Puppy survival thread. Cold nights in the garden ... yeah...no

[MakeMeCleanTheHouse]

The foghorn is sounding frequently and I suspect that's why I'm up enjoying the ambience of a foggy garden at 4am.

Hoping @BaconandAvocado is fast asleep and all the others with wide awake pups.

@cheeseisthebest isn’t he really little still? We’ve found that PoirotPup is much quicker to reach something new to recently at nearly 7 months. To start with everything you do is training really / so reinforcing behaviours you want and ignoring or redirecting those you don’t. Have a pot of 30 treats and give one every time puppy does something good or is being calm or basically isn’t being a menace! If you want to train something (Hand) Touch is a good one to teach and I think fairly straightforward. We now use that as a focus when clipping lead off and on when out and have used it within lots of other training now he is much much older.

Definitely hit the big guns treat wise if he's food motivated. One command at a time. Initially we just put hand under his chin, said the word and gave treat. Repeat repeat repeat and intersperse with "tricks" he already knows and then he twigs it's a command and catches on.

I mean, he's still crap at not being separated from me, he's a bitey twat and has dug up my newly planted tubs today so he's got a lot to learn yet 🙄

Loose lead walking we can do probably 2 minute now (as long as the primula tube is dangling in front of him 🤣) but it was about 2 seconds to start with and doing a little each day means he now looks for the cues of the long line shortening and heads for the cheese dispensing location of my left thigh

@Aria20 we’re in similar position - I know it’s teenage standard but it’s bloody annoying. Primula will still work a bit for us but he used to wait if he saw a dog a bit and now he bounds off. We only walk him where it’s dog friendly for that reason off lead - back to the longline or lead everywhere else for now. And he’s 25kg!

He's 19 weeks this week.
Does fantastic recall if I shake box of treats!

But I didn't think that really counted? Or does it?
Just feel like a total failure. Still can't leave him at all. I start trying to do these things but life gets in the way!
He barked his head off during an important mtg I had today. Absolutely typical.

@cheeseisthebest Could you find a daycare nearby with experience of puppies? I found the early puppy stage very overwhelming and daycare saved my sanity. We both work (out of the home, throughout covid) so daycare was always our plan anyway but I've found it really helpful. If you get that break from him you'll find you have more energy to focus on training. Daycare isn't for every dog but if you can find one he fits in well, it could be a really good thing.

@Aria20 The only thing that worked for us was the ball. I'm sure yours is a spaniel, would that work? She'd sometimes come back for food but would literally spit it out. She'll now take food from me but I'm not sure if that's cos she's older or cos the recall is already there.

Agree with @MrsHerculePoirot and @MakeMeCleanTheHouse, we have never ever fed pup from the table. She doesn't even get leftovers tbh, she gets her own food and treats (sometimes this is human food but specially bought for her). I'd also strongly advise teaching impulse control, I was so cynical about this when our excellent trainer taught it at about 18 weeks but she picked it up really quickly and I'm convinced it helped stop her mooching/begging. Nothing worse than a dog begging at the table, yeuch. When pup had her accident in June she couldn't go to daycare so my MIL looked after her a lot. She was eating toast on the couch one day and gave her a bit. For weeks after that the dog would mooch at the table. It just shows how quickly they learn the behaviour.

Thank you I just can't afford daycare.

How did you teach 8mpulse control please

I didn't find daycare helpful tbh. We had three bad days after it and I think he was tired, overwhelmed and sore from too much exercise and no rest. It is hard juggling work and not being able to leave him. Luckily DH is around a lot and I usually only have 2 days when I'm out all day.

Our puppy is a chewing machine. His favourite toys seem to be the ones he can destroy. He also managed to remove the toilet handle when he escaped our supervision briefly! I've just ordered him some more toys to chew on as well as puzzles for mental stimulation.

He has been doing fairly well with training, though his recall is still spotty (to say the least). Fortunately his motto seems to be "will work for food" so as long as the treats keep coming he usually tries to do what is asked of him.

Our pup is having a trial day at daycare this week. I'm nervous about how exeecis restrictions and naps will be enforced but they have a puppy area so hoping it'll be ok. our dog really needs some little doggy friends but I'm nervous about letting her go. My little furball.

We had some utter madness tonight and she really hurt my leg. She also reopened up a knife nick on my finger and I'm certain I've not had a tetanus jab for years....

@MakeMeCleanTheHouse I think it depends on the daycare and the dog. Mine's been going since she was about 14 weeks and has always loved it but she's naturally a very energetic and confident character. The daycare is run by a friend of a friend, maximum of six dogs including his own and it's in his home. He had a puppy too and recommended our trainer so he was able to keep up the training practise at daycare using the same methods. It's been perfect for us.

