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Puppy survival thread October/November!

999 replies

HappyThursdays · 23/10/2020 09:07

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

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HappyThursdays · 28/11/2020 20:24

@puppygalore I'm also worried about puppy socialisation. Pup has only met large adult dogs out on walks because the lockdown happened just as his puppy socialisation classes were about to start and got cancelled. We were in pets at home at home today - pup is not a barker at all but another dog in front of us in the queue was barking at him and he started and wouldn't stop (not aggressive but pretty loud!).

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puppygalore · 28/11/2020 22:40

@Redandblue11 I've found most dog owners round here aren't too fussed and will happily let their dogs be close and off lead, but usually we are in parks with kids or open country space with squirrels, geese etc and don't take the long lead with us - she'd just drag us over chasing whatever caught her eye! I have let her off twice on a tiny patch of grass round near my house with another dog. We were training recall on a long leash the first time there when the other dog arrived and the owner said his dog had good recall and suggested I try letting her have a run around with him. She stayed on the long leash at first but she's just too strong and fast so had to take her off. She loved it and just chased the other dog around and when he came back so did she. Then we ran into them again the other day and she did the same again. I think if it was me and her alone she'd have been off like a shot though, as it's not fenced off and I'm just not interesting enough to her.

I did practise some recall while she was playing and a few times she came back, but only because the other dog was lying down tired or when he did come over! Still it's a step in the right direction, fingers crossed anyway. I keep wondering if I should just go for it but our trainer said til she's 100% at recall in all possible situations (ie not just boring ones like our garden, with no kids/cats, on the familiar paths and grass areas) and til I feel 100% confident in our bond it's just not worth the risk of losing her or her causing an accident or injury.

puppygalore · 28/11/2020 22:45

@HappyThursdays maybe there's a local group for puppy play/meet ups? There must be other people in the same situation. Pup has no idea how to interact with other puppies, adult dogs we meet either can't be bothered with her bounciness or just do a quick sniff and that's that. The only time she's interacted is with the man and dog we've happened to meet twice and that dog is an older dog too. We meet very few puppies out and about!

GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat · 29/11/2020 06:56

Can you put a shout out on local social media for puppy meets in the local park? We’re lucky we have quite a lot of friends with dogs of various sizes and breeds so I’m hoping to arrange so dog park walks. 🤞

Night two was infinitely better than night one with GeorgiePup. Thank goodness. He’s been really sleepy during the day and doesn’t eat a massive amount but we don’t know what to expect as he’s our first dog. He’s weeing and pooing and very active and playful when he is awake so I guess he’s just young and snoozy.

HappyThursdays · 29/11/2020 07:22

@puppygalore people got really paranoid about Covid round here and all the puppy stuff closed down and pup was just on 12 weeks when the lockdown happened so just about to start his classes (after his jabs). It's really frustrating. We've taken him out as much as possible so he's properly socialised with people/places/public transport etc but we are in a v small rural community (we've locked down where dp lives and tbh I'm not that familiar with the area). He's had a lot of exposure to dogs but no real puppy opportunities bar one time when he met a small breed puppy and he was all over him and the owner wasn't that charmed (think Fabio off 12 puppies and us!). I'm worried about classes next week - I just hope he's ok but there are only 6 puppies so I have my fingers crossed! I'm hoping we will meet someone there who he can have puppy plays with.

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Puppypuppypuppy · 29/11/2020 07:35

Morning and welcome to new settling in puppies. I have another ‘please share your schedule’ request - especially a 4/5 month old. Things are better here than the chaos of first few weeks but I still don’t think puppypup gets enough sleep and struggle to build into the day. Everything I’ve read says 18 hours

Redandblue11 · 29/11/2020 07:48

georgie it is good to hear that the second night was better. I am not even sure how I am able to type this Halloween Grin pup would cry if we left him in crate so DH ended up sleeping next to the crate. He hasn’t had any accidents, we took him outside at 4 and 6.30 and went there.
I will slowly start knowing your names, too tired to scroll up and see responses and ask specifics
Anyhow, I know until he is not fully vaccinated we don’t take him for walks but we want him socialised so, I assume ok to carry him out? Eg to say hello to a neighbor or let a child get close to stroke him? When did you do that?

