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.

Sounds horrible @AnnieSnap thank goodness you knew what to look out for! Glad the operation was a success.

Does a sighthound have a deep chest? Unluckypup is probably a sighthound gsd mix but not as bulky as a gsd, so wondering if she's more prone or not. Eitherway I'll avoid walks after food.

I think she probably would be susceptible. I have had lots of deep chested dogs over the years and my lovely Stella was the only one who suffered this, so don’t worry, but it’s best to inform yourself of the symptoms and always treat them as a Veterinary emergency. The vet said if I’d been 10/15 minutes later, she would probably have bern dead.

Yes I agree, just know the symptoms and avoid the suspected triggers but try not to worry too much. Our older dog has a very deep chest, we avoid walks around mealtimes but it doesn't stop her from getting the mad zoomies outside after dinner. And on long walks she will find a puddle and have a massive drink before running on. She's never been affected but I just stay alert to the symptoms. I know some vets offer a gastropexy to susceptible breeds but I don't know how solid the evidence is for the procedure.

Here she is showing off her deep chest. We do have a cargo barrier in the boot by the way.. I think it was out here because I'd just had the seats down for something

Just thought I'd share these, both dogs love them! We can't use things like yak chews or bones because the older dog breaks them into chunks and then vomits them up, but these have been brilliant! https://www.amazon.co.uk/Benebone-Durable-Fishbone-Aggressive-Chewers/dp/B09B2Y2G4K/ref=sr_1_16?crid=1NLZURZQ0B29K&keywords=benebone+wishbone&qid=1699520915&sprefix=benebone%2Caps%2C89&sr=8-16

Any ideas how I can move his 2am poo back or forward. It’s almost like clockwork and I think the only thing stopping him sleeping through.

I’ve moved his tea back to 6pm and he did a poo at about 7 yesterday, but still 2am. He does have his breakfast late at 8-9, because I’m not a morning person 😂. Should I bring that forward?

I take him out at 10.30, but can only get him to wee.

@FoxRedPuppy he might be just a bit small. We give the last feed at 17:30 and first feed at 07:00. Last poo is anywhere between 21:30-23:00, but she wakes at about 6 am for toileting.

that's a tricky one @FoxRedPuppy pup usually poos right before bed at about 10/10:30 and then goes through to 6:30. The only thing I can think of is her last meal is a bit earlier at 4:30-5ish... but I suppose then you run the risk of him waking up early because he's hungry. Her mealtimes are 6:30, 12:00 and 4:30-5

Thanks. He wakes at 5.30am for a wee, but I make him go back to bed after as I don’t consider that morning 🤣. Both my dc were early wakers at 5am so I feel I’ve done nearly a decade of stupid o’clock waking!

he is small, he was 4kg last weigh in, he gets weighed again tomorrow.

He’s on royal canin and I’m wondering if a better quality food might digest quicker and therefore come out quicker!

You can't be a non-morning person and a non-night person 😁

@FoxRedPuppy I was shocked when i moved Fluffpup onto better food from what I thought was ok food. (Iams from breeder to millieswolfheart). Her poo was perfect, easy to pick up, she dropped a poo to go twice or once a day and it was much smaller. Still smelt like poo though.

@BleakGarden and @AnnieSnap I had never heard of this. Fluffpup has found her inner catness/hibernation mode but I will google this - thanks for adding. @AnnieSnap that must have been terrifying. I will google symptoms but could you possibly share what you saw too?

As the meme goes, I’m not a early bird or a night owl, I’m a permanently exhausted pigeon 🤣. I do stay up quite late, but 2am seems excessive at my age!

Ove just looked at Millie’s wolf heart, but it seemed confusing! I’ve got an independent pet shop I’ll go to and ask their advice.

Millies is great food. Their customer service is very good, very helpful, email or call them. You will see a huge difference going on to decent food.

We use Millies too, I started my older dog on the gun dog mix but she gained weight, after speaking to them I switched her to the gamekeepers mix and it's been great. It's gone up in price a few times though

@BigBundleOfFluff She just looked ‘wrong’, uncomfortable, then very restless, getting up and down, turning around, swollen tummy, was enough. By the time I’d rung the Vet she was worse and worse.

