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.

Ouch for all the persistent biter owners. Sorry if I sounded smug 😌 I think the training group on FB suggest a playpen and stick pup in there when bitey and play with toy through the pen so they can't bite you.

@MightyMeerkat my first thought was overstimulation at daycare. He's probably been rough play with other dogs which has escalated his response? Is it worth talking to them?

Sounds like a tired "f#ck off and let me sleep!" Is that right?

I'm just really bloody tired. And it's not mainly the dog causing it. In fact right now I'd swap him for husband.

Any chance he is in pain at all? Dogs are very good at hiding but odd aggression can be that

@GuyFawkesDay this is me last week! I was barely able to speak to him or DD which is not like me. I'm normally fairly tolerant and easy going. He has really stepped up this week

I might try crabby old bat behaviour more often!

Thank you all. I don't think it's pain as it's only when I am trying to get her out of the car or off the sofa, so far anyway. She likes being picked up in the morning for a cuddle or so it seems. I think tiredness or overstimulation maybe. Not sure what I can do about that though as I have to work and she needs to go to daycare.

@MightyMeerkat that must have been scary but I imagine he’s tired. Billy often doesn’t want to get out of the car when he’s been for a walk. He doesn’t snap but he goes to the back of the boot so I can’t get to him to lift him! I think he’s just comfortable and thinks it’s as good a place as any to sleep.

@MakeMeCleanTheHouse yep. Only mine is working 15+ hour days at the moment so I'm doing everything and I have the RAGE.

Re the biting - when it says to ignore I don’t think it means you have to stand there and be bitten. We did the same as others here just removed ourselves to behind a baby gate or door for 30 seconds then came back. Rinse and repeat. We would usually try to distract first - cardboard boxes, bits of training (for me teaching down was a lifesaver and he would do this for ages!), playing with the flirt pole toy and long tugs. If it was too much we removed everyone except one of us who went behind the baby gate and pottered boringly in the kitchen and he would fall asleep.

We never used the crate to enforce naps - door was always open for him to choose to go in as a safe place for first weeks. I’m pretty sure we did all say no at some point but the removing ourselves and ultimately time is what helped.

We didn’t leave him until he was over 5 months but then first time we tried he was fine - I watched on camera thinking I’d try 3 mins and he took himself off to sleep and after 45 I was bored to went back in! I think building the secureness for us first worked well.

I know the biting feels like it will never end. I cried all the time for the first few weeks and probably every few days for a few more weeks after that. They do grow up and grow out of it - have a pot of treats and give one every time you are seeing behaviour you do want. Positive reinforcement has 100% worked for us and at 7 months we have such a gentle loving pup.

@MightyMeerkat I think you might need to rethink getting out of the car somehow. I think you’ve said about the growling before but because nothing had changed it sounds like she has escalated her ‘warnings’. We got a folding ramp for getting in and out - could you try something like that so you don’t have to pick up?

The pick up and put in pen worked for us too. He does still bite and we've got the worst of it to come and we will definitely carry on with it.

I do know when he's doing it because he wants to play I can stand tall, ignore and say toy and he does now sometimes fetch a toy to play with me instead. Not always bit definitely making slow progress.

FawkesPup is finally getting there on the toileting now, which is a relief. But as a new trick he's taken to andrex puppying toilet rolls round the house 🙈 so now they can't go on holders! Oh, and he's worked out how to open the pedal bin in the bathroom to raid it for cotton wool or empty bottles/boxes 🙄

We had some brilliant recall today, let him wander around garden on his own and shook treats and called his name and he came racing back. Is that good? He sits for a treat too. Need to work on lie down and leave it. Roll on those puppy classes!
Hoping everyone including me has a good night's sleep.
I haven't read a book in the past 6 weeks since we got him, I miss reading! Everytime I try I fall asleep!

@MightyMeerkat I think @MrsHerculePoirot has some great advice. The main thing is to stop triggering them, so avoid doing the thing that makes them growl as much as possible. Maybe she's not enjoying being picked up for that morning cuddle. Just to reassure you, my cocker started growling at me really badly when I tried to move her off the couch around the same age (prime bitey age too so she'd nip, I'd go to lift her off the couch and she'd growl) and it really intimidated me. We banned her from the couch for a few weeks (using room dividers) and the issue resolved itself. She is the sweetest gentlest dog now. Also ignore that person on your other thread, they don't have a clue...

