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The doghouse

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Original poster

How long do the puppy blues last!

29 replies

Redyoyo · 19/09/2020 17:52

We got our pup last week and i am having massive regrets, we have been planning getting him for a long time and everyone said they would pitch in but I'm struggling in lockdown, we are in an area where you can't visit other household, so we are going to struggle to socialise him. He is great only 3 pees in the house so far but the more confident he's getting the more bitey and the kids don't want to go near him. He great most of the time but for an hour or so he's a wee terror! Please tell me this will get better when he's not confined to the garden!!

OP posts:
PollyRoulson · 19/09/2020 17:56

It WILL get better Flowers

When he has his terror hour he is probably knackered, so can you pop him somewhere quiet to have a chill. Put him in a puppy pen with a chew toy and avoid stimulating him any more.

Dont worry about socialisation just get him out and about seeing things from a distance. It is actually the best way to socialise a puppy without flooding him.

BiteyShark · 19/09/2020 18:01

Mine lasted a few weeks.

I had waited over 20 years for a dog, did lots of research but it was so overwhelming and hard I regretted getting him.

However, he is now 4 years old and is lying next to me and I bloody love him,

It will get better. You will have good and bad days. Don't be too hard on yourself and take each day as it comes.

OudRose · 19/09/2020 18:08

Hang in there! Our pup is nearly 7 months now and it's so much better Smile I think the first two months are the hardest, but once you crack the toilet training and start taking them out on walks it's all less overwhelming.

You're probably exhausted too and that always makes everything seem worse!

shivs1974 · 19/09/2020 18:17

This is exactly how I feel! Our puppy is 10 weeks old; we've had her 2 wks. She's lovely but blimey, it's full on. We're lucky that she sleeps but it's like having a newborn but without the maternity leave. Everyone tells me it gets better....so I'm going to have to trust them...and start counting down

GolightlyMrsGolightly · 19/09/2020 18:27

With me till about 16 weeks, I was on here wanting to rehome her. It got much better at 13 weeks when she’d had her jabs.

At about 5 months she got the housetraining reliably.

Got much better once I realised the bitey zoominness was frequently tiredness.

Someone on here said just hang in and by Christmas (it was January) you’ll have a lovely dog.

And she is. She’s adorable. Took her to the pub last night and she snoozed under the table.

Training helps, just a bit of sit and stay. Give them some brain games, bit of food hidden in an egg carton or empty toilet roll with The ends folded down. Lots of tugging games. Safe things to chew, frozen carrots or a wetting a twisted up old tea towel and freeze it. I used to make meat juice frozen lollies for her. A yoghurt pot to lick out.

GolightlyMrsGolightly · 19/09/2020 18:29

And the Facebook group dog training advice and support is brilliant. I got recommended that on here.

And easy peasy puppy squeasy book. Really helped.

Hang on in there.

pigsDOfly · 19/09/2020 18:38

You can take him out for a carry before he's had his jabs OP.

It's good for him to hear traffic, see cars and big things like lorries and busses, and see as many different sights and people as possible.

Carrying him around any shops you can take a dog into, like Pets at Home, will let him see other dogs.

Even if you just take him somewhere busy and sit on a bench with him so he can watch what's going on, it's all helpful and it'll help you bond with him when you do things together.

Obviously keep the outings short so as not to overwhelm him, but there's plenty you can do with him and it'll all help to tire him out.

You can take him out in the car, so that he gets used to that as soon as possible.

Hang on in there, it will pass.

Paranoidmarvin · 19/09/2020 19:58

As someone has said. When they get bitey like they they are over tired. Teach him to calm down. A crate or a play pen would work. Chill time. Then out to the loo then okay then chill time. It also gives u a break as well. Think of the puppy as essentially a baby. A baby will eat play and then sleep. They are excatly the same. They need ur attention just as much as a baby would

Sitdowncupoftea · 19/09/2020 20:07

I'm not sure what breed you have but mine started to settle at 12 months. Even though you are on lockdown you can still walk your pup. I'm not sure where you live but introduce him slowly to new experiences of the great outdoors.

Original poster
Redyoyo · 19/09/2020 20:09

Thanks its a relief that it won't last long, I've read easy peasy puppy squeeze and done so much research joining lots of Facebook pages, taken 2 weeks off but its still hit me like a bus!
He's a great wee dog from day one he's only gone in the garden and he's sitting already. I can answer the front door and he will come and sit by me not even try to go out. So I feel really guilty thinking like this but its these mad half hours where he goes daft biting us all, i think i am tired and frustrated being stuck in with him.
I would carry him out but he's a big boy about 6kg I would struggle and he loves children he would want to get down.

OP posts:
Original poster
Redyoyo · 19/09/2020 20:14

It's a springer and he's not had his second set of vaccinations so until he gets them its our back garden only.

OP posts:
Paranoidmarvin · 19/09/2020 20:35

You can take them out and about though. U need to get ur puppy out into the world. Don’t let them on the floor. Hold them or put them in a sling. You have about two weeks of getting them used to the world. Look up this on the internet about the weeks from 8-10. They are the most important to get ur dog used to everything. Or u could end up with a nervous dog. I cannot stress this enough.

Are u going back to work in two weeks ?

