Puppy Survival Thread - June/July

[MrsHerculePoirot]

Discussion of all things puppy...

Old thread here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_doghouse/4234193-puppy-survival-thread-may?msgid=108567452

We arrived at our holiday house yesterday and I suspect this 'holiday' will be anything but relaxing 😁

Between trying to placate (still terrified) ds, mopping up toileting accidents, preventing destruction and poor Nordpup crying because she doesn't want to sleep alone in this strange place....

It was a 4.30 wake up this morning! If it wasn't such a long drive I'd be tempted to give up and go home already 🥴

Yikes Nord that's what's scaring me about our holiday in October. Have you got a playpen you can safely put Nordpup in either inside or in the garden? Remember you've not had a full day holiday yet and he might be so tired after the activities you've got planned today that he just flops for the evening.

We accidentally double fed AwesomePup last night . DH gave him supper then went to bed, then half an hour later I gave him supper and went to bed (not realising that DH had already fed him). Best night's sleep ever!!! I got up and took him for a wee at 6, then he took himself back to bed and slept till 8:30!!! I don't know if it was the overfeeding (which I don't want to do as I don't want him to have weight issues) or all the exercise yesterday, but I definitely want the sleeping to happen again.

Both pups have diarrhoea. H shat on the floor (cream carpet!) outside our bedroom at 330, that was fun. No idea what could have caused it for them both to have it? Guess it must be a bug of some kind?

@Jloco B had her vax at Vets4Pets at 11 weeks and was allowed out 1 week later, not 2.

@MeredithMae oh no! Hopefully it passes soon and they feel better. Boring food for them today

@Nordstrom I imagine the first holiday is a challenge and it will probably just take a bit of time to settle. After some exercise during the day and all the new things to sniff he will wear himself out and collapse

@MsAwesomeDragon double dinner and treats on the car ride? He had a fantastic day!!

Today we watched Marley and Me and not to sound like a wimp but it was sad when we didn't have a dog but now with morningpup I actually cried

PS The DTAS FB group is fantastic! Thanks again for the recommendation. Not sure Morningpup has read the guides as when I opened the crate this morning he just barked at me and stayed inside

Another rubbish night's sleep here. Waking and crying every hour. She doesn't need anything other than reassurance, she goes straight back to sleep as soon as one of us sits by the crate. Tempted to sleep on the kitchen floor alongside tonight, I could really use some uninterrupted sleep! (We're in the next room about 12 ft away at the moment)

Can I join in? I am one week in of welcoming our very longed for family dog and questioning what I have done. Is this normal? He's a lovely little thing but as a single parent, giving up all the things I was doing like going to the gym and looking after myself have completely fallen by the way side. I'm so tired from not sleeping and working.
Would crate training improve this situation?

Oh @tizwozliz that is bloody hard. How old is your pup again? Is it a confidence thing (doesn't feel confident to be left alone)? We haven't cracked it as he is sleeping in our bedroom and we are slowly moving the crate away so I can't give any tried and tested advice. Is it possible to angle his crate with the door open so he can 'see' you 12 ft away?

Whilst we haven't cracked sleeping alone, my partner and I alternate late and early shifts (late bedtime shift 10-11pm and early is 6ish-7) so we both get a decent night sleep.

@fajitasrock the first week I thought I had made such a mistake I couldn't eat (anxiety) or sleep and cried. 1 week later I felt so much better and now 3 weeks in can't imagine life without him as he settled and we gained more freedom. Definitely read some puppy blues articles - it is very real but also goes away with time and help happyoodles.com/2021/01/the-puppy-blues-dealing-with-regret/

Also getting a 1-2-1 trainer in really helped as they gave tips and proved he was trainable. Finally you can always vent on here, it made me feel better

@fajitasrock also it must be harder alone too. If your children are old enough are there any chores they could do? Something simple like feeding or play with a flirt pole if puppy is bitey and you want distance between puppy and child.

Also invite friends/family round (even better if they have a fully vaccinated dog/puppy) so they can play and you can rest for a bit too. Pay them in a meal and drink. It usually makes them sleepy and nap afterwards. I have 3 friends staying over next weekend and I can't wait as I know they will love him and tire him out.

My girls are definitely old enough and are great at co parenting him.
When they are with their dad and it's just us two I am struggling. I know eventually he will be great company and we'll be able to go for walks together when I'm alone but it seems like such a long way off at the moment. We are in a cycle of toileting, playing, feeding, napping then do it all again!

She's generally pretty confident in the day, happy to potter about in the garden , take herself off for a snooze in the kitchen or hallway. I don't have a lot of experience to relate to but she's not what I'd describe as clingy. Only 11 weeks so still quite young. I think once we can get out and about it'll get better, we've had a couple of good nights which have both been after having visitors when she's super tired.

Oh well, she's only ever had two wee accidents in the house so you win some you lose some! I can't claim any credit for the toilet training, she seemed to arrive knowing what to do.

