Puppy Survival Thread - May

[Doje]

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

Have any of you lovely lot had problems with your pup’s teeth? Her top adult canines are on their way through (by the look of them I would guess about halfway in) but her puppy ones haven’t fallen out yet, the adult ones are just coming in next to them. I’ve looked it up and it’s apparently quite common? I’m hoping as the adult ones get longer the puppy ones will just make their way out and hoping she doesn’t have to have them extracted

How old is she @Plantlover23? (I feel like I need a spreadsheet to keep up to date with everyone's puppy ages/breeds/ sex )

Does she use lots of different types of chews? This is what help Georgiepup lose his though we didn't have any problems. Maybe call the vet and ask how long you should wait before getting her seen?

She’s just 6 months! Yes good idea She’s having her spay in a few weeks so I’m hoping that even if they need to be extracted it can all be tied into one anaesthetic so it doesn’t have to happen twice!

And yes to the chews, I think she has everything under the sun She does use them all the time as well so hopefully that will help too

@Plantlover23 We didn't have any issues (easiest teething experience ever, I didn't even notice it - not trying to be smug but I was expecting it to be awful!) but I'm sure I read the adult teeth can come in and they can have two rows of teeth? Probably worth a call to the vet to put your mind at rest. I reckon mine lost most of her puppy teeth playing tug of war at daycare.

We just had our first proper recall fail. So embarrassing, she chased a crow and just would not be distracted from it. Once the crow flew off she came straight back but it was 100% on her terms. Fortunately it was on fields away from roads. Looks like we need to go back to basics with the recall training. We got a whistle yesterday actually (coincidentally) at her training class so we were going to start training with that anyway. That was the last class of face to face training and the trainer actually apologised that it had been so slow paced and said the other owners (one in particular, I'm sure I've complained about him before on here) just wouldn't listen and wouldn't keep their dogs under control. Half of me feels glad she recognised that it's been poor but half of me thinks it's her class and if someone was disruptive she should have been able to control it? Maybe I'm being unfair. Can't decide whether to go back for advanced classes or not. Maybe we should now recall is shaky.

Argh just need to vent! Had brilliant day with (8 months) challenge pup yesterday- he was a superstar in our closed field recall exercise, had a great walk, was well behaved all day and he slept like a baby! Today he has been a total nightmare- destroying everything he can see, ignoring me, refusing to settle, bad tempered with other dogs in the park. Just finished removing all the rugs from the lounge because he is determined to dig at them, taken all his beds away because he is destroying them, and moving everything he can chew in the garden into the shed. He doesn't need the loo, has plenty of toys and loads of interaction and is now on a lead sitting at the rug at my feet and periodically whining to go out again while fighting sleep with all his might! He's somewhere between an overtired toddler and a truculent teenager and as annoying as both today!

That training class sounds frustrating @ashmts. I’m struggling to find one close by that is running. Can anyone recommend an online one?

We had our first walk today after vaccinations and hightide pup was a crazy ball of energy. She didn’t listen to me at all. I’ve done lead walking with her around the garden quite a bit and she’s really good. Also so good with other commands and waits and stays like a pro in the house. So I know she has the potential. But I’m guessing the overwhelm to her senses meant she just couldn’t listen!

In terms of going forward from here and doing loose lead training, how should I proceed? When I stood still she was desperate get off the lead so she could run around and explore. Really struggling, it was a mission to even get her to sit. She is 12 weeks and I’m scared I’ve passed the window of socialisation due to having to keep her in until her vaccinations as she seem hyper wary of her surroundings. She got very freaked out by garden furniture.

Do I just let her pull on the lead until the novelty of the world has worn off a bit and the start training outside the garden (keep it up in the garden in the mean time) or do we just stand outside the front door until she can chill and then take it one step at a time, which I think will be literal! Not a clue, help!

@FamilyChallenge I LOVE your post so much, as you have just described my week! Phases of a beautiful well behaved pup who I can be so proud of, then a complete deaf ear to recall, back to nicking slippers and chewing on my plants!!

@Hightideattheseaside if I had my time again I'd practice loose lead walking in the house and garden only, and then do trips to the park as a separate thing, taking them on the long line for an explore. Have you had a look at the DTAS Facebook group? There's a lot there on loose lead walking.

Lol @Doje solidarity! I keep telling myself that at least the good days show the training is working and he does understand what to do. But then that makes me more irritated when he chooses to be a little sod! Hopefully we will both survive the next couple of months (as will my soft furnishings) and he will be the lovely dog I know he can be!

Hightideattheseaside this is my dilemma too. I want pup to enjoy exploring. She is a bit nervous at time and sometimes reluctant to go for a walk. So I want her to enjoy it and it I am constantly ah ah big her to stop pulling in the lead it’s not going to be very enjoyable for us.

It’s tricky isn’t it @Turquoisesol! I think maybe getting them to enjoy walks and get used to the world is more important first.

@Doje thank you. I don’t have a Facebook account so haven’t seen that page. Might set up a dummy one just to join and have a look. I think perhaps you’re right in that we need to keep up the training at home and not worry about it yet for walks/park and treat them as separate things for now. Need to get a long line!

