Puppy Survival Thread August part 2

[Aria20]

New puppy thread as August has been a busy month! Not sure how to link the other thread?! @MrsHerculePoirot @SweetLathyrus @Spudlet @MsAwesomeDragon @GuyFawkesDay @opalescent @ashmts

Puppy blues are really kicking in today. It's just dawned on me that I have a 3 day weekend on my own with no plans except puppy watching. Plans with friends have had to be cancelled to be cancelled because they are not dog friendly and I have no one to watch pup. I know it will be easier when she's had her second vaccine and can go out with me or we can go for walks but at the moment I can't remember ever feeling so lonely. Sorry for the downer. I'm just feeling very isolated 🙁 The last few weekends haven't been so bad because I've had visitors.

I think I'll try and go for a drive in a bit. And maybe a short walk - I have a rucksack thing for pup but she will only tolerate it for 10 minutes.

Do you have anywhere you can go for tea and cake and watch the world go by @MightyMeerkat

We went to a teashop before second vaccinations with pup sat on a piece of vetbed under the table outside. Enough new sights and sounds there that pup was happy to sit relatively calmly and observe.

@MightyMeerkat that's tough! Hopefully the end is in sight and you'll be out and about with her soon. We found it impossible to carry sushipup about when she was little. She just wanted to get down on the ground and explore. It made for very short quite stressful outings. You will feel so much better when you can get out properly. I suggest wine, netflix, a good book. xxx

[quote ilovesushi]@opalescent We picked up a 6m training lead (long line) the other day when we went on a day trip and I wanted our pup to be able to roam freely but have some control if needed. In the end we didn't even get it out the wrapper. We left her regular short lead on and let it trail after her in case we needed to grab her at any point. I think I'll hold on to it as she is starting at doggy daycare soon and thought recall is good with us, I haven't a clue how she will be with a stranger!

@cheeseisthebest that sounds hard - the barking when you leave the room. It does sound like if you keep repeating it the exact same way it will just engrain the behaviour. Sure you already have lots of good advice on this, but what about leaving him with a really nice chew or something to create a positive association when you leave? Or better get a trainer in for an expert opinion?[/quote]
Thank you. I was not acknowledging when I came back in as had read that was best to do but now if he's reasonably calm I'm coming back and saying good waiting and making a fuss. Also letting him wander out to the hall with me rather than ways shutting the door.
There's always something isn't there!

Sympathies @MightyMeerkat I completely understand 😔. This brief period will be over very soon. Could you get some lovely treats in and rent a good movie? Make it a lovely cosy weekend at home.

Whereabouts are you? I'm in Gloucestershire.

@ilovesushi how old is sushipup? I'm curious to know how quickly people have been able to take their pups for non-stressful outings? Opalpup is still a ball of energy whatever we're doing, I can't imagine being able to sit in a cafe with her nearby and calm!

Oh I totally get the puppy blues bit. FawkesPup is a bitey terror today, he's pood on the floor and it all feels a bit relentless and like I have just added hugely to my workload.

I've got a 5m long line I was hoping to use on the park to practice recall but good tip on gloves and rank stuff. Bleurgh!

I might get a biothane one which is wipe clean

Thank you everyone. Your messages help and a friend just sent me flowers which has cheered me up. I think she'd picked up that I was down 🙂

I think I'm going to crack on with some housework - not very exciting but doing something is better than sat moping!

@opalescent I'm in Birmingham.

@GuyFawkesDay I have a 10 m biothane one from Amazon it's bright orange so hopefully people see it so it's not a trip hazard. I only use it in woods really or if we go to a different park as our local one is pretty secure and she usually comes back lol

@opalescent Sushipup is coming up to 7 months. Can only be calm in a cafe if it follows a tiring activity and she has something good to chew on like a cow's tail. We did manage a pub lunch the other day but there were four of us to keep an eye on her and take her for a quick stroll around the beer garden if needed. I think a constant supply of treats to reward good calm lying down helps!