Re impulse control, the best way is probably via a trainer who can give you feedback as you go. First of all you need to teach them not to grab treats and to take them gently. Then you get them to sit, and hold the treat over their head. If they don't jump, they get the treat. Gradually move it closer to their head each time. If they jump, start again with the treat higher up so it's less tempting. Once they've got that spot on, step 2 was sitting cross-legged, placing the treat on your knee and repeating. If they don't grab, they get it. Gradually move closer. Step 3 - treat placed on the floor. You need lightning reflexes, if they move for it, grab it first. They only get the treat if they sit nicely. Then instead of picking up the treat and giving it to them, release them using a word (our release word is 'ok'). Step 4 - drop the treat, initially from an inch or so then make it harder by dropping from gradually higher up. Step 5 - repeat all of the above but they only get released for the treat when you get eye contact. The first time we tried this it was a complete embarrassing disaster, we were by far the worst in the class. But by the end mine was probably most disciplined cos we had to work so hard at it. It took weeks for us to get to step 5. Also we practised eye contact as a separate exercise, holding a treat out to the side and rewarding when they make eye contact. That was a long process too. Hope that all makes sense. It's so satisfying when they learn it. I can now get her to lie down, place a treat on her paw and get eye contact before releasing her for the treat. This is a spaniel who was a total hoover when she came home at first.

Mine goes to day care once a week, as I wanted to get him socialised with other dogs. He loves it and it's the only thing that seems to tire him out!

We don't give food from the table or directly from us (well my 3yo occasionally shares!) If she lays quietly while we eat I put any suitable left overs in with her normal kibble.

Her impulse control with treats or toys is fine she has a good understanding of leave it..... and also a good "drop it" when it comes to her own toys but when she steals a slipper or one of my daughters soft toys if someone leaves the gate/door open she is a nightmare, she will run to her bed with it and hold it like it's the most precious thing ever and growl if you try to take it. The only way she'll drop it is if I get something like chicken or hot dog to do an exchange... I know I need to work on this!

@GuyFawkesDay advice re frozen kongs please. I tend to just use wet food in the kong. I froze it overnight and then took it out this morning, ran some warm water over it so it would thaw a little and not get stuck to pups tongue. Instead of chilling her out though it seemed to fire her up as she was throwing it around and chasing it and jumping on the sofas with it! I guess as it was frozen it was harder for her to get it out, she did eventually lay down on her mat and finish it but then was throwing it around again and chasing it!

Am I doing kongs wrong lol?! Also what size kong do you use?

@Aria20 l think it sounds like you're doing it right, mine does that because he's excited by it, he spins and chucks it for bit before settling down.

I don't use wet food, I wonder if it's too solid? The grated carrot and baby food mix possibly has more air in it so it melts quicker and is easier to bite down onto?

He has three at the moment, a large puppy one, a cheapo Poundland special and a normal middle sized red Kong.

@tizwozliz FawkesPup is following you too

We just won a giveaway for an automatic fetch machine! It rolls a tennis ball, dog puts it back in the top and dispenses a treat! How cool????!

Congratulations GuyFawkesDay, that sounds amazing! Can I also ask, what exactly is 'loose lead' walking.? Sorry if that's a stupid question.

Bella shows no interest in the Kong. She'll sit with it for a minute or so, then walks away. I don't think she has the patience! Maybe we need to try some different fillings.

We had to start really easy with the kongs, e.g. totally dry kibble that will just fall out, then dry kibble with the end sealed with some sort of paste. I still don't freeze them, Ada isn't persistent enough to bother with a frozen one. She often gives up if I pack them too tight even without freezing.

@GuyFawkesDay yes the wet food goes go quite solid but she did manage it in the end. I'll try some other fillings like baby food lol, unfortunately yoghurt and primula give her upset tummy so they are out and she seems to have no interest in peanut butter!

That machine sounds so cool what's it called?!

It's a fetch & treat? Dog puts ball in top, it's released at the other side with treats or kibble. I think we might use it as another way to dispense his lunch?

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00IAR8M78/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_VMS7ZYZBH64E8854794Q?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

Just got him a buffalo horn core from PAH as he's SO chompy. 3 teeth gone in as many days, he's all gappy at the bottom front like a small child!!!

@Aria20 Billy does that too. It’s because they’re too clever for their own good and work out that if they bounce the kong bits of food fall out and they can eat it easier!

Our pup does that with kongs too! They dont seem to last him long, even if stuffed and frozen. I bought some chews that I though would keep him occupied for at least 30 minutes and he was done with it within 5 minutes. I think we definitely need some sort of harder chew, but everything I go to buy says 4 months+ (although hes not far off this really).

@GuyFawkesDay that fetch and treat toy looks fab!

@ashmts Thanks for the tips on impulse control. I've been making him take his treats gently, and also making him wait until I say ok for his dinner, but nice to see the progression to being able to put a treat right in front of them and they don't wolf it down!

In going to try the impulse control training as mine has none. At all. Will sit and wait for a treat for oooh, 2 seconds before deciding it's taking too long.

He's 8.5kg though (17 weeks)! Flipping heck!! Apparently spot on look and feel weight wise so he's doing fine but I need to adjust his food.

Newboy (Lab) is almost 7kg at 14 weeks.
Does that sound right?