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.

DH is really struggling with neediness of pooper pup.

@Dogdaywoes mine is too. The dog is definitely mine, it’s me who wanted her. Dh is a decent guy, he will support me with her, he’ll help me out and he does his fair share round the house and with the dc but the dog will always be mine, and my responsibility. I think the relentlessness of puppies has hit us quite hard. Like someone said upthread, it’s like having a baby but harder. At least a baby can go out and is allowed in places.

I took Maggie to the kids football for 20 minutes today. She was really good. I couldn’t hold her all the time so she did go down and we stood away from the crowd and did lots of eyes on me and sit.. she came home and slept for 2 hours! I had to wake her!

@Dogdaywoes im only managing myself because I’ve had a puppy before. I think loads of people have dogs but no one really talks about the puppy bit.

I’m struggling this weekend as my kids are with their dad and I’m alone with puppy, but basically stuck in the house. We went to the pet shop yesterday, and I DP came over last night, but it feels very cabin fever like.

But I keep reminding myself it’s only for a few weeks. And my mum is coming to see me for a few days tomorrow which will help. I have an online shop arriving soon with all the stuff I need but can’t go out and get 🤣

It's nice to know other people understand.

That's the same arrangement as us @thenewaveragebear1983

Argh just had our first indoor turd! My fault of course. But he’s been asking to go outside and then just going mad eating plants, bark chippings and running around. After 3 times of this, I didn’t let him out. Then when I went into the room I could smell it!

I shouldn’t have let him have free reign of the garden. But it’s so small, I always go out with him. I try and engage with toys etc. But sometimes I can’t.

I might deliveroo some wine 🤣

And now a pee! I’ve ordered the wine!

Oh @FoxRedPuppy ours does this in the garden (not had a poo in the house for ages though). I've reduced his zone by fencing off most of the grass so he has the whole large patio plus a very thin strip of grass and a bit of border. He's still managed to go berserk digging in the tiny spot of border. I need to go out tomorrow to buy some bricks to put over it.

In the house I've also had to move the tissue box to a high spot as he climbed on the sofa, leaned on the arm to reach over and bite the top off the tissue coming out of the box! Wherever there's a weak link he'll find it!

Our pup did really well at his first training today and was absolutely exhausted by it (he had a long sleep). I took him out much later to the park and had a horrible time of it as he kept biting the long lead and messing about. I tried to unwind it from his legs and he went crazy, jumping up and snapping at my legs and hands and not letting me get him undone. He really bit hard on my hand at one point. Such a shame as he's been doing quite well the last few days but then this happens and it makes me really sad. It's exhausting looking after a puppy and I really feel for those of you doing it on your own all the time, not just for a week like me! And I've had help from friends and my sister!!

I'm starting to think there's something wrong with him tbh, as something just seems to click and then he turns into a little bitey ball of fury.

Could the puppy class have over stimulated him? That’s my understanding of the crazy bitey behaviour.

Mine also does it when he needs a poo!

it is as bad as a baby when you have no idea why they are crying! I had two very cry-ey babies!

I am just so bloody exhausted.

I cannot seem to master the toilet training (well she can’t at any rate) and the jumping at my face to bite, it doesn’t matter how many times I say no, put her on the floor and turn away to ignore her, she keeps on. If I actually left the room when she bites we literally would never be in the same room at the same time.

She has so much energy but she just can’t seem to release it all and struggles to settle. And nobody gets it (IRL). I keep being tutted at for using training pads but no one can tell me what I’m meant to do otherwise, even using the pads is 50/50 vs my carpet. Apparently I should be ‘making’ her go outside, no one seems to be able to tell me exactly how I make a puppy pee/poo outside, squeeze her? I must have missed that chapter in the training book. She loves being in the garden, just chooses not to toilet out there very often. I provide over the top praise and excitement when she does go outside plus treat her with roast chicken. This does not seem to have any effect.

Her second vaccinations are a week tomorrow and despite me dying to leave the house with her on the floor, my attempts at putting a lead on her so far have been poor to say the least, at this rate I’ll be dragging her along the ground on her belly. And she has zero recall (unless we count shaking a bag of treats?!) and I don’t even get how to teach that.

Can you tell it’s been a long weekend?

He's definitely worse when over stimulated or tired. But he had a very long sleep after the class - maybe he was still tired.
I've had to wake him half an hour ago from a nap so I can feed him then put him to bed at 8/8.30. He slept until 8.15 this morning (so 9.15 in old money!) and that was after bed at 8.15 last night without a peep all night!

@FoxRedPuppy commiserations about the poo accident. We've had plenty of times when we've misread the signals.

@chimichangaz my training guru, Kate Olsen, says that puppies should only do one new thing per day, and not every day. They need lots of time to process all the sounds, smells, sights, etc., that they've seen. He probably just didn't have anything left. How often are you treating as you walk? Again Kate Olsen recommends a treat rate of 20 treats per minute in the early days. I use Hazel's breakfast for her lead walking and her whole breakfast is enough to do 5 minutes to the car park at the end of our road, a couple of practices of 15 paces with one turn, then 15 paces, and the return home. If I run out of her kibble, she starts to move out of position and if anything happens that isn't what I want (pulling, moving away to sniff other areas, etc.) I pick her up and walk the rest of the way with her in my arms, so she doesn't have the opportunity to 'fail'. It's so much easier to train a behaviour than to fix a behaviour.