@Hightideattheseaside @Turquoisesol I think it's right about getting them to enjoy it first and not expect too much. My boy was quite nervous on walks at first, and had to be coaxed a bit though he enjoyed it when we got going. I wish I had done slightly more lead walking practice once he got comfortable as it's still a work in progress but I was happy with him on a longer line in the park and getting to explore and be comfortable in the world.

Thanks all re the working from home. I think I’m going to try and puppy proof the room I’m working in and get rid of the playpen. The problem is it’s a spare bedroom so has carpet and a lot of crap lying about 🙈. If we worked downstairs we would’ve got rid of it a while back I think.

We’re doing loose lead walking at the mo on our puppy classes. Trainer has advised to do lots of practice in the house, then garden, then go somewhere like an industrial estate that has very few scents, then own street when v quiet. Only once pup can do all that to move on to the park/busy areas as these are the highest distraction areas. So far we are struggling to even master it in house so got a long way to go yet!!

@Hightideattheseaside we’ve driven to grassy areas/commons and used long line for ‘walks’. Kept the loose lead walking practice in house and garden and then occasionally outside house (but it requires a constant supply of chicken 🤣). First few times outside house I just let him sniff and didn’t worry but am trying now to differentiate the two types of walks.... DTAS advice was drive and use longline wherever possible as LLW would be a work in progress for some time if that helps!

Thanks @MrsHerculePoirot that does make sense! Did you have the same issue with your lab?

Need to get on this Facebook page!

just fwiw on the working from home, there is no way we could work from home with Happy. I am due back in the office FT soon anyway but dp thought he might be able to cope - there is absolutely no way he could every day but certainly the odd day here and there works. So we have a walker that comes and takes him out 3 days a week. It's worked absolutely brilliantly for us and him. He really looks forward to it. His recall is not back to where it was yet so we specifically chose a walker who drives him to secure field with some other dogs so he has a lovely run around with them and it takes out a good chunk of the day. He comes back totally exhausted and sleeps the rest of the afternoon.

so I really think it depends on your job and how much attention you can give the pup during the day. It was easier when he was a bit younger and slept more but both our jobs are quite demanding and it wouldn't have been fair on him

@Hightideattheseaside our first walk out with sushi pup which was only to the end of the street and back was a nightmare. She took fright at everything and was pulling and jumping and panicking. She looked like a balloon on a string in a strong wind rather than a land based creature! We are only about one week in to walking on the lead out and about and so far I'm just focusing on getting her comfortable with different situations. She is already a lot calmer and more confident.

@Plantlover23 Legopup is 7 months old & has retained 2 baby fangs along with the adult teeth. Vet advises best to remove the baby ones but will do this when Legopup has his big boy op, so the same as you're suggesting, to avoid 2 lots of anaesthetic.

Re loose lead walking...

I’ve still not done anything about it, it’s just way down on my priority list tbh. At some point I’ll get round to it, but I’m not overly bothered - I’ve done it with older dogs than him successfully, so I’m just not stressing about it and I’d rather spend my time working on him being happy and confident meeting things than how he walks.

If you can I still it straight away with a tiny puppy then yes it’ll make your life a bit easier, but, if it’s impacting socialisation or how well you can train more important things, I just wouldn’t particularly worry about it - the only person it really inconveniences is you anyway.

@Turquoisesol

Hightideattheseaside this is my dilemma too. I want pup to enjoy exploring. She is a bit nervous at time and sometimes reluctant to go for a walk. So I want her to enjoy it and it I am constantly ah ah big her to stop pulling in the lead it’s not going to be very enjoyable for us.

@Turquoisesol we haven’t picked up our puppy yet (5 sleeps and counting!) so I might be talking rubbish but we’ve already found a trainer and she suggests to use a harness if you’re happy for puppy to go off sniffing a bit and to save the collar and lead for when he/ she has to walk nicely. So if they’re on their collar, do the whole stopping or walking back a few steps and treating when they’re walking to heel but don’t worry so much when they’re on their harness. I hope I’ve explained that OK?

@LadyCatStark that's pretty much what I do- his short lead goes on the collar and when we use that I am training good lead walking. I have a trailing line for recall training and then a retractable for where we are not training and I want him to have a bit of freedom but don't yet fully trust his recall, and both of those attach to a harness.

Thanks ladycatstark that sounds like a good plan. It’s interesting to hear lots of others grappling with the same dilemma. I agree that socialisation is probably more important in a way, especially as the breed I have is known form being quite sensitive. So being comfortable exploring is probably important too

I actually no idea what loose lead waking is, is it just them walking next to you nicely but on the lead?

Pugpup is at the vets today, had his op today, he cried when I left him but they called about half hour ago and said he was fine, just sleepy so I need to wait till 415 to collect him. They removed his baby teeth that hadn't come out also.

I am such a salesmanship easy target, I ended up paying an extra £124 for some other stuff they do when having surgery, not even sure what it is but basically extras, one thing included was a surgical vest rather than cone though. I felt a bit on the spot. So surgery that was supposed to be less than £150 now cost me £330 with the teeth and the extras

@PugInTheHouse be interested to hear how you go- mine is having his op on Thursday and am going back and forth between a cone, an inflatable collar and a surgical vest. He licks himself a lot anyway and am really torn as to what will be best - he doesn't like clothes but I think he will be miserable in a cone and I'm not sure the inflatable will do the job! Good luck anyway, hope your boy gets through the experience ok!