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.

@pistachioicecream I don't use stock pots! We use chicken for training treats, so we buy a whole chicken to roast for her. Cut up the meat then put the carcass in a pan and make stock! If I'm cutting up carrots to freeze for her too, I'll chuck the carrot tops in, or other veg if its timed welk for our dinner, and some herbs. Once it's done I'll mix it up for the week's kong fillings etc and/or freeze into ice cube trays. If you're using it for meals, pour into meal-size portions and freeze, then you can defrost for each day. Ice cube of stock watered down might be enough too. I think knorr stock pots have some onion free ones.

@pistachioicecream I don’t think you need to worry. I let GingerPup have a slurp of some soup that had an onion in without thinking but a quick google suggests such small amounts, while not ideal, are not likely to cause a problem.

Yes, don't worry about it once and pup is fine, just not too much. It's a bit like chocolate, some are more sensitive to toxins than others. Some dogs will be at the vets in serious condition for a tiny cube, others will be able to scoff and entire big family size bar and walk away like it's nothing. My childhood hound stole chocolate, and brownies from the most out of reach places and was fine. Another friend's dog ate a bar and needed hospital treatment. I won't consider risking it with our pup. I have the same anxieties over flea and tick treatments and their side effects.

Hope everyone's getting on ok. to everyone with small children. DD is pups favourite chew toy, she is so good at trying to be 'still as a tree' while he is jumping up and calmly says down until he bit her ankle and she cried lots. She still can't help herself sitting on the floor when I do training with him and tries to take over only to cry when he jumps and bites again.

How do you enforce naps? Dpup is quite good at conking out on the floor throughout the day like in the pic and will sometimes take himself off to his crate for a sleep. But if I pop him in awake he just whines and cries even with the gross pizzle stick he loves, especially at night. How long do you leave them before giving up? Maybe I'm just too soft, he's never given up and gone to sleep!

That's such a cute puppy @Coffeewithmyoxyg3n

We are rubbish at enforced naps during the day, we have a pillow and he puts himself down. At night he gets beyond himself, so we put him in his playpen at night, he whined for 5 mins then fell asleep.

If he whines for longer we take him outside for a wee, then put him back in it...

@Coffeewithmyoxyg3n CapitalPup goes down easily now for his enforced naps but when he was little I just used to pick him up and shove him in his crate saying ‘in your bed’. I used blankets to cover the crate and would give him a few minutes to settle down. If he didn’t I would take him out, let him have say a bit of water, give him a little cuddle and put him back in again saying ‘in your bed’. Other than when I put him back in I didn’t say a word to him and stayed calm and soothing. After all the crate is a great place and sleep is awesome. After a few rounds he would settle down.

As time went on he stopped fighting sleep and now he doesn’t necessarily fall straight to sleep but he does understand that he’s to be quiet and rest. When I get him up now he always acts like I’ve disturbed him from the best sleep ever.

Gah! Polka pup has regressed on the biting and has been dreadful today. Been put in crate for three enforces naps. He's wanting to play with me - sort of grabs the toy- usually his plush duck or similar but then wants to push it at my feet/ legs or sit on my feet. But all the while shaking it (he's a terrier allegedly, so expected ). Anyone else's do this ?
I need new toys but spent eleventy billion pounds so far! What's cheap but good?

@polkadotpjs I was coming on to ask the same as Muckypup seems to have no interest in most of his toys now. I'm going to put some away for a bit but feel he maybe needs something new. He has liked his Tug Enuff toy (not especially cheap) but I keep it for walks but round the house I feel he needs something new... I might look in a charity shop tomorrow as I'm out by myself to have my hair cut. Hoping to look a bit less like mad dogwoman. I also chanced it and put on a decent pair of summer trousers today. No holes so far.

I look like an ageing hippy who does her own henna after madly asking for red hair at my appointment last week. I am naturally a red head but this is like ....burgundy?? It’s not great at all so couple that with see through eyelashes and hands with holes in and cuts all over them...sexy as

Oh and knee high knackered old boots with thick skinny jeans (bite proof) giving me a principle boy in panto air

@polkadotpjs that made me laugh! I'm also tempted by the idea of doing something adventurous with my hair, but im going to have a cut and see what i think. Puppy brain means I can't think clearly!

