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.

Well I managed to get some work done in the end, put beauty and beast on for dd and put pup in crate for a nap! Then pup has zoomed around the garden and stolen a pepper which she's been throwing it around since lol. DH is on his way home from work early to take over while I go to look at the school and he's managed to work from home tomo too so at least it will be a team effort tomo and I won't have to drag a coughing dd on a dog walk!

FawkesPup is a bitey monkey and is starting to get far more confident on walks. He's trying to go off into the undergrowth to sniff out bunnies/foxes etc now. Recall is mainly ok but not foolproof.

He's also a bit too enthusiastic for some potential playmates and has been told right off (& rightly so!) by older dogs and it's helping him learn some better manners unless he's totally hyped up in which case he still gets mad puppy zoomies around other dogs 🤦‍♀️

Mad day here. Home late as my school is going back to remote learning due to loads of covid cases so it's been crazy busy trying to organise everything. Glad to get home and get a sunny walk in to draw a line under the day. He's starting taking himself off to his pen when we all eat at the table as he has his ostrich bone in there which is blooming fantastic. Sadly this doesn't apply to one person eating at the table or anywhere else 🙄

@GuyFawkesDay noooooo to remote learning! 😭😭😭

@GuyFawkesDay My spaniel has started heading for every bush and wooded area too. Gives me a heart attack because I can't see her! I try and keep her on the long line but the lead gets hopelessly wrapped around the trees. I had to crawl into a bush this morning to untangle it 🙈

Pup was at the vets again today for her final vaccine. She growled at the vet and then tried to climb up and over me to get away. She also had the kennel cough vaccine as there has been some cases in my local area. It's made her very sniffy tonight. She also got weighed - 9.2kg at 4 months.

@GuyFawkesDay whereabouts are you that's had to go back to remote learning? I can foresee this becoming widespread soon!

@GuyFawkesDay, I think our puppies are about the same age (17/18 weeks)? Our boy is also being a bitey little sod. I came home from work today and he greeted me by jumping up and nipping my arm. On the plus side, he was absolutely angelic while DH was working from home today.

@GuyFawkesDay aargh to remote learning!!! What a nightmare!!! Our cases are edging up, and we're wearing masks in corridors again. I would really, really cry if we had to do remote learning again. I just can't teach properly like that!!!

AwesomePup has had another vomit free day today, so I think we might try introducing some kibble tomorrow. 🤞I really hope he copes with it because it's significantly cheaper and more convenient than all this chicken and rice. He's going to daycare tomorrow, and then the vets after that about his eyes (gloopy and red). Hopefully that will be an easy fix with just some eye drops or something.

Absolutely no chew is better than following me around and chewing me or my clothes apparently!! Quite worried about separation anxiety. I really need to be able to leave him, I have doctor and dentist appointments this week. But can't leave him alone as haven't even done it for 5 minutes yet!
Still sleeping on the sofa quite a bit!

@MightyMeerkat FawkesPup was 9kg at his 4month check so I reckon they are pretty spot on average. Put him on track to be around 12kg at adult weight I think.

Yup, I am S Warwickshire and although rates aren't dreadful, it's ripping round school. That said we had very few cases when it was spreading badly elsewhere so it was inevitable it'd hit us at some point. I feel bad for my head, she's fantastic and has had just one thing after another to deal with. Worst bit of next few days is I am on field trips for next 2 days so I have no time to prep 😱😩. It'll be fine, I'm sure 🤦‍♀️

@bargelights yup he's 17 weeks and teeth are dropping out and being replaced quickly. He's either delightful or a living version of Taz from looney tunes 😆

He's either delightful or a living version of Taz from looney tunes 😆

@GuyFawkesDay, that perfectly describes my puppy too. 😂 Yup, our pups are a similar age. My boy will be 18 weeks tomorrow.

18 weeks here as well!

But probably 18kg

Quite a lot less coughing last night so fingers crossed this should be short lived. We did split shifts last night of one of us downstairs then swapped at 3am so got a decent chunk of sleep so feeling more human.

Sad that today is Ada Lovelace day and I was going to take Ada to visit the grave of her namesake but that can't happen now.

Today was the first morning that it was dark when we got up 😭. Poor Billy was most perplexed!

Planning to take Newboy to the local park and dog-friendly cafe today. Will take lots of treats!

Aiming to go out for 15 minutes to see how he gets in without me today. 🤞🏻

Ordered a light up collar from Amazon as spotting a black dog in the half light is erm.... interesting!!

Little oik has got mud all over the sofas but he did then loose lead walk all the way to school and back (apart from the very exciting lots of kids part!!) So he's worked his way out of being in real trouble!!

@GuyFawkesDay I hate when that happens with muddy paws! I try to remember to shut the gate from kitchen to front room so at least if she runs in with muddy paws it's only the kitchen not the carpets and sofas.... inevitably though kids don't shut the gate sometimes! Which light up collar did you get? I'm looking at a couple but reviews are so mixed!

Oh god yes the mud. My house is a state. In, out, in, out....bit of biting, steal a shoe, back out for some more mud.... Very much looking forward to going away somewhere next week with her because there.is no mud there...

Just a £9 Amazon's special one, see how we go. Found the headtorch too for that extra special look 😆

In going to put throws on the sofa and chairs now. If I'd been there I would have passed the back door so he zoomies outside but he was doing a huge loop round the garden, lounge and back again

I can’t see Billy at night as soon as he has left the house! I now just assume he’s been for his last wee and so far he must have as he sleeps all night. He also brings huge, splodgy paw prints into the house and if we forget to close the doors he can do a full lap of the house 🙈.

We’ll the downstairs I mean, we have a baby gate across the stairs.

Oh no mine gets zoomies after a bath or if she gets wet and jumps from sofa to sofa does a lap of front room and repeats over and over in a manic fashion.

It always seems like half the garden is on the kitchen floor!!
Twigs, leaves, moss, grass, stones.

It's going to get harder having the door open all day soon, starting to feel decidedly chilly here.

We met 3 springer spaniels at the park today. Wow, the energy!!

FawkesPup met a neighbour's lovely staffie in the park and they had mad zoomies for 10 minutes playing together. He's definitely learned some manners and to be submissive and ask better for play and it was nice to see this behaviour with an older dog.

I've washed the sofa covers (again), hoovered and mopped (again) and am hoping the little monster sleeps for a bit so I can get some jobs done.