Puppy survival thread September and the pups just want to eat all the leaves!

[cheeseisthebest]

Omg I never start ongoing threads like this!
Back to school for my lot tomorrow. Taken pup for an evening walk tonight, desperately trying to tire him out! He's struggled to nap today as felt too hot.

It was. I'm just glad we hadn't gone to bed yet as it could have been there all night. He's happily gone to bed now, took himself there once we'd cleaned up the vom.

I could launch these fucking dogs out of the window tonight 😡🤬

MaeDog sleeps on our bed. MaePup falls asleep on our bed, then is moved to her crate.

Tonight we all get into bed. Me and DW remark how tired we are to each other. Then we realise Pup has done a massive wee on the bed that soaked right through to the mattress 😡 (she’s only ever done that once before when we first got her, she’s 17 weeks now). So we strip entire bed, get spare duvet out, remake entire bed. Then…

…Dog squats and does a massive wee too! We literally couldn’t believe it! He’s 18 months old now and hasn’t done it since he was a baby!!! So strip and remake entire bed too.

I am SO annoyed.

Don’t even know why either, both did their usual nighttime wee outside before bed no bother.

We say the dog is a little ninja and can swoop to pick up an object on a walk without giving anyone noticing (was that a sniff or a grab?). Even watching him like a hawk doesn’t work when he is grease lightning. Haven’t had a major vom event yet (just plentiful poo) but probably due one at some point. Hope awesomepup feels better tomorrow

In terms of crate training, I agree it’s a mixture of perseverance and varying degrees of success. Pups, like humans, will have good and bad days. Decide which your important battles are and do what you can. You’re doing great but can’t fight every battle at once. Ours did no day naps in his crate for 4 weeks and had awful broken sleep (which showed in his bogey behaviour). Now he has naps in there, as well as other places, takes himself to bed at night and is such a good/gentle boy. Also question if he needs to be crate trained - would a pen or a puppy proofed/baby gated room work? Our house used to look like a zoo exhibit with all the pens but now they are down puppy care is actually easier (and I have no pen related bruises trying to get my short arse over).

Confession time, for the first day nap I did let him whine for 5mins and it worked. I know it’s not the done thing but morningpup can’t shut off easily (FOMO on steroids) and needs a bit of help. Of course if he kept going I would have been in there like a shot. He was fine and had a nap and perfectly happy! This might not work for everyone though!

Oh @MeredithMae that does sound like a nightmare! Maybe a nightcap is needed to take off the edge

I swear the dogs know when we are most tired or fed up , just to mess with us

Oh no @MeredithMae, that must feel like they've ganged up on you to just destroy your evening. I would be very annoyed and DH would be swearing at them.

Thanks for the new thread

I think that's the kind of series of events that would test a Saint Mae

Thanks for the new thread!

I'm very thankful for the glorious weather. Elmpup has a long walk with a puppy friend around some local corn fields yesterday, then 'helped' us while we were painting the garden office. Another day of painting in store for us today.

@MorningInspiration - Elmpup has Butternut box and she loves all the flavours except swish fish, which she won't even try. They're bringing out new venison and duck dishes soon.

Elmpup has two crates, one in the dining room and one in our garden office. I bought the second one off FB marketplace to save lugging a crate back and forth each day. One is wire and one is plastic type you see in the McCann videos and see has a cool mat in each. She'll sleep in the crate in the office during the day, but won't sleep in the crate in the house at night. She likes to move between her cool mat, the floor (which is vinyl) and her Aldi plush bed. We've swapped the crates around to see if she has a preference for one type and she doesn't. We've given up trying to get her to stay in the crate overnight now, because she's such a fidget.

Does anyone else have a pup that isn't a fan of breakfast? I thought Elmpup was turning her nose up at it because it was kibble, rather than Butternut, but I've given her Butternut this morning and no interest.

Oh god so many people having a tough time. Hugs to all. And go the f*ck to sleep, dogs!

FawkesPup I don't think is actually desperate for a wee when he wakes in the night. I think it's huge FOMO. He wakes at 4/5 and I take him out and he does a tiny wee and then twats about. Today it was stealing the watering can top. Run round garden, run round house, run round DDs room as shed clearly got up to the loo and left it ajar. Then whining when put back in bed (he stopped after a few minutes and went back to sleep).

Am wondering if the crate is just not comfy for that length of time and think I'm going to put it in the pen and left him mooch about in there, especially as it's going to be hot and I think height just sleep better on the wood floor downstairs on a mat?

I'm just so bloody tired now. He settles and sleeps anywhere in the house, goes in his crate at night etc but the waking up unnecessarily is doing my head in.

@MeredithMae

I could launch these fucking dogs out of the window tonight 😡🤬

MaeDog sleeps on our bed. MaePup falls asleep on our bed, then is moved to her crate.

Tonight we all get into bed. Me and DW remark how tired we are to each other. Then we realise Pup has done a massive wee on the bed that soaked right through to the mattress 😡 (she’s only ever done that once before when we first got her, she’s 17 weeks now). So we strip entire bed, get spare duvet out, remake entire bed. Then…

…Dog squats and does a massive wee too! We literally couldn’t believe it! He’s 18 months old now and hasn’t done it since he was a baby!!! So strip and remake entire bed too.

I am SO annoyed.

Don’t even know why either, both did their usual nighttime wee outside before bed no bother.

Sorry for the multiple posts, brain's a bit addled from a reasonable nights sleep.

