Puppy Survival Thread for New & Old Pups - Soon be Autumn 2024

[BrodiePup]

Setting the ball rolling on a new thread as the last one has reached 1k 😊.

Brodie had his first proper bath today...
I don't think he was overly impressed!

He'll be 6 months old on Tuesday. I can't believe how the time has passed, or how far along we've come.

To everyone who is struggling at the moment, stick with it, it really does get easier.

Well I just nipped to the toilet and came downstairs and he was sat on there so I think it will be a pointless task haha. I don't mind him on the sofa at all, but I don't want him to think wherever we go he can just jump on peoples sofas and chairs. Maybe I'm worrying too much! We are due a new one but I'm definitely waiting it out until he's an adult and (hopefully) stops chewing the fabric...

@Bupster ah that is good! Hopefully there is light at the end of the tunnel for us. He's not as wild as he was a week or so ago for biting, but I guess it could easily get worse again. I've not noticed him losing any teeth yet but maybe he's still a bit young?

So, the latest in my catalogue of puppy palaver...dunno what the heck is going on if anyone has any ideas?
Brodie is 28 weeks tomorrow, he's been dry through the night for about 3 months, he's not done anything in the house for a couple of months. Last week we had a pee on the rug that we don't know when it happened. Last night he peed on the sofa, we were both in the room and he didn't go towards the door. This morning there was a pee in his crate.
Another thing is he's recently started cocking his leg and has discovered the joys of scent marking. In his haste to get everywhere at break neck speed I think he's setting off before he's finished causing himself to wet his inner thighs and tummy a bit. Does that sound normal?
Being totally neurotic I'm convincing myself that he has a bladder infection or something isn't developing normally.
He is eating well and seems his normal self, but sometimes when he's asleep he'll jump and wake up, but that could be anything.
My last dogs were a walk in the park compared to Brodie!

@BrodiePup
Milo sometimes pisses on himself when he cocks his leg up,
If he's pissing in the night in his crate ? Could you try and take him out again in the night ?

Thanks @CaptainBeanThief that makes me feel better about his novice cocking.

Last night was the first time he's peed in his bed for about 3 months, so a complete shock.

Yes probably… I have the same issue 😩

I sometimes wish we'd taught ours they were only allowed up on the sofa when invited, the reality is I'm too lazy and this was too cute to resist!

Speaking of sofas
🙄🙄

Ha I don't feel as bad now!

He's had his second lot of vax now, but it's split into two so one today and then another next Monday. She said he can walk on pavements and at the park (but no canal, river etc) after 3 weeks then everywhere another 2 weeks after that. Can't believe I'm going to have to haul him about in his sling for another 3 weeks!!!!

I was determined that we weren't going to be a 'dogs on the sofa' house, nor a 'dogs upstairs' house, but both of those have failed in favour of it actually being quite nice to have company in both those places! My last rock-solid boundary is that she doesn't sleep upstairs overnight.

@YorkshireFelix that seems bonkers! So by the time he can walk everywhere he'll be 17 weeks?!

Yes!! Isn't that mad. We are right by the canal, river and moors but I'll have to stick to the pavements at first which is annoying. Obviously I'll follow the vet's advice but even a 3 week wait for that seems LONG!

Some vets seems more risk adverse than others so ultimately I guess it’s up to us to make the risk/benefit decision.

Personally I think it’s very important to get dogs out as soon as possible ( not just in a sling). But that does come with a small risk.

My vet said puppies can walk everywhere 2 weeks post the second vaccination 🤷🏼‍♀️

@Twiglets1
This may be controversial but I have always had my dogs out after the 1st vaccine ( Milo includes)
Obviously not for massive walks but to get him used to the world,
We didn't get him until 13 weeks and he came unvaccinated.
I'm not sure why as he came from a working million pound farm 🙄 another story.
From mum and dad working lines.
It's never done my spaniels / dogs any harm.

I actually agree with you but it is a controversial topic as you say.

I did the same with my last puppy and he was beautifully socialised from a young age. But I didn’t dare with my current one as he technically belongs to the Guide dog organisation not me.

But to wait too long brings its own risks in my opinion.

@Twiglets1
I think if you are able to manage the risks properly and are sensible enough about it, I personally believe that as long as I risk assess a situation and believe it is fine.
I used to get comments and filthy looks having my dogs off lead from an early age. Once they were fully vaccinated I let them off and I won't apologise for that.

That being said, Milo has been the hardest dog I have had in terms of training. We are taking him to a training school. 20£ a year membership and £4 a class and more for a private class. Great reviews over 45 years experience so I am going to go for that.

How's your pup going on x

I brought mine home at 9.5 weeks, he had his first jab of three two days later, and the vet said he could be taken out anywhere except near water 10 days after the second jab.

