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Puppy survival thread part 2

1000 replies

Orangebadger · 05/05/2023 16:12

Thought I would start another thread for all those puppy owners.

@Riverlee
@Unluckycat1
@Sunflowers765
@BigBundleOfFluff
@Cocopuff

Will have to look back to tag others as cannot remember all names.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
169
Losingmymind85 · 26/08/2023 19:01

Baby whippet. Loads of time playing tug. Nylabones, frozen treats, cold carrots etc. I'll buy some yak bars
I think a lot of it is overtiredness but he's so into everything that it's impossible to get him napping

AnnieSnap · 26/08/2023 19:11

@Losingmymind85 feelings of regret are a normal part of puppy raising, but they get through it. After it, we forget like with labour pain 😳 I am reminding myself several times a day that “this too shall pass”. Florapup is like a land shark, but having had many pups before, I know that when those adult teeth come in, I can have my life back again 😯

AnnieSnap · 26/08/2023 19:18

This photo is not recent, but my arms currently look pretty much the same. We will all get through this 💪

Puppy survival thread part 2
Puppy survival thread part 2
Riverlee · 26/08/2023 19:28

Have you a crate? When we suspected Riverpup was over tired, we used to lure him into his crate for a nap, or even time-out. It seem to help.

Actually, he’s 14 months old now and we still do this sometimes.

Losingmymind85 · 26/08/2023 20:53

Yep. He likes the crate but is like a third child: constantly alert to everything going on and into everything so never really sleeps. Escaped through the really thick hedge to the neighbours today when he saw a cat and bit the living fuck out of me when I tried to retrieve him. He got stuck in football goal net and was all over my fingers as I tried to free him. I'm only picking him up when he asks for it -then he's happy- or I need to keep him safe but he hates it and will snap.
He can be lovely and is a velcro pup but a big part of his love for me is biting me. I know it'll get better but had I known it would be this relentless, I'd have gone for the rescue greyhound/tank we were offered. We turned him down because pup came up and we thought it would be good to start from scratch. Fools.
Took him out for walk in a pup sling. Probably went a bit far as he got wriggly but he got a dinner of pup meat and sweet potato (his favourite) with no hidden kibble and he wolfed it, chewed his toys and toybox for 45m and 10m of tug of war and he's now snoozing.
I've totally highjacked the thread with my moaning. So sorry. Just been a tough week.

Orangebadger · 26/08/2023 21:31

@Losingmymind85 Orangepups most favourite breed are whippets. Her bestie is one, and they love mouthy play.

Is he treat motivated? If so you could try giving a small treat before you need to pick him up, as in when he does not want to be picked up so he has a more positive association with it? Also a distraction from your battered arms. And yes lots of sleep! Orangepup won't nap in her crate any more, but when she's over tired and alert to everything I often gate her in the front room where she eventually sleeps.

And yes puppy blues are very real. I have been through a few phases of thinking what have we done and tbh even though it's all past now I am still unsure I would get another puppy, maybe a slightly older dog!!

OP posts:
BigBundleOfFluff · 27/08/2023 13:05

Todays anticlimactic dog enrichment activity was making a bone broth jelly… expected the video would be of her snaffling it in 2 gulps but no. 20 mins of licking it...
So NOT worth the effort!

Riverlee · 27/08/2023 14:38

We went to the coast this morning. RiverPup loved splashing through the waves. He’s absolutely zonked now. It certainly wears him out.

Gizlotsmum · 27/08/2023 16:58

So gizlotpup has found his voice and has started barking for attention we are trying to ignore and teach quiet but am worried I have just taught him to bark then stop to get a treat rather than quiet. It is starting to cause issues as it tends to be when we settle to watch tv and we are both losing patience ( mine not helped by being the one who has to solve the issues) any tips apart from throwing cows ears at him?

Cocopuff · 27/08/2023 17:19

Coco isn’t a huge fan of bone broth in liquid form - but frozen into little ice cubes she can’t get enough!

Cocopuff · 27/08/2023 18:01

@Losingmymind85 puppy blues are very real. It will get better. The land shark will disappear and you’ll have a lovely super loyal furry friend v soon. Coco was abit like your dog and v much a velcro puppy around me - she still likes to hang out near me but also loves the other members of our family and our nanny too now. It just takes time.

Had family round for afternoon tea yesterday and DH baked Chelsea buns. My two aunts don’t have a dog and so weren’t as careful as the rest of us re not dropping raisins on the floor - I came in the kitchen and berated my kids and husband for not checking for raisins and went to pick them up and bin them only for Coco to find one and pick it up in her mouth! She did fortunately respond to the drop it command so crisis averted. DH is now banned from making Chelsea buns…
We did a 10 mile country walk today and I was amazed that Coco walked the whole way (we took a doggy backpack expecting to pop her in it half way). Her paw pads do look a little sore now though so definitely a chill day tomorrow.

