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....

So bunglepup was a dick last night.... wouldnt settle til gone midnight, then up at 2 just for a fuss (WTF?!) then up again at 4.30 for a poop... wouldnt settle til 5.30 then the DD got up!

To top it off ive had a row with the DH and feel thoroughly f*cked off with life!

Here i go again moan moan moan thats all ive done since this bloody dog joined us!

Also when do dogs sleep through the night?!

Dont feel like i can go on with this... also having my in laws living with me at the moment is driving me up the wall... have no time and no peace at all...

Sorry being a debbie downer today

@zombiepara welcome :-)
@Bunglemom I feel your pain. Sleep deprivation sucks.
I made DH get up early today as it has been me all the time and he needs to take his turn, it's not like I am breastfeeding this puppy so he has no excuses.
Riverpup has had a bad tummy again so I have made chicken and rice for today. That is right isnt it? Then going to keep with butternut foods. I feel it is my fault for just giving her too many things so plan is chicken and rice for next couple of days til poop is normal then onto butternut food but in transitional way, so 90/10 etc. She ate it happily today. I also think her penchant for poo eating probably doesnt help. Really hope this helps. I think somebody else had to do this on the thread? @JuiceyBetty was it juicypup who had a poorly runny tummy too?
On plus side she is so good when I am working and just sits at my feet which is lovely.

@zombiepara

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!

Welcome Zombie pics are always welcomed.

Recall is the only thing I feel I’m really doing well with so I’ll share what I’ve done with my boys who will be 13 weeks on Thursday.

I started in the house with a clicker & puppy treats which I cut up into tiny, tiny pieces. I sat on the floor and made a fuss, clicked the clicker and gave them a treat.

I did this for a couple of days a minute or two a few times a day and also started saying sit when I clicked (I know you have sit sorted) I then moved away and did the same but standing and not facing them - click - fuss - treat - fuss.

I then started hiding behind doors - click etc and instead of saying sit I called their names.

DH was very impressed that I could call the boys in from the garden or another room with a click and their names

Once able to go out I called a friend with a bouncy 1 year old dog, bought 6ft long lines for them and upped the treat from boring puppy Asda treat to cooked chicken, hot dog, cheese really high value that they don’t get in the house.

We all went to a massive field out of the way of roads and I let go of the long lineS and let them run with friends dog. I was a bag of nerves! But it worked. Friend called her dog back to her I clicked and called and they all came back time and time again.

We can now go without friends dog and they follow me - don’t get me wrong, I still have a lot on my hands especially if they get distracted that’s why I have 6ft off lead trailing behind them to grab!

We also take them out and stand one end each with treats and clickers and call them to me and then DH. We must look like complete loons but it’s working.

I’m now working on look - silly voice so they look at me and get a boring treat at home and then I’ll up the treat and try outside.

Picture of current position after a nice walk this morning. How did you teach paw?

Grannypup did not have a good night. Woke at 2:30 and would not go back in crate. Kept trying until 3:00 am and then gave up and got up. Refused a walk as raining and is now sleeping soundly in basket by my desk. I am WFH and have several meetings today - wish me luck

@GazingAndGrazing
Ahh thank you for that! I've never had experience with a clicker, although i did get one free with a treat pouch i ordered..
Will definitely have to start using it, and use your tips, thank you!
My friend did a similar thing in the sense of having two of them on walks and pup ran between them when called etc.

For Paw...lots of people wanted to train him with it before we did 😅 while on his social outings, a work friend was there and her sister works with dogs - she literally got ZombiePup to sit, lifted his paw while saying Paw, and then gave him a treat.
Within a couple of days he twigged it!
Unfortunate side effect is that he know will paw us/the air when he sits 😂

There must be something going around this week because Mucky woke us up in the middle of the night to go out and that's the first time he's done it for months. It was the same when we had young dc - I'm fine getting up in a flash, doing whatever it takes, but then can't get back to sleep for hours. So annoying.

Mucky loved his daycare yesterday and it was so wonderful to know he was happy for the day and occupied. I think he overdid it though! Next week he is going for two days with a sleepover between, so that will be good to see how it goes. The daycare place is so brilliant I love it.

So now we have just established a halfway civilised life again and Mucky is generally okay, we have decided to sell our house and move. I think dh has persuaded me to do it on the grounds that Mucky needs a bigger garden, because otherwise I said I wouldn't ever move again - I should explain that we only moved here in June 2019 and before that we had moved in November 2018 and also July 2016 and November 2015. So we are clearly experienced movers and I can tell you it doesn't get any less stressful the more you do it and it is still just as back breaking every time. But it can be done and Mucky needs a bigger garden! Estate Agents are coming to value this afternoon. The biggest problem is when you have a dog, disguising the fact as far as possible when people come to view. Mucky is a big hairy puppy with a lot of accessories so that's going to be a challenge. Anyway after the stress of coping with the first few months of Muckypup, moving should be easy!

