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....

Thanks, I'll try the citrus stuff too. Thank god for H having amazon prime!

Last night was better, last wee/poo 10.30, into crate with a nylabone, bit of crate chewing and whining but then slept ok. I woke her up at 2, another quick wee and poo. Then up at 6 for a wee and back to crate for a little snooze. H did that stretch and apparently she whined at him for over an hour even when he lay next to the crate. For me she whines a few moments then goes to sleep.

A few questions if anyone can help!

What size harness is good for this age (9 weeks) is there one that will last a while, or am I best waiting til she's bigger? I am worried the collar is pulling her neck too much.

She can't manage the puppy kong and gets annoyed, even though I put the paste near the edge, will she be able to get it in time or shall I size down? I was hoping it'd hold her attention a bit longer!

School run starts again on Monday, so far our mornings have been a bleary-eyed disaster but I'm hoping we'll be sorted a bit more by then. I can't take pup with us, and also I can't rely on her having toileted in time before we leave. In this situation should I bring our puppy pen inside (currently in garden) and leave her with some toys and a pad down in that? Haven't used pads at all so far. Or could leave her in her crate and risk an accident in that? Or other option is close her into our front room where her crate is, lots of toys and a pad and hope she doesn't chew the whole place up?

I'm hoping I won't be gone long but due to staggered starts it might end up being too long for her little bladder.

Olivepup is nearly 20 weeks old. He's a greyhound / labrador cross - I was actually looking for a labrador! We've brought him upstairs to sleep and since then, he doesn't whine or wake me at all. I know he does wake up because he has moved things around but he doesn't make noise. I am not delighted by having him in our bedroom but for now, sleep is the priority.
Recall is 90% brilliant and 10% chasing after people on bikes, runners in the park. Lead walking is great. Only the odd toilet accident if it is raining outside.
I am doing the absolute dogs 'Sexier than a Squirrel' and AOK9 training and they have already made a big difference to how he responds to me. Teaching 'look' has been very helpful (I know I am very boring going on about this!)
My sons are back to school next week so I think we will have to find a new routine. I love Olivepup very much but would be lying if I said I never have regrets.

@puppygalore we just bought a really cheap harness for the first few weeks as Mucky grew so fast it wasn't worth buying a decent one. He now has a Ruffwear one which is good and is rapidly outgrowing that one as well, though I have the next size up ready for him. I bought both of those on Ebay as it seems a lot of people buy an expensive harness and then can't get on with them, so sell them almost brand new. I love an Ebay bargain.

My pup couldn't be bothered with the Kong unless it was stuffed with really high value food, so we found a Licky Mat was much better for an instantly occupied puppy. We also bought a slow feeder which was good but Mucky was really quite annoyed by it (if a pup could swear!) though I might have to return to it for some of his food as he wolfs it down so fast now.

Now Mucky is 6 months I've started moving over to just feeding twice a day. Has anyone else done that yet?

It is honestly such a relief to read everyone else is going through the same ups and downs. Watching with interest to see how people get on with leaving their pups as this really is my big worry right now. Puppy slept all afternoon after vet visit yesterday and I started to worry but he is more than making up for it this morning.

Thanks @muckandnettles I'll look for an eBay harness just for now. I don't mind spending the money to get really good quality but seems daft to waste money if she'll outgrow it in a matter of weeks.

I'm enquiring about puppy training classes in my area, price ranges are huge!

We have been extremely lucky with ours. He is 13 weeks and sleeps through the night. We have a crate within a pen and keep the crate door open. He hasn’t had any toilet accidents in there and in the 5 and a bit weeks we have had him he has only had 12 toilet accidents in the house. He is such a bright boy and learns so quick. He sits and lies down when told for treats and our puppy trainer has really helped with tips for how to deal with him. He doesn’t usually beg for food when we are eating unless it is something strong smelling and then starts to get interested. He does still bite hands and feet but is slowly getting better with that. He loves me and follows me around but is slowly building confidence and goes out in the garden on his own for a bit longer now.

Dragonpup slept until 6.30am from 11pm so all good until dd2 woke up with high temp and cough. She’s really snotty so I think it’s only a cold but have had her swabbed and am now working from home (I’m nhs staff).

