Puppy survival thread part 2

[Orangebadger]

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.

Thank you @Cocopuff 🙂

Regarding routines, after the first week of mayhem I decided I needed one. We naturally fell into up an hour, asleep an hour. I started as I meant to carry on and kept things low key in the morning - toys and chews rather than playing and walks as I have lots of calls in the morning.
It worked well and it's what we still do and go out for a longish lunchtime walk instead.
I don't think I would have survived without a routine as it meant she was never tired and bitey and also helped toilet training as she went outside every time she woke up (and any other time she wanted as well)

She struggled, but got through it. We took advantage of the 50% cooling mats at PAH and have one in her pen in the bedroom and one in the living room for her. She's doing well now (is 17 weeks) but had a wee accident in the living room last night for the first time in nearly a week!

Ok, this sounds like to could work.

I'm a big believer in routine for my dog. I didn't want to be when we first got him at 10 weeks as I'd heard on various sites on the internet that dogs didn't like being in a routine but I soon realised that we needed one more for my sanity if nothing else. I enforced naps so it meant he didn't get overtired. He was awake at 7.30am and had a nap at 10.00am for an hour and then at 12.30pm, 4.30pm and 8.00pm all for 2 hours. We kept evenings low key and even do so now. He's one year old now but still has all of the afternoon naps and goes to sleep for each one and sleeps from 11.30pm until 7.30am each night. He is crate trained so that he can be taken and left with anyone and will still sleep ok. We put this to the test recently when he stayed at dog boarding for a week in their house and he slept in his crate there. He willingly goes in each time, we just say to him "time for your nap" and off he goes straight in. He also gets fed at the same times each day too. I also don't think I would have survived without a routine.

We've never implemented a strict routine, feeding and bedtimes are about the only consistent things and even then we don't feed at the same time on the dot.

It works for us as they don't expect the same things at the same time each day.

The other big advantage of a routine - especially if she likes her crate would be for the hour or 2 hour nap or whatever you can work like mad and then ease off when they are awake.
At that stage I worked from the same room as her crate (I restricted her life to a few rooms at the back). Sometimes she slept at my feet, sometimes in her crate. She still does that but she now takes herself off to a sofa instead of her crate or sleeps at my feet.
It's wonderful working alongside a sleeping golden retriever.

This is her right now airing her bits beside me!
Trouble is, when she starts snoring I can feel my eyes getting heavier and heavier....

@BigBundleOfFluff that all sounds so lovely 😌

They have no dignity!

That's FluffyPup's preferred sleeping position when he has room too!

If he's under my desk, he's usually across my feet though.

RiverPup sleeps upside down as well. However, in the heat, behind the garden furniture was the place of choice. Not quite sure how he fitted.

Florapup also likes a ‘legs akimbo’ position 😀

I wonder if as they get older they will still sleep with such abandonment of their limbs and if it's just a puppy thing?
Oh when we were staying with my mum that's exactly how Fluffpup slept @riverlee, She got herself tucked upright behind the conservatory furniture. We thought a combination of heat and also wanting a den/crate?

@BigBundleOfFluff all my previous large breeds have favoured this position in adulthood

I've copied and emailed this to myself!

I'm going down the crate route, hopefully it will make life easier.

Lots of lovely chilled puppy pics and welcome to all the new pups! Lovely to see all their photos.

Orangepup loves curling up, especially on top of the sofa

@Orangebadger Can you remind me, what breed is Orangepup? Adorable (and has more dignity than the other pups).

She's a basset fauve de Bretagne. Ha ha! Not sure she was that dignified when she tried to eat her poo this morning!

Grace has spent the afternoon under my desk like this

No shame, these pups! 🤣🤣

Hey all - hope all going well with everyone on the thread. Xiaopup is now coming up on 12 weeks, and is getting really heavy!! He's a lovely golden retriever boy but carrying him around and up and down the stairs is starting to really hurt my back. He was 8kg three weeks ago and feels like he's at least 10 now.

I know we are still supposed to carry him when out and about but it's so hard when he's growing at a rate of knots and his second jabs aren't booked in till the 27th (and then still supposed to carry him for 2 weeks after that?!) Any ideas to make that easier?? It's reducing his socialisation because I can't carry him as far as I want to, and DH can't always come to carry him.

Also our house is one of those upside down arrangements where the kitchen is up on the first floor and we have to walk down 2 flights to the garden. When can puppies go up and down stairs on their own? Some books and websites seem to imply that if you let them climb stairs too early, they'll suffer joint problems the rest of their lives... But see above re: weight and bitey wriggling!! I thought I was going to fall down the stairs myself this morning, I had to sit down on the step twice until he stopped biting and wriggling with excitement.

Forgot the puppy tax!

He was 8kg three weeks ago and feels like he's at least 10 now.

A kg a week wouldn't be unusual for a male golden retriever so he's probably more! Our female lab is averaging about 700g a week. She's now 16.1 kg.

If you drive, going places in the car and watching from the boot is a great way of introducing new things. Pet shops and garden centers also normally have trolleys so you can save your arms a bit.

Advice about time spent off the ground post vaccination also varies a lot. This time our vet advised that she was fine to go for short walks in less busy areas the day after her second vaccination, just avoid water, bins, places where lots of dogs congregate.

Hi! Yes my golden retriever was putting on a kilo per week - easily! I couldn't carry her around after a while.
I had to start my puppy vaccines again so mine got her jabs at 7, 9 and 11 weeks. On advice from the vets (and this varies so so wildly) after her second jab we carried her in high risk areas and if it was wet. Otherwise she walked. See what your vet says, every situation is different and in no way am I saying "well it was fine for me"
On stairs. I restricted my house for this reason - but she didn't need to go up and down the stairs. To be honest - I did try and be careful and not over walk, play fetch and we did avoid stairs. It's only because my friends lab had crippling arthritis and that has just stayed with me. But in my case it was easily avoided. I think I'd carry as long as you can do safely BUT I had sciatica for over a year a couple of years ago so I'm super cautious as I can't bare to go through that again.