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 🤬😡😭.

Yup! It works for counter surfing but I am just replacing stolen food with ok food, so I can't see how it's a benefit?!!?

Re jumping up the idea is that the floor is more valuable/rewarding for the dog than jumping up. So you are not replacing stolen food with ok food just saying to the dog you are more likely to get food if all your four feet are on the ground than jumping up.

Re jumping up at people. Best to train a solid sit with distractions - easy distractions to start with so maybe you just waving your hands around, or a big one for many puppies is you saying "Hello" as if you were greeting someone. Once your puppy can stay sitting with this level of distraction you can try out on other people. However the minute the dogs bottom comes off the floor walk away from the people and repeat and repeat until they are 18months old

Yep, he's got all the commands but zero self control and can't contain himself (can you tell he's a spaniel?!) So working on wait and sit and all those longer ones is going to be vital.

To be fair to him, I told him down once he jumped up tonight and as he sat nicely I just kept repeating yes, good boy and dropping a little kibble to him. It's getting the consistency when I am not home that's hard 🙄

You all need to tell me I'm being ridiculous.
We've been messing about and giving the dog options, show one hand and say play, show other hand and say hug and he picks one. Or toilet or bed. Things like that.
Every single time he picks the one that he really does want. Earlier it was play every time, then cuddle and he came to me for cuddles and belly rub. He's also picked toilet then had a wee, just now sleepily licked the hand that was for bed.
It's just coincidence surely??????

You will all think I'm nuts now!!

Haha brilliant @cheeseisthebest

Can I join? 12 week old whippet, I have a D/D who's fine with him but my DS(5), winds him up and just will not listen, I am separated and when DC are not with me the dog does really well but when DS is here it's chaos. If am on my week pre-period a can have a proper meltdown. Please tell me it will get better

It will get better and he is very cute!
My 10 year old can still be too rough with our pup but is learning!

Thank you, I hope as the dog grows everyone will calm down a bit

I was on this thread this time last year and reading your posts brings back haunting memories!

Georgiepup is now 15 months old and a complete and utter joy. I actually get really emotional thinking about how lucky we are to have the best dog in the world. Things are so different a year on, I suffered with huge puppy blues and regretted it often. I was anxious and not sleeping and stressed and poor! He has some health issues but that's such a small part of him, it's used to be all consuming.

I hope you start to see light at the end of the tunnel. It does get sooooo much better.

@GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat

I was on this thread this time last year and reading your posts brings back haunting memories!

Georgiepup is now 15 months old and a complete and utter joy. I actually get really emotional thinking about how lucky we are to have the best dog in the world. Things are so different a year on, I suffered with huge puppy blues and regretted it often. I was anxious and not sleeping and stressed and poor! He has some health issues but that's such a small part of him, it's used to be all consuming.

I hope you start to see light at the end of the tunnel. It does get sooooo much better.

Aww that's very reassuring. I am worried that our dog will not be "the best in the world" because of the unruly DS that winds him up and ends up barking, biting, etc. DS has actually got naughtier since we have the dog which I did not expect!

I'm a childminder so he does put up with a lot but really early on I taught him recall in the house. Kept yummy treats on me and called him away when he was being a pain. I was also super form with the children and how they were allowed to interact with him. No touching his toys (so he didn't jump to get them), no touching when he was sleeping, leave him alone when he's eating. We gave our youngest DD (11) the job of teaching him new commands, it keeps them both focused and less likely to end in trouble. Good luck!

Found you all! Sorry to hear about your pup @GuyFawkesDay hope you get good news from the vet.
Question for you wise older puppy owners: when do you know you can let you pup off the long lead? Stretchpup is pretty good, we practice a lot with recall on the long lead - he is now 4 months and comes back 95% of the time.

I am bit scarred from my last dog, frenchie, rocks for brains, never ever ever would recall for any treat, just buggered off with plastic bottles and refused to be caught.

Stretchpup loves everyone, is a little bit jumpy with new people (trying to train that out at the moment) - we are starting puppy school first week of feb so I can wait till then but so so so sick of the muddy long lead wrapping round me.

I have friends who have pups a little bit older have let theirs off but their recall is about 60% and I don’t think my nerves could cope - Any advice?

At that age I think you could probably safely let him off the lead sometimes if his recall is 95% @Stretchandsnap. He's still young enough that he will probably want to stay close to you. However, in 2 or 3 months you may end up putting him back on the long line when adolescence and selective listening kick in!

