Puppy Survival Thread for New and Old Pups - here comes winter 2024

[Bupster]

I thought I might as well be the one to start the new thread! Nothing to report but a sleepy puppy over here.

Exactly… our old dog never had much training beyond very basic puppy stuff & he was problem free too, apart from being a bit of an idiot when young & excitable. Roman has to go to training classes as a guide dog puppy otherwise I wouldn’t bother. I think your average dog being raised nicely isn’t that complex so I wouldn’t get a trainer unless I was really struggling with some aspect of their behaviour.

I see so much more emphasis on getting puppy trainers now then when we had our old dog 20 years ago, seems to have exploded along with social media. I doubt that all the trainers even have qualifications in what they are teaching. Dogs haven’t changed, it’s just the owners have become more anxious about being judged by others.

You're right @Twiglets1

Before I came here, I just reared my pups, free-range, no fuss, got on with it. Now I seem to overanalyse everything and worry that I'm getting it wrong/not doing enough. But Brie is happy and lovely and very amiable towards everyone...do I need more than that? She'll never behave like a gundog no matter how many hours of training I put in...

Re Trainers: yesterday on another thread I came upon a person claiming to have qualifications in Dog Behaviour... she has a Rottie and she stated that the breed is a Livestock Protection Dog 😨FFS, she is teaching other people but doesn't know her own dog's purpose!!! I've never had a Rott but I do know it's a droving dog and is not classified as a LGD. It scares me that people set themselves up as some sort of expert when they don't know the inherited characteristics of their own dog. It's a bit like what @brushingboots was talking about on the other thread a couple of days ago. People getting a breed they haven't researched at all and then wondering why it behaves as it does 🙄

So I'm now having reservations about getting an "expert" in to train my girl. Think I'll just plod on and let her be who she is.

@PyreneanAubrie I agree with that approach. I think you'd find a boat load of trainers who claim to know what they are doing but in reality have no clue about your breed. You're better off doing your own thing, and as long as you're all happy it's cool!

Don’t let it worry you any more @PyreneanAubrie

Even half the gundogs don’t behave like gundogs should supposedly behave!

Secretly I think that those dogs that are immaculately well behaved are a bit boring (maybe I’m a little jealous 😂)

I think, @PyreneanAubrie, that you should just keep on doing what you’re doing. I’m a first-time owner (as an adult) so I’ve had to learn on the job with pupsy, but you know what you’re doing. Brie doesn’t need to behave like a gundog, it’s just that loads of us here have those breeds so the chat turns to that. I think only get a trainer in if you actually need help with a thing: I got a gundog trainer because I wanted to teach specific skills that I needed to learn first as a human. We didn't go to puppy classes – I didn't even look up where they were round here, I just thought I'd have a go myself.

Also agree entirely with @Twiglets1 that social media has had an impact on the general training discourse and I’ve noticed it in my own habits. About eight months ago I started following a girl on Instagram with two dogs, very different to pupsy, but I was intrigued. She does high-level obedience with one of them, and bitework with another and I guess I’m morbidly curious about it – I can't imagine why bitework would appeal, but horses for courses. She also does a lot of videos of dogs ‘rushing’ her dogs out on walks and her (not always super friendly) reaction to it. The latter has made me feel hyper-aware of what pupsy does at all times, which isn’t a bad thing but I guess she gave me something additional to think about which I probably wouldn’t have done if I hadn’t found her. So swings and roundabouts: I’m now probably more neurotic about dogs ‘rushing’ us as a result, but equally that’s not really a bad thing as long as you don’t get bonkers about it.

I'll carry on pootling then @brushingboots doing my own thing and letting Brie do hers.

Looking not just at gundog training but even, something you mention here, bitework - it is all based around the dogs prey drive and how you harness it. Most training is I guess. So, as I have a dog that's been bred for low (almost no) prey drive it gives me the perfect get out clause 😆Okay, we'll figure out the lead biting in our own way, no trainer.

I did realise last night, after I'd left my chap minding Brie for a while, just how bonded she is to me. She hadn't seen me for about 90 minutes and she went potty when I came back in, she jumped up, paws on my shoulders and washed my ear, then she wouldn't let go of my hand for ages. She loves my chap too, but she is most definitely my girl 😊

You’re lucky to have such a great bond @PyreneanAubrie

If you do figure out how to stop them biting the lead, please pass it on! Roman’s a terror for it especially on the way home from walks. The only way I can stop it is with a constant stream of treats to distract him & keep him focused on me but I feel like he has to learn to walk nicely without bribes.

She was lead biting again on her second walk 🙄although I just about managed to control the on-lead zoomies today. It was a full body workout again, at least I don't need to fork out for gym membership 😆

I agree, I don't want to resort to handing out treats to stop the lead grabbing either, so I'm trying different distraction tactics; using "wait" then fiddle with bootlace or rummage in coat pocket or telling her "slowly" then "car coming" just things that she's familiar with from crossing roads etc., just so she'll focus on me instead of the lead. It is slowly becoming more manageable. We've realised that if I say "Good Girl" she sometimes gets silly and grabs the lead or my sleeve or boot, so I have to curb how much I say that on a walk - difficult because it's a natural inclination.

Our previous boy was bonded to me like this too, but the one before was very much my husband's dog. When we had three together they seemed to love us both equally. I imagine it's quite hard for you @Twiglets1 , that you have to try not to bond too closely with Roman because you know you have to give him up. I can see there being a few tears when that time comes, although I'm sure you'll also be very proud to see your puppy actually become a working guide dog.

I started off thinking I could manage to not bond too closely with him knowing he wasn’t mine. But he has enormous charm as well as a lot of cheekiness so I’ve given up all pretence of not loving him now.

There will definitely be tears when the time comes for him to move on. But I’ll be very proud of him no matter if he makes it as a guide dog or not. Some of them get diverted into other “jobs” like dogs for the hearing impaired or emotional support dogs. I think he’ll be doing something useful but not exactly sure what yet. If for any reason he isn’t suitable as a support dog he will always have a home here.

@Twiglets1
Ah, thank you. I was going to ask that question - if he didn't make the grade in his training, could you have him back. It's good to know that would be a possibility. But I hope you will get regular updates as he goes further into his training anyway, it would be lovely for you to see his progress.

There is the possibility of us getting him back if he isn’t suitable or even after he retires. How weird would that be? To suddenly get a phone call when he’s 8 or 9 saying he’s retiring & would we want him back. Can’t imagine saying No but it would be strange getting to know him again as a mature and presumably very well behaved dog - very different to how he is now!

It makes me sad to think about but we will get updates about his progress & photos so we will also be happy to know he’s doing well.

That would be odd @Twiglets1 to have the start and the end of his life but miss out a chunk in the middle. I wonder if he'd remember you years down the line? I think he would.

Our previous dog recognised his breeders when he met them at a Pyrenean club show almost three years after we got him. They were amazed that he remembered, because he was only 9 weeks old when he left them.

I'm glad you'll get updates on Roman's progress and get to see photos of how he looks as an adult. That'll be interesting.

@Twiglets1 I admire you very much for what you're doing! So glad you'll get updates when he moves on.

@PyreneanAubrie that's so funny about recognising the breeder. We got V from a breeder in the next village and he's just started working at a place a couple of streets away from us. He spotted us as we walