Puppy Survival Thread - April

[Doje]

Starting a new thread....

@WeeM yes we had a dreadful time at 4.5-5.5 months, massive regression. As soon as we went back to proper basics of putting him out really regularly (and rewarding with cheese) he was fine. It was really tough and disheartening though.

@Turquoisesol It doesn't sound unusual, especially when yours is so little. Mine has got less clingy as she got older but she still likes to be where I am. I just went and did the dishes and she observed, and now I'm on the couch and she's snuggled up next to me. It is a lot when it's 24/7 though, I remember those days. Really recommend daycare, it gives you a break and hopefully fosters some independence in the dog (or it has for us anyway).

@PugInTheHouse Very late response, sorry, but with something like that I'd probably watch it and see if it got better tbh. And if it didn't, then I'd see the vet. I wouldn't panic tonight/this weekend if it's not getting worse. Disclaimer - not a vet and I can't see it. If it is a friction burn or graze the vet won't really do anything anyway. Maybe sell you some expensive antiseptic, or am I a cynic?

I really hope it doesn’t last too long . Went out for a walk earlier, she did nothing then came back in and just did a poo on the floor!

@ashmts thanks, its really strange as I only noticed it at tea time today, obviously being a pug his backside is visible all the time as his tail is up so I don't think it could have been there long. It seems to have scabbed over so I think I must have broken the scab when I wiped it. Vet said to go in 915 tomorrow. I did notice some flea dust around that area but the cut can't have been caused by him licking or scratching as he would not be able to reach it. He only had flea treatment 2 weeks ago so it is really frustrating he seems to have them.

@WeeM what did you do when the garden was being done re toileting? They are such creatures of habit, our issues came when we switched from the pad at the back door to outside, we assumed as he was so good and took himself off to the pad he would find it easy to adjust when in fact it just confused him as the pad wasn't there.

Morning all. Redpup is allowed out into the world today after vaccines and I’m wondering about on lead walking. We have fields out the back so he’s had lots of very short off lead walks/sniff festivals so far but this will be a new experience!

He’s ok wearing his harness once he’s supervised and treated so should I try with the training lead out the back fields before bringing him into the town park for example? I’m keen to get him meeting more people and seeing more of the world but scared he’ll run off if he’s not on lead in busier places (or maybe puppy bond will keep him near me???).

Any thoughts as to whether I’m better loose lead training at home first? Thanks!

We start by just letting the lead trail on the ground, he was tiny so if he bolted (he never ever did) we could have stamped on the lead to stop him. Eventually we ditched that too and his and our confidence built up. I would start in the empty field with no distractions to practise recall and take lots of high value treats (we used meat). You can take him to the busier park to watch the world go by if you want to build up those experiences too. Good luck.

I feel a little like I’ve missed the boat with letting Plantpup off lead. Everyone seems to find it so much easier if they start younger but Plantpup has never been off (apart from in enclosed areas) and is almost 6 months. Anyone have any advice for how to get started? Mostly with addressing my terror...

Do you have a long training lead? Could you just practice letting it trail on the floor for a few seconds and build your confidence?

@Plantlover23You can hire enclosed fields to practice recall. Our local dog Fb page has adverts. That’ll help your anxiety.

Do you have any good trainers near by.that helps with nesting dogs anxiety.

The long lead idea works.

V v high value treats kept just for recall.

I know someone who used Stilton,

Read totall recall.

@PugInTheHouse we took her round the block for a quick walk every couple of hours. But we found that she was definitely holding it because she prefers to pee in the garden. Rarely does a pee on the lead. So was sometimes going most of the day without doing it! We are now away for a couple of days and I can’t let her off lead here and been stood in garden for 20 mins and still no toilet. She must need! Her accidents have been pees and poos though.

@Plantlover23 I’ve never let weepup off the lead either. Her lead walking is terrible, just pulls and tries to bite it. And stops every time she sees a dog or person so I have no confidence whatsoever she’d stay beside me if I let her off. Her recall is hit and miss. Sometimes she just stands and looks at me when I call her.

We are doing lead walking on our puppy class just now and they said to start practicing in the house then garden, then outside when it’s quiet. So build up the distractions gradually.

@WeeM we took pugpup to a part of a field that was enclosed to test his recall, also used the long lead in open spaces. He is so much better off lead then on lead as he will wait for us to tell him to go over to people or dogs, on lead he just pulls to them.

Thanks for the tips all.

I have a long lead so will try with that plus treats in the field (we have been working on the early stages of the total recall book so will keep going with that) and then just have him sit with us to watch the world go by in town for the social side😊

I have a question about older puppies and toileting, how quickly do you respond to their request to go out?

Georgiepup will sit by the back door when he wants to go out. He's also learnt that he can sit there if he fancies a play in the garden. He's also got in to the habit of asking to out during our mealtimes. I'm confident he can hold it but is it mean to make him wait until we've finished eating? I can't be 100% sure he isn't going out just to piss about.

