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

Thanks everyone! He’s so cute, his ears flop down when he’s tired and when he’s just woken up! Does anyone have any advice on how to stop pup from barking at other dogs whilst out on walks? Me and dp know he’s only wanting to play and be friendly but because he’s a GSD people look at us a bit funny....

I think the idea is to ignore the barking and reward calm behaviour. Also if he's getting stressed by other dogs then maybe stay further back for a while until he can be calm

@MumofaBear I'm currently trying to do the same...

Best advice I've had has been to train a "look" from the pup. So.. get pup to sit, get a treat in your hand, and make sure pup sniffs your hand to know it's there.
Stand in front of pup. And extend treat arm to your side, shoulder height.

Pup will inevitably stare at your hand... when he glances back to you, praise, then bring the treat to the Center of your chest and lower it to him from there (don't treat directly from the side)

Work in the word "look" as you do it... and eventually pup will learn that looking at you gets a treat

Then as you are out on a walk, do it with no distractions - say look as you walk along, and then treat from your hand by your leg when he looks. Build it to scenarios with distractions - so when he looks at any other person or dog say look, he looks to you and gets a treat

Hopefully pup learns that when you say look = food, which is more exciting than a dog they can't play with... and i think the theory is that ok a walk they will eventually learn that when they look at another person or dog they will automatically look at you, for praise/treat!

Thats my understanding at least, please-anyone who knows better then please correct me. Ive pieced my understanding together from training classes and my own thoughts...

@newpup123 thanks have been trying to incorporate that into his walks so for example I just continue to walk on and try to act like nothing is happening when he barks, although it’s hard to ignore it when people are giving you evils!

@ZombiePara thanks for the advice I’ll give that a go, he’s quick and eager to learn so hopefully that will go well!!

I do worry about his socialisation a bit as I’m From N.Ireland and we’re back into lockdown for four weeks and puppy classes are all done by zoom and have been for a few months now and everything I read online (maybe not the best idea as this sometimes sends my anxiety into overdrive!) suggests the socialisation cut off is at 16 weeks. We have had a few play dates with other family members and friends dogs as I’m really want him to be a content and sociable dog!

Can I ask you all about socialisation? We’ve got a sling and taken puppy out in it a couple of times but he’s not been keen. It’s been absolutely filthy weather here over the weekend so haven’t done any going out but I feel like I need to start getting out and about next week. How have you done this? Have your pups been happy to be outside or not? If unhappy do you persevere or just do little and often?

@Puppypuppypuppy can I ask why you’ve brought your puppy out in a sling as opposed to a lead?
Total novice here by the way am just intrigued as to how you managed to get your puppy into a sling in the first place- our pup is 14 weeks old and even getting a leash on him is hard work I couldn’t even imagine trying to get him into a sling plus he’s hefty out so we wouldn’t be able to carry him plus he’s bitey
Hard to socialise them in times of Covid with the restrictions. We’ve just been going to our local park as there’s lots of other dogs around (am just terrified we’ll come across a nasty one) but we’ve had so many adults and children come right up to him and just rub him without even asking us if it’s ok first.
Is this normal of people? Any way to deter it (in a nice way)

Not sure how old puppypup is but maybe in a sling as can’t go for walks yet? We had mummypup in a rucksack until mid week as only just been able to go out. Good for getting them out and about for socialising pre vaccinations.

We start puppy classes tonight. Bit nervous that she will be a liability

good luck with the puppyclasses @mummyme87!

@newpup123 your dog is probably brighter than puppythursday but he never got the hang of the bells . He just randomly tried to eat them and they now hang there on a different door! He just sits at the door and we let him out every hour or so. He circles if he wants a poo but generally does them now first thing in the morning and late afternoon.

I got him a Halti harness which has pissed him off no end but he did walk slightly better on it but they are still tiny walks in the greater scheme of things. I am getting concerned about his lack of interaction with other dogs too. Our puppy classes only start mid November as that's all we could get (all the others were full).

