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

Pup thinks the snuffle mat is a bed. He likes chewing the drawstring. Very cute but SIGH.

finley chews everything and anything thankfully including his toys.
he still needs supervision 24/7 for toileting and to decrease nibbles on anything we adults don't want nibbled basically.

I've had to get training materials for her residential stay. She will be happy!!

oh wow that's quite the doggy treasure trove!!

Please report back @Lougle - I'm very interested in how she gets on! I know you mentioned she was to be a therapy dog - is this specific training for it?

She's going to be an assistance dog for Autism. So the residential will be a mixture of working on the things we need general progress in (people neutrality, improved loose lead walking/heeling past distractions, settling in busy places, etc.), plus a temperament test, and work towards our next Assistance Dog award. She currently has her bronze but we're working towards silver.

Does anyone have any tips for early waking? Pup is 15 weeks. She has been consistently sleeping 10-6ish for a while. She’s in a crate overnight. In early days we slept next to crate before gradually moving further away. She happily goes into the crate. At 6 we’ve been letting her out for a wee and then lying down with her and she’d go back to sleep until we’re up for the day. But, in the last few days she’s been waking earlier and earlier. It was 5am for a few days and this morning was 4.20! Help!!

What is your room like? The mornings are getting earlier. Could she be hearing birds, seeing light?

There’s a small window but we’ve been putting cardboard up to block the light. Likewise with the door, we’ve been covering it. Could be birds I guess!

The birds are noisy here too. They wake me, but Fern is very happy to stay in bed luckily. I don't know what you suggest for you, sorry.

Something else (unrelated to early waking) I've found handy, and, I think, safe, is to tie little bits of string or ribbon strings soft toys, she just loves working away at labels, laces etc.

Still up and down depending largely on weather and if I can get to see anybody else. Hanging in there.

Finished the last of the junior food today so she's moving over to the adult variety. Makes life easier as both on the same food. Here she is having helped with the unboxing.

JsnePup proper out of sorts today. I've found 3 teeth also!
Love him, little stubborn, wilful bugger that he is 😬

Awwwww bless him. It feels like ages ago since Pupxx was getting his big teeth, I bought some doggy bonjela and it really helped, the added bonus was it also knocked him out 🥳. I possibly carried it on longer than was necessary 😉

Not posted a photo for a while….. he’s growing up!

Bee 1, Hazel 0

Oh dear!! Poor thing!!

@userxx Gorgeous boy right there!
Btw, what was the name of the doggy bonjela? Asking for a friend.... 😬

@Lougle my dh is a bee keeper with 4 hives in the back yard alone...well done Hazel on keeping it to only one sting.
Finley has good and bad days regarding toilet training and teething.
Rusty the old airedale has picked up on the extra treats Fin gets so we need to be very mindful.
Toilet training with treats does not work, no matter how small a piece of dehydrated liver i have Fin smells it on me and becomes totally distracted to the toileting efforts.
But he travels in the car very nicely, he remains calm, no signs of anxiety meeting other people or dogs.
OHHHH huge important piece, bee keeper left the side gate open. i let the dogs into the yard. 35 minutes later i hear scratching at the front door...immediately knew it was a dog (my fed ex, ups, and amazon delivery peop's don't scratch the door)...heart jumping and nearly in tears to see the pup sitting at the front door!!! Tibetian a few paces behind and old Airedale home 10 minutes later.
Zero clue where their adventure took them i'm in a cul de sac with 25 homes and we back onto crown land. No neighbors messaged me and old fellow usually takes himself into the woods...

@Lougle oh poor Hazel! Did she seem phased by it? I think it's a matter of time with pup, she's definitely partial to a sky raisin (fly) and a sky jalapeño (bee)

I've had a busy few days with my DM's dog who had cataract surgery a month ago - she developed a late complication and I had to dash her to the eye vet a few hour's drive away late on Thursday night. I think she'll lose the sight in one eye poor thing

@PointerParty the trainer she's staying with was really worried that her breathing would be compromised. That photo is after the antihistamine injection had taken it down a bit. So she took her straight down to the vet. She's fine now but still a little swollen.

I hope your Mum's dog doesn't lose her sight.

@JaneIves

Thank you! @userxx

it really does help 👍

Really trying to focus on toilet training now - I bought a piddle patch for outside as I only have a concrete yard at my house and he never pees on it, yet will pee on the grass at my partner's house happily!
He's done a few pees on it except for tonight. We waited outside for ages, and he whined and whined, eventually I gave in (I felt bad for the neighbours) and we went in.. of course he did a wee straight away on the tiles, then another as I cleaned the first up!

If I catch him weeing, I take him outside. Every time he does wee outside, I praise and treat. Is there anything else I should be doing?

@Cavalierchaos we set the timer for 30 minutes after having confirmed/visualized a pee. and take him out to the same spot and we're surprised that he does pee every 30 minutes and if disturbed while he pee's like you he will do another in quick succession when back inside. oh and walks are not for peeing we've discovered they are for exploring and again once inside the house will promptly pee. the kind of observation you only let slide twice before it's a lightbulb moment. oh we don't disturb if he's napping but take him out the minute he's weightbearing on all fours, if too sleepy he lays down and naps outside then quickly wants to come back in to his cozy spot with a piddle on the floor along the way...
i do see it's getting better but when he pee's in the house a few times we've watched/had eye contact (us in disbelief) and honestly the little fellow has the most blank unaware look on his face. the kidneys are still immature and the urine dilute takes about 10 minutes from drinking to puddling (indoors or out).
airedales drink a lot of water, weird breed quirk.
so i understand the challenges, just chiming in that we're all focused on peeing as well but after all this rambling no hints on the puppy pad :(

Haven’t looked at this thread for a while as Riverpup is heading towards two in the summer. Enjoying looking at all the puppy pictures and catching up.