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Original poster

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

995 replies

cheeseisthebest · 05/09/2021 20:24

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.

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Lifeishitsometimes · 15/09/2021 14:14

No, that's fine - I was desperate after losing another chunk of arm. I'll look elsewhere!

Lifeishitsometimes · 15/09/2021 14:18

I'll check out those links. She's developing quite a wilful streak tho so is going to need to be taken in hand one way or another! Personally I suspect dogs probably need a mix of positive reinforcement methods and just being told sternly to bloody well stop it and gerrof my arm. Like children. But we shall see!

Lifeishitsometimes · 15/09/2021 14:21

I've just bought Victoria Stilwell's book on kindle. Will look at it tonight when biteypup is having a nap

tizwozliz · 15/09/2021 14:28

Found a couple of new local dog walking spots, quiet places with good visibility so can easily see anyone approaching so can relax a bit more with pup off lead. Some of the other places we go require a lot more management as you can't always see very far ahead.

Puppy survival thread September and the pups just want to eat all the leaves!
Wolfcub · 15/09/2021 14:49

I had a woofles harness delivered today and I have to say i'm really impressed with it so far. The fit and adjustability seem really good

Spudlet · 15/09/2021 14:58

@Lifeishitsometimes No I agree, I certainly use the word no and a stern voice at times. I have no issues with a firm no when needed! But CM is just not a good trainer to follow. Dominance and lack theory were based on studies of captive wolves which have been debunked in so far as they apply to dogs for a while - the wolves were being kept in a very unnatural way which provoked huge stress and made them act in a way that we now know wild wolves do not - it’s really sad tbh. And of course, dogs and wolves diverged a long long time ago too. So those sorts of training methods just don’t have good science behind them.

Lifeishitsometimes · 15/09/2021 15:06

Oh no I know the dominance stuff is all nonsense and definitely doesn't work particularly well with retrievers of any description -don't worry! This one just has such sharp teeth and such persistence :)

tizwozliz · 15/09/2021 15:31

@Spudlet - did you end up changing food? We've just been to the vet for worming treatment and they said her coat was beautiful and asked what I was feeding and said if it ain't broke don't fix it - so now even more in two minds about what to do.

Spudlet · 15/09/2021 16:13

We haven’t yet although I think we might when we finish this bag off as he’s very farty on it! 🤢

tizwozliz · 15/09/2021 16:21

We're getting to the end of a bag too which is why we'd thought about changing even though we're not having issues - it just doesn't score great on the allaboutdogfood site.

MakeMeCleanTheHouse · 15/09/2021 16:25

@Spudlet and @tizwozliz which foods are you discussing out of interest

Goof has bitey moments usually aligned to "I'm thirsty/hungry/bored/tired" I shove a toy in his mouth (sometimes quite firmly if I've just received a big bite 😳 ) and have to keep placing it there and he does get the message. He also started nipping my legs when loose lead walking and I stop dead in my tracks and completely ignore... which seems to get his attention. It stops but all of them come back ...repeat method and it resolves quicker.

I went through a patch when I was exhausted from bad night, work busy and no help and he was the worst he has been. I'm sure lack of attention added to it and it was a vicious circle. Now I plan in walks and training and have a ready supply of chews....Still have moments where he relentlessly torments older dog, I have to separate and he turns on me

I think a firm No works. I know DTAS don't like it but if it's said infrequently, firmly but gently without anger I think it's OK. It's just another cue....to stop doing something.

Returnoftheowl · 15/09/2021 16:35

[quote MakeMeCleanTheHouse]**@Spudlet* and @tizwozliz* which foods are you discussing out of interest

Goof has bitey moments usually aligned to "I'm thirsty/hungry/bored/tired" I shove a toy in his mouth (sometimes quite firmly if I've just received a big bite 😳 ) and have to keep placing it there and he does get the message. He also started nipping my legs when loose lead walking and I stop dead in my tracks and completely ignore... which seems to get his attention. It stops but all of them come back ...repeat method and it resolves quicker.

I went through a patch when I was exhausted from bad night, work busy and no help and he was the worst he has been. I'm sure lack of attention added to it and it was a vicious circle. Now I plan in walks and training and have a ready supply of chews....Still have moments where he relentlessly torments older dog, I have to separate and he turns on me

I think a firm No works. I know DTAS don't like it but if it's said infrequently, firmly but gently without anger I think it's OK. It's just another cue....to stop doing something.[/quote]
Unfortunately with our pup if he starts biting/nipping legs, standing still and ignoring him doesn't work. In his mind you're now consenting to giving him free access to your calves, which is the best thing ever as far as he's concerned. It absolutely does not stop him biting.
It's not as bad as it was, although that's not really positive as it was horrified when we first got him and now it's just bad. I remember about a week or two in my DH and I having to hide in the bathroom so I could patch up DH's legs - he was covered in bites and scratches and was bleeding profusely which needed cleaning etc. It's gradually started to lessen now and is mainly just in the evening.

I just wanted to share this as I'm sure we can't have been the only people going through this with their pup. All the advice online is to stand still and ignore it, which didn't work for us.

tizwozliz · 15/09/2021 16:35

Pup came home on James Wellbeloved Turkey and Rice and that's what we've continued with. We were thinking of switching to Millies Wolfheart

ashmts · 15/09/2021 16:37

Hello hello! Just popping on to see how things are, recognise a few names from when I last posted. Hope all is well. My WCS turned 1 a couple of weeks ago, but this thread saved my sanity in the early days.

