Puppy survival thread October/November!

[HappyThursdays]

hello all - will hopefully link from the old one!

just realised we'll all have fireworks night to get through shortly. Went out for a walk with dpuppy who is getting much better at walking though we met a big dog which scared him a lot! We can only get him into puppy classes in November which is a shame but at least it's something

@MumofaBear wow your pup can do so much! How did you manage to train so much?!

I started with “sit” today and Rosie is also playing fetch which is hilarious as she looks like a baby deer when she runs.

More poops and wees in the garden today but 2 poops in the house.

She’s started to get a bit bitey when playing- when possible we substitute with a toy straight away. But it was either on here on somewhere else where was say “ow” take our hand/person away and look sadly at the puppy and turn away and this is working really well for an almost immediate desist.

@Atalune thanks!! Since I’m wfh I’ve had the time to spend training him a fair bit, also I think GSD’s are an extremely intelligent breed and love having something to focus and work on... at least that’s what my research had told me! Plus it helps that he’s super treat focussed lol!! It’s so great your pup catching on quickly about the biting, that makes things so much easier when you can quickly and easily distract them from that!

@newpup123 my H was the same, always me up with the DC and him 'conveniently' not hearing it all and snoring away til 10am. However since we got the pup he's a bit of a changed man, up and at 'em! The deal we made was that I'm on puppy duty all weekday evening/nights so he gets to play his online game, and then he does the early morning walk. When pup was going to bed at midnight/1am I definitely felt I had the raw end of the deal, then when she started waking at 5/6 he felt hard done by. We are currently in a sweet spot where bedtime wee is 10-10.30 and wake up is around 7.30 so both feel like we are winning.

This if you whose dogs can achieve 'wait' or 'stay' commands - how?! What's the secret? Pup is 4 months and we've practised most days but she cannot do it. Any tricks where she gets immediate reward is fine, so roll over, shake etc no problem. Anything involving recall and patience, not a chance. Even my 1-1 trainer sort of gave up with her recall last time we saw him

@puppygalore we’ve just been telling Retrieverpup to sit then holding our hand up like we were stopping traffic and saying ‘stay’ then giving a treat after a few seconds. We’ve been mixing up the length of time so sometimes after 2 seconds, sometimes 10 then straightaway. Works most of the time. Recall, we are still housebound but we started by rolling a treat across the floor then when she got that one shouting ‘Retrieverpup come’ so she’d come back to us for another then throwing one out again etc. When we go to the garden, the kids hide and shout her and that seems to work too but she is v v food driven! Not sure if this will still work when more distractions are around on proper walks though.

Thanks @Retrievemysanity that's what we've been doing but she just can't stay/wait for any length of time! I'm hoping it gets better with age and practise but til then she's my shadow.

Bless her, I’m hoping Retrieverpup’s biting will get better with age

it's tricky isn't it - they are still babies too really!

our big push this week is 'leave it' and 'drop' (e.g. pup picked up a daffodil bulb today when out which of course is poisonous. The problem is that if you go to grab it, he thinks it's a game and runs with it in his mouth )

I think I've aged about 10 years this week

@HappyThursdays

it's tricky isn't it - they are still babies too really!

our big push this week is 'leave it' and 'drop' (e.g. pup picked up a daffodil bulb today when out which of course is poisonous. The problem is that if you go to grab it, he thinks it's a game and runs with it in his mouth )

I think I've aged about 10 years this week

They are just babies!

Is pup off lead for this game? That's my worry with taking off lead. How do you know they're actually going to come back?! Recall is ok ish in the house / garden. I do have a long line I've practiced with a bit outside but it's a right faff and just gets all tangled up so would be weaker to practice without

Not weaker, easier

yes, he was off lead (but we are at dp's place which is totally rural and backs onto fields). But when I saw what he had in his mouth, he clearly saw my panic and I made the mistake of lurching towards him . He is super fast and thought this was a brilliant game of him having something in his mouth and me chasing after him .

When I finally regained my senses, I stopped and walked in the opposite direction, called him and offered him a treat and he dropped it immediately (he's fine for swapping things in his mouth).

I wouldn't be confident to go off lead anywhere where he could disappear and I would use a long lead for that tbh. It's only because it's a massive flat field where he can't actually get very far that I've let him go off!

I can see the danger with recall is that you use it too often and they get bored of it. I can imagine that with time, it will be the hardest command to get right and arguably the most important!

pup is fine with recall but if he's distracted, like say he sees another dog or squirrel, I don't think he would come back (haven't tested that yet!)

This one is 11 weeks today.

Likes the crate but prefers to sleep on the floor next to me. Toilet training is mostly ok. Thinks his collar is just a fun game and need to look for a harness ready for when we can go out out.

Has been with us 2 weeks Friday and so far, no puppy blues!

