Puppy Survival Thread: Surviving into Summer 2022

[tizwozliz]

Discussion of all things puppy, highlights and pitfalls, good times and bad, successes and failures

Previous thread here

www.mumsnet.com/talk/the_doghouse/4496297-Puppy-Survival-Thread-muddy-footprints-into-Spring-2022

Teenagers also welcome

@NotaFR hang on in there, it will get better. I found the first 6/8 weeks so so difficult with my puppy, I’ll be honest and say I found having a baby easier than him! He’s now the light of my life and I couldn’t love him more.

@Isthislife shes gorgeous! And great work on the toilet training, so much easier when that starts to click

Mine has been a lot better today, he’s still a bit more tired than usual and is thoroughly pissed off at his smaller than normal meals. We took him for a walk this afternoon thinking he’d just potter but he ran like an absolute lunatic whilst totally ignoring me so I guess that’s a good sign?!!! 9 months next week so I’m expecting a teenage phase………..

@NotaFR @Isthislife I wrote a very similar post about 10 days ago! Our springer spaniel is 11 weeks old tomorrow and we previously had a cocker spaniel from a puppy so I've been through all this before and you'd think I'd know better!

I felt really low in the first week, mostly due to sleep deprivation and feeling completely overwhelmed. I do know it gets soooo much better though! Hang on in there, it'll be worth it I promise. We had our cocker for 14 years and I could have written a book on his naughty antics but I wouldn't have changed him for the world!

Puppy life is hard work, but it’s not forever. Eventually you get a great companion. (This is what I’m telling myself)

I’ve got a cocker pup too, she’s 10 weeks. After a few good days today wasn’t great. I had a 3am wake up and three puddles inside after 2 days of no accidents. I think she’s overtired and very bitey today.

Can I ask how everyone praises outdoor wee/poos. If we say anything when she first squats down it distracts her and she stops midflow. If we wait until the end I worry she doesn’t know what we’re fussing her for.

I was worried about distracting my cocker pup as well mid flow and at first I was waiting too long to give fuss and a treat. She quite understandably wasn't making the link. Now I go wild with praise and an immediate tiny treat the very second she finishes and I repeat her wee word over and over. Seems to be working but could all change tomorrow 😂

Day 2 of our new 5 month old 😭😭😭😭
Why did I do it??
We already have 2 cats (one who has disappeared since he came yesterday) and a dog.

I'm sorry that some of you are experiencing puppy blues. It really does get better. These threads are such a great source of support and solidarity.

Very cute puppy pictures too!

Joining for solidarity. 11 week old cocker spaniel. Absolutely beautiful but those teeth! She’s so much more bitey than our last two cavalier King Charles. The poor 8 year old tries to put her in her place and after a nanosecond hesitation she’s back biting the 8 year old. We have stair gates thank goodness to give the older one some breathing space.

So cute! Love the ears

Not so cute when he's screaming the house down in his crate at night.... 😫

I realise I have been quite lucky with my pup - 12 week old cocker, who I've had for 3-4 weeks - but she still has her moments. So far she has been pretty good at sleeping, loves her crate and now sleeps 830pm - 530am most days. She does get me up at times for toilet 3/4am but I think that's been one of my cats waking/winding her up! Then I make literally zero fuss, straight back to bed and she goes back til 6/7am then.

She doesn't get toileting outside alone tho. I wfh and she has free access to outside 90% of the time but will go on the hall floor if I don't take her but then she's still a baby and I need to keep reinforcing how amazing it is when she goes outside!

She gets very barky and bitey when excited or tired. I have said AH loudly from day one and this works 90% of the time for the biting. I need to get everyone on board as her teeth are like scalpels! I tell everyone what to do, and I reinforce with my own AH but they still do googoo baby voice and are too gentle 🤦🏼‍♀️

She's just started jumping up and sounding quite aggressive, those claws are as sharp as her teeth! I turn away and ignore her for this and it stops her but yes, it's like they have a goldfish memory at times isn't it, as she will start again a lot of the time!

She is awake for 45-90 mins at a time and plays or we play and do bits of basic training then she either flops or gets bitey. I just calm her and put her to bed and she crashes. I do have to time any times I need to leave her around her being tired tho, otherwise she cries in her crate and I'm not brave enough to leave it open at this stage!

We are booked into puppy classes in a couple of weeks so that will be interesting and walks start this week too.

I'm really enjoying her but I've never been so tired 😂 and as I've said before I'm doing this alone most of the time so I don't have any other draws on my time really - last puppy I had my kids were 2&4 - but also means nobody else to help

I know from experience in a few months it will feel like I didn't put any effort into her puppyhood at all 😳 so I'm reading this thread with interest!!

Gratuitous puppy pic trying on a harness!

@Nugg sounds like things are going well with your pup. I’m two weeks behind you so it’s interesting to read what’s happening with you.

Foxpup had a really good night last night. Slept between 9:30pm and 6am. I’ve raised a few spaniel pups over the years so I know this is just luck and they all get there eventually. Last dog howled for days.

There’s a real feel of newborn baby about having a puppy. The day seems to stretch out before you and it’s daunting thinking how you’re going to occupy them, get them to sleep and leave them. As much as having a puppy is lovely the responsibility is anxiety inducing! Good job she’s cute.

@Foxgloveleaf oh she's so very cute!! Those eyes!

Very much like having a baby, I found my babies easier tbh and they weren't easy 😂

I had the same thoughts yesterday as I knew I had a heavy work day ahead. Hoping if I don't interact constantly she will learn to amuse herself. The cocker in our family is 2 and has slept most of the day for the past year so there is hope 😂

Foxpup - so cute.

Tomorrow we get to choose our pup and bring him home next week. An assistance dog charity has first choice and then we choose one of the others. We’ve visited twice and had lots of cuddles.

Been visiting every local petshop buying stuff. Good fun, but slightly overwhelming. There’s so much stuff!

As we’re sharing cute puppy pics….
Definitely has that newborn feel to this phase but I don’t remember my DC having razor sharp teeth 😉

Oh all the new tiny pups are so adorable! As annoying as they can be with the nipping and other crazy antics enjoy them

@DrBlackbird oh so gorgeous! What a lovely colour!

@Isthislife she's adorable so very similar to mine but i think that's just black cockers 🤣

Those of you with wee cue/praise issues we just used the work toilet and said "good, toilet" whilst he did it and treat straight away once he'd finished. If you stop them mid flow chances are they think job done, go back in the house and finish their pee/poo inside!

Cockers are such fun characters. Little buggers but love them. We are lucky ours is pretty chilled, he's working/show mix and whilst he loves to "work" and do gundog things, he also is very chilled in the house and a total snuggler. He was the licky waggy chilled boy in his litter and he's still the same!

Here he is this day last year. I probably shouldn't be on the puppy threads now!

Gorgeous pup pics.

What breeds are Acorn-pup and Dr-pup?

@Acorncat1 Hope Acorncat-cat has returned safely.

Here’s my little angel. 9 weeks old and hard work!

Slept on our bed last night thank god. Was sending new pup back last night with the howling... I'm prone to anxiety so it's not helping!

Oh dear, first nasty nip for the DC this morning. He cried and Foxpup got a very firm no and removed to her bed for nap!

All these scrummy new puppies are making me broody for another!!

@Foxgloveleaf hope DC are ok and pup calms down after a rest x the nipping was awful but thankfully it’s quite short lived