. That has never happened.

I got make a cup of coffee in peace!!! Am sure it's not the healthiest but it was v weak and only a tiny bit so hopefully not too bad. Hoping she'll sleep better this morning now she's got a full tummy. Fingers crossed anyway.

@m0therofdragons very cute puppy.
@GingerAndTheBiscuits Really feel for you - lack of sleep is just the worst form of torture.

Lol @thecapitalsunited we have the same thing! We have blocked most of the hedge, but he is still finding ways through! Will have to spend the weekend building barricades....

Have spoken to neighbour, who is lovely, will go and clean up any poo....

Naughty puppy!

@pistachioicecream we use stock to make ice cubes and soften kibble for kongs, much more enticing. The only caution with stock is to make sure it's got no onion in it, or any other ingredients that don't agree with dogs.

@GingerAndTheBiscuits I definitely think that sounds like progress. Well done! I fond with puppies that it seems like really slow progress on a certain issue for a few weeks and then one day it just clicks and they get it and are suddenly fine with whatever the issue was (car travel in our case). I'm rooting for you and pup!

@GingerAndTheBiscuits it's progress indeed but at this point I bet you're exhausted. Look at it this way- if it continues you still have that back up of rehoming and the rescue can use your work and dedication to know more about how she behaves and what she needs in a new home. If however she improves and settles into a better routine with you then great. It has to work for everyone so be kind to yourself. I know I wanted to send polka pup back after 3 nights without sleep so you're doing more than most people would contemplate

She’s gone off with the dog walkers today and I’ve got rid of the kids for a few hours - it’s so lovely and quiet 😆

@pistachioicecream

Sorry so many of us are having such a hard time. It's just not easy. I really thought I was prepared but totally wasn't.

Having all the same biting challenges as many of you. Not managed to solve that yet.

And also a bizarre feeding challenge - do all of your puppies actually want to eat at meal times? We're trying to keep to the same times for meals but she's just not interested in eating out of her bowl or eating at all really - unless I sit and hand feed her but really don't want to get in the habit of that!

I just wondered if everyone else's puppies eat out of their bowl 3 times a day or whether I'm being over ambitious expecting that yet. I've just ordered a snuffle mat and puzzle bowl thing of Amazon to see if it's just that the bowl is boring. But when she hasn't eaten her main meal I'm worried about doing training in between as obviously she eats the kibble or treat then and then isn't hungry again at meal time! Argh.....

Also @OwlInAnOakTree - which AbsoluteDogs download did you buy? Have been looking at that site. Was it the pup2perfection one? Was it any good?

@GingerAndTheBiscuits I'm really sorry things have been so hard. It all sounds so difficult. Hope you're ok.

Can you try using the daily allowance of food for training? Even if it's at mealtimes? ShadowPup gets 3 meals a day and of those I'd say half of the kibble is a clicker training session - so sit, down, bed, paw, leave it, wait etc. Then he gets the other half in a shuffle mat, puzzle feeder or I hide it round the room and tell him "go find". It means he's pretty good at commands as he is incredibly motivated when hungry and also we don't have issues with him refusing food. I must admit that in the mornings he does have his breakfast all in his rolling feeder because 7am is too early for clicker training but the other meals I always try and spend a bit of time with the clicker.

I agree the hour is a good start ginger. Fingers crossed for you.

Thank you to owl I think it was who posted a link to the ditch the bowl advice. I fed Amigo pup his dry kibble in the licky mat this morning and he ate most of it up. Pup had a bit of diarrhoea this morning. I think it’s because he wasn’t eating much of his food and ended up having too many treats that his stomach isn’t used to.

I’ve got a trainer coming round this morning for a 1:1 session.

[quote PuppyBonBon]@pistachioicecream we use stock to make ice cubes and soften kibble for kongs, much more enticing. The only caution with stock is to make sure it's got no onion in it, or any other ingredients that don't agree with dogs. [/quote]
@PuppyBonBon Argh I hadn't even thought about that.

Just checked the ingredients online and there's no onion in it but there is 0.4% garlic!! That's bad too isn't it?

It was just a few drops.... do I need to panic does anyone think? She seems totally fine.

Will obviously not use that one again. So much to think about!

Which stock cubes do you use if you don't mind me asking?

Thanks