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Puppy Survival Thread - December

702 replies

Hellin301 · 13/12/2020 13:11

Day 5 of new puppy and I’m wondering what possessed me to go through all this Hmm he’s a little devil at times, most of the time actually with odd moments of cuteness

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19
Doje · 16/12/2020 16:53

Joining! On day 4.... pup is doing well, but is frustrating at times! Last night's 'witching hour' was intense! And boy an I fed up of standing in the rain for 20 minutes waiting for him to poo, only for him to crap in the dining room 10 seconds later...

PoleToPole · 16/12/2020 16:54

Also, if VanPup is food motivated, it will be ever easier - just have whoever you want him to go to hold a treat, and then do the "go to...".

Once he starts picking it up, get the person to crouch down with their back to you, and pretend to be absorbed in something, then whisper, "go to..." to VanPup.
I have always found that puppies love sneak attacking someone like that, and PolePup never likes to miss and opportunity for a stealth lick attack!
The you can try it with them in another room but in sight, and finally when they are out of sight. With the out of sight, say "where`s...?" then pause slightly to give him time to listen/think/sniff , then say "go to....."
That can lead nicely onto a "find X" command, which can be used for toys, leads, people, and finally onto longer distance finding (in the garden, around the house, v fun for hide and seek) and eventually tracking if you are interested in it. At that point it gets a bit more involved, but very fun.

PoleToPole · 16/12/2020 16:57

One other thing, if he is food motivated, but you dont want to give too many treats, a jar of frozen baby food, or if you cant find any with ingredients suitable for dogs empty it out and refill with wet dog food blended to a paste and then frozen.
Then you can offer a few licks of the jar as a reward every time. Also very, very useful for walking to heel, as a few licks can be had as a reward for staying close. A trainer mentioned it to me years ago and it has been so useful.

PoleToPole · 16/12/2020 17:03

I never, ever use force or punishment, but I do use "no" as I find it very useful.
Never in an angry/corrective way, but in a "no not quite" sort of guiding way.
So "yes!!!" when he gets something right, and "no" when hes not on the right track, so "no, thats not DH. Go to DH" and then "Yes!!!! Thats right!!!! That`s DH" when he gets it.

I find using no and yes makes training much, much more easily understood.

PoleToPole · 16/12/2020 17:06

CarolEffingBaskin - welcome, and how exciting!! Smile No advice on girls Im afraid as I have always chosen male dogs. I have fostered adult females, but not really the same thing. My most used thing for the first week was a puppy playpen, I dont crate train my dogs, and the playpen is so useful for if I need to do something so that I know pup is safe.

PoleToPole · 16/12/2020 17:07

Welcome everyone else too Smile

HappyThursdays · 16/12/2020 17:44

Those are really useful training tips @PoleToPole. Ours is not majorly food motivated which I found interesting. My other dogs were massively food motivated which made training so much easier tbh. This one will turn his nose up at food after a few seconds so we've had to use ball and cuddles instead! He also won't do tricks but he is a working dog and has the mentality of one!

PoleToPole · 16/12/2020 18:30

Thanks @HappyThursdays Smile theyve always worked for me and my dogs, but I think its about finding something which works for you and that youre comfortable with.

I have never got on with clickers, but I use "yes" as a vocal marker, so same principle, just a vocal "yes" instead of a click.
I always try and make sure the first thing I do is start bonding with my dogs, and building their confidence. Once youve won your dogs heart, trust and respect, the rest is easy.

I have only ever once raised my voice to a dog, and that was to a dog (Pit Bull) who was attacking one of my fosters, who thankfully recovered. Sadly I live in a place where Pit Bulls are legal and where there are a lot of irresponsible dog owners. Fantastic combination Hmm

PoleToPole · 16/12/2020 18:31

Well, easier, comparatively speaking!! Grin

PoleToPole · 16/12/2020 18:34

And yes, I know exactly what you mean about working dogs and tricks, PoleDog is the same.

newpup123 · 16/12/2020 22:54

@HappyThursdays that sounds like great progress!!

