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 🤬😡😭.

That's good news for Fakwespup. Fingers crossed.

Can I ask how you taught them toy names? I want to keep Pup busy while it's raining but not sure where to start with this one. Thank you.

4:30 this morning. This dog is fucking ridiculous 😭😭😭.

Glad FawkesPup is feeling better 🤞.

@LadyCatStark mine too!! Then I was wide awake because our smart heating had decided to put the heating on as it's somehow on predicted routine mode, so I fixed that on the app, then was lying awake wondering what the low level think think noise was. Pipes? Wandering round house discovered it was.....the hamster in his wheel. By this point it's 5am and I am just awake, the dog is now snoring on the end of the sofa. And I have parents evening til 7pm tonight. Aaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrggghhh!!! Bloody dogs!!!!!

@GuyFawkesDay urgh it’s a nightmare isn’t it? It feels like a massive step backwards 😭.

I genuinely feel like the dog takes over my life! So he's a lab n has 2x 45 min walks plus about 30min training plus I would say 1-2 hours of play/cleaning up after him. Roughly 3.5 hrs a day! I only spend 4,5 hours a day with the children 😂 I never have any time anymore

Our new puppy is home and settling in - he's doing great. He slept and sat quietly all the way home from the breeders (2.5hrs in the car) and has been successfully introduced to our older dog. They are getting to know one another and it seems to be going well - older dog is significantly larger (he's a very big golden retriever) but is being kind. New puppy is seems to be very people orientated and needier than our older dog so far - he likes to sit on laps. One attempted wee in the house so far (we caught him and got him outside).

However...he cried inconsolably most of the night - dh and I differ on how to deal with this (any tips gratefully received). And the car makes him sick - just took him in the car crate on the school run and we had a hat trick of bodily fluids.

He is gorgeous though and finally asleep in his crate wrapped in a towel after having said bodily fluids washed off!

I tried for weeks with the crate but spent half the night on the sofa and the other half listening out for him so have ours upstairs now. He sleeps in my sons room and everyone's happy with this arrangement!
But I wouldn't have been so keen when he was still going to the toilet in the night, now sleeps 10pm till 8am without needing a wee or poo.

It's so hard to know what to do with the crate - our older dog no longer uses one (did as a puppy - was never distressed, but also didn't particularly see it as his 'safe space'). It's intended to be a short term thing to protect the puppy from our much larger older dog (who is very soft, but you never know, plus he could hurt him accidentally) and so we know where he is (lots of nooks and crannies to hide in) and also to limit damage (new kitchen...). We do have a sofa in the kitchen one of us could sleep on, but dh thinks we should let him cry it out and he will settle sooner.

He wasn't comforted by our older dog being in the kitchen with him last night, but they are playing a lot and bonding today, so maybe it will help more tonight.

I'll avoid giving any advice as our end result is the 8 month old puppy sleeps in our bed!

I think DS would LOVE to have the dog on his bed but his room is too untidy. I'd swap the dog for DH to be honest, the dog doesn't steal the duvet.

@tizwozliz

I'll avoid giving any advice as our end result is the 8 month old puppy sleeps in our bed!

Oh .

Our 10yo ds still gets in bed with us every night, so it's already a bit crowded...

Dog and puppy have had a good play and a bit of a cuddle this afternoon and the puppy has just voluntarily gone into his crate for a nap! I've left the door open - older dog is sleeping next to it. Please let tonight be better!

@littlepeas that sounds promising! Hope you get a better night tonight.

DS also wants Billy to sleep in his bed but DH says no. We also have our tortoises upstairs and he would 100% eat them. Tonight is going to be a big night, we’re definitely trialing letting him sleep outside of his crate! He’s been an angel on his walks again today, it feels nice to feel like I have a proper dog that just walks along instead of a hooligan!

Awww @littlepeas that sounds very cute 🥰.

Mine doesn't sleep in my sons bed but on the floor in his room. However if he goes up and I'm not in bed next door he will bark. Doesn't need to see me just knows I'm there!
He has a bed on the floor but often sleeps in the door way!
We have a stairgate on there too.
I would have loved him to sleep downstairs in his crate but he likes to be with us.

And he has lie ins which is wonderful.
Sorry ladycatstark!!

My spaniel is funny she doesn't like the water 🤷‍♀️ not that I'm complaining lol! She sniffed the edge of this and walked past!

Lucky you @Aria20, this is Billy after yesterday’s trip to the river estuary.

Haha @cheeseisthebest don’t worry I had months of feeling slightly smug that Billy had lovely long lie ins 😭.

Anyone mastered not pulling on the lead? Mines a big strong dog so no pull harnesses don't work. We did try switching directions but he started getting frustrated and would jump up at us. Treats work for a few seconds then he buggers off again. Really sick of getting dragged down road!!!

@autienotnaughty we seem to have this week! But that’s not to say we still will have next week 🙈. He seems to understand now what’s expected of him as he’s been doing lots of spontaneous off lead heeling too. It’s so difficult when they’re big though, I honestly thought Billy would break me (he still might!).

My pup had a successful day at day care yesterday. He was a bit tired in the evening but not exhausted by any means. And he seemed very happy. So I think we will continue one day a week, possibly working up to two.

Today I was working from home and the pup was angelic most of the time. Until I had a Zoom meeting, at which point he decided that he needed my undivided attention. Fortunately everyone in the meeting was quite understanding but I hope he stops doing this, as both DH and I need to continue working from home much of the time.

@autienotnaughty mine is fine on pavement only walks but in fields/parks/woods etc pulls pulls pulls! I understand she wants to get offlead and run and explore but sometimes it's not safe to do so or it's an onlead only place. She will walk beside me if I hold a ball or treat but then she's just hyper-focused on that and doesn't sniff or enjoy the walk!

Mine is same as @Aria20 in that he walks beautifully on lead with occasional bribery and praise but he's like a steam train if I try and do it near the field etc. He's also not massively fussed about water. Our friends cocker is basically a hippo but FawkesPup will take or leave it.

Something to work on! He is getting better with the biting. I have been listening to the Graeme Hall book and I don't know why get gets s bad rep as he's very sensible. So when he bites straight out into the hall, door closed. Go back a minute later, try again, repeat and now we say off and.....he's started listening! There's absolutely nothing aversive in there and he explains it so well. You just have to make the dog uncomfortable in the same way the thought of getting a speeding fine makes a human. No physical pain, or emotional....but the thought of it makes us think twice and amend our behaviour.

@GuyFawkesDay never heard of him but we did similar. I said "no teeth" and put her in the other room for a minute and then let her back in as normal, same if she did it again. It doesn't take them long at all to get it!

Small progress with begging/counter surfing here... she now lays down just staring at me when I prepare food rather than barking at me or trying to jump up. However, if I move away she does still jump up to see if I've left something within reach lol. I guess that's a work in progress as most dogs would prob try their luck for a chance of food!