@Gizlotsmum it may just be a developmental stage. In case it’s not google the lounge is for lounging - it’s from the online Facebook dog advice group and good advice about how you play in other areas but teach puppy that when in the lounge it’s quiet chill time. Long lasting chews or snuffle mats or puzzles may be an idea.

Riverlee · 27/08/2023 19:38

@Gizlotsmum ifeel your pain. We have woods behind our house and if anyone walks through them then our quiet lab turns into a baying hound. Haven’t worked out how to solve it yet.

AnnieSnap · 27/08/2023 20:29

Gizlotsmum · 27/08/2023 16:58

So gizlotpup has found his voice and has started barking for attention we are trying to ignore and teach quiet but am worried I have just taught him to bark then stop to get a treat rather than quiet. It is starting to cause issues as it tends to be when we settle to watch tv and we are both losing patience ( mine not helped by being the one who has to solve the issues) any tips apart from throwing cows ears at him?

I don’t have any tips for that, but if it’s any comfort, Florapup barks at the telly. She gets very cross if she sees Rugby players, which is not an issue, Football players, which is as we’re both LFC followers and like to watch the match and any other animal, which is sometimes/often a problem. She treats the TV like a window 😳

Gizlotsmum · 27/08/2023 20:33

@Gizlotsmum it may just be a developmental stage. In case it’s not google the lounge is for lounging - it’s from the online Facebook dog advice group and good advice about how you play in other areas but teach puppy that when in the lounge it’s quiet chill time. Long lasting chews or snuffle mats or puzzles may be an idea.

thank you will have a look, it’s such a. Tricky thing to resolve as I get he has to bark, it’s just when it is continuous for an hour, we try to praise and treat when he is taking a pause, distract with training but it’s hard not to miss time it and reward the bark and he is getting louder!! It’s normally around 8-8:30 that he starts and finishes 9-9:30. I wonder if it is part tiredness too as he is dropping afternoon naps!

Losingmymind85 · 27/08/2023 21:02

Demon dog is biting all the time. Got my lip which burst open. He leaps and snaps. Barks when he doesn't get his own way. Nips constantly.
I honestly don't know how much of this is normal. I mean it can't be, can it? If the dog is awake, he's trying to bite. There is no exaggeration when I say it is all the time.
He's getting worse as he gets more confident. Thinks nothing of turning round and biting if he touch him when he doesn't want it.

Trixibella · 27/08/2023 21:06

@losing - could he be in pain? Maybe a vet visit - puppies do bite an awful lot but not normally on waking, for example. Mine have all drawn blood though I let my arm go limp as soon as it’s grabbed and they do have very sharp teeth and it does go on for months.

Depending on the breed a yelp from you can help teach bite inhibition, as their litter mates would.

Secondly, obvious things like not taking puppies by surprise, not waking them up suddenly, not snatching things or shouting or behaving erratically (to them).

have you had dogs before or is this the first time?

Trixibella · 27/08/2023 21:11

“Barks when he doesn’t get his own way” is not the right summation of a puppy’s understanding. He’s trying to communicate - he doesn’t speak English and you don’t speak Dog.

that’s not a telling off, but it may help you to reframe his communication, so that you feel less frustrated. Neither of you understand each other yet but with some patience you can work it out and become firm friends. He really won’t be like this at even six months old. Unless you think the breeder has dogs with poor temperaments. But it is just a communication blip.

Gizlotsmum · 27/08/2023 21:21

Sorry @Trixibella realised that is not at me he is now approaching 8 months and we don’t just ignore but if we have taken him out for toilet, played, trained made sure he has a drink and isn’t hungry or in pain I am not sure what else to try? Any tips would be great fully received! I do think it is for attention. He stops when we look at him…

Losingmymind85 · 27/08/2023 21:26

@Trixibella I had pups growing up but the is our first family dog.
We're really trying to stay calm, not shout etc, but he doesn't just bite, he continues biting and snapping. We leave the room and he barks. Wait for him to be quiet. Return. Give praise for being quiet and as giving him a stroke, he lunges again.
We don't snatch, or take by surprise. I'm very set on leaving him to chew his toys and giving him space but he brings them over, jumps on my lap, chews happily for a few minutes then goes for my face. There's no warning. Just turns and snaps. I'm not touching him, just sitting still
The only time I've caught him off guard and lifted him was when he was ready to leap of a 5ft wall.
We're all just so down about it. I'm maybe not expressing myself well in the previous post. I know he's using his bark to communicate and I'm being unreasonable to frame it as him going in a huff, but we're all so sore and feeling low.