Atalune · 29/11/2020 10:38

D pup is 15 weeks and this is our routine. She’s a Jack-tzu

Wake up at 7ish and let her out for a wee and poo
We all get ready and she pootles about us. Eating and drinking
Walk at 8.15 for about 15 mins
Back home and sleep
Then we play/train for a bit mid-morning and then she will sleep
Bigger off leash walk at lunchtime
Lunch
Sleep
Game time when the kids come home and then she just pootles about under our feet. Kids might play/train her.

Small eve walk and dinner
Then in the sitting room for sofa snuggles till 10ish when she goes in her crate.

No more accidents now. Better off the leash. Not bad recall. Working on leave it/drop.

When she is awake she is a terrier and fun and sparky and loves to play games. When she is tired she’s a lap dog. She rarely barks and she is very friendly. Sometimes too jumpy uppy!

HappyThursdays · 29/11/2020 11:07

We're at 16 weeks. Go down and let him out for a wee at 7/730 ish. We then go back upstairs to get ready (he's not allowed upstairs). Take him for a walk. Back by 830 when he has breakfast.

Between around 9 and 12 he probably half sleeps and half plays.

12 lunch, on the weekend he walks again at 3pm and during working week it's nearer 430pm. About half the time between lunch and walk he's asleep.

Dinner at 5/530pm. Awake till 7 when he starts dozing then fully asleep for the night by 9.

When he's awake he's extremely active but he is a working cocker so that's pretty typical

We are working on his walking. He likes to take us for a walk so we don't leave the house till he lets us put the lead on with no biting the lead and that can sometimes take 5/10 mins in itself but it is improving massively every day. He walks out nicely now but coming back when he's got the scent of home and knows the route, he goes like a train! His recall is fine but I know once we hit adolescence that will change! Leave it/drop also not there yet. During the day he sleeps v lightly and with one eye open!

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HappyThursdays · 29/11/2020 11:32

Also we still have wee accidents - maybe a few times a week - but it's pure laziness on his part if he's warm and comfy and can't be arsed to make it to the door!

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Sazlock · 29/11/2020 15:27

Routine - we have a nearly 16 week old lab
Wake up between 6-7 (5.30 on a bad day 😴)
Out for a wee
Breakfast at 7 (if he’ll wait that long)
Play/walk
crate while I do school run
Snoozing, quiet while I work 9.30 - 12
Lunch at 12
Longer walk after lunch
Snoozing while I work 1.30-3
School run
Dinner at 5
Play
Snoozing in living room by 8 ish
Walk/last wee
Bed at 10

Thats roughly it. I have realised this week that we are not doing enough purposeful play, training, scentwork etc so am trying to build a little in each day

Retrievemysanity · 29/11/2020 20:18

@HappyThursdays do you take your pup out for a last wee when you go to bed or are they down at 9pm and that’s it til morning?

HappyThursdays · 29/11/2020 20:32

@Retrievemysanity no, we leave him now. If he's looking a bit one eye open when we go up, we'll let him out but if he's properly asleep, we leave him till the morning but when we go down at 7 he's only just waking up and we let him out straight away to wee (just realised we are 17 weeks not 16! Coming up to 4 months next week). How are you getting on with your gorgeous one?

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newpup123 · 29/11/2020 20:51

@puppygalore have a look at AbsoluteDogs on facebook or their website. They have all sorts of videos and games aimed to make YOU more interesting than the environment on walks. I've been playing with pup and it definitely works, I can capture her attention quite well (obviously not perfectly but I'm quite happy with the progress taking into account her age)

newpup123 · 29/11/2020 21:14

18 week cocker spaniel routine:

Weekdays

7.45 - I come downstairs with the kids dressed. Straight out for wee & poo. Pup is a bit hyper - kids throw kibble for her to sniff out.

8.30 - school run. Sometimes I take her on short lead, sometimes left with a yoghurt lickimat . Choice depends on craziness levels and if my Y1 DD is happy to be left at gate to playground or wants me to come to her door.

