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Original poster

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

994 replies

Lougle · 18/11/2023 21:43

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.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
136
JemimaPyjamas · 05/12/2023 10:31

I have just had a read of the thread and it's made me feel better already! Puppies are so full on, but not for long in the grand scheme of things, that it's easy to forget what's involved with bringing up a well balanced lovely dog that you can take anywhere.

Our previous dog was nearly 16 when she went, and so it seems a lifetime ago that we were run ragged. I did manage to get her to the point where I could get her to respond to me using just hand signals and at a distance, but I think I've blanked out just how long and how much work that took! Plus, the new pup is different with his quirks and how he does things, so it's sort of like relearning and adapting despite me having done it before.

Riverlee · 05/12/2023 12:04

Welcome @JemimaPyjamas .He’s adorable. Great picture. Collies have always been a favourite of mine, and when looking at rescue centres (dreaming of a second), I always gravitate towards ‘adopting’ (in my mind) collies. I think Shep and ‘One man and his dog’ are to blame.

JemimaPyjamas · 05/12/2023 12:25

Thank you! Our first was adopted but we had too many criteria this time round and it proved impossible (any ‘easy’ collies were few and far between and also got instantly snapped up.)

He is lovely and very clever - which works for and also against us at times!

@Riverlee what do you have? (I can scroll back but I’m on yet another training walk.)

Original poster
Lougle · 05/12/2023 12:59

@JemimaPyjamas what a lovely looking dog!

Well today was an exciting day. DD2 meets with her Speech and Language Therapist (and her dog) in the village each week. We decided to sit outside a cafe because they had a gazebo to protect from rain. The lady from the cafe saw us and invited us to come inside. We said that we had dogs and she said it was fine as long as we went into the hard floor section. So Hazel and the other dog came into the cafe. That did so well and the nice lady brought them some properly nice, thick cut ham, too ❤️

OP posts:
JemimaPyjamas · 05/12/2023 13:43

That's great - they really need to go everywhere don't they? While they are little, I mean (God, this is one of the few places on MN I don't feel nervous saying that!) so they get used to as many environments as possible. How old is yours?

Riverlee · 05/12/2023 13:46

@JemimaPyjamas I have a black Labrador who is 17 months now, and I think is technically still a pup. Everyone thinks he is. He’s an American lab so is smaller and slighter than the English, or show labs which tend to be more heavy set and have a squarer face (I didn’t know there was a difference until I got one either!).

Any excuse for a picture!

Puppy Survival Thread - for old and new pups heading into winter
JemimaPyjamas · 05/12/2023 13:57

I didn't know there was a difference either!

Mine is quite tall for his age so I think he'll be quite big. One of the hardest things I have found is actually other people. I suspect others on this thread will have also had people encouraging their tiny puppy to jump up and declaring they 'don't mind' when you ask them to ignore your dog until they are sitting nicely etc. Hence, I now have a jumper - he doesn't jump every time, but it's still about 30/70 (usually and often dependant on the person) and it's quite infuriating as I've tried and tried to get people to bloody listen! I also don't want a large dog jumping at people, I want my dog to have manners. I am working really hard to raise him with manners! I can control the jumping by getting the ball out and distracting him but I am wary of getting too dependant on a ball as collie's can tend to get obsessive with them, so would much rather he knew not to do it EVERY SINGLE TIME.

Ahhhh, the joys of raising a dog!

JemimaPyjamas · 05/12/2023 13:58

@Riverlee yours looks similar to a working lab type I look after. He too is slimmer and less heavy set. I have no idea about American ones.

Riverlee · 05/12/2023 15:09

i find I have to ‘train’ other people as well as RiverPup. So I make a point of making RiverPup sit, and explaining to whoever that he has to sit nicely before they can stroke him. So the human is invited to stroke the dog, not the other way around. Fortunately most people around are understanding.

As someone said to me once, we got the dog for our pleasure, not other people, so it’s up to us to decide who gets to pat him.

Riverlee · 05/12/2023 15:11

English (show) and American (working) labradors

Puppy Survival Thread - for old and new pups heading into winter
Puppy Survival Thread - for old and new pups heading into winter
Riverlee · 05/12/2023 15:12

I’ll try again.

