Puppy survival thread. Nov. Read this and buy a hamster instead

[WomblingKnobhead]

Or a rabbit, or a goldfish, or a cuddly toy.

No, well this session is just a trial as they have more dogs on the waiting list than spaces and they’ll pick the ones they see potential in I guess. I’m not sure what time the actual classes are. It’s a shame as he certainly has a natural aptitude and the information says they don’t need to have done agility before they just need a basic level of obedience and natural ability. He has the natural ability, but he’s been so up and down since Christmas that I don’t know if I can’t even claim a basic level of obedience at the moment 🙄. He could be perfect or he could be an absolute knobhead!

That sounds very familiar 😩🙄😂

Argh after massively improved off lead behaviour, consistent recall away from other dogs...pup disgraced herself twice this morning! Firstly she was walking beside me offlead all fine, another friendly offlead dog approached and all fine they sniffed each other...then the dog stopped it's ball and mine thought it was an invitation so stole it and ran off with it thinking it was a great game of chase except the other dog didn't want to chase grrrr! Eventually got the ball back off her after what felt like forever but in reality was probably only a few minutes. Then as I was giving the ball back two offlead spaniels rushed over and of course mine saw likeminded dogs and off the three ran into the bushes! The man couldn't get his back either as they were all having so much fun in the undergrowth. Mine came back like what's the fuss I was having fun and looked sad when I put her back on lead and marched her home! Grrr teenage dogs!

Dropped its ball not stopped lol

That sounds like only a minor misdemeanor rather than full on disgrace @Aria20

I was secretly pleased yesterday when we'd successfully diverted to avoid someone, then his 10 month old lab decided to come and say hello so Ada had a great little play :-)

@tizwozliz it could have been worse but she'd been doing so well again and I'd hoped we might be coming out of the other side of the teen phase...I guess wishful thinking lol!

Aww @Aria20 it sounds like the other dogs were equal accomplices!

@tizwozliz I’m also really pleased when other dogs misbehave and come up to us for a play 😂.

I cancelled Billy’s trial and typically, he was an angel on his walk today and even got a compliment from another dog walker! I still think it’s the right thing to do though, he’s much rather be tucked up in bed at 9pm than just getting started!

Bought a cheap puppy cam from Amazon. When pup woke at her usual 5am, I spoke to her softly through the cam telling her to lie back down and she did! Didn’t hear another peep from her til 7:45am.

I still woke multiple times through the night in a panic though. I keep thinking I can hear her, or worry that she’s out of her crate!

What shame about the trial, @LadyCatStark. Can you reschedule? I would like to do agility with my puppy when he is old enough. I think he’d really like it.

@certainshepherdpups we are going to remain on the waiting list and hope that someone drops out when he is older. Apparently, some people have been on the list for 3 years as they haven’t been taking on due to covid though 😯.

I hope it works out for you and Billy @LadyCatStark.

Here’s something I’ve observed that I thought I would share with all of you. My pup seems to be displaying anti-intellectual tendencies. Whenever I attempt to read a book he invariably wants my attention and tries to get me to play with him. On the other hand, if I’m cleaning the kitchen or folding laundry he sits and watches (supervises) with obvious approval. He clearly thinks that housework is superior to reading!

@certainshepherdpups he clearly doesn't want an intellectual bossing him around...just wants a domestic slave! Possibly you moving around sweeping or whatever he sees you are busy/productive but if you are sat down he thinks you are doing nothing and you should therefore be playing with or stroking him haha!

Today DH was using my desk to work at so our usual routine of pup sleeping under my desk was disrupted, she slept there while he worked for a bit then came to find me, I was working but sitting on sofa and she didn't clearly didn't think I was working as she kept trying to engage me to play and when it wasn't working nudging or licking my hand and giving me puppy eyes!

