Puppy survival thread *September!*

[JuiceyBetty]

Can't believe we're in September now, our babies are growing up!

Newbies always welcome especially if they come bearing photos....

I am still outside. I might just stay out all week to give me one less thing to worry about. Or is that bad for toilet training??

@Bunglemom sorry - I'm struggling to find the one you mean! Is it the lavender based one or the valerian based one? One says for stress, the other for anxiety.

@LittlePoot its the Valerian based one, just their own brand 😀

I’m also outside with my laptop wfh and the boys are wandering around the garden.

It can’t be bad for the training, I always praise if I see a wee or poop taking place.

I’ve increased their food today as well as they have both put on weight so fingers crossed I can do a 5.15 off lead, 10pm whizz round the block and all in bed for 10-30 to 6.30am as I’m KNACKERED

Also did any pups suffer with runny poops after their 2nd lot of injections?

Mine didn't have runny poop but did throw up 3 times that evening after jabs. Could have been his eating everything in the garden, but I reckon it was jab related (as he still eats everything in the garden but hasn't been sick since)

We had upset pup tummy after any of the jabs or worming stuff she was out of sorts for 24-36hrs. We had to keep giving her Boiled chicken & rice on/off in the weeks 8-12.

Today I've taken to just letting pup out in the garden for a mooch and I'm trying to get on with some stuff, I'm sure I'm 'creating a rod for my own back' with toilet training but today I can't cope with the constant anxiety of 'we've played for 10 mins, is it pee time yet?' Yesterday we'd been out in the garden, pee, play, pee and back in - and she then just did another wee. They are stealthy, no snuffling, circling, whine etc she just pops a squat out of the blue. I hope at some point it regulates, she knows to go outside as she gets fusses and praise, and I just need a breather!

The worst thing so far this week is the jumping up at us for attention. No matter how much we've played already it is just never enough! I'll sit back on the sofa and she'll be boinging up. Last week she couldn't reach but this week already she can get her teeth on my laptop or leg. I've tried 'down' and 'sit' but now watching something on YouTube which says to simply ignore her, as any kind of sound, eye contact etc is giving her the reward she seeks. I feel if I do that she'll just claw and nip continuously. Another tip says 'move into her space', so I try that by sliding forward and standing up but she takes that as an invitation to jump higher and just gets more excited.

puppy we removed ourselves from contact with no eye contact if after two firm no/down doesn’t work with a elbow slide/body block. We have a old sofa in the kitchen which we’ve been happy for TriPup to sit on nicely with us, but if she’s got zoomies, hiding hands under armpits and sitting as still as a rock with zero eye contact normally works to disengage her. If not I’ll remove her with no eye contact and firm ‘down’ if that fails we put her in her pen with gate shut in the early weeks just for 1-2mins Max cool off then made a “good girl” fuss of her if she sat nicely or laid down in there. We’ve not had to do this hardly ever now at 17wks as she’s just calmed down so much, so we’ve started working on ‘bed’ command and if she goes sits or lays in her bed (not in the pen) she gets a treat. My teenager had her doing it every time last night we are getting ready to take down the pen as it’s not getting used much now at all. But I would like to get her learn that when I’m making dinner in the evenings sometimes I need her to stay in her bed (it’s what my super experienced dog owning mil did with all 5 of her dogs so I’m channeling my inner mil )

@puppygalore when my pup was in the worst of her biting/jumping stage we used the pen for timeout too. just a couple of minutes reset before she was allowed to join us all again. Definitely worked.

We actually took the pen down a couple of weeks ago as DH couldn't cope with it taking over the kitchen any longer. The jumping up and biting is virtually nil now, so I only miss it as it was somewhere contained to put her when I was trying to exercise and I don't have an alternative solution yet. "To your bed and stay" isn't exactly working here yet ;-)

So I've had to give up exercising in the house at the moment - which isn't great for me but I think it was that or the dog would have had to go as DH was at breaking point with all the disruption!

@puppygalore we used to take ourselves out of the room. I read a tip that said removing her took too long for her to make the connection. So just got up and left the room and shut the door. Only for 10 seconds or so, not long at all, and it kind of reset her.