In the meantime I took him out in a rucksack slung on my front every day without fail (he outgrew the sling in a week 🙄) which was the best thing I could have done. He met loads of people at head height, which he still finds less scary; he got used to traffic, the vet's, the groomer's, and strange children; and I even took him up to look at the dog park and to have a sniff at some friendly neighbourhood pups - one of whom is now his bestie. It was a great way of getting him habituated to the world without risk, and he's a really confident, happy, robust pup now (and still leaps into my arms to meet people at head height 😄). He went to the groomers properly for the first time today and was an absolute star. He didn't whine for me at all - I was an anxious wreck whining for him from the café across the road though.

@YorkshireFelix his first incisors started falling out at about 14-15 weeks old. He had a lot of rough and tumble with other puppies at the dog park, and playing tuggy, which I suspect helped them along!

Yes I totally agree with you.

Roman is doing well on the whole, at 4 months his recall at the park is good but I fully expect that to get worse once he hits adolescence. Another reason to get them into the habit of coming back to you early in my opinion, because as small puppies it’s their natural instinct anyway but as “ teenagers” - not so much! He’s already getting very interested in other dogs which affects how quickly he comes back as sometimes he gets very excited playing with another dog. And that’s before his hormones run riot!

He either pulls on the lead or sits down stubbornly on the lead so that is very much something to work on. But he hasn’t had any accidents in the house for a few days now, goes to bed happily at night in his own room (the kitchen) & he’s slightly less bitey - most of the time- so overall I don’t think he’s a particularly difficult puppy. They are just all difficult sometimes and it’s hard not to take it personally as though their behaviour should be perfect or it reflects badly on us.

My friend had been working with a dog trainer for a couple of weeks and feels a lot happier about her adolescent dog. I’m taking Roman to classes too but he’s only had one so far.

Ooh it's hard to know what to do then. My MIL has always had spaniels and she would take them down the beach when it was quiet before they were fully vax. They have a huge amount of land for the dogs to run around on though and we just have a small front garden and back yard.

I don't want to do anything wrong and put him at risk at all, but equally think it's important he gets out and about. I take him out every day in the sling and he's met a few people, in some shops and cafes, been around traffic and at the busy park etc. but it's not the same as walking about.

The vet said the vax he had yesterday protects against parvo and something else and the one next week is for whatever disease rats carry. She said pavement and park but not near bins, water, canal and countryside at all after 3 weeks, then everywhere after another 2...

A beach is fine because the sea washes it every day so parvo can't lurk, which it does in grass, soil, etc. It was really frustrating for me because I have an allotment but couldn't take him there because of foxes. And by the time I could get him out of the rucksack he was well over 9kg and bloody hell I felt every kilo of it!

'The sea washes it everyday' - sorry but that made me cackle. What total nonsense. That's not how science, bacteria or infections work.

The advice on mumsnet sometimes just makes me despair for the human race.

Honestly...no one should be taking their puppy to public places and placing them on the ground pre-clearance period for the second vaccine. And if you do, you are an irresponsible owner and offering the same advice to new dog owner is just insane in every way.

Vet's do not give the waiting period advice out willy-nilly because we enjoy seeing dogs stuck inside. We do it so the puppies don't die in one of the most horrific and painful ways an animal can die.

@Killingoffmyflowersonebyone
Did you come on here with your superiority just to kick off ?
This is a support thread and she obviously just said she didn't put her pup on the ground or did you conveniently miss that bit.
Did you want to join in with any useful support? If not go away

The 'advice' on this thread about putting unvaccinated puppies on the ground is dangerous and someone needs to call it out - the 'advice' you gave included.

Useful support? Don't put your vulnerable, tiny puppy on the ground in public before it is vaccinated. There you go. Support. I've provided plenty on various threads, but nothing will stop me calling out dangerous, foolish and irresponsible advice when I see it - including the advice you and PPs gave.

You took the risk because you didn't care about your puppy and because you are arrogant and believe you know better than veterinary professionals. Fine. But don't give that advice, and pretend it's grounded in fact and science, to other people who are struggling.

@CaptainBeanThief there's no need to resort to name calling, is there?

Bugger me, @Killingoffmyflowersonebyone I only mentioned it in reference to what someone else's mother had done. Neither I nor the original poster are scattering our puppies willy nilly all over the place. We've both been scrupulous. Chill your beans.

Changing the subject, for those like @BrodiePup and @CaptainBeanThief whose pups are a little older, when did you find they could put themselves down for naps? I know I need to encourage mine to be a little more independent but at the moment he needs reminding he needs to nap and he only really settles if he's in contact with me. I'm not sure if I should be encouraging him to work this out on his own or if I'm better off continuing to manage him so he's not too much of an overtired nightmare. He's four and a half months old.