Puppy Survival Thread - August

[MrsHerculePoirot]

Discussion of things puppy!

Old thread here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_doghouse/4281840-Puppy-Survival-Thread-June-July?pg=1

@MightyMeerkat mine is in with us but door half open (sliding door) but he sleeps on my feet all the time.

Willow looks like Hamish's sister!!

Nordstrom I feel like that too a lot. Pup is 6.5 months now and I am still very much coming to terms with this as - family with a dog. I get tired a lot just with constantly trying to make sure I cover all the bases with regards training. It’s quite a lot of extra work. I am hoping all the extra work now will pay off in the future. It’s does worry me though that my kids were just getting to an age where I could leave them in the house while I pop to the shop etc and getting more independent. But now we have taken a step back with regards that. They can’t be trusted with a dog on their own. So we now need adult present at all times again. The kids love her a lot but they only spend the odd 5 minute with her whereas she is my responsibility all the time !
I think the key for the future is to find a good kennels. So we can get a break at times for holidays etc, days out.

@MightyMeerkat so cute! We have a Sprocker too but 10 months old now!
We shut the crate door at night from the beginning (because frankly if we hadn’t she’d have been wandering around causing havoc ) but slept right next to it, gradually moving further away over the next 2/3 weeks. Got up a few times a night at first, sleeping through by about 14 weeks. Good luck tonight!

@LadyCatStark oh yes I give pup something to eat either lickimat or puzzle ball or snuffle mat while we are eating but of course she always finishes first and then barks at the gate, some days it's not too bad but yesterday we had roast chicken and she was obviously so desperate for it and tonight sausages - I did chop half of one up tiny for her and used for recall on tonight's park walk which she enjoyed!

I think tonight is going to be difficult
Having said I run around in the rain in the garden to attract him out there, tonight he repeatedly asks to go out but just moochs or looks for slugs and snails. So I'm out in the rain trying to beat him to slugs and snails whilst he disappears into the shadows and no pee. He's drunk lots....
I'm also full of cold and feel rubbish

Pup was amazing at the family BBQ this afternoon/evening. He was gentle with all the children, made friends with all the people who wanted to make friends with him (2 aunts stayed well away as they don't like dogs), and settled beautifully on his settle mat for a nap -twice!!!!
And he did both car journeys without crying. Admittedly, DD was feeding him a meal by dropping kibble on his head regularly in the car, but he also discovered that looking out the back window gives him a great view. I was so proud of him. And he finished the day with a good 20 minutes of decent loose lead walking

Well done AwesomePup 👏

Billy has just started to be able to see out of the window/ over the back seat in our boot. All I can see are the white of his eyes peering over the top 🥰.

AwesomePup can't normally see over the back seat or out the back window, but today we took his bed for the BBQ in case he needed space to settle. That was in the boot with him, so he was a couple of inches taller and didn't need to climb up on the back seat to see us. It's a revelation!! Just a little face peering at me over the back seat instead of a head, shoulders and front legs. The bed may well come with us on every trip now

For those of you getting that second (or third...) waves of puppy blues I can relate. I love bingo pup and find training him rewarding, playing with him fun and spending chilled time with him so warm and relaxing but I still get rushes of overwhelming feelings of WTF have we done? Am I good enough owner? Sometimes feeling resentful that he consumes so much of my time and then guilty because he's only a pup but then that passes and I'm laughing at his old man yawning noises and loving seeing how quickly he picks up new commands. I'm trying to just accept that how I feel is how I feel and it'll change with positive, negative and neutral feelings coming and going and hoping that all this hard work pays off at the end of next year with a happy, content dog. Bingo pup very much my much, much longed for husband's dog, I wouldn't have a dog if I was on my own but I've committed to care for him but I've never been gushy about puppies but I do like dogs and I do really love him! I mean, I sometimes feel resentful/frustrated about the time and energy people can demand of me so

Thanks for the words of wisdom. Turns out I'm mad at the whole world today (I've just found myself swearing profusely at a plug socket). Tomorrow's another day...

