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.

If she is anything like mine, she’ll be nervous of change and likes routine so while to you and I moving her crate into a different room wouldn’t seem a big deal, to her it apparently is. How dare you! I have no doubt she would quickly get used to it but it’s up to you whether you want to give her that time…or if you’d prefer to have her snuggled up next to you on your bed (I know which I would, and do, choose 😊 but I appreciate that’s not for everyone).

Morning - a mostly good couple of days with JanePup. He had his 2md jabs Friday so quite sleepy yesterday.
Slept really well overnight and good up until a point this morning where he turned really snappy after I tried to take lead off colllar after the toilet he is just attacking my feet and hands, mostly feet and slippers which I've been wearing all week without him caring. I feel he's being aggressive rather than playing and he can't be distracted and I'm worried. I'm already deep in the puppy blues and today is really not helping. I've had to put him in his crate just to stop, bribed with food.

Any ideas?

Just to add, although we have only had him a week this behaviour is completely different today from his normal biting/playing.
He's just settling in his crate now hopefully.

@JaneIves He could be feeling a bit under the weather following his jab and the site of the injection could well be a bit sore.

How long had he been awake this morning when his behaviour changed? Overstimulation and over-tiredness are the usual reasons for what you describe at that age. They need a massive amount of sleep and it really doesn’t take much at all to overstimulate them, especially in the busy household with children.

All that you describe is normal puppy behaviour. It may seem like aggression to you but it’s not. Buckle up - you’ve a long way to go but it will all be worth it in the end.

Thank you @MuttsNutts I'm just having a cry in the kitchen.
He slept from 8:30 last night until 5:30 this morning, up for a long wee outside, food and a cuddle as he was snuggly so back in crate for a nap for an hour. Awake at 8, another wee a bit of play then out for a poo - this is when he turned. I was taking the lead off his collar and he just went nuts at me and my feet which he's not done before. I put him in the crate to calm down with a licky mat. He wasn't napping so out again for a bit, another wee and again the aggression after taking the lead off the collar so I guess it could be the injection site. Obviously there's little in the way of recall and whist we do have a secure garden he's trying to eat the shingle that's on some of our borders and bark in the bedding. I can't not put a lead on can I?

@JaneIves Yes, could be a bit sore or simply the effects of the injection itself making him feel tired and/or irritable. And don’t forget to factor in that puppies are natural twats, there’s a reason they’re made so cute.

If the garden is secure, you could let him off-lead as long as you can supervise him. He will need to be allowed to investigate the stones and bark at some point or the novelty will never wear off but every time he goes to pick one up he needs a firm “no” and a distraction and if he persists, bring him inside. Puppies explore through picking stuff up though. As long as he’s not actually swallowing anything, he’ll be fine. My latest was forever chewing the bits of bark that came under the fence from next door and it did her no harm.

For the next couple of days, though, I would just give him a bit of time to get over his injection. Keep everything as calm as you can, enforce naps if necessary (if he starts getting bitey or zoomy, or preferably before) and give him safe things to chew on which will comfort him and give you all a breather.

I don't put a lead on Pineapplepup in the garden. I have a small ish secure garden and the few times I've tried to put a lead on her in the garden, she wouldn't even wee, she saved it up and did it indoors when the lead was removed. I have gravel borders in my garden and I regularly catch her chewing on bits of it, I assume she must spit them out (the ones I haven't extracted any way) as she isn't passing them and she'd be really ill by now if she was swallowing them (and she's not!). Get used to the biting, that's just what puppies do and it'll get worse before it gets better. My hands are just about back to normal, they were a mass of injuries, I also had bites on my nose, ears and several bloody lips. Adult teeth are blunter so don't hurt as much!

Thanks again @MuttsNutts
I have to enforce naps most of the time anyway! Or he'll come to me to get snuggly then I have to transfer him to his crate. He doesn't go willingly, ever.
We do have a 2 ft drop onto out bottom patio so I'd be worried he'd try and jump down there, and as I'm in an air boot right now it's tricky. I've just cooked up some chicken so I've enough to entice him hopefully. I'll try him off lead in the garden, most of the time on lead he wants to come in anyway 😬

@JaneIves maybe he’s sore at the injection site, Maggie bled loads from hers when she had her jabs? Collar might have caught a sore bit?

mags has been lovely today, we went for a nice long sniffy walk, our longest yet, lots of stops on benches and lots of sniffy time. She’s been very chilled the rest of the day. I’m growing quite fond of the daft mutt now.

@JaneIves could you section off part of the garden. We had to, to be safe and to stop her digging everywhere. We used a pen outside at first then fenced off an area.

@JaneIves it can be a bit of a shock when they're bitey. Hazel used to grab the bottom of our trousers, snarling and growling. It's just what she would have done with her litter mates. Being calm and consistent is the quickest way out of it. The fun stops when puppy bites.

I third the fencing off. We had a nice little puppy sized path around our poo palace and behind the shed. It made a great chasing game. Then we also had a very muddy session of garden where DH had been digging. We fenced that area off and suddenly we had a puppy proof garden. It meant she could run around unsupervised.

Another recommendation here for fencing off your garden!! We used some of these panels to keep him off the grass. Absolute life saver. Stopped him digging and going nuts. We had some more for inside and made a small pen where he goes to eat and while we're eating. It's honestly been one of the best buys we've made!

Yes! We used those to guard the mud patch. We also used them to create a puppy pen in DD2's room, and a small area for her to rest in the lounge when we had meals. Oh, and to go around the Christmas tree. I also took them down to our church when we hired the bottom floor to have a family meal there.... Honestly so worth the money.

