Puppy survival thread. Oct/Nov fireworks!

[sandwiches77]

New thread...

Just catching up. Had problems accessing mumsnet last week.
Things are going well - he doesn't pull on the lead, just sniffs a lot.
Sleeps from 10pm to 7am
Things that aren't going well- utter nightmare crazy time in evening. He's 6 months now and still nippy, jumping, barking. Starts at 9pm and can be for 2 hours. At end of my tether with it just don't know what to do. nothing distracts, he just wants to nip and only me. Ignoring can work but he just barks and barks and barks.
Have left him a few times now for half an hour, he, again, barks but hadn't chewed anything or pood or weed anywhere so will keep doing that so he can get used to it.

Trying to be positive and think about things that are going well. He's much better at walking now. I just had him off lead in the park and did loads of recall. He was great but back home in our garden he just stares. I know he gets it but chooses to ignore!

Any suggestions for the evening crazies? It's like a hyperactive overtired child. Feel like I've tried everything.

@cheeseisthebest

Any suggestions for the evening crazies? It's like a hyperactive overtired child. Feel like I've tried everything.

I agree that the witching hour for puppies is exactly like having a hyperactive overtired child! We usually give our pup a frozen Kong after his dinner. That both distracts and relaxes him, and then the rest of the evening he is generally content to chew his toys and snooze (touch wood things stay that way!). But he is very food motivated. I can imagine that wouldn't be a very effective strategy for pups who don't care much about treats.

What is your pup's typical schedule for the rest of the day @cheeseisthebest? Maybe it would be possible to tweak the timing of walks or naps or training so that he doesn't reach the point of being too tired?

He naps from 6 to 8 sometimes. I'm wondering this evening about actually trying to keep him awake?

Where has my puppy gone?

Turned into the most gorgeous dog @tizwozliz, a total stunner!! I feel the same about mine though!

@cheeseisthebest we often go for a chew or Kong or lickimat in the evening. Often the lickimat if he's overtired as it's like hitting a reset button. I swear they're magic. Going to buy another and try freezing them. Once he's had that he will settle better on the sofa with something to gnaw and nod off.

Looking very grown up now 😭

@tizwozliz and @GuyFawkesDay they are so handsome both of them. So shiny and healthy-looking! @tizwozliz your doggo looks very muscly .. working dog or show? I've got one with one show and one working parent and the muscles! Argh!

I've tried kong, lickimat. He does it for a bit then comes back over equally manic!
I've just played fetch with him for about half an hour now he's got a kong but oh he's bored of it now been about a minute!

@Goawayangryman - she's from working lines. She's not actually that big (that photo makes her look bigger and older than real life imo) but she is solid. It wasn't until we met some other little labs that I realised how much. Despite looking a similar size, when they jumped up they were like feathers in comparison.

We chose to get a puppy from that litter because I liked how shiny her mum and dad were in the photos :-) (all health tests checked out too of course!)

Well @tizwozliz she is really beautiful. I've been taken aback by how muscly retrievers are, of any ilk. Thought they were soft puddings but the working ones are bloody strong!

On the witching hour thing.. yes. No solutions other than expensive and ever rotating dried animal parts.

I'm seeing a dog behaviourist tomorrow I'm so desperate! He has just fallen into an exhausted heap. Here is his routine on a weekday -
7am up when we all get up, out for wee and poo.
8.30 school run, he usually stays home and barks the whole time.
9 till 12 cuddles up to me while I work and sleeps. Might play a bit. Has brunch. Late breakfast which I top up but he sometimes doesn't eat till 1 or 2.
12 to 1 go out for a decent walk. Today I practised loads of recall with him too and let him run round off lead.
1 to 3 ish. Naps, plays, has a chew. Maybe bit of training.
4 to 4.30 comes to school pick up, plays with kids. The whole school seem to know him! Might see some other dogs. Goes nuts at female dogs.
4.30 to 6. Has dinner. I played fetch in the house with him for about half an hour.
6 to 8 ish. Dozes. I do sometimes talk him for a second walk.
8 to 10ish. He's nuts. Barks, nips, etc. Nothing distracts him at all. Tried kong, lickimat, puzzle feeder, etc etc.
10 to 11 ish. Eventually crashes after a final wee then sleeps all night.

So, any thoughts?

A piece of dead is always a happy thing in this house. I just avoid beef now as it gives him the rancid bottom burps.

We switched FawkesPup to chicken free food and avoided all beef based things et voila one happy tummy and poop as it should be. Will try a bit of chicken and see what it does. Same with beef. The lad may love his dried tripe bones bit they are never coming in this house again 🤢🤢🤢

Take not. I do think he maybe doesn't get enough quality sleep. He's constantly alert. Right now I've just had my dinner and he's asleep on the floor by me but if I move he will be up. He's possibly quite anxious and watchful or is that just normal?
He doesn't sleep in a bed or crate, he prefers the floor??

Best non smelly chews ? He's bored of yak, and lambs braids. He still likes his ostrich bone.

He often sleeps with his eyes open?

Here’s Billy unleashing his inner Christmas 😂. Billy is really tall and lanky, his legs are really long! He’s taller than most labs we meet nowadays but much slighter. He was amazing on our walk again today, we seem to have cracked only going up to other dogs when he’s told he can 🤞🤞🤞.

@cheeseisthebest ours likes a good morning walk or two. Routine is this:

6:30 up for wee etc. Chills and wags at me whilst I try to get ready for work. Steals shoes
7am walk for 20 minutes. Empty onto pavement.
7:25 breakfast.
8:25 walk to school. If lucky get long walk to cafe for treats
Sleep rest of morning.
Lunch at 1am. Annoy DH by being bitey. DH plays games and does trick training in between work bits.
Stays home with a Kong whilst DH does pickup from school
4pm ish longer walk with me, usually off lead over field with ball chucker. Be bitey twat until
6pm dinner.
After that lots of mooching, cuddles and chewing on stuff. If he's a knobhead I take him round the block about 7pm quickly. That normally settles things.
8/9pm conk out of sofa
10:30pm wee, biscuit and bed

@cheeseisthebest mine has taken to the veggie chews recently. They're fab and non stinky! Rabbits ears are also great for this.

I do try 2 walks but he's only little so worry about overwalking him.
What are the veggie chews, where can I get them?
Husband won't let rabbit ears or anything stinky in the house!

@tizwozliz That bed looks so comfy! Can I ask where it's from / the brand?

It's a bedsure dog sofa bed which came from Amazon. We bought something relatively cheap as we got it when she was little and wasn't sure if she was going to destroy beds. They seem to go up and down a lot in price, we paid 35 for a large back in the summer.

Mind, she more typically uses it like this

@cheeseisthebest my only suggestions really are enforced naps between school pickup and witching hour.

Your dog sounds really similar to mine in temperament except mine can be bought off with some dried hairy bits.

Mine is so mischievous. She has just filched a bag of sprats and sprinkled them over my best rug the little shit...

Awful day here. I had been feeling so proud of the pup and pleased that he was doing well in so many ways. Pride goeth before a fall, etc.

He was a horror today, barking and nipping. I made certain he had a good nap this morning. Then I took him for a walk on the lead and he was brilliant, so I felt O.K. about that. But when we got home he continued to be wound up and overexcited. I guess he was just too excited because he weed on the carpet in the living room while playing with DH. He has been so reliable in terms of being housetrained that this was a shock. I know it was due to excitement but arrgh! Really hoping it was a one off.