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

@MeredithMae is that the first time they have ran off? My retriever is 15 months and has developed a real love of chasing anything - prey, cars, cyclists. Trainer said hormones are all over the place at this age and a lot go through a big regression in their training.

Oh gosh that sounds really scary @MeredithMae I would definitely have cried too!

There's a very definitely spaniel whiff around H tonight. I feel a puppy bathtime coming on

Thanks both. Yes first time he’s ever ran off into the roads. He runs off in the park after cyclists if I don’t get him on the lead quick enough.

I still feel really upset about it, he was in and out of the roads.

It's really difficult. I was advised not to let her chase atall as the more she does it the more fun she will have. Trainer has suggested I go back to basics of recall and impulse control, don't let her chase a ball unless she has first sat nicely and I release her to do so, no rushing through doors infront of us etc. It's really scary because the thought of them being injured is just awful!

@GuyFawkesDay - I'm being a bit stupid; what is the 'dile' bit of cockerdile?

Hilseey as in crocodile or alligator. So you have cockerdile, sprockerdile, Maligator (malinois) when they are bitey

Wow - I really was being stupid!! I thought it was some kind of mix breed! Mine also has a lot of dile in him at the moment.

@MeredithMae I saw short leads for tethering dogs into the boot so they can't jump out. Worth a thought?

I have lugged 9kg of unvaccinated labrador to the river for habitulisation. As an experience I declare it ...poor. Back killing me and didn't think it through so after his paddle I had to carry 9kg of soaking and muddy lab 0.5 miles back to the car.

[quote MakeMeCleanTheHouse]@MeredithMae I saw short leads for tethering dogs into the boot so they can't jump out. Worth a thought?

I have lugged 9kg of unvaccinated labrador to the river for habitulisation. As an experience I declare it ...poor. Back killing me and didn't think it through so after his paddle I had to carry 9kg of soaking and muddy lab 0.5 miles back to the car.[/quote]
That made me laugh. I can think of nothing worse than lugging a wet, muddy puppy back to the car after a paddle. Lesson learnt, do socialisation trips that can take place closer to the car, lol.

@MeredithMae that sounds really, really scary. I'm glad all was ok in the end, but what a shock for you. I clip AwesomePup in as soon as he gets in the boot, but I'm not convinced I would still be doing that by 18 months (I will now I've heard your cautionary tale).

Bit of a crap day today. I was out at work for a few hours, so felt all out of kilter with pup when I got home, and have missed most wees ☹️. Pup also had a mad overtired hour around tea time, and I just didn't know how to get him to settle for a sleep, so that was a bit stressful.

This is a bit of a weird one, but hear me out. Is anyone else feeling that having a puppy is stirring up/ triggering feelings of anxiety similar to those of having a baby?
My kids are 4 and 8 now, but I really struggled when they were babies. I think it's dragging up all sorts of emotions linked to early parenthood: the exhaustion, the constantly trying to figure out the needs of a small creature, with very little to go on; the massive uncertainty of how things will unfold, and how long it will stay hard for. And the sense of overwhelming responsibility and sense of being a bit trapped? Most of all, the low moments of 'what the hell have I done? My life was so easy!!'

I know that all sounds very dramatic 😂 and honestly, most of the time it's fab. But it's definitely brought up some difficult feelings for me.

Oh yes, @opalescent the feelings are very, very similar to having a baby. I'm obsessing over every little thing, just like I did with the kids (not so much dd1, but with dd2 I was intense). Nothing but the best for my baby, and I feel like I'm messing everything up, then I look at him sleeping and think he's the best thing ever. I think it's normal, but don't be afraid to talk to people about it.

@MsAwesomeDragon thank you 😊 I'm relieved to hear it's not just me. It's really made me realise how many difficult feelings I have around those periods of my life.

Absolutely! My pup was described as a chunk by the vet and I was so happy cos both my babies were tiny. My daughter was prem and my son just never gained as much weight as they wanted. So it was nice to hear!
So I can totally relate. Everything you said. My life was easy and now it's hard and stressful but I love him so much!
3 poos outside today in the same spot woo hoo!
But my house smells of dog. I've washed all his bedding and we've gave him a proper shampoo wash today but still smells. Is it cos I've let him on the sofa without a blanket? Any ideas?

Yes, it’s definitely the same feeling as having a baby!

It's made me think a lot about when I had my babies and I'm making sure I enjoy every sleepy cuddle!

@cheeseisthebest my lovely 14 year old nephew came round yesterday, and brightly said 'I can definitely smell the difference in your house!'😂
It was a knife in the heart for someone houseproud like me!!

My husband is very houseproud with a strong sense of smell and not happy about the smell at all!

@cheeseisthebest I definitely find a doggy whiff about and have washed his blankets (not his mum blanket) and stripping the washable sofa cushions and covers this weekend. Hurray for IKEA sofas. I've got a pet one of those plug in air fresheners which I normally hate but it seems to help. That and adding lemon oil to the vac bag, on the basis I hoover daily to get all the paper/card/bits of garden up.

The offending puppy still smells though. I will spray him with puppy deo tomorrow. Love the little stinkbomb.

Today I learned a lesson in cheap entertainment. H has played all day with: 2 empty 500ml coke bottles, a plastic bowl and a big blue IKEA bag. All the toys to choose from 🤦‍♀️

I was in an abusive relationship. It ramped up when I was pregnant and the first year was a nightmare.

That is 18 yrs ago and I'm happily married to a lovely man now but have found the pup has made me fear the same situation and a sense of impending fear it could all happen again

@MakeMeCleanTheHouse that sounds awful. I'm glad you escaped and have a lovely man now, and I'm sorry the puppy is stirring up all those old feelings

@GuyFawkesDay AwesomePup's favourite toy for weeks was an empty takeaway tub. He chased it round and round the garden for ages. We had to take it away from him when he got big enough that chewing it made it splinter into sharp bits of plastic.

Hope you have a better day today, @opalescent, and also hope that you have good support. I'm finding this tricky enough with adult children; I can't imagine doing this with young children to also take care of.

This is my first day of being up with the larks. I couldn't persuade him back to sleep after his 5.30 toilet visit. He then did a second poo (this time on the carpet) twenty minutes later, so in retrospect there was no way that was going to happen!

Oh that's rubbish. I have the "oh shit, what have I done". I worry that DH won't bond with the dog (he was more wanted by me and the kids) and it'll cause resentment....and I don't have your history.

Hugs. I'm sure it's all puppy blues and will be well.

On the up side I managed to persuade H back to sleep at 4:30 til 6am which feels a far more civilised get up time.

Morning all.

Took pup for his walk this morning. Tried to do the training on the walk as advised by the trainer to cope with his anxieties. Would he cooperate. Would be bollox. Total failure

Thanks all ❤️.
@MakeMeCleanTheHouse I'm so sorry to hear that it's stirred up difficult feelings for you too. Isn't it strange and unexpected.

I'm feeling much much brighter today. I had the night off and slept in the spare room 😂. The last two nights pup has slept through till 5am, gone out for a wee, and then (eventually) settled back in her crate until 7.30. Hoping that's a pattern we can firm up.