Puppy Survival Thread: surviving into 2022

[LadyCatStark]

The other thread is full and I can’t see a new one! Hope it’s OK to start one. I’m actually barely surviving puppyhood, actually teenagerhood, this week 🤬😡😭.

Nice to see a new thread.

Sorry to hear that things are challenging at the moment @LadyCatStark. Anything in particular or just general teenage shenanigans?

Our pup is having an evaluation session at a day care. He is usually such a friendly and happy fellow but he was very uncertain about the day care when we first arrived. Counting the minutes until I can pick him up.

Hello all! Here is the Hound of the Twatskervilles FawkesPup looking very sad and pathetic as he wants to go for more walks and is confined to a very short 5 minutes up the road and back sniffathon.

He's barked at the workmen doing next doors drive all day and driven DH half mad.

Dear god, please let him not have this IOHC condition as the thought of having him on restricted exercise for months is making me turn pale just thinking about it.

DD told me last night he'd slipped on the algae covered garden steps....the day before the limp started. He seems better today, so am hoping hoping hoping it's nothing serious.

Tell us more @LadyCatStark. I hear you about teenage pup twattery. Ours has randomly started getting bitey when excited. However, we have discovered that DS and I in our new year stop nail biting resolution have the key as he HATES the nail biting stuff we paint on our nails.

Wonder if I can buy it in an industrial quantity and just paint it all over??

@GuyFawkesDay I hope it's just that for him and not the other condition. That's very funny about the nail biting stuff...I bite my nails and tried it years ago but in the end the taste of it didn't bother me so it didn't work lol.
@LadyCatStark what is Billy up to?
Mine has just had a loud barkathon as I cooked sausages and the smell was just too enticing!

@certainshepherdpups well where do I start…

He’s been getting up at 5:30 since Sunday (used to get up at 9:30 of left to his own devices).
We ran into the bitch that’s on heat again (we’ll they ran into us as they came up behind us when I was looking for his ball) and he ran off to her. The couple are remarkably relaxed considering their dog could get pregnant. They went off into another field so we went into the park and a man came up to me to say his dog is an American bulldog rescue and is aggressive. I knew he’d run off to him to of course I put him on his lead and turned to go back only for the bloody on heat couple to appear through the gate to the park. Billy wouldn’t walk on his lead as he wanted to run off to the bitch on heat so I just literally had to stand there, unable to go in either direction. By the time I got him moving the couple were heading back on our route home and the aggressive dog was heading out of the other entrance so again, I just had to stand there while they went. Then I had to keep Billy on his lead all the way home and he pulled so much that he pulled my back and my arm and I ended up crying. To be fair, it’s not all his fault as the couple never should have come into the field knowing we were there and they knew we went into the park so they should and could easily have avoided it.

He is still refusing to go home unless he’s been to the pet shop, which was cute for about a day but now it’s annoying when I’m trying to WFH and homeschool DS this week as he has Covid as we’d already wasted enough time standing around.

Then on my afternoon Teams meeting he was a pain and stole DH’s hat and ran around and around the house with it (with DS chasing which of course made it worse).

Then on his second walk he was walking beautifully when another dog came into the field so I put him straight onto his lead and walked him into he next field but he ran off to another entrance and then half way across the first field to the other dog with me chasing him 🤬. Finally, he ran out of the field into the pub car park and off down the pavement to home. He must have known how cross with him I was as at least he walked nicely home 😂. A long line has now been ordered which will completely ruin our walks.

I’ve worked so, so hard from day one on recall and loose lead walking and it’s all for nothing. He makes me look so incompetent when I’m trying my absolute best and he doesn’t give a shit.

They're all growing up so fast! Suspect I may have to upgrade Ada's flea and worming plan this week. I thought she might remain under 25kg the first year as we're not expecting her final adult weight to be much above that but doesn't look likely to be the case now.

We've not really seen any decline in behaviour as a teenager, but think that's because we never had the well behaved older puppy phase! Of course, could all be still to come.

She's definitely much better at recalling away from dogs now she's having a regular walk with other dogs with the dog walker once a week. Still wants to lick everyone's face though!

It was funny in pets at home yesterday as there was a lady with blue hair and Ada's dog walker also has blue hair and she was so excited to see this woman!

@GuyFawkesDay sounds like the slipping could have caused the limp 🤞.

Oh and here’s the obligatory new thread photo of the little knobhead looking like butter wouldn’t melt 🙄.

I found you all! AutumnPup has taken a massive step back in his toileting habits and yesterday pooped in his toy box, on a pillow, the sofa and oh helpfully smeared ALL his toys with the poop.

We are going back to basics and he is back in his crate today and I am taking him out every hour. He still managed to leave me smelly gifts while i was in work meetings.

Here is a photo of him caught in the smelly act.

Such a cute Knobhead though!!

FawkesPup is really bitey again, is this a teenage thing? He's just started it to get attention so we are grabbing him and putting him on his crate but I am not sure if that's working or helping. He's not biting hard, it's back to clothes grabbing, nipping like he's 10 weeks old but he's a strapping great lad now and frankly it hurts and it's pissing me off. Never mind the fact he ends up running round the house too and shouldn't be.

