Puppy survival thread. Oct/Nov fireworks!

[sandwiches77]

New thread...

I tried camp 1 cos everyone told me too but he now sleeps in my sons bedroom!

@cheeseisthebest thank you! I knew it would be hard, but it's just so much harder than I expected. I've had dogs before but never like this. We're going to try him on the bed tonight and see if that helps... I'll report back on the progress/carnage!

It's so so so hard!
If I had the time over again I would have just had him upstairs from the beginning and kept him there. But I always wanted him to sleep downstairs

Yeah I was all "dog is going to sleep downstairs in a crate" but he was so upset the first few weeks separate from me, and even though he sleeps ok in his crate in our room, he sleeps better close to me. He's a typical spaniel, very bonded to his person.

However this also translates into a puppy who will do 10 minutes of loose lead walking, & off lead recall from +30m too. Puppy class leader comments on his focus on me and the family so he's very clearly just one of those dogs who wants to be part of the family pack.

I totally get it @cheeseisthebest and @guyfawkesDay. I think I just had such set ideas and probably read a lot of type 1 advice. Previous dogs were fine but I think this would be too much for the little one. We have moved pen to be even closer to the bed, puppy proofed as best we can and kept pen door open so he can be closer to us. If he cries I'll try him on the bed and see... And hopefully no teething bites on my nose in the morning! Photo of him too... Like butter wouldn't melt!!

@Jonesy2190 We had a terrible first night with our Pup; the breeder's advice was put in crate and close the door and walk away. He cried, and pooed and it was awful. We persevered with the crate and shifts on the sofa near the crate and after 4 terrible nights, he suddenly was OK in the room on his own (I think we had crossed wires about who would be down there/ DH was working late and was out of the room on calls or something). By night 5, he was fine in the crate, but we were still waking Pup for the toilet at 2am. The logic of this was that we wouldn't be getting him out when he barked, but instead as a pre-emptive move. He'd go straight back to sleep afterwards. Pushed that back 20 minutes or so each couple of nights and now he wakes or I wake him at around 6am, which is fine. I've read other things about having the crate in your room and moving it a metre away from you every night, then outside the bedroom door then down the hall until it's in the spot you want.

My Pup doesn't like the crate in the day, but I like having him contained and not having accidents at night. In the day he'll sleep in his pen on an Aldi fluffy bed happily, so I think that'll have to do with the crate - I tried hard with a few day time sleeps last week and he just whined and whined.

Bad nights really will pass. I felt totally demented at the start; with that newborn baby type tiredness. I'm not averse to him sleeping upstairs ultimately, but not until he stops weeing when he goes up there!

@Jonesy2190 crossed posts. He's so gorgeous. Good luck tonight.

Our breeder for this pup was anti crate, so since the pup isn't used to a crate we are sleeping with him in the kitchen until his bladder control is up to going upstairs, but he's been a bitey pain for parts of today and I'm worried about him having a mad half hour in the middle of the night.

The upside is the pup is sleeping fine but im struggling to drop off well in the kitchen.

I need ALL the chew toys, he's even more determined to latch onto anything loose fabric or cable or shoe wise than my flat coated retriever was as a pup.

Well that was a disaster. Pup went to sleep great in crate, woke at 3 whimpering. Took him for a wee (mini one so that wasn't the issue) and let him on bed, as agreed. He lay down between us and licked my hand, then eventually tootled off to bottom of the bed. Great, I thought. Then he got up and went and licked DH ear. So he stopped off downstairs as he'd "been licked for 20 minutes and the dog was on his leg". He wasn't. He was curled up in a ball, maybe his head was resting on the leg but seriously?

Anyhow I put pup back into crate and he went to sleep so I got the king-size to myself. I sound blasé about it, I am actually cross/upset but I will be having that conversation today. And I will sleep downstairs with pup and get him sleeping in the crate but DH will therefore be doing all the cooking, cleaning and child care as I am mad busy at work so that plus no sleep isn't great and I can't do everything. I'm trying to and it's breaking me.

Ah @GuyFawkesDay that sounds a grotty night. Merli was up 4 times in the night but I've bought him a new bed and it rustles a bit and is just basically NEW. I think I oversized a bit 😂..... he's 23 kg now and this is huge so I have no idea where it will live. That door heads to the garage so it needs moving as and when. I thought big meant he could really stretch out as he often sleeps in a sprawl. 2nd pic is next to me on the sofa. I think DH will be a bit 🙄😲🤨 when he returns on Friday.

I've been pretty exhausted since getting pup. At about 4 months I had significant puppy blues and felt mildly depressed but I think there were many factors going on. My sister was diagnosed with late stage cancer this time last year and I then had an intense hellish two months until her death on new years day. Those memories loomed and work is utterly covid dire and I cried every day for a fortnight. Equilibrium has returned coinciding with him sleeping better.

