Puppy survival thread! July/August! Roll up!

[Juiceey]

Here we go, hero puppy owners.

We've just got back from the vet where I was shocked to discover he now weights 4kg. Little lump! He's 19 weeks old tomorrow. Wonder how big he'll get? On a miniature poodle group I'm in the adults are anywhere between 6-12kg. I hope he's small as easier to carry about!

@GingerAndTheBiscuits we have Muckypup on the back seat of the car harnessed in and he really loves it, though won't tolerate anyone in the back with him (bites them in excitement) and it's sometimes a bit disconcerting to see his head pop up between the seats. We have invested in a hammock style seat cover, so he can't fall off whatever he does as it covers everything. He loves sitting up in the back if we have the windows down and his ears blow around! Hope that works better for you as well.

Reporting back on Millie's Wolfheart Moo Chews - Muckypup loved his first one, it didn't smell bad and although it didn't last too long (10 minutes maybe) it will be a good reward when we are away, I think.

Hope you had some car success today @GingerAndTheBiscuits.

I've spent loads of time researching ways for OwlPup to travel safely in the boot of the car and I just can't find a solution. I've got a (very, very old) Fiat Punto with a very small boot. It won't fit a bigger crate in than the one we already have. There are no headrests on the back seats to secure a guard to and, because of the shape of the boot, I don't think there's enough roof space to fit those guards with the telescopic legs. Also no anchor points in the boot to fasten a lead to. Although I figured I could get around that by buying a lead that plugs into a seat belt point on the back seat, passing it through the guard and then attaching to a double ended lead if not long enough? But, if I can't get a guard to fit, he can't be in the boot. He can't be trusted on the back seat with DS. I don't like driving at the best of times, having excitable pup on the back seat won't help my stress levels. And today, when we left the house he was very resistant to me walking him towards the car, but then walked quite happily when he realised we were just going for a walk around the block. Which I'm interpreting as him really not wanting to be squeezed into the crate any more. Any ideas?? I really, really, really don't want to buy a new car for this already very costly dog!

@OwlInAnOakTree, could you pass the seatbelt tether between the seats? So pup is in boot, harness on, his clip runs from harness, between seats and clips in to seatbelt. Length of tether then restricted so it isn't long enough for pup to climb over from boot?

Just spent the last hour sorting and sectioning off a patch of the garden with some of that plastic mesh fencing stuff so DD can have her paddling pool up tomorrow without dpup trying to eat it. He now has the shady bit of patio and stones out the kitchen door so DD can have her pool up in the other bit off the living room doors. Looks hideous but feel guilty that DD hasn't been able to play freely for the last few weeks cause he jumps up and bites her.

Feel like I am failing him atm as he is so bitey and gets really frenzied with it like he wants to hurt us. Worry it's because I am not playing and training him enough but we only manage 5 minutes training before he gets over stimulated and biting. Any sort of cuddles and fuss he used to get can't happen atm either cause I can only stroke him twice before he's lunging at my face. Sorry been very moany today

I've had a crap day today and actually polka pup has been my saviour with cuddles. They're sensitive souls. He still lunges and nips when tired but I know it's because he's tired. We went for a beer earlier and there was full on bark fest with another puppy but DH told the people with their pup we couldn't introduce them (the shame)

Last night was crap too as I had to curtail a walk as pup met another pup belonging to my friend and went mad to the point of being a rolling mass of puppy frenzy. We had to separate and go home as they wouldn't walk a step. 😳😳😳. Add to that the pursed lips and intake of breath at Polka Pup's breed and "ooh they're vicious when they're older aren't they" and I just wanted to bundle him up and cry.
BUT he's in his crate of his own volition, snuggled up and gave me a tail wag just now so I hope we'll be ok.

Worst evening so far here I think. Or maybe feels worse because we had been making steps in the right direction. She has been biting everybody. Over and over again - me, DH, my mum. Manic panting and wandering around from room to room. Would not settle for a bone or a lickimat or treats. Constant pawing at the back door. Just looking absolutely wild and out of control. I ended up taking her for a walk half an hour ago as a final straw to try to snap her out of it. We’ve come to bed with trepidation having waited an age for her to calm down without success. Couldn’t move her to her own bed without her biting, so she’s currently lying at the bottom of our bed but keeps getting on and off. Don’t know if it’s the heat or what (can’t have windows open as she launches herself at them) but I could cry. Feels like such a huge step backwards. Any goodwill she’d built up with DH has evaporated. And it’s going to be even hotter tomorrow! 😫

Oh ginger I’m so sorry you had such a crap evening, especially as your last posts had been so positive. I’ve absolutely no advice I’m afraid but I’m sure the heat won’t have helped yesterday. The progress you’ve made won’t have vanished even if it feels like it right now.
I hope you managed to get some sleep last night.