Trixibella · 27/08/2023 22:27

Gizlot - I have had the occasional yapper in adolescence. It’s very annoying but I waited it out. Zero reaction. Actually I didn’t even treat when quiet but I did warn my dog less neighbour that they were in for a bout of irritation. “I’m ignoring the puppy barking [I deliberately said puppy to reinforce that he may not look like one he isn’t an adult] but the aim is to prevent it in adulthood so please bear with me, as neither of us want a barking dog long term”. Adolescence for puppies is another painful stage if not more annoying than the first because it feels like they should be grown up when actually it’s just a litany of more (mostly temporary) problems.

Losing - he is very new isn’t he? Did you get him at 8 weeks or is he older?

it’s very very early to expect him to be more settled. I know that’s not going to feel helpful and has made your heart sink but his jumping and biting at your face is not aggression, in fact (and I’m not looking at him in person obviously!) that is usually a sort of exuberant pleased thing, it’s just not ideal to be on the receiving end of if you don’t like it.

things you’re already doing but to recap: and possibly add the last one if you don’t have jt
Good routine: most puppies thrive on routine as they learn it fairly fast and it helps them feel secure. It looks like yours is fine, but stick with it.
Removing yourself calmly from biting behaviour - put him gently on the floor and busy yourself with something else.
Providing a variety of chewy things: hard/soft/knobbly/frozen - and squeaky things if you like.
Snuffle games. Scent work calms puppies. Scatter some kibble in the grass (this works best if your puppy is food motivated) and let him find them by smell. It lowers adrenaline and cortisol and raises calming hormones like oxytocin. Kibble in a teatowel can work too but he might be too young to do anything than chew a hole in the teatowel… they should snuggle with their noses to unroll it.
Games help bonding and sleep. Hiding his favourite treats here and there for example.

Throwing balls jazzes puppies up rather than tire them out so I don’t recommend that. Sniffing is a better and gentler way to tire them than trotting or racing after something and bringing it back repeatedly. It gets their adrenaline pumping and then they get overstimulated: bitey.

It does take a few weeks to build a bond - from both sides. You’re doing really well, even if it doesn’t feel like it. You’re providing a safe home, being kind to him, thinking of his needs and doing your utmost. You’re a kind and caring owner who gives a shit about his wellbeing, so please remember that as he is getting to find it out and believe it.

AnnieSnap · 28/08/2023 00:21

Losingmymind85 · 27/08/2023 21:02

Demon dog is biting all the time. Got my lip which burst open. He leaps and snaps. Barks when he doesn't get his own way. Nips constantly.
I honestly don't know how much of this is normal. I mean it can't be, can it? If the dog is awake, he's trying to bite. There is no exaggeration when I say it is all the time.
He's getting worse as he gets more confident. Thinks nothing of turning round and biting if he touch him when he doesn't want it.

How old is he?

EinyLinky · 28/08/2023 08:18

Hello, I'd like to join 😊 I have an 8 month old Dachshund X, who is great ❤️

Losingmymind85 · 28/08/2023 09:34

Thankyou @Trixibella . I'll try the scent work. He's not a kibble fan (can't find one he'll actually eat) but loves a training treat so will try scent work with those.
We are progressing. He is fully toilet trained, can do sit, give a paw and (sometimes) stay. He's fully overnight in his crate 1030-630, with no wake ups. He gives lovely snuggles (on his own terms).
We had an ok morning. Up at 630. Quiet play. Snuggle. Breakfast at 7. Chilled. Got quite excited and bitey when we were rushing around getting DD to school. He had to come in the car with me to do drop off and hates it. Now curled up in his crate for a few hours I hope.
He's just over 9weeks. We've been following the feeding schedule given by breeder but Im wondering if some of his bitey energy is coming from hunger. I can't get him to eat the kibble the wet food is mixed with so many try a different brand or just transition to fully wet food.

AnnieSnap · 28/08/2023 11:24

@Losingmymind85 9 weeks is very, very bitey. Unfortunately, it will be for some time yet, but it does gradually get better. It’s not at all malicious. Snapping at your face is either an invitation to play (you will see dogs do this to other dogs all the time) and/or affection - I know, I know 😳 Florapup still does it to me at 4-months. I have to be careful, as she is a big girl, with big jaws. It’s all temporary. Hang in there 💪

userxx · 28/08/2023 13:24

@Losingmymind85 My parents greyhounds used to air snap, I think its a sighthound thing to be honest. They used to do it when over excited and they'd be running around like loons.

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