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.

@FeargalLandSharkey that sounds great! Mine drags toys and blankets back in his crate if you take them out, it’s very cute!

We seem to be in a pattern of twice waking, once at 3am and then at 6 (I don’t count 6-am as morning, I’ve always taught dogs that this is still night 🤣). I’m hoping if I can sort out the 3am poo he will sleep longer.

Another long time lurker here.

Picked up our 8 week old maltipoo on Monday - things are going ok. Marvelling at all of you with new pups sleeping well in their crates - what are your tips?!

Following the crating advice from the facebook group recommended on here, I'm sleeping next to the crate (door open) but after an hour she's out and next to me 🙄

But everything else is going ok ish. Well apart from her wanting to eat EVERYTHING on toilet trips outside.

@RowNine i think mostly just lucky re:crate. We have just put her in it from day 1, built it up to longer during the day but at nighttime she’s gone in all night without any fuss.

I went to buy a new bed today as I’m tired of constantly having to move hers from crate to room. I ended up buying a single quilt and a tartan cover which was cheaper than a dog bed and can be washed easily. we also bought this dinosaur which has so far been a roaring success . It feels very hard wearing and it’s limbs and head are perfect size for chomping

https://www.matalan.co.uk/gift-pets/grey-dinosaur-dog-toy-27cm-x-14cm/14505065.html?switchcurrency=GBP&shippingcountry=GB&creative=651764688655&keyword=&matchtype=&network=g&device=m&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4vKpBhCZARIsAOKHoWRMQKeCUWY4t4S5Oik5i9sROTguuG3w9DmOS2h19rnMgDU7-ro42rAaAoPrEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Oh my, I just read a thread about the full moon- could this explain the crazy dog last night and today? She’s totally feral!

I honestly think the crate is mostly luck. A bit like babies who sleep or don’t. My last dog hated the crate, no matter what we did. This pup loves his. I think the vet bed that came from the breeder and smells of his siblings and mum (it absolutely honks) makes a difference

I suspect the crate thing is just pure luck too.

I put Mabel in her crate for the first time (3 weeks ago today, seems like forever!) at 10pm the night she came home. The breeder didn't crate train (she just left all the puppies roaming at night) and I didn't introduce the crate til bedtime. I had it next to my bed (I'm unwilling to sleep on the sofa and I wouldn't hear her from upstairs) I carried her up the stairs, put her in the crate, shut the door and didn't hear a peep from her until 8am. She's happily gone in there every night since and I've only had to get up up twice for a loo break and she went straight back in afterwards and slept. She also happily naps during the day in there which is useful.

Toilet training however..........😡

@WingingItSince1973 that sounds really hard! Fingers crossed pup is all healed now and things will start to settle. How did the broken leg happen? Have to say I watch my two race around the garden and worry, pup has stunned herself twice running into things or misjudging a jump... the breeder said lift in and out of the car... that's the least of my worries, she's constantly airborne!

We've had a better day today, only two pee accidents so far. I actually got a lie in this morning because I let her out for a wee at 6:30 then put her back in the crate and she slept until 8!

I've found a puppy class starting on Wednesday but it is about 20 mins away and she's still a bit hit and miss in the car. I'm expecting whining on the way there but hopefully she'll sleep on the way back.

Thought there might not be a magic crate pill 😃She did settle herself to sleep for the first time in there for the first time this afternoon so guess that's progress. Even if she did wander out after half an hour.

How are you all managing training treats? As Ziggy is so little her food allocation for the day doesn't seem enough for any meaningful training.

@RowNine training at this stage should only last 2-3 minutes anyway, so it should be enough.

Crate training for us was Susan Garrett's crate games. Lots of treats for stepping into the crate. Then gradually increasing the time we shut the door for.

Today has been tricky. We did some loose lead walking practice in a car park next to our street. My Mum and Dad have visited. We had to go back to the vet because we needed more wormer and needed to weigh her (they told me she was 7.5kg on Monday, but I had weighed her on Saturday and she was 6.6kg. They insisted they were right. I weighed her again today and she's 7.6kg, which tallies with her growth trajectory. When I took her today, their scales weighed her at 7.6kg).

So she's overtired and wouldn't settle but she's finally given in.