@Pineapplemonkey I'm sorry it's so hard. For recall, running to the bag of treats is absolutely what she should be doing. The rule is never to call her unless you are pretty certain she's going to come. If you think she won't come, go and get her. But absolutely, treat every time and generously. That's what makes her come to you the next time.

We've spent a lot of time reinforcing calm lying down in the lounge today.

@Pineapplemonkey its so hard doing it alone. But I think this is all on the spectrum of normal.

my furry twat has just been out for some more mad time in the garden.😂

@Pineapplemonkey I am not a dog trainer by any means but this is my input on your dilemmas.
the biting- Maggie gets bitey for various reasons. Hungry, needing a wee/poo, overtired, overstimulated. But the other one I’ve realised is when she’s thirsty. I now add quite a lot of water to her food, and take her to her water regularly even though it’s literally right there. if you watch an adult dog with a puppy, they do not tolerate biting, they will do a little yip like a mini bark. You need to practice yours! I say ‘hey hey’ really high pitched and loud to Maggie when she bites me.

they don’t like to wee on a hard surface, they prefer absorbent. A lot of breeders use astroturf squares on top of a puppy pad , then you move the square nearer to the door every day.

For recall, we did ‘come with me’ as well as recall. Gets the dog to move with you, rather than to you . A gun dog trainer told me that one.

it’s sounds like you’re trying so hard and it will click with her, she’s just reluctant. As I sat, I am not a trainer so please disregard this if it doesn’t help you

I think as well that some advice on puppies is like when people tell you to put your baby down ‘sleepy but awake’. My babies hasn’t read that book! I’ve taken to putting pup in the crate when he’s really bitey. I sit next to it and put my hand nearby. He’s not alone, but usually he falls asleep or he calms down.

All the effort of moving back feeding times to account for the clocks going back was a waste of time! Pup was up several times vomiting on Saturday night, fine all day yesterday and vomited once again last night. Have spoken to online vet and going to split evening meal into two and give one later on. She's absolutely fine in herself, but we're missing our final training session today which I'm a bit sad about.

@Lougle he doesn't get treats when we walk unless he's done a wee or poo or sat nicely at the kerb! Where can I find info on Kate Olsen please?

Can anyone recommend a harness that doesn't cost the earth and isn't hard to get over their heads?! Just been to the pet shop to get one - it's £45 and he got very stressed getting it on and off as it was tight over his spaniel ears. I can adjust it but he's so bitey with his collar/lead and when we tried the harness, I just want one that slips on and off easily with minimal faffing!! Might take this one back.

Hello everyone.
I've come for tea (because I don't drink) and reassurance.

I'm exhausted! Mainly because when he's out of his crate after sleep/rest it isn't long before he's a ball of bitey/racey/manic madness and it's very hard to get it under control.
I'm doing the remove myself if he bites or goes to bite me and I use the words "too bad". He seems to be getting the idea but usually is so excited it starts again as soon as I engage him in play.
That's actually the only thing I feel I'm out of my depth with because it's becoming a big part of our interactions when he's out of his crate.

We have a bit of a routine whereby he eats, plays/goes bonkers and has a pee/poo (this is going really well now) and then after about 90 minutes when I simply need to do something else not puppy related I place him in his crate and he goes to sleep. Is that about right?

However - we had a lovely moment yesterday afternoon when he spontaneouly rolled onto his back and gave me his tummy for tickles AND allowed me to stroke him whilst he was on his side. Then he got onto my lap and dozed off for a bit. That means he is forming a bond with me, right?

I identify with so much of what you say @FoxRedPuppy and @chimichangaz although must remember he hasn't been here a week yet so it is still very early days. Speaking of which when can I wash his blanket as it is quite smelly (was with his Mum and littermates before he came home). I don't want to do it too soon and I can live with it but it is a bit pongy 😁

I won’t be washing the vet bed any time soon. I think it’s worth putting up with it for a while. That routine sounds perfect.

I’m really stressed and it’s all my fault. I agreed a long time ago to walk/look after someone’s dog this week. And I sort of didn’t want to, but did anyway (people pleaser). And now I have the pup as well. I tried bringing the other dog to my house. They get on fine but they just continuously chase each other. To the point that I could get puppy to sleep. I’ve no real way of separating them in the house. This dog is quite a big breed.

I knew I should have said I couldn’t do it, but now they are out of the country so not much I can do. They have a family member at their house from 6pm every day. I’ve just had to take the big dog back and will go back in a bit and walk her.

All completely my fault. I also have to take DP for a hospital appointment tomorrow and the kids are on half term FML!!!

@FoxRedPuppy Oh, I get it completely.
I've agreed to do things that I just know I'm going to cancel or delay but I just remember when I had my first DC and how I couldn't seem to coordinate ANYTHING much for the first 3 months or so. Can the person get home earlier to look take their dog back? Assuming they're an adult? Can the owners organise something which takes off some of the pressure on you?

I mean the person who gets home at 6pm.

We have a truelove harness. Our trainer recommended it. It was around £20 and we've had it from 10 weeks, he's 16 weeks now and still a bit of room left despite his phenomenal growth! When he outgrown this I think we'll go for PerfectFit, but they're more expensive so went cheaper initially while he's growing

@Lougle are harnesses made according to size of dog or breed specific, do you know?

I use Ruffwear harnesses. But they do go over heads and do rub past her ears (she's not bothered)
Everyone does seem to rave about perfect fit, if I had known about them at the time of purchasing I would have gone for that instead.

We use perfect fit. If you can get them to tell you what size, they are regularly sold second hand on eBay or Facebook.