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The doghouse

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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.

OP posts:
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63
BaconAndAvocado · 23/09/2021 10:10

LadyCatStark
Just saw your post!
I don't think there's a wrong or right way.
I actually wish I'd started sleeping upstairs from the off 😂

ashmts · 23/09/2021 10:31

@BaconAndAvocado We moved upstairs around 11 weeks so it might be worth a try. We set alarms a few times overnight to go down and let her out and avoided any accidents. One thing that jumped out from your post is that you let him out into the garden, so it sounds like you don't go with him? Stick him on the lead if possible and definitely go out with him (+ torch) so you can see if he's weeing or just out for a jolly. If going out overnight is just for wees he'll be less likely to want to go out unless he really needs.

MakeMeCleanTheHouse · 23/09/2021 10:49

I have to crate the beast because he's a chewy bugger. I didn't want to leave him howling in the crate hence we stayed with him. I wish I could stop the chewing because I think he's comfortable being left alone, I just can't trust him not to idly have a nibble on the sofa and we are completely open plan downstairs.

@tizwozliz I post pics like that to cheer myself up and keep the hope.... 😄

Returnoftheowl · 23/09/2021 11:00

[quote LadyCatStark]@BaconAndAvocado I know it’s not popular on here but I never slept downstairs with Billy and he slept through from night 2 and after 11 weeks slept til we got up, even if that’s 9:30 at the weekends!

Obviously, I’ve no idea if it’s because we didn’t sleep downstairs or if we just have the world’s laziest puppy but I do know that he naps a lot worse at the weekends when we’re all littering around downstairs than in the week when it’s just me WFH.[/quote]
We didn't sleep downstairs with ours either. Fortunately mine isn't a chewer, so he was okay with roaming the kitchen.
For the first couple of weeks he was waking up between 5am & 6am but now he sleeps until 7:30, when we get up.

Returnoftheowl · 23/09/2021 11:28

I've spend the morning trying to contact our local raw dog food shop, but it's proving difficult... It's almost like they don't want our business!

BaconAndAvocado · 23/09/2021 11:53

ashmts
Thank you.
That sounds like something we might try, setting the alarm in the night.
You're right, I never know what he's doing in the garden- poo, wee or general romp around.
Where is that torch??

BaconAndAvocado · 23/09/2021 11:54

Returnoftheowl
Are you saying your puppy skep through from day 1? 😳

BaconAndAvocado · 23/09/2021 11:56

MakeMeCleanTheHouse
He's not too chewy (so far) so that wouldn't be what would stop me from sleeping upstairs.
It's more the poos and wees.
Maybe it's a case of sleep v smelly kitchen?

BaconAndAvocado · 23/09/2021 11:59

*slept

Returnoftheowl · 23/09/2021 12:06

@BaconAndAvocado

Returnoftheowl Are you saying your puppy skep through from day 1? 😳
He whined a little during the first couple of nights, but then he slept through from then (although woke up early).

But as a negative he spends 3 hours every night trying to bite off our legs, so it's swings and roundabouts.

opalescent · 23/09/2021 12:17

@LadyCatStark is billy in a crate downstairs at night? Opalpup is, but I think she's outgrowing her current one.

opalescent · 23/09/2021 12:18

@BaconAndAvocado it's so bloody hard with lack of sleep, I empathise 100%. You will get there, and quicker than you think.
Have you considered having puppy in his crate in your room? And then gradually moving him out, rather than the other way round? That's what we did.

PhoboPhobia · 23/09/2021 12:19

Ours is the same @BaconAndAvocado. He slept through from about night 3 with just a minute or two if very quiet whining before he settled down. But he goes absolutely nuts for an hour and a half from about 9pm. It doesn't matter what we do wiht him - take him outisde, play with him, try to distract him. It's like he loses complete control and its really hard even to get his attention to use distraction techniques. He goes for feet and absolutely anything he can reach. His bedding is his prime target.

I know he'll calm down eventually but bloody hell it's annoying!

BaconAndAvocado · 23/09/2021 12:27

opalescent
He hates the dirt being shut on the crate so would just be continually trying to get onto our bed I think, if he was in our room.

I think I'm going to try upstairs......soon 😊

BaconAndAvocado · 23/09/2021 12:27

*gate not dirt!

BaconAndAvocado · 23/09/2021 12:28

Phobophobia
That does sound hard work.
Newboy, although a Sleep Thief, is very chilled otherwise.
Yep, swings and roundabouts !

