Puppy Survival Thread - May

[Doje]

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

Morning everyone. I've not been here this week as I have just been overwhelmed and exhausted.

Lovely to see pics of all of these cuties.

Nordpup is settling in and it feels like we are a little more attuned to her body language and routines. It really is like having a newborn and toddler rolled into one isn' it!?

So I have given up on crate training already. We are just letting her settle in the gated kitchen (usually under a chair/on the rug). At the moment she wakes approx 2 times (just has a cuddle and won't toilet outside) then usually wakes me up before 6 at which point she has pooed somewhere on the kitchen floor.

Our main challenge at the moment is the pre-nap shark attacks! The younger dc (4 and 8) have really been avoiding her a lot...they knew she would be like this but I feel a bit sad that they are quite so scared! Any tips for successful integration? We have created a large sectioned off part of the garden so that dc and pup can play outside but separately, but I'm conscious of creating too much separation and they don't learn to interact.

@Turquoisesol it defo sounds more growley to me an Dh that said he doesn't try to snap or anything he does just make the noise,@tabulahrasa how would I go about this please? Would you just keep picking him up an saying no firmly if he growls?
I had anxiety when we first got him but this has set it off again I am so worried he will be aggressive with the kids! My youngest is only 4 so something we want to nip in the bud asap x

@Nordstrom

Morning everyone. I've not been here this week as I have just been overwhelmed and exhausted.

Lovely to see pics of all of these cuties.

Nordpup is settling in and it feels like we are a little more attuned to her body language and routines. It really is like having a newborn and toddler rolled into one isn' it!?

So I have given up on crate training already. We are just letting her settle in the gated kitchen (usually under a chair/on the rug). At the moment she wakes approx 2 times (just has a cuddle and won't toilet outside) then usually wakes me up before 6 at which point she has pooed somewhere on the kitchen floor.

Our main challenge at the moment is the pre-nap shark attacks! The younger dc (4 and 8) have really been avoiding her a lot...they knew she would be like this but I feel a bit sad that they are quite so scared! Any tips for successful integration? We have created a large sectioned off part of the garden so that dc and pup can play outside but separately, but I'm conscious of creating too much separation and they don't learn to interact.

@Nordstrom bless you! I have been feeling the same it's defiantly hard work! When mooPup gets bitey the kids are saying No am moving away from him, then we crate him so he has he naps and calms down but this is my first puppy so I am learning as we go along. X

rnulanmoo I am the same. Constantly on alert of any signs of aggression as I have kids and don’t want to have any issues there. Hopefully someone more experienced will be able to give you advice. Normally the desensitise them to something you couple it with a treat?

@rnulanmoo I never had this problem, mine was very affectionate from day 1 so I'm no expert, but if he's growling when you pick him up, do you need to pick him up so often? I know there will be occasions where you need to, but maybe try to avoid it unless it's necessary. He'll need to get used to being handled but you'll need to train this. In our training class we did 'puppy grabs' where we had to lift them up unexpectedly and reward them. All the pups in my class were fine with it though so I'm not sure how you deal with it if they're not. He's very young but it may be worth contacting a trainer for some advice so you can deal with it properly from the off. I definitely wouldn't advise picking him up and saying a stern no! The growl is the puppy's way of telling you he doesn't like it. Don't force him to do things he doesn't like, and don't punish him for growling. If you stop them growling they'll progress onto snapping or biting to tell you they don't like things and you really don't want that.

I don't think it means he's aggressive. It maybe means the breeder wasn't brilliant at handling them and getting them used to things. How was the breeder when you met them?

Can i join you? We picked up our cockapoo puppy 10 days ago, she’s 9.6weeks old today. We’ve also got an older dog but I feel like I’ve forgotten everything about the puppy stage.
Is anyone trying to integrate their puppy with an older dog? We are finding it a bit hit and miss, older dog is finding puppy a bit much.

Hello @thereinmadnesslies. My mum who lives locally has an older dog and I've found it quite challenging having them in the same space. Our puppy is very bouncy, very playful, very excitable. Mum's dog is super calm and gentle and tolerant but our pup doesn't pick up on the growls and sometimes snaps when she's had enough. When I call our pup away to give them some time apart, the older dog comes too. It is getting better and they have flopped down in the garden together in the sunshine which was very sweet. I think we just have a very very bouncy mile a minute kind of dog. Other dogs seem much more refined than ours.

@rnulanmoo

Start off small - so hand under chest or however you’re picking up, treat... wait till that’s something that’s good and exciting and do the next bit and treat... it might take a few days, might take longer.

But also, yeah think about how and why you’re picking him up - do you need to?

A growl isn’t aggression, it’s just a noise that means, I really don’t like this. For some dogs with being picked up it’s scary, for some it’s actually that how it’s being done is uncomfortable... with puppies it’s often just - hoy, I’ve got legs!!! I can do it, stop mithering me!!!

You never want to tell a dog off for growling, that can actually create issues because you’re not changing how they feel, so if you stop them growling and they still want something to stop, that’s when they might escalate it... if they unhappy about something and they growl, back off and then look at how you can make them comfortable with what you need to do.

Every time I lift turquoisepup in to the car she gets a little treat immediately afterwards. Which I think helps. It’s pretty much the only time I lift her

I carry AwesomePup up and down the stairs when we're going to bed/getting up for a wee, etc. He's very accepting of it, but he arrived having been handled a lot by the breeders, so he was used to it. Getting him happy with it by giving good treats every time you need to pick him up sounds like excellent advice.

