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 cant believe i forgot smileypups favourite chew, rice bones. He goes crazy for them and they last him about 2 days of near constant chewing

So it turns out Polka pup has been pooping behind the sofa. Nice. Found three little piles of old poo. Wow! I thought it'd be all lovely and non doggy with that gone. But oh no. Scrubbed with hot water and biological wash liquid but still smells. Thanks DH for being so blunt though. He's really annoyed me today. Literally has no clue when he buggers off behind a cloSed door wearing his slippers all smugly knowing his feet won't be attacked. The git. And the kids keep opening the crate "because it's cruel" when pup is asleep. Give me strength. Or cider. 🙄. Thanks for the treat idea. I'm off to buy some and ready to schedule in some more training. It's all going to be me so I'd like to get it right but I've a nasty bruise where he lunged at me yesterday. But then he cuddles in and looks at me with a wagging tail...cute little git

@Polkadotpjs im sorry but that made me laugh, these pups are so sneaky 😆 we use wilkinsons dog cleaning spray when he has accidents and its brilliant at getting rid of the stains and smell.

We have been using a spray bottle when smileypup bites and its quite effective, the kids kept opening the crate door so they now get sprayed when they go near the crate it turns out its as affective on children as it is with puppies (they find it hilarious but it has stopped them going near the crate)

Smileypup got me up at 6.15 desperate for a wee, he then had a mad 5 mins in the garden, helped me put the bins out and is now snoring in his bed, the kids have just got up and im feeling a bit grumpy that i could have got an extra hours sleep if i didnt have a puppy.

Oh no @polkadotpjs, hope you get the cider you deserve! I feel your pain, DPup will wee behind the sofa given a chance. The layout of our living room means it's nearly impossible to stop her getting behind it so I spend my life watching her like a hawk whenever she gets near there.

He must be sneaking there when I'm not looking little monkey. I felt like I was on one of those dirty house programmes where they find dog and cat poo everywhere ☹️.
Still, I'll get to Wilkinson's and buy spray and we wash his bed every other day. Maybe he's got bad breath and it's everything he chews? I've always had a bloodhound nose though for smells! It was DH turn today to get up. The only time we've strictly enforced turn taking! The kids were always my job to get up with due to boobs then my ability to settle them so this is refreshing! I'm going to work later to collect stuff and looking forward to an hour off ! All my friends tell me you forget this bit and just end up with a lovely dog if you put the work in so let's keep at it!

We're not sure on getting BonBon spayed yet. We want to see how she develops and what her health tests come back at around the 2/3 year mark. Puppies could be on the cards, but only if she is a great example of the breed. We'd then get her spayed after the litter (or two if the first one goes well and she makes an amaxing mum). If she was male we'd wait until the 18 month mark then neuter as, even if we worked a male dog, we wouldn't push for field champ or anything, so no point putting up for Stud. Stud dogs are a whole different species and need different management. Plus a male can scent an in heat female for a mile, and have been known to escape well fenced gardens and run off after them. I wouldn't risk keeping a male entire. Once they're fully grown there's no real side effects to having them done, more likely to have temperament issues with an entire male. Rather no balls, than added risk of them getting loose and causing havoc/getting hit by a car. I'd feel awful if I had an entire male and he escaped to find a poor bitch having her first season pre spay and getting her pregnant! That's literally our nightmare for BonBon pup as you spay after the first season. We'd also not want to rule out day care as an option (many won't take entire males over 6 months) if our circumstances changed.

Not a great pic but this is what makes it worthwhile. Polka pup straight up for cuddles when I came down.

I'm definitely having polka pup done. No question. No plans to breed as technically he's a mutt anyway and makes for a more chilled dog I believe.

I had a horrible nightmare last night while DH was on nights and was really grateful to wake up in the dark to a warm little body curled up on my feet. I’m not sure I’d have got back to sleep otherwise! Both kids stayed in their own beds too. GingerPup actually settled inside a dog bed, eventually, though not for very long before she joined me on the bed. So a good night all round especially as I was flying solo.

