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

@Cavalierchaos I totally feel your pain, so huge hugs x
Brodie is improving in many ways, and is very little trouble in the house anymore, going out however, I absolutely dread! He does manage loose lead for short periods, but other than that he bunny hops and zigzags in a way that has to be seen to be believed. I've been taking him to a park on a long line and someone commented that they'd had spaniels there whole life and had never seen anything so extreme! Two courses of puppy training in and it's like he's regressing...recall has been forgotten and I simply don't exist 🙁. He's just over 5 months old, so it's not even hormones.
We had to swap to a harness to stop the choking, I was getting quite concerned about him actually hurting himself. Maybe try one? And as @CurlsnSunshinetime4tea said, leave it on him if it's a struggle. I got a double ended lead that clips front and back a couple of weeks ago and it really is a game changer, he doesn't pull quite as badly, and more importantly, my shoulders don't get jerked around and hurt.
I have thought that we may have to try a halti in the future, but really don't want to, and he's much too young at the moment.
Stick with it, you've seen improvement with him, so hopefully your walks will eventually get better too.

@Cavalierchaos
Cavalier Tigerpup is 11 months.
I had exactly the same on the lead. It was worse with a halter as he was pulling with the strongest part of his body. So I went back to the collar.
BUT. in the last month or so it's like the penny has dropped.

Some serious efforts on my part are paying off and he's getting older.
No magic gadgets involved. Just very high value treats and lots of them plus shortening the lead so the pulling and lunging doesn't shock my joints AND he's more aware that I'm there. And every time I sense he's about to pull I stop until he turns to look at me and stops pulling. Treat and "with me" and then move on. Places where he used to lunge he no longer does. Once he's done his customary 400 wees and a poo he walks with a loose lead.
I take him to a busyish road with a public bench, plop him on my lap and we watch the traffic for a while. He's still more likely than not to veer toward them but I use treats and a "watch me" which is helping.
Lastly the thing that really shows it gets better is that he's off lead in the woods and local park and his recall is really good and he doesn't go far before he looks back to se I'm still there.
So hang in there. It's quite a journey isn't it. Very hard work, yes. But I know that he looks at me as his pack leader and so will yours.

Hi guys.
I have been feeling really down with Milo.
I have had emergency surgery as I've had sepsis for the 3rd time in 1.5 years via skin infection (last year it was NF)
I'm just waiting for my post OP appointment to see what bacteria has caused this.
Milo has been such hard work. So badly behaved. Adolescence has hit hard. It's breast surgery Ive had and hes forever jumping up.
My husband had to go back to work as well so I've been on my own with him so I've struggled beyond belief - I've not really been able to take him out much until my husband comes home from work which is making matters worse.
I feel so isolated.
My husband is off now for the weekend but he has the flu so it's still me picking up the work.
The district nurses are coming everyday to pack and dress my wound.
I wish I could relax all day long but Milo is winding me up purposefully jumping up biting taking things he knows and running around with it.
Please save my sanity

What a terrible time you have had, hope you will be on the mend soon. Milo may be picking up on your stress, I know bronte did/ does with me. Could you use his food to give some enrichment, stuffed kong/toppls, lick mats, rolled up towels and maybe some search and find. Scent training is great for them, uses their brains which all helps to tire them. I use a dogmatic (I only use it when we first go out now when she is at her most excited!) which helps pulling a lot! I also changed to a wide collar (bully billows) as bronte was also coughing and choking herself ( trainer recommended both), such a difference.

@JamieJ93 oh, I'm so sorry! That's the last thing you need. There was me thinking that Milo had become a saint and you didn't need to post anymore.
I can't imagine how difficult it must be being poorly and having to deal with him...they really don't care about pouncing with full force of their paws do they?
Does he like chews? Brodie will settle with a pigs ear, or I've just got him an olive stick which seems to be the best thing ever at the moment.
I hope you feel better soon x

Every day I have a different district nurse,
I put him in his crate when they come.. well because he's a spaniel and 14 months and they all say how much he's a beauty and how "good" he is,
I just roll my eyes and think you don't even know 🤣
I am getting better but I feel so down, I had just about accepted my leg, being deformed and horrible. But now I have a deep hole in my breast it hardly screams sexy 🤣
I've got out to my mum's today as my husband isn't well and is in bed and I don't want to sit in all day.
I can't blame him for all his bad behaviour but he hasn't been out that much as he normally does and it's all been lead walks.
He's had alot of scent work but he just seems like he's been annoying me on purpose 🤣🤣🤣

@JamieJ93 You make me feel ashamed of how miserable I feel at times...
Sometimes when people admire the pups, you do think that they haven't a clue...then other times you think, yup, that's my boy!
I think you're amazing managing what you're going through along with hyper pup. I'm glad you got out for a bit today, it will have done you good. Isolation is a killer. I've given up messaging my friend, she's been a great support, but I can tell she's getting bored...heck, I even bore myself moaning about the dog, but it's literally all I have to talk about 🤣.
Look after yourself, and tell your husband he's in bother if he gives you flu! X

Hi there we picked up our lurcher pup yesterday. This isn’t my first puppy but I think I blocked out the stress of it. A bit like when you have a baby! Ddog1 (at the back of the photo) is perfect now but she was quite nutty as a pup and chewed the house up. But hey ho, here we go again!

@BrodiePup
How is Brodie being in general now?
I myself am doing a lot better - my wound has healed 0.2 cm 😡
Out of pain mainly though

@Canalboat two lovely sleepy pooches.