Original poster
Redyoyo · 19/09/2020 20:52

I work from home and DH only works 3 days during the week. I know about the socialising and i am worried about it but i physically couldn't carry him any distance he is twice the size of the rest of the litter. DH has carried him to the park and we've had all the kids friends in the garden as under 12s don't count in local lockdown.
I had him booked in for classes but the church hall hasn't opened back up since lock down so they are struggling for a place to hold them.

OP posts:
LBee2020 · 19/09/2020 20:56

Ours was also a big puppy who didn't like being carrier so we would drive to a park bench / village green/ busy street and sit on there for about 15 mins. We'd see all sorts and pup just took it all in. We also just sat on the front door step and saw loads eg bin collectors, deliver people, children, runners.

Paranoidmarvin · 19/09/2020 21:00

Even if u put them in the car and let them look out the window on a busy street.

Groundhogdayzz · 19/09/2020 21:00

It will definitely get better when you can take him out for long walks. Springers are gorgeous and great with kids but really thrive on exercise. Do as much as you can offering him things he CAN bite on, give him things to work his brain (eg hide toys/treats for him to find, teach him a few tricks). Such crazy, fun and loving dogs though, it will be worth it in the end.

DilysMoon · 19/09/2020 21:15

It gets better, up to 16 weeks I really struggled and was seriously considering rehoming. It hit me like a truck. Then it just got easier and a bit easier each week. We're 21 weeks now and wouldn't be without him. It is very hard, don't feel guilty for what you're feeling. If you can hang in there it will get better. But it is hard, I found it harder than having my 3 kids and felt utterly broken at one point.

Annasgirl · 19/09/2020 21:47

Hi OP, it gets better - read up on the new puppy thread, there are loads of us on there and most of us have had the puppy blues. I cried last weekend and said to DH I can't cope but we can't let her go - and he said, no of course we can't !!!

And then I turned a corner and yes, it is still very tough but oh boy, she is part of the family now and the DC all adore her and she adores us. I still have to stay in all the time as we are having last vaccinations this week but we spend lots of time in the garden. Read as much as you can and work on training - I started from day 1. I know it takes months but I am hoping that putting in all of the work will lead to a happy dog and happy family.

OwlInAnOakTree · 19/09/2020 21:49

It will get better. Similar to DilysMoon, things got noticeably easier for us after the first two months. Mine's now 5 months, and things are much more settled. I've never felt so close to some kind of emotional breakdown as I did in those first two months. It was generally just awful. Far harder for me than raising a child on my own. But it's shorter lived. Harder but gets easier quicker. Hang in there.

Girlintheframe · 20/09/2020 06:26

What about driving to a retail park? We did that and sat with him in the open boot. He got to see lots of different people, walking sticks, wheelchairs, cars etc. Anything you can do to introduce him to the outside world now will help in the future.

GolightlyMrsGolightly · 20/09/2020 08:54

Yes socialisation doesn’t mean he has to interact. Just watching calmly is really good. Also our vet said it was ok to have ours on the ground after first vaccination, just be wary of very doggy places to where unvaccinated dogs might be. So paws on the floor in a outdoor cafe ok, or lying on a blanket on grass in the park with a short walk to get there. So we took her in the car to the park and literally popped her on a blanket on the nearest spot to the car.

She watched kids, saw bicycles etc. Also up to a local beauty spot to see horses from a distance and sheep etc. Treat ever time a cyclist went past...

Chocolateandamaretto · 20/09/2020 11:05

It was definitely the worst pre jabs. When you can walk them a little it gets better (although hard in a different way if they are a knob on lead Grin)

We've had ours nearly 5 weeks and the first 2 I was definitely in "wtf have I done" mode most of the time. After that it has steadily got better (although I still have odd bad days, they are getting less frequent) and already love the little sod and there's no way I'd rehome him.

I, like you, was really stressed about the puppy biting with my kids and was really worried that they had to be separated all the time when thought we'd got a dog to enhance their lives, no have them shut in a different room when I was on poo patrol duty. With time you can learn to anticipate scenarios that will fire him up and prevent them (for example my younger daughter sits down to pet him and he bounces at her to play. She would then throw herself backwards onto her back which he took as an invite to play and she would get bitten. So she now has to squat or kneel to play with him so she can stand quickly and take a toy with her to divert him onto. We all take a toy to divert him onto tbh!!)

Can you have a trainer come to the house? That was a massive turning point for me as it just allowed me to ask any questions, get some reassurance and know what we needed to work on.

Snoopdogowner · 20/09/2020 18:01

Mine lasted a few months! Currently going through adolescent phase. I personally really struggled but the puppy survival threads do help, even the older ones are relevant. I totally regretted getting a puppy but a year later pup has calmed down a lot and sleeps a lot! My next milestone is May 2021 when he will be 2 years old, im hoping he will be even calmer! Good luck!

Floralnomad · 20/09/2020 19:07

I waited 20+ years for our puppy and never had any regrets . Unless you are absolutely tiny ( and your husband the same) 6kg is not that heavy and you really need to get him out and about . Carry him to a bench somewhere busy and sit with him on your lap for awhile or a coffee shop with outside tables etc .

roastbeetrootsalad · 24/09/2020 11:05

Op are you me?!!!! It's like reading my own life except I'm a week behind you!