FawkesPup on his own with DH for first time since Xmas. He's been a pain in the arse apparently. Walked beautifully for me though 🙈

He's taken to the "pull like a freight train" approach on his harness so I am using a slip lead whilst we negotiate the teen stage. There's me thinking we might have bypassed the pulling spaniel thing. Nope!

AwesomePup pulls on the harness too. We're walking him just on his collar at the minute, which is a bit better but not perfect. It's a work in progress. I'll take recall over loose lead walking tbh.

Argh back on long line today as went somewhere different which was busy and isn't very secure and it was a nightmare! She pulled terribly as she obv wanted to get offlead and explore but it was very woody and also fields with horses and I had dd with me so couldn't take the risk. It was so muddy and dd whinged most of the walk, the dog pulled so it was not an enjoyable walk...won't go there with the dog and dd on my own again lol!

@GuyFawkesDay does your harness have a chest and back ring? We use both rings with a double ended lead so normally she can't pull much as it just turns her to me but today with the long line.... jeez she's getting strong especially pulling me along slippery muddy hills...I was almost going to just let go of the lead so she didn't pull me and dd over but I managed to get her to stop pulling going down the hill!

We also have the pulling. it's so wearing. On the trainer's advice we are not using the harness as she is like an ox and just braces herself against it to enable her to pull more....but I agree it is very unpleasant. She's only 6 months old and has pulled my teen daughter over twice.
Spirited, she is, and getting on my wick today!

We have the sudden stopping and refusing to move, or pulling and running against the lead if he gets a whiff of a female!

@cheeseisthebest I feel your pain. Mine is just so ... willful and distractible. Gets a sniff of something amazing and will absolutely ignore any restraint, anything really until she is done investigating. I've taken to very old-fashioned fake-deep-voice "nnoooooo!". At that point my commitment to positive reinforcement goes out the window slightly but that's OK (I reckon) given that it doesn't work as an exclusive strategy with children either....

Not been in here for a while.
Newboy is now 6 months and utterly delectable.

How I ever survived without a dog I don't know, feel like we've had him for years !

Newboy's Highs
*became completely housetrained at just under 5 months. Good I don't miss clearing up the kitchen floor poos in the morning 😂
*is incredibly sociable, friendly and gentle with all dogs and humans. Think the choice of a Lab was spot on for us as new dog owners.
*recall is improving all the time

Newboy's Lows
*pulling on the lead is definitely a work in progress! Good days, bad days.

I've learnt to relax a bit more about him and not obsess about things that I know will eventually come.
He's still a puppy and everything is a learning curve.

@BaconAndAvocado ooh look at him! He's lovely.

Yep, agree about not knowing how you lived without a dog beforehand. I'll always have one now till I'm too infirm to walk him or her.

Mine has been quite challenging in unexpected ways but she is overall a good little pup and we very much luffs her.

@BaconAndAvocado he is gorgeous! I do sometimes wish we had chosen a lab as we are first time owners too but I just felt they were too big! I love how sociable they are.

Lead walking for us is ok at the moment (16 weeks). Trainer told us to walk backwards if he pulled until he was following us, then to go sideways to him until in position, then click and treat and walk normally - this has really helped him, for now - I know we will have to start all over again when he hits adolescence

She'd had an argument with a muddy ditch, needed cleansing, and really did not appreciate it much.

Lead walking is weird as today he's been perfect. And recall and retrieve beautiful too. I swear they're mercurial just to mess with our heads! FawkesPup is generally a very good boy, and I've taken to standing stock still when he pulls and have utilised my teacher voice and say "exCUSE ME!" which is often enough to refocus him a bit.

@BaconAndAvocado gorgeous pup!! Looks a total smasher xx

@Aria20 I am reluctant to keep upping the ante on walking. I'm back on lead and collar or just slip lead as much as possible to reinforce the lead walking and tbh he's great 90% of the time and then nuts the rest.

I've just joined a spaniel specialist advice/training group to help me. Although we have lots of spanners in the family we had terriers as a child and they're a very different proposition!!