Puppy survival graduates of 2020! Come hither!

[GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat]

How are you all doing?

Georgiepup is turning a year this month, I can't believe it! It's been a steep learning curve for sure. He's largely doing great though and definitely part of the family. Those early days feel like a lifetime ago.

His epilepsy is more stable now and has just become another thing we do. He still goes to daycare one day a week and loves it! He plays beautifully with other dogs but equally can ignore them and I think daycare has really helped with that.

He's still a bit erm... Slow shall we say. He's never been the sharpest pup in the den but he's loveable and we wouldn't change him. We've also been lucky so far that we haven't experienced the 'teenage' years. Perhaps we still have time for that but he's been fully grown for a few months now so I didn't know.

How is everyone else getting on? Would be so lovely to hear from some old friends.

I have only recently joined the puppy survival threads, but actually TerrorPup turned one last weekend.

We hit the teenage stage at 11 months - mainly with a regression to mouthy behaviour and major sleep/separation regression. In some respects she's a dream, in others a real pest. Her current favourite game is to repeatedly ask to go out as she knows she gets attention. She's far too focused on other dogs but her obsession with people (just too friendly and it took her ages to work out that not everyone appreciates her) is so much better. She did amazingly in busy seaside towns at the weekend, places where a few months ago we wouldn't have contemplaed taking her.

Hi Georgie it's great to hear that Georgiepup's epilepsy is under control and things have settled down so well! Puppypup has also just turned one and is just great, a Very Good Boy. He is very attached to me still but has bonded with the rest of the family and we've been able to leave him with someone for a couple of days which felt like a major milestone! He is a dog who wants company though and will follow me round the house.

As you say the puppy days seem so long ago now, he's a much more confident dog and we're able to take him out and about as I had hoped. He is super bright so i have to be on my toes but he's been pretty easy to train really. We have definitely had teenage behaviour but he does mostly want to please. We're just about to look for some day care for him as we haven't needed it up to now.

Aw - that’s great about his epilepsy, I remember how stressful it was for you.

And I remember saying it before, but intelligence is overrated in dogs, it just creates hassle, lol.

Mine is 11 months.... we finally cracked the huge issue of him reacting to my DP and DS a couple of months ago, loads of tiny little breakthroughs and then I had to go away for a few days at a time a couple of times and now he thinks they’re great. He’s also within the last few weeks stopped being quite so reactive in general, there’s still a couple of things that will set him off, one being visitors.

But we’ve a training plan we’re working on for visitors and we’re now finally on to normal puppy training, like his lost recall because he finally got brave enough to stop coming back on walks and mouthing.

Ah my people! Challenge pup is also just one. Full of teenage naughtiness but much better in some ways. Behaviour seems a bit cyclical- I'm quite sure now he knows what he's supposed to do, he just chooses not to do it! Main issues with barking, on lead reactivity and recall. In other ways he's a delight, but these go up and down. I'm not fully relaxed with him on walks yet- he can be golden but he can be a downright sod as well! He's a lovely dog, I just had no idea how hard it would be!

Awww hi everyone! So lovely to hear how you're all getting on.

Georgiepup is not great on the lead I have to say, he's fine for dh on their regular walk because he's practised it a lot there but anywhere else that might be slightly exciting and he's a pulling nightmare.

@familychallenge me neither - in fact I posted a few days ago about when do you feel relaxed on off lead walks because I am still super- alert! Afraid to say the answer mostly was - never!

Lol @Puppypuppypuppy I hear you! Constantly scanning the horizon for joggers/ other dogs/ squirrels/ children/ anything else the little bugger will run after barking at while ignoring me! Annoyingly he goes to daycare and seems to behave better for them than for me (although that's better than my friend's pup who keeps getting kicked out of daycare for being disruptive!)

Glad @GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat that his epilepsy is getting under control- I know a dog with this- the first are scary but she seems fine the rest of the time.

Really glad to hear all the good (and bad!) from you all- comforts me that my experience is normal and I'm not the worst dog owner ever!

Hi guys! I went on this for the first time in ages and found this thread!

Londonpup is 9 months old now and a dream behaviour wise but battling health issues 😞.

He's a super happy and loving pup though, and can't imagine life without him.

Oh no @LondonPupMum so sorry to hear that. What health problems does pup have?

I'm so pleased everyone seems to be doing so well, it's a real achievement!

@GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat neurological, his leg twitches involuntarily and it causes doggy distress. We're trialling lots of different meds but not quite there yet unfortunately. Gets worse at night!

When it gets bad it's like a seizure type episode, they haven't ruled out focal seizures

Quite similar to Georgiepup then. Feel free to message me if you'd like support. We ended getting referred to RVC near Potters Bar. Levetiracetam has been a great help for him but it's all constantly changing. It's very anxiety inducing isn't it?

Sorry to post a shameless brag, but I had one of those 'he's getting really grown up!' Moments today. There was a 15 week old pup going nuts at him to play- jumping, biting his ears, play bowing. My boy didn't react at all- said a polite hello, wasn't aggressive, but didn't play either, just walked away. A few months ago it would have been him harassing other dogs to play with him, or he would have reacted to this. Had a tiny pang for his puppy days (glossing over the nightmares!) but I was mostly just proud of him! Perhaps there is hope for a sane well mannered dog after all!

