Puppy Survival Thread - May

[Doje]

Starting May off! If someone could link I'd appreciate it....

Hi, I'm joining this thread a little bit early. We're bringing our new Labrador puppy home next Friday. So I'm reading along trying to get some tips for when we bring him home.

Hi @MsAwesomeDragon!

My update is PoirotPup has been sleeping downstairs in crate alone. He wakes between 4-6 and then we take it in turns to come down let him out and he just gets on to his bed until 6-7. He was doing that when we slept on sofa the whole time - so it hasn’t made any difference really which is good.

Still no accidents in house (fluke 🤣) and he’s was only a tiny bit sick the next night so whatever he managed to eat unseen I think might have caused it.

We have had conjunctivitis in both eyes so that’s been fun getting the eye gel in.....

Hope challengepup recovers quickly this week!

Thanks to good wishes all, @MsAwesomeDragon he's lovely and @MrsHerculePoirot poirot pup sounds like he's doing great! Challenge pup is doing his utmost even now to get at his wound- he can get around collar and vest individually 🙄🙄 but together they seem to be holding up. 🤞🤞 he is on day 3 of antibiotics and it looks less swollen but is still weeping. The only time he is allowed out of vest is when he is peeing. We are having a couple of days of house arrest to try and really kick start the healing. He's quite perky when he is awake although sleeping more than usual. Both going a bit stir crazy despite all my long lasting chews/ training/ kongs! My lovely trainer came round with treats for him and a new toy so that helped a bit!

@MsAwesomeDragon aw he/ she is lovely 🥰 we’re almost a week in and my best advice is:

The first couple of days are harder than you ever thought possible, but it does get better. Don’t expect too much on the first day, ours didn’t sleep at all all day and spent a lot of it howling. Not surprising really when it’s such a huge change for them.

Play sleep music on Spotify to help them sleep, this knocks my puppy out in seconds and when he wakes up, he’s so chilled out he looks like he’s on drugs 😂.
Take them outside for a wee or poo as soon as you spot them sniffing the ground.
Try to get into a routine as they need so much sleep, they can literally manage about an hour at a time!

Thanks for the advice ladycat. Dd2 already likes sleep music to go to sleep to, so that'll be fine. I'm kind of assuming it'll be like having a very needy baby for a week or so, then onto a cross between a toddler and a shark until we manage to train him

@MsAwesomeDragon I reckon that’s about right!

@MsAwesomeDragon

Thanks for the advice ladycat. Dd2 already likes sleep music to go to sleep to, so that'll be fine. I'm kind of assuming it'll be like having a very needy baby for a week or so, then onto a cross between a toddler and a shark until we manage to train him

@MsAwesomeDragon nope it’s more like straight into the shark-toddler stage 😂 babies stay in one place when you leave them and don’t bite! Just make sure you have lots and lots of chew toys including fabric ones like the snake I mentioned up thread as that seems to calm him ready for sleep the best, I guess it’s the most comforting as it reminds him of his mum and siblings.

All going well here. We had out first puppy class earlier this week. Sushipup got totally overwhelmed and even pieces of cheese could not tempt her into the building. Eventually I had to carry her in and sit her on my knee. She is quite big now so we looked ridiculous. She did demo some amazing sits with the trainer though so we made for the shaky start.

I feel like she is finally getting what is/ isn't acceptable behaviour. Ignoring the biting was not working for us for ages, but now she picks up on that and quits. I am still wearing boots in the house though!

Hope everyone else is doing well especially all the pups who've just had operations!

@shaniashania loving the crate training!

Aww bless her @ilovesushi 🥰

We have mastered ‘drop it’....what an effing godsend!!

WeeM how did you do it ? We aren’t being too successful here

So we seem to have got in to a bad habit of giving turquoisepup a treat just to get her lead on. I was a bit embarrassed when we met with a friend with a puppy who seemed to be able to call her puppy over and put lead on easily. We have to bribe turquoisepup every time. I watch absolute dogs videos and they are all about the treats to help associate good things with collar and lead but I don’t know how to break to habit now. She even has worked out how to grab the treat and dash back so we have to treat her a second time . Am I the only one doing this ?!