I think whatever age you first let them off the lead is going to be nerve wracking, but I know a lot of the advice is it's easier to do it when they're younger and more likely to stay close to you. We let our pup off lead in certain places from when she was first able to go out.

I haven’t been on here in ages but loving the teenager talk. Morningpup has taken on his teens like it’s a mission: recall gone; barking all the time and scavenging everything! I can’t decide which out of the three is worse?! Labs are also big dogs with long teenager phases!

We have also moved to the south west from east of England so everything is new and over exciting. He loves the sea now but keeps eating rubbish off of it and seaweed! (Not good for dogs)

I actually miss puppy pup stage! But what I would say for the times I want to cry I still love him.

Also even though it disappears I would agree with the rest and start off lead as soon as he can go out in a quiet field. Even before then practise in your garden.

We met Ada's brother at our gundog class today. Definitely a family resemblance and they sound like very similar personalities.

@GuyFawkesDay I'm so pleased your pup is ok and it doesn't look to be the IOHC thing. Brilliant.
@Kione I am pretty much in your exact situation but with a slightly older puppy if a different breed. My kids are a little bit older but having the house sometimes busy and exciting, and sometimes not, adds a whole new dimension to raising a dog. And raising the kids..I have no advice but you aren't alone.
@LadyCatStark I also feel your pain. It really does sound like you did nothing wrong and silly people letting a bitch in season off in an area with other loose dogs. What were they thinking??

Mine is being an absolute teenage arsehole and for the first time since collecting her I've had WTF have we done type moments.

Been working really hard on recall. Great success, will largely leave other dogs alone on command now. Was less interested in every single passer by.

Cue 2 weeks ago and me coming down with a flu bug, teenage twattery of the highest order. Every single place around here has horses on bridlepaths. Dog is all cocky and chases after their back legs and ignores recall. Today she did this and when I tried to recall her she bolted toward a fun-looking toddler to give them some non-invited licks.

She is a nightmare on lead-only walks... Dad is a working dog. But lead only it is for now. I was so lucky that she didn't cause a serious issue and mindful that she could have caused real damage. I cried. People must have thought I was totally deranged.

Mine actively makes a beeline for any human, especially small ones. He's been a prize twat again today. Jumping up at everyone, counter surfing, food stealing.

I'm exhausted. Am having a real "what have I done" day. Between dog, kids, house and job I am just totally worn down.

@GuyFawkesDay I so, so hear you today. I think it being January does not help at all!

Mine also makes a beeline for humans and other dogs too. Plus some other not great behaviours. Feeling tired is the new normal. To get them to leave another dog (even if it has temporarily regressed) is still a great achievement goawayangryman

To be honest I always cringe at all the control your dog posts on social media as there have been a few times he’s done a runner to some poor person before I grabbed him (followed by me running) - mortifying. Now he is a long lead boy….

They’re a bloody nightmare puppies aren’t they?! I think I broke Billy with lots of walking on Friday and he’s been an angel all weekend. It’s all or nothing with him! He’s walked perfectly, recalled and as a result had 2 lovely playtimes with a springer spaniel and 2 labs that he’s friends with (one who is also called Billy!). DH and I went out yesterday and DS puppy sat and said Billy’s behaviour was excellent even when his friend came in. He was funny today as a man came in the field with an enormous Newfoundland who was yanking him all over the place (no judgement here, I know the feeling) so Billy decided to demonstrate his bestest behaviour 😂. He reminded me of when my sister used to get told off and I would be extra good just to feel like an angel.

@LadyCatStark get in! Take your victories and run with them. I've definitely had the smug moments. And today I had the "I'm disappointed in you, angryman" moments.

We topped our shitto weekend with a pizza in the pizza oven whereby I stood on a stealth dog poo retrieving the firelighters from the shed, removed quite a lot of kindling and a mouldy log from the dog's mouth, and also dealt with scalded paws from a bit too much curiosity about the pizza oven.

Tomorrow she is going to doggy daycare for an extra late notice session ;)

Secret to not having your dogs run up to people is to go places when nobody else is there! We've been going out every night for 20 minutes or so around 7.30. Really nice relaxing walks as nobody else about so I don't have to be on my guard for approaching people and/or dogs.

That is such a good idea. Maybe I'll try that. Go out at 645 am before kids wake up...

6:45-7am I walk FawkesPup most days and it's usually pretty quiet other than seeing one old dog out with its owner so it's a good time.

Am looking forward to this time being daylight soon!!!