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

@CurlsnSunshinetime4tea I've noticed outside that he doesn't empty properly, as you say, easily distracted. I was also wondering if he was getting into the dog thing of doing lots of little pees? But I think he's too young. I'm not blaming him, I feel that I have let him down.
Hey ho...onwards...

13 week old beagle pup here! 🩵

@Riverlee - Riverpup still looking all handsome and shiny. How life has changed over the past 2 years! It's just flown by.

very cute!

Did anyone else's pups start going backwards training wise at around 5 months? I was hoping it was just me Brodie was playing up with, but this morning he was completely ignoring my husband too 🙁.
In his defence, I think he's had a bad night and he's teething at the moment...we're finding blood spots on his toys quite regularly.

teenager 😆.

I was at our first puppy training today and the trainer just casually mentioned the fact that at about 6 months these sweet puppies will suddenly just ignore you - I hope none of the other owners were first timers - i might have come as a shock.

Like human teenagers, some are worse than others.

You have to go right back to basics and treat him as though he's never been taught anything. It will pass. We all have to go through it.

I've had 13 dogs - 8 from pups I think two of them were "easy" teenagers 🤷🏼‍♀️

Right, I have to wrangle my absolute menace (he'll be 13 weeks on Monday) into a car and drive him for four hours on Sunday back to the breeders for a holiday while I work away for five days.

Does anyone have any advice for how to help him cope with the car journey? I've been trying to get him into the car for short periods, sometimes with the engine on, sometimes driving ten metres, that sort of thing. He desperately wants to spend the journey up my t-shirt and isn't coping at all well.

I have tried:
Travel crate in back seat - how I brought him home, he was okay-ish but is now twice the size and hates being locked away from me
Booster seat in the front - thought this would help as he could see me but he just wants to get out and onto my lap
Seatbelt harness in back - can't shorten it enough to stop him launching himself towards the front to get to me and falling off the seat
Booster seat in the back, resting on back seat - safest so far as clip is shortest and he can only launch himself out of booster seat, not off backseat, but still really unhappy and it's only big enough for him to sit up or curl up, not lie stretched out as he would if he were comfortable.

I'm at a loss. I have to do this journey with him and I can't bring anyone with me, and I want to cause him the minimum of distress. He will settle indoors when he knows it's time for a nap and/or I have to work but he's just not able to translate any of this to the car at all. It's a Mini, so putting him in the boot is a non-starter. Help!

@Bupster We tie Finley in the back his collar and a tethered lead. Short enough he doesn’t reach the front. He has a few toys with him. There are car seat clips, to tie back into.

Can you get a car seat hammock so he can't fall off the backseat and stick with the seat belt harness?

E.g. this sort of thing

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9310076

That's what we did when pups were small.

@Bupster I'd either go for a hammock as suggested by @tizwozliz my SIL uses one in the back of her mini, but hers is more rigid as it comes up the back of the seats. Or, try to get a shorter strap for the harness? I had to shorten the one I use, as Brodie could get off the back seat and between the front seats. I do have a heavy duty sewing machine though.

The key go car safe harness comes with a carabiner which can do directly round both parts of the seatbelt and into harness clips. They can’t get far with that set up so a good sturdy carabiner should work?

Do they not block access to the seatbelts?

I really wanted to do this with one of the proper Kong seatbelt harness things but my car's so ancient it's not got any ISOFIX points. I'm going to ask my garage to fit some but that won't happen before Sunday!

@Bupster tie back around both headrest posts?

Please don't tether him by his collar, it's really dangerous.

The car seat hammocks have little slots so that you can still use the seatbelts.

@Bupster in all honesty I would put him in a crate and start driving. It's safe and safety trumps comfort. He might find it really difficult for some time, but he will eventually settle, and even if he doesn't, he'll be safe.

@tizwozliz safer than a loose pet climbing over your face or slithering under the gas and break pedals.

Safer for you. Very dangerous for the dog.

We made it! He hated every second of it - he just wanted to be up my jumper and couldn't understand why he was tethered - but we got there in the end. Best thing was a strap a neighbour lent me which went round the headrest - it limited his movement just enough from above so he could move around the back seat but not fall off it. All worth it when we arrived and he recognised the breeder's house and family and his whole little body started wagging.

When we get home we're going to be doing some serious work on frustration tolerance and settling though!

@Bupster Yay! Bet that was a relief and great that he was happy to be back.
It's amazing what they remember, Brodie met his sister at training 6 weeks after they'd been split up and it was clear that they remembered each other.
Have a good trip.

Yes, can’t believe he’s two and it’s been a real rollercoaster and a real learning experience. He’s now a lot easier than he was - loose lead walking, sleep/awake routine, adorable, but we still have issues.

If we go anywhere near the park, he turns into a monster and pulls like mad . Recall is fine when there’s not a ball about. Then he has male selective hearing!

The big thing is that he got spooked about the car, so not been able to take him anywhere, and he loves the beach. I can get him in the car, but if you go to close the door, he freaks and jumps out. Labradors can move fast when they want to! It’s really curtailed some of the fun of having a dog.

It’s funny you mention his fur. I’ve had a couple of people mention how shiney it is recently.

How’s your pooch doing?

Cute!

I'm so sad. Pup has improved but also really regressed. I noticed the other day that he doesn't chew/bite on me for play anymore. Which is a huge relief, I thought he would never stop and I was his personal chew toy forever.

Unfortunately, his walking has become horrendous. He pulls like a freight train. He pulls so badly he makes a heavy breathing sound. Not just that, but his approach to roads has not improved at all. He jumps around like a rabbit on steroids, bites and barks when we cross roads and/or when waiting to cross a road. It is making me feel sick with anxiety because it's not just so embarrassing, but dangerous!!! Im trying to see if the road is clear whilst he is thrashing around me.

I'm off to buy a halti tomorrow but I'd really hoped not to have to get one because it's going to be so hard trying to get it on him! It's hard enough just getting the collar on, I'm still having to wipe butter on the floor to distract him.

Honestly, my puppy is a complete and utter loony and it's making me so sad. I would rather have the bitey pup that walked safely and didn't embarrass me in public than this one.

Seven months old tomorrow....

Hang in there @Cavalierchaos . At 7 months you're heading for the most challenging times, which means that in 3 or 4 months you'll start to see glimmers of progress.

What training programme are you following for lead walking etc? Perhaps we can help.

@Cavalierchaos isn’t his collar on him at all times? Wouldn’t the halter one be the same? Dh finds some leash clips easier.
Finley has his pulling moments but not on his early am walk apparently. But he pulls lots, and is a strong boy!
We still have the nipping, air snapping and jumping when excited.
Yesterday we went to a fenced dog park, and were very impressed! For the most part he came when called, was very good with all the other dogs (3 Aussie cattle dog mixes) and gave a spayed female some very puzzled sniffs and looks. Ran full throttle, didn’t guard his ball and didn’t take their frizbie!!! He did sit nicely and beg for treats to all adults.
For an intro first time we were very pleased.