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.

@Unluckycat1 what long legs he has - and yes, lots of pictures!

@JoshLymanIsHotterThanSam Beautiful picture of Joshpup. This is Riverpups second encounter of snow. The first was in December, when we got alot of snow here in Kent. It kept RiverPup occupied for ages. He was very puzzled at first by it.

December snow

@BigBundleOfFluff Was thinking of you yesterday. RiverPup reacted differently twice in the last couple of days. On Tuesday, he seemed to notice the pigeons and a blackbird on our walk, (both on the ground, not in the air), whilst previously he’s not bothered by birds, cats or squirrels, maybe a glance but nothing more.

Yesterday, he barked furiously at the delivery driver, having never been bothered by postmen etc. The only reason I can think of that was different was that the man tapped on the window.

Anyone watching crufts?

How to watch Crufts on tv and live on YouTube channel

Haven’t watched any yet but plan to later.

I remember that photo of river pup. I was jealous as the fluffy bundle still sits like a gargoyle.

She's been ok recently. I think - and this might sound a bit daft but she's a lot more aware of herself and surroundings. She's still spending a lot more time close to me while I work but she was fine to be left today when I did school pick up.

On a plus she seems to have matured a bit. She's always had a decent drop it and leave it but today she left a half eaten sandwich on the ground.

Think just growing up and a bit more cautious. She must have missed out the teenager stage, or maybe she's a late developer!!

@BigBundleOfFluff she is a beauty. Everyone thinks she’s a mini Rottweiler - I’d be rich if I had a pound for every time some asked if she was!

She had the zoomies in the snow earlier it was lovely to watch.

She’s now 16 and half weeks old, I think we’ve got the handle on housetraining - I expect the odd accident from here on in but she’s holding it until she’s let outside and asks to go out when she needs to go. Despite being deaf she has learnt sit, beg, spin and lie down. We’re working on stay now. She sleeps all night in her crate and the last couple of days she’s starting to just settle and chill when we’re in the living room-rather than being constantly on the go when she’s awake. She loves pigs ears and chickens feet (although I’m not so keen on the smell 😂) she also has a benebone and a bamboodle she loves to gnaw on. She loves a good walk now and is mostly very well behaved when walking.

All in all I can say those really constant hard work tiny puppy days seem a dim and distant memory 😂

Garden centres! Wouldn't have thought of them but a great suggestion, thank you @tizwozliz

Yay!! @AnotherBreakfast I hope the dry nights last. I keep thinking we've cracked them and then... well, let's just say at midnight last night just after I fell asleep I woke to quite the accident 😒 the 12 week jab was ok, no fuss during, though she whimpered afterwards as apparently it burns :( and she has a huge lump which is feels horrible but apparently is normal and can take a while to go down.

Aww, how cute is JoshPup!! What breed?

Thanks @BigBundleOfFluff I am rather in love with her, despite her ridiculous lankiness. I've seen videos of the puppy socialisation I'm going to take her to and they're all so small and sweet with normal puppy stockiness — she's going to look so out of place 😂 Glad your pup is feeling better, a step towards maturity sounds like a dream. I'm not wishing the puppy stage away, but am so looking forwards to the dog years.

@Riverlee lovely picture! RiverPup looks very calm and curious :) we've mostly had sleet here and LuckyPup (username change—UnluckyPup felt a bit mean 😆) is totally unfussed.

Riverpup, aka Tinker-Pup, just managed to spill a hot drink over his foot. He can reach the kitchen counter and knocked it off. It went everywhere and over his foot. He jumped back, slightly alarmed, and then started licking it off the floor! I was the one in tears.

@Luckycat1 Looks can be deceptive!

Oh is he alright @Riverlee?
We've just come back from 2nd vaccines - apparently Breakfastpup has a v slight heart arrhythmia. It wasn't all the time and vet said some pups have this and grow out of but now googled and worrying!?

@AnotherBreakfast He’s fine. I think I was more upset than him.

Hope Breakfast pup is okay. You’ll probably have to declare heart problems on any insurance quote now, as I’ve heard horror stories that insurance companies haven’t paid out on previous ‘illnesses’, even if cured.(although obviously hope he doesn’t get I’ll).

Thankfully he is already insured so we would already be covered if it does turn into a long-term problem.

Question - Breakfastpup seems to be quite sensitive to new foods but need to find a high value treat for lead walking because his normal treats are not cutting it... does anyone have any tips of something that might work which wouldn't upset his tummy?

Cheese is Riverpup’s ‘crack cocaine’. Also frankfurters work well (the ordernary ones, not dog-special) ones.

Carrots also are popular.

(not sure how these are regarding dog’s tummies).

Have you tried pate by JR products? The pate is quite stiff and you cut it up into cubes.

It's hard to tell what the fluffy bundles ultimate treat is. She likes everything!
I do reserve cheese, the liver cake and JR pate for recall.
But despite paying so much for premium dog food I think her ultimate may well be crappy hot dogs.

Can I ask what food your puppies are on?

I'm having a bit of a nightmare with it. She's 15 weeks. We're now on Harringtons dry puppy food (turkey) and (tmi) her poos are a bit yellow, which seems to suggest she might be intolerant to something (turkey??) or isn't digesting it well.