@MsAwesomeDragon 12 weeks for those chews for most of them!

@Nordstrom with the kids we just separated when PoirotPup was being bitey. Little kids can’t control themselves and so make the ‘game’ more fun, reinforcing the biting. It feels like it will never end, feels like they will never bond but now we’re at 17 weeks the youngest can play really nicely with him. We still keep a close eye and stop and separate before it gets to that stage - but PoirotPup lies with his head on his lap sometimes or next to him or nearby him which is lovely.

When he gets tired and mouthy/bitey we used to put everyone except one person in other rooms and then that one person left would be really boring, often pottering pretending to do kitchen chores behind the baby gate. Or just sit completely still at the table pretending to be reading and usually PoirotPup would then go to sleep. Then we’d open up the doors again and he would follow us into another room but just go back to sleep!

Whoever asked about the growling - we didn’t have that, but I don’t think we picked up PoirotPup unless getting in and out of car and used plenty of treats. When he was smaller I taught everyone to hold him properly so he felt secure. Does he need picking up for any reason?

We have a10 week pup and recently got some lamb muscle from 'dragonfly'. Their website is really clear about what pups can have when. Free delivery over £20. Ours loved the lamb chew, didn't affect tum as low fat, didn't last ages but enough to keep her occupied for a while. We also got ears/bull pizzle! but not tried them yet. We pop her in the pen or crate when's she's tired/crazy and she will then snooze.

He's decided today that he loves carrot. So every time anyone opens the fridge he's stolen a carrot and run away to eat it. I can't get too worked up about stealing carrot but should I be stopping him so he doesn't get the idea he can just steal any food? We've found it quite amusing today.

@MsAwesomeDragon

He's decided today that he loves carrot. So every time anyone opens the fridge he's stolen a carrot and run away to eat it. I can't get too worked up about stealing carrot but should I be stopping him so he doesn't get the idea he can just steal any food? We've found it quite amusing today.

🤣🤣🤣

I probably wouldn’t encourage food stealing from the fridge tbh thinking longer term with a lab though in answer to your question. Just thinking longer term!!!

Thanks @MrsHerculePoirot it sounds a lot like what we are already doing. Yesterday with it being the weekend, they managed to spend more time playing with her when she was relatively calm.

That's what I was thinking tbh MrsHP. He's a clever little thing as well. He's found little routes through places we haven't spotted as being big enough for him. Came inside through an open window (low to the ground, but not open very far) yesterday when we put him outside. He was suddenly just there beside DH in the kitchen, having gone through the window and circling through the rest of downstairs.

Cheeky puppies! Don’t worry they grow so fast - but then don’t realise they’ve grown and try to get through/under things they can’t any more as then look confused 🤣🤣🤣

Morning everyone, I had a lovely Sunday morning surprise as Billy decided to sleep in til 8am 😵 of course, as a typical mum, I woke at 7 anyway and had to stop myself going down to check if he was alive 🙈. It was nice to have a bit of a lot in though!

If anyone is looking for cheap treats, I ordered a sample pack of Fish For Dogs kibble for £2 and it came yesterday. Billy loves it and you get 6 meal sized bags. I don’t mind giving him plenty of the pieces as treats as it’s proper kibble but tastier (it does smell a bit fishy though!). Fish is Billy’s favourite and I don’t think I’d give him it as his main kibble as he loves proper fish to supplement his diet and to use it as kibble might be too much but he’s enjoying keeping it for treats!

@LadyCatStark If you register your Pup (I think it was called Puppy Club or something) you will receive a large box of treats and a large pack of the adult kibble when your pup turns one - Grannypup's arrived yesterday. Totally unexpected and totally free!

@grannycake ooh fab! I’m pretty sure I did register him 😊.

Pup is verryy sleepy (and well behaved) because of the head today. I feel like I’m in for a bad night 🤣🤣

Hi, haven’t posted for some time. Whirley pup is now 8.5 months. I mentioned previously about his decent marking in the house and had a few replies (so sorry can’t remember names to tag!) I’m sure someone mentioned that a friends pup and as being castrated due to this and I wondered how it went and if this stopped the problem? Whirley pup is booked for chemical castration this week, vet also advised to ask behaviourist about this which we have and been advised a firm voice and no then straight outside but pup doesn’t seem to understand why I shout no when he cocks in the house, in fact he finds it highly amusing and thinks it’s playtime 🙄 so trying to catch him to take outside is interesting!

@Mrswhirley my brother's dog was scent marking at 9 months and castration has helped a lot. Fully toilet trained apart from the marking and telling him to stop never worked!

On the treats, my pup loves his kibble- I use Carnilove and he likes it enough that I can use it as treats as well. Have almost stopped buying other treats except for when I need something really high value. Saving money and makes it easier to monitor his overall intake!

Our 10 week old pup has gone to bed in her crate in the spare room without a sound for the last week but tonight is crying...can this be a one off or are our peaceful nights over?! She's just been to the toilet so it isn't that...dh sitting next to the crate for now

@duvetdrama no idea sorry but hope the puppy settled for you last night! We’ve only left PoirotPup sleeping alone fully this week really so I’m not the best person to ask 🤣 he starts in crate but we don’t latch the door and then he comes out and moves around various chairs, floor and sofa from about 2.30 am now!