Oh ginger I'm sorry. We had a bad day too for biting as per my rants message. Is it a full moon? I've got up with pup today as DH snoring has had me awake from 5 anyway and he's been chewing his loofah dog toy on my knee happily. I'm knackered but like the morning cuddle. I hope ginger pup is more chilled out today.

I just called pup Polka Pup instead of his actual name! Must be on here too much.

coffee I’ll be interested in any responses to your post too. I don’t really feel like we are getting anywhere with training as pup either just wanders off or gets bitey. Playing ends up with him getting over excited too. Dd and pup are a bad mix at the moment. She constantly needs reminding to keep calm around him. Any time she sits down pup wants to sit on her lap but then it gets bitey within a minute (if that). We’ve made a few steps I think, but not enough for it not to be a worry still.

@Coffeewithmyoxyg3n I think I read that 5 mins training many times a day is better than a long training session!

Our pup loves training, and would carry on for hours, but is an over stimulated mess if we do that!

We do a few games, then always end with a calm game, which seems to help.

And by calm game I mean sit or lie down for a treat, then rewards for staying in position....

Coffeewithmyoxyg3n don't worry too much. Everything you do us 'training'.
Just fitting into you life being calm, not chewing the house, not crying when you leave the room, being calm for 10 mins when you are eating, not barking at the postman, getting used to the outside noises, being brushed etc. All those things are 'training'.

Not teaching paw, down etc wont harm your puppy and trust me you can teach them later on. We had a nightmare with accidents and illnesses that a lot of formal training didn't happen until he was very much an older adult and he then loved it and can now do lots of trick/obedience moves.

The heat is not helping any of us! I know exactly that mood of restlessness @GingerAndTheBiscuits - we call it pup's drunken zombie mood, where he is wandering round like a drunk late at night wanting to pick a fight.

@muckandnettles that’s a great description. She was utterly manic, wild eyed and panting. It was pretty horrible to be honest. We did have a nice walk early this morning and she’s snoozing so hopefully a better day today.

@muckandnettles That is a great description! Our pup stalks around
like a drunk too. He walks right along the wall so he is propped up. We say he "cruising for a bruising" because he looks like he's walking round the back streets looking for a fight! [big grin]

Yesterday we drove 400 miles, and the puppy was fab! Took us 9 hours, with three stops, including a walk by a stream at lunchtime for him to cool down. He was in his crate with the air conditioning on, and was an absolute star. The kids were more whiny than him!

Staying at the in- laws now, and he's desperately trying to play with their older dog, who is mostly looking at him in disdain...

OwlPup very much enjoyed his trip to the cafe this morning. He managed to snaffle half of DS's sausage sandwich and then, whilst I was cleaning up the mess from that, half of my bacon sandwich too. Silly thing is, we live next door to the cafe and I was going to put him in for a nap after his walk but then decided to see how he'd get on at the cafe for the first time. Great for the first five minutes, but clearly not quite enough self restraint or impulse control to sit through breakfast yet. 😆

Well done marmite pup. Hope you enjoy your holiday @marmite51

Good luck with the heat today everyone. Think we're in for the rest of the day now.

@PuppyBonBon thanks for the car seat idea. I think it's just one seat along the back so no option to pass lead through between the seats, but maybe it can be passed through between the base of the seat and the back...will check later. (If it sounds like I have no clue, that's because I don't! First car, bought begrudgingly in my 40s and not used much. 😄)

DPup is very unsettled in the heat today. We've ended up coming up to bed with the fan on and the curtains closed as that seems the only place she can sleep right now.
It doesn't help that she has chewed through her cooling mat this morning!

@Imadreamer44 our pup chewed through hers too and she absolutely is hating this heat!

We have a fan but I think it will be another thing she’s terrified of

I really feel for them @GingerAndTheBiscuits she doesn't know what to do with herself and obviously we can't go for a walk to tire her out like we usually would. She's thankfully snoozing in our bedroom a bit now so might be in a better mood when she wakes up..

My pup loves his ice lollies in this heat. I freeze some weak low-sodium stock with a few of his treats/kibble and some raw carrot. Licking away at one of those seems to really cool him down and calm him..

My puppy likes ice cubes! I also freeze his lickimat with some cream cheese on.