Puppy Survival Thread - for old and new pups heading into winter
Riverlee · 05/12/2023 15:12

And the second picture.

Puppy Survival Thread - for old and new pups heading into winter
tizwozliz · 05/12/2023 16:10

No such thing as American and English labs in the UK, they're just terms used in the US. They're either show or working (or a combination of the two)

We're just having a post hoopers coffee. Pup settles so nicely wherever we are

Puppy Survival Thread - for old and new pups heading into winter
JemimaPyjamas · 05/12/2023 17:09

@Riverlee it sounds like you have more luck with the ‘people training’ than me, although that is possibly starting to change as ours looks less obviously puppy-ish and more like a young dog (he looks older than 5 months, I think so at least.) It’s very dog centric where I am too which is both good and bad in terms of training.

I am probably sounding more negative than I mean to, I think it was the tough morning that did it!

I am also finding it strange talking ‘dog’ on MN without automatically finding myself being or feeling defensive. (I’ve only mentioned him once, before he arrived, and that was about easy meals ideas we could focus on the puppy and not the cooking - but most replies weren’t answering the question at all!)

Sunflowers098 · 05/12/2023 17:10

@Riverlee @JemimaPyjamas
Sunpup aged 1 year working line lab (or American if you prefer!) and my previous DDog now departed over rainbow bridge showline lab (English) at the same age. Pretty much a different breed.

Puppy Survival Thread - for old and new pups heading into winter
Puppy Survival Thread - for old and new pups heading into winter
JemimaPyjamas · 05/12/2023 17:10

@tizwozliz he looks lovely! (I presume he’s a he…?)

Original poster
Lougle · 05/12/2023 18:24

Hazel is ¼ working, ¾ show, but I think she has the working 'look'.

Puppy Survival Thread - for old and new pups heading into winter
Puppy Survival Thread - for old and new pups heading into winter
OP posts:
thenewaveragebear1983 · 05/12/2023 18:39

Maggie has the pointy working nose, as demonstrated by this toy she got at the weekend which i think is an uncanny likeness

Puppy Survival Thread - for old and new pups heading into winter
userxx · 05/12/2023 19:12

Someone on here has a pup who won’t walk (apart from me) Can anyone remember a name?

tizwozliz · 05/12/2023 19:24

@JemimaPyjamas - he's a she 😁

We have two girls, an 8 month old and a 2.5 year old

Puppy Survival Thread - for old and new pups heading into winter
Puppy Survival Thread - for old and new pups heading into winter
Pineapplemonkey · 05/12/2023 19:48

userxx · 05/12/2023 19:12

Someone on here has a pup who won’t walk (apart from me) Can anyone remember a name?

Well Pineapplepup isn't overly keen on walking. As soon as I put the harness on her she sits on the sofa and refuses to move. I have to carry her to the front door where she shows a bit of interest in the open door but is then reluctant to leave the driveway. Walking down the street is a nightmare as she constantly stops and refuses to move, mostly she likes to lie down in peoples gardens. She intersperses this with barking at random people. We're still only doing 1 walk a day as it's so unfun for both of us. I have high hopes every day that tomorrow will see an improvement!

userxx · 05/12/2023 20:03

@Pineapplemonkey I think there are a few of us going through this at the moment! It’s so bloody frustrating isn’t it. Pupxx shakes so much I end up carrying him back home as I don’t want to make him worse than he already is. I’m worried he’ll be like this forever 🙈

thenewaveragebear1983 · 05/12/2023 20:07

Me 🤚 @userxx
I think it’s the harness - I’ve ordered her the next size up and a bigger coat off Vinted. She’s been walking better on the collar, but she pulls, so the whole walk was a lot of stop start and training.

Pineapplemonkey · 05/12/2023 20:20

I genuinely never imagined this would be the difficult puppy bit.

Granted I'm a first time dog owner but I foolishly assumed once the second vaccination were out the way, I'd clip a lead on her and off we would go and she'd trot nicely at my side.

What a fool I was!

userxx · 05/12/2023 20:22

@thenewaveragebear1983 it was you! Glad it’s a harness problem, that can be solved easily enough….. got my fingers crossed. I’ve no idea how to get the fear out of my pup. I was reading before that between 4 and 5 months they go through another fear stage so maybe it’s that.