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 🤬😡😭.

I also tried to pick her up at one point to get past the escalators. No. She is a right hefter and I've got something wrong with my chest wall. A kind lady made a fuss of her so I could distract her past her nemesis. It reminds me so much of children and their toddler fears.

Hi. Can I join? I have a 4 month old working cocker. I've previously had this breed but my god she is on speed. Everything has had to be moved out of reach, otherwise it's grabbed and then paraded around like a great treasure. She can jump and climb like no dog I've seen before. She's doing well with house training but has me up 3-5 times each night. Each time she goes to the toilet. I'm exhausted. Family are fed up. I literally feel like giving up and contacting the breeder.

Oh my, WCS can be full on. Really full on. I have a cocker but he's 50:50 so not quite the same.

Get the gundog trainer on the phone and get that dog busy/working is all I can think of

Does anyone have any suggestions for controlling a puppy who’s on the lead but still lunges and barks at other dogs (including a very tiny Jack Russell puppy that they met on their walk this evening).

Asking for a very mortified friend.

@onemoredayplease sounds tough! I also have a pup from a working breed (border collie). The puppyhood is frantic (so much energy and desire to be doing something, so the jaws are always going wben they're awake) but they will be the best dogs once old enough to go on proper walks, perhaps do agility training and so on. No real advice, just sympathy. Mine finds the weekends a bit of a sensory overload, as DH and DC are here and the excitement doesn't let her sleep enough.

@sirchenjins ugh, this is definitely going to be my dog, too. Can you make her sit and lie down, and stay till the other dog has moved away? Lunging is supposedly rooted in fear, so giving the pup simple commands to obey and be rewarded for may help him calm down?

Abitbesotted - mines a springer so full of energy too, it’s so hard to keep them entertained! Can’t wait to be able to take him out just to tire him out a bit! I’ve also been recommended a local puppy daycare - it’s just for puppies between 12 and 24 weeks once fully vaccinated. I don’t need to send him as I’m off work for a couple of months but I’m wondering if it’s be good for him!!

No, sadly not @ABitBesottedWithMyDog - he’s so excited to see the other dog that he completely ignores all commands/treats. He doesn’t seem at all fearful or nervous, just desperately keen to play - his tail is up and wagging furiously, etc, all the signs we see at home when he’s having fun eg we’re throwing a ball for him or it’s dinner time. I’ve tried to keep walking on a loose line, I’ve tried distracting, I’ve tried his favourite treats, I’ve tried letting him sit if wants - but no, he wants to say hello and play. I don’t want to be ‘that’ owner with the off lead dog who laughs at their dog’s antics and says ‘oh they’re just being friendly’ so he’s kept on the lead - but I need to get it sorted while he’s still young.

@Goawayangryman mine has suddenly developed a fear of escalators too. I went somewhere the other day and the lift was out of order and the escalators were also not working but there was no other way up out of car park so I had to pick her up and walk up this huge escalator (really high like at tube stations!) she may only be 12kg but when she's wriggling and I was also carrying a bag and trying to hold 4yo dd hand it was not a fun experience! To avoid the reverse of situation I had to do a massive detour round main road and roundabout to get into the car entrance to carpark but this felt safer than trying to carry dog down steep escalators and hold dd!

@SirChenjins it's somehow tougher if their exuberance is due to friendliness, isn't it? Perhaps a clicker to get his attention in those situations? My pup seems to tend the other way (slavering hatred of toy breeds unfortunately) but at least you can reprimand them for aggression.

@Autumn101 Springers are gorgeous and surely have the best ears of any breed (gavel)

@SirChenjins - does your pup get much chance to play with other dogs? Things improved with our pup once she had regular opportunities to play. She started going out with a dog walker once a week with another lab at 6 months and she's much better at ignoring other dogs when out now (could partly be age too). I think it's hard to teach there's a time for ignoring and a time for playing if you never have the opportunity to do both.

He doesn’t play regularly with other dogs, no - but that’s not unusual surely? He’s walked twice a day (and meets lots of dogs - we live in a semi rural location that’s very popular with dog owners), has been going to puppy training once a week for the last five weeks and has regular interaction with our next door neighbour’s dog so he isn’t isolated.
I’ve emailed the trainer who runs the puppy training class to see if she can come and do a one to one session/s, or if she’s running another class he might benefit from. If I was going to use a dog walker I’d need to know they could help with his behaviour rather than him continue thinking he could play with every dog he sees because that’s what he does when he goes out with his walker, iykwim?

Ada doesn't get to play with every dog she sees with the dog walker, just the dog she goes on a walk with. But having the opportunity to play sometimes (she had very little off lead play previously as didn't meet many suitable dogs) means she wasn't desperate to play every time she saw another dog. We can now walk past other dogs, or at least stay calm and sitting as they walk past most of the time.

