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

Yes I think similar @GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat . I saw your post about him vomiting after the trainer and I think that high frequency of treats quickly can affect them. I don't know if yours would feel a treat was kibble but if so, that might work in the interim. Having said that, we walked past the vet and the receptionist came out to say hello to dpup and told us they've had a few in with stomach bugs so maybe that's it.

@ashmts @PugInTheHouse I found other people were a bigger problem. Early doors we had a 3 yr old literally accost the puppy while he was under our table in a cafe. And it was when he was at his biting worst! The mother just sat on the phone and in the end, I had to pull the dog away as she was putting her face right into his. So don't be afraid to say 'that's enough' if you feel people are just getting a bit too much. I am constantly amazed how other people and parents allow their children to approach dogs they don't know. I certainly wouldn't!

@ashmts, redpup is just short of 11 weeks and I have taken him three times to cafes and twice to a pub for lunch. In all occasions after one of his meals and made sure he first went to the toilet in my garden. He was always good as gold and I took a soft bed and sat him on a chair and he remained there happy, in one occasion I put the bed under the table with a collar to the leg abs again he just stayed there, he was curious and was trying to smell and some people stopped to say hello to him, he gave a few licks but remained there.
The other day I took him in a 6 min train ride too. He just sat there looking and smelling.
It is not the easiest to carry him as he is a lab retriever but for me him being able to sit politely in social venues is paramount due to my way of life, hence I have been putting a lot of effort on that.
This Thursday he will be able to walk on pavements, I can’t wait as is tricky to carry him.
On the not so good , he is obsessed with trying to chew the corner of one of my chairs ... I try distracting him, giving him better options etc ...but he keeps going back ...

There he is in his first train ride .

I am on day 5 of my new puppy. My goodness this is hard. Please someone tell me it gets better. I’m utterly sleep deprived. Housework has gone out the window and I live alone so no one to share the burden with

Trip to the pub was relatively successful. We took a cow ear and she sat and chewed it the whole time. It was quite a smelly one though, next time we'll be taking a less smelly chew. It was very very quiet which wasn't ideal for getting her used to the environment but maybe it was a blessing? Work her up slowly. There were only two other groups so nobody came over to see her except one of the waiters.

@Redandblue11 it's very important to me too that she's able to come to pubs and cafes, I don't want to be trapped in the house with her or constantly leaving her alone when she's bigger. Due to unexpected illness in the first few weeks (DP then me) and then lockdown we've not been able to take her anywhere up till now so I was a bit worried but she was fine. She's a wee sociable pup so hopefully the socialisation window closing soon won't cause issues. It's more about keeping her calm around lots of people.

@HappyThursdays I've had exactly the same experience, wee tots coming up to her arms outstretched and parents looking on smiling. I always warn them that she's just a puppy and still quite jumpy and excitable, usually the response is 'oh we have dogs, they're used to it'. You just never know with strange dogs though, I don't know why they're so calm. Fortunately she's not nipped any children and she seems to be past the worst of the biting so I'm more relaxed now.

@Hellin301 Oh goodness, it must be tough doing it alone. I was at breaking point and I have a partner. As I mentioned he was unwell the first couple of weeks and I really struggled doing all the care 24/7. It really does get easier, for us it was once she could go for walks. What breed is your puppy? Have you got family or friends who could sit with her/him while you catch up on sleep or dishes?

Great outing with pugpup. DS2 took him in a little dog papoose thing. He seemed to like it. He slept for ages then sat on the bench seat with us ate his lunch then just sat and had cuddles. We were put from 1220 to 330 and he just had a wee and poo as soon as we got home.

Its great to know he'll go in the carrier as when he is bigger he will still be limited on how far he can walk due to his breed so hopefully we can go further with him and carry him when need be.

Bought an antler and some chews today. We put the antler on the floor and he backed away and barked at it. We had some puppy detail chews too, it didn't say an age on the website and I gave it to him, he loved it. Dh said to check how much he was allowed of it, I looked and saw it said only from 4 months upwards and for bigger than 5kg! I took it away and he was sniffing and looking for it for about 20 mins. I feel awful. It was perfect to stop him biting.

He is now used to the antler and is chewing it. Not quite as much fun as the dental chew as its much harder and a bit too big for him Does anyone know if there are baby dental chews he can have?

Can I join? Pup is 10 weeks old, border terrier. He’s been home with us a week... feeling like @Hellin301!!
Lost our elderly border beginning of November and felt utterly lost, house was empty ... feel like I can’t remember anything from his puppy days! Was he really this bitey?!
Like @PugintheHouse we have tried the antler chew and he’s not into it, Pet shop advised there is nothing else for his age to help with the chewing. Resorted to a chilled carrot last night but that gave him a loose stool this morning..any ideas?!
Starting to wonder if I’ve got a faulty one!! 🤣

@Mrswhirley Sorry to hear you lost your dog recently. They really are part of the family.