I’ve been to the pet shop and got something called Symply. They said it’s good. They only sell natural stuff. I’d like something I can but locally. I’m really trying to support my local high street.

So, after a very trying day yesterday and being up twice in the night to take Bertie out for wees and poos I discovered this morning he's been wee'ing in his crate and I missed it. I'd thought he was going longer between wees than I'd expected but he hadn't.
BUT - rather than sinking into a negative place I decided today's another day, and I got on with de-enzyming spray and washed everything, went shopping for (more urine-off stuff etc) and we had the most lovely morning. Bertie was very receptive to lots of stroking that wasn't accompanied by biting; it was so lovely and has made my day.
Thanks to having set a routine I am beginning to see a pattern and although I've taken him out much more at the slightest suspicion of needing the toilet it's meant a better day for both of us. Also - his mad zoomy/bitey moments are definitely in the afternoon after his 3rd meal of the day. But that's fine. I'm learning positive inhitibitor sounds and strategies. We've had 2 very good 5 minute training bursts today as well - sit and come and sit and make eye contact.

Now I have to go because he's trying to get his ball from under the wardrobe and he can't reach it. Bless.

@FeargalLandSharkey you're making loads of progress!

Hazel just suddenly seems...older. She is just slightly more steady in her demeanour. I adjusted her crate yesterday to give her more room, but she was whining last night. I added a pillow and she settled right down.

We've been working on 'sit-stay' today. She does so well. I can go from the corner of our lounge, out of the lounge door and to the other end of our hallway now. She sometimes pops up and decides to follow, but for her age, I'm very happy. However, she has learned how to jump up on the sofa and she sofa surfs to get to things that have been put up supposedly out of reach. So I need to train her to only go on the sofa if invited...tips welcome!

We're off to puppy class in a few minutes.

@FeargalLandSharkey that sounds really positive 🙂

Good luck at puppy class @Lougle

For anyone interested in ordering treats/chews there's upto 20% on JR Pet Products today. No code, just early black Friday sale

Bit naughty, but I took Freddie for a little walk today. Officially should have waited until tomorrow, but honestly can’t make much difference.

He absolutely loved it, was so excited, but walked really well on the lead, kept looking to me and getting treats for walking to heel.

only issue is if he sees a dog and it doesn’t stop for long enough or at all he starts crying and howling 🤣🤣

I'm getting really frustrated. No progress on toilet training at all. The chewing has stepped up as has stealing the cats food as well as trying to get into her litter box at every opportunity. Feel so fed up.

@Tomlettegregg sorry you're having a tough time. It is hard. Not sure what to suggest except wine/chocolate and tomorrow is another day x

The tough days are long days 😞

We had a good day today, nice walk at lunchtime with her new harness (a much better fit and less bite invoking) and then I didn’t plan to walk her again but I got back from slimming club and she demanded a walk. Literally cried at the door. Of course like a good servant I got her lead and harness and some pocket meat and off we went 🙄

i find the evenings hard, I have so much to do and yet every time I get up she wakes and follows me. I don’t want to put her in her crate as she goes in in the day but I can’t spend every evening not doing things while she sleeps soundly. If I get up, she will wake and follow me. Plus our little cat who gets pushed out during the day finally comes down in the evenings but they do wind each other up and need supervision. I might have to start putting her in for half an hour just so I can whizz round and clear up some evenings.

I won’t grumble though, she is good on the whole and we are making progress. I’ve signed up for puppy classes starting next week as well, which will be good.

Sorry it's all so hard. Can you lift the food to a height the puppy can't reach? Is there a way of restricting access to the litter trays? That would cut the opportunity. Even my very well trained adult dog wouldn't resist a snaffle if cat food was in reach.

Where are you at with the toilet training? Is puppy still refusing to wee or poo outside, or are you just having a lot of accidents inside?

Puppy training went well tonight. No new stuff yet for us, but we've done quite a lot with her. It's good to practice with distraction.

@Tomlettegregg I feel your pain. Rowpup has gone backwards with her toilet training - we had days with no accidents, now multiple indoor wees. She had her second vaccinations yesterday so hoping this is connected. Clutching I appreciate.

She's still needing to be next to me at night. And I mean right next to me. Sleeps very happily in her bed during the day but as soon as 11pm arrives it's a different story.

Trainer coming to the house next week!