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.

I agree with the above.

Slightly different for us because Brie hasn't been crated, she sleeps in the kitchen/orangery, but if we bed her down too early she won't sleep through. She doesn't have a dog bed, just mostly snoozes under the table although she can wander about.

Our routine now is a 10 or 15 minute lead walk at 8pm, she has a small supper at 9ish; just a couple of handfuls of kibble otherwise she's sick hungry at 5am, out for a last wee at 10-10.30, then say goodnight and lights off. Any real deviation from that routine seems to disrupt her sleeping pattern.

This morning she woke at 6.30, which is fine with DH wfh from 7. Yesterday however she was awake at 5 because we'd had an early night due to DH going to an IT conference yesterday. Routine seems to be the key.

Thanks @AubrieDog, I might start taking him for a quick walk round the block in the evening too. I've not hugely changed his sleeping patterns apart from less naps in the day since he was very tiny so I guess it makes sense that he can go to bed a bit later now he's bigger.

I was awake worrying last night that I'm not giving him enough mental stimulation/training/playtime and im causing him serious psychological damage which I know is a bit dramatic. I think I need to chill out 😂

You're doing fine @YorkshireFelix Try to stop worrying.
You only need slight tweaks to your routine as they get a bit older but even a 10 minute mid-evening walk seems to make a difference for us so it might be worth a try.

Definitely exercise helps them sleep, as long as it's fairly calm - if they're over-tired or over-excited you have a different problem!

If your pup has always been okay sleeping alone it might be worth pushing through, but I wondered if he had got a bit worried about something, and needed some company for a while until he feels safe again. Could someone sleep downstairs with him for a few nights? then gradually come up halfway through the night, then leave him completely? He's still quite little, isn't he, @YorkshireFelix ?

I'm a bad example, I buckled on the second night as I absolutely could not leave Bill to cry. He's been in the bed ever since, and it turns out I love it. I know not everyone will feel the same!

Milo settles from about 8pm but he has his last wee at about 23.00pm maybe about 00.00am

He's been shitting in the house recently 😬😬😬😡( not last night, thank god) THREE SHITS I CLEANED UP THE NIGHT BEFORE

I envy your routine @BrodiePup

We often say we should go to bed later then if the last wee was later Roman would probably not wake us up so early in the morning.

But we get too knackered because of the early starts so it’s a bit of a vicious cycle.

@Bupster he will be 4 months on Friday so still a baby!

Thank you all for the sound advice. I'm going to try keeping him up a bit later and doing a short evening walk to see if it makes a difference. I think another issue is DH has no concept of walking around quietly so he can't just creep off upstairs without making a racket!

Will tweak our routine a bit and see how we get on. The good thing is at least when he's asleep he will sleep until about 7.30am so swings and roundabouts I guess!

@Twiglets1 I can't really take credit for B's routine, I tend to go to bed just after 9 and leave H to it. I can't function and get grumpy and tearful without sleep. Exhaustion is one of the hardest things in raising a puppy.

@YorkshireFelix I think a quick evening walk is a good idea. It's tricky with your husband coming in late. We've always disappeared and been quiet when B is in his crate, as soon as he hears us he knows he's getting out. I hope you get a better night tonight 🤞🏻

@CaptainBeanThief What's going on with Milo? Has he got an upset tummy?

@YorkshireFelix Agree that he’s going to sleep too early. I remember at that age we sometimes didn’t get puppy snoozing until 9/10 ish, partly because she was an overtired bitey nightmare, but partly because I wanted to keep her up so she’d sleep through. I think bringing him upstairs puts a plaster on the issue and doesn’t solve it.

Perhaps what you need is a new routine, as @Twiglets1 suggests. Get him synced into what happens at bedtime so that at 11pm (or whatever time you go to bed) he knows that it’s outside for a wee, bedtime biscuit (if you want) and then bed. When your DH gets back late, are you still up? I’m guessing not if it disturbs V. That might need its own routine if your DH can’t get in without disturbing him (which is fair, its his house too) but the principle should be the same: he knows that when DH gets in, he gets a bit of fuss and then a wee if he needs one and then back to bed. A new schedule itself might not solve your problem but it might get him to grasp that bedtime means bedtime if exactly the same thing happens every night (plus the same thing on your DH’s late nights).

If you’re not already I would try and work on him being left, bit by bit, during the day. I am followed around the house still most of the time which I don’t mind but I started leaving her for short stints almost immediately as a baby because I needed time on my own and I didn’t want a whingy adult dog that couldn’t be left.

Try not to worry about it, though I know it’s much easier said than done. It will pass and you are definitely not doing him any psychological damage! He’s loved and walked and fed and trained – he’s doing really well and so are you. And there’s no such thing as posting too much. That's what we're here for.

Thanks so much @brushingboots it's been really helpful to see what other peoples routines are. We haven't got into a set routine with walks yet but me and DH are going to discuss and get something worked out.