We got the 1m tall ones.

I used mine to protect the Christmas tree too @Lougle 🤣

Multifunctional 😉

Morning all, thanks for all the advice! Pen purchased, but I think I'll use for inside initially, we only have the crate and so far he's been allowed to roam downstairs but for safety of him and my sofa, I'll create the pen space in our lounge. He will be able to go out out from Friday and we have a huge green space out the front of our house, so hopefully the majority of outside time will be there. We have allium in our garden and a herb border that we'll need to properly secure. Also a Mediterranean eucalyptus tree which he was munching on the bottom of yesterday, I've read it's toxic? But is it just the leaves?
Would prickle strips work at the base? (Apologies if this is frowned upon, I'm just thinking of all deterrents)
He had another very bitey episode at almost the exact same time this morning! And again just now, no amount of distraction or toys works and I'm loathe to give treats or food.
So straight in crate he goes. It frightens my daughter when he does it, she really is losing hope despite me repeatedly trying to placate her, telling her it's normal and it will pass.
Positives are that it's another night he's slept solidly 9:30-6am! I'm wondering if we can begin our retreat from sleeping in the lounge by the end of this week if he's reliably sleeping all night.
Fingers crossed!

In my experience, literally everything is toxic to dogs. For a species that is programmed to eat everything, they sure do have a delicate constitution. Maggie merrily gnawed on all manner of toxic plants (even tomatoes ffs, unless they are completely red) and she’s still here and still eating.

we left it too late to get our pen, she flatly refused to go in it. She spends a fair bit of time morning and afternoon in her crate, snoozing. I work upstairs now and we disturb each other less. I move my laptop downstairs if she is awake when I need to work. I don’t know what I’ll do if she starts refusing but I’ll cross that bridge when it comes. She doesn’t really spend any time loose and alone at the moment.

I only worried about plants that were toxic in tiny amounts. A lot they actually have to consume quite significant amounts to cause any upset.

I worried way less with the second than with the first! Not sure if she just picked up less or I was just more relaxed.

When are they classed as not puppies? My little man is 6 months now but I still don't think hes lost his teeth. Recall is still patchy but sit and down are nailed. Stay is hit and miss.

@Whyisitsosohard it depends on the breed/size. Toy dogs can be adult size at 6 months, large breeds can be puppies until they're 2. They should have all adult teeth by about 8 months but you won't necessarily realise they've fallen out and been replaced.

Training is repetition. Is your dog treat orientated? Hazel has to work for all her food. She doesn't get her meals in a bowl more than once every few weeks.

If stay is sketchy, take it right back to basics in your lounge. Put puppy into a sit, then ask them to stay for 5 seconds. Treat. Then either increase to 10 seconds, or take a small step back and repeat 5 seconds. You can only increase either distance or duration, not both. Gradually increase either distance or duration until puppy is staying when you ask. For our Bronze in person classes, we have to be able to do stay from 1 metre, for 1 minute.

Hazel was 6 months old yesterday and she's just passed her Bronze Assistance Dog Award. I'm very happy!

Yes he's not food motivated and he's a small breed so definitely worried we're getting past the super impressionable phase. He didn't take to crate training either so I worry about separation anxiety too. Only major issue right now is going for the cat, leave it doesn't seem to work. I know they say don't tell them what not to do, give them a positive command but if he sits it's so temporary.

Hi, I’ve been reading this thread for a little while but our new puppy only came home with us last week. I have to say things have been going far better than I anticipated but I’m under no illusions and no it’s very early days! I am a bit of an over thinker and worried which is not a good mix with owning a puppy it seems!! I have 2 main things that I’m hoping some of you may be able to advise on now your further on the journey….

teaching them to be on their own. We’re not planning on doing so anytime soon but I’m talking about just for short periods. It’s a bit hit and miss at the mo. Right now she’s happily led in living room on her own while I’m back and forth and mainly in the kitchen cooking tea. Other times she will whine at the gate. Are we right to just persevere with little and often. Is it just too soon to be worrying that we’ll never be able to go out without her again!!?!? Separation anxiety is a real concern of mine.

the other thing is when she gets over excited and play turns a bit ‘bites’. When it’s just the family at home we know she’s usually over tired and will settle her down on one of our laps. How do you cope when visitors are around and they’re just desperate to see a playful puppy? It happened earlier and I just took her away and explained but am I being too over cautious?

Sorry that’s so long. I just need talking down every now and again as I’m so desperate to try not to get things wrong in these crucial early days.

Little and often, gradually building time, is usually the answer to most things puppy. They change so much, so quickly, in the early days.

A couple of really good days with JanePup, mostly sleeping through the night consistently - so that's a positive!

The negative - the bloody biting! He's been a bloody gremlin this afternoon, despite enforced naps.
He's realised that yes, when he bites my slippers, I stop and do nothing and yes he's stopped too and I praised him. Now he's going purely for my socked ankles, every time, and it HURTS!
I try with a distraction toy, he's just not interested, it's like he's utterly possessed. I can't even begin any sort of bite inhibition training it seems.
I've tried a little impulse training today, with treats in hand, opening and closing, hes a fast learner!
I really need to nip this ankle biting in the bud though, any ideas?

this week Maggie has gone on a killing spree. Casualties so far:
squeaky Santa,
duckie,
shes pulled the skin off a tennis ball and completely destroyed the inside,
and then today she has savaged her fox which we refer to as her baby. I managed to remove his squeaker and tie a knot in him so he has survived (just!)

is this killing phase just a phase???

is this killing phase just a phase???

Not in my experience, although do tend to find that things can remain in one piece for a while and then one day - poof!