@newpup123 Grannypup has bells and does use them She picked it up very quickly. The downside is sometimes she rings them because she knows that I'll leave whatever I'm doing to let her out - and you can't ignore those times as they need to learn that the bell opens the door. If she is desperate she swipes at them continuously until I get there.
They are useful if the door to get to the garden is not in the main living space

He’s 10 weeks so not vaccinated yet

Hi all and oh my gosh what a lot of new puppy cuteness!

Things are still a bit crazy here, the jumping up when she's excited needs some attention but that's the main problem. Nipping and biting is much, much less. She can now jump on the sofa so that's going to be an issue as I'd originally thought I wouldn't let her up on furniture. However now it's come to it, I really can't be bothered with the battle so I think I'm just going to let her have claim to a chair and be done with it. The kids are mostly still upstairs to get away from her jumpiness so I don't really need it!

Laytonpup will be going out tomorrow for a walk for the first time. I have no idea what to expect, would like to have some tips with what to do.. we never owned a dog and I am anxious about our walk tomorrow.

I'm not sure we are best placed as PuppyThursday is totally overexcitable all the time on walks!

where are you going for your first walk? One tip is to keep it short so the first walk is fun and not a chore. Keep treats in your pocket. Keep calling their name so they look at you and check in with you. And go home if he's not having fun and not enjoying it.

I just took puppy out for 5 mins on his lead (as we are trying to learn not to throttle ourselves, though we are making v v little progress). We met another dog, same size for a change, and he went absolutely off and into one. He was playing I could tell but he's so boisterous. He was growling, then whimpering, then trying to jump all over the other dog and play who was having none of it (I did ask first before we approached and explained he was a puppy). His puppy classes can't come a moment too soon and we've still got 3.5 weeks before they start!

@ProfessorLayton1 best advice I had was don't expect too much. Let them have a snuffle around. Don't expect to go very far! High value treats were helpful here. We used roast chicken and hot dog for the first few weeks, now she's happy with regular old treats and still gives me attention (well when she feels like it!) I quite quickly built up a 'getting ready' routine first, so sit for a treat near the back door. Sit and treat for lead on. Pausing. Sit treat for door closing. Me doing up my coat. Sit treat for gate opening. Wait while I lock gate. So on and so on with whatever tiny stages you can think of. It really helps her with her brain focussing on the next sit and treat rather than 'OHMYGOD ITS A WALK A WALK WE ARE GOING OUT ARRGH' type of madness. Step by step, constantly getting her attention, getting her to sit. We do the same arriving back at home too otherwise she'd drag me off my feet to get back to her precious pee area!

I also got her familiar with a 'ch-ch' noise, 'heel' and 'slow', as my trainer showed me, so she knows if she hears that during the walk if she slows down or whatever, that's good behaviour and a treat is coming. If she pulls I change direction to refocus her brain. It meant for weeks we basically just walked round the immediate neighbouring houses and streets back and forth, but now she'll go further, pulling is much reduced, we can take her into fields and footpaths, near other dogs, ducks etc and she will be quite good. Not done off lead yet as I don't trust her that much!

Here's a pic as I've not done one in a while, at 2 months and now at 4 months. She's bonkers but I love her so much.

What time are you feeding your puppies? Pup has breakfast around 7-8am and has lunch between 12-1 and dinner around 5/6pm but he never eats a lot at dinner (maybe 2 mouthfuls at most).

His largest meal is breakfast.

He's an ok weight (in fact the vet said he's a large dog for his breed/age) but he's not eating anywhere near the amount the tins/kibble suggests.

(He's just gone 12 weeks)

@newpup123 what do they think is wrong with pup's tum? Must be v frustrating for you. We still go through phases of it but I think a lot of it is him eating crap in the garden like grass etc

HappyThursdays our pup (16 weeks) eats around those same times. He’s a greedy lab so he wolfs down every meal in 10 secs and then comes sniffing around us expecting more, not that he ever gets it.

Walks are going well for us here, loose lead walking when on the pavement and then we have a green area (we’re on a new build estate) and he explores more on there. We haven’t tried off the estate yet, we’ve got the beach and lots of woodland round here so we’ll have a lot of choice when he’s bigger and go further.

