Page 30 | Puppy survival thread. Cold nights in the garden ... yeah...no

MakeMeCleanTheHouse · 2021-09-26T03:07:39+00:00

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.

Aria20 · 13/10/2021 11:00

@MightyMeerkat bet that was a heart stopping moment but at least all was ok in the end. I think with the road you did the right thing to follow pup over the road though as otherwise if he had recalled across the road he might have got hit by a car. In the park though I never chase mine if she runs off, I just give a cheery bye and start walking the other way and she runs over lol.

@tizwozliz you have my sympathy as I'm also trying to work from home with a sick toddler off nursery and a puppy who hasn't had her usual good long off lead morning walks due to sick child. I'm so tired as child coughing all night and ended up in my bed and I can't concentrate at all as she's constantly asking for stuff or pestering the dog so I'm at the point of giving up attempting to work today... just hoping she's well enough to be back at nursery tomorrow as I have a zoom meeting in the morning and will need to catch up on what I can't do today!

Slacktacular · 13/10/2021 11:15

Hello! After months of reading these threads to prepare me for this moment, I’m ready to out myself and join in. Slackpup is a 10wk old show cocker who came home to us on Friday. Been waiting for him for a long time and he doesn’t disappoint! Such a dotey wee boy, and is settling in so well. Picture provided immediately so you don’t hound me for it

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

Slacktacular · 13/10/2021 11:20

He is such an affectionate, keen to please little guy. Toilet training seems to be clicking super fast, only 2 accidents in 5 days. Sleep could be better - crate training is going slower than I’d hoped but after three kids who all slept so badly for 18m each, I’m a veteran at night settling and every night there’s a little improvement. I’m sleeping in the same room at the moment and the novelty has worn off now and I miss my bed! Amazed what you can hear in the garden at 2am! Owls, snails munching, my puppy eating stones all sorts!!

tizwozliz · 13/10/2021 11:47

A picture speaks a thousand words!

Aria20 · 13/10/2021 11:59

@tizwozliz oh dear the mud! Mine had fun shredding loads of cardboard recycling all over the front room earlier and has now shredded another soft toy so I have fluff all over the floor!

tizwozliz · 13/10/2021 12:06

Knew the cordless vacuum would be a sound investment! Five minutes later once she'd got the zoomies out of her system

Aria20 · 13/10/2021 12:34

@tizwozliz how long do you have to miss walks for?

Aria20 · 13/10/2021 12:35

Mine is still working on fully destroying that toy... she doesn't eat the little bits she breaks off luckily so I'm just letting her crack on until it's fully demolished then I'll tidy up!

tizwozliz · 13/10/2021 12:42

Our vet says can walk away from other dogs once no longer coughing then a week after symptoms gone to be back to regular walks/puppy class etc.

Seems to be wildly conflicting information about how long they should isolate for.

LadyCatStark · 13/10/2021 12:54

OMG @Tizwozliz!

Billy, who is catergorically not allowed on the living room sofa (he has his own in the dining room so he is not hard done to), took the opportunity to make the most of my work call just now 😂.

tizwozliz · 13/10/2021 13:02

@LadyCatStark - he looks like he belongs there :-)

LadyCatStark · 13/10/2021 13:05

@tizwozliz that’s because he’s enormous and requires 3/4 or a 4 seater sofa to lie how he likes 😂. His “own” sofa is one of the round swivel ones and is perfect for curling up in but he does not do curling up!

lifestooshortandsoami · 13/10/2021 13:27

Help please- again!
Finn is just short of 10 weeks but very bitey- I don’t mean just the chewing/ nipping I mean over excited actual biting and jumping up at you biting. He bits at ankles and feet and the kids now won’t come near him. He does this about 90% of the time he’s awake - have tried distracting which works for a limited time, ignoring but that just ends up hurting and ripping clothes and try walking away but he usually then gets worse and he’s attached to me as I’m trying to walk off when the kids are about I have to hold
him or put him on the lead.
Is this just how it is and it has to feel like this till he’s older or is there anything I can to do to make it better?
I get he’s a puppy but I didn’t expect constant actual biting at this age . I’ve def got the puppy blues the last couple of days

MightyMeerkat · 13/10/2021 13:58

@lifestooshortandsoami I found a firm "No!" and a frown startled her into stopping sometimes. But if she continued then I put her in puppy time out - in her pen - for 30 seconds and I stood next to it ignoring her. I then let her out. I like to think it made her realise that biting doesn't lead to fun. She still bites now at 4 months but it's occasional and usually when she gets overexcited.

LadyCatStark · 13/10/2021 15:03

@lifestooshortandsoami it’s awful at first isn’t it! I found it started to get easier once Billy could go out for a walk at 11 weeks (as he had the lepto 2 vaccine) and once he could have various dead animal parts to chew. It really just fizzled out slowly until he had all his adult teeth and now he never bites, nips or mouths. We’ll actually he nips our ears gently but I think he thinks he’s grooming us 😂. I used a firm ‘no’ as above but TBH I think the main thing is age!

bargelights · 13/10/2021 15:06

I think yours is a border collie, @lifestooshortandsoami? I have had border collies and other herding breeds (including current pup). As a trainer once said to me, nipping is a very natural behaviour for them and as pups they are discovering how to channel those instincts. My puppy is still very much in the nipping stage. He is more bitey when he gets overexcited or overtired. So we're working to keep a calm atmosphere and enforce a nap before he gets to that point. As well as lots of redirection to toys he can chew on. It is definitely a work in progress. Much sympathy and solidarity!

lifestooshortandsoami · 13/10/2021 15:13

@bargelights

I think yours is a border collie, *@lifestooshortandsoami*? I have had border collies and other herding breeds (including current pup). As a trainer once said to me, nipping is a very natural behaviour for them and as pups they are discovering how to channel those instincts. My puppy is still very much in the nipping stage. He is more bitey when he gets overexcited or overtired. So we're working to keep a calm atmosphere and enforce a nap before he gets to that point. As well as lots of redirection to toys he can chew on. It is definitely a work in progress. Much sympathy and solidarity!

