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

@Lougle how is Hazel going? I'm considering residential training now. I have found a trainer who works with dog reactivity and separation anxiety, I'd need to do a lot of research first. The next step via the behaviourist is fluoxetine and I'm feeling conflicted about it tbh

@PointerParty Hazel is having the best time! We miss her hugely, but I get daily photos and videos of her training, and she's making amazing progress. If you're considering residential, make sure you really know what you're getting and what the follow up is. Hazel is staying with Adolescent Dogs and I'm getting 4 weeks training tailored to her needs (I had to fill in a very detailed form about what she knows/doesn't know, what our priorities are, how she is in x situation, y situation, etc.), a WhatsApp group where I get daily photos/videos/updates, a weekly detailed 'progress and findings' email, then a 2 hour handover lesson at the end, followed by a further lesson 2-4 weeks after we get back. Then for a year after, if we need follow up lessons, they're free. Plus lifetime access to the Academy (although I already have that through our subscription) and a compilation video of her stay.

With the trainer you're considering, have you seen testimonials and reviews of their training? What I like about AD is that they do a video of the progress each dog has made, which anyone can see (they offer to change the name of the dog if the owner prefers, so they're not so identifiable).

Aghhhhhh!!!!
Had the worst, shittest 2 weeks with Milo,
We have just moved (me, husband and Milo + our 2 bunnies)
And Milos behaviour has spiralled out of control!
We were expecting him to be unsettled - or course however this is just extreme
Probably a mixture of the change of routine / adolescence.
The jumping up and full on biting has been awful!
His night routine has been atrocious - refusing to sleep in his crate - fine normally sleeps in his bed OUTSIDE our bedroom door - refusing barking and barking like he's being murdered
Which obviously for the first 2 days we accepted due to the move but it continued and we knew he was trying to take the piss now,
He is FINALLY starting to sleep on his own but his previously impeccable crate trained mind has gone out of the window.
It's like he's forgot everything he's learnt,
He's very good at acting thick!!!

Looks pretty settled to me tho 😬

i'm sad to hear about the nipping and jumping :(...finley is driving me nuts ripped a pillow case this am as i was fluffing it up; jump snap tear.
always greeting me with his mouth open ready to chomp on anything the last few days.
toilet training yesterday was NOT happening everyone off schedule and tired.
growing like a bad weed as well!

Here’s the weed both growing while he sleeps and momentarily cooperative while in the bush. the retractable lead has worked better in the woods than the long line or shorter leash. the deer trail is not wide enough to walk side by side.

Gorgeous pup! My cocker spaniel is 20 weeks. We don't leave her unsupervised in the garden and don't let her dig. She goes on the beach, in the forest and can dig there. Distraction with toys balls etc helps. Our pup has discovered she can do parkour around the furniture, we are strongly persuading her not to! Every day they discover a new capability and also wake up bigger!

I haven’t been on the thread as much recently, Maggie is 8.5 months old now and becoming more and more like an adult dog. We’re experimenting with leaving her loose in the house downstairs while working, I’m upstairs on the landing and she is currently in the room below me. I think she’s just sleeping on the window seat and every now and then I hear her when someone goes past the end of the drive. Took this picture of her at the weekend, she doesn’t look like my baby puppy any more 😢

Grace still looks quite puppyish a lot of the time. It's my birthday today and both dogs were only too happy to get a bit of sausage and pancake from my birthday breakfast.

I do think that labs have old-looking / wise faces, even when older / not young puppies!

FluffyPup lost his bark for a day this week, poor sod. Not sure why (it seemed like a sore throat maybe, as he sounded hoarse), but it's back now (as the poor Sainsbury's delivery driver found out last night!).

Oh, is everyone with a lab sick of brushing a spare dog out of their dog every other day yet?! 😩🤣

Our older one doesn't shed much, it's very disappointing when you brush her. Younger one was very noticeably shedding a couple of weeks ago but seems to have eased off now. Black labs do seem to shed less than other colours ime.

