Puppy Survival Thread - for old and new pups heading into winter

[Lougle]

A thread to continue our journey with our puppies as we head into winter.

If you're new to having a puppy, jump straight in.

Sorry it's all so hard @Pineapplemonkey . She won't have failed puppy classes but if they are making her stressed they won't help. Tbh, it's all pretty basic stuff that you're probably doing with her anyway. Our class taught recall, lead walking, sit, down, doorway manners, etc.

@TheSproutOfWrath the early days are hard. Your pup is about 13 weeks isn't she? Hazel was quite bitey. She's 4 months now and we only have the occasional over excited nips. She hasn't lost any teeth yet.

I find Jolleyes Lifestage food in Salmon with Haddock gives Hazel perfect poos. We feed less than the amount on the packet, though. Our stud Kennel owner is convinced that manufacturers increase the amount you should feed for profit and recommends ⅔ of the stated amount as a starting point, then judging body condition to increase or decrease. Hazel gets 320g per day, spread over 3 meals.

@Pineapplemonkey sounds like a horrific day - sending hugs.

@TheSproutOfWrath you've got a cocker haven't you? If he's 13 weeks like @Lougle says, and if like ours he will calm down. Ours was exactly like that at 13 weeks - is now 5 months and although he still has his moments (bruise on my leg from a nip yesterday..) he's a LOT calmer than at 13 weeks. Hang on in there and keep up with consistently managing his behaviour!

Oh and also - teething is a huge part of it. Ours has just lost a lot of teeth in a short space of time and gained some bright white gnashers!! We call him Turkey Teeth 🤣🤣

Yes, hes 13 weeks and a devil of a working cocker.
I have been working on sit and stay to stop him jumping up this morning. So far minty bones are doing the trick. It definitely helps if it's just me and him in a quiet room.
Saying that, he's just run off with the tea towel into the garden 🙈
I've found keeping the cardboard recycling box in the conservatory is the best toy ever for him! Gives me a few moments to actually have a cup of tea.

@Pineapplemonkey that sounds like a shocking day 🙈 After that, things can only get better!

Thanks everyone, today is a new day and so far nothing bad has happened. She’s just gone into her crate where hopefully I will get a few hours peace (and a sausage sandwich which I will eat slowly and without a pup pawing at me to share). She’s 💩 fine this morning which is good and eaten 50% of her breakfast which isn’t so great considering I only gave her 50% of the correct amount. So by my maths, she’s eaten a quarter.
I did hand feed her a bit of the new food sample I have and she seemed enthusiastic so I think I will swap her. A local pet shop manufacture the food themselves and it’s grain free, steam cooked and 80% meat and has good reviews, it’s not a bad price either so I think it worth a go, just need to go and buy a bag, sample is only 100g!

That sounds great @Chocolatebuttonns . I can't tell you how exciting it is when you try to train a skill and they suddenly get it and you know it's all because of your hard work.

@Pineapplemonkey i think the puppy classes have failed you, not the reverse.

Good news, RiverPup seems a lot better today (and looks less stoned!). Apart from looser poos, he seems back to normal.

if you want a Christmas present for you pup, I can suggest buying a slow feeder. RiverPup used to gobble his food down at the speed of lightening, and this helped to slow him down. We still use it on a daily basis.

Sorry for all the bad days. Puppy days are so similar to the newborn days for me. I I’ve been able to leave pho in his crate for 30 mins so I can go for a run/pop to shops. Makes all the difference. And as he’s ‘slightly’ calmer and more predictable the dc are happy to watch him for an hour so I can get groceries etc. They are 14 and 11 though, harder with young children.

We have more snow today and pup loves it. He went on a mad rampage at 2am in the garden and DP and DS spent ages trying to get him back inside 🤣

Puppy classes helped enormously- ours has just graduated this morning! He did the best recall EVER when it was needed (helped by super delicious chicken chunks at the ready 🤣)

The classes really helped us to understand the behaviour we needed to train, and the techniques. I would highly recommend to all puppy owners

@Chocolatebuttonns I have an adult dog and although we have to consider his needs, we can freely decide to leave him for several hours and we know he'll just have a snooze until we're home. I suppose it depends on the nature of the dog.

Another one having a bad day here.
Yesterday pup spent alot of the day with adult DD whilst I went to have my hair cut. He had a lovely time, meeting loads of people down at the harbour, being made a fuss of and attracting lots of attention. He was very tired when he came home and slept all night.

But today. OMG. It's awful weather, grey and rainy/bordering on sleet first thing this morning and he's pee'd on the rug in my room 3 times - twice in the space of 10 minutes, barely had I finished soaking up and spraying the rug than he did it again and then began doing his preparing to poo dance so I had to quickly rush him outside. But I'd taken him out loads today, including not long before he pee'd indoors. He definitely didn't like the wet and cold even with his coat on and he just sat in the pee/poo pen or licked the rain off the bars so I brought him back in. He's been very bitey today as well, so it hasn't been a good day for us, at all.

It's sooo stressful. I haven't been able to think about planning Christmas or do any shopping for it and when he sleeps I just seem to go into a bit of a daze!
I'm putting alot of hope into being in my own house and having much more space and order with easy access to the outside. Someone please tell me I'm not being unreasonable to imagine it will be even a bit easier!

@FeargalLandSharkey I'm sure it will be better in your own place.

Hazel has done really well again tonight. We were having a tea at my parents' house so we arranged it for 6pm (she eats dinner at 5pm). I fed her at 5pm, let her out for toileting at 5:20pm, put her in her pen and shut the door, and then we left the house. I checked in on her using the mini blink camera I bought yesterday and she was completely settled. So 2½ hours, which is not bad at all.

