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

Hi everyone,
me and my three kids picked up our puppy (Staffy cross) on Friday, hes 10 weeks today, he's lovely and toilet training so well. However the night times are a problem, we are using a crate and i have been sleeping downstairs with him but he gets so tired of an evening we can hardly wake him but its too early for bed and then in the night he does cry when he wants the loo but sometimes its for attention as when I take him out he doesn't need it. My question is what should I do in the evenings he just seems so tired and in the night how do I decide what is attention seeking or actually needs the toilet? tonight I am going to sleep up stairs with a baby monitor (I am terrified he will howl all night). I'm thinking when he cries I may leave him for 10 mins if he settles he obviously didn't need the toilet? I am loving but and i just need to remember one day he will sleep through as sometimes it feels like that will never happen.

You take him out every time. If no wee/poo, straight back into crate with no attention or fuss. Try and do it all in as much dark as you can so they grasp the idea of night time isn't play time.

That said my dopey arsehole spaniel was allowed on the bed once recently. He woke about 3am and clearly was so happy to be in the spot of his dreams he bounded on top of me and DH for licks and immediately got sent back to his crate 🙄

@Amz1658 congrats on getting your puppy! I agree with @GuyFawkesDay you have to take them out every time unfortunately, just in case. My pup is 17 weeks now and can finally make it to 5 or 6am but at first she was up at 2am every night and then wanted to get up for the day at 5.30 (the sleep deprivation floored me). At 10 weeks yours might be too young to sleep away from you but many dogs are fine with it so you know best what your pup will be like.
I take her out of the crate, carry her outside (so she can't build up any excitement by running around, or pee anywhere), give her a couple minutes to do her business and then pick her up and carry her back to the crate. I do all this in as much dark as possible and without speaking to her other than to quietly praise for doing for business. That way she knows it's not fun time. At night if she spent more than 2 minutes outside without 'going' I'd know she didn't really need it and bring her straight back in. Hopefully your pup will soon get the message that getting up in the night is only for the loo! And hopefully will be able to sleep through a whole night soon 😊

We’ve been upping the anti regarding crate training. Daytime isn’t too bad - he’ll either go in his crate or doze off on the back door doormat, and then you can encourage him to go in his crate.

During the night, he likes a cuddle. However, we’ve started zero tolerance -ish so I’m now sleeping downstairs, and responding to his whines. Take him out if whines for a wee and soothing voice if not. Straight back into the crate if he does go out.

River Pup still wakes several times during the night - 10pm, 1pm, 5pm, 6pm and dies poos during the night as well (can go several times during the day). Had two children that never slept well, and now has a dog that does the same!

We are working on the crate. Shutting him in with treats and left the room today. He whined and cried and I went in after a few minutes once he was settled. He’s continue to go in for treats though so it obviously hasn’t upset him too much. We got some plywood to put in the bottom as he likes to sleep on the floor so thought that might be better, and weighs down the plastic so it’s not so noisy - once the varnish smell has gone we’ll put it in, then put him in at night and I’ll be sleeping down with him. He’s still free roaming at night in the main room but bloody wanders about constantly so I never know if he actually needs a wee or a poo but I get up in the morning the evidence is there - wish I knew how to make him poo at bedtime!!! Hopefully when he’s finally in the crate he’ll whine to be let out and we can break the nighttime toileting indoors habit.

in the meantim, Haku has started humping then biting trouser legs, particularly on the children - I think it’s out of excitement and wanting to play so what the best way to teach him not to? So far we’ve been saying down when he jumps and drop when he bites and holds on and he will do the command, is rewarded for the good behaviour but then immediately starts again. We’ve found ignoring the humping works well but need something for the biting of clothes - any thoughts?

I hope it's OK to jump on the thread. We're picking up our 9 week old whippet puppy at the weekend and I'm lying awake realising how clueless I am. I last had a puppy as a teenager and thought I'd been really involved but either I've forgotten everything or my mum did a lot more than I realised.