Sometimes I am still up but it's not always a set time when he's home so can be too late and I'll have already gone to bed (we own a restaurant so completely depends on how busy it's been and how long clean down takes!). He's going to start just taking him for a wee and back in the crate when he gets in late. I feel bad as he works so much (he's out of the house 8am-6/7pm Monday to Wednesday then until 11pm or later Thursday to Sunday) so doesn't get to see V a lot and enjoys having some time with him when he gets home, but it's obviously not working for us so it has to change!

It is funny with leaving him as sometimes I nip upstairs and he will just sit nicely in the kitchen and wait, and other times he will whine and whine. I am going to start trying it for short periods though and see how it goes. Thankfully the neighbour on one side isn't around much as she's bought the house and very slowly moving in but I'm going to speak to the other side and just warn them he might be a bit noisy.

Hello everyone!

I first posted 2.5 weeks ago when our lovely Eddie first joined the family and it has been a roller coaster ever since.

We thought the house training was going really well but he left 2 little puddles on the living room carpet last night! Bah!!!!! But that is only to be expected I suppose.

He is due to have his 2nd injections a week on Friday then can go out walking a week later - yay!!!! Which we hope he will love & will also tire him out by the end of the day!

Our biggest problem is he turns very bitey in the evenings when we try to sit down & relax. He literally will lunge at us & then will bite our feet & hands. We have tried distracting him with chew toys etc. Even if he comes up to sit with us he will bite the cushions & our hands. It's so frustrating.

We have ended up putting him in his playpen in the kitchen which he hated at first but it seems to calm him down, There is a bed & some toys in there too. If we then bring him out, he starts all over again. We have tried to play calmly with him, offer him chew toys & other toys but he just wants to nip our hands!! Arrgh!! It is so frustrating.

He is lovely during the day and only a little bit bitey so it is not all bad!

I am praying this is just a horrible stage & he grows out of it. I am drawing hope from others who say they calm down around 4 months or so.

If anyone has any words of wisdom of how to stop his evening horrors, I would be very grateful

I do think it’s just a stage @Tangomango1

Roman was very bitey - especially towards me for some reason!

But he’s better already and he’s not 5 months old yet. He still bites me but not as often and he’s learning to do it gently.

The biting drives me crazy too as you can see from previous posts. It’s been terrible today and I feel like I have been bitten all day. He’s 4 months so hoping it stops soon. He’s had a walk, a lick mat and a towel with treats in all rolled up so he has to work for it. Now sleeping. Our classes start tomorrow so I am putting a lot of hope into them!!

He is soooo cute.

Our pup is 4 months on Friday and he definitely calmed down significantly since around 1.5-2 weeks ago. We used to have the same nightmare evening biteyness and he doesn't do it much any more! And he's learnt to chill and settle throughout the day m too which is amazing.

It is SO much better once they calm down a bit. I am over the moon with how much nicer he is now. How old is yours now?

@YorkshireFelix I found when she was V’s age that routine was the key and once I’d figured that out things got much easier – but that’s what I’m like, I like having timetables and I know it doesn’t suit everyone. Our situation is unusually straightforward as I WFH for myself and dog-dad is mostly away during the week and we don’t have kids, but I do think pups thrive on knowing roughly what the plan is.

I think that sounds sensible – as he’s so little he might need an extra wee later anyway, and it gives your DH the opportunity to do that with him too, and for V to go wees for his dad as well as you, if you know what I mean.

If you’re a member of the Facebook group Dog Training Advice and Support, they have a useful guide on leaving puppies called something like ‘the flitting game’, where you pop in and out for really short periods and build up.

Ooh yes I am on that group but haven't read anything since just before Vinny arrived so I should definitely revisit it. I am autistic and LOVE routine so I am sure that will work fine for me 🤣

@Tangomango1 Oh he’s lovely!

I always translated bitey into ‘overtired’ at that age. We went through an unpleasant phase of puppins being in the kitchen in her bed while I watched tv elsewhere in the evenings as I just couldn’t bear to be near her mouth – as much as I wanted to cuddle her on the sofa. But it worked: she would writhe around and fuss in her bed for about five minutes before she conked out, totally sparko. I definitely don’t miss being lunged at, but I can confirm that it does stop and you will be able to wear nice clothes again soon.

I'm sure you have plenty but it was at about four months that I got very into buying natural chews. Some will be marked only for six months plus but there are plenty that they can have before that. I think the day I got a buffalo horn was the day my life changed forever, as sad as that sounds.

@Tangomango1 @Booksandflowers
Sympathies. We had scratched arms and ripped shirts for weeks and felt it would never end!

I am probably only reiterating what has already been said by @brushingboots who really knows her stuff regarding dogs!

However, for us, with Brie, from about age 5 months, the difference has been dramatic. I realise all puppies are different, but, as soon as her adult teeth came through, she stopped biting us. She will still occasionally mouth at our hands or forearms but it is very much gentler and she is no longer grabbing our clothes.
The overtired frenzied evening behaviour has stopped completely.

So although chew sticks and tug toys can definitely help, the real difference will only take place when the adult teeth are through.

Now, at 6 months, we seem to have fairly adult behaviour at home although she can still be a nightmare on the lead.