GingerPup does the terrier shake too. I dread to think what would happen if she got hold of a real life small furry creature. She’s learning to chase and return with a ball but she’s so lanky she tends to kick it away from herself and then gets into a frenzied game of catch between her paws and her mouth 🙄

Our pup spent a good ten minutes trembling today, looking through a patio door whilst some hens strutted about on the other side of the glass. But when we walked past them later he didn't go near them, obviously knows his limits!

Wondering how sleeping will go tonight after three nights away, sleeping on our bed and not in his crate. We had a good time though, lots of good socialisation, so definitely worth it!

Ginger, our pup doesn't understand the ball at all. Will chase it as if to tell us where it is, but never brings it back! Daft.

@polkadotpjs

Oh and knee high knackered old boots with thick skinny jeans (bite proof) giving me a principle boy in panto air

Well I know I'm making progress because I haven't had to wear my Uggs for a few weeks!

We had a truly mad zoomy half an hour after dinner here this evening. She then promptly collapsed on the sofa and is now glaring at us if we dare to move or speak whilst she snoozes. Mad pup!

I've just discovered that OwlPup can bounce over the pen on the patio (where he goes to the toilet whilst our garden is still not puppy proof). Another added stress to our unfinished garden is that we're the end terrace with three households and two businesses having access through our garden to the backs of their properties. So I see OwlPup literally bouncing up and down, pogo stick style, on his hind legs with his front legs on the top of the pen. I go out to see what's going on and it's a neighbour and some of his friends walking through. They ask if they can come and stroke him and OwlPup had pogo-ed over the pen before they even got to him. Literally bounced over from a two-legged starting point! He's always so excited to see other people, even complete strangers, making walks hard work because he wants to meet everyone, but I've never seen him quite so bouncily excited before. I'm torn between being glad that he's not scared of people to thinking he could maybe do with a little bit of timidity at times.

Toys, we've had a bit of a haul arrive yesterday and today. The only one I've given him so far is this
ugly thing. He really likes it.

groceries.asda.com/product/dog-toys/webbox-fun-squeaky-toy-colour-may-vary/1000046413227

Is the best toy for our pup. easy to carry and it makes a noise to attract attention to get him into the game at the start...

Bath time after getting covered in grass and mud. He was not a fan! But he does seem to love the chicken paste, we tried peanut butter last time on the lickimat and he wasn't fussed this time he devoured it at least until the shower got near him then he tried to leg it. He's not hugely food motivated, so going to save the chicken paste for bribes.

I bragged too early about the 730 wake up yesterday. He was up for the day at 445 today! Thankfully lovely DW got up with him. She said sleeping beauty needs her sleep... haha. Not sure how to take that!

Juiceypup is very food motivated, more than toys. His highest value treat is liver paste- its in a toothpaste style tube and we just squeeze out a little and let him lick it off. We're using it for recall training at the moment (which is frankly still shit)

We've still not tried a bath! Oh god, we need to soon, don't we!

Where did you get the toothpaste tube of liver? I've seen it on YouTube training videos, but not anywhere to buy!

Had a lovely walk with the shark tonight and bumped into friends with their dog. Polka pup borrowed their extending lead and had a blast though trainer would probably bollock us for letting him run. He was super cuddly when home so redeemed his biting and my bleeding hands ...
Fingers crossed for a good sleep all! 💤

Becoming way too familiar with the shipping forecast whilst waiting for this flipping dog to go to sleep each night. Managed another hour in bed. Totally wasn’t worth it as here I am back on the sofa waiting for her to go back to sleep, again. Can’t just go to sleep because she’s in a biting mood and I value my extremities.

I feel awful because DD9 is so upset about the idea she can’t stay but I am a zombie. There’s no downtime and no time to catch up on any sleep.

Oh no @GingerAndTheBiscuits ! I've been listening to the shopping forecast too, for the first time in a long while!

DD did the 3:30 wee last night, and I feel like a new woman! And puppy woke up at 5:20! Amazing!

How are all the dcat's doing? Mine are struggling I think. They are not in the house very much, even though he doesn't go in my room, they seem uncertain about sleeping in the house. They've not scratched him yet, but tripod cat is working up to it! Once he's scared of them, I think life will get easier!

@GingerAndTheBiscuits I'm sorry to hear that. You really need to see what's best for you all. No sleep isn't sustainable when there no let up at all. I feel your pain.
Polka put made up for biting by being very cuddly last thing - did a mega walk (for him) though. Trainer will be cross if she finds out we were out half an hour but he was so happy running about