9am - back from school if she didn't come with me. walk on long line or play games on field for half hour. There's a field right outside my front door so it's all very easy. Often run into familiar faces/dogs now so she may play. If I take her to school I take the long route back and it's a lead training walk with lots of chicken

9.30 - chill in kitchen, I go upstairs to work

10am DH gets up and will let her out for a wee while he has breakfast.

11 - 1pm depends on my meetings - out for a wee & quick play between calls. At some point I have hour lunch break for walk, games, often a cuddle on sofa.

1 - into crate with her lunch on lickimat. I work & do school pick up (she can't come as I can't take her into playground for pick up).

3.30 - get home with kids & out of crate. Play with her inside or on field. Potter around kitchen. Watch me make dinner. She lies on her bed at the end of the table while we eat - i tie her lead to the kitchen table leg to prevent any jumping up or messing with our feet.

6pm - into crate while I do bath & bed with kids upstairs.

7.30/8pm- out of crate. Do my head in for an hour or so trying to chew everything except her many chews. Try to play but she's generally too annoying. Sometimes DH will take her out for quick walk round the block. Between 9&9.30 she'll eventually crash out.

10pm - out for wee and into crate. She sleeps all night without a sound 😇

Weekends aren't too dissimilar but generally involve a longer lunch time walk and then a couple of hours in her crate while we all watch a film. Today we walked in the woods 1-3pm, home & bathed and then she slept 4-6pm.

Reading the above back I can see why I'm not getting much work done 😂😂

Retrievemysanity · 29/11/2020 21:39

@HappyThursdays ah, interesting. He sleeps quite a long time then without a wee. Retrieverpup will be 15 weeks tomorrow. She still leaves us a wee on the floor overnight and she has her last one around 10pm and is up at 7am for one. Getting on ok thanks, but not yet let her off lead and I find the jumping up at people when out on walks stressful! Latest pic attached!

Puppy survival thread October/November!
puppygalore · 29/11/2020 22:03

@newpup123 I actually bought their Lead Off Game On stuff! So far zero effect though. I'm wondering if to get the Sexier than a Squirrel I keep getting advertised every time I go on social media!

@HappyThursdays I'm sure you'll get on fine, if there's a bit of barking or fussing at the classes that's only to be expected really and I bet nobody will mind whatever happens. We managed 1 face to face session before second lockdown hit and Pup did bark a little bit there was another puppy there who barked non-stop and nobody blinked an eye. It was just tricky to hear the instructor because it was such a massive room and we were all hugely distanced, but apart from that I was actually really glad to let Pup hear and see all other puppy behaviours.

@Puppypuppypuppy we are at 5 months. Our routine is a bit bizarre and I'm actually worried Pup is having too much sleep if that's possible. She just loves to nap! Today she's basically slept all day bar a drive out to a country park and a walk til 2.30, she went right back down as soon as we got home, quick wake up for tea and wee around 8, and was fast asleep by 9.30pm. Weird. Anyway, our loose weekday routine is as follows:

7.45/8 get her up, 10-15 min walk then breakfast. If it's not raining this is scattered over the lawn as she prefers to work for her food. She's usually tired quite quickly so goes back into her crate for a nap by 8.30 while I do school run.

8.30-10 (ish) sleeps. Sometimes wakes up before even an hour is up and will be super grumpy. If she makes it to 1.5 hours she'll be a bit nicer!

10.30/11 we go for our main walk, time varies depending on where we go. Usually about 35-45 mins. We practise some 'heel' at the start and end, just a few mins. The rest of the time I tend to let her have a good snuffle around the paths.

12-1.30 sleeps, then has lunch when she wakes up. Either out of a puzzle feeder or off the lawn/patio. Then a few training games if she's in a good mood.

2.45 in crate for nap while I do school pick up

4-5 plays in the garden while I'm doing kids tea, homework etc. If I have chance I'll try to work on 'drop' and 'fetch'. If kids need me then she has a little meat or cheese spread snack out of her Trixie snake or a Kong. Then usually naps again around 5. Sometimes doesn't depending on what's going on, if H arrives home and she gets excited, kids are loud etc. If she doesn't nap at this time she'll be very snappy!