Redandblue11 · 16/12/2020 23:05

@PoleToPole, great training tip Smile. We have had our pup working lab retriever for under three weeks, and he is our first dog. And considering we are absolutely novices in this area I am amazed at the number of things he can already do: come, sit (for quite a long period of time and stay sat even when the cat walks in the room), paw, fetch, drop (not consistent), toilet he mastered in 2 days now toilets on demand pretty much and tells us when needs the toilet. As I said I never expected to be able to teach that much in less than 3 weeks.
However , I am not sure how to teach him to calm down. Or when ds comes in the morning downstairs he gets so excited to see him that he jumps on him, so I am working very hard on that, also the stay command, so if we are sat at the table I want him not around us looking for attention.
You mentioned you never use punishment or raise the voice. Is there a book or how do you teach them to calm or if they have already got too boisterous with a child, how do you stop that?
I am pretty sure pup will learn that, is that is me who doesn’t know how to teach that yet.

PoleToPole · 17/12/2020 02:10

Thanks @Redandblue11 Smile. It sounds like RedPup is going great guns and doing brilliantly!

With your DS coming down in the morning, I would redirect his energy. So when your DS is about to come down, have a toy at the top of the stairs for your DS to pick up on the way down.
Then say something like "Hey RedPup, DS is coming down now! Quick, get a toy!"
You have a toy ready too (I usually use a rope toy or a ball) and pass it to Pup, let him bounce up and greet your DS, and get your DS to get him to sit, and the throw/roll his toy or ball for him.

Each time Pup starts getting too boisterous, say "RedPup! Over here, grab a toy RedPup" and have a toy ready to give him, then "yes! That`s right! Take the toy to DS". Then get your DS to get him to sit before throwing/rolling the toy.

The idea is to get Pup to get a toy to take to your DS every time he wants to play rather than launching straight in with boisterous play, and getting him to sit each time gives him time to pause and calm a bit with a command he already knows well.

After a while, you can phase out both of you having a toy, and let RedPup find a toy to grab by himself, and as he gets into a routine of taking a toy to someone if he wants to play, he should pick up that play with your DS isn`t boisterous, its toy orientated.

As an aside, if he doesn`t already know "get a toy" its a very useful and quick one to teach - also keeps puppy teeth occupied at times when they might otherwise get bitey or boisterous!
Its usually fairly easy to teach, just "RedPup, grab a toy!" and pass him a toy, then "yes! Well done!" And again and again passing a toy, then pointing at a toy and letting him get it, and then letting him do it all by himself. I would use that to redirect boisterous behaviour too.

All that does depend on your DS being old enough and willing to stick with it, but I have found redirecting energy is usually a fairly fast working thing. If your DS isn`t able to assist, you can do just your part, and that will work too, although it may take a little bit longer.

For eating meals, our house is pretty open plan, but we have dog beds/a piece of vet bed and blankets in every room in a nook or corner.
I use "on your bed" for when we are doing something like eating or playing a board game. I find that a stay in place command works better for longer periods than just a "stay". Its just an extension of "stay" and once they`ve got that stay in place is usually quick to teach.

For teaching "calm down" I pick a time when Pup is getting a bit sleepy, and plodding about a bit.
Get him to come to you (or go to him) and get him to sit, then stroke him, rub his ears, whatever he likes slowly and soothingly, and say "calm down, thats right, yes, calm dooooooooown" and keep doing that until Pup relaxes. Keep doing it when Pup is getting sleepy, and then when hes awake but not tired.
Gradually start doing it when he is increasingly energetic, keep getting him to come to you, or go to him, get him to sit, stroke him and "caaaaaaaalm down, easy, that`s right, caaaaaaaalm down, yes, good boy" in a soothing tone.

After a little while you should be able to do it when he`s overexcited with the same effect. I do it with PolePup in the middle of zoomies if he gets a bit hyper, and it gets him to pause, take a few breaths and calm, so although he can be right back to playing, its taken it down quite a few levels, iyswim Smile

PoleToPole · 17/12/2020 02:18

I havent ever used a book to train, I grew up watching my parents train working dogs, and I have never heard either of them ever raise a voice to any dog, or punish them. I have also fostered an awful lot of dogs, and had many of my own since Ive been an adult, and I think that helps hugely as you are always re-evaluating, and learning and improving, and thinking of ways to work through things.
So I guess thats a long winded way of saying I am not sure which books to recommend, but Im sure others on this thread will have some good suggestions Smile

PoleToPole · 17/12/2020 02:19

Sorry that was long! Blush

PoleToPole · 17/12/2020 02:23

Those are just suggestions of what has worked well for me with my dogs and fosters, I think it gets much easier quite fast as you hit your stride with training, and I think a lot of that is not second guessing yourself. Which is so, so much easier than done. Puppys are quite an undertaking!

