Puppy Survival Thread - March - April

[PugInTheHouse]

Just starting a new thread before we run out on www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_doghouse/4141698-Puppy-Survival-Thread-January-February

Welcome to everyone trying to survive the puppy days!

Hi all, do you mind if I join you all? Have a 10 week old rough collie, had her a week and toilet training is going very badly. Our fault completely but she’s now very used to going in the house. Feeling complete puppy blues right now.

Oh @Puppalicious, you're right in the middle of it, hang on in there.

Don't worry about the toilet training, at that age I (in my experienced, one puppy view!) they haven't got the bladder control or maturity at 10 weeks to have any idea. You take them out for 45 minutes, and still they wee when they come back in!

The best thing I did was have a bit of chicken in your pocket at all times, and give them chicken whenever they wee outside. Nothing for wees inside. No chicken, no attention. Honestly though, time makes the biggest difference.

Hiya, a week isn't long! she's still a littlw baby. which bit of it going badly?

@Puppalicious We've had our pup just over a week and our toiletting is really hit and miss too! I'm just trying to keep consistent and hoping it gets better once he can hold it a bit longer. He's dry in his crate at night at least

I was really struggling initially but it got a lot better when I moved to working in the kitchen and put a baby gate on the door. It was easier to keep an eye on him and I could pop him out the back door at short notice. If he has an accident at least it's on the tiles!

The problem with giving chicken for outside wees it it teaches them to go little and often as that way they get more rewards, but they don't learn to fully empty their bladder.

Praise should be enough reward. If you catch them in the act indoors then pick them up immediately and take them out.

Re chicken for wees, we gave cheese and its the only time we gave it. We had serious regression at 15 weeks so started using the cheese a couple of weeks later when it didn't improve. He definitely didn't go little and often because of it, he was pretty much sorted within a week though. After a few days we just gave a treat every 2nd or 3rd wee. When he wee'd outside he ran straight indoors and sat at the fridge, it he had an accident he just sat near it and looked at us so I think he realised but I just think he wasn't able to remember every time. He has gone from weeing 7 or 8 times a day to maybe 4 or 5 at the most now so I assume his bladder has matured.

All pups are different i guess, pugpup cottons onto the treat thing very quickly so we have to mix it up a bit and not treat every time otherwise he'll pretend to do whatever we want him to just to get a treat lol.

DPup was obviously not clever enough to do the little and often thing for chicken! 🤣

we didnt treat all the time either. Even at 7 months the pups have the occasional accident. Today for example I managed to take them both out by myself and they did wees whilst out but straight away had an accident in the house

“All pups are different i guess”

They really are though...

My last one took what felt like forever because he didn’t like cold or rain

This one has apparently housetrained himself while in kennels not complaining at all, but I expected at least some accidents, but nope, only outside and will even ask to go out.

@tabulahrasa thats amazing!

I've had a bad few days with puppypup - still getting to the bottom of his stomach issues but was prescribed with antibiotics on Friday which really have not agreed with him. Had to see the vet first thing on Saturday and the poor little thing was really not good for a couple of days. He's back eating at least now and more bouncy but the diarrhoea is still with us and he's still on a really bland diet.

I know!!!

It’s been the only nice surprise so far...lol

He has a lot of unexpected issues over and above what I’d been told and of course normal puppy pain in the neck stuff, so not having to do toilet training as well was a nice bonus.

Oh thanks everybody for the responses! We hadn’t been closing the crate door at night, she was in a pen. Arrived in at 6.30 this morning she had escaped, looking delighted with a big puddle of pee (just done I think). What’s worse was she must have escaped earlier in the night as I found poo on the rug in the playroom (she’s not allowed in there but had got in there yesterday and did a poo when I was upstairs, DH distracted with our youngest and eldest let her out of pen). She hadn’t pooed inside since her first day before that. And she’s doing little puddles of pee inside all the time - I find myself popping her in the pen now from fear she’ll do another. It is in right of the middle of things beside the kitchen table so hopefully she still feels close to us but I feel so guilty. Also do most people manage to get them to go in one spot in the garden? We aren’t and she’s doing poos out of sight.