I have had a bit of a dip in energy and enthusiasm this week Altho puppypup now has had all his vaccinations so should be able to go out next week which I’m hoping will help. Things I am struggling with:

• lead, he hates it and it’s a two person job to get it on. Would a harness be better?
• biting, he’s v bitey with me especially just wants to play but it’s wearing!
• food - finding it a bit of a minefield, particularly good to keep him occupied

We’ve also got two cats in the mix so trying to keep them separate in an open plan layout is challenging. Puppy massively interested in them and them in him but we’re trying to take it slowly.

@Puppypuppypuppy pup is 13 weeks now and the lead and harness is still a challenge but i have learned that as a cocker, this was always going to be my biggest battle (the walking) and now I'm more accepting of it, it is easier. Re putting the lead or harness on, I make pup sit and then give him a treat. it is still a battle and he bites the lead the minute it is on. One reason we are back to the halti harness is that it goes over his head so is far quicker than the ones he has to step into. Pets at Home actually fitted a lovely soft harness for us but it was one where the lead goes onto the back - if your puppy is not a maniac on the lead , i think these are the kinder ones to use and I would go for one like that if possible! For us, that just seems to make pup think he's a sled dog and he pulls even more so we've ditched it!

@newuser000 he's beautiful!

I'm sorry I've been off a while. Things been crap at work. Polka pup now 6 months abs biting is mostly over though he will chew a toy while on my knee and catch my flesh by accident sometimes
I just had to check in for the sympathy vote. I just got kicked out of puppy training because he was barking and too rowdy. He was lunging to get to the other dogs and recognised the trainer from the one to one sessions and wanted to say hello I think but it was so embarrassing packing my stuff and walking out past people. Hold my hand?

@polkadotpjs that sounds super stressful, we’re you kicked out permanently?? Surely not?!

Tomorrow will be better.

I'm waiting for a message to see where I stand but it was so awful

I think if it is a permanent “this might not be the right class for you” is entirely a reflection on them and not you and pup.

They must see everything and anything at training sessions and if they haven’t, or balk at this then they are lacking in my view.

My little pup is 11 weeks tomorrow, day 6 and I’m delirious with lack of sleep, it’s the first night I’ll be sleeping in my bed!

He’s absolutely wonderful but mad as a box of frogs, steals dirty washing and currently will happily walk off lead but refuses to walk upon wearing one.

@polkadotpjs - how awful for you! And I agree - it's a reflection on them not on you. Ours is a pain at classes too - barely does anything he's told and much keener to try and play with the trainers and the other dogs. But they just give us advice on how to manage it. And tell us to send videos of how he behaves at home so they can help. Although to be honest, he's not a lot better at home at the moment - unless he's starving or you're carrying something super gross like a rabbit ear, if you ask him to sit he usually just walks off! We have to train him on his lead, and even then it's not always reliable. I know he knows what we're asking but he just can't be arsed! Except when the dog walker comes who he adores. And then he sits like a dream. He cried at the door when she left yesterday. Traitor! Needs to remember who feeds him and puts a roof over his head

I think if anyone asks you to leave a puppy training class because of the puppies behaviour then they just want the easy ones and you should look elsewhere as it's a reflection on them.

Might be different if it was an adults dog class and the owner refused or could not manage them but even then I expect them to try and offer ways to do so before kicking you out.

@polkadotpjs that's awful! what puppy do you have? I think that's very unfair. Some dogs are going to be excitable, some dogs will be scared, that's just the way of life. I think we've been secretly saved by ours being cancelled because dpuppy is v boisterous and constantly launching himself at every person and every animal . Poor you, I hope the trainer comes back with some one to one time instead. And yes I would have been MORTIFIED walking out like that!

@SpaceRaiders beautiful pup!

we are going to put the fences up today at the spots dpup has been trying to escape through (he's houdini this boy!) then I can finally leave the door open because he really just wants to be outside (which I have no problem with when we're both at home!). He still hasn't mastered asking to go out for a wee/poo but he will wait to go till we let him out if that makes sense. He's still not got the bells daft dog!

He's a terrier cross - border x Patterdale
He's such a sweetheart. Loving and playful but walks great. Yes wants to greet other dogs and when he sees puppies he is desperate to play but he's kept on lead.
I think this is more about me than the dog though. I have anxiety and was so upset when I got out of there.

@polkadotpjs is your dog going to be a working dog?

@SpaceRaiders gorgeous puppy!

Pup slept well with no tears last night and did a wee in the garden at 2am. No accidents in the night. Success!

We are seeing more ram unctuous behaviour and my DS is a bit nervy around her. We are trying to make sure we have a chew toy at the ready for her to substitute with or just standing up and walking away when she gets too jumpy/nippy.

Any suggestions?!