TerrierOrTerror · 23/09/2021 12:46

We also never slept downstairs. She was in her crate in our room for a week, then gradually moved her downstairs over another week. Though fairly sure she was fully downstairs after two weeks so may have been quicker.

We set an alarm even when she was in oru room and she never woke us up, always we woke her up for a toilet trip. Generally needed about 2 mins to settle with one of us sat next to her. We gradually moved the alarms and they were phased out completely and her going through before she'd been with us a month.

However not all good. She slept perfectly fine downstairs until she was 10.5 months old, then suddenly refused to and was very anxious about it. She's slept in our room (in her bed as her adult crate doesn't fit) ever since. No idea if this is because of our approach or something happened as it was literally one night she suddenly started crying - we suspect some kind of hormonal issue but after three weeks on the sofa I gave up and bought her upstairs.

Returnoftheowl · 23/09/2021 12:56

@PhoboPhobia

Ours is the same *@BaconAndAvocado*. He slept through from about night 3 with just a minute or two if very quiet whining before he settled down. But he goes absolutely nuts for an hour and a half from about 9pm. It doesn't matter what we do wiht him - take him outisde, play with him, try to distract him. It's like he loses complete control and its really hard even to get his attention to use distraction techniques. He goes for feet and absolutely anything he can reach. His bedding is his prime target.

I know he'll calm down eventually but bloody hell it's annoying!

Ours sounds quite similar! It's like mine loses his mind in the evening. People have said "oh it's just the zoomies" but it's like he becomes hysterical for 3 hours.
GuyFawkesDay · 23/09/2021 13:36

Ours is still in the room in his crate but now he is sleeping through I'm going to start the moving him out process to go downstairs. The only issue I can foresee is small people (& DH!) waking him up when they have toilet trips in the night?

If I'm completely honest I'd really like him on the bed as I love it but DH doesn't want it 😭

GuyFawkesDay · 23/09/2021 13:39

With walks he goes out for little 10 minute potter and to empty himself around the park either 4:30 or 6:30, around tea at 5:30.

I often do both with him as he seems to settle better after a nice sniffy walk

Lifeishitsometimes · 23/09/2021 13:45

I reckon it's a bit like babies. You either get a sleeper or you don't. I had two very extreme non-sleeping babies and so far pup is doing much better than them. I think it's just how they are made. Mine is a giant chunk as well, over 7.5kg at 11 weeks so that possibly helps.

I use crate with open door surrounded by pen. She does 9.30 till 5 and has pretty much from the start, up for a wee and a poo, back in despite her attempts to play. Slept next to her for first few nights, then on sofa nearby in another room, and up to my own bed and ignore the whinging/ barking thereafter. My neighbour is deaf so this is the only reason why this was an option.

I just cannot function if I don't get a decent block of sleep, and I'm on my own so no-one to sahre night wakings with. Sympathy for those who are up and down like the proverbial drawers. Maybe time for some tough love? My friend has been involved with service dogs for many years and is very old school - rod for one's own back sort of thing. But I know it's not popular on here!

BaconAndAvocado · 23/09/2021 15:07

Lufeisshitsometimes
I think you hit the nail on the head when you said time for some tough love....I know it's not popular on here
I definitely need to give that option a try because this one isn't working and my health is starting to suffer.

GuyFawkesDay · 23/09/2021 15:22

I might try the crate in pen and one night one the camp bed, then sit with him til he's dozy and sleep in study, then back upstairs. It might work now he's older and more settled. Though tbh DS wants him to sleep on his room and I might let him, if only it were more puppy proof!!!

BaconAndAvocado · 23/09/2021 15:25

@GuyFawkesDay

I might try the crate in pen and one night one the camp bed, then sit with him til he's dozy and sleep in study, then back upstairs. It might work now he's older and more settled. Though tbh DS wants him to sleep on his room and I might let him, if only it were more puppy proof!!!
This what my DCs want eventually but I did tell them, all items destroyed at your own risk!
Aria20 · 23/09/2021 15:42

@GuyFawkesDay pup sleeps in my 13yo ds room now - she slept in kitchen for first 3 months and then moved into his room as his bedroom is downstairs and had more space for the bigger crate. She still in her crate though as she sleeps all night in it and I worry she might chew cables, socks, random crap in sons room if she was loose!!