I've read the last couple of pages but I'm absolutely out the loop. It does get easier though! Hang in there. Stick with the positive reinforcement, it really works. Don't be tempted to be heavy-handed. My pup was incredibly hard work for the first 4-6 weeks and I totally understand how hard it is.

@Lifeishitsometimes Sorry, I had to reply. Your pup is 10 weeks? No wonder she doesn't like separation. Why are you closing the door on her? Try to let her follow you, or have someone else stay in the room with her if that's not possible. It's too early to start working on separation, you need to build the bond and make her feel secure before you can do that. Also wouldn't recommend forcing her into the crate and ignoring the crying, you'll do more harm than good. I have to echo @Spudlet, Cesar Millan is awful. You do not need to 'be the boss of her', you've taken her from her mum and now you need to step up. A firm hiss and physically pushing her? That's awful. Please look up some positive trainers ASAP!

Original poster
cheeseisthebest · 15/09/2021 17:25

Ignoring nipping doesn't work here either!

I've had so many friends tell me to just ignore at night, it's driving me a bit crazy. I've tried it, it doesn't work and then he's all hyped up and also it's cruel. Angry I was all for it to start with it and if it had worked then great! But I want him to feel safe and happy in his crate.

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Original poster
cheeseisthebest · 15/09/2021 17:26

Shocked at the physically pushing, please don't! I'm all for a firm no (who is that says you shouldn't do that?) But nothing harsher than that. They are only babies.

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opalescent · 15/09/2021 17:38

@cheeseisthebest

Ignoring nipping doesn't work here either!

I've had so many friends tell me to just ignore at night, it's driving me a bit crazy. I've tried it, it doesn't work and then he's all hyped up and also it's cruel. Angry I was all for it to start with it and if it had worked then great! But I want him to feel safe and happy in his crate.

I totally get this. My husband is all for just putting opalpup in the crate and letting her cry. Even if that worked, it wouldn't alleviate my anxiety. It would just make me feel dreadful and possibly set up an association with the crate that won't help. It's very tempting to consider though, when you're knackered, and especially when lots of friends are telling you to.
LadyCatStark · 15/09/2021 18:04

We used a firm “no” when Billy was biting but we never pushed him or anything more than no and moving away. He stopped doing it pretty quickly, although we didn’t realise he would at the time.

We went to the beach for a walk tonight and had it all to ourselves for miles and miles. Of course Billy decided tonight was the night to stick to me like glue (or Primula 😂) he did some fab of lead heeling though and right at the end jumped in a pool of minging, black water 🤢 so it was another wash in the garden before he was allowed in the house. The good thing is that he now likes being washed and brushed.

Original poster
cheeseisthebest · 15/09/2021 18:36

Opalescent it doesn't work anyway, would just make you stressed. Hopefully in a couple of months sleepless nights and nipping will be a thing of the past. I just tried to ignore nipping and he did such a high pitched bark!

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sandwiches77 · 15/09/2021 18:42

Am using free food that I got from joining the pets at home club and mixing it up with the pedigree from the breeder. Thought I'd try the food as free, poos firmer so might switch completely long term

When did you drop from 3 to 2 meals a day? Sandwichpup isn't eating his lunch so feel like it's a good time to do so although the food bag says 6 months

MsAwesomeDragon · 15/09/2021 18:54

AwesomePup is still on 3 meals at 5.5 months. Of course, he would quite like to be on about 6 meals a day, or a constant buffet of food available on demand. I have no idea when we'll think about moving to 2 meals, as I don't think he'll ever stop eating one of his meals as a signal.

We've never left him crying or barking. He's always been allowed to choose where he is, although DD did enforce naps when he was younger by shutting him in the playpen and giving him a lickimat. He would eat the lickimat then lie down for a nap. We've also not really used a crate, just a playpen as it's bigger and gives more space to move around a bit and stretch out.

LadyCatStark · 15/09/2021 19:01

@MsAwesomeDragon Billy moved himself onto 2 meals last week. He just started leaving his lunch. Our neighbours’ puppy did the same around the same age so I stopped giving him lunch after a few days of him ignoring it.

Wolfcub · 15/09/2021 19:12

Sandwiches Wolfpup is 5 months and we've just gone to two meals because he's just not that interested, it can take him all day to eat breakfast. He does wolf down his supper but that's the only meal he's really focussed on

MightyMeerkat · 15/09/2021 19:46

Feeling really down tonight. Pup has been growling at me when I go to pick her up to take her out of the car - it's an SUV so too high for her to jump down - or off the sofa to go to bed. Tonight I picked her up from daycare and she growled then lunged and snapped at me. Really freaked me out. She then wouldn't get out of the car. I eventually coaxed her out, she jumped down, after about 15 minutes. Has anyone else had this issue? I think she must be tired although once she got out she was her usual bouncy self around the house for the next hour or so. I've finally got her to go to sleep by ignoring her. She's only 13.5 weeks. I've never known a puppy that age to snap like that before 🙁