Puppy Survival Thread: muddy footprints into Spring 2022

[tizwozliz]

Discussion of all things puppy...

Previous thread here

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_doghouse/4451767-Puppy-Survival-Thread-surviving-into-2022

Teenagers also welcome

@tizwozliz

Snowing here today, pup seems oblivious to the sudden change in the weather but I'm not enjoying it. Purposely chose a walk where she could be off lead the whole way this morning so I could keep my hands in my pockets!

Same here. Need the sunshine back so I can leave the back door open in the mornings!!

Hashbrown pup has fleas despite being up to date on his flea schedule 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Oh, no @hashbrownsandwich. I hope you're able to get the fleas under control quickly and (relatively) smoothly.

Here's our excitement for the day. We had to leave the pup alone for about an hour and a half today. He's almost 10 months old and has been O.K. with this amount of time on his own. But DH somebody forgot to close the door to one of the bedrooms that the pup isn't allowed in. When I arrived home I discovered that the pup had sneaked into the room, chewed up an envelope (fortunately nothing important) and grabbed two stuffed toys from the bed. Interestingly, he didn't destroy them as he does his own stuffed toys. He didn't chew them at all. Maybe he knew they weren't for him?

When I saw the door to the bedroom open, I was expecting carnage so I'm actually quite pleased that he didn't cause sheer havoc!

We've had middle of the night wake up for poos 3 nights running, not sure what that's all about.

Oh no @hashbrownsandwich, maybe he is just a really tasty pup?! It’s like bits though isn’t it, once you know they are there you can’t stop scratching.

@tizwozliz has pup been eating later or drinking more?

Picked up new pup for his first vaccine yesterday, he seemed so scared in the car bless him, was better on the way back as DS was with him. He is 8 weeks and 2 days and weighs 9.7kg Here's a couple of pics, in the first one he looks like Batman . He was sick as we pulled up back at his house but apparently was OK after that.

May I join the thread please? Our 9 week our guide dog pup arrives next week 🐾♥️. We raise him for the first 14 months or so then hopefully he will go off to training school where he will do brilliantly and change someone's life!

We've only seen photos so far and he is absolutely adorable. A goldie lab cross but looks more goldie at the minute.

Hoping our own 12 year old goldie will cope with the change of tempo in the house!!! We've had a little trial with a puppy board a few months ago and she was pretty indifferent/ignored pup as much as possible. She's generally good with other dogs so we are hoping they will become friends given time. It's a long time since I've had a pup so I could be in for a bit of a shock 😂

Welcome and we definitely need pics once pup is here!!

FawkesPup has been far better behaved this week and actually was good at training lastnight. Progress. Cannot wait for an adult, sensible dog!!!

Hello! Just found this thread. I've had my sprocker puppy, Gary, just under two weeks now. I also have an older springer who is amazing with him. He's settling so well, he's very confident and struts around the house! He is discovering the cat is NOT his friend but thinks she looks like fun..!

Love the name Gary!! And he is gorgeous

I feel like I can join properly now - Mabelpup is a miniature Dachshund and is now 11 weeks, although I do now feel I’m suddenly in the depth of puppy blues as I have two children as well and it’s all just so relentless and I’m exhausted.

She’s actually a dream, it’s the bloody kids who are a nightmare always screeching and hyper and it’s just managing the three of them.

I knew puppy blues was a genuine thing. I just bloody shattered and just want some peace and quiet!!!!!

Aww look at Gary and Mabel. So adorable. I was looking at pictures of my pup when he was little and feeling a bit nostalgic now that he is a big 9 month old (nearly) full grown dog.

That sounds difficult @MabelMoo23. It will get better.

It's a year today that we picked up our gorgeous girl! Was looking through photos of me holding her in the car and she was such a little thing compared to now! The very cold weather is reminding me of last April and freezing days in the garden trying to stay warm in my puffa coat as she endlessly went in and out to wee and play! She did sleep A LOT too so that was good!

@catwithflowers what a lovely thing to do! We have a goldie lab cross and some of her siblings went to train as assistance dogs for children and young people with disabilities.

I might have to miss agility tomorrow as I'm getting over covid. Crossing my fingers tightly for two negative tests.

Welcome to all new owners of beautiful pups!

The new pups are just gorgeous. I remember the excitement of taking a new puppy home, they're just the best. Exhausting but just so precious.

We've been working hard on everything obedience and behaviour wise here. I'm seeing little bits of progress finally. Some days better than others, the bad days are bloody soul destroying. Putting the golden git away for naps and making sure she has proper rests between training/walks has helped. So has doing small amounts of loose lead practice, then switching to steadiness, then to free sniffing etc etc. She's still very puppy like, has the attention span of a goldfish and as she is spayed, I don't know if she's going to be like this for life 🤦🏼‍♀️😂

Aw Gary and Mabel are very cute. It's so exciting getting the new pups then utterly exhausting within a couple of weeks!