@Turquoisesol I suppose it depends whether you're bribing or rewarding? I'm all in favour of rewarding the dog for completing a task but try not to bribe, unless I'm teaching something new and I'm using a treat to lure. If you're out in public and calling the dog back to put the lead on then really you're just rewarding the recall? As for breaking the habit, weaning off etc, I've seen a lot of trainers saying not to bother and to keep rewarding. They compare it to payment. You wouldn't do your job for free, why should the dog do what you tell them for free? It doesn't sound great that she's grabbing the treat and running off though, I wouldn't be treating a second time if they don't complete the task properly the first time. Just a verbal 'good girl' if I have to reposition etc.

Just met a friend and her new puppy and it didn't go very well. My dog is just not that interested in other dogs. Which is fine I suppose as it means she ignores them on walks and never runs over to them, but this wee pup just wanted to play and she was being really standoffish. Has anyone got any tips for successfully socialising them with other dogs? Mine goes to daycare and is fine there but she really wasn't great with this wee dog.

Well MonaPup has landed!! Arrived yesterday afternoon and I think we must be in the puppy-moon stage as so far she's a dream... Settling well, napping beautifully in her crate. Am aware that's likely to be a stage and her alter ego MoanerPup will soon appear 😁

Best thing so far, much to my surprise, is a 'snuggle puppy' my daughter insisted on buying... Thought it would be rubbish but MonaPup loves it, has slept cuddled up to it most of the time and I think the (surprisingly loud!) heartbeat masks noise from around the house, so it means we can move around a bit without waking her.

Thanks ashmts that’s a good point yes when out on walks she is being rewarded for the recall but I do find myself holding the treat and not giving it to her until I have grabbed the collar properly. Because otherwise she would grab the treat and dash off again. I was reading that really she shouldn’t go and play again until I have released her with “go play” or something but not really sure how to implant that in practise. Oh dear

We also met a friend with a puppy and I know in an ideal world everyone wants their puppy to get on with other dogs because in our view if seems polite. But I am not sure that is practical in reality for a lot of dogs. Sometimes they will just not gel with another dogs play style and that’s fair enough I would think?

Loving monapup and feeling a wee bit jealous actually 🥰

Awww @MonaChopsis she’s lovely, you’re very lucky she’s settled so quickly!

“My dog is just not that interested in other dogs. Which is fine I suppose as it means she ignores them on walks and never runs over to them, but this wee pup just wanted to play and she was being really standoffish. Has anyone got any tips for successfully socialising them with other dogs?”

That’s not really a socialisation problem tbh... if she’s not scared or reacting inappropriately, she’s just not interested, then she’s just not interested.

TurquoiseSol maybe try delaying giving her the treat until after you have her lead on? I think it's totally appropriate to use high value treats after a recall, you want your pup to be rock solid certain that coming back to you is always worthwhile.

Then once the lead is on you can unclip it again while saying "go play!"... Make sure you do the latter 2-3 times for every time you actually call and go, so that puppy doesn't associate recall with the fun always stopping!

Thanks mona I need to try that more often

Feeling kind of tired tonight and a bit overwhelmed by the responsibility of it all. So much to get through with training, getting dog through teenage years and spaying etc. And wondering when I will get a little freedom to go out and leave her at home alone. It’s like having a baby all over again.

@Puppuppup

WeeM how did you do it ? We aren’t being too successful here

@Puppuppup when she has something in her mouth, drop high value treats on the floor and at the same time say ‘drop it’. Keep doing this for a while and then eventually when you say ‘drop it’ without the treats they will do it and then you can treat once they’ve done it.

Hi everyone. I would love to join the thread. We have been thinking about getting a puppy for about 7 years. Was never the right time. When we all agreed it was the right time Covid hit so became quite a challenge. We finally got our puppy last week. Her name is waffles. 11 week old cavapoo. We have had dogs previously and totally went into this with eyes wide open. 1st week has truly been like having a newborn. We adore her and I think she is starting to us also. Looking forward to picking up tips on the thread

Just want to add I think day 4 was the point of total exhaustion for me. Hasn't helped that the weather has been terrible so can't get washing dry so that's piled up. Had to prioritise her bedding as she's had some little accidents but overall does wee on her wee Matt so can't really complain. Quite a good eater so far. Have been walking her around the garden on my shoulder between rain and taken her out in the car a few times.

Where does everyone get their doughnut beds from? I quite fancy getting one to try for weepup but don’t want to spend a fortune either