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.

@funday welcome to our world!

@GingerAndTheBiscuits yes, daytime dog is lovely here as well and when we are out and people admire him, dh looks so proud! Puppies must have had some really good PR done in the past to make us all think they are harmless little things. I blame all those birthday cards with the cute little bastards on the front.

@BiteyShark thank you. Perfectly summed up. I'm knackered now. He took nearly 2 hours to settle. Maybe vaccinations related but had so many poops in the garden then seemed to settle. Now to work. 😕.

How do you know people aren't lying in their posts if they don't attach mandatory pictures?

Very appreciative of everyone who did post pictures hehe.

I am also very jealous of people who are getting their puppies to sleep so much. Mine wake at 630 for breakfast and then go straight back to sleep. Not quite the routine I want but I am KNACKERED. Children surely are easier

I must admit one of the best bits is people admiring her when we're on walks. She is insanely cute.. one of her saving graces!

@sadannie

How do you know people aren't lying in their posts if they don't attach mandatory pictures?

I need to get a photo without my son in/all the crap (not literal!) everywhere! I’ll try and sort one later.

I’ve been lurking for weeks but wanted to offer a solidarity fist bump to everyone facing various pup related challenges.

Ours will be 15 weeks tomorrow, and whilst some things have improved (bit less bitey, getting more reliable with basic commands, pretty good toilet training), DH and I still spend a large portion of the day muttering about what a little git she is Last night she was wide awake between 11pm-1am, then woke at 3.30 so I took her for a wee - at which point she proceeded to frolic about in the pissing rain for 20 minutes, refusing to poo (I knew she needed one), and then after I finally lost patience and brought her back inside, she pooped on the kitchen floor. I then had to try to distract her from stealing the kitchen paper I was using to clean up. It was 4.30 by the time I got back to bed. She then stole my spot on the bed, where she slept until 6.30, which is the time our day generally starts.

I swore I’d never have another newborn (we have 3 DC under the age of six), but my goodness, I think this puppy is even harder work! My dream of a lovely family pet feels very far off right now...

Morning - I started writing a reply yesterday about @GingerAndTheBiscuits and @Imadreamer44 's posts. I also do everything with Oliverpup. My DH doesn't hide his impatience when the pup whines or gets under his feet. I'd rather avoid the arguments and do it myself. My sons do help when they can but it's not consistent. I'm just telling myself that it's not forever.
I was up at 3am and again at 6. Could be worse. Pup had vaccinations yesterday and unfortunately because the brand is different to the ones he had before, they are technically only his first set and he has to wait another month until he can go out. We've been told to carry him outside so he gets used to traffic etc. I'm going to go stir crazy.
I need to give him a bath today as he finished his giardia antibiotics yesterday. Wish me luck.

Here's polka pup rather than a pic of my bites!

I really think it helps knowing other people are going through the same @OiveButler.

Here is DPup looking absolutely mental mid-play.

@OliveButler how awful about the vaccinations! Sending sympathy to you as getting out for walks now is keeping my sanity just about and DH likes a walk with muckypup as well.

Here's OwlPup as I write, using my foot as a plate for his pizzle. He's 13 weeks today and hard work, but generally fab. I think the biting is decreasing, but I wonder if it will get worse when teething kicks in.

I let him walk a bit on the street yesterday as we went to a friend's house and he's too heavy to carry for long now. (He's 9kg already.) He pulled like a train. But was so excited, bless him. Much work to be done there. Officially allowed out next Monday. Going to a friend's house this afternoon for a play with her two year old whippet.

Sorry for those having difficult nights. I know I wouldn't be coping if I was up during the night with him. Hope it gets better soon.

@RolandBark that sounds awful - my pup also loves the drama of a clean up.

Today his slow feeder arrived, so looking forward to seeing how slow it makes him later on at lunch. It's a hideous purple colour and he's so far very taken with it as something new for him. He thinks every delivery to the house is for him and it usually is to be honest.

@RolandBark I happily stopped at one child, and now often wonder why I've got myself a second with OwlPup?! I describe him as a toddler on speed to my friends. I'm in awe of you coping with 3 under 6 and a pup.

Well we have had an eventful morning. The springer in our sprocker has come to the fore! He can now jump onto the sofa and from there onto the kitchen furniture. We have spent a mad hour moving everything while he repeatedly leapt onto the sides and charged about up there. He's also chewed through DS new sandals.

Am now wondering what on earth possessed me to get a dog with jumping genes. Going for a big walk in the rain in a minute to try and tire him out so that we can spend some time rearranging the kitchen and dining room as have previously been putting all the forbidden things on the sides as thought they were safe!! Argh!

Trainer has been today. Her advice is to start being super boring in the daytime when I would usually be working. So potter about, leaving her in the living room, getting her used to us always coming back, move away when she’s dozing on the sofa so she gets used to falling asleep without us right there, letting her wake up without one of us being next to her. Keeping training to the evenings to make the distinction between boring day time and evening being for interaction. Hopefully with more separation in the day she’ll become more comfortable with separation at night, eventually.

That gorgeous Owlpup!! So sweet.

Here's our wee guy- he's not so small now, growing rapidly. Had his second jags yesterday and is 6kg, was only 3.5 when he came to us. Jags made him very drowsy and he skipped his evening madness, which was nice. He dozed on the rug whilst we watched a film, then we put him in his crate at midnight, straight to sleep.

Left him alone this morning for half an hour. He was crying when we left, and not crying when we got back. I don't know if that counts as a success!?

Thanks @muckandnettles. I believe him to be the most handsome puppy in all the world. Although @marmite51's is a very close second. He's a beauty too.

It's lovely moments like that that make it all worth it, isn't it? He has more moments of calm than I was ever expecting from a border collie pup. I don't know if I've just got lucky with temperament or if all the bits of cocktail sausages used as rewards for calm moments has helped (I was determined to teach calm after everyone I told I was getting a border collie told me not to because they're bonkers/crazy/never stop/etc!). I also have a very heavy reliance on pizzles to create and maintain such moments. 😆

Our puppy is indeed very cute- I find myself sitting staring at him whilst he sleeps, exclaiming to DH about how beautiful he is. Just like I did with our newborn babies!

He's generally very settled, for a cocker, and loves to go and find wee hiding places to sleep in. Favourite spot is on a blanket behind an old chair. He's been a great wee thing so far, with the exception of the biting, but when you add up the time he spends doing that it's only really a tiny fraction of the day, and seems to be normal , if a bit tiresome!

Forgot to mention I bought a puzzle from Pets At Home. Gave it to juiceypup who loved it but THE SMELL

Gorgeous pup Marmite! I keep trying to put a photo of mine on here but it won't go somehow, maybe I need to try with my laptop. I think this is why pups look so cute, isn't it? Survival.

@Juiceey I know, those pizzles stink don't they? Before I realised how bad they were I went ahead and bought 20!

The slow feeder worked quite well and slowed him down okay a bit, but I found it quite slow to put the food in as well and hadn't factored that in, so he was quite frustrated with me by the time I gave it to him.

Trying again, from laptop - Muckypup looking all chilled out this morning, playing happily with teddy.