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.

Lovely seeing all the new pups and older pups looking gorgeous!

Poor Rowdypup had to have an operation yesterday as he developed cherry Eye, he came home yesterday afternoon in the cone of shame, and by this morning he has completely destroyed it! Trying to keep him calm and quiet is impossible. I'm going to get him a yak chew for this evening to try and keep him quiet for a bit. I think if we didn't have an older dog it would be easier to keep him quiet, but he just wants to do whatever his big brother is doing.

@JoshLymanIsHotterThanSam time will help - as will knowing that when you leave, you come back. Playing the flitting game (so moving from one room to another lots of times in a concentrated few minute period) several times a day will get pup used to the fact that just because you’re out of sight it doesn’t mean they’ve been abandoned. Also try to return when they’re not screaming and don’t make a fuss of them when you come back in. Coco hated being confined if I left the room - much better if I let he roam free. Having toys and chews she can help herself to also helps.

@Rowdythree poor rowdy pup - hope he has a swift recovery.

How's Rowdypup now? Had to google cherry eye- looks painful!

He's running round like an absolute maniac, you would have no idea that he had an operation yesterday! Luckily it didn't seem to be bothering him before the op, but obviously that was painful for him and he's got pain relief now. I just hope he doesn't catch his eye on anything as the cone is destroyed and he and Rowdydog popped the inflatable collar we had 🙄

Oh my what a floofball! I'm sorry I can't remember what type of dog rowdypup is?

He's magnificent!

He's a Newfoundland @BigBundleOfFluff, very cute, but hard work 😅

Oh I thought he might be. I may or may not stalk a certain dog walking route in the hopes of meeting our local Newfie.
We used to have a local leonberger called Aslan. He was something of a celebrity!
I looked after a pair of Irish Wolfhounds for a couple of weeks. I love giant dogs.

I love wolfhounds too, but big cuddly bears are my favourite. The Yak chews worked a treat last night when witching hour struck! I bought one for each dog and Rowdypup ended up with both of them in his basket 🙄 poor Rowdydog. He was chewing it for ages and hardly made a dent on it!

My spaniel was 8.5 months when she first went into season recently. She's on 16 days now and she was still dripping a bit yesterday. I've found it really stressful, it's been like a regression back to little puppy-hood that I was soo enjoying being past. The puppy blues came back a bit but I can see the light at the end of the tunnel for me and for her.

We're back to restricting where she can go in the house, lead walks and lots of extra faffing around cleaning up. I CANNOT WAIT until it is over!! The poor thing also became quite inflamed down below and it hurt when she peed. She seemed to associate the pain with the garden so she wouldn't pee in the garden for a whole week, only on walks and after much encouragement. It was astounding how long she could hold it for! Luckily she is peeing normally again now.

@Isthislife oh poor you and your pup. Sounds like very hard work. Can I ask how much bleeding is there? My DH is a neat freak! Not sure how he will cope with this when the time comes!

Are you planning on getting her neutered before the next season or will you wait longer or not at all?

She's very cute btw.

Puppy training! Well Orangepup did better this week, more calm, a bit of howling and wriggling about! but the trainer has clearly decided that she's not a good role model and doesn't use her at all to demonstrate anything 😂

Ours kept herself really clean, you wouldn't have known really from that point of view. But she was clingy, was guarding her toys so we had to take them away from her (vet's advice) and was very sleepy, grumpy and unhappy. Then started to produce milk and got an infection so had to have pills for that. We got her spayed as soon as we could.

@Orangebadger she has had quite a bit of bleeding and it has lasted a lot longer than we expected. We had to put her in puppy nappies (which she was surprisingly ok with) to go in the living room in the evening but during the day she was on hard flooring so it's easy to clean up the drips. It's only small drips at a time, it's not like a big flow. She has been cleaning herself loads, but I'm sure that's what made her so sore.

I am going to get her neutered as soon as we're allowed (should be May). The puppy class trainer we had was extremely against it but I don't care. Every family dog we ever had was 'done' and they all live/d perfectly happy lives. And I need to live mine!