Sorry to hear about your poo dramas @polkadotpjs These pups are so sneaky!

@polkadotpjs aaah that’s lovely! Ours isn’t a very cuddly pup - she likes to be next to you but not on you. Probably for the best as her legs are like a gazelle’s!

That's a lovely pic @polkadotpjs. OwlPup not massively bothered about cuddles either. But always wants to be close to me when chewing on something, generally using my body as resistance or a plate or similar. I'd rather the cuddles!

@OwlInAnOakTree same here - I find myself waiting for the moment where she misses the chew and chomps on my arse.

@GingerAndTheBiscuits exactly! Happens often! Or my feet, as he lays on them whilst I'm washing up or coking chewing on something. I'm trying to not allow toys or chews on sofa. I don't mind him being on there, relaxing, calmly...just not rolling around pushing against me or burrowing under me whilst gnawing away at a toy or whatever...it's a work in progress...

We’ve banished GP from the sofa to her bed at our feet as she was being a bit odd when people were sitting in “her” spot. She’ll still try it on but is much better at picking another place to settle.

She’s still so overexcited with DH. Think he needs to spend some really boring time with her on his days off this week.

We have a strict no dogs on the sofa rule, as you can see its going well

The sofa feels like our last stand- he's still not allowed! Our sofas are really expensive, and we really want to have one nice thing that isn't taken over by dog! He's big enough to jump up himself now, so we're getting him down quite a few times a day!

Our puppy loves cuddles, but only really with me. He would happily lie on top of me all day. A clingy wee thing! Going to be hard to leave him :( I absolutely love the cuddles, would love him to stay this size forever.

Smileypup is very cuddly hes prefered person to snuggle up with is me but any of the children will do if im unreasonable and wont sit down with him, DP is an absolute last resort if there is no one else available.

Hi, can I join? Dpup is 9 weeks and has actually been reptty easy so far. He sleeps through until 5.30 -6am and is incredidly friendly, cuddly and eager to please.

How do you all manage the mornings? Either me or dh gets up with when he wakes and spends 30 -60 mins playing with him and feeding him. He then wants to nap for another hour so - but only on us! He's totally fine being left at any other time during the day though.

This is all fine now as dc are off school and I can work on my laptop while he naps. Not going to work so much with the school rush though. Assume he might grow out of it? Or am I encouraging the behvaviour by allowing it now?

I tend to transfer to his bed once drowsy much as I like the cuddles during the day. At night I let him stay there for a bit longer!
I lift him onto my knee and sometimes he settles like today but other times he wants to bite. He also does the playing with a toy while leaning on me or pushing it towards me. Funny hey?! Right. I can smell poo...

Good luck on the poo hunt @Polkadotpjs!

I love that Juiceypup is small and compact at the moment and wish he'd stay this small forever! He's more than doubled in size since we got him and will do again two more times.

I don't mind him on the sofa, but DS and him can't be on the sofa sensibly together, so I did try to encourage pup to use his bed at the side of the sofa instead but that seems like an impossible task so I'm now working on calmness on the sofa instead. Like I said, work in progress...

Welcome @pupstersdream. I have the same concerns re school mornings! We currently get up around 7, OwlPup plays for an hour and then is ready for a nap. He naps in his crate, at least. That's when I've been showering, etc. for now but it'll be too late once schools are back. I can't leave the room without him following me and he's not allowed upstairs. So I'm thinking I'll have to get up earlier to get myself ready before I get him up, but I'm pretty sure he'll wake if he hears me and then start yapping to be let out. So I don't know what the answer is yet either! I'm going to work on the flitting game and stopping him going upstairs. Maybe then, by the time school starts, I can pop out of the room to get bits done without him following me...I live in hope...!

I dont let smileypup sleep on me he gets put in his crate for enforced naps or takes himself to his bed. Im worried about school runs to as i cant leave him at all he just barks and whines. Even doing bedtime by myself last night was a nightmare because he barked, solo parenting for a week is hard enough but not being able to leave the puppy even for a minute is making it extra hard work

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