I keep meaning to book one of the fields, every time I’ve looked they are fully booked for weeks near me.

@GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat PoirotPup is only 11 weeks but always toilets outside and asks to go but regularly asks to go out just to piss about and savage the garden a bit more 🙄 I don’t always let him out if he has been for wee fairly recently. He has a bladder of steel though and doesn’t have accidents in the house. Realise I’m not answering your question in any way, but pleased to hear it isn’t just my pup who asks to go out just to be a menace 🤣

@RedLem0ns we’ve been allowed out for two days - have driven to big grassy areas and used the 10m longline because they aren’t in any way enclosed. We’ve just all had treats and every time he come back to us voluntarily we treat him. We have also called him back a few times and treated. We’ve been practising loose lead walking in house, garden and front path. We are going to practise the school run over the weekend whilst it is quiet and see how it goes.... let him get some of the sniffing/exploring new area out first few times then try encouraging just walking there and allowing sniffing on way back! It won’t be that easy and I’ll need a lot of high value treats...

@GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat our pup usually messes around for a bit before weeing so I’m confident she can wait. If she’s more desperate she tends to sit at the door, stares at us then if we’re not quick enough, she’ll come over, stare at us and walk back to the door, repeat until we let her out . If she just sits there it’s usually because she wants to go out and chase a pigeon

Currently waiting for the vets to open. Pup seems to have a limp. She played with another pup in the park yesterday morning for a few minutes, then went and sat down and held her little paw up and limped for maybe 30 seconds/1 minute. She was absolutely fine all day but started limping at about 8:30 - put her to bed early so she couldn’t make it worse. She seemed ok this morning but just limped again - will see what the vet says, hopefully we can get seen today.

I’m sure they are going to tell us to rest her so any tips on keeping a crazy spaniel pup amused would be welcome!

@PugInTheHouse could it be a 'hot spot' - where the dog licks/bites an area of skin & makes it sore?

@legosnowqueen it looks like that however there is no way he could reach it to lick or scratch. Hes not that flexible due to his chunky shape lol. We are seeing the vet at 915, thought it better to get it looked at. Its in quite an exposed area so worrie ld it could get infected.

@GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat we don't rush to let pugpup out for a wee, he rings the bell and if we don't let him out he'll ring it again and again haha. Sometimes he just wants to play in the garden. If he rushes to the door then we know he is probably desperate for a poo, for wees he tends to faff more trying to find the right spot to wee. If we are eating we will let him out but not go with him.

@PugInTheHouse could he have been scooting along the carpet to scratch it and therefore given himself a friction burn too?

Thank for all the replies- will start extending the wait time!

@RedLem0ns Good luck with the walks! We are just a couple of days into taking sushi pup for walks and it is more chaotic and crazy than I imagined when I see other people walking their puppys. We've just done very short walks from the house and I'm seeing it more as exploring the world than trying to get her to walk nicely alongside me. She was quite freaked by cars going over cattle grids and when we get near home she seems to go nuts running wildly one way then the other. I think we have a long way to go!

Just wondered why some of you might not want to let your pup out to play in the garden. I let sushi pup out whenever she wants. Mostly it's for a wee, but sometimes for a play. I don't really mind which it is. It has been great for me when I'm working to see her pottering about outside amusing herself. I am more used to cats though who are in and out every 5 minutes!

@ilovesushi I think if you get a lot of foxes in your garden then vets might advise not to let them out. We let ours out lots too - the garden was a godsend before 2nd jabs

Hi, have a question about taking puppy out in public before second vaccinations. I read earlier on the thread about socialising them. We are meeting a couple of friends in park for my son’s birthday later, I wondered about bringing him in the carrier and just holding him. If he needs a wee/ poo I can put a puppy pad in the carrier so he doesn’t go on the ground. Anyone else done similar? Alternative is we will have to leave him at home for a bit. Thanks

Ah that makes sense! I don't know how we would have coped pre-vaccinations if she couldn't let off steam in the garden.

@RedLem0ns loose lead training is something we're still working on, but we didn't have an issue with it in the early days. On the first walks she stuck very close to us, she only started pulling once she was maybe five months and got more confident. So I reckon you could try on lead in a park and see how it goes, unless yours already pulls.

@GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat ours went through a phase of doing that too. I was worried about undoing her toilet training so did tend to just let her out when she asked. She's stopped doing it now and just goes out for the toilet and usually straight back in. You could put him on lead for these toilet trips so it's not fun for him and he learns asking to go out just gets a pee and no more?

@ilovesushi it's alright now but mine went through this phase in January/February when it was freezing outside so I didn't really want to keep opening the door and letting the cold air in. It's also annoying when they do it repeatedly and interrupt you eating or whatever and then they just muck about and don't pee. Annoying at night too when you let them out and they don't pee straight away and you just want to go to bed.