Puppy Survival Thread for New and Old Pups - Spring is around the corner!

[Lougle]

A thread for puppy owners to share their ups and downs as we head into Spring. We're not just here for the idyllic moments. We've all had a cry at some point!

All posters welcome - just dive in.

The previous thread is here https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/the_doghouse/4945764-puppy-survival-thread-for-old-and-new-pups-heading-into-winter?page=1

Maggie absolutely point blank refused to lie down for months. I know everyone says dogs aren’t stubborn and don’t refuse, but honestly, she did. Even now sometimes she fakes a lie down with her elbows and belly hovering (like a weird ‘plank’ )! She will do it on command now but it isn’t her preferred position. The trainer said she has a very strong sit which is impeding her wanting/needing to lie down. Stubborn 🤣

I really struggled to get my older dog to lie down, I still do and she's 3.5! She's very deep chested, lean and has short hair. She never lies down in the "down" position through choice, she always lies on her side... so I think it was a discomfort thing for her. When we started gun dog training with her the trainer (who was super experienced) said she doesn't train a down and instead prefers a reliable sit-stay, so I gave up! Pup on the other hand is a different shape and easily gets into a down, and will do it voluntarily during a sit-stay!

So pup's hip x-rays and examination were all normal, the orthopaedic vet thinks her funny gait is normal for her but said continue to monitor. The primary care vet said wean off the pain meds and see how her reactivity is. I let the behaviourist know and she said the pain trial needed to be longer and she should have had an elbow CT! I think insurance won't cover what she's had done so far (she had a broken nail on her front foot in the exclusion period and they are going to try to get out of hip x-rays for that reason... I am prepared for a fight). So paying for a CT and physiotherapist when I'm not convinced she is in pain just seems a bit crazy. I'm discovering that pup is particularly frightened in new places. She'd been a bit less reactive recently so at the weekend I took her to meet a trainer who does small classes, we just went to check out the training field first. Unfortunately there was an off-lead dog there that excitedly charged up to her and she went ballistic. Then she was reacting to people and lunging - I haven't seen her this bad for a while so I'm guessing it's the new location. Back to basics again. It's pretty lonely when you can't engage with people or dogs when you're out, and you can't go to classes etc etc. Plus separation anxiety means I can't get out without her. I just want someone to prescribe her bloody anxiety meds!!

@PointerParty yes maggie is deep chested as well, maybe it’s that. The ‘sphynx’ style lie down (ie very upright, forearms flat, feet flat) - she just isn’t very comfortable. She likes to lie on her side. Or on her belly with her back legs stretched out behind her, although she is now too long for the sofa to lie like this 🤦‍♀️

@thenewaveragebear1983 I think it will be that! On the rare occasion she did get into a proper down it looked all wrong, legs and chest hovering above the ground.. she'd give me a look of complete despair, poor thing! I remember reading somewhere that greyhounds will rarely do a down for that reason and I often get asked if she's crossed with a greyhound

Hazel did the fake relaxed lie down. She knows that she gets her treats when she's laying down and relaxed at dog training class. So she would dump herself down, then artfully roll on to her hip and kick her back legs out to the side. Anyone who didn't know her thought she was relaxed. Anyone who knew her could look at her elbows and see that she was a coiled spring, waiting for the next treat. She's got the hang of it now and does look more genuinely relaxed. She gives a little huff if she thinks we're too slow with treats though.

I’m trying an experiment today.
the dog is downstairs. Alone. Un crated.

i can hear her sniffling about gettting her beaky little nose into everything. I’ve removed all chewable items and cushions and anything destroyable, and have liberally scattered her chewies and toys around. We’ve done 40 minute so far, which is pretty good, with a few check ins from me and dh. 🤞

Well done @thenewaveragebear1983 . Tbh, I don't pay masses of attention to where Hazel is during the day. She's not a chewer inside. I pay more attention to outside because she's an investigator and finds shells, bricks, stones, tarmac, twigs, etc.

She gives a little huff if she thinks we're too slow with treats though.

Ha! The Labrador judgy huff! 🤣 We disappoint FluffyPup multiple times a day and get huffed at!

puppies are indeed amazing, finley appears both deer in the headlights dim (weeing inside occasionally, totally clueless gaze) and really astute at the same time. the other day the old airedale was in significant pain (no clue where or how but unable to lift his back quarters unaided and unwilling to eat) i dosed him with a gabapentin capsule as it seemed easier to administer than the metacam liquid, positioned him comfy and let him heel from whatever. the pup totally respected him all day! checked on him but did not attempt to play or bother him in the slightest. once the pain was under control the old fellow drank and ate and yes turned to the puppy to play.
puppy trick of the day, totally stretched out finley can countersurf! cooking prep beware...

She managed about an hour which for the first time I’ve left her like that, I’m really pleased with. She stood at the bottom of the stairs and I could just hear that almost imperceptible high pitch whistle (not a cry, yet, but a whimper) and came down and she went straight to her crate door. She clearly thought I’d forgotten to put her in!

we have training tonight, she has been practicing hard the last few weeks, we can now do ‘spin’ on command which isn’t the most useful skill granted, but it’s fun to do and the kids love it.