How did the dog walker get her to understand she couldn’t play with every dog she saw, just the one she goes on a walk with?

Another frosty morning here. Daughter got up 5 times with her in the night. Toileted each time, partner just came in to say three poos on the carpet when he got up. Daughter had fallen asleep with pup on her lap so didn't see toileting signal's. I've walked into the room, been greeted nicely then jumped up got her teeth in the COLLAR of my dressing gown and has caused a lovely rip. She can literally go from floor to collar! Daughter's just taken her out. It's going to be a long quiet day with no one speaking to me 🙄

Oh no Sorry to hear that @onemoredayplease. I promise it does get better - a bit! I remember DH and I had almighty argument at one point in the early puppy days - an absolute humdinger. The lack of sleep, puppy poos and wees everywhere, not being able to leave his side for more than 30 seconds really got to us both. There were quite a few frosty days here too. Gradually it has improved, although it’s still pretty chaotic.

Thanks. It's tough going. I'm back to work tomorrow. I work at home. Not quite sure how that is going to work!

Oh gawd I remember those early days of ripped clothing and teeth everywhere they shouldn't be. Yeuch. It does get easier, as does the sleeplessness. But it is quite gruelling whilst it goes on.

We also have the over friendliness issue. And I don't want to be one of those owners either.

Our trainer is very positive reinforcement but is clear that doggo needs to be paying attention to owner. If they want to run and play with every dog then it's back on lead when dogs approach and sit/wait. If you really cannot get their attention (which happens with mine sometimes) then I will physically block her view of the other dog and put her on a very very short lead. The main message from my trainer was keep walking, don't stop, so the dog (if on lead) has no option but to follow you. For some dogs the social drive is so strong that nothing you can offer (effusiveness, food, praise, a toy, a favourite toy AND a treat etc....) will work to distract and refocus. Personally I think this is quite a challenging behaviour to train out but then I am a total amateur! People worry about their dogs not being social enough or lunging at others. The opposite can be equally trying in my limited experience!

@onemoredayplease hang in there. The darkest hour is before dawn, as they say. Puppies are maniacs

My trainer also used corrections on my dog last time we were out. Little tugs on collar followed by a command she knew to obey i.e. heel. Personally I'm wasn't sure about this. It feels aversive, and not what I expected from her but I'll tell you what, it has worked. And fast. The dog has a lot more respect for my cues again. Coupled with lots of general positive training and not letting her have anything without working for it/ responding to some sort of cue. I.e. all food gets a "leave it..... Ok free". I still don't trust her not to harass on-lead dogs though, so she goes back on when an on lead dog is coming.

For some dogs the social drive is so strong that nothing you can offer (effusiveness, food, praise, a toy, a favourite toy AND a treat etc....)

This is exactly it! He’s absolutely obsessed with the other dog - he’ll eat the food or drop the door or get stepping around me just to see the other dog. Then of course you have the other dog owner saying ‘oh it’s ok, mine is friendly, just let him say hello’ as their dog comes up to him and off he goes again…I’ve got no idea how to deal with this.

@onemoredayplease been a difficult morning here too so you’re definitely not alone. I’ve already had a half hour cry and then a rant on the phone to a trusted friend about how exhausted/sleep deprived I am and how I could happily give him back just now. I also WFH and I’ll warn you now so you’re not walking in blind… it’s really not easy with a puppy around.

@SirChenjins been doing those training exercises just now and they have worked! Blahpup currently lying in his bed quietly looking at me while I’m sat on the stairs. I can’t believe it! Next job is to try it but leave his eyesight. Then after that I might even get to stand in the garden!! Oh the excitement of the thought of 5 mins in the garden alone!!!!!!!! 😂

• drop the toy and side step

[quote Blahblahblah40]@SirChenjins been doing those training exercises just now and they have worked! Blahpup currently lying in his bed quietly looking at me while I’m sat on the stairs. I can’t believe it! Next job is to try it but leave his eyesight. Then after that I might even get to stand in the garden!! Oh the excitement of the thought of 5 mins in the garden alone!!!!!!!! 😂[/quote]
Oh that’s brilliant news, you must be so happy!! Well done Blahpup! ⭐️ (And you!! 😊)

How did the dog walker get her to understand she couldn’t play with every dog she saw, just the one she goes on a walk with?

In our case, because she has dogs to play with on the walk, she wasn't interested in other dogs. Then once she had that experience, she didn't go absolutely loopy when she saw other dogs, so we were able to get her to calmly sit at distance whilst other dogs passed and progress from there. Previously she was so excited you couldn't do anything much training wise other than hang on!