I'm not quite sure you'd describe them as stress free outings, but from 12 weeks we've been able to go for coffee/cake/lunch out as long as it was preceded by a walk/wander and accompanied by a lamb braid/ostrich chew

I have this long line Toozey Training Lead for Dogs, 5m / 10m / 15m Long Dog Training Lead with Hand Loop and Mesh Bag, Waterproof Training Leads for Large to Small Dogs, Robust Dog Leash set (15m, Yellow) www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07XFJ7GZ7/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_TRYX50GFEDPM1C89S1KR?psc=1&_encoding=UTF8&tag=mumsnetforu03-21
It's a pain in the arse to keep wrapping it up to shorten it or if he goes round trees etc, but it's brilliant for ensuring he comes back when there are other dogs around. His recall is great when we're in the local park with very few other people/dogs around, but if we go anywhere else, or even to our park at a busier time I have him in the long line. He just wants to play, but he's big and boisterous which is a bit much for some other dogs so I don't want him to get used to going over to every dog he sees.

We "graduated" from puppy classes today. It's all still a work in progress but we've got loose lead walking (in a relatively quiet place without too many distractions), recall (when there aren't other dogs too close), settle, sit, stay, down, etc. He's good at those in calm environments but I'm not ready to test them in exciting places yet.

@MightyMeerkat I hear you, it's the long weekend and we can't go anywhere as these dogs haven't been left for even a minute. We really need to start the stay-at-home training, in fact I'm going to do that today, starting with 5 minutes!

We can't even go to a pub or wander round time with them since MaeDog, who is now 17 months, has become really reactive and barks his head off at other dogs now. Really need to get a behaviourist in as he used to be so calm and friendly. It's actually a bit upsetting.

Thank you all, great tips as always!! Just got back from a lovely harness buying trip to pets at home, where opalpup was cooed over by everyone ❤️

Pup has bitten me hard (an accidentally clumsy attack) today and I've fallen over the laundry airers blocking off the puppy toilet zone (aka kitchen) and am feeling more puppy joy...

DH tired and grumpy and unreasonable so that's not good either.

The wheelchair is keeping me sane . We've gone far further than I'd manage without.

12 days until 2 vaccines..

@MeredithMae I'm sorry. That sounds like a horrible situation.

10 days until second vaccine for us. I'm literally marking the days, hours....!

I waited until pup was asleep this morning and then snuck upstairs for a shower. It was about 6 minutes until she realised I was gone and started crying. My aim is to build up to 15 minutes over the next few days!

and to those struggling with leaving pups, not getting out, or having stressful trips out.

We’ve been lucky that Mac pup is happy in his crate and can be left. If he’s covered we don’t hear a peep and if he’s not he’ll have a little whinge and then lay down and snooze.

We broke vaccine etiquette and took Mac for a walk a couple of days early… He loved it and so did we. He found and tried to eat two dead mice which was really grim. Especially when just the tail was hanging out of his mouth…

Ewww! I would have died!!

Here’s the monsters now.

Nice monsters! My adult dog is reactive to other dogs. She ignores them but if they approach she snarls and is defensive. I've been chucking food at her for awhile now. Walking the pair of them is going to be difficult.

She is awful with the doorbell as well. Again trying trying to calmly approach this whilst she's barking hurling herself at the door....

Oh wow they're so cute! Especially the ball of fluff on the right!

She is literally about 70% fluff 😂 she’s a skinny thing underneath. She’s 16 weeks now!

Just took the pair of them out for a pub lunch. MaeDog barked his nut off every time someone walked past with a dog. So embarrassing.

@MightyMeerkat I'm Warwickshire so not far away if you need anything or fancy a meet up once pups are out

Spudpup is still a crazy barker… we had friends over today and there was a lot of puppy yelling once he had decided they were nice. They had their baby with them so we kept Spudpup in the kitchen, which he did not appreciate. He’s definitely decided that barking is the best policy when you really need to tell a human how jolly exciting life is Good job our friends are dog people 🙈

Not something I ever really needed to deal with with Spuddog, so looking for ideas on what to do…!