@Aria20 I know you posted yesterday so will already be at your in laws for lunch, so I'm a bit late. But the way I see it is you have a dog now and people either need to accept that they come with you, or that you need to rush away to get back. I wouldn't worry about it being rude, you're just dealing with your responsibilities. We only tend to leave ours at dinner time or later, we crate her and she just naps. I haven't tried leaving her for any length of time earlier in the day but I don't think she'd like it very much. Hope you got on okay today and came up with a solution. Would FIL have let her in the house if she was crated? That might be a compromise, she could see you and be near you but won't pester him.

@tizwozliz I definitely advise sleeping in the same room for a while, it helps them settle in. We did it for a few weeks and then moved upstairs and now Ashpup sleeps independently downstairs.

@fajitasrock Sorry to hear you're having a tough time, it's very very normal though and it will get better. I have a partner but he took not well shortly after pup arrived (partially caused by not eating and drinking enough cos pup took priority) so all the care fell to me for a couple of weeks and it was hard. Have you got anyone nearby who can come and sit with pup while you have a shower or a nap? My sister in law was really helpful and she saved my sanity. He will sleep better as time goes on. Crate training will likely help as you'll be able to pop him in there and know he's safe but it's not a quick process. It does get better though, just the first month or so is very hard work.

Glad I've found this thread!

We've got a 9 week old Newfoundland poodle cross. For 22 hours a day he's a good boy (pretty good with house training, likes a cuddle, good with bring brushed)... But between 8pm and 10pm it's like he transforms into another dog, a biting machine! It's not just little nips, but proper sinking his teeth in. We've tried turning our backs on him/ignoring him - this doesn't seem to work as it's very difficult to silently ignore a puppy that is literally hanging off our arms & legs and turned our backs only gives his easy access to our calves. We've tried leaving to the room but he thinks it's a game and tried to leave the room with us.
We've tried distracting him with toys and treats... Works for a single second then he's back to biting.
I've seen advice saying that he's probably overtired and to put him in his crate... But this only leads to howling.
He's got so many toys (both soft and chew toys) so he's not lacking things to chew on... He just seems to prefer us.
Does anyone have any suggestions?

We've been sleeping in line of sight (whilst technically not the same room) for 2.5 weeks already so was hoping for some progress. She does actually settle much better now, but her ideal is for your head to be 20cm away from hers! Good job she's cute!

@Returnoftheowl - do you have a lickimat or similar? The first week our pup was home then licking really helped calm her down when she'd turned into a crazy thing. My secret weapon was actually a bit of peanut butter on my finger, she'd sit down next to me, lick my fingers and be asleep within minutes.

Returnoftheowl do you have a stair gate you can put on the door so when you leave the room climb over the stair gate then pup can’t try to come with you?

@Turquoisesol

Returnoftheowl do you have a stair gate you can put on the door so when you leave the room climb over the stair gate then pup can’t try to come with you?

Yes, we've got a stair gate, but if he knows we are downstairs and he can't get to us he just howls and howls.

@tizwozliz I'll have a look for a lickmat now. Just need something to calm him down! It's like he suddenly works himself into a frenzy and just won't calm down.

@Returnoftheowl Totally normal, Google 'puppy witching hour'. Still tough to deal with though! Chewing and licking are meant to calm them down but honestly nothing really worked with ours. Sometimes letting her out for a poo helped, she'd calm down once she'd gone. Other than that I just got a room divider and got out of her way. It won't last forever, as soon as we got out for walks ours stopped doing it.

Return we have the same in the same two hours. The playpen has been a god send though even then it's still not easy and he's now at the stage where a biscuit lure to go in just isn't good enough

@ashmts yeah I know every puppy goes through it, it's just super hard right now, especially due to his size and strength that the biting really hurts! Hopefully getting out for walks will help... He's having his second jabs on the 13th of August. Hopefully it will be a lot easier when he can get out and about.

I believe if they bit you the.m. You only need to go out room for about 30 seconds for them to get the message. You don’t need to leave her for too long.
I used to go in the garden and sit on kids climbing frame during the witching hour. They do outgrow it.

@tizwozliz that is 100% true - each pup will have something they are great at some they need help. Toilet training is a definite win. I have a lab pup same age and the last thing I would describe him as is unconfident. Also such a cutie in that photo - you couldn't be annoyed at that face for long!

@Returnoftheowl totally normal - angels turning to little devils at dusk. My advice is frozen kongs (if food driven) and a flirt pole to wear out the devil from a distance aka behind a pen (ideally outside)
e.g. YILAKO Flirt Pole Dogs Handmade Dog Toys Outdoor Funny Interactive Dog Toys Durable Indestructible Chasing Tail Teaser and Training Toy Chewing Rope for Dog

@ashmts I totally agree - lots of (harder) biting linked to needing a poo. Something I wouldn't have made a connection with before having a pup!

@MeredithMae

Both pups have diarrhoea. H shat on the floor (cream carpet!) outside our bedroom at 330, that was fun. No idea what could have caused it for them both to have it? Guess it must be a bug of some kind?

Can recommend www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/protexin-veterinary-pro-kolin-dog-%28online-only%29 if you can get to a PetsAtHome. We had it prescribed but it’s cheaper to buy. Firms their tummy up really quickly. Stick to plain foods can help too - ours had plain rice and boiled chicken for a few days until bad stomach passed and then we switched back to her normal food. She did have a course of antibiotics too in case it was a bug.