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!

Oh and also people totally talk rubbish about what their dog knows, lol.

I foster dogs, they go back to their owners so you get a complete history - as in, it’s not that they’ve been given up, and every single one comes with a list of commands they supposedly know.

They do not! Not ever know all the commands their owners say, lol... as in you can tell the ones they do know that you are clearly saying “wrong” or whatever because they kind of look a bit confused but then try it and then go... oh, ok.. same thing different cue, ok.

And the whole load of ones where they’re just completely clueless.

So pay no attention whatsoever to what other people say - honestly, just teach what you need to teach and if they’re making progress then it’ll get there.

@tabulahrasa I think a lot of it is like competitive parenting!

@tabulahrasa @familychallenge I agree but I got really upset and worried at first, these threads has been a complete godsend to me. We are still behind in the leaving him issue which is frustrating but I know we're doing ok with other bits. Again a lot of owners can't understand how hard it is having pups in lockdown, in fact many older dogs are now struggling too, I know I should be better but it is harder to just leave them for no reason as opposed to really having to when we were all out and about more.

*these threads have been a godsend.

I was going to type 'this thread has', but changed my mind and got it all wrong hahah

[quote familychallenge]@tabulahrasa I think a lot of it is like competitive parenting![/quote]
It’s completely like that...

And people interpret things to suit themselves as well.

I could tell you I housetrained my puppy in days...

I made sure he had no accidents inside by giving him loads of opportunity to go outside and loads of praise and it’s just that easy.

The truth is he housetrained himself, lol, he’d been kennelled and went to the outside area to toilet, he came here - I did let him out loads and give him loads of praise, but he just sort of went, oh here for the toilet ok.

So there’s a lot of - oh I just did that, it’s really straightforward, when actually it’s just the difference between puppies.

@tabulahrasa

Oh and also people totally talk rubbish about what their dog knows, lol.

I foster dogs, they go back to their owners so you get a complete history - as in, it’s not that they’ve been given up, and every single one comes with a list of commands they supposedly know.

They do not! Not ever know all the commands their owners say, lol... as in you can tell the ones they do know that you are clearly saying “wrong” or whatever because they kind of look a bit confused but then try it and then go... oh, ok.. same thing different cue, ok.

And the whole load of ones where they’re just completely clueless.

So pay no attention whatsoever to what other people say - honestly, just teach what you need to teach and if they’re making progress then it’ll get there.

That's very reassuring, thank you!

@Sparkle79 I have had several people say that they were toilet trained from day 1 (there will be exceptions but at 8 weeks old not many), also that they never wee'd in the garden as they waited till their walks. Again, at 8 weeks really unlikely. I got myself in a right state over it all as we were nowhere close to that.

@PugInTheHouse I struggle to leave my boy at 7 months, he's fine with other people or even another dog, and even settles in other rooms quite happily when I am home, but the most I have managed to leave him alone is taking the bins out! He knows the basics and all of them are to a certain extents works in progress. What I try and do is very little and often with him, reinforcing it all the time. He's nowhere near perfect, nor am I , nor do I want it really- I just want a happy healthy boy who lives a good life in a way that is compatible with me living a good life! But I don't find comparisons very helpful- I know from all the other puppies I see out that many people are finding it tough and I feel we should support rather than criticise each other!

@familychallenge a few people have been quite rude to me in RL about me not leaving him yet. I am so aware I need to but like you he is happy with other people, just not on his own. I do feel guilty though for his sake really.

@PugInTheHouse same! But I just think I will go at his pace- he's happy and confident in other ways and we are working on stay and being apart. With his sleeping he just got more confident on his own, he's choosing to be in different rooms and even floors of the house now, and I think forcing it and making him distressed will set it back. We used to leave our old dog when I was a kid and she never really got used to it, was destructive and barky. I am going to work on it with the trainer when he can come in the house, but other people can mind their own business!

I'm not sure how we'll manage leaving ours, we can leave her for about an hour but haven't really tried any longer. I feel bad though, she doesn't particularly enjoy it. I've watched her on the puppy cam and she sits up alert every so often as if she hears a noise and is hoping we're back. I just can't imagine leaving her in for a few hours while we go out for dinner (for example, and assuming we're ever allowed out again) but also I don't want to spend my nights in the house keeping her company. Maybe I need to embrace dog-friendly places. She's only been to the pub once though, no other indoor socialising as a puppy, because we've pretty much be in lockdown since she was able to go out.

ha @tabulahrasa that's so true

and just to remind everyone on the thread who wasn't here at the beginning, on Happy's first puppy class, he did a huge poo in the middle of the hall and ran around saying hello to all the dogs rather than sitting nicely like all the other dogs were so not all dogs take to training quickly either!