This means puppy can’t have his second vaccine today so delays him being able to go out! I’m hoping dd will be Covid negative and it’ll just delay things by a couple of days. Fingers crossed! No clue how she’s got a cold as we’ve hardly gone anywhere. One park with alcohol gel before and after and one pub sat in the garden away from everyone.

No idea how anyone would survive a pup without a garden . Dragonpup would go nuts!

@muckandnettles
Marley pup is now 6 months and is showing signs of moving to 2 meals a day.
Loves breakfast after his morning walk. Is no longer poo shy about going outside of our garden, so mostly goes on his walks.
Eats very little of his lunch so I remove it, fridge it and have been adding to his dinner.

I did get puppy regret at times but now his is just the most adorable puppy and I adore him.
He's taken to training well, walking on and off lead. Recall needs to improve, but I'm guessing this will improve as he ages. Puppies get so distracted, especially chasing pigeons in the park.

He goes to daycare 2 times a week and loves it. It completely wears him out and he sleeps all the way home and most of the evening and is much quieter the day after.

My only worry atm is toileting once the weather changes and the back door is closed. He doesn't know how to tell me as it's been open all summer since I've had him.
I guess I'll just need to watch him for a bit longer.

Marley pup at 6 months.

@MagentaRocks @m0therofdragons @HeyLala what gorgeous puppies!! I'm already missing the little puppy stage especially as the memory of the worst of it is now fading, I have to say. Mucky is now so much easier to have around as he just sleeps more quite naturally during the day and will potter around the place, not usually being demanding at all.

He is going to doggy daycare next week to this lovely place I've found at someone's house (all insured and licensed, etc) and I'm so happy I've found it. He is going to have a sample day next week then an overnight stay the week after as we are having work done on the house and it will be a nightmare for him over those days so he will be better out of the way. We visited the place and he had an hour or so playing in the garden there with the owner's dog and he adored it so much, it was lovely. I will actually feel quite happy leaving him there to go away if we manage to do that in a few months' time. He is still very much my baby!

@muckandnettles

Mucky will love daycare, and when you go pick him up, he will be so excited to see you. It's heart warming stuff.

HELP.

I am in a bad state. We have Daisy in a crate at night - large enough for her bed and toilet area and a toy. But she HATES it - cries and cries all night. This is 3 nights of this. She is really distressed when we take her out in the morning and she is disturbing the neighbours. But DH is adamant that we are not ever going to go down to comfort her because that way lies a spoilt dog.

PLEASE all you wonderful ladies, help me.

We are doing so well all day, calm environment, lots of garden time, doing poo outside now, only a few little accidents, tries to go to pee on the paper - always pees on the puppy pad in crate at night. But the night stress is killing us all. We are letting her set her agenda and no one runs her unless she cuddles them first, we are repeating her and letting her make her own way out (not carrying her). She follows me around the kitchen when the DC are in school and sits on my feet when I sit down. So I think we are creating a loving secure environment all day - but are we ruining it with the night time stress?

Mine used to cry at night.

What I did was get up each time, take him out to the garden for a toilet break even if he didn't need it, then back into his crate.

No eye contact, no talking, no fussing. I repeated this each time he cried so at night it was toilet break or sleep but nothing else.

Other people sleep next to them and gradually do a retreat, or bring the crate into the bedroom and gradually move it out.

I still sleep on the sofabed in the living room with her crate. She sometimes sleeps 9 until 4 am but its not reliable. This is easier than me coming downstairs, putting lights on etc. When she wakes straight to the garden for a wee/poo then straight back in crate with minimal attention. She was 12 weeks old this week. Once she is reliable sleeping until 4 am is then I will start sleeping upstairs and set an alarm.

She doesn't like the crate in the day but I do put her in if I'm washing the floor as she hates the mop! Also I have a workman coming to remove the Rayburn from my kitchen late afternoon and she'll have to go in it then - she will not be happy.