6ish if she's napped then she gets up now for a play, or has a pizzle/bully stick and I encourage a 'calm settle' if kids are with us. They usually hide upstairs though as she's still so jumpy at them. Tea around 7, usually this is straight from the bowl as at this point of the evening she doesn't want to work for it.

7.30 into crate for nap and we can then do kids bedtime. Usually she will stay asleep til I wake her at 9 for bedtime wee.

Weekends are a bit different as she has started to lie in past 8.30am, we tend to go for a big lunchtime walk so we skip the quick morning walk.

For those of you who are worried about naps, I really recommend 'enforced naps', it was a game changer here. 1 hour awake then into crate for nap. Sounds mean but it's just so helpful for us as Pup isn't great yet at knowing when or how to switch off. Sometimes she'll go to 1.5 hours awake but I can always tell when she's overtired and she's sort of grateful to be told 'go to bed'!

Mummyme87 · 29/11/2020 22:53

c4itl let me know if you need a 50% off voucher for butternut box. Absolutely recommend it

newpup123 · 29/11/2020 23:20

@puppygalore I have the sexier than a squirrel one & boundary games. Only about half way through STAS. I suspect a lot of the games are basically variations on the same theme!

Redandblue11 · 30/11/2020 10:01

@newpup123 I just googled the sexier than a squirrel, what is your opinion? And what age do you start?
I have an 8 week lab, second night at home so I suspect too early?
Thanks

newpup123 · 30/11/2020 10:11

[quote Redandblue11]@newpup123 I just googled the sexier than a squirrel, what is your opinion? And what age do you start?
I have an 8 week lab, second night at home so I suspect too early?
Thanks[/quote]
It's a good price at the moment and once you buy you have lifetime access. So I would say there's no harm in getting it now and starting earlier. Obviously pup won't "get" it all straight away but on the other hand will likely learn quicker than some older dogs. I started at about 12 weeks and am just taking it slowly, I like some of the principles but it's not taking over my life or the only way I train.

newpup123 · 30/11/2020 10:13

[quote Redandblue11]@newpup123 I just googled the sexier than a squirrel, what is your opinion? And what age do you start?
I have an 8 week lab, second night at home so I suspect too early?
Thanks[/quote]
They also have an "absolute puppy" package which may be more appropriate for you?

Puppypuppypuppy · 30/11/2020 10:45

Thanks for all the routines - they all sleep much more than mine! We tried out enforced naps over the weekend and it worked well if the house was pretty quiet but with comings and goings he didn't manage longer than an hour. I am thinking if I can try and do it this week when things are quiet and I am working he might get more into the swing of it.

We have finally managed to get him back into the car pretty happily building up to it v slowly with loads of chicken! am starting to feel more confident about managing him out and about and keeping him calm with treats etc. The toilet training has been a bit of a disaster over the weekend though. He's pretty much secure with poos but wees are so hit and miss - sometimes he askes to go out, sometimes he does it on the way to the garden door, sometimes he just gets overexcited and wees, especially with cat/dog interaction.

newpup123 · 30/11/2020 10:52

@Puppypuppypuppy if we're not going out at nap time I put a towel over the crate and the radio on. Just to muffle the sounds of the kids and stop them making eye contact 😂😂

PugInTheHouse · 30/11/2020 10:57

9 week old pug, been with us since Tuesday. He is amazing at night and just goes off to crate when he's tired. He slept from 11pm to 430am, had a wee/poo then slept till we got up about 715 He's been going around 4 hrs at a time since the firt night he came home so we really can't complain.

Wee/poos on pee pad at back door but have been told by lots of people on MN he should be going outside, tried that yesterday which was ok but now being told he shouldn'y be out in the garden till after 2nd jabs so I am now really worried I have exposed him to fox diseases etc.

He hates having his wrinkles cleaned and sulks every time we try, any tips for that would be great!

Cats are nervous of him, 1 of them is spending more time in the lounge when hes there, the other one will now look at him for short periods of time. They are calm around him so I am hopeful it will all be ok