@JamieJ93 That sounds positive, it must be a relief that the pain is easing. Hopefully that's the end of it, what you've been through sounds grim.
In some ways Brodie is doing great, he's not much trouble in the house at all. He settles well, doesn't do any damage, doesn't nip, though the poor lads mouth is a mess with teething at the moment. He really has a lovely nature.
Taking him out still stresses the life out of me though. He is getting better on the lead, but is still awful. He's utterly deaf when I have him on a long line, I really don't exist, and his recall when we're out is nonexistent. He's not interested in treats either when he's got a scent or has seen a bird, so reward based training is a fail.
I've been told that if he was loose he wouldn't go far or let me out of his sight... I tried and I absolutely won't be doing that again!
I think I'm expecting too much from him at the moment, and I'm still picking myself up from the trauma of the first few weeks, but hopefully things are improving.
Like you said you were feeling earlier, I feel really isolated and quite lonely, if I'd realised it was going to be so hard I probably wouldn't have got him if I'm honest.
Thanks for asking 🙂

He's not interested in treats either when he's got a scent or has seen a bird, so reward based training is a fail.

Rewards don't have to be food based, we used a sheepskin tuggy and rabbit balls on walks which our older one loved. Now they both only have eyes for balls.

Thank you everyone. Not doing any training programmes. I bought him a cheap harness from the pound shop whilst I decide what proper harness to get and he hasn't pulled at all during walks today. Instead he just cracked and spent half of one walk hanging off my arm and jumper. I am literally bruised. He was actually attacking me and I have no idea why. It started when we went to cross a road we sometimes stop by, but we didn't need to stop as there were no cars yet he suddenly started leaping at me for no reason!

I really hope this is just adolescence and not a permanent problem. I have no idea what is triggering him.

Also I don't think he was particularly bad because of the harness, he's worn it all day and not been bothered at all.

@Cavalierchaos any possibility of physical discomfort? Dew claw? Stone in between the pads of the feet?

What does everyone do for car travel when they are little? Our pup comes home on Saturday and eventually we will get a car boot crate but until he's bigger I don't think it will be suitable. I saw a seat/hammock thing from Pets at Home that looks ok but wondering what everyone else uses! Just need a solution for the first couple of months for vet visits for vaccinations and trips out for socialisation.

@tizwozliz We've tried toys, he loves a tennis ball which he's only given when we're out. He's not remotely interested in that either when the red mist descends, we've found nothing that is better than a scent or a bird. We were taught to use a whistle at gun dog training, but at the moment we can only use it when he's actually coming towards us so he fully understands the cue. I'm going to give him another few weeks, get him to 6 months and if there's no improvement get him some 1-1 training.
@Cavalierchaos That does sound extreme. Have you tried sitting on a bench with him at the side of a busy road and just watching the traffic go by? See if you can desensitise him that way? I wonder how much they do grow out of as they mature? I'm certainly keeping my fingers crossed 🤞🏻.
@YorkshireFelix We use his harness and a strap that clips into the seatbelt holder. He's always been good in the car and lies down on the back seat and goes to sleep.

@YorkshireFelix we used a Ferplast crate https://amzn.eu/d/05qEjTvI.

@Cavalierchaos Adolescent Dogs is offering a 50% discount today, and they always run a 14 day free trial. Their lead work course is great and has worked wonders for Hazel.

The key with the long line is not to let it get long until your dog responds to you. So have it really short, call and treat. Only when he's reliably responding, let it out a metre - call and treat. Only if he reliably responding, let it out another metre, etc.

I can't believe Hazel is one tomorrow. She's doing really well. She finished her silver assistance dog award yesterday. Lots still to learn.

Lougle, this is very helpful!
"The key with the long line is not to let it get long until your dog responds to you. So have it really short, call and treat. Only when he's reliably responding, let it out a metre - call and treat. Only if he reliably responding, let it out another metre, etc."

Fernpup was really good at recall, coming back instantly, but at 7 months she has decided that she's brave enough to go further from me and will decide when she comes back! Not good if there's a dog she wants to run and greet and it happens to be nervous or otherwise not happy for her to do this! I have been uncertain how to use the long line.

She's also marking wees a lot so I'm suspecting and observing for more signs of impending season.

Otherwise she's pretty good although still can get overtired and become bitey, and try to leap on me and hump my arm. I immediately stand up and turn my back, which seems to work.

@Cavalierchaos I'm sorry to hear you're still struggling with him. Fern can be somewhat difficult on a lead too, over excited at seeing people or other dogs, zigzagging from side to side of the lane to sniff or chase insects or pieces of paper. She only weighs 7kg so is not bad to control, and otherwise doesn't pull. Once again I'm relying on growing up to fix it! 🤞

We're still all here!! Pic of more grown up Fern

@Lougle Thanks for the tip on using the long line, it makes sense... I'll give it a try.

We're impatiently waiting for this one to come into season. We have a holiday booked at the end of September which I thought would be well clear but starting to worry. 7.5 months and counting since her first...

Ooh I hope it works out. I don't think we're going to let Hazel have another season. She's going to go to residential training for a couple of weeks, then probably spay next month.

@Lougle we did go for residential training in the end. Wouldn’t you know it, her first season started a week before she was due to go! Our trainer has two entire bitches and was happy to have her in season, as pup didn’t seem remotely affected by the season she went anyway. I know him really well and have used him with my other dog so it was all fine. But classic that she had her first one at 11 months old when she was meant to be away!

They have perfect timing! Hazel was sent home after 2 weeks because she went into season. She goes back for the other two weeks on Thursday.

How was the training?

Hi YF - I have a particular problem with this as I am on my own, have an ancient car with no isofix fittings, and have a puppy that wants to live up my jumper. The only thing that's halfway worked is a really comfortable donut bed in the back seat and one of those seat clips that goes over the headrest then clips into the harness. He still wants to be in the drivers' seat but can't get forward enough to be dangerous to me or him, and can lay down in a massive sulk instead.