One of my friends recommended the Nylabone teething ring, her cavapoo loved it. Our spaniel couldn't be less interested in chewing it but will chase it round the wooden floor. The best thing I've found for her chewing is a root chew (I got Antos brand off Amazon), she'll chew that for ages. We also soak and freeze a teatowel and she'll chew on that for her sore teeth. @PugInTheHouse Kong do a dental stick that you can stuff with your own treats. It gets variable reviews, we've not tried it yet but have it in the cupboard.

Think a lot of dogs are ok with raw carrot but we were advised to only give cooked vegetables (softer so no choking hazard and easier to digest). If he's ever hoovered up a raw piece of carrot by accident, it comes out in his poo undigested so maybe it was too much for his tum @Mrswhirley

@PugInTheHouse the good news is that he will chew something! It will be hit and miss now as every dog is different - mine never got on with the kong chews but some love them. I am sure there must be chews for his size and age - have you got a pets at home near you so you can have a browse?

@HappyThursdays u did a click and collect from Pets at Home but will pop in there to have a proper look. I found the info re the age, it was in the nutrition section which only shows if pyu click on it, as it was under the puppy bit I didn't think to check. Hopefully he will get on with the antler now hea not barking at it I wish I had thought to video it, it was hilarious.

Poor puglet and the antler!

HI everyone. We got a 12 and a bit week old collie yesterday. Someone had rehomed him for 3 weeks then decided it was too much for them so we took him in
I've done alot of reading up on him, have contacted some trainers but obviously feel pretty clueless at the moment!
My nerves are in bit!!

@Redandblue11 he looks gorgeous btw! Brave boy!

Pug pup in his papoose

Thank you @HappyThursdays, I love him to bits

I was told by the vets no to carrots yet as they contain sugar, so he is too young for them. Vets said from 4 months onwards.
@Whataroyalannoyance, aw well done for rehoming pup. Has pup suffered any neglect or simply was too much? He must have been young when taken out the litter ...
I feel you probably need to call for some help. I spoke to wood green animal shelter and a dog behaviourist gave me loads of tips (no charge, only a donation if we could), I asked for tips as redpup was so nervous around adults, he is way better now.

@Redandblue11

Thank you *@HappyThursdays*, I love him to bits

I was told by the vets no to carrots yet as they contain sugar, so he is too young for them. Vets said from 4 months onwards.
@Whataroyalannoyance, aw well done for rehoming pup. Has pup suffered any neglect or simply was too much? He must have been young when taken out the litter ...
I feel you probably need to call for some help. I spoke to wood green animal shelter and a dog behaviourist gave me loads of tips (no charge, only a donation if we could), I asked for tips as redpup was so nervous around adults, he is way better now.

Thanks for that. Not badly treated, just didn't have enough time for him and had underestimated what they had taken on. To be honest I think the same right now. But we will keep going. I have emailed a few trainers to get booked in as soon as possible. I'll look the place up that you suggested!! Thank you

@Whataroyalannoyance well done you for taking him on. Our neighbours had a collie and he reminds me a bit of our pup (a v energetic working cocker). I think collies are fabulous dogs but do need training and you're at the perfect time to start!

How was his first night?

@PugInTheHouse love his little papoose and it looks like he loves it too!

@HappyThursdays he loves it, fell asleep in it very quickly, he likes his head and paw poking out bless him.

[quote HappyThursdays]@Whataroyalannoyance well done you for taking him on. Our neighbours had a collie and he reminds me a bit of our pup (a v energetic working cocker). I think collies are fabulous dogs but do need training and you're at the perfect time to start!

How was his first night?

@PugInTheHouse love his little papoose and it looks like he loves it too! [/quote]
His first night was worryingly good. Went down 12 till 6.
I'm still trying to figure out the best routine for him.

The biting and chewing: we have these toys (Amazon) which seem to entertain GeorgiePup

I got a new chew for Frenchpup on Friday, she loved it. It was beef flavoured, but it stank to high heaven. DH complained so I put it away inside a freezer bag to be brought out in biting emergencies. Unfortunately even through a freezer bag and in the cupboard we could still smell it so it's gone in the bin.

What is the difference between mouthing / teething and biting with intent.
This evening the pup has been bitey. Intentionally and not in a chewing way but more snappy.

When GeorgiePup gets like that he’s almost certainly overtired and best left to snooze. The mouthing and accidental nipping is caused by teething pain.

He tends to gets zoomies and scary eyes alongside it! A good nap and he’s a different puppy. He’s calm, listens and plays nicely.

@GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat we have those toys, he loves the carrot and the wheel the most, he also likes to wee on the wheel! Pugpup definitely gets crazy when he is getting tired, he gets the zoomies and just runs round in circles skidding everywhere as hes going too fast for the corners. Being a pug he's eyes and ears go all over the place and he generally just zooms right off into his crate to go to sleep.

He gets very jumpy and snappy too, it seems different to the chewing. The antler definitely helped though.