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

@MakeMeCleanTheHouse spudpup is 14 weeks old (I think. I keep miscounting…). Aw, what a lovely pup you have! I agree about stinky labs on the sofa - I will allow him up by invitation when he’s a bit bigger, but at the moment I want him on the floor for lots of reasons.

I am going to ring the vets later to see if we can pop in to stick Spudpup on the scales - the trip will do him good, and I think I might want to up his food as he’s still getting the same amount that we started with 4 weeks ago, and he’s a lot bigger now!

@SweetLathyrus where do you work? I'm always interested in people who can take their dogs to work and what they do. I'm a teacher and obviously can't take my dog to work with me. DH works in a couple of different offices, and one of them will let him take pup with him but the other one won't.

I think puppy blues are hitting me today, I could really do with some reassurance!
It's probably 5 days of 5am starts more than anything..
I thought for a long time about getting a dog. I do feel so bonded with my pup, she is adorable 🥰
But everything feels like such hard work, and I'm so tired. Does anyone have any words of comfort?
For those of you with slightly older puppies- have they started sleeping any later in the morning yet?

Dpup is finally settling asleep after a crazy hour of zoomies, trying to bite/chew everything and digging up his crate. He was obviously tired but fighting it. I’m very conscious he hasn’t been having his 18-20 hours sleep a day since he’s been with us but feel mean that he’s been in his crate for 30 minutes fighting his sleep (with me sat next to him), I’d tried taking him out, checked he wasn’t still starving by giving a little extra food, checked his bed was dry etc.
This is the first time I’ve found it hard but I think I’m also worried as DH is back at work today so I’m home with dpup and the kids who are getting a bit worried now about biting!

@opalescent yes it does get better. I had a couple of weeks of 4:30/5am get ups and that was when I had my biggest bit of puppy blues. AwesomePup is now 18 weeks and we're getting up at 6:15, which feels like morning, rather than the middle of the night. It does get easier as the puppy gets older (and then we get different challenges)

Bigpaws has found best toy ever...plastic bottles . He loves them. Crackly noise, flexes, shiny, rolls...

None of Ada's favourite 'toys' are things we've bought - plastic bottles, plant pots, the end of the broom - are all far more fun

@tizwozliz

Bigpaws has found best toy ever...plastic bottles . He loves them. Crackly noise, flexes, shiny, rolls...

None of Ada's favourite 'toys' are things we've bought - plastic bottles, plant pots, the end of the broom - are all far more fun

Yes, AwesomePup loves all those things too. Towels are a favourite as well. He went through a phase of my crocs being his favourite toy, but he's given up on that.

@opalescent The first couple weeks we were up at 5.30 or earlier and it was a killer. Spudpup was 10 weeks old when we got him so a little older too. However four weeks down the line and it’s pushing 7am before he wakes now - DH was up at 6.45 this morning, which is far more reasonable. So they do get better.

We made sure to be very boring in the early morning - we let him out for a wee and praised him for that of course, and in the very early days offered calm reassurance as of course everything was new to him. But we never played with him or fed him before 7am, we just sat quietly in the kitchen with him and read a book or went on our phones. So he had no big incentive to be up early as we are so boring at that time. We also ignore any tiny whimpers (while of course going down if things escalate) - we give him the chance to self-settle before leaping into action.

It also helps that Spudpup is a larger dog I think - his bladder capacity is better. He’s very good at waking us if he really needs a wee.

Hang in there anyway, it does get better. 👍

@Spudlet thank you 😊 that's really good to know!

@MsAwesomeDragon DH and I both work at a University that has a 'Dogs on Campus' policy - it's why I originally felt ok to get Sweet Dog! The students love it - there is nothing so comforting as a pair of soft brown eyes and a gentle lean on your legs when you've failed an assignment or are feeling homesick. I also have colleagues who walk the long way around the building just to say hello!

@opalescent, my words of comfort for the puppy blues are that they change so quickly, one morning pup will sleep until 7 and you'll be poking them to make sure they are breathing! As a pup, Sweet dog nearly broke me, I stood next to the French doors with my coat on for a month, and teaching a 'settle' completely evaded us. I swore I would never have another. But he has become the absolute centre of my heart (don't tell DD or DH).

Crackly plastic bottle are THE BEST (unless you're trying to follow the timeline of Baptiste!).

@tizwozliz (phantom flan-flinger fan?)

@opalescent yes they quickly start to sleep later! Billy woke up at 4:50 (with the crows) for the first 3 weeks but once he could go put for a walk, his wake up time got later and later and now he gets up whenever we do. His record was 9:45 😵 and that was because I gave up and came down to check that he was still alive 😂.

@opalescent we still have some 5/5.30 am wake-ups (13 weeks) but she'll happily go back into the crate and nap for a further hour or so. It was only the very early days where she'd decided the day had started at that time. The early wake-ups tend to happen on the nights where she hasn't been up for a wee in the night at all so I'm confident that she'll last a bit longer as she gets older.

