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.

Taking inspiration from MakeMeCleanTheHouse we went to Dartmoor and the beach today.

Met pigs and goats at a farm shop cafe and had a nice off lead woodland walk, then to Haytor to say hello to the ponies. Then to the beach, met a 5 month old yellow lab so had a good play. She looked the same sort of size as Ada but she was super light, hardly noticed when she jumped up at you. I never previously considered Ada to be particularly chunky but she seems so solid compared to this pup.

Pup has been a star mostly, still a bit unsure of the sea but she enjoyed the beach.

@littlebilliie @GuyFawkesDay Opal has consistently had a twatty hour between 8pm and 9pm every night for the last week or so. I think it's just a proper zoomie before crashing.

She bites, barks and lunges at me. I have to just keep a supply of toys next to me, to fend her off! Classic puppy stuff apparently.

@tizwozliz what gorgeous photos! I must take more. Hands are usually full with treats, poo bags etc, I forget to stop and take any photos.

Some sort of glitch, only meant to post one photo

@opalescent yep same here. Bitey speedy barky 'mare and then zonks. If only it would bring on a last wee and poo. My pup goes at 8pm ... And then nothing can squeeze another one out of her....

@tizwozliz oh Billy would be so jealous, that’s would be his best day ever! He’s obsessed with horses (I think he’d like to be one!).

Ada looks similar in build to Billy and I think he’s quite skinny so I wouldn’t worry.

Not worried about her weight, on the calculators she's normally on the underweight/ok border, just was so surprised when this other pup jumped at me and she was like a feather despite looking quite similar size wise! :-)

She was a typical lab too, sat nicely by the owner as soon as their hand went near the treat bag.

Bitey crazy time here too at 7 ish.
How do you enforce a nap?

I have no idea how to enforce a nap. He does sometimes lie down in his pen but he still has epic FOMO and even when asleep if I move he follows 🤦‍♀️

Another night on the sofa because he wouldn't sleep in his crate from half 11 onwards, just barked. My sofa is so uncomfortable. I'm feeling totally broken by sleep deprivation and don't know what to do.

1st night with nova was a success - 1 small accident this morning as i didnt open the back door quick enough 🙈 here she is munching away on a deer ear 🤢

At 13 weeks are any if you getting a calm dog ours is either sleeping or biting. My DH was looking at information online and her excitable and bitey means she's very stressed and unhappy

@littlebilliie Billy has always been an excellent sleeper thank god but the biting stage took a little longer. It just just taper out though and by about 4 months the biting was very rare. He’s 6 months now and does have the odd tired nibble but it’s only ever me now and it just means he needs to go for a nap.

Morning everyone. Joining the thread if I may? We’re four days into puppy life with our first dog, a springer spaniel called Nova. She is an absolute handful, but we often see flashes of the dog she will be when she stops biting the shit out of me and everything else! Not having too much luck with the crate overnight - she sometimes has naps in there during the day. It’s so challenging and I’m exhausted - have a non-sleeping toddler and a 10 year old in the mix too, but thankfully husband deals with her overnight. Nice to ‘meet’ you all.

Hi all, bit late to the party but hoping i can join - kilmpup is a 12 week old cocker spaniel, had her for 2 weeks and she is the best and the worst, like all puppies are
Joined the dog training and support group with the intention of crate training her but she's been v well socialised with other people & dogs by the breeder that she's just not interested in the crate so we've not pushed it. She is a very happy and confident little pup, she's bonded really well to us, loves doing her training and we've deliberately practised simple commands whilst out&about on lead which has paid off, the vet remarked on how well she responded to me in the unfamiliar environment.
Have been doing really really well with the positive reinforcement stuff (again following some of the great advice on that group) she has picked it up v quick... but got a bit of a confession to make. She like all puppies loves play biting and tugging/biting at clothes (her bite inhibition is 90% of the time fab) but on the fb group it says to just pre-empt and redirect to a toy. We do a lot of that, try to pre-empt the bitey spells with a good game of tug with an appropriate toy, try and redirect her to a toy, lots of praise when she goes for a toy not us etc. But sometimes she just will. Not. Stop. This is also combined with an obsession with chewing sticks and rocks, despite plenty of toys of different textures that we rotate. She is obviously still a baby, so all totally expected but the tactics suggested just made her bite harder. So we ended up combining giving her a toy with a 'leave' command as she responds so well to her training, and she's responded v well to that in general, but at the start of this 2nd week she had a couple of instances of mad 20 minutes solid biting/tugging so much and so hard and would not stop for love nor money, she had been fed, watered, didnt need the loo, etc etc, all needs met and just wouldnt stop despite the 'leave' command etc, so we plonked her outside on her own for 2 minutes (its a glass door so she could see through) as we were struggling not to react to her (pushing her away etc) and struggling not to shout if im honest. I know this is a huge no-no on that group and she never ever gets shouted at or physically punished or isolated as punishment otherwise but i just feel awful... are we horrible parents? Frustratingly, it has worked to calm her down massively when she bites/tugs. What have other people been doing? Any advice would be so appreciated.

cheeseisthebest another sleep-deprived zombie here.
Last night Newboy went to bed (crate) at 11.
He woke at 12, 1 and 5 (that was a big sleep!).
He'll be 12 weeks on Saturday so I'm just hoping in about a month's time things will have improved.
Please god.

I'm 5 weeks ahead of you Bacon, sorry!!

No idea where he would go if not in the crate, doesn't feel safe for him to go anywhere else!

Is it just my pup that has days where she's not interested in her food and days where she constantly wants food?? I read being off food can be a sign of coming into season?? She's 7.5 months so I guess it could be possible but no swelling or other signs!

My friends dog came into season at 8 months!

@cheeseisthebest what other signs did she have? What breed? I was hoping still had a couple of months as breeder said mum was around 10 months. Argh not ready for her to have a season lol she's still a baby!

I will ask. It's a lab. Yes my friend though it was so early!

Our LabX had her season at 8.5/9mths, it was very obvious once it started very swollen back end, behaviour was very nesting with toys, extra snuggly and clingy. Walks were all back on lead avoiding other dogs for 3 long weeks. Plus endless washing of beds. We then had her spayed 3mths later.

No, mine always wants food 😂 but he’s a boy. He’s just turned 6 months and ermmm… I’ve certainly noticed his balls are dropping down 😂.

@Biking0077 did she go off her food and behave any differently other than bit clingy? Has she changed behaviourwise post op?