We found doing some training with her before she got too tired helped as well - just a few minutes. And also making sure she was getting enough sleep before she got awful and the zoomies.

The best advice of all was from the vet, praise the good - so if she's calm or on her bed or just not jumping up she gets praised/treated/attention - and ignore the bad.

quick question from me.....

How do I get pistachiopup off chicken and rice after her dodgy tummy episode? Her poo's are much better now so I think she's over the bout of diarrhoea she had but she loves chicken and rice way more than any dog food I've ever tried to give her!

I tried to mix some of her raw lamb things in with the rice last night to try and wean her back onto that but she refused to eat it, so I just did her a bowl of chicken and rice again.

Am I destined to be cooking rice and chicken forever? Would that be bad for her? I have added some vegetables to it today as was worried about her getting a balanced diet!

My puppy trainer said any contact, verbal,touch, eye contact is positive reinforcement so it is best to ignore that behaviour. Not easy when they are buying. Mine now knows that if he stops biting he gets a treat so will bite my feet then sit and look up at me as if to say 'where's my treat'.

He also knows what a time out is. My dh will usually take him for a time out so if he is on my lap biting me dh will stand up and walk towards him so he will then stop and rest his head on me looking at dh trying to look innocent.

Thanks all, I'll give the no eye contact and remove ourselves a go. I've been rewarding good calm behaviour, so when she's lying quietly I'll give her some treats, but that seems to excite her all over again, she finishes the treats then gets all crazy!

I have a special mat that I treat Marley pup when he's on it.
It's separate from his bed and I get it out and he knows he needs to lie on it for treats. I started using it when I'm cooking because he used to wander under my feet and I thought this could get dangerous.
So out comes the mat and the cheese and he stays on it.
I also use it when I need him in one place when I'm working and on long conference calls.
You could try this when you're exercising. Just throw tiny bits of cheese. It works for my pup.

@HeyLala

I have a special mat that I treat Marley pup when he's on it. It's separate from his bed and I get it out and he knows he needs to lie on it for treats. I started using it when I'm cooking because he used to wander under my feet and I thought this could get dangerous. So out comes the mat and the cheese and he stays on it. I also use it when I need him in one place when I'm working and on long conference calls. You could try this when you're exercising. Just throw tiny bits of cheese. It works for my pup.

We are doing this. The trainer calls it the boundary game. To start they don’t stay on long and it takes a long time to build up the time but they soon know the mat/blanket or whatever is a good place.

@pistachioicecream

quick question from me.....

How do I get pistachiopup off chicken and rice after her dodgy tummy episode? Her poo's are much better now so I think she's over the bout of diarrhoea she had but she loves chicken and rice way more than any dog food I've ever tried to give her!

I tried to mix some of her raw lamb things in with the rice last night to try and wean her back onto that but she refused to eat it, so I just did her a bowl of chicken and rice again.

Am I destined to be cooking rice and chicken forever? Would that be bad for her? I have added some vegetables to it today as was worried about her getting a balanced diet!

Sounds like you are going to forever be pistachiopups personal chef for ever more

Nothing wrong with that as long as you maybe add some veg or fruit?

Mine had cucumber and apple wedges for a snack today. Blueberries and natural yogurt yesterday, just little bits.

That reminds me, can anyone help with snack/chew ideas please, ones that don’t make me want to vomit even when frozen

Does anyone else add coconut oil to their food here and there (read when I remember) and Apple cider vinegar to their water bowl? I’m so anxious and over reading...

Hi everyone, so lovely to see all the new puppy owners, feels like a long time ago since I got Juiceypup! He's 5.5 months now.

The toileting slows right down, don't worry. I remember those early days of constantly being in the garden and it was so bloody boring but he only goes about 1/3rd as much now.

@pistachioicecream after his poorliness Juiceypup was on chicken (on its own, he won't eat rice or veg!). Then he'd ONLY eat chicken! So I spoke to the vet who told me to ride it out... not offer chicken at all, put down his normal food and leave it out. Don't cave in and offer anything else or they learn you will. JP starved himself for a day or so then caved in and ate his normal food.

