Puppy Survival Thread - as we approach Fireworks night for the first time…

[Riverlee]

Apologies if someone has already started a new thread. Couldn’t see one when I had a quick look.

As it’s a new thread, why don’t we all (re-) introduce ourselves. Ie. Good excuse for more cute puppy pictures!

I have RiverPup, who is now a 15 weeks old black Labrador.

Two pictures of when we first got him, and more recent.

Sunpup not such a pup anymore!

Welcome to all the new pups! I'm getting broody for another 🤦‍♀️

I don't know why! Today is the first day Iris has weed outside on command 🤣

But she is adorable and loving and just my very best friend in the world ❤️

SunPup is beautiful.

What age do they stop being a pup?

Been watching this thread for a while and loving all of the pictures of everyone's gorgeous puppies. This is our cheeky 4.5 month old Labrador pup. He is massively over excitable at puppy classes. He's good at each of the skills (except "down" he cannot do that on command either??) but just gets so excited seeing the other puppies and is the loudest barker there! Oh and @Riverlee he managed to get his nose in a bowl of Yorkshire pudding batter on Sunday too!

Does Wood-Pup love the waves? We reckon our lab hasn’t read the memo that labs are supposed to love water. Ours is more interested in the pebbles on the beach.

No, we were expecting him to love the sea as the breeder told us his Mum was rushing into the sea from their very first beach trip but he runs away from the waves (barked at them once!) He likes eating the shells! Hoping he starts to enjoy it as the weather warms up and he gets bigger

Our lab wasn't sure about waves until she was quite a bit older (also not a great deal of exposure). Happy swimming in lakes from about 6 months.

My 'pup' is 21 months, and she still looks quite puppyish from time to time. I think once she's two that'll be the end of 'pup'

Todays mischief. Definitely not the Andrex puppy!

Loving seeing all these big pups and the potential (mis)adventures ahead.

Breakfast pup has settled in so well and after first night overwhelm we're all settling into life together... I even got a few licks today instead of just nips!

One question - how have ppl managed working with pups? I took this week off and back to working from home next week and no idea how I'm going to manage based on current routine. How have ppl managed whilst not being able to go out in those early weeks before second jabs?

Get a routine in place @AnotherBreakfast - up, toilet trip, play/train, toilet trip, feed, toilet trip, nap - rinse and repeat. Get distractions for when you have to work when they are awake - snuffle mat or lickimat. Dial back expectations - I was freelancing and did v little work for the first few weeks back (took 2 weeks off with Coco). Invest in good headphones and have pup on lap/camera off on calls if need be. It gets easier. I used a sling to take Coco out and about before she could go on the ground

100% routine!
Mine at that age was awake an hour, asleep an hour. Planned my day so if possible she was asleep during calls but also invested in great headphones that if I needed to let her out for a wee, I could do and still be on a call.
House went feral, my girls and I ate beans on toast for a few months as I had to cram a full days work in each day so nothing else got done. (It's just me, my kids and the fluff bundle)
Was very hard, I'll not lie but we survived and found myself thinking about getting another puppy in a few years the other day.
Now she just potters around. I check on her and play with her between meetings and we go on a massive walk at lunchtime.

I do use the dreaded doggy day care a couple of afternoons a week. She comes back from that exhausted so naps lots. I save that for when I know I'll be extra busy or stressed at work.
Her crate is beside my desk as sometimes she was quite content with a long lasting chew/kong in there, rest of time she slept at my feet.
It went for from being "how the will I do this and not get fired?" to loving having the companionship in my otherwise very very dull working day.

I agree with @BigBundleOfFluff - Coco is 5 months now and potters around, sleeps at my feet and plays with toys mostly on my working from home days. I try to rotate her toys and good puzzles to keep her entertained

Thanks all - we're planning to set-up in the kitchen with him initially but so far he hasn't been v interested in the kong or snuffle mat I got (was more interested in destroying the snuffle mat) and lick mat lasted about 3 mins before he lost interest... if anyone has great toy suggestions for a very chewy lab let me know

@AnotherBreakfast our retriever loves yak milk chews and olive wood (any wood really!)

lovely seeing all the little and big puppies. RuralPup (he is such a country bumpkin) is nearly 8months and we sometimes get hints of the teenager approaching, not always listening but generally he’s still such a lovely boy. Gun dog training is going ok but we’re a bit shit at keeping up with it inbetween

the introductions with the kittens have also gone well - we treat him loads for good behaviour around them and he’s been brilliant. I really don’t want him to turn into a teenager because he’s been so relatively easy 😆

re the litter picking RuralPup was terrible for it but since leaving the leave command he’s got gradually better - if I spot litter before he does and give him the leave command he will leave it prob 95% of the time but if he spies it before me it’s maybe 75% of the time….

Oh on chews- anything. But longer lasting ones that the fluffy bundle likes are olive wood, those massive root thingys, yaks and any number of disgusting body parts from jr pets oh and any benebone chew.

Here she is doing sit up and beg. Photo is called " woman, you are recklessly starving me "

Olive wood and milk chews ordered! Thank you. Both those retrievers are gorgeous 🥰

@BigBundleOfFluff

sorry what root things?

My lab loves yak bars and coffee wood. Not tried olive wood. Also buffalo horns, although these seem to make him go abit stir crazy and usually result in an episode of zoomies. They tend to be limited to outside.

Oh yeah split antlers are good too

This absolute monstrosity. She's been working in this since Xmas. Doesn't leave a mess, doesn't smell. Hurts like nothing on earth if dropped on your foot...
She's a champion chewer as well.

I must try olive wood and milk chews with Orangepup. She's quite fussy with her chews and often barks at them! The ones she does have she chews through in no time.

Those with older female pups, what age did yours have their first season?

@BigBundleOfFluff what a gorgeous pose 😍

@Citygirlrurallife lovely photos especially the one in the woods.

Took a rather lovely picture of Joshpup yesterday.

We are now signalling to go out for toilets…which is a win. 3 days accident free. Yay!

@Orangebadger - our lab pup was 8.5 months, two of her sisters had their first season at 7.5 months.

What a gorgeous photo of Joshpup! What was he looking at so intently?

@Riverlee she was keeping an eye on JoshDog…who was sniffing round her toys 😂.

Anyone any good tips on how to stop Joshpup screaming every time I leave the room?