Everything is covered in ginger fur here! 🐕🤣

I'm lucky as Moxie is short-haired, but he still sheds and everything is covered by short beige hairs! He's growing up nicely though. He loves my wheat bag. Here he is sleeping in my office while I work. He's 5 months old now.

I'm exhausted. Toilet training, walking and sleeping have improved. But biting is just getting worse and worse. He's honestly like a wolf, a little wolf that hangs off my clothes at any chance he gets. He bit my leg through two layers of trousers. And he's turning into such a barker. I pick up a brush, he goes mental. I pick up the shovel, he goes crazy. I dared to take some bedding plants out the packet. Bloody hell, the whole neighbourhood heard. I absolutely love gardening, so for him to go so crazy as I try to do it... I feel nothing but doom.

@NoWordForFluffy yep, it’s like someone stuck a pin in a balloon full of hair , it’s everywhere, constantly. She’s booked in for a groom on Friday and I’m hoping they deshed her a bit

Hi, I've been reading the puppy survival threads for a while; they help keep me semi-sane. I have an 8 month old lab pup.

I used to think Marley and Me"s portrayal of a labrador puppy was exaggerated for comic effect - nope). There are so many ups and downs.

Today's downs have included Wild Pup accidentally poking himself in mouth with sharp stick and repeatedly attempting to eat dog poo in park. The highs have included seeing him walking so joyfully among the cherry blossom trees and him learning to 'dog-smile' at me on walks. The last 6 months have been relentless and
I. Am. Exhausted.
Please send vodka and a dog walker.

@Cavalierchaos gardening season is just starting here in canada, and the fin monster is so curious. he has experimented with digging which we plan to not allow in the yard BUT lack a deterrent. the co-breeder recommended squirting with water, the problem is this pup loves water! drinks the stuff with gusto and his two front paws in the bowl, he's in the shower with either one of us if we leave the door ajar. not seeing how spraying him will have any affect.
he nips at the rhubarb leaves which momentarily has us concerned but he doesn't do much with them other than beat them up. his fave though is the raspberry canes, maybe because they bite back??
birds seem safe 👏

Gardening gloves are the best prize here. The biggest issue is just that they're both nosey buggers so won't rest whilst I'm gardening and they end up over tired.

Pupxx was 9 months old a few days ago….. how does 9 months feel like 9 years!!! I love the bones of him but I underestimated how different my life would be. Massively underestimated!

Hazel was also 9 months on Monday. Residential training has been a bit disastrous in some ways and wonderful in others.

First, she wouldn't pee for the trainer, full stop. She went 20 hours between pees. Then she got stung by a bee and had to be rushed to the vet with a swollen snout. £128 vet bill. Then, on Thursday I warned the trainer that two of her littermates had come into season that week. On Saturday, during the Q&A session that our head trainer runs, I mentioned it, and he immediately messaged her to say 'any sign of a season?' No sign. Sunday night, I get a message to say she's come into season, so it's best to come and get her. So I quickly drove an hour to collect her and got home at 12:30am.

However, she's been doing really well in residential and she'll go back in June to finish it. It's so nice to have her home. She's quite sleepy and snuggly right now.

Yesterday my daughter dropped her shampoo bottle and Hazel picked it up and handed it to her. We only taught her for 5-10 minutes a couple of months ago for a training challenge. She's such a lovely girl.

Hazel doesn't seem to shed much at all right now. Perhaps it might change.

Could you pup be teething and having a sore mouth? We found when ours was teething that she enjoyed being given a few icecubes or a block of ice to chew on to freeze/numb the gums. The soreness from teething can turn the lovely beasties into monsters! I haven’t read the whole thread if you e mentioned before age/teething so apologies if this is useless suggestion!

@Wigtopia Fin indeed is teething, 16 weeks now (29 lbs) and the bottom front two are missing 😬
we and he have just discovered the benefit of ice cubes, he chases after them as they scoot about over the floor.
he certainly does have his lively moments, i must say less air snapping this week.

I do love the gummy smiles at that age!! I’ve still got a few of her teeth I a pot 🫣😆