@HappyThursdays breakfast around 8, lunch around 2, snack around 5pm, tea/supper around 9pm. I've previously found the later I feed her, the longer she sleeps in the morning. However that's been different with the time change. She was doing so well getting up at 7.30, then the clocks went back so we are currently back at 6.30 wake ups :(

Hello all, can I join the thread? First time dog owner here and have a 10 week golden retriever pup. She’s the cutest thing ever but omg the biting!!! It’s horrific. The only thing that distracts her for a sustained period is food-either a chew or lickimat type thing but I feel all she does is eat most of her waking day which can’t be good. We’ve got a playpen so she goes in there when the kids are around as they get upset by it but I’m finding half term very tricky so far. Please tell me it gets better/ I’m not a nasty dog mummy!

Hi @Retrievemysanity and honestly don’t worry the biting does ease off! Bearpup bit me nonstop, nothing could deter him and I was at my wits end and felt like I couldn’t bond with him, but the best advice I got was that when they’re manically biting and not listing to you, it probably means they’re tired!! I did enforced (sounds harsher than it is) naps. So every two hours of him being awake I told him to get into bed, he’s brilliant with his crate and absolutely loves it, and off he tottered and I calmly sat in the kitchen with him and off to sleep he went. Then when he gets up we do training, a small walk (before he could go for walks I would carry him outside just to get him out and about) and some play and then back off to bed he goes. I found this made a massive difference to how much he bit. And for the evenings when he gets a bit “zoomie” I give him a kong with frozen banana and peanut butter or even some of his food frozen in it And I found that really occupies him and helps him with his teething!

Ah, thanks @MumofaBear. One of the issues I have is that Retrieverpup will do some training 5-10 mins or so after a nap or have her food but then start biting so I’m never 100 per cent sure it’s because she’s tired or not! But she will fall asleep after barking a bit if she is in the pen and we aren’t interacting with her so maybe she is. She doesn’t do 2 hour stretches awake, it’s max 1 hour at a time and that tends to be if she’s in her buggy (too big to carry!) or in the car.

Hi everyone. I'm just reading this. I'm far too early as the people we will be getting a dog from the mum isnt even season yet, let alone pregnant but it will happen! It is family friends who have bred dogs for years. I'm so excited.

Hi please can I join? We have a lovely lab puppy who, aside from the biting, is settling in to our lives like a pro.

I wanted to ask opinion on leaving the puppy in the house... what age did you start doing this and how long for?

Currently we leave the puppy in the kitchen area for an hour or so while we are upstairs bathing the kids and doing bed time and also during the day at various points if we are in the shower etc. and this is fine, no accidents yet and there isn't nothing in there we would be upset if it got chewed! I'm soon going to have the kids back at school and husband back at work and I'm wondering if I can leave puppy at home for a couple of hours while I do the school run in the afternoon (morning isn't an issue but I have to pick up from two locations in the afternoon and the puppy would just have to stay in the car which I'm not happy about)!

Hello, I’d love to join please, if that’s ok ? We have an 11 week old lab pup. Beautiful boy. First dog so trying to learn and get used to everything. He’s very bitey - was really useful to see messages above re tiredness as that makes a lot of sense. Main issue that am trying to work out how to deal with is barking whenever I leave the room. He’s in a pen which has his crate in and toys etc and is taken out for frequent wanders round the garden and playing etc
I’m at home the vast majority of the time as have worked from home for a few years now so he’s not been left alone in the house at all yet (we’ve had him about 10 days).
We start online training classes on Fri so am hoping it’ll give us some confidence about best way to bring him up.

I'm exhausted today.

Puppy is just so full on. The days are long and I don't know how to fill them! Games, training etc only last so long. How do you teach them to just chill the fuck out 🤷‍♀️

@achangeisasgoodas I've been leaving puppy for a while from day 1. In the crate not free to roam though. I was upstairs working for 2 hours today and she didn't cry or seem distressed.

That's good to know thank you!

I'm sorry you're finding it so exhausting, it is relentless isn't it.

I keep reading the lovely threads about these amazing family dogs and thinking we will get there one day!