@Isthislife yes it sounds like a lot to go through for both you and your pup every 6 months if you have no plans for breeding.

Growing up with always had female dogs but back then the advise was to neuter at 6 months. I do seem to recall our first dog going into season but I was very young so don't remember the details. And yes they all had happy long healthy lives.

I know they recommend certain breeds you should wait either 1 or 2 seasons before neutering. Our vet seemed to think our pup would be ok whenever we chose. I think we'll wait for the first one and then look to getting her neutered around 1. It's also so stressful taking them out when there are plenty of un neutered male dogs around. Yesterday I was out in a doggy play area and a lady and bought her dog in season to the area, I imagine hoping it was empty or only female dogs and there was one male dog humping literally everything. Sensibly she didn't come in!

@BarrelOfOtters it really sounds very horrible, especially getting infections in milk ducts! Poor pup!

I do recall our first dog, as a child, guarding but it me she was guarding. That's probably why I remember her been in season. I was only 10 when she died, so don't recall much but I do remember her not leaving me alone for a period of time.

Oof, the poor girl pups sound like they really go through it. Hope pup gets through the other side asap @Isthislife

I survived my first day working from home with breakfastpup and wasn't too bad... he's doing really well with toilet training so managing most outside (apart from occasional small wee) and sleeping extremely well at night. We even did some successful training this morning at wake up today.

I am finding tho that when it is play time he is all over me atm and very very nippy. He is clearly excited and wanting to play and I keep trying to stick toys/chews in place of my hands/arms/clothes, but he just wants to sit on my lap and go at me... any ideas for what to do?

I remember with my last puppy (about 15 years ago now so advice might have changed) I was told to do a high pitched yelp when they bite, like their litter mates would do.
It worked with my last puppy and is working with this one too. They look ever so confused when you first do it!

We had this a lot with Orangepup and still do when she is tired. When we are sitting with her and this happens either play quite enthusiastically with a toy with her is one tactic. The other is to let your arm go limp and stop moving, it soon becomes boring as there is no pull. Other than that, lots and lots of chews as it may be teething. But I did find that it was worse when tired, when young she really needed a nap every 90 min or even sooner so make sure pup is getting lots of rest.

Thanks both. We've been doing the yelps and I spotted a teeny bit of blood where he was pulling of a blanket yesterday so think he is definitely teething. Just seems that his favourite thing to pull on is fabric or chew my hand... going to see if I can find any fabric chews that might work for him a bit better. So far the milk chews and olive wood have been worked on a bit but not hugely into them. Have also got kongs that we're stuffing but again - doesn't seem as satisfying as my clothes

Why is it that clothes, boxes, feet, plastic bags etc are more exciting and interesting to dogs than the expensive dog toys you buy?!

Dammit we had 5 days accident free and then an accident Sunday and another one tonight. Thought we’d started to crack it but apparently not yet!

Joshpup is 14 weeks so still a baby and I’m not worried. Both accidents have been in the evening when I think she’s getting over tired.

Up the taking Joshpup out in the evenings and all will be good!

Orangepup is almost 5 months, on the whole accident free but when she does have an accident it's in the evening, she's tired and she's not as keen on the garden at night. She goes out but not for as long as during the day, during the day she could spend all day out there!

But yes a short walk in the evening may help.

Had RiverPup got weighed today. He now weighs 25kg at 7 1/2 months. What do the other labs and golden retriever puppies weigh?

Recent picture of RiverPup looking very noble.

@Riverlee the fluffy bundle weighed 28kg at 9 months. I'll try and weigh her soon.

He's very noble and so shiny!

Pic of her looking very un-noble. Suffering from identify disorder. She'd like to identify as a rabbit please.

Ada (female lab) was about 24.5 kg at 7 months. She was 25.5kg at 8.5 months when she had her first season and has remained that sort of weight ever since - annoyingly just into the over 25kg bracket where everything gets more expensive!