Frenchfancy · 17/12/2020 05:19

@PoleToPole those are great tips thanks. Frenchpup is doing really well. She can do sit, down, place, fetch, to me (to put toy and ball in my hand) hand (to touch my hand) . I'm going to try grab a ball next.

I've been using YouTube videos, I like Nate Schoemer and McCann dogs, but I much prefer to hear from someone who gives real tips for real life.

PugInTheHouse · 17/12/2020 07:10

I feel like we are seriously slacking training wise after reading all this. I finish work today so will get cracking. My main one needs to be to not chase the cats. They are so wary of him still but have figured out to stay up high. They will be in the same room with him now (and are back sleeping on my bed so next to him when he's in the crate) but the second he looks as if he's going near them on the floor they jump up high, even if he is not chasing them. I maybe was expecting too much but thought it would be better by 3 weeks of him being here. At least they have never been aggressive towards him. I feel really guilty about it though as they must be a bit pissed off!

Feeling a bit sorry for myself this morning as we have moved backwards at night. To be fair I dont think its pugpup but I am tired so maybe not waking up quick enough. I woke up at 430 this morning to him whining at me, he'd already pooed and peed in the crate. I brought him down to go then just in case but he kept crawling back on my lap to go back to sleep.

He was whining loud enough before (or I was sleeping lighter) and he'd always make it downstairs. I think I will have to set an alarm for 4ish. I would hate to wake him really but not sure what to do. Maybe if I wake myself up around then I will be in a lighter sleep?

He is doing well, last wee was about 945, he wouldn't poo but had one about 8ish so went a reasonable time.

Also there are really differing views re water, most websites say to remove water or to only offer at meal times or after exercise. We have water down all the time, we have 2 house cats also and they have a fountain (which pup uses too). Maybe this isn't helpful to him.

The good thing is that he is telling us he has weed/pooed I guess.

SpreadHummusNotHate · 17/12/2020 07:39

It’s so hard isn’t it @PugInTheHouse - always feels like one step forward and three or four back! We’ve had HummusPup for nearly 4 weeks now, we hadn’t had any toilet accidents for a week, then yesterday two wees inside and a poo this morning when we’d only just been outside Hmm. So frustrating!

PugInTheHouse · 17/12/2020 07:41

Ah @SpreadHummusNotHate so frustrating. We had a couple of accident free days then the worst day we have had straight after. We probably got too comfortable that he'd cracked it.

SpreadHummusNotHate · 17/12/2020 07:48

Yes us too! It was torrential rain here yesterday and I think she just didn’t fancy going outside Grin

SpreadHummusNotHate · 17/12/2020 08:04

Does anyone have any tips to stop puppy biting our feet/ankles? She will not swap for a toy and other advice says to walk away and shut yourself in a different room for a few minutes - finding it really hard to do that when she is attached and won’t let go!

Redandblue11 · 17/12/2020 08:43

@PoleToPole - brilliant! I really appreciate your advice Smile Flowers
I will put that into practice.

PugInTheHouse · 17/12/2020 09:46

Pugpup bites slippers/feet. We try walking away and he just holds on and comes along for the ride! He was really good at swapping biting our hands/arms this morning for toys. I had words with DH as he just let's him so he tried it and it wasn't as successful. I suspect it is because pugpup already knows DH allows it usually.

ashmts · 17/12/2020 10:27

@SpreadHummusNotHate What age is your puppy? Ours was a nightmare for nipping feet until about 13 weeks so I was wearing Ugg boots or wellies. Meant I wasn't in any pain and could keep a clear head to try the toys or step out her way. The advice to distract with a toy didn't really work on her. We did have more success with 'special toys', so a long rope toy and dressing gown cord that were kept out of her reach. She was more likely to be distracted by those cos she didn't always have them. She's 15 weeks now, she stopped biting for a bit so I had let my guard down and gone to slippers, but she grabbed onto them the other night out of the blue. I wonder if she's teething, the biting is getting a bit worse again.