Grrr to coming in from the garden to take a pee on the kitchen floor before heading back out to the garden again.

Sorry about the bad sleepers. Hope everyone's doing ok?

@zombiepara - your pup whispering skills are putting me to shame!

@Bunglemom

So bunglepup was a dick last night.... wouldnt settle til gone midnight, then up at 2 just for a fuss (WTF?!) then up again at 4.30 for a poop... wouldnt settle til 5.30 then the DD got up!

To top it off ive had a row with the DH and feel thoroughly f*cked off with life!

Here i go again moan moan moan thats all ive done since this bloody dog joined us!

Do you think you are able to continue or would rehoming be an option. If you are stressed the pup will pick up on it and it will make them worse.

It is hard. I try not to stress when he is biting my feet. It is getting better.

For the towel / boundary mat I use cheese or anything else I'm chopping, as I tend to use it most when I'm cooking.
He will eat carrots, broccoli and cauliflower stalks.

I always have a snack pot on the kitchen top with tiny bits of cheese in, so when I tried paw training, I showed it to him, sat on the floor with him seated and then got a piece and held it in front of his nose and tapped his foot and said paw. When he raised it, I held it said paw again and he got the cheese.

He got it within 6 pieces of cheese, but I carried on because it was so cute until he'd eaten 14 pieces this is only about a inch cube of cheese in total.

I think Paw is the easiest bit of training I've done and he des think he'll get cheese if he puts his paw on you anytime now!

Does anyone know any good tips to stop them barking?

Marley pup has found his voice and barks at everyone walking past the house, birds in the garden etc

Hello, fellow puppy parents. Sorry not to have posted for a while - life and all that.

Sweetest Pup is now 16 weeks old and has been outside on lead walks and free range running in the field for three weeks now. He loves the free range running and his recall so far is good, but I know that if he sees a bird or rabbit, his spaniel instincts will take over, so that's a worry to come, I fear. We took him to puppy training classes and it's fair to say he didn't graduate top of the class but there was enough improvement to his walking on the lead for the trainer to notice.

He still has a tendency to pull on the lead, so I just stop walking until he sits and then set off again, with lots of praise for when he's doing it properly. Sit is working well and down isn't too bad, but the paw trick is taking longer to master.

Sleep-wise, I can't complain. He has his mad half-hour every evening and then collapses on the sofa at about 8 o'clock and that's him for the evening, with a trip to the garden for a wee at 10 - 10.30 and then he takes himself off to his bed (still in the crate for now) and sleeps till we come down in the morning at between 6.30 - 7.00.

He definitely needs more entertainment during the day now he's a bit older. We walk him first thing and I take him out at lunchtime and try to get him running around in the garden for five minutes every hour or so, but sometimes I'm right in the middle of back-to-back meetings and it's just not possible. I've spent a fortune on puzzle toys etc to keep him occupied. Toilet training not too bad and he's now letting me know when he wants to go out much more reliably. Toxic farts, however...

He is, however, adorable and we can't imagine being without him.

To anyone finding it a struggle, keep at it. Things will fall into place. I came back from one of our puppy training classes really despondent because Sweetest Pup was so much less obedient and biddable than all the other dogs but with some focussed work, he definitely improved. Worth it for the snuggles and seeing his tail wag :)

@LittlePoot more down to the breeder I think! We have done very little with regards toilet training since hes been home.. (other than praising when he goes out and does a wee etc) however, with the door open he takes himself off!
I wish i was able to claim it as my own work

Pup just back from second jabs feeling very sorry for herself. Fast asleep after a quick toilet visit, she cried all the way there and back. We have to wait a full 2 weeks to go out, then in another 4 she needs another set of jabs. Also we have to watch her ears as apparently there's been some weeping. H took her so not quite sure what's what, more things to research tonight!

Wow @muckandnettles buying a whole new house for the puppy, and I thought I was spending a lot on mine!

Hello, please could I join. Picklepup is a Jackapoo, 12 weeks old.

She's been good, mostly sleeping through the night from 7pm with a quick wee and poo at 10.30, which we wake her for til 6.30am. She sleeps in her crate approx every hour or so during the day which is a lifesaver.