I took him for 5 minutes sniff earlier. He's was very calm and just inhaled the smells.

I think they have to lull us with puppy cuteness so when they become ignorant land sharks we forgive them

@LadyCatStark Tomorrow will be better - your hard work isn’t for nothing

Douglas is 8 months now and he just screams at every dog we meet on our walks, I can't tell if it's fear or wanting to play, but it's high pitched barking and if we ever do get close enough to say hello he hides behind my legs. Any ideas on better socialisation?

@juneybean don’t. Distract… a let’s go and briskly walk on sounds like he’s nervous. Much easier to have a dog that ignores others than one that wants to great every dog he sees

See if there is a local who can help get them used to nice dogs. We have a local gun dog trainer who helps nervous dogs
His dogs sit completely still whilst the other dog can safely sniff and explore and build confidence,
Might be similar near you?

Found you! Mac pup is 7 and a half months. Definitely a teenage arsehole.
@LadyCatStark our recall is also out of the window and he’s on a long line. It’s a real faff but I’m hoping a few months of it and going back to basics will extinguish his thoughts of ignoring me.

@GuyFawkesDay we’ve seen an increase in mouthing again. Not nipping but he never did as a pup either. He is however, jumping up at us and everyone else like a knobhead 🤦🏼‍♀️ He also scoffed hummus off DDs plate this evening 🙈

Wine for everyone! 🍷🍷🍷

Pic is of him asleep by my desk. Just cute enough to get away with teenage arseholeness!

Ahhhh cute pups. Mine is 11 months today...not a pup for much longer! Her recall is improving again so don't be too disheartened @LadyCatStark @TheBigMacDougal she does come back every time I call her but doesn't always stay long enough for me to reattach lead, so doing lots of practice of calling her back getting her to sit and wait or do "middle" and then letting her go again.
It was really muddy and swampy today but the plus of that was it obviously put most people off their walks as we only saw one other dog at a distance! Don't get me wrong I like it when we meet a friendly dog who wants to play but it's just pot luck! A pic of her in her new jacket with the aim of keeping her underbelly dry lol legs, tail and head still soaked and muddy though!

@Aria20 that’s reassuring to hear. Did you find she also went further away from you when her recall was off? We have a ranger. Think he reckons he’s a pointer not a spaniel 🤦🏼‍♀️

Ada goes further than I'd prefer, especially in the woods where she doesn't actually have to go that far to lose sight of her in the undergrowth. So far she always comes back when recalled so I'm not sure whether it's really a problem? She's always very aware of where I am, and often appears up the path looking back at me whilst I'm peering off the side of the trail

@tizwozliz

They're all growing up so fast! Suspect I may have to upgrade Ada's flea and worming plan this week. I thought she might remain under 25kg the first year as we're not expecting her final adult weight to be much above that but doesn't look likely to be the case now.

We've not really seen any decline in behaviour as a teenager, but think that's because we never had the well behaved older puppy phase! Of course, could all be still to come.

She's definitely much better at recalling away from dogs now she's having a regular walk with other dogs with the dog walker once a week. Still wants to lick everyone's face though!

It was funny in pets at home yesterday as there was a lady with blue hair and Ada's dog walker also has blue hair and she was so excited to see this woman!

Is yours a lab?

Yay, the thread is back! Sorry to hear about those who have poorly or misbehaving pups.

We had our first puppy training class on Monday that went well, although pup was quite nervous to begin with, especially as a lot of the other dogs were barking… They gave us a clicker which I was a bit hmm about but he’s picked up loose lead walking (only away from the house mind) with is very quickly and it’s good to have a marker for him. I’d like to introduce a command though so anyone without a clicker can still walk him nicelygrin

He’s had a brilliant day today finding and bringing us things as we’ve both been working (from home). Keep having to remind myself that I would much rather have a dog that brings me things than runs away with them 🙄.

Photo of said finds 🙄

@notyouagainn - yes, 8 months old yesterday

We often have people asking if she is a mix, I think a lot of people aren't used to seeing working labs and expect them to be much stockier.

Only just found this ours is11month so won't be eligible for long. We got him inmarch had a couple of month of poor sleep,chewing and mouthing. Then he hit 5m and the fun began! He started ignoring all training previously done and turned into the dog fro hell. We have done so much training , researched food, we do mental training, we hired a behaviourist . Basically I've been ruled by my pup . Touch wood I feel like maybe it's getting easier. It gives me hope.

Faulty when it comes to food though considering she's a lab :-)

[quote tizwozliz]@notyouagainn - yes, 8 months old yesterday

We often have people asking if she is a mix, I think a lot of people aren't used to seeing working labs and expect them to be much stockier.[/quote]
I ask because mine looks similar he's 11m and 45kg🙈 we get told he has a look of German shepherd about him. He's either big for a lab or we got duped.😂

@TheBigMacDougal yes she goes further away still now as she loves to explore... if I change direction or hide she comes running looking for me. I'm not sure whether it's normal/ok for her to run so far away or how to get her to stay closer?! She will walk beside me off lead if I'm holding a ball or treat but not otherwise and if she's doing that she's totally fixated on me and not enjoying sniffing etc whereas when she's runs ahead she's having a good explore and sniff!

@tizwozliz this is my boy 🥰