I’ve just taken her back in from the garden - after taking her out for a pee (which she did), left her out for 5 mins and as soon as I took her in, she did another pee on the kitchen floor. She’s done that several times today and it’s hard not to get upset and frustrated - she seems to be regressing.

I’m glad to hear that other people’s puppies have accidents - the books I was reading made it seem like if you didn’t manage to get your pup outside every time and they peed in the house, you’re a massive failure who has torpedoed all housetraining efforts!

Oh @Puppalicious, I really feel for you, it's so tough. I had many tears through frustration. I promise you'll both get there, just remember 10 weeks is still so tiny. Keep on praising when she's done it in the right place, and ignoring when she hasn't.

On the poo in the playroom, mine would poo out of excitement when he got somewhere he shouldn't! I remember him once escaping upstairs and he managed to poo twice in less than 3 seconds! He takes bloody ages when he goes outside, the little bugger!

Hang on in there for another couple of weeks, and you'll see a massive difference.

I disagree with ignoring if they do it in the wrong place. If you don't see them do it then fair enough, dogs live on the moment so won't understand being told off for something they did 5 minutes ago. But if you catch them in the act then a quick ah-ah-ah as you pick them up and take them outside.

I wish I could remember who but I read of one trainer who always makes sure a puppy has an accident in the first couple of days so they can correct the behaviour.

I am of course not talking about punishment, just letting them know the rules. It's not a guarantee of success but it helps. I can't remember the last time we had an accident in the house (I'm obviously tempting fate)

Was last night better, @BumDiggyDiggyDiggyBumDiggyBum? Hope so!
We've been working on distracting tricks for when CondyPup is being an arsehole - he's started randomly spinning now, like you predicted @PugInTheHouse
I've officially liked him continuously for three whole days now, so things are really looking up (yeah, yeah, pride before a fall!)

Yes we were told to pick up and put outside if they wee'd indoors also.

@morethanacondiment that's so funny. Our trainer uses it loads with him as its the one thing he seems to do every time. He cried at the door when she dropped him off today, he loves her so much. She said he doesnt sleep the whole time he is with her as just wants her to teach him stuff all the time. I think she was glad to go to work to have a rest haha.

Does anyone else really worry about their pup's health? (Notso) stillpup had his vet check up and first vaccs last Tuesday and was pronounced healthy but I can't shake the feeling he's going to get ill. In the week and a half that we've had him I've been worried his poo is too soft, he's bloated, he's breathing too fast, his back legs are too spindly, he farts too much, his front knees are too knobbly... The list goes on! I've never had a dog before and everytime I Google anything it comes up with get your dog to a vet NOW!! so I find it impossible to work out how worried (if at all) I should be.

I never had this with the kitten!

@StillAliveish yes I definitely feel the same. I was worse really early on but now we have got to know him more so I feel we would know if he wasn't quite right but I still really worry about him, especially if I am not with him.

Thanks @PugInTheHouse it's reassuring to know I'm not the only one and that it will hopefully get better. I'm sure he's fine, he's a bundle of energy and eating fine so I don't think I should be too concerned but if I happen to wake up in the night I lie there panicking just for the sake of something to worry about I think!

@morethanacondiment yes thank you for asking. Last night she slept through from around 10.30pm til 6am when I get up, didn’t use the puppy mats just went right to the back door to get out when we got downstairs. She didn’t make a peep all night.

I finally enjoyed her today, instead of resenting the poor wee thing. I’m gradually going to move her out of our room a step at a time, but if it doesn’t work I’m quite happy to keep her in here with me. DP is worried she will put him off his game if she’s in here when he’s home 🤣

Had to give her a first quick bath today. She is so fluffy that, if I don’t catch her with a wipe first, when she poos her fur gets dirty. She immediately sat down post poo today so had a bit of a mess! She wasn’t amused but smells lovely again now.

Sorry I’m not seeming interested in everyone else’s progress. This little madam is still a shock to my system, I will catch up at some point!

Has anyone else's pup started getting up early for no reason? Over the past few days C4pup has started crying to get up an hour earlier than he normally does, I'm shattered

Could it be birds waking him? Something to do with the lighter mornings?