Does anyone have a problem with their pup splashing in their water bowl? I've tried three different types of bowl but she puts her paws in and splashes the water everywhere. At the moment I am offering a drink but as soon as she starts splashing I remove it but would love a better solution. This only started on Sunday

@Annasgirl poor you, lack of sleep makes everything harder! we slept downstairs with chocpup for about a week. The last 3 nights we moved further and further from the crate until we were basically in the door the last night. We didn’t talk to him or anything just laid nearby so he wasn’t alone. After the first night he’s been pretty good and as Bitey said, if he got up it was just for a boring toilet trip then straight back in the crate. He gets up once for the loo in the night now then awake for the day between 6 and 7 so it has worked out ok I think. There is a middle ground between ignoring them and having them in your bed (really really not for me!) and I think it’s important that you get some decent sleep as it makes puppy ownership much more manageable.

@grannycake we had the same splashy problem with the water dish and did pretty much the same as you - offer the water and then take it away once they've had a drink or refused it though I didn't wait for any splashing, just took it away. Mucky soon seemed to forget he used to put his feet in the bowl after we had done this for a few days (possibly a week) and hasn't done it since.

We have failed to crate train...the crate is on Ebay now.

Thanks @muckandnettles I'll keep trying. The cooker move has been postponed but she still needed the crate as she has also started to jump up for food. I popped her in and she made grumbling noises but sat down and just glowered at us. Was rewarded with sausage when she came out

The first couple of weeks we put him in the spare downstairs room and one of us slept there but moved the crate and pen further away after the first week. He soon got used to it and often takes himself to bed when he is tired and needs his own space. Most of the time though he snuggles up to me for cuddles and a bit of arm chewing to comfort him when he wants to sleep. I am looking forward to being able to take him for longer walks. It feels such a long time that we can only do short walks.

We have ( yesterday) moved her crate in our room until she reliably sleeps through. If she wakes then I am taking her downstairs for the toilet and straight back to bed. She slept better for it, so did I am I really need my sleep or I just cant function. I am thinking of it like having moses basket in our room til baby gets big enough to go in their own room.
We havent got a harness, should we? Are they better?
Riverpup is not interested in her kong but likes her lickimat ( arrived today).
She also loves the stinky pizzles as recommended on here.
Loving seeing all the puppy pictures. Also loving the stories or more chilled older puppies too. Riverpup is starting doggy daycare in October. Am sure she will have changed a lot in a month.
She is hard work but I absolutely love her companionship and the bond and trust that is being built with us .
I am dreading the school run and she will have to stay in her crate whilst I am out but is only for 15 minutes and my other ds is here but under strict instructions to pretend he is not unless she is super upset

Can anyone think of anything I can do to dog proof this internet box thingy please? It's in such an awkward spot right by our lounge door so nothing furniture-wise can go up against it to hide it! I currently have it covered by thick cardboard and sellotape. I upgraded that to masking tape but pup is just seeing it as a challenge. She attempts to chew at the cardboard as well as the tape. Thanks if anybody has any thoughts on this!

We have the crate in our Bedroom and have a chew treat to settle but moved to just exhausting pup before bed, putting him in and stroking him a little. I then get ready for bed and he settles as I quietly get ready with dimmed light. I do carry up the stairs as upstairs is not his space. Once he reliably sleeps through then he will move downstairs. We have a blanket over the top and 3 sides to make it feel safe and den like.

@GazingAndGrazing we’ve been leaving him while we’re in different rooms or the garden, trying to get him used to it.
I did the school run today and checked in on the camera. He was lying down with his toy, bless.

Darcypup alept for 6 hours solid last night! I mean I didnt as I was waking up hourly after 3 am confused 🤣 fingers crossed it is a sign of more to come!

Can I join the thread if my puppy is 8 months old and a massive attention seeking twat? I tried to start a puppy survival thread back in April /May when he was small, but it failed to take off (everyone was covid obsessed at the time).

His hormones have kicked in and he's an absolute pubescent nightmare. I dread the days with him, the tiny puppy days are over and I thought things would get easier now, but if anything it's worse

I pray that he will calm down before he trashes the whole house. I've had a terrier from a pup before, but she was never like this!

Hi everyone. This is Ralph, a bitey little shit and a big fan of belly rubs. Sleeps all night which is the only way I can cope with the fact I have no lawn and he’s eaten the stair carpet
He’s 10 weeks today, and he’s desperate to get out into the world. This is our first dog, and we absolutely love him.