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

Daisy and Dora the troublesome twosome!

Yep I take them out right before I head upstairs.

I've just come down... 4 wees... instigated by Daisy but then Dora thinks she's missing out. I opened the back door, everyone had a wee (not me!), treats all round, back inside for a couple of minutes and Daisy does a wee.

It's not like this in the daytime; there's very rarely an indoor daytime wee. I don't understand this at all and it's driving me mental

Oops wrong sex!

@BoxerPups Your girls are adorable! Are you using odour removing spray when you clean up the wee?

Yep, antibacterial and then odour remover although I may try being a bit more liberal with it tomorrow to see if that does make any difference, thank you!

I'm hoping once they can go on walks the indoor peeing might ease up.

I'm just finding the evenings a struggle at the moment and complaining; my husband is away for 6/7 bedtimes each week so I already feel like my ears are assaulted from my two small people and all the bedtime requests and chatter then throwing 2 puppies into the mix with all their wants and needs and it's just the puddles of pee that are tipping me over the edge

They've taken themselves off to bed. Tomorrow is a new day. I'm taking myself off to bed

@BoxerPups could you teach them to ring a doggy doorbell to let you know they need/want to go out?

That’s what mine does, so even if I’m upstairs she rings her doorbell and I go downstairs and let her out. I haven’t had any accidents since she’s learnt to use it.

She rings her outside doorbell to come back in when she’s finished.

Is it just me or does anyone else really love having a pup? This is my first dog and Iv found it such a breeze. She’s 4 months old now and I feel like I picked puppy jackpot with her.

Il never be able to get another dog as I’m sure it will be like children… First is a angel and the second is a nightmare 😂

SunPup is asleep in his crate and I have moved the mattress from next to his crate in the extension to the kitchen. Quiet so far.. I've never slept in the kitchen before! He's just through the doorway so presumably still knows I'm close. Not sure I'd recommend kitchen sleeping- there's quite a lot of little standby lights, oven clock etc ( suppose I ought to unplug everything for energy saving!) bloody fridge is a bit noisy too, funny how you don't notice that in the day! Wish me luck for night 2 !

@Sunflowers765 we had a week of night time holing and then for some reason night 7 he started Ed sleeping alone in his crate! Hope you're not in the kitchen too long!
@BoxerPups we still have the odd accident. He's not 9 weeks till Sunday so I sort of expect it. I have taken to sitting in the garden with my cuppa and not coming in till he's been but you're a lot more time limited. I've also sussed he won't wee and poo at the same time- there's 10 mins in between!
@HollyJollypup this is my second pup. My first was definitely easier. This one is winning my heart but he'll never be my first girl. This is why dh has been told its his dog.

I second the doorbell though they will also ring it just to go out and play in the mud and rain - we’re getting an outside one so the door doesn’t have to stay open letting all the warm air out!!

@HollyJollypup yes agreed, our first puppy too and it’s very full on and sometimes a lot of work but it’s so lovely seeing the world through his eyes and I feel so bonded to him - I was not into dogs at all and I bloody love my puppy! Having said that I’m holding my breath until we’re on the other side of adolescence

we have moved the crate up to our room - 5 weeks on the sofa was too much, we’ll try and slow withdrawal and if it doesn’t go to plan and he ends up sleeping upstairs in a crate so be it

Just woke RiverPup to do his nighttime ablations. He gave me such a look of disgust! Hopefully he’ll sleep through again tonight, and not wake at 2am like last night.

Collecting our puppy on Tuesday hopefully. I was wondering how you're getting on with toilet training? Are you taking them outside at regular intervals like every 30 mins or so or are you taking them outside after meal times, waking up etc and then watching them for signs they want to go?

The latter for us, ie after meals, when they wake up, and then learning the signs. Lots of praise and a treat when they wee (and poo) outside. No fuss inside, just clean it up ( to encourage outside). There will be accidents, eg, when excited etc,. However, our pup now will go to the back door whelk he needs to go (most times).

To start I took out every 20 mins + after sleep, waking up etc…. Sometimes I would have to stay out there for 10 mins as well until she would go and then make a fuss

@CockapooMadness ours starts circling when he needs to go but he definitely goes out after a sleep, a big play and after food. He pees outside after food but doesn't poo till 10 mins later. We've learnt this!

@Riverlee dh puts puppy to bed at half ten- just before he goes. You should see pups face when I wake him up at quarter to four when I get up! He has a wee, a little play and by the time I'm leaving he's ready to go back in his crate. He starts whining for dd about half seven.

Anyone got any tips on how to keep pup (6 months) calm when in the lounge with me when I'm working? Currently he is carnage.

@CockapooMadness ours was 10weeks when we got him, took him out after the obvious things like naps and food and otherwise watched him like a hawk for sniffing in circles - super high value treats and LOTS of praise when he went outside, ignored accidents and removed all rugs

we've moved Haku into a crate in our room so at least we’re both in bed. Mixed success - he def moved around a lot in the night which wakes me but not DH, scratches if he actually needs something but I think just being in our own bed, together, means we’re finally feeling like we’re getting more sleep

SunPup had learnt that outdoor wees mean chicken treats! He races to the lawn, squats, and then races to me for his chicken!! He's learnt this in 3 days. We have to wait for poop though. This morning at 6am we were in the garden for almost an hour before number two happened! And it was raining. He's only going 4 times a day though. First thing ( ish) after lunch, tea and last thing. Many many wees though, and lots of chicken. I'm going to start waiting for signs instead of taking him out every 20 minutes. He's going to get fat otherwise!

Crate train if not already doing so

He is crate trained, but I can't leave him crated for hours at a time mainly because I feel guilt

Brain games?

A filled kong, snuffle mat, one of those balls that drops the kibble? Large antler/pizzle chews, pig ears?

He is raw fed, so the balls that drop kibble are no good but he has kongs, licky mats. I was thinking large antler tbf.

When you've taken pup out to the garden for 3am wee, and bring him back in and back in crate.. then we have crying... what to do?? Ignore?? Speak quietly?? He's only 9 weeks. He'll settle fine at start of the night. To be fair he's only crying for about 10 minutes but it feels like a looong time... I don't want to go to him because he's bright as a button and will soon realise crying = attention
What do people do?

We have just picked up pup today - he is so gorgeous! Thanks for those that gave advice about crate - I got a big one in the end. He’s had a little nap in it but with door open, so far cries when I close it so just doing a minute or two at a time.

On the toileting - loads of small dribbly pees which are already over by time we scoop him up to go out. Only caught one outside when taking him out every half hr, maybe need to go more often. My main query is how are you coordinating having anything ready, the treats, lead etc, when you have to scoop them out in a hurry?!

I've got a permanent treat pot in pocket. Not bothering with lead, just scoop up and place down and wait.
We've been going out every 30 minutes, treat and make like a party when he goes. He's pretty keen on running to his area, weeing and looking at me as if to say where's my chicken? Took 3 days for this. Still had pee inside today because it had been an hour and I forgot to take him out. So he doesn't know to ask but once he's out he will pee for chicken!

@Beginningless congratulations on pup!

We have treats and poo bags by the back door so at hand. Fenced off a bit of the garden with chicken wire so he's contained. I'm not scouting the garden for him at 330 am.
It'll all come with time and be routine for you. We're 2 weeks in and it feels like he's always been here.