@MightyMeerkat should have said, our trainer made us practise 'puppy grabs' to make sure they were okay being lifted. But she made sure they were all okay with being picked up first, it's not something I'd have wanted to work on alone as a first time dog owner. Have you contacted any trainers? Their involvement can really help with your confidence.

@MightyMeerkat that must be hard. I think its a case of ruling out the cause, is it:

1. Hates to be picked up

2. Daycare tired/over stimulating

3. Pup isn’t suitable for daycare (it’s not for all dogs and maybe a case that walkers can would be better)

4. the advice you’ve received already RE ramps sounds great. Something I need to do

5. & 3)
   If you have different options where you live like different daycares and walkers, mix and match one week to see which your pup is happier with. I send my pup to two daycares a week but tested three. The ones I continue to use include a home environment with a focus on enrichment where I can do half days and another is smaller more traditional daycare for full days when I need to work longer hours. The one I stopped using due to the fact it felt too big/chaotic (lots of different pens with dogs in a field) and not the set up I wanted. I am hoping to transition in the future to walkers as we build his tolerance to being alone. Not there yet! He is noisy when alone (or when going to sleep, or when I’m eating, or when I’m working and so on…)

Working with a pup is harder than I thought it would be. Whether that’s arranging pricey Daycare’s or keeping him busy when working from home.

Morningpup is such a Barker at the moment, particularly when working from home. At a bit of a loss on how to make him quieter as find it very hard to ignore. Husband after a few barks says no and talks sternly to make him stop (who you barking at haha) but I feel guilty as surely the pup has a right to bark as much as I do talking. Argh - confused.

@MightyMeerkat I think knowing you have to work and have to use daycare... but it might be the cause must be very very stressful. This situation isn't forever though. At some point you'll transition to walkers and he will be OK sleeping at home the rest of the time

We’ve got this one - it’s not the best but it is light and fairly simple to use at least… www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/light-weight-dog-ramp

Does pup use the ramp ok @MrsHerculePoirot ?

Ada is rapidly getting to the point where lifting her out the car is getting tricky - 14.8 kg yesterday. Getting in is fine as she puts her feet up. Not sure whether she'd be persuaded to use a ramp

He slept all night last night. Wow. But he's done it before so will see if it lasts. Was nice to sleep in my own bed!

@cheeseisthebest fab news!
We moved opalpup's crate downstairs last night and she slept ok. Woke and whined a little at 2.30am but then went back to sleep. Feeling like this was a real positive in a week that has been generally tough going.

cheeseisthebest
How old is your pup? You seem to be going through similar ups and downs to me!

Congrats on your night's sleep.
I was up 4 times with Newboy....
AND he pooed in the kitchen during the night!!!!!
DS2 discovered it at 6.
I think he must have woken up and I didn't hear him.

16 weeks today
Well done opalpup!

cheeseisthebest
Ah Newboy is10 weeks so it's nice to know things will eventually improve!

opalescent how old is your pup?
I'm sure you've probably already mentioned this but I've got sleep-deprived brain fog so please bear with me.....!

@MrsHerculePoirot thanks for sharing the link! Keen to find something now he is a hefty 16.8kg.

Well done to opalpup and cheesepup for a good nights sleep downstairs
As for Bacon's NewPup don't worry it does get better. At 10 weeks it is all a gamble

@ashmts oh no, I think you've got the wrong idea. I never force her into her crate - never. I lure her into the run with treats. Her crate door is open - I'd never shut her in inside a crate, I think that's cruel. She barks for 2 minutes and then crashes.

I respectfully disagree that it's too early to start working on separation. Shutting doors behind you and going back very quickly as long as they aren't yapping so you reinforce that going away =bad, is a good idea IMHO. Recommended by the RSPCA and many others. She has plenty of attention and positive affirmation.

It's a bit like children - different strokes for different folks. We all find our own way!

@BaconAndAvocado 14 weeks. I can't keep track of any of the other pups!!

Really finding things hard this week. I feel like any semblance of a routine that we had settled into has gone suddenly. I feel all out of sync with pup, and am finding her very barky, nippy and chaotic (more so than usual!). We also seem to be having endless wee episodes inside at the moment 😨 and I just feel that I'm not being a very nice or calm dog mum.

Opal to give you some hope, today has been a lot easier. The ignoring nipping I think might be starting to sink in. He's really calm today after such a good night and even going off into rooms on his own which is a great sign that he is happier on his own. Currently found a spot he likes in conservatory and taken his braided lamb chew in there. He's quite happily sat chewing on that and not looking round for me all the time.
Really hope things improve for you soon. Xxx