Welcome @Moonflowered i can attest that mums do EVERYTHING! The numbers of times I have to keep showing and telling my family what to do….

why oh why when I get up to my puppy at 5am to let him out for a wee does he NOT wee and come straight indoors and then literally a minute later wees inside on the rug and 5mins after that poos on the floor?!

You just need to wait longer - 15 mins is the general rule of thumb. Nugget now races to the door if she wakes before 6 and does wee poo wee in that order then back to bed - like clockwork!

Just working on her telling me she needs to go now! Baby steps...

Welcome @Moonflowered I'm with @Citygirlrurallife mums do a LOT 😂

I've always recommended Gwen Bailey Perfect Puppy book but lots prefer the Easy Squeezy one.

I am winging it this time with this thread and Google!

@Moonflowered haha I had this exact same realisation after getting our puppy! I said to my Mum that she must have been doing so much more than I'd realised and she told me when she got her most recent dog 8 years ago she had many moments of thinking "what the hell have I done!"

@Moonflowered Welcome to the thread. Don’t forget, however, that the first rule of this thread is that you must post a picture of Moon Pup when he arrives.

Maybe it’s time for a roll-call of all our pups as they must have all grown now.

Easy Peasey is good, and make things seem a lot simpler than they are. It’s an easy read, so maybe a good introduction. I quite like the Mcann videos on YouTube.

Hi all can I join? Picking up our Border terrier cross in three weeks... we already have a 7 year old terrier mutt and she needs a friend! Our girl is so perfect - well behaved, loving, chilled - but I'm starting to worry I've forgotten it all and won't be able to replicate what I did with her!

Easy peasy was good to read together as a family as it’s pretty simple with short chapters. We’ve since got Pippa Mattison’s puppy book and it’s much the same but more in depth which I’m finding helpful now our puppy is actually here

roll call is a great idea

Here's our latest one, looking a bit scraggy after a super exciting walk on the weekend! She's grown from 4.2kg to 6kg and is now 17 weeks. This morning is a new milestone as instead of sleeping in my WFH office while I work, she's just taken herself off to her crate in the kitchen all by herself. Normally she can't stand to be alone so this is a huge step!

Welcome to all the soon-to-be puppy parents 👋

Probably going to be my last puppy thread, Ada's now 16 months and seeming much more grown up (as grown up as labs ever get anyhow!). Feeling smug today as we met an 8 year old dog in the woods who had to be put on the lead to get him to stop following us after they'd had a quick play.

Awww lovely.
I supposed at 15 months this will be our last thread too, but as spaniels are stuck in permanent puppyhood I will be hanging around in the doghouse section for a while!

FawkesPup is pushing loads of buttons but I think it's partly because I am injured and finding walks hard and I am shattered with work and just struggling. It'll sort itself soon enough.

Getting decent photos of black labs is difficult. He becomes a big, black, blob.

(Other colour dogs are allowed on this site!)

Incidently, how much is everyone paying for puppy classes. Here, they seem to vary from £70-£130.

We’re paying £62 for a 6 week course and can do to the local drop in I think it’s £10-12 a class

River Pup is very cute!

We paid between 60 and 70 for 6 week courses.

Hello! Loving the new pup and bigger pup pics ❤️

Busy old week here. Super proud of nugget as she's managed a 5 hour car trip with only one break and has been a dream so far visiting at my mums cream, puppy unfriendly home!

Losing teeth rapidly and my god she has some seriously snappy moments, but otherwise all good.

Our training is £56 for 6 weeks. It's a bit late for her at 7-8pm as she's usually in bed by 730 latest but she enjoys it and mostly going well. I need to practice heel more but by the time we're out walking she too excited to pay proper attention - "watch" works well tho and she's being doing really well off lead with a companion dog walker - we shall see what she's like alone..!

Hope everyone is enjoying their pups 😊😊

Hello all 👋🏻 can I join please?
We got our Cockapoo on Sunday, she's 10 weeks today.

She's settling in well. I have left her alone for very short periods (to nip to the shop etc) and she coped ok but I feel really anxious about building up to slightly longer periods so any advice would be much appreciated!

@Sunflower07 Welcome. SunPup/FlowerPup is gorgeous - beautiful colour.