You must have been so frustrated @MeredithMae. I don't know how accurate this is, but a friend of ours got their dog at 12 weeks after he was returned to the breeder by a couple who also had a 1 year dog. The breeder had previously warned them that the likelihood was that the 1 year old would revert to puppy behaviour, rather than being an adult influence on the pup, as it was too young for adult behaviour to be set. Maybe it's worth treating them both like pups for a bit, to keep 18 month old on track?

Another night on the sofa for me after barking and I got him up about 1am. He had 2 huge poos some crazy time then eventually back to sleep on the floor next to the sofa.
I'm knackered and my back hurts.

Will try all that tonight. He's bitten through the cool mat so it'll be a damp towel for him but our kitchen is lovely and cool as it doesn't get the sun so I'm pretty sure with the top window open and a fan on he will be far more comfortable there than on our room. And he can swap between crate, towel, floor etc depending on what he wants to do. I'll chuck an old fleece in as well.

I get the feeling we are now in the pushing it to see what he can get away with weeks. He's started begging for food out the fridge as he knows it's where the good stuff is and just bring a bit cheeky. The fact he settled when ignored for 5 minutes makes me wonder if I can just push on through with him.

@cheeseisthebest I'm off to the chiropractor today. My back is wrecked.

Does anyone else have a puppy that just doesn't seem interested in going for walks?

I'm doing age-appropriate length walks, careful with his joints, has had no bad experiences on walks etc... But he just doesn't seem interested.

As soon as I take him out he's trying to turn around and go back home. I live down a track that leads onto a lovely wooded walk. I practically have to drag him down the track, to the extent that he will sit down and refuse to move. We get about a 3rd of the way along the wooded walk when it is like he becomes resigned to the fact he has to go on the walk and will walk without seeming to begrudge every step!
But when we get to the point we turn around here then he puts his head down and basically runs home! The speed and determination he moves with from there you'd think he was a police dog chasing a burglar.
We're working on loose lead walking (definitely a work in progress!) but on the way home he's practically trying to drag me until we get back to our gate.

He doesn't like to stop and sniff things, is a dog not being interested in going for a walk a thing? Is mine just a lazybones?

@GuyFawkesDay when Elmpup bit through her coolmat and we had to throw it away, she was a complete nightmare until it was replaced. I've got a few stashed away in a cupboard in case it happens when Pets at Home have put them away for the winter.

Now I think about it, she hasn't chewed her cool mats since she started going out for walks.

@Returnoftheowl - have you only been doing walks from home? From what I've read, not walking from home like that and dragging back is not uncommon at this sort of age. I think the usual advice is to not start walks from home.

We have our own walking issues, but Ada is fine once we're out, just getting her out in the first place is the issue.

Sorry to hear of so many sleepless nights for people. I hope that improves soon for you all.

AwesomePup definitely ate something yesterday that didn't agree with him as he has the squits today. Those of you with older/previous dogs, how can I pick up squitty, almost liquid poo? There was quite a lot of it, but it was not pick upable . And it happened about 6 times in our half hour walk

@MsAwesomeDragon yucky! You can only pick up what you can get... if it's on pavement I pour water on it but if it's grass there's not much you can do.

Found you all!

Sorry to hear about the none sleeping pups. I think I need to get a cool mat for 567pup as he definitely gets too warm in his crate and comes out to flop on the hard the floor every so often.

Second jabs tomorrow then we can go out next week! Carried him out round the village yesterday as there was a local festival, just to get him used to other people being about and noises etc. He seemed ok with it but definitely wanted to get down and investigate all the smells!

I can’t tell you how many people have sucked their teeth and told me what a handful he’s going to be considering the mix of breeds he is (springer/cocker/beagle). It’s definitely worrying me a bit, but also think it’s the puppy equivalent of when you say your child is starting to walk and they go ‘oh, you’ll have your hands full now!’

@MsAwesomeDragon I agree with @Aria20 we have had to take a 1L bottle of water to water it down. Even though he still a lab pup, he is quite a big boy and his poos are bigger than my friend's adult dog's poo, so it is quite a bit of water needed. It is a gross necessity Also if you can walk in a forest, grass or somewhere with more 'absorbent' flooring, it will help. Pavement is rather unforgiving.

@Elmrosie venison and duck? He may have a more adventurous diet than me soon

Thanks everyone, waterproof mattress protector now ordered! and @Elmrosie I suspect you’re right.

So after resisting the urge to throw the bloody dogs out of the window last night after 45 mins of bed changing/scrubbing…. MaeDog woke us at 3am by doing a massive shit on the hallway carpet 🤮🤮 again something he never does, he usually bashes the stair gate to wake us up if he (rarely) needs to go out.

Honestly I am knackered and pissed off today.

@MeredithMae awww so sorry to hear that. Hopefully its just an off day/night. Are they ok in themselves? Or could it be a bug?
Maybe have a cheat day - take it easier, glass of tonight and comfort food all round!

@Returnoftheowl that sounds like anxiety behaviour to me. We've had similar. Trainer suggested when he stops stop with him, chill for a while, treat to make it a positive experience and when he's ready move on a bit. We're now going
Out for a walk with no problem but we also pull on the leg home because we want to be back on the safe place

Frustrating morning walk- just makes me feel so inexperienced and daft.
Opalpup is more like a kangaroo than a dog on the lead. Constantly zigzags across my path, sits and refuses to move, and pulls so hard that I really worry about her being hurt 😔.

I totally understand that puppies aren't born with the knowledge of walking nicely on the lead, but I feel so out of my depth.

How are you all training your dogs with lead walking? Do you refuse to move every time they pull? And only walk forward when the lead is loose?