She's lovely but the bitey/mouthing thing is difficult for the dc in particular. Also the constant need to entertain her is relentless! I'm embarrassed to admit that I hadn't realised quite how relentless!! I'm struggling to see how I'll get a full day of work done.

She's mostly toilet trained but if we put her in time out she may have a protest wee! Recall is quite good unless something really interesting her and she totally ignores me! Sit is good and we're working on drop.

She's been ok in the car and has done ok on walks, although she'll bark at other dogs or people. How do I handle this?

Any advice about any of this welcome.

@JuiceyBetty we have also changed cars for him as well!

So I put chocpup in his crate this evening with his Frozen beef chew whilst I put the kids to bed. All good.
I now can’t find the bloody thing???? Literally emptied the crate, took the tray out, cover off, moved the whole thing in case he’d slid it underneath. He can’t have eaten a whole frozen chew in 20 minutes can he???? Feel like I’m going mad!

Also he totally lost his shit at the broom this evening. Barking like a nutcase. How can I desensitise him? Just get the broom out but no brushing? He play bows to the roomba but this was much more anxious barking.

Morning all
Well Riverpup slept from 10-5.30, yippee. Dh alarm woke her up, god knows why he set it.
Then she went outside for a big wee and a firm poo, so her tummy must be getting better.
So grateful for sleep and a firm poo :-)

Hmmm no sleep here again ! 4 am poo. Going to stop feeding earlier

You have my sympathy. I remember the 4am poos. Tbh I am sure mine did it for many months simply to 'get us up' because now he sleeps on our bed he doesn't seem that keen on getting up for one

Some total tool randomly set off a loud firework display last night so poor pup abandoned her evening toilet visit in fear. Got me thinking/worrying about Bonfire Night and the surrounding weeks either side. Has anyone done any desensitisation in preparation?

chocolate our pup eats anything with in 2mins the only thing that slows her down to 5mins is a licki Mat.

puppygalore Fireworks we played a YouTube video a few times when pup was 10wks, but I’ve not done it since so a good reminder to try it again.

chocolate Broom - not cracked that one yet or spade in garden both things send her into frenzy with a bark ?! Tried laying them down to let her sniff etc but she will just attack the broom and try drag it into the garden to chew it. We’ve had to hide small dustpan & brush and big broom and sweep only when she’s not around.

@MagentaRocks unfortunately rehoming just isnt an option... it would literally kill my DD who's wanted a dog since she was 3! I can see that in the long run he will bring so much to our family its just hard to see the wood for the trees at the moment (plus having in laws live with us, juggling school runs and back to work etc!) i think life is just hard at the moment!

Bunglepup decided to wake every hour on the hour and just cry... he is in a pen in the kitchen and was going mad for fuss so i left him (please dont flame me i have enough going on!) as i knew he was ok for loo breaks etc... the little bugger has now worked out how to open the pen so i have sent hubby to buy a padlock! so found bunglepup sitting outside my bedroom door at 4.30am and a nice big sh*t in my lounge!

Pass the Gin!🤣🍷🥂

[quote Bunglemom]@MagentaRocks unfortunately rehoming just isnt an option... it would literally kill my DD who's wanted a dog since she was 3! I can see that in the long run he will bring so much to our family its just hard to see the wood for the trees at the moment (plus having in laws live with us, juggling school runs and back to work etc!) i think life is just hard at the moment!

Bunglepup decided to wake every hour on the hour and just cry... he is in a pen in the kitchen and was going mad for fuss so i left him (please dont flame me i have enough going on!) as i knew he was ok for loo breaks etc... the little bugger has now worked out how to open the pen so i have sent hubby to buy a padlock! so found bunglepup sitting outside my bedroom door at 4.30am and a nice big sh*t in my lounge!

Pass the Gin!🤣🍷🥂[/quote]
They are not daft. I had mine in the kitchen when I went out for 10 minutes with a child gate blocking the entrance to the front room. When I came back he was waiting at the front door for me. He had figured out how to get through the little flap at the bottom so we have now glued that shut.

I have found the hardest thing is ignoring him when he cried. But having a camera has really helped ease my mind. When I leave the house he cries and howls for a couple of minutes and then settles down so I feel so much better about leaving him. He isn’t left for long but when I come back he sulks if he has been on his own and crawls slowly towards me. If I come home and DH is home he gets excited when I come home. We have a big grass area next to our house so dh will take him out on a long line. I love it if he is there when I come home as when the pup notices me he bounds towards me and as he gets closer his little back end wiggles and he is so excited - even if I have only been gone 15 minutes.