Lovely to see all the new puppy pics as I was reading and catching up!

@MabelMoo23 It is exhausting! I have a 15 week Goldie and a 6yo and 3yo. I had severe puppy blues for the first few weeks, and still ask myself what the hell I've done to my family on a near daily occurrence. But it's slowly getting easier. I just try and keep the kids and the bouncy pup separate as much as possible!

We took IndyPup to Puppy Hour at our local Pets Corner this morning. It was lovely to see him feeling confident and wanting to play. We then went on a lovely family walk this afternoon and he was so good.

Celebrating the small victories!

Awww tiny puppies are amazing and draining and exhausting!!

FawkesPup has been a super boy today.we had friends over unplanned this afternoon. He's been amazing with their kids (who have played with his toys and chews etc) he's been SO sweet and lovely. Quiet on his crate whilst we had chippy tea so he got some (quite a lot) of unbattered cod in his bowl as a reward. Been absolutely gorgeous with everyone. He just LOVES company and kids, bless him.

He was even a good boy on his walk off lead for first time since the deer incident. Tracker is fully functional so I worried less but he was Mr Chilled and even got a compliment on how well trained he was. I resisted the urge to laugh!!!

Needless to say I am awaiting tomorrow being a little different 🤣🤣😀

Sounds like a lot of the older pups are being good boys and girls 🥰 Billy too has turned into an absolute dream and I’m now worryingly broody for pup #2 😵.

He’s started having raw food this week and he absolutely loves it! I think perhaps he is an allergy to some dry food which caused his sore paws last week and so far they seem to be improving and he doesn’t seem so itchy. It might still be an allergy to the spring grass though as I’ve also discovered that sea water has healing properties and doesn’t seem to hurt his paws.

We had an exciting day yesterday. First short walk and then a bit of socialisation with some other dogs in our local pub. He did so well. Here he is all tired out last night.

Sounds like a lot of the older pups are being good boys and girls

People often ask me if Ada is a good boy It does seem that lots of people assume black labs are male by default. I think some spaniels get the opposite, too pretty to be a boy!

@LadyCatStark could it be the young nettles?

I've been testing my new balm product on FawkesPup's feet as his paw pads were very sore after his field jaunt after the deer as he ran through stubble fields.

He's only being good FOR NOW. I give it another week and the next teen hormone blip will hit and I'll be despairing again!!!

@GuyFawkesDay it could be, we do have a lot of nettles in the fields. Think I’ll stick to the beach for a while!

@tizwozliz my black spaniel is often mistaken for a boy - I think because she has an orange harness people assume girls can only have pink lol!
@LadyCatStark lot of grass seeds/pollen etc around at mo causing itchy paws.

Mine has not been good lately, very barky and it's noticeably worse since being spayed so I don't know if there's a link or it's coincidence but she's definitely more clingy/demanding/attention seeking and it's driving us all mad. Nothing seems to be enough for her at the moment! She needs to snap out of it or she won't even make it to our new house which I was already concerned about her adjusting to

We are definitely in a week of hormones. Mac is struggling to switch off and daycare said that’s quiet common when they’re having a flood of hormones.

I was brave enough to let him have a blast around a couple of fields yesterday. He had to sit and check in with me then I released him for a sniff and a bolt. He did a big loop each time and then came running back when I called him. I think he needed the release. He also had a lovely run around with a 6 month old spaniel
we bumped in to and came away when I asked him to follow me. Each day really is different!

I’d like to be able to work on him settling in the house more while we’re moving around/ having dinner. He will rest/sleep unforced outside of his crate but as soon as we’re moving around he wants to too. When we’re eating it’s hit and miss, the kids do a crap job of ignoring him so it’s either crate and door shut or he gets a chew at that time. Any tips for what has worked for others would be welcomed!

All the new pups are just adorable! Those first few days with them are glorious.

@Aria20 Blahpup is really barky the last month. Trainer says it’s demand barking and I’m following the process she’s set out (ignore ignore ignore, reward when delayed quiet) but not making a lot of difference so far! 😔 My partner (doesn’t live with us) cannot stand it. It’s putting on a lot of pressure atm as he barked on and off for 2 hours this morning until he went for his walk. Now quiet and in his bed fast asleep… as is my partner. 😂 Let him off lead in the woods and he was so happy. Came back every time I called but we didn’t meet people/dogs/cyclists so not sure how he would be if we had!!!

Bit of progress made this weekend in terms of isolation distress. Blahpup now happily waiting behind his gate without whining if he is tired and walked etc. Going to start his SA training tomorrow, see what his threshold is. Will probably be about 2 seconds!! Have joined all relevant groups on SM, but tbh all the stories of “hooray! It’s only taken me a year to get to an hour alone” make me even more anxious. I’m REALLY hoping he will get with the programme a bit quicker because tbh, I don’t know if my mental health will hold out that long.