The tag has just reappeared in some vomit, never have I been so happy to see vomit at 2:30 am

Puppy for sale.

In fact I'll pay you to take the chewy bitey sod away

@MightyMeerkat in the same (or very similar!) boat!
Collected our 8 week old cocker spaniel yesterday. Her name is Mindy ❤️.
So far she's been amazing. Let the kids cuddle her endlessly all afternoon. She napped on and off. We tried crating her in the kitchen last night, but she was just too upset after only a few moments, so we moved the crate into our bedroom. She whimpered a little and then pretty much slept till 6am. Hoping very much it wasn't a one off!

Im amazed though, at how much it feels like having a baby again- you really can't leave them can you! And she is so playful this morning 😂 😴

Oh, I forgot a picture!

Mindy

@opalescent ahhhh cutie

@MsAwesomeDragon sounds like a great day for you and yes why not take the bed in the car if it makes pup happier and more comfortable. We have a car crate and bed crate both with identical bedding in so think it does help them settle to feel like they are in bed.

Awww hellow Mindy, you're a cutie!

@MakeMeCleanTheHouse I felt like that yesterday. H had a proper full of crazy hour complete with jumping at people with cockerdile mouth open. And when it's pouring down he resents being taken out to wee, and so does a performance pee outside then comes in and finishes the job. I have never been so grateful for hard flooring.

On the up side, he LOVES his new food. It's very much only 25% of his meal but we have a hit. What's interesting is the royal Canin portion for his age is 184gm/day. The new one? 60gm. So he gets about 10 pieces of kibble at the moment.... Is that because of the level of nutrients/lack of cereal "filler"? It does mean the seemingly "expensive" food actually works out well as you feed much less. And today....proper normal poop too. Such a relief (and easy to clean up!) So I'm hopeful we are on the right track now.

And he slept til 7am, with a 5hr stint 2-7 with no wee stop. Hurrah!!!!

@GuyFawkesDay yep so much less kibble in Eden/millies wolf heart as no grains/cereals that are basically empty calories. Glad it's sorted pup's tummy out for you!

Picked up 8 week old Elfpup yesterday.

A good nights sleep was had by all but she was demanding out of the crate and breakfast at 5.30...

She's finally settled for a nap on my lap thank goodness but I am desperate for a coffee.... I suspect nothing is going to get done today

Elfdog is sulking and ignoring me but other than that he's actually been OK with her so far

Obligatory puppy pic attached. She is rarely still enough to get a picture

Well the tag reappeared, but she's been sick a couple more times and had a couple of sloppy poos. So another day of monitoring. She is happy as larry, although suspect she'll be less impressed when she finds out she's not going to be allowed into the lounge and on the sofa today. Sticking in the tiled kitchen close to the patio doors! I'm seeing it as a good sign that she's still asking and managing to make it outside.

I've just been for PCR but am sure it's just a bad cold. Feel utterly crap though and several nights poor sleep is not helping.

He just wanted to bite chew and play in the night. Up at midnight, 2.30, 4.30 and stayed awake after trying to instigate play for 30 minutes or more.

Husband and DD also poorly so no one feeling up to coping with boisterous pup

@tizwozliz never bene so happy to see vomit

B woke up and had a morning bile puke this morning, just like H used to when he was small, so following my own advice and off to buy Lily's Kitchen bedtime biscuits today.

We are in the process of switching to Butternut and so far B loves it. It's firmed her poos right up (handy at 1030pm when she shits in our bedroom)

@MeredithMae can I just jump on the mention of butternut? Sorry I'm catching up late- what's the general chat been about food on this thread? I'm really keen to try other options to the conventional dry puppy food- mainly as mindy's poo is foul!!

Pleased to say that my Kong problems are solved. We’ve just had an anniversary champagne brunch & Boxpup happily enjoyed her Kong throughout! I got the one @tizwozliz recommended. 👍