I was just coming on here to discuss morning wake-up times but not from a 'why is it so early?' perspective! I'm writing this on my bed with my little one asleep in his (open) crate next to me! He woke at 6.15. We waited by his toilet for half an hour whilst he didn't produce anything, and since he was lying down on me or the floor trying to go to sleep, at 6.45 I just wondered what would happen if I took him back to his bed. He's been asleep since.

He was sick last night about half an hour before we went to bed but hasn't seemed ill at all either before or after. When he was awake (twice) during the night and before he went to bed he seemed completely normal. But of course, I'm now worried that this incredible lie-in is because he's poorly...

@tizwozliz @LadyCatStark thank you both for your reassuring posts ❤️

By some weird miracle, both dogs slept til 08:55 today neither has ever slept past 7:30 before!

Pup did have me up at 3 and 6 to have a poo though, but settled straight back to sleep afterwards.

@hilseey the worrying never stops, does it!

I was up at 2 and then the little oik decided 5am was UP TIME. Went out, had a wee, refused to settle in crate so I took him downstairs. Where he curled up behind my knees on the sofa and slept til 7:30. Why can't he do that so I can sleep in my ruddy bed?? My back is wrecked!! I have no problem doing a get up if the start time isn't "dark o'clock"!!!

However, he's been into school with me today for GCSE results and he was such a star. Was fussed by loads of kids and teachers and behaved himself so well. Did a huge wee outside as soon as we got home, bless him!!

@MeredithMae that sounds like heaven 😂 how old are pups?

Spudpup was furious earlier because the hoover ate his special bit of moss which he was spreading all over the carpet (while I was actually hoovering, I mean come on). He had a good bark at it. Naughty hoover.

He is now cross with me as he was summarily evicted from the living room after numerous sofa raids… again. Really struggling with that one actually, I really don’t want him on there but teaching him to stay off is proving to be a challenge

He is now asleep in his crate, but I’m pretty sure I can still feel his death stare drilling between my shoulder blades from earlier…

Don't talk about morning wake ups lol ! My partner has been nagging me for years for another baby . I have always said no because of how hard work they are . Then I get a dog 😂! I would say they are a bit harder ! So for the 1st 7 weeks I was living off 3 hours sleep a night ! He was barking all the time . The last week he sleeps through . He settles down around 10 then wakes up at 5-30 . Then because I got no work on the weekends I always lay on the sofa with him and he goes back to sleep until 8 . I put a film on and watch that in peace because I havnt been able to finish any film or series since we have had him 😂 ahhhhh the joys xxx

We've just been out to a local national trust place. Little walk in, some people watching, stood very nicely in the queue whilst I got a coffee and cake and got lots of compliments, then sat nicely under the picnic table with her lamb braid. Lots of little people to observe, although she did try to encourage a baby to play with a bark and her best play bow.

I think I'm going to have a tea and cake tour of the East Midlands over the next few weeks. Just need to research places which will have a kiosk or cafe where I can actually walk inside with her and some outside space to explore so she's not too fresh when I'm wanting her to sit calmly.

I'm struggling with the nights too. Bed at 10, up at 12.30 then 3 then 5.30. Then she's really bitey so no chance of any more sleep! I'm just glad it's summer so that it's not freezing whilst I'm stood outside on slug patrol whilst trying to encourage her to pee 😂

We went to Pets at Home yesterday. She really wanted to be let down to explore. I now realise how heavy a 3.3 kg pup can be after holding her for 10 minutes!

One of my purchases was some new treats. They are supposed to be "calming" - but needless to say, they do not work!

Oh, I forgot I have a question for those with older pups. At what age do you know if your pup is a bed destroyer? At the moment in the daytime Ada sleeps on a large cushion in the kitchen but would like to get a bed for her in here too. But not sure whether I need to wait to assess how trustworthy she is so I can judge how much to spend.

@tizwozliz not sure if she will be an habitual offender, but Elmpup bit a hole in her cooling mat yesterday evening and wrecked it. This was after she'd spent the evening sulking because it and her favourite blanket were out drying on the line, after she drenched them splashing in her water bowl.

Popping on to say ‘hello!’

We picked up Mac a few days ago, he’s 10 weeks. All going ok so far, but he is growing more inquisitive by the day! The crate has been a blessing as he’s happy in there and sleeps well, especially when the cover is over. He likes it so much he’s spent the first few evenings in there while DH and I try to tempt him in to the living room with us and wonder if he hates us .

Glad I have the first few weeks off with him, but I’m already wondering how I’ll find work calls and keeping him occupied!

We've had an exciting day! Went out for brunch at a garden centre followed by a mooch around then went to my mums and for his first proper walk. Met a lovely dog and owner who let him say hello and he was fine. Now having a big sleep.
He did hate the car today, did an high pitched squealy noise but I sat with him on way back instead of kids and let him snuggle my arm and he was fine. Looks like I will be sat in the back for a while!
Slept through again, 10.30 to 6.20. I woke up several times in the night but didn't hear a peep.