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....

Toilet training in the rain and cold is the worst. When will they be 100%reliable? Riverpup is 14 weeks surely soon, although feels ages away still. Does it just click like potty training for kids?
Riverpup eats rabbit poo like its kibble and will always chomp on a cat poo if given a chance.
I am up for October thread and love new puppies joining us

@grannycake pup hates the rain too, but we are near Manchester so it's just a fact of life haha!

Awful walk this morning. I am very conscious that to other dog walkers the 'flick' of the leash my trainer taught me probably looks like I'm brutally dragging her neck. And now we've also had the news that my son's year group has to self-isolate after a confirmed Covid case because the school decided the whole year should be just 1 'bubble' the guidelines state he cannot go outside of house/garden. He's had zero close contact with the confirmed person, and I don't see how him coming on a walk with me and Pup where we have zero contact with anyone (and very rarely even see another dog walker) would be bad. Have any of you had to self isolate since having your puppies?

Oh well, this day is not going well. I emptied the washing machine and then took Daisy out for a wee. Waited 10 mins as she looked up at me and ignored the usual routine. Came in, expecting to go out again after 10 mins (like puppy training book says) - only to see that she had peed on the floor behind me as I was emptying the washing machine!!! What a waste of time that 10 mins in the garden cajoling her was .

And I cannot believe how lax I am now and accepting of the fact that I am cleaning wee and poo off the floor every day (I grew up in a house where a dog would never have been tolerated due to my DM's cleanliness obsession!)

We picked up our pup last week and I feel like I'm back with a new born!! Reading this thread has helped so much in knowing other people are going through the same chaos. Toilet training in the rain is fun

Welcome @Islandsinthestream1and @Mummyme87. We will need photos! Took our pup walking with our friend's mini dachshund yesterday and she was hilarious and adorable - very good with our kids and our pup! When my DH was kneeling down faffing with chocpups lead she put her head in his treatbag and was quietly scarfing chocpup's kibble gorgeous dogs! What breed is your pup Islands? It definitely felt like having a newborn for a few weeks, now feels like having a really cheeky whirlwind toddler.

My DH just text to say chocpup peed on the front doormat. As pup is generally pretty reliable (last accident was the "fuck off it's raining" incident about a week ago) I probed a little bit and DH didn't take him out after nap and then got him all excited playing tug. What a noob!

He's still quite reluctant to go out in the rain for a pee (cue me standing in the garden at 10pm exclaiming "did anyone tell you you're meant to be a gundog??") but he's quite happy to frolic in wet grass on a walk. He usually comes in from his morning walk with DH and I have to do evasive manoeuvres to stop him jumping all over my work clothes....the rainy winter is going to be hilarious, I'm sure!

I’m working at home today on a laptop on the kitchen table, it’s just me and Tripup but she’s taken to hitting my leg gently with her toy donkey whilst chewing its squeaky bit to get me to play with her luckily I’m not too busy today or it would have been annoying instead it was quite cute. I’m debating taking her to school pick up today, we’ve done drop off a few times which is noisy busy and chaotic but she’s got better at coping with it then I walk the long loop home so she gets her 25min walk, however this morning the weather was so foul i waited a bit later to just do a quick 15min up / back to local park in 90’ rain & wind, it wasn’t fun at all. So she needs another leg stretch I think. DH will take her out later anyway for usual half hour 6-7pm off lead fields run around which she loves. I think I may just leave her napping on the sofa. We have started leaving her just for 15min normally whist I’m doing school run but I have to proof all the kitchen surfaces as she really started counter surfing now especially 4-7pm is the worst time if she can smell any food!

Hi again everyone, had a slightly less bitey day so far today, couldn’t really play outside but I have quite a long kitchen/lounge so spent half hour playing ball. Every time Jaynepup grabbed my hands or clothing I threw the ball or squeaked a toy, seems distractions is working.

It’s lovely to read all your posts as having a pup can drive you a bit bonkers. Pic of Jaynepup finally having a nap longer than 10 mins. I can’t wait to be able to walk her but only nine weeks old.

@TriSkiRun99 she is a beaut! I love your posts as you’re a bit ahead of us and it’s nice to hear how you’re getting on. Chocpup loves to come and rub his toy squirrel on my foot and look mournful when I’m working lol.

