Puppy Survival Thread - April

[Doje]

Starting a new thread....

Hi All,

I hope you don't mind me joining. We just got our 9-week-old pug pup (see photo). He is an adorable boy - loves to cuddle and doesn't mind my daughter making non-stop fuss over him. He really looks like a little plush toy.

We are trying to potty train him and sometimes he appears to have got the message and runs into the garden by himself to poo and other times he actually comes BACK from the garden just to pee on his own bed! Ahhh. What do you all do for potty training?

@morethanacondiment she's a Braque d'Auvergne rather than a GSP but essentially the same character. Counter surfing is a big issue especially as she can now jump up on the counter! It has mostly stopped by leaving nothing out, being consistent, and never leaving her alone in the kitchen. She is now ok to be left alone in the garden so that helps. Pulling is a work in progress!

Oh, she's so pretty!
But she can jump up ON the counter? ok, I'm doomed. Downstairs is open plan. I may as well let him sleep in the fridge.

Morning @XelaM - what a cutie!
Nine weeks is tiny, so it sounds like you're heading in the right direction with toileting. Is he double weeing when he comes in and pees on his bed (ie did he go outside and then come in and go again)?

she's gorgeous @Frenchfancy !

we bumped into one of Happy's friends in the park today (who is the same age as him) - the owner has taken 2 weeks off work to try and 'retrain' him as he's hit adolescence and is being v difficult! I do have some sympathy!

@Frenchfancy gorgeous pup!

@XelaM very cute! Pugs love lots of cuddles.

Pugpup seems to be very teenager-ish today. Keeps throwing his food and water bowls across the floor for some reason, also tried to mark DSs tennis racket also but I called out and he stopped.

He doesnt seem to be eating as much, we changed the food by mixing it in and gradually increasing it compared to the old food. He was sick on Monday after we had been to the common for a walk and since then he hasn't actually finished a meal. He doesnt seem unwell at all, I dont think its the new food either as he is eating 2/3 of it then picking at most of the rest. He is now growling at the food he has tipped on the floor and angrily eating some of it off the floor! He is very on edge with stuff in the garden and the door going etc also.

Can I join? We have had our pup for a week now (he is 10 weeks) and we are loving it aside from the mad biting he does! I know he is a baby but wow talk about super sharp!

@XelaM your little one is adorable!

For toilet training I followed the after eating, after waking up, after playing and every 30mins in between rule pretty religiously for the first few weeks. Took her outside every single time, stayed out for 5 minutes or so, HUGE fuss if she went. If she didn’t, went back out 10 minutes after to try again. It really felt like I lived outside for the first few weeks but by about 12 weeks old she was starting to ask to go outside and accidents near enough stopped.

Are you using a cue for when you want him to go? Plantpup’s cue is just ‘go toilet’ and it’s meant she can now go places she’s not used to like a motorway service station when she’s asked and I really think it helped her learn where/when I wanted her to go

Had my zoom session with the trainer, we’re going to try training him to settle on a mat rather than crate training and proof some stuff I’ve already been doing.

But very amusing to me, she thinks he’s part Anatolian shepherd - amusing because I’ve attached a photo for reference of what he looks like and he’s at 6 months about springer/very small collie sized. I mean, I know he’s still growing, but? Lol

Hi @Overthinker84 you can join but you must pay puppy tax (in the form of a photo lol)

@tabulahrasa he is gorgeous, to be honest he looks huge to me with our tiny little pup!

Bit worried about pup. She has today coughed about five times - just once with a low pitched bark type cough. Is eating as per, has played with toys but not quite herself - bit more docile and sleepy. No zoomies today. Concerned it might be kennel cough. We thought at first she'd chewed something she shouldn't- she is fascinated by sticks, crap blowing into the garden and she was giving a cough to get rid but she surely would be coughing in a more sustained way if this was the case. She's 16 weeks tomorrow! It's flown by! The only other thing is that we are worming her this week - Panacur over three days but she didn't react to Panacur at 12 weeks so doubt it is that.