We have also been incredibly lucky with the crate. Puppy settled in it overnight the first time my son tried him and mainly goes to bed around 8.30/9.00 and gets up about 8.30. I really hope it continues!!

He's at a friends this afternoon so I can get stuff done. Just having a latte and a sit down for 5 mins without a wrecking ball either zooming around or going suspiciously out of sight so I have to keep jumping up to find out what he's up to!

I also have a stinky blanket from mum and other pups which I think has helped Bertie settle in the crate.
Today I've twice misjudged and he's pooed indoors. Not his fault and I dealt with it, keep telling myself we are only 48hrs in and he's just 9 wks old.
Having said that he not gets quite excited as we approach his garden pen for toileting as he knows he gets a treat for performing 😁

I found a few old sweatshirts and T-shirts that I was happy to surrender and I wore them nonstop for a few days then used them in her bed at first. The T-shirts I tore up and made into a plaited rope toy.

we went to the dog day carers this afternoon, they were just a nice normal family with a lovely well behaved pointer. Maggie was a bit shy but she chilled right out, and Juno the pointer took to her as well, lots of sniffing and playing. Juno took no nonsense either. We got home and Maggie zonked out, so soundly I actually moved her to her crate and she had a lovely hours sleep and I just went upstairs and folded washing. Since she’s been up she’s been a lot calmer. Maybe she has been missing other dogs? It must be weird to not see a single other one if your species. Maybe Juno gave her some words of wisdom? But anyway, she’s been a lot calmer this afternoon, even now eating her dinner she’s not frantic, she’s just nicely eating.

@Lougle I'm interested in the crate training program but info on the website is very limited. What are you actually getting for the $29? We could do with a proper plan and like the idea of this

@Doodledangle I think it's the same content as the DVD, which I bought for £30 on Amazon.

Have a look on YouTube. Lots of crate training videos on there. Two I can think of are McCann and Kikopup.

I have no idea what's happened to Hazel. She has barely slept all day. She will not settle and is whining when she's in her pen. I'm wondering if her teeth are hurting.

@Lougle full moon 😉

Also, just to remind you. The clocks go back tonight. Your puppy that was waking at 6am is going to wake at 5am tomorrow.

you’re welcome.

<looks at blissfully sleeping puppy 🙄 >

I'm so glad I'd made it to 7am with pooper pup. I've set my alarm for 6 to let her out.

We found waking pup up late (9pm or later) and sending them out for a wee helped to make them sleep through the night. Doesn’t work for me though! Don’t forget, they only have small bladders.

Talking of all things urinary, mine didn’t do his usual walk poo last night. Is he cutting down the number of poos, or just didn’t fancy going in the wind and rain? Even took him out for a third walk to encourage him.

Bertie has started the odd bum scoot, which only happens when he's in a manic phase. His poos are clear of worms and his bum is clean and he has been wormed 3 times before coming home so due again in 2 weeks.

He is also perfecting the double reverse 180 degree mid air twist when preparing to poop .

Can't believe how much my conversation has changed in 4 days. Is the bum scoot down to sheer over excitement do you think?

Hazel seems to have reset. She settled at 8.45pm, then woke at midnight for the toilet, then again at 6am (which is actually 7 am).

She did a really lovely little lead walk this morning for breakfast.

@usernamenotaccepted I hope the bum scooting calms.

Foxpup managed 12.30 and then 5am (actually 6). So hopefully a sleep through is on the horizon!

He seems to be very itchy and possibly fleas? He has only had contact with one dog, and breeder did flea and worm. Thing I’m going to have to get him something, he’s almost constantly scratching and biting himself.

Bum scooting can sometimes be if it feels to then that not all the poo has come off? If that makes sense?

Hazel had Effipro spray at 4 weeks, then the vet has put her on Simparica Trio (heartworm disease, ticks & fleas, roundworms & hookworms) which she has monthly. She also has Drontal monthly for worms (roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, whipworms).

I use vets4pets puppy plan. It's £16 per month but it covers her vaccination and all flea/worming, 2 additional vet consultations, 3 routine nurse consultations and nail clipping, plus a 24/7 vet line (although we also have this through Petplan to be fair).