Here’s chocpup this week. DH got a new mat to stand on whilst he works from home. Obviously pup thinks it’s his new bed....

I'm finding this thread really helpful. Just to know I'm not alone with my pondering/obsessing/doubting my pup choices.

Trainer training for dog bed use has made everything much worse! She will no longer quietly settle at my feet while I work but instead constantly flies at me with her bitey gob! She's wrecked a jumper today.

Going back to ignoring while she settles as I really need her to let me work!

I love seeing the other puppy pics and to reassure that the biting does calm down. For us she just naturally calmed down around 16wks from biting us, but she still needs a lot of chewing outlet so sticks, chews and toys are on hand all day. We have also just bought our 3rd crate as she just keeps growing! The latest crate we’ve had to move a sofa to fit it into the lounge so she has a quiet space still away from noisy family life in the kitchen/diner. Hopefully no more crates will be needed now as I’d like to think this one will last until she’s 12-16mths and by which time hopefully pup will be ok just in the kitchen overnight....we had her weighed this week and she’s up to 13kg now.

I hope those struggling with sleep all have better nights.,

Love tour reassurance @TriSkiRun99 about the biting ds7 keeps asking when will she be less bitey, I keep saying 4 weeks when she will be 18 weeks, so hopefully we will get there soon.
Riverpup can sleep at my feet during work meetings like a faithful canine friend or can keep running and jumping up and keeps grabbing my notebooks which is very annoying. I have to prep lickimat, kings and her collection of vile dead parts for particular meetings.
I am out for the day tomorrow so dh is in charge of pup and our 2 boys. I will be very interested to see how he gets on and hopefully all will be well. Fingers crossed.
I was thinking we have had her 5 weeks today and apart from biting, attention seeking and peeing and pooing and jumping she is just utterly adorable and I love her so much. She is such a lovely friend. I have never had a dog before her and can see what a wonderful companion she is/will become

So islandpup had an awful night. She has never slept on her own, (my dh sleeps on a mattress next to the crate), but she is usually only up twice for a wee and needs some reassurance. However last night she was sick before bed, then woke almost every hour. Refused to wee in the rain and managed to wee inside before she could be scooped up. I take over early morning and she's been a biting nightmare. It's one week since we got her and I think this might be the day of wtf have we done.

How on earth do I persuade VeryGrumpyPup to go out in the rain??!!
He just looks at he in horror - and tries to pull backwards towards the house (which I worry will put him off going on the lead).
OK - he is a whippet (and they are notoriously anti-rain) - but it feels like it's going to be a long weekend avoiding toilet business in the house. I had to carry him out to the lawn to do his morning business...

Morning all. Dont worry island's we have all had one of those days ! Pup has decided to start weeing right outside the downstairs toilet. Luckily its laminate - am hoping its just because of the rain. I havent been on walking duty all week but apparently he is pulling less now so will be interested to see today - especially in all this wind. Everything else has calmed down a bit, less biting (but if he catches a fleshy bit they hurt!) still no lost teeth , sleeping through 10 to 5 (but on the end of our bed 😬) we have started leaving him in the kitchen if we pop out as he really didn't like being closed in the crate and so far no major disasters. Cant believe how much he has grown.

Same struggle here with the rain. I can get him out but he is extremely reluctant to pee, and prone to holding onto it until we go back inside. I'm locked in a bit of a battle of wills right now - it's an hour and a half since he last weed so I'm outside and desperate for him to go. He's desperate to go inside. I let him back in a few minutes ago and her just started sniffing around the floor as if to find a spot to go so we're back out. Argh!!

My anxiety levels are through the roof again and I've had a couple of (anxiety induced) terrible night's sleep. I feel like I'm in full on panic mode 24-7 with pup around and I'm just not managing to relax and enjoy any aspect of it. My husband adores him so sending him back is just not an option. I don't know what to do with myself. I can't go on feeling like this. I'm struggling to identify specific worries, it's more a general feeling of not knowing what I'm doing/screwing everything up. And wishing I could turn back the clock.