Thanks everyone. Will just have to harden my heart to her big, begging eyes then when she refuses other food! Not sure how good I’ll be at that. ;-)

The boundary mat sounds like a great idea for my exercising dilemma. Thank you @HeyLala. Next on my purchase list. Spend more on this puppy than anyone else in the family at the moment!!

@pistachioicecream
Just use an old towel, don't spend anymore money. Just use the same thing every time and then put it away so they don't get confused.

Fingers crossed you get to exercise

@pistachioicecream

Thanks everyone. Will just have to harden my heart to her big, begging eyes then when she refuses other food! Not sure how good I’ll be at that. ;-)

The boundary mat sounds like a great idea for my exercising dilemma. Thank you @HeyLala. Next on my purchase list. Spend more on this puppy than anyone else in the family at the moment!!

I’m just back from a jog around the block with the boys and you made me look at my amazon order history

I’m also going to give the towel trick a go, beats bribing D.C. to take them out of the house for breathing space and con calls.

I would so give in and feed chicken hence why I’m here to pick up tips to stop the puppy cuteness wining me over...

A quick question for those head of 12 nearly 13 weeks, how much exercise did you do? We did 4 bouts of 5-10 minutes today and yesterday. Am I creating a rod for my own back? We all love it at the moment but in winter I can’t see it being the same?

Morning all.
Well riverpup went to ouppy class last night and enjoyed it was talking about her early waking and somebody there said walk her for a bit before bed dont just let her out. So at 9.30 I took her for a torch walk in the garden and then in.
She slept from 10-4.40am which was great. Then up for the day. Going to dobthe garden walk again tonight.
Any tips for the early mornings?
I guess it is just time? She is 10 weeks. The problem is she whines so much and if didnt have dc and neighbours I could poss let her whine a bit but cant let her do it too long at the moment.
Any tips/tricks/eassurance much appreciated

Also going to try the blanket boundary area! Is any cheese ok? We only have grated mozzarella for pizza making need to up my variety of treats. Hopefully my Dragonfly order arrives soon.

Last night pup was loads calmer, we consistently did the ignoring for jumping up and I'm sure she was getting it! I started doing the same for nipping when playing and I feel like that lessened too. Probably wishful thinking at this early stage, but made me feel much more positive. Thanks everyone for your advice!

Cheese is fine but not too much. I use grated cheese which the pup loves. We also use natural treats like pigs ears, noses, rabbit ears. Some of them stink but he loves them. He does sometimes ‘hide’ them in corners. Or takes them out to the garden and buries them until he wants them again.

Hello everyone!
Had a quick read through of the thread, and I'm hoping I can join in with you guys!

I picked up ZombiePup 12 days ago, he's 11 weeks old tomorrow, and thoroughly struggling with sleep at the moment! I dont function well on no sleep as it is..and we went from a good couple of nights to what felt like constant whining last night!

Although i appreciate after reading the thread that my complaints are minimal, as until last night he had been doing well with 11/12-0630 in the morning..

Looking forward to being able to take him for walks from Friday, and have him booked in for puppy classes from the start of October..

Been 17 years since I had a puppy, and 7 since he passed, and i really want to make sure i do right by this pup!
Important bits to me are recall and not being boisterous-he's a standard poodle so will grow to be a big dog...

I feel we have been really lucky with him so far (and also that he's lulling us into a sense of false security!) - only 4 wee accidents that have all been our fault, he was almost pretrained with Sit, he takes himself out to the toilet if the door is open..
We have nailed Paw, and reluctantly will lie Down.. doesn't beg for food unless he is over excited, and has only destroyed a nerf gun bullet - the same day he decided he could climb stairs..so all upstairs doors are now shut!

Done my best to socialise him so far - has met plenty of friends, at my house or theirs, met a couple of vaccinated dogs in a safe environment, car journeys (vommy on country roads but otherwise ok), and doesnt seem to react to the post or doorbell (yet)...

He is bitey and scratchy but learning No, and we're trying to redirect him to toys..

Open to any and all suggestions on help with recall and keeping all four feet on the floor!

Pictures for fees to join!