He is! I suspected it was prob part to do with his breed. He’s def not being nasty it’s just playing but it hurts even with baby teeth. We try and keep it calm but someone entering the room sends him into over excited mode ha

LadyCatStark · 13/10/2021 15:18

@lifestooshortandsoami the baby teeth hurt far more than the adult teeth because they’re so needly!

Returnoftheowl · 13/10/2021 17:07

@lifestooshortandsoami we had similar with our puppy. All the "stern no's and turning your back on them" in the world didn't make a difference.

Mine has calmed down during the day but is still generally a bitey horror in the evening. We've found grate training him somewhat has helped. We pop him in his crate for a nap whilst we have our dinner and that seems to help a bit. We've also got ostrich bones which he likes to chew on (he doesn't seem interested in any other chews really... It's ostrich bones/human calves or nothing!).

Haven't really got any other advice, other then it will get better but it will seem slow going. But I remember how frustrating it was as mine seemed to be the only dog in the world who wouldn't stop biting, didn't respond to turning away, putting in a pen, saying a stern no.

bargelights · 13/10/2021 17:55

We try and keep it calm but someone entering the room sends him into over excited mode ha

@lifestooshortandsoami, that sounds very familiar! I can literally step out of the room to put the kettle on or something, and when I return the pup acts as though he hasn't seen me in weeks. He does better in terms of calmness one-on-one and is always much more excitable if the whole family is around. I think that is partly due to his breed as well. He wants to herd everyone into a group. If individuals are moving around, he thinks it's his job to herd them back together!

lifestooshortandsoami · 13/10/2021 19:00

[quote Returnoftheowl]@lifestooshortandsoami we had similar with our puppy. All the "stern no's and turning your back on them" in the world didn't make a difference.

Mine has calmed down during the day but is still generally a bitey horror in the evening. We've found grate training him somewhat has helped. We pop him in his crate for a nap whilst we have our dinner and that seems to help a bit. We've also got ostrich bones which he likes to chew on (he doesn't seem interested in any other chews really... It's ostrich bones/human calves or nothing!).

Haven't really got any other advice, other then it will get better but it will seem slow going. But I remember how frustrating it was as mine seemed to be the only dog in the world who wouldn't stop biting, didn't respond to turning away, putting in a pen, saying a stern no.[/quote]
Thank you, it’s nice to know it’s not just us! I’ve been feeling the same that lots of other people with puppies haven’t seemed to have this (or said that they have anyway!)

lifestooshortandsoami · 13/10/2021 19:01

@bargelights

We try and keep it calm but someone entering the room sends him into over excited mode ha

@lifestooshortandsoami, that sounds very familiar! I can literally step out of the room to put the kettle on or something, and when I return the pup acts as though he hasn't seen me in weeks. He does better in terms of calmness one-on-one and is always much more excitable if the whole family is around. I think that is partly due to his breed as well. He wants to herd everyone into a group. If individuals are moving around, he thinks it's his job to herd them back together!

Yeah I think the breed def plays a part. He’s much better when it’s just me but anyone else and it’s mayhem. I’ve noticed that when he starts doing it with me he’s definitely getting overtired so I’ve started out to my him in his crate for a nap- he’s just like a toddler that doesn’t want to stop playing!

Original poster

MakeMeCleanTheHouse · 13/10/2021 19:04

@lifestooshortandsoami puppy blues is real. I think you've had lots of good advice so I'll just suggest wine and keep something soft and wide and insert between the teeth and tie around the back of his head (joking)

What we have realised is he can't bite when he has a tennis ball to carry. Can you make this a game for him?

OP posts:

lifestooshortandsoami · 13/10/2021 19:16

[quote MakeMeCleanTheHouse]@lifestooshortandsoami puppy blues is real. I think you've had lots of good advice so I'll just suggest wine and keep something soft and wide and insert between the teeth and tie around the back of his head (joking)

What we have realised is he can't bite when he has a tennis ball to carry. Can you make this a game for him?[/quote]
I’ve cried so much this last few days! It’s mad isn’t it you read about puppy blues and convince yourself you’ll be fine and then before you know it you’re about to bawl yourself eyes out. I think I just worry I’m getting it wrong too.
Wine is an excellent idea and def needed!
Haven’t tried a tennis ball, tried other toys but he just ditches them as soon as he sees us (particularly the kids!) I’ll def try a tennis ball, thank you

LadyCatStark · 13/10/2021 20:12

Honestly, to all those who are struggling, it’s really does get better. Billy has been a superstar today. I left him out of his crate while I went for a run for half an hour and he was fine and didn’t destroy anything. He was so good at tea time that I forgot he existed 😂😂😂 I’d prepared his likimat but then we all sat down to eat dinner and Billy appeared, I’d forgotten all about him and he was wondering why he hadn’t been given his likimat yet!