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

Dogs are weirdos aren't they? Mine is napping on the floor by my feet right now. Beds are for wimps, clearly!!

Minor breakthrough in that FawkesPup has started bringing toys over to ask for play rather than just play bow and grabbing at trousers or feet. He seems to have grasped that we blank the nipping but bringing a toy gets him what he wants. Bless him, he is a sweetie. I wish he'd sodding go back to sleep after his wee/poo better but can't have everything!!!

Here he is outwitting my garden fencing

@Aria20 I know, he’s not a baby anymore 😭. He’s done his training this morning and now he’s back on his blanket with his morning kong watching his programme again. He’s not even jumped up on the sofa this morning, which is his current thing. Looks like the bed is redundant!

Ada was sat next to me crying earlier as I was sat at the kitchen table and she couldn't get near enough. It's odd as she's happy to sleep alone when I'm pottering about, going upstairs etc. but if I'm sat in one place she wants to be on me.

I've ordered a Nina Ottosson toy, it's as much for me as the dog, I'm so sick of playing our find fox/elephant/burger game!

FawkesPup is looking very handsome there.

He looks quite big too, we've met quite a few cocker spaniels recently and I had no idea how much they varied in size.

He's 5.5kg now, but yeah they do vary a lot. I think particularly working line ones have Springer back in their bloodlines and throw a bit taller than show types. They're a different shape too. Certainly FawkesPup is proportionally longer of limb and shorter of back than his show type mate.

@GuyFawkesDay ahh he's so cute making me miss mine even more she looks similar

@tizwozliz which toy did you get I've looked at them but heard from others their dogs figured them out really quick lol maybe I'll splash out for Xmas!!

I'm not sure how much mine weighs now but she's got very long legs so she's pretty tall but slim. She's working cocker mum and dad was a working/show I think!! Although I think maybe some springer/sprocker as she's seems bigger than most just cockers we see and she's got a bit of a wavy springer style coat!

I got the Dog Hide n' Slide which is a level 2. It's arrived this morning and we've tried it just at an easy level - so just a single slide to get a treat. Will ramp up the difficulty so she has to spin one thing then two slides. I think she'll get the hang of it pretty quickly but even once she's cracked it if it's 5 mins to get 5 treats that's still worthwhile in my book. She's far happier working for her food than eating it out a bowl.

Guyfawkes what a beautiful puppy!
We've had a massive step backwards with sleeping through the night. I started off on the floor next to the crate last night and he was fine, he couldn't even see me but when I went to bed he barked loads so back I went! He did eventually sleep until 7.

AwesomePup sleeps in weird positions too. His favourite place to sleep is at the bottom of the stairs, just in the right place to trip up anyone coming downstairs. Currently he's in his bed but look at the position he thinks is comfortable!!!!

They're such weirdos aren't they??!

FawkesPup had his lepto jab this morning so 2 weeks until total freedom. Will wait and see if this one upsets his tum as he had his wormer at the vet too, just to add insult to injury!!

Fingers crossed he's ok, I'm going to pop his lunch in the Kong gyro again as he loves it. Will have to get puzzle feeders I reckon he will like them and I need loads of ideas for when I'm at work and DH is home alone with him.

Lovely pics! FawkesPup looks very majestic!

Second jab is one week today - it really can't come soon enough. I feel like we're going backwards with sleep and behaviour - more biting today and destructive attacks on furniture, floor, cushions etc. I think she's bored of just being here with me all the time and is ready to be getting out more. I'm playing with her every hour, she has loads of toys and treat puzzles etc. but it doesn't seem to be enough to wear her out. In the meantime, I'm absolutely knackered!

Same here meerkat.

@cheeseisthebest It's hard isn't it? The worst thing is that the more destructive she is, the less freedom she can have! And less freedom means more boredom and more destruction! It's a vicious circle. The change in the weather doesn't help either. It's so chilly today, I've had to close the back door which she's not liking.

On the plus side, we had no accidents indoors yesterday! I'm hoping for more of the same today.

Billy has rolled in his first dead thing 🤢🤢🤢 he’s stinking the house out even after the bath and I don’t know what to do about it! DH is going to go mad! Any suggestions for getting rid of the smell??

I know tomato stuff, e.g. passata is the thing for fox poo, not sure about dead thing smells

@LadyCatStark try ketchup or passata it might help to neutralise it

The Hide N' Slide is definitely a success, she was so excited when she saw me loading it up that she left all the kibble in her bowl to pester me. I was only loading it with kibble so not like she was gaining there but she got everything out before going back to her bowl

Ok I’m going up to the bathroom armed with passata! Wish me luck 🤞

Fawkes pup looks almost like a dog now! Such a cutie. Love all the countdowns to vaccines too - it really makes a difference!
Good luck LadyCatStark, I know tomatoes solve skunk smell if american comedies are to be believed!

I am feeling really dejected today - I could cry. 2 weeks ago Morningpup had diarrhoea from drinking some river water. We phoned the vet and started the pro-kolin, chicken and rice diet which didn't really work. After 3 days we saw them and received antibiotics and the vet brand version of pro-kolin. Hurrah this did the trick and his poos became more solid then ever before. Unfortunately, a week later we are back to diarrhoea - 4x in 1 night yesterday. He is always fine in himself (full of energy and poo apparently) but it is awful to see your pup have a poorly stomach and now wracking my brain to think what has caused it:
*We are moving slowly to butternut box from chicken and rice but only made it to 50/50 before the poo-mageddon last night (he went off his old food)
*Maybe he ate a stone when with my husband
*Maybe the antibs didn't do their full job and whatever it was is back
*Sometimes in the morning he dry retches (2 mornings out of 7)n we put down to hunger

I know I need to ask a vet if the chicken and rice doesn't after 24-48 hrs but the waiting is killing me. Does anyone have experience of this? Is this normal puppy poo behaviour?

I feel like an awful pupmum...

Whisper it softly, but we are all sitting in the kitchen doing Lego - DS, Spudpup and me. And we just went for a little walk around the field which was actually relaxing and nice, and didn’t involve anyone jumping on anyone else or running away shrieking.

Oh morning please don't feel bad.
I am absolutely exhausted today. Feels relentless. I'm not sure what happened to my chilled out calm puppy!
My daughter has just managed to get him to nap in his crate.

If he’d eaten a stone he’d be puking, not keeping no water down, and be generally miserable. So put that one out of your mind @MorningInspiration

It is horrible when they’re poorly, you have all my sympathy. Hope Morningpup is back to normal very soon ❤️

Oh dear @MorningInspiration it could be the food transition? Maybe he needs some probiotics to help his insides recover after the ABs and illness?

FawkesPup has been to play with my mate's dog today. First older dog playtime. He's a steady 6yo puggle and was very patient, shared his water bowl and toys and played really well with FawkesPup, who was a pest. He got put in his place too, which was good. He crashed out as soon as he got in the car!

That plus his final jab today he should be exhausted!!

@MorningInspiration Don't feel bad. It sounds like you're doing everything right. It could just be one of those things. I hope pup is better soon.