There's so much out there. The thought of changing her food again and going through the initial bad tummy again is just awful, for her as well as for us. I can see why people end up feeding their dogs chicken and rice permanently now.

@AnotherBreakfast we use cocktail sausages for recall. Very high reward with our hound! Cut up into tiny pieces though.
What is it that irritates your pup?

@Unluckycat1 we have had some problems with food too. We had orange pup on rice and chicken for what felt like ages due to recurrent diarrhoea. But have now come to the conclusion that the diarrhoea is just because she eats anything literally and is so hard to constantly police that, as much as we try!
She's now on natures menu puppy food and twice a day we mix with wellness core dried food, mainly to keep the cost down as pet food is extortionate now! She loves it. Previously was on wellness core tinned food which she then suddenly refused to eat. There is so much choice, too much that it's very confusing!

Thanks all... it seems to be any new foods but he is also terrible about eating grass/moss and mud in the garden.... we live in the countryside and I kid you not a bird dropped a huge bit of white bread in the garden yesterday and Breakfastpup was quick as a shot about ingesting it as quick as poss.
Have just ordered more prokolin to see if it helps. We bought the jr turkey pate to use for lick mat and it just goes straight through him. We had also been giving him the vetiq teething biscuits but they made his coat oily/gave him dandruff!?
He's eating skinners puppy complete dry food atm. Thinking about changing to something else so would be great to hear any recommendations. We use the natures menu puppy treats for training.

Also... are first walks generally a bit all over the shop? Asking for a friend...

@AnotherBreakfast yes first walks are all over the place!! They get marginally better. Orangepup is coming up to 6 months, they are better than at first but still hard work. She eats everything too! So keeping on top of that is hard! It's also worse when she is tired. I find walks in a park much easier than pavement walking though.

If she's ok on natures menu treats maybe try the puppy food?

I've just changed food and I wished I had done it sooner. Came to us from breeder on IAMS. It's not amazing but it wasn't bad. But her poo always err'd on the softer side and I was adding fibre powder or sweet potato to her kibble, she'd also have a tablespoon of forthglade wet mixed in.
Switched to Millie's wolf heart. It's amazing the difference in poo. Smaller and always perfect texture. Clean pick up everytime.

I don't think she's allergic to chicken but I'm not sure she tolerated it well. I use the 60:40 duck and boar one.

I do like the natures menu treats - they don't crumble in your pocket!

@Unluckycat1 Are you over feeding Luckyoup. Apparently, if they have too much food, it goes through their system too quickly and comes out soft (or something like that).

we use Autarky puppy food and it seems quite good.

We also find Kong peanut butter, and Jr pate can give looser stools if they have too much.

RiverPup had diarrhoea and blood in stools around 14 weeks and the vet put him on a tinned food. I think it was Proplan Gastrointestinal food for a week or so and some pro-biotics (?).

However, RiverPup is a lab so:we have no problems with him disliking food. He fished stale scones out of the bin today and wolfed them down.

@Unluckycat1 i agree with Riverpup - check you’re not over feeding by accident. Coco is raw fed, when she deigns to eat, with the occasional handful of wolfworthy kibble or air dried innocent hound raw food. We used roast chicken or Turkey slices or sausage or innocent hound sausages for training - those and a tiny bit of Parmesan are high value treats. We use other ones for general training/find it etc. I like pooch and mutt who have a pre and probiotic range. It’s so funny - I keep her treats etc in a chest of drawers in the kitchen and when ever anyone opens a drawer she appears next to them sitting expectantly.

Coco is now 6 and a half months, nearly 7, and I think she’s heading into her first season - that’s the excuse I’m currently using for her being off her food. She’s a lovely dog but her recall is awful at present and she’s started jumping up at people which we’d stopped her doing so I think we are now in the teenage phase…

Hi Everyone, long time no post!

Nugget is coming up to 10 months old now, I can't quite believe it! She is still quite small and very puppy looking especially compared to other Cocker Spaniels we see.

Her recall took a nose dive when she hit her teen phase, but returned to basics and she is much better now although can be easily distracted at times. I use hot dogs cut up into little slithers.

I wondered if any of her fellow Summer 2022 pups had had their first season? Her behaviour has altered again recently and I know its how long is a piece of string but just curious what changes others had noticed other than the obvious, in case that's what's going on!

@Nugg my CKCS came into season beginning of last month when she was just over 7 months. It was hard, she turned into an unsettled, needy, humping maniac and she bled for 19 days which I wasn't expecting.

5 weeks after she came into season it was like some body flipped a switch and she just totally chilled out. She's much calmer and more settled than she was even before she came into season.

Joshpup with a BIG stick 😆.

Shes fed on Carnilove puppy food. I did have her on James well beloved but it gave her dandruff. The carnilove gives her a beautiful shiny coat (and with her being black it’s noticeable) and no dandruff.

@JoshLymanIsHotterThanSam

She certainly is very shiny. She looks so very proud of her big stick. It's 3 times the length of her!! Can definitely see the jack Russell in her now.