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!

Could someone remind me what the behaviour/training group on Facebook was that was mentioned in the pre ious thread somewhere? I requested to join it but think I must’ve been declined as not heard anything and can’t remember what it’s called now!

@WeeM Is it 'Dog training advice and support'? :)

@LorelaiVictoriaGilmore@DoubleTweenQueen As he is my first pup I don’t really have anything to compare him with. I expected a puppy to be lively and he certainly is full on but so quirky and loving. Also, the adult Springers I know are all beautifully behaved - great recall and not at all reactive to other dogs.

@LorelaiVictoriaGilmore How old is your puppy? I do also sometimes question why I didn’t get an ‘easy breed’ but every breed has its pros and cons. And it will get easier....

Thanks @DoubleTweenQueen that’s the one. I answered the question but it must’ve been declined for some reason.

Hi, sorry, haven’t contributed anything useful but have another query (I was on the Jan/Feb thread and it was so helpful). I have a 12-week old border collie and she is reasonably good but our home is fairly puppy proof. Was just thinking of booking a couple of nights away early June by the coast but even the dog friendly places have so many soft furnishings and Nick-nacks and just various things she can wreck. She will be nearly six months by then, is it hopeless? Should we leave her with someone? Actually if she is being a terror not sure I could leave her with someone, we don’t need a daycare, she’s not had her jabs yet anyhow so I haven’t even explored it. What is everyone else doing for hols?

@Mediumred I have been pondering the same issue (4 nights booked in holiday cottage at May half term, booked last May) & have reluctantly decided that Legopup cannot come due to chewing & currently toilet training issues - although we hope to have conquered the latter before then. I don't want to spend the time away worrying about damage etc. I have found a lovely lady to home board him, she has been personally recommended & will also be providing day care once a week after Easter.

@Colourmylife1 She is 16 weeks. I feel as though there are some things that I have done right but loads more that I have done wrong. She is a very, very good natured dog but I didn’t appreciate how difficult dealing with puppy biting and a 3 and a 5 year old would be and we have totally failed to crate train her (tried but never succeeded in getting her to do anything other than whine and throw herself against the side... more success with a puppy play pen but she could climb out of that by 12 weeks... )

left starpup alone in the house for the first time this morning and he survived lol. Put in his crate with a chewy and radio 4. he was happily settled when i got back out for a wee and a poo now in the cats bed in my office while i pretend to work.

Well done. imove. Im not doing as well this morning. All three dogs are sleeping (mostly) on me and haven't achieved much. They've been boisterous this morning.

@LorelaiVictoriaGilmore
Oh yes, I can see how that must be difficult with such young children. The biting here has reduced a lot over the last few weeks so hopefully you’ll soon be noticing a difference. I think from 4 months on everything started being a little easier.
We had the same issue with the play pen. It was used twice before he could jump out 😂. He also learned to ‘open’ the stair gate!

@imovethestarsforno1 how old is star puppy?

@Mediumred I think you'll be fine by June for a holiday. Dpup is 18 weeks now and I'd trust him in another house (although I'm sure he'd be a crazy excitable nightmare for at least the first day!).

First day the kids are back in school and life is so much better! I'm working, but can work around Dpup, and we've just spent a lovely dinner break in the park doing some recall.

Waves at @LorelaiVictoriaGilmore and @Colourmylife1 as a fellow Springer owner!

@LorelaiVictoriaGilmore hang in there. Dpup is a couple of wks older than yours and is getting so much better with the biting and general behaviour every week. My kids are 5 & 7 so a little older, but they're so much better at interacting with him now it's so lovely to see.

@Colourmylife1 can I ask which FB group that is that you mentioned?

@Doje
Maybe we need s Springers owners’ thread
I’m on a group called Scottish Springer Spaniels. You don’t have to be Scottish! It’s a very active group - and very, very supportive.

@Doberwow starpup is 11 1/2 weeks i have to leave him for the school run today but DH will be home the rest if the week I love living in the countryside but school runs are a bloody nightmare

@imovethestarsforno1 glad it went so well! I may have to start thinking about leaving for short lengths of time.

Thanks so much @Doje and @legosnowqueen for the hol advice, think I will book somewhere dog friendly and look for a back-up plan to leave her with someone nearer the time if it just seems too crazy. Actually though, I shouldn’t jinx it, Mediumpup has been pretty good the last few days, she has slept loads today and is asleep again now by the stairs, not even in her pen so it’s a good sign she can settle elsewhere, she has also been out to see the guinea pigs roaming around the garden and managed not to lunge at them! Do collies have a strong prey drive? She didn’t seem that bothered about a squirrel or a cat that have also been in the garden, early days tho, no way will I trust her with the piggies if she was off the leash. They are daft animals, normally they are very timid but seemed to trundle about happily despite the (to them) big dog nearby!

@doberwow im suprised the leaving has gone so well i fully admit i slacked off on the whole build it up slowly thing and went full elastoplast this morning but he's coped fine so its something i can tick off the list

Argh, just had a nightmare walk. I was with partner but was holding lead as I'm trying to build up my confidence to take him on my own and during the walk he managed to eat a hair band, grab some cling film which we had to grab from him, I trod on his paw and made him yelp, then he gagged on a treat. How can it be so hard to walk a dog?!

@imovethestarsforno1 I think that is what I will have to end up doing. I have tried every day to leave him for a few minutes just to go upstairs, he cries and barks every time unless he has the lickimat, in which case I can get 20 mins but as soon as its all gone the barking and crying starts. I have been totally useless with it but now I feel we have almost everything else sorted I need to do it.

Pugpup had a great morning with the trainer this morning, he didn't really sleep there but went in the car with her and now this afternoon he was totally fine in the car with me for the first time, he wee'd outside at hers when they arrived and then asked at the door every time after that even though he's never been there before, he also mastered lie down which he's never done before and is doing it every time at home. He is going 2 mornings a week till mid April. In addition we will still do a few training sessions, main target is leaving him in the crate and continuing to get him to try and ignore people/dogs when out on the lead. He's so much better but at school today he was going crazy as there were people everywhere, normal lead walking is not too bad as there are only the odd 1 person or dog at a time.

@MyRabbit79 our walks were always worse when we went together, he ate more from the ground and got under my feet as he was always looking to see where both of us were. I found taking him on my own much easier as I had my eye on him and the 'litter' on the ground the whole time so I felt I could pre-empt what he may go for to try and eat. He was literally the worst ever at picking stuff up to eat.

Hi! Think I have posted on one of the earlier threads, whirleypup is now 22 weeks, border terrier. He’s just mastered the cocking of the leg and is now doing it on anything he can INDOORS!!! Has anyone else experienced this? Any suggestions?! He was doing well with toilet training, it’s been a slow process though. Asked a few friends with puppies and the response was ‘oh no ours was clean straight away’ so feeling like a bit of a failure right now!
Previously had a border terrier and don’t recall this happening then, although was some time ago.
HELP!

Puppy tax

@PugInTheHouse he seems fine being left if hes not got an audience try to give him time out or enforce a bap and he screams like a stuck pig my current struggle is finding a chew that lasts longer than 5 minutes. he loves lamb tracheas but chomps them like biscuits puppy dentastix disapear even quicker and he cant have proper dentastix till 16 weeks he does have fish skin and they seem to last a bit longer but they are really high in calories. I bought some puffed chicken feet but then read he shouldnt have them till his adult teeth are through