So, don't despair. The biting does stop and things start to get very much easier in many respects from about 5 months.

Hi, new to here but heard this was the place to come! Going through some serious puppy blues right now. Husband and I have an 11 week old Dalmatian puppy, who is absolutely gorgeous and doing his best, but I'm struggling. Husband is a bit younger than me (I'm 41) and finding it easier, but I'm so strung out. I have trouble eating and my tummy is always in a jumble. I find myself having regrets and crying a lot, I'm at my wits end. It has really caught me off guard because I grew up with German shepherds and I've pet sat my way around the world and all my roommates had dogs with behavioural issues that I always managed to sort out without much effort, and here I have a puppy who has only just been with us a week and a half and rarely has an accident inside and is doing pretty well at sit, stay, come, so I shouldn't complain, but I just feel overwhelmed all of the time and want to run away.

I think it's because I had a really really rough past decade at life, and came from a toxic family that I had to hold too much responsibility for and I just cracked. Our plan was always to get a dog, which I wanted too, but I knew I was the hold up on it (always finding a reason as to why we should wait) and I just ran out of reasons one day and said okay. He's gorgeous, but I cry every single day. My husband is very supportive and understanding through everything and my feelings, but it's like I'm grieving all over again, only for the life and stability I'd only just achieved a couple months ago for the first time in my life and now I'm just back to being worried all of the time and without rest. I don't really have an understanding set of friends or family to talk to.

He went for his first walk today, was an absolute champion, met some other doggies and is now sleeping on my husbands lap, but I'm just anxious already about when he wakes up again and the chaos that will ensue. I know it is selfish, but for the first time in my life I had freedom and a safe place to call home and now those things have been taken away as fast as they came. I feel so awful, I feel like I should have seen this coming but it has really taken me aback. If it wasn't for my husband I don't think I'd have been able to keep this beautiful puppy, but then I suppose I would also never have gotten him either. I'm so torn, I want to get through this but every fibre in my body is hating it right now. I have no idea what I'm doing anymore, what the right choice to make are, and so on. I just want to sleep or go on holiday which is exactly what I won't be doing for the foreseeable future ahead.

Has anyone else gone through it this badly? I honestly am so worried about letting everyone down, my husband, the neighbours, our lovely puppy, and I just feel lonely AF right now and entirely lost.

I was an absolute anxious wreck when Bill arrived and it is only now starting to ease at five months old. Something about the enormous responsibility of him, and the need to get it all right, while utterly overwhelmed by him plus everything else. So no, you're not alone; I think we expect it to be different and not as hard, and nothing prepares you for a puppy except having a puppy.

@AubrieDog You are too kind – I stress I am only self-taught x (Ps did you NC?)

@ErikaK Welcome! First things first, you can always talk to us. Second, he's gorgeous! My parents have a Dalmatian and she's a wonderful dog.

Reading your post took me right back a year ago to when my spaniel pup was the same age and I cried every day. She was a good puppy like yours but I just couldn't cope with her even existing. It felt like how I imagine PND feels. I threatened to give her away to every single person I met; I didn't eat for about two months, got hives, and once had a total breakdown in Boots when I couldn't find any herbal remedies for stress. I dreaded going downstairs in the mornings.

And then the fog lifted and we found our balance. Walking and training helped both of us, I started eating again and I stopped letting her boss me and took control. Now she's my shadow and I wouldn't be without her.

Everything you're feeling is ok! I know it feels mad because you've got a gorgeous dog and you shouldn't have a care in the world but when the puppy blues have you in their grasp, it's bloody hard, even if you have support physically on hand. You are not alone and if we can help here we will.

Thank you for your wisdom everyone!

@YorkshireFelix
Eddie will be 11 weeks old on Friday & next Friday will be his 2nd lot of injections then he will be out walking the Friday after that. Fingers crossed.

I hope getting him out & about will give us more routine & will help both stimulate & tire him out so he stops being an absolute horror. He can be so lovely too but he definitely has these horrible moments.

He is currently in the kitchen howling after being put into his pig pen (play pen) for biting yet again & I am feeling awful. I am praying this is just a horrible few weeks and we just have to grit our teeth & get on with it! But it is soooo hard.

@ErikaK
I am so sorry you are feeling the way you do! I feel similar in some respects as we lost our gorgeous border terrier in June & I pushed to get another dog as I missed having a pet so badly & now our lives have been turned upside down and definitely not for the better right now!

My DH is trying his best & is being very patient but I am sure he resents me right now & what has happened to our nice quiet life

It is very hard even when you think you are prepared for the upheaval & have been a dog owner before. It is such a shock & I really hope it gets better for you.
And your pup is absolutely gorgeous!

I'd say I'm dog taught; my lot have taught me all I know and not all of it good 😆

Yes, I'm PyreneanAubrie now and that appears on the Adolescent Dog Survival thread but my old name still shows here.

Hello please may I join? Our new boy is ten weeks old and I'm bloody exhausted. He gets up at 5.45 I mean who gets up before the sun I need to get it though to him that he's not a rooster!