I carry grannypup out in the rain under a golfing umbrella - place her down in her favoured spot for weeing and hold the umbrella over her. I get wet but madam remains dry and happy

@LittlePoot - know just what you mean about the anxiety (and not helped here by all sorts of both work and family stress). The main time I can enjoy the pup is when he is asleep on the sofa next to me in the evening (though this is usually preceded by a nightmare over-tired bitey phase). Every now and then I see the light at the end of the tunnel - but the constant state of alert for poo / wee / eating shoes is just exhausting!!

He really doesn't seem to want to walk on a lead either - we are trying the trotting along beside me eating treats approach - fine indoors; but outside, there is just waaaayyy too much to sniff for me to be of any interest at all...

@Islandsinthestream1 oh no love, we’ve all had those days! I keep saying they do get less frequent, we’ve had ours nearly 7 weeks now and I haven’t had any dark thoughts about rehoming him For about a week now, but I did plenty of times before that! It does get better i promise!

@LittlePoot sorry you’re feeling so anxious. As DH is besotted can you get away from pup for a bit this weekend? Try and have a proper break to reset yourself? Try really hard as well to step away from training advice on videos/books/the internet as I found that was fuelling my anxiety hugely, as all the advice was contradictory and everything seemed to say “if your pup is still biting at such and such age then you’ll have a terrible dog for life” or whatever. Try and have some time doing stuff completely not dog related!

@Riverhousepuppy I totally agree with you, it’s taken weeks but I feel like we our finding our stride, me and DH are both in love with him and yes, I can see the lovely companion he’s growing into starting to peep through. I know we have lots of crap to get through and labs don’t calm down for a long time but definitely feel much more confident lately that getting a dog was the best decision for our family after all x

We've just had our first pee accident in weeks too! I'd already let her out but she must have forgotten to wee, it was bloody huge and my carpet is soaked. It was chucking it down so can't really blame her though. Here she is looking a bit sheepish and drowned rat-esque! Boring, boring weekend looming ahead with isolating DS and terrible weather :(

So mummyPup has come home with us today. She cried for about 20-30mins of the car journey. She got home, had a cuddle, ate some food, had a wee (they have trained her to use vetbed and gave us some, so let her use it since it’s pissing it down, then I showed her her bed and she’s slept ever since (went down just after 1pm). My two boys (6 and 2) are desperate for her to wake up! She’s super cute. Not got many photos yet

littlepoot I’m offering a handhold too, the puppy was very much my DH dog I felt I had not much choice in agreeing with two kids desperate to get a dog too. She’s been a great puppy but I still find it hard some days the added responsibility it’s bought. Having time away really helps me then enjoy her good bits, plus she’s only in 2rooms in the house and we got her used to the crate during the day. So on the days I’m on my own with her I enjoy the morning walk as I know a good walk means she’ll have upto 2hrs in the crate afterwards so I can go out or not be responsible for her. Equally a good play in the garden after lunch means she will crate 1-2hrs in the afternoon. At 5mths old she’s stopped biting us, and mostly chews what we have given her plus lead walking is getting easier. It’s not perfect and still lots of ongoing training ahead but I can see it will get easier eventually...

Well I was out for the day which was lovely. Came home after dh had been home alone all day with pup and boys. 1 poo in the house and 3 wees :-( apparently no signals given.
So frustrating in many ways as why cant dh read signals, not that I am very good at that or is it just a universal day for puppies to pee indoors?

Hello all! Was wondering if I could join. We get our black cocker on Monday. We are so excited. We have no dc left at home (they are all furious we are getting a puppy after they have left!).

We are both used to having dogs but crates were never a thing when we last had dogs. I see almost everyone is using them - do you think we will manage without one? We're planning to have his bed in the kitchen (which we can close off) which is what we did with our old dogs (all long gone).

Can I ask if you just took them out for a wee before bed at this age and then first thing in the morning or were you getting up in the night? I've forgotten all of this!

Crates aren’t necessary. We used one at night but there’s no need. Wee last thing at night and first thing. They’ll probably do a wee in the night. Ours slept in our room so we heard when she wanted out. But we could have just wiped up the middle of the night wee in the morning instead if she’d been downstairs.

Thanks @GiraffeNecked