@guyfawkesDay @LegsMiserables @cheeseisthebest an update for you all... We decided to move his pen closer and leave his pen door open. He chose to sleep right by the bed and whimpered a fair bit, but woke up on average of every 2 hours rather than 1...progress I guess!
@guyfawkesDay I'm sorry to hear about your night, I totally get that feeling. Just feeling so overwhelmed and I felt quite alone, work is hectic for me too now and it's just all too much. I hope you're OK? Sending hugs x

Sorry to hear about the disturbed nights. We had the best night in a long while. Settled Ada into her new bed under the stairs around 10.45, she slept through until 6.45 and then went back to bed for half an hour or so after a toilet break. She was super tired which helped after a busy day yesterday.

@Jonesy2190 cute pup!
@GuyFawkesDay that sounds like a stressful night. My DH would never agree to pup in the bedroom let alone the bed. I had to wash our bedding the other day as she followed me upstairs and jumped on our bed and he was cross about that lol!

We are currently in town people watching outside Costa while I have my first Christmas flavour coffee of the year, toffee penny flavour, she's being impeccably behaved. Want to get her used to busy streets as planning to take her into London in December to meet DH for lunch. @TerrierOrTerror how did yours do on the train? I can get a fast train into central London in 18 mins but I'd have to drive to that station and it's more expensive...the alternative is an 55 mins on train though!

@Aria20 She's not 100% comfortable, but she'll generally sit on either me or her mat with me dropping treats. Our route in is approx 20 minutes but with 6 stops and she tends to get up/distracted at each stop. I think if we were on the move longer she'd probably find it easier to settle. For her first journeys on trains we did have to get off earlier than planned (we have several options where it's only 2-3 mins between stations) so it is great to have the option to give them a break, but now she's used to it I'd sooner have the chance of settling her. We're hopefully doing a longer journey in a few weeks so I'll check back in and let you know.

@TerrierOrTerror id prob be better off doing the fast train then I guess as it's only 2 stops I think...

Look at you with your perfect pup, @Aria20 Show DH that! (I'm sure you have). Mine is not that great at sitting down during tie-up. Last time we went to a cafe he dug a hole and then lay on top of it.

@Jonesy2190 hopefully it'll be one bad week and then done. I remember we got him on a Saturday and he had his check at the vet on the Wednesday and she gave me a real pep talk about persevering with the crate at night. Suddenly that night he went for 3/4 hour stretches and that was manageable. (I would also go to bed super early and get up early. DH would do late - late, so the shifts helped!)
We were in deep lockdown here in Sydney though, so although work was manic, life was quiet. I actually can't imagine how people survive a puppy in normal times. Hats off to you all.

Merli has had two train journeys. The most recent was just over an hour with about 5 stops. He didn't relax, was up and down every time the train stopped and flopped into the corridor occupying it in between. The people opposite didn't find his tail in their 'space' acceptable and glared at me. He also was too frightened to get on. I was going out for the evening and in my dress and heeled boots found myself picking him up and putting him on.

Coming back my son in law insisted on driving me which turned out to be a good decision because dog developed severe flatulence from all the treats hurled at him to keep him quiet in the restaurant. He would have emptied the train carriage

Hahahaha treato bum is real isn't it????

I bought some beef trachea at the weekend and oh my lord the smell! It stinks and so does his bum.

He's been humping cushions today, cheeky boy. But he has just off lead recalled from about 30m off another dog so he's forgiven for having the arse of doom.

Thanks @aria20 he is cute so he gets away with everything 😂
Sorry to hear about your tough time @WomblingKnobhead I can't imagine how you coped xx

@WomblingKnobhead lol at the people glaring over his tail honestly it could be worse....I can imagine I will have to pick pup up to get on as I have had to pick her up ramp to get on a tractor ride before! I won't be in heels or a dress when I go into London though thankfully!

Ada's please share your pizza face

@LegsMiserables thank you! I hope so, we've had him just over a week but he's just such an anxious pup he makes me anxious too 😂 I think he thinks we'll disappear in the night! Taking him to puppy classes too so hopefully he'll tire out and socialise... Fingers crossed!

@WomblingKnobhead what bed is that? AwesomePup needs a new bed and that looks perfect!!!!! He's a nearly 8 month old lab, and he's quite big for his age so has outgrown his current bed but keeps squeezing himself onto it, curled into a ball.

The farts when they've had too many treats are awful aren't they? We're quite a relaxed family when it comes to gaseous emissions but he can still clear a room.

Pizza face....what a lovely image. How could you resist?

Thanks @Jonesy2190. My pup is quite chilled but I still felt an increase in anxiety and less secure in life. It felt very like having a small child. Far less in control and wanting to do the right thing.

My walk tonight was with both dogs as DH away. Always a bit of a juggle as the terrier doesn't do LLW and has an extending lead often at full length whilst I'm trying to persuade Merlie to LLW to heel. I came across an elderly guy who needed help to get home as his legs had given way because he'd walked too far. No phone with me and would have called an ambulance tbh as he looked grey and unwell. He swore blind he'd be fine once home so with his elderly wife we dragged him home between us....supporting him under elbows and shoulder. Must have taken 40 minutes.... with both dogs as well 🥺