I agree with you all about the similarities with parenting! There's so much judgement from what breed you went for to how you feed them and leaving them etc etc. Everyone's family set up is different and everyone's dog is different too! Support, advice and tips (when solicited!) are much more helpful than criticism. People are constantly telling me I've made a big mistake getting such a high energy dog, and I always want to say "maybe that's what I wanted??"

I'm so impressed with everyone's training! I'm hoping when stillpup is that age he'll be even half as good!

[quote Sparkle79]@MyRabbit79 not really here either. Have you tried with a toy? In the garden he will drop something if I throw his ball for him. Occasionally chucking a handful of kibble down and saying "find" is more successful for us than offering a treat and saying "give". Also sometimes if I go open the freezer he will drop it and run to see if I'm getting him something exciting out. I find with Sparklepup if it's something he really shouldn't have, the minute I say "drop" he wants it more so I have to pretend I don't care and just try to distract him.[/quote]
He's not that toy motivated unfortunately, much more interested in food. I will try the scattering tactic though with his kibble as that might work. I agree that is if they know you're bothered it makes them more determined, so we ignore a lot of the stuff he picks up on walks now, but obviously was mortified when he took the ball and was panicking trying to get it back in front of the other owner!

I did it, I left him to go to the shops. DS1 was upstairs but I said to leave him till I called him. I watched and listened on the camera, he barked the whole time, I called DS to let him out then he cried till I got home. Totally frustrating.

I have left him for 10/15 mins to go and have a shower etc and he does the same but I thought perhaps he'd settle after 15/20 mins. He barks instantly however long I leave him so it isn't the length of time.

Very quickly as I haven’t caught up properly yet, but we haven’t left GeorgiePup either, I was beginning to feel really behind on that! Slightly hampered by the epilepsy but we do need to take that step at some point. I think I would feel happier if we had a decent camera, can anyone recommend one? Perfect one would be viewed in our phone and also on a monitor at bedtime. I don’t want to be on my phone and opening the app to check on him at night time, plus we need to be able to hear him. Recording would also be a bonus in case of a seizure we could look back to assess it. Thank you. Will catch up properly with you this evening.

I’m not even really working on leaving him yet - I must be in sight at all times but I’m making allowances because he’s totally not secure here yet.

But when I do, it’ll start with literally just going in and out of the room till he gets bored and stops trying to come too, lol

You want to do the opposite of hoping they settle down really, and not let them get worked up in the first place... even if that means starting at seconds and increasing it really slowly.

I don't have trouble leaving them, my trouble is getting them to go out by themselves, they much prefer when a brother or sister goes.

When we first left them we put some music on the radio and just popped in and out. It does get easier with time!

Every puppy is different but my dog would not settle if he knew someone was in the house but not with him. He also wouldn't settle with a 'talk' channel on the radio as 'humans' were about but a music channel was fine as it muffled out all outside noises.

Blinds have to be closed because movement outside upset him and doors need to be open with baby gates blocking him in one room.

Essentially it took a while with a bit of trial and error using a camera to work out what settled him and what didn't when we went out.

ddog 1 now stays in the lounge with the tv on. I don't trust the puppies not to eat my sofa.

We have done all the leaving in the room for the odd minute, flitting in and out. We have built up from short times, he never doesn't bark from the second he is left to when he hears us coming back. Only time he doesn't bark is if he has the lickimat or kong, the second he finishes them he starts barking. @tabulahrasa I feel like we will have to go backwards with it again and literally do a few seconds at a time again. I have totally failed at this!

@GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat The camera we have is great, you can hear the sound and also record from it to a memory card or cloud. I will try and find the link.

@BiteyShark thats really useful to know, we will try a few different things. I wish I could trust him in a room rather than the crate but he is a chewing monster right now.

I put on a youtube channel that has music that is supposed to help with puppies separation anxiety.I don't think he could hear it over the barking but maybe if he had listened to it then it would have helped

@GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat this is the camera we have [https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B08H8892QN/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1]

We have never left weepup either, well not when she’s awake. If I even pop her in crate to answer door/go to loo she will go crazy barking so I don’t know how we are ever going to get beyond that .
And yet if she wakes up in crate after a sleep and we are upstairs she doesn’t start barking until we come down and walk into room and she knows we’re there..