Puppy Survival Thread - for old and new pups

[Riverlee]

Thought I’d start a new thread as the old one is at its limit, for new and older pups.

please come and share your tales of success, woes, concerns and questions, and of course, photographs.

Puppy blues are a real thing, and this is the place to rant away! It does get better. I’m on my own too, although 2 dc (11 and 14), they are of limited help. It’s really hard.

ive survived one whole week with Foxpup! He still wakes up twice in the night for the toilet. I assume because he’s quite a small/medium breed it will take a while for his bladder to be able to go all night. I’m not good without sleep though 😂.

I don’t know what else to suggest with toileting. My pup has free reign of the garden to toilet so he find just the right smelling spot. Dogs poo according to longtitude and latitudinal lines! I listened to a podcast about it once with proper scientists, that’s why they seem so fuzzy about picking just the right spot!

Other half is working from home the rest of the week so going to try to push wake up time back at little each day in preparation for the clocks changing. It was never an issue with our older one as she's not much of a morning person (dog), but I can see pup trying to get us up at 5.30 next week....

Oh I had forgotten about the clocks going back. That’s a good plan. So would need to get up incrementally later so that when they go back I’m not standing in the garden at 5am. How funny- dh and I were just saying this morning she’s doing so well getting woken at 6 we might try to push her out til 6.15.

she was in a funny mood last night. Something had clearly been in our garden, she was tracking like crazy and whimpering. On Sunday I’d tipped a load of plant pots out and she was obsessed with the root of one of the plants, and was asking at the door to get out so she could go and wallow about in mud in the darkest part of the garden. No matter where I took the root to, she would find it.

it’s funny with the learning, yesterday we were doing ‘in your bed’ and she was giving me such blank looks (bed? What bed? I don’t understand bed?’ 😂) then this morning she just did it, over and over. Even if we were a few metres away from bed, or if I was a metre or so from her, she would go to her bed. It’s like it just sunk in overnight. It just shows their little minds are like sponges and they need their rest to process it all. The world must be a busy, stinky, exciting place.

be kind to yourself puppy lovers. We had a golden retriever puppy 9 years ago and we ended up rehoming him at 10 months, he just systematically destroyed every corner of my life. I was pregnant with ds and he was so bitey and he would destroy everything. I loved him but I hated him, I would hate coming home. This time I am so cautious about maintaining positive vibes. I think we expected too much of him and weren’t ready for the whirlwind. But I also think I expected way too much of us, the kids, etc. and lost sight of the fact that it was a super steep learning curve for everyone. There’s a lot of pressure on dog owners to do everything in such a way- even the food (the raw food especially, it reminds me of NcT and baby led weaning forums! It’s like a cult!) - but seriously , you are doing amazingly well. Every day is a new day. It will get better 🐾 🥰

@Lougle thanks. New food ordered! I've got loads left from what the breeder gave us so I'll be able to do a careful switch over.

Can I join? Mine isn't a baby at 9 months but still a puppy and new to us and my god it's tougher than I thought it would be (despite reading all the warnings!). On a plus side he can go out for walks so I do get to leave the house & he is now housetrained but just won't be left AT ALL which is very draining plus I'm still sleeping on the sofa otherwise he'll wake the whole neighbourhood and DH is refusing to let him upstairs.

Also it’s worth checking your insurance if it covers you for behavioural support, if you speak to your vet about separation anxiety for example, and they refer you to a therapist, you may be able to claim it back

My pup is on raw food, Naturaw, it's not for everybody but the plus is very few and small poo's, there's no waste.

Oh good, let me know how you get on with it? I don't think you'll regret it. This is Hazel at 12 weeks - she's been on the food since weaning. Her coat is so glossy.

He looks like a Bert to me. I have a friend with a dog called Bert and it's a great name for a small dog, I think.

Any suggestions for a crate mattress, pup is a chewer and has eaten part of the felt liner in his bed 🙈 At the moment it's just lined with vet bed but doesn't look cosy enough.

We use vet bed and an old towel that she can pull about @userxx

I'm thinking of getting a hi K9 bed for the lounge though.

Think I'll just stick with the same until he's past the chewing stage, no point wasting money, he can have a cosy bed when he's older.

@cockapup he's a lovely caramel colour... which put me in mind of caramac bar... so my suggestion is Mac!

@thenewaveragebear1983 yes the cult comment is so true, there is so much pressure to get everything right, and to only take your dog out if you can 100% guarantee it will never put a foot wrong

@thenewaveragebear1983 we had a puppy a few years ago too and it didn’t go well. She was eventually rehomed at age 2, because she had significant behavioural issues (including manic zoomie biting- she bit the dc), and reactiveness. I’m still in touch with where she went and she is very happy, we get pictures of her and her dog brother. It was the best decision for her and is, although it broke my heart. Lots of stuff happened in her short time with us, including me being very ill and hospitalised and divorce. My ex-h wasn’t great with her and I’m that sense it’s actually easier being on my own this time.

I was very anxious getting another dog, and worried about admitting it here. But this time has been totally different (although still bloody hard!).

I agree with the pressure to get everything right, a lot of it brings back feelings of having a newborn (which was definitely not my favourite bit of dc!)

@Lougle thanks for the name suggestion. I like Bertie but DH not keen. He likes Woody but I'm not so sure on that. Hard to find something that we agree on.

A PP suggested Arthur but I have a grandson called Arthur so that's out too.

Cooper- personally I think it’s the very best name for a boy dog.

I like Cooper! I wanted Murphy for our current pup but no one agreed with me that it's a gender neutral name, apparently it's definitely a boy name 🤷‍♀️

Laddie or Ghillie? That's Scottish for gamekeeper or a Hunter/ fishing guide.

I collect my Bertie tomorrow @cockapup .
Am very nervous and excited. We have a long journey so won't get home til about 9pm tomorrow night. Hope he sleeps for the journey but am expecting car sickness so have a bundle of puppy pads and a little travel water bottle and a blanket for him in his travel case.

It's like being a new mother all over again.

Exciting times @FeargalLandSharkey

So exciting. I'm not sure if this thread has instilled the fear of God into me. I think I have forgotten so much about having a new puppy and this is bringing it all back.

At least we can share our experiences. I need to puppy proof my house and look more into crate training.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crate-Games-DVD-Susan-Garrett/dp/B0013GJJG6

This is worth its weight in gold. It's £30 but you get a physical DVD. They've moved to an online subscription now, which is about £30 for a year's access.

@cockapup how about Dougle for your lovely boy?

Have great puppy day!

here’s a weird one- Foxpup woke up twice last night, cried so took him out and he did nothing, nada. He just sat outside looking at me like I was mad, tried to go back inside. I tried walking around to get him to do something. But nothing. Both at midnight and 4am. At some point think 5.30am he did a poo.

Hes normally fine he goes out does a wee ans straight back in. I can’t see that he’s don’t anything in his crate. Anyone else had this? Is this the start of him sleeping through?