If you can get them to spin on a mat/towel it's actually quite good for cleaning their feet. It's also the start of learning turning directions for agility/hoopers.

15 weeks today! Getting there. @Cavalierchaos you're about the same aren't you?

Nope, still only on 12 weeks, though time has gone so slowly he feels like he should be a year old by now.

Interesting on the comments about the lying down, I will keep trying. Sadly today I just could not get the collar on pup so we couldn't go for a walk which I'm really disappointed about. He makes it so so difficult! Jumping around, biting it, biting my hands etc ..

@Cavalierchaos You might have already tried this but I used to scatter treats or kibble on the floor and put pup's collar on while she was eating. At 8 months she has only just started letting me put it on without a bribe!

Actually I haven't tried that so thanks for the suggestion! Will try that later.

Some good news...my order from pets at home arrived this morning with a puppy nylabone chew. He has been chewing it for the last 25 MINUTES AND COUNTING! This is amazing! 25 minutes of not chewing me or my clothes!

Lol he literally stopped chewing it as soon as I sent that post. Now he's back onto lunging at my face. Here's a pic anyway.

@Cavalierchaos @PointerParty

I bought a supposed milk bone from Petsathome. Smells really sicky sweet and she has zero interest in it haha
However a chicken foot will keep her happy for a fair while.
I also have to use food bribery to get her dressed, especially harness or a jumper (she's a whippet cross but the IG genes seem to be strong, she's very very slender and fine coat. She will not be dressed any more than I think necessary, not my thing! )

I'd like advice on the following too please.

My very good friend's Goldie bitch is just over a year old, weighs about 28kg and playful.
We want them to meet and become friends, of course, but Fern is so much younger and about 4.5kg.

Is it best safety wise to introduce on leads and go for a shortish walk together? Rather than have them off lead at one or others house? I think Fern will come to me if overwhelmed but I just have no experience of this type of introduction.

My previous dogs didn't really meet or play with other dogs very much, they had each other.

We will start puppy classes soon.

Thank you

We have had Maggie 6 months today. It has not been easy, we are learning so much but she is such a sweet dog and a great addition to our family. She was so good at dog training last night, I was really proud of her. And the trainer complimented her on her spin and also on her food restraint (a biscuit pinged over to us from another dog and Maggie stepped back, sat down and looked at me to ask if she could eat it!)

hang on in there, it really does get easier.

@Yllasin yes a tandem walk is the best way to introduce them initially, it's better for them to meet on neutral ground and somewhere that allows you both create distance if you need to. If it all goes swimmingly you can let them off lead to play, if it gets too much you can pop them on lead again. If one dog is more anxious than the other, let that one walk behind and observe the other dog without the pressure of face to face greetings.
Most dogs will modify their play style to the size of the dog, both of mine are gentler with smaller dogs and will get down to their level. Puppies can be annoying to older dogs though, so if pup is starting to pester the goldie, put her back on lead before the older dog feels the need to correct her... but at 1 year old I would be surprised if that happens, the goldie is still practically a pup too!

@Cavalierchaos that sounds like a bit of progress! Pup has a routine where she settles down and chews after her breakfast, it buys me a bit of peace. Some days are better than others though

Maggie likes the chew in the morning and also when we settle in the evening on the sofa. If you say to her ‘where’s your bone’ or ‘where’s your fish’ she will go and find it 💕 🦴 (it’s an antler and a benebone fish btw, they are great for strong chewers, the only ones that have stood up to the jaws of death)

Pup says happy national pet day!

Just FYI I used this service today and it was brilliant! www.animalpoisonline.co.uk

It was £35 for the consult but it saved me a trip to the vet and the cost of making pup vomit. I'd been pruning an oak tree didn't realise pup was eating the trimmings until she vomited up masses of leaves. I then read horror stories online but was reassured that while she would feel rough for a bit, she hadn't eaten enough to do serious harm 😮‍💨

Happy National Pet Day!

We have free video vet calls with our pet insurance which have saved a trip to the vets a couple of times.

Ah that's brilliant @thenewaveragebear1983 . Hazel was not great at training last night. Quite wound up. She did do her 1½ minute off lead down stay from 3 metres away, though, so not a total disaster.

We've decided to book her in for residential training so she goes on Tuesday for 4 weeks.

How does the residential training work @Lougle ? Does she stay with the trainer for the duration? Is it with adolescent dogs?

Yes, she'll live with the trainer for 4 weeks, working on the areas we've asked for. We'll get updates with pictures on WhatsApp every 2-3 days, a weekly email report, then at the end, a video of her training journey. When we pick her up, we'll get a 2-hour lesson to transfer her learning, then another 2 hour lesson 2-4 weeks later. We can access free WhatsApp/telephone advice or follow up lessons for 12 months afterwards.