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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Puppy Survival Thread August part 2

985 replies

Aria20 · 19/08/2021 14:00

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

OP posts:
Thread gallery
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GuyFawkesDay · 20/08/2021 13:57

Well he's having a good go at it but he's only a cocker spaniel so I'm not sure. TBH he jumps it more than chews it 🙈

The heartbeat and vibration with it definitely helps him settle down at night.

Original poster
Aria20 · 20/08/2021 14:44

@GuyFawkesDay pup is very happy with her aldi crinkly unicorn rope toy - thanks for the recommendation!

OP posts:
GuyFawkesDay · 20/08/2021 14:49

They're fab aren't they? Was the first toy he went for at 5am. Loves it.

I might need to get a backup for when it's chewed to shreds!

juneybean · 20/08/2021 14:58

Oh my god, all these puppy pictures! This is 14wk old Dougie!

Puppy Survival Thread August part 2
GuyFawkesDay · 20/08/2021 14:59

Oh Dougie you're gorgeous!!!

tizwozliz · 20/08/2021 15:36

Ah Dougie looks like he's wise beyond his years.

tizwozliz · 20/08/2021 16:08

We've run some errands, had a walk both on and off lead (I'm still very paranoid I'm going to have to go home saying I've lost the puppy!), observed peacocks whilst enjoying a coffee (me) / ostrich tendon (Ada). I definitely need a nap before puppy class, not sure about the dog!

MakeMeCleanTheHouse · 20/08/2021 16:59

Lovely to see the pics.
Good day here....I'm frightened. It can't last Grin

cheeseisthebest · 20/08/2021 17:02

Trying to look after a puppy and work and referee 2 kids is impossible!

LadyCatStark · 20/08/2021 17:02

Check out my little dude swimming 🥰 I wish I could post the video but had to take a screen shot.

Puppy Survival Thread August part 2
MightyMeerkat · 20/08/2021 17:17

@LadyCatStark He looks so pleased with himself, that's great!

It's lovely to hear people's successes. Gives me a hope after a really challenging day!

tizwozliz · 20/08/2021 17:42

I can't wait to get Ada swimming, one of the open water swimming venues nearby lets you swim alongside your dogs - totally on the to do list.

Original poster
Aria20 · 20/08/2021 17:55

@LadyCatStark that's so lovely. My son is hoping ours will learn to like swimming, she accidentally followed another dog into a lake which was deeper than she expected and she ended up fully in, her face was classic - a mix of terrified and disgust.

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MollysMum09 · 20/08/2021 18:48

@opalescent our puppy is 5 months old now. For what felt like forever she would wee in her crate overnight/on waking no matter how early I got up/got her up, no matter how late I took her out, no matter if I woke up in the night and took her out.

Do you have a pen attached to the crate?

I know puppy pads are incredibly frowned upon but honestly they saved my sanity. I use reusable ones, put one just outside her crate in the pen. It was like magic, she stopped the crate peeing and would pee on the pad. So much easier to just put that in the washing machine rather than a full set of crate bedding and then clean the crate down etc

In the last ten days or so she's turned a massive corner and - not all of the time - but about 75% of the time when she wakes me up, the crate and pad are dry and we're getting that morning wee outside.

I think what is helping is time, not tactics, but for us a puppy pad in the pen has been a really useful coping tool.

opalescent · 20/08/2021 19:10

@MollysMum09 thank you 😊 I really appreciate you sharing that! It makes me feel much better, I'll definitely try it if the weeing persists!!

MollysMum09 · 20/08/2021 19:24

opalescent honestly, I was at the end of my tether. I kept reading that dogs don't like to dirty their crates, yet there we were, and I thought I was doing something wrong. Her breed is 'known' for being slow to house train but things now are so much more manageable than they were. And the puppy pad hasn't encouraged her to think it's okay to pee inside (because quite frankly she was doing that anyway) - if anything it stopped her peeing everywhere inside and got her used to the idea that there was a specific place to do it, which in turn helped me not lose my mind. But like I say, I have continued to be consistent with taking her out etc and I do feel we've turned a corner. It's been a few weeks since she's had an accident inside and the only time she chooses the puppy pad is sometimes on waking (before getting me up) though as I say in the last week or so that is changing, or if I'm in the shower/work call etc and have had to lock her in her pen and she needs to go.

Wolfcub · 20/08/2021 19:25

Hmm after a good couple of days, and a mostly
Good day today, Wolfpup is being a bitey, partially guardy, destructive little git. He is now in his pen in the hope he falls asleep

GuyFawkesDay · 20/08/2021 19:52

They do this weird thing of two steps forward one step back don't they??

FawkesPup has a day or night of being an utter PITA then seems to jump forward in something. Last night: up 5 times, whiny. Today: learned paw and lie down.

Weird.

Wolfcub · 20/08/2021 20:03

He did not fall asleep. He is now zooming round like a nutter. Agree re two stepS forward one step back.

Returnoftheowl · 20/08/2021 20:25

It definitely send like two steps forward, one step back with our pup!
We had 2 evenings of him being fairly calm (or at least not the bitey horror he seems to turn into at 7pm). Then last night he was back to his own self and just would not calm down! We've taken him to the beach tonight to try and tire him out.

TheBigMacDougal · 20/08/2021 20:26

Argh! I gave Mac pup a nylabone and now seen they’re a no-no for puppy teeth Sad

He’s actually laid on his blanket biting it (and not us, or going wappy for a change!).

Are there chews people would recommend for evenings? I don’t want to give him anything too heavy/ food like and risk an overnight poo…

TheBigMacDougal · 20/08/2021 20:27

Lovely to hear of nice walks and good days. They feel miles away some days! Grin

familychallenge · 20/08/2021 20:35

I don't want to depress you all, but the two steps forward one step back doesn't change, it's just different things! We go back and forth with recall woofing and chewing especially. I think it's nailed and then we have another bad phase and it's back to basics! It is much better overall, don't get me wrong, and there are far more joyous moments and less worry. But some days while the little bugger is cavorting round the park woofing at everything and refusing to come back I do wonder why I have bothered with the hours of training!

SpreadHummusNotHate · 20/08/2021 20:37

Not sure how old Macpup is but what about a split antler or a yak chew? We also sometimes give an ostrich bone (jr pet products) - our pup doesn’t eat much of it just gnaws away at it and no smell, but it leaves a lot of crumbs about the place!

TheBigMacDougal · 20/08/2021 20:48

He’s 12 weeks tomorrow so we have a split antler already but try to save that for his crate. I do have a yak chew ready to break out though! We managed 30 minutes of chill before he lost the plot tonight at least Grin

I also have braided lambs to try but thought they might be a bit heavy for the evening.