Not envious at all. Exactly how much money would it take for you to come and train pineapplepup for me?? 😂

Just woke her up to go to bed (that sounds weird but she was asleep on the sofa,her crate is upstairs). I always have to gently push her off the sofa and she knows it bedtime pee time so she plods off through the kitchen and out into the garden, plods to her pee spot, pees and then plods back in, up the stairs and into her crate where she instantly falls asleep until 7am

Or that's what usually happens, today she got through the kitchen and to the open doors leading into the garden, took one look at me stood in the garden, in the dark, holding an umbrella in torrential rain and high winds and her face said it all. Sod off if you think I'm stepping outside in that. She purposefully strode off to the opposite side of the kitchen and instantly peed. I can't even be annoyed with her, I really don't blame her, who wants to go out in that and go to bed wet and cold?!

Is this a puppy thing or do grown dogs pee inside in bad weather? At least it's a hard floor..........

@Chocolatebuttonns @Pineapplemonkey @FeargalLandSharkey I just came on to say that this time last year we'd had Sunpup for about 6 weeks and it was really tough. It was relentless. DH and I had a timetable of who would be with him, we had a huge tarpaulin down to protect the oak flooring, we spent ridiculous amounts of time standing in the garden in the rain saying hurry up and waiting for the pee/poop,
we literally said " you watch him while I make a cup of tea" then "I'll watch him while you go and shower".
It is a 24/7 fulltime job.
We genuinely thought we'd never be able to go out again together...
but ... it got better, he's now 15 months old, he doesn't pee or poop in the house he doesn't chew anything, he doesn't mind being left for a few hours, he sleeps in until 8:30am. He's not perfect- he's still an adolescent working line dog, but he's getting there.
But when he was 12 weeks old yes I wanted to send him back!!
Puppies are like babies they take over your life!
But it's definitely worth it!

Sproutpup just bit my face and lip . This biting thing is getting out of hand. He's already really bitten my husbands hand quite badly. Normally we could cope but as he is now partially paralysed he can't react quick enough.
Yesterday evening was me and pup in the kitchen and conservatory out of the way. I know it gets better but this morning I could cheerfully return him.

Working Cocker owners can I ask, are they on a working puppy food? I have the devil on RCW puppy at the moment but thinking of changing.

Oh @Pineapplemonkey that's very sweet! She was probably being efficient. 'You want me to pee? I can do that right here and save us both from getting wet!' I think as they get older, it's so ingrained in them that toilet happens outside, that they feel a deep shame if they toilet inside. Or at least, that was the case for our old GSDs once their back legs started to go. We had ours put down when that stage started because they were so upset if they toileted inside. It might be different for other breeds though.

It's a pity we're not all close together - we could do puppy meets. I'm sure you're training Pineapplepup just fine though. You've made so much progress. I think it's harder to see it in our own pups than in other people's.

@Chocolatebuttonns I think you really need to consider if you want to do this? We can cheer you on but if you really are feeling as desperate as you are indicating, perhaps you need permission to say that you made a mistake? Your DH sounds like he's being very unfair - you've had a bad day on a Sunday, but presumably that's a day when he was home? Was he helpful? If you decide that the thought of an adult dog as your companion is worth it, then you need to take your parents up on their offer and get some support. It won't be forever, but you need some help and if it isn't coming from your DH, it needs to come from somewhere else.

@TheSproutOfWrath the bitey phase is hard. Can you block her with your hand if she's jumping at you? I used to use a hand on Hazel's chest as she jumped, so that she couldn't get the upward thrust.

Chocolatebuttonns
I am just delurking to urge you to accept your parents offer of help. I think it will make a difference if they can watch pup so you can have a bit of a break.

I just wanted to say that I got my pup aged 16 weeks, as the previous owner had returned her in similar circumstances to you. She is very much loved, so don’t feel bad if you do go down this route.

@Pineapplemonkey No, I can't say I blame them, really. When I was very young I used to hide behind the coats in the cloakroom at school when it was cold and raining at playtime so I get it completely!! It's good to know they do at least grow out of it and, do you know what, on a good day, those rose tinted specs go back on and I look at him like he's the best decision I ever made (he is, btw!)
@Chocolatebuttonns in your situation I'd be feeling the same, more so if there were other available adults who weren't stepping up. I made a decision to get Bertie on my own because my circumstances mean I'm around all the time and don't work any more so I get it. And also what @Lougle said, sometimes if we need permission to say I made a mistake it's actually ok to say it (and maybe your DH will see he could do more if he wants this to work?).

'@Sunflowers098 THANK YOU. I really, really needed to read that post.

@Chocolatebuttonns . I really feel for you. It's just me. I think it made it easier as I had no partner to be disappointed in or angry at. I do have a teen and preteen and although they are helpful, I do everything.
The thing that saved me snd allowed me to get work done was a routine. I did hour up, hour activity. The activity wasn't necessarily a walk - I tanked a lot of cash of toys snd chews, I played (and still play) lots of short games with her - to help develop a bond. Just for 5 mins max. Basically just kept her tired by playing, licking and sniffing games and small bits of training. That way she was easy and willing to settle for a nap.
I also used doggy day care for a couple of afternoons a week - for 4 glorious hours. I know doggy day care is considered the work of the devil on mn but for my sociable, playful pup it was a lifesaver. Use offers of help. It's amazing how even an hour sitting alone with your thoughts and a cup of tea can restore you.
I'm sorry I haven't read all of the posts so not sure what issues you are having but just coming on here as a show of solidarity. Man I hated the puppy days, I would have handed her to the Amazon delivery guy many many times.
She's the bestest now.