Puppy tax paid 😍

Sorry to hear that @LostArcher - has pup had her kennel cough vaccine? We didn’t realise until about 4 weeks ago that it didn’t come as part of the initial puppy vaccines so GeorgiePup had his at 5 months. I would consider seeing the vet if it’s not better tomorrow.

All the new pups are absolutely gorgeous! :)

We were told in the park today that kennel cough is doing the rounds so I'm also calling the vet to get Happy done ASAP.

Thank you, @GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat (fab name). She hasn't because our vets don't do it atm coz of Covid. It is a live vaccine with very similar symptoms to covid. She has been for a walk and zoomied in the garden, wolfed down tea and perked up a bit. Hasn't coughed for a couple of hours. We will see... they are sent to worry us!

@PugInTheHouse

Well yes, he’s obviously a lot bigger than a pug, lol, but his head just about comes to the bottom of my knee...he is not a large dog...

@tabulahrasa I am glad pugpup is no bigger as he loves jumping and food so it would be a recipe for disaster Yours is a very handsome looking dog!

Oh I see, that’s a shame. Ours were fine to do it which was fortunate because GeorgiePup couldn’t start daycare without it. I totally agree, these pups will forever be keeping us on our toes. I think since the end of January, there hasn’t been a week gone by that we haven’t been at the vets.

We took GeorgiePup to a friend’s house today, they have a puppy about 2 months older and around the same size. I was nervous as you never know how they’ll get on but it was brilliant! Their play was matched so well and he came home thoroughly exhausted. We’ve pencilled them in for some more play dates which is exciting.

Fortunately day car (she goes once a week) are fine with kennel cough vac thing. I think local vets tend to take a similar line on stuff. So far, no more coughing...however, she's sneaked off into the kitchen to guard the food bin...

Finally caught up with the new thread. Gotpup is having her second jabs Friday and I'm excited to get her out and walking/exploring (altho clearly not for long at all), yay! She's so inquisitive and I can't wait to introduce her to the world!

@Turquoisesol just wanted to say our little terror is similar. DD is 3.5 and DSS 10 and DSS in particular is petrified of the bitey, chasey puppy. We have started to crate her for enforced naps and to give the kids a chance to play on the floor and spread the toys around, but it seems like I am forever putting the puppy first right now. I now it will get better, but will take a whole to get the balance as she grows up 🙂

@LostArcher Hope pup is better soon!

It's so weird that different vets seem to have different rules. We took Pugpup for his 2nd vaccination (and kennel cough) whilst we were in tier 4 and we were allowed in the waiting room 1 at a time then they take the animals in alone (although the week after I had to take my cats into the room with the vet). We have been a few times for various minor ailments for him also and they have never turned us away. They are doing neuters as well but I have heard of a few vets who aren't even doing cats which is a bit of a nightmare of course.

The vet thought pugpup had kennel cough recently and said even with the jab it is a bit like flu and can have different strains that they aren't vaccinated against. She said in the end it wasn't and just a bit of a cough, he had anti inflammatories for it.

@GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat that is so lovely, most of my friends have older dogs and they are grumpy with an excited puppy. We have met some lovely pups out on walks though.

Ok, so we have decided it is Kennel Cough. Not much coughing but it is a growling smoker's hack of a cough. Vets say it is rife in our local area. Not much we can do except give her lots of cuddles and keep her away from other dogs. She's fine in herself if a bit more tired than normal. Still eating for England!

Have any of you had experience with a bit of a sickly pup? Every 3/4 weeks or so Plantpup will seemingly randomly vomit. I bought her a slow feeder bowl as she did inhale her food before so it doesn’t seem to be that she’s eating too fast. She never seems unwell, and is fine before and after. Generally eats again later in the day and doesn’t have any issues. Any ideas? Not sure if it’s just a normal Plantpup thing and that’s just who she is!

Happy does do this @Plantlover23 . Is it food coming up or the frothy stuff?