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 🤬😡😭.

@GuyFawkesDay I’ve read his new book too and find his advise very sensible. I’m not a fan of purely positive training just like I’m not a fan of purely positive behaviour management for children. They need to know what not to do as well as what to do.

@autienotnaughty we were really struggling with loose lead walking, tried the pretending to be a tree and stopping and being very boring, tried the turning round.

We were introduced to a clicker at puppy classes last week and it’s completely changed walks and now I really enjoy them. I realised that pup needed a marker to know when he’s in the right place. Sometimes on the way home or about 15ft from the park gates he tries to pull, and I then turn around and reposition him and start again.

I use a heel command and make a circle pointing to my side, we were taught it at puppy class and as soon as I do that he's grand. I do wonder about a clicker but it'd also rely on DH and the kids doing it too so I'm probably spitting into the wind ...

People talked a lot about taking a tube of primula on walks to help the dog stick by their side.

(I have not done that as they don't sell it in Australia! And if I try to show treats, he is little so he jumps to get them. But it might help others if their dog is the right height)

@LegsMiserables our puppy class suggested a wooden spoon covered in pate or peanut butter for little dogs yo save them jumping or you bending.

@GuyFawkesDay if she pulls ahead I stop and when she looks at me I say "with me" and she does trot back to my side so she knows alright but if she's on lead in a field she will just keep doing it and it's hard to keep stopping and repeating if you are with other people on your walk too!

Argh lost my shit this morning with everyone, kids all driving me mad and Next doors dog was barking again constantly so mine then barks and she just wouldn't stop so I ended up shouting "shut up barking" and both dogs stopped lol mine lay down sheepishly behind the gate looking at me like I'm sorry!

I don't use treats for loose lead walking, just stop/go i.e. no forward movement whilst tension on the lead. Treats are used for heelwork. For loose lead walking I'm not fussed about position as long as I'm not being pulled along.

it's hard to keep stopping and repeating if you are with other people on your walk too!

Yes, this is why I try to avoid walks where she might have to be on the lead too long. Every time you move in the direction they're pulling they learn that pulling works. It's really hard to be strict with it if you're walking with other people.

@Aria20 that's so funny. It reminds me of a time I was walking my dog and another owner couldn't get hers to come back. She started yelling, "Sit! Sit!" Her dog ignored the shouting. Mine obediently sat.

Yesterday my pup had diarrhea and threw up twice. Fortunately everything happened outside. But now I'm worried that it was a reaction to his time at day care on Tuesday. He seemed fine on Tuesday, though I wonder if this could be a stress response. Or maybe he ate something he shouldn't have at day care. We were planning to send him back one day next week, but now I'm not sure.

How is poorly pup today?

FawkesPup has had his GA and scan today.... a shaved patch on his front leg and came home very subdued and acting a bit stoned earlier but back to biting feet and being a thorough pain on the arse now.

@GuyFawkesDay when will you hear back?

@certainshepherdpups hope your pup is ok. I'd try the daycare again before you rule it out or put his sickness to stress from it.

@LadyCatStark yes! I think I could manage if he was about 20k lighter😂

Possibly tomorrow but more likely Monday.

@autienotnaughty well I knew I was speaking too soon as we went to the beach today and he was awful. It was busier than I thought it would be so he had to go on his lead most of the time and there must have been lots of sniffs as he kept yanking me towards things. I was so embarrassed as all the other dogs were behaving perfectly. He walked nicely on his second walk though so he can do it, I think he was just over excited.

Billy’s first night out of his crate went… OK… mostly because he spent most of it in his crate. He does not cope well with change! He went into his crate at bed time for his treat and was most upset when I left the door open. He came out and started stomping so I closed the door, covered his crate and left it so he could get out if he wanted to. We had the camera on and he came out at 6:20 and just chilled out til I came down at 7 which was lovely. I wonder if he’ll figure it out earlier tonight?

Oh no 🙈

[quote Aria20]@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! [/quote]
Yes mines very similar much worse in those areas but his recall is terrible and he likes to jump on other dogs 🙈 I only let him off lead where it's pretty quiet.

[quote Handsfullofholes]@autienotnaughty we were really struggling with loose lead walking, tried the pretending to be a tree and stopping and being very boring, tried the turning round.

We were introduced to a clicker at puppy classes last week and it’s completely changed walks and now I really enjoy them. I realised that pup needed a marker to know when he’s in the right place. Sometimes on the way home or about 15ft from the park gates he tries to pull, and I then turn around and reposition him and start again.[/quote]
Interesting we have a clicker I will try it. Thank you 😊

Yesterday was the first day since having TerrorPup (so well over a year) that I have been floored with a migraine. She only got a 15 minute walk and no play/training until 7pm when my husband got home - she did so, so well. Mainly spent the day curled up with me. I was honestly expecting her to be a pain.

However the lack of input yesterday is very apparent today. Good job it's a daycare day!

@TerrierOrTerror I think they know when you’re ill!

Sky remote number 4 was destroyed this morning ffs, it only lasted 2 days. I know it’s my fault for leaving it on the sofa while I emptied the dishwasher but I’m so bloody tired from Billy getting up so early this week I can hardly function today 😭.

Feeling incredibly fortunate that our remote escaped with just a few puppy teeth marks and a couple of trips outside to the garden and is now ignored. We're pretty useless at remembering to put things out of reach.

We need to get better @tizwozliz. We can’t afford to keep buying new ones, they’re £35 a go! I haven’t told DH this time, he would lost his shit! Luckily, he’s out tonight so I have managed to order one from Asda on click and collect and I can go and pick it up tonight and he never has to know. They’re also like gold dust to find!

@TerrierOrTerror bless you it's hard when you are not up to walks etc. I've somehow injured my knee and am struggling through our walks and suffering after but I could really do with a day of just putting my feet up!

@LadyCatStark he must really love your sky remotes! Can you buy him a fake one? I bet he'd know, like when you give children a toy phone they know it's not the real thing lol. Def don't tell your DH. When ours was going through an eating shoes phase - she ruined some sliders, the back of dds trainers and the Velcro strap of her canvas shoes - I just used to throw them away without telling DH or he'd have got cross. Bloody dog ruined the canvas ones a week or so before we were due to go on holiday and DH was like are we taking those new canvas ones... I was like no they were hurting dds feet so I got her new ones lol!

I think tupperware has been our main casualty which fortunately isn't too much of am issue! Drop a piece of food and you'll have time to pick it up again, a tupperware lid - no chance!

I pretty much passed out after trying to play with her for thirty seconds. Bless her. I was most impressed she managed her separation training later in the evening though, thought it would be a no go.

We have been really lucky and nothing has been chewed. There's minor teeth marks on one sofa leg (wooden) where she woke up wrapped around it as a pup and gave it one gnaw before realising it wasn't her yak. And she really liked to pull the loose threads around a hole in the carpet (relic from the previous owners of the house). No remotes, no shoes, cushions just get humped. But that said we don't have children so it's probably easier to make sure items were kept out of reach. Now if we leave anything on the sofa she glares at it until we move it so she can curl up.

Ds has had some Lego figures chewed but his own fault for leaving them on the floor! Dd has had several soft toys chewed, pup loves a soft toy - especially if it's one of dds!! Luckily not had any major damage to wires, furniture or anything expensive, bit of a gnaw or door frames but I sanded it and repainted to cover it up lol.

My friends beagle chewed skirting boards, chair and table legs, laminate floor! DH would have been furious and thrown dog out if ours had done that!