Grannypup is now 15 month old. She's really lovely 90% of the time - the other 10% she's a bratty, gobby teenager

Ah good to hear from you all. Glad things are stable with Georgiepup’s epilepsy.
Petal is just over 10 months and is wonderful.
She not perfect -still loves to dig, thinks everyone wants to play with her and barks too much when she’s excited… but she’s so loving, friendly and chilled out in the house.

She’s had a season and a phantom pregnancy so will hopefully be getting spayed soon.

@GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat how lovely to hear how the pups are doing, great thread! I was only an occasional poster...mainly about toilet training which took a ridiculous time to crack...but gained a lot of knowledge from the threads during candidly a difficult time. Legopup was 1 yesterday & is doing great, except for recall which we still haven't cracked. He goes to a playgroup in a secure field every Saturday so at least gets to run around then. He's being castrated on Tuesday so a tricky few weeks ahead no doubt. Hoping the other pups are thriving...

@GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat hello hello! So glad to hear his epilepsy is being managed :).

Happy is almost 14 months now.

He walks fine on the lead until he realises he is going to the park/green and at the point he realises, he almost becomes totally unmanageable (he would sprint from that point onwards if he could). Walks beautifully on pavements and on his way home but even with constant training, we are finding it really hard to crack the 'I'm off somewhere exciting' behaviour. He's so strong, he was always a big cocker, that he can practically pull me over when he does it now which is no fun. I would say that this is our biggest issue.

He also hates waiting. He's been trained to wait but even at long traffic lights, he will start whining and whimpering if he feels he's sitting too long and the minute the green man comes on, he will try and bolt across the road. He has been doing waiting training since he was v tiny but we've still got a long way to go.

But other than that, he's still got the same lovely nature he came with.

His recall is variable. He knows what to do and knows all his whistle commands but if he picks up a scent, it will waiver. He's a fearless dog and will jump through bushes, swim in rivers etc.

Biggest issue really has been me and dp disagreeing on his training. Dp takes him mid week when I work and I don't like her methods but dp thinks she's brilliant.

starpup is almost 10 months and finally cracked toilet training hes starting to chill much more and his relationship with the cat is improving. We started man trailing which he loves aswell

Hey, lovely to see more up updates! Hi everyone 👋

Georgiepup turns one today which feels such a big milestone, we've had a big year and I don't mind admitting there were times when I didn't think he'd make it.

I've definitely noticed a calming in the past few weeks, he's still an excitable puppy of course, but I no longer find myself worrying he's out of sight and getting up to mischief.

Recall is fine but lead walking could be better! Like Happypup, as soon as he's somewhere exciting he pulls like a train!

Hello everyone.

Frenchpup is now one. She has turned into a lovely dog. She went through a teenage phase at about 9 months, then had her first season and since then has been great. We took the baby gate off a couple of weeks ago because we were moving furniture about and it hasn't gone back on. She doesn't go upstairs and has stopped eating shoes.

She is completely obsessed by balls, it is like a crack addict. She won't do anything for treats, but if I get a ball out she will do anything.

The puppy days seem a long time ago, but the pain is still fresh in my memory-never again!

Hello everybody how are we doing?

Londonpup is now 16 months, he's beautifully behaved in the house however we've had to get window film due to barking out the window.

He is good outside but will never be an off lead (without his longline) dog, we're training at the moment his excessive prey drive which got bad before he turned 1!

The good news is that his medication works and his medical issues are controlled :) which is brilliant. Can't imagine life without him now

starpup is 16 months now and slowly becoming a civilised member if society. He still pulls on lead but we are working on this. He gets very mouthy and a bit manic if hes over tired but this is happening less and less day care was a failiure he just shut down but my uncles agreed to have him when we need care. right now hes outside sunbathing in my raised bed chatting to the ducks

TerrorPup is now 19 months old, we're firm members of the long line club due to prey drive too. Biggest issue is still Separation Anxiety but in general she's pretty good. We have been away recently and on one night ended up in a small side room in a pub. Three tables, the other two each had two dogs. She settled incredibly well which was a huge surprise.

She's being spayed in a few weeks and I'm incredibly nervous about that!

I can't believe I didn't see this thread before, so glad everyone is doing OK, esp Georgiepup with his epilepsy!

Pugpup is 18 months now and is totally nuts. Main issues is that he is really barky and gets a bit stressed in big crowds but absolutely loves all dogs and people. He's also super clever and really easy to take for walks plus no problem whilst I work from home.

We also picked up this little (big) guy yesterday. He's such a sweetie.

Hi. I was a bit off and on the puppy thread and have changed my name a couple of times. Glamorous pup is now 15 months and is lovely apart from noise reactivity. Unfortunately this was exacerbated at NY by massive fireworks going off very near us. It took weeks for her to calm down in the evenings after that. Now, Any sound of a bang, gunshot, builders dropping something means she will try and bolt or won't go outside. Walks are getting stressful as she decides there is a noise so you have to be very insistent that she comes and then she gets over herself. She has got a bit better locally recently but I can't trust her off lead if there may be gunshot (field scarers and clay pigeon shooting far off) Yesterday, we were somewhere new and she saw a train and got very anxious and wobbly. The problem is that it is making me anxious and wobbly too. She's just finished her first season and was very good and clean.

@TerrierOrTerror oh the prey drive  we've been training incredibly hard to stop screaming at squirrels. We're getting there and I can see improvements from the last few months but Jesus training takes ages doesn't it! What does Terrorpup do?

@PugInTheHouse oh my goodness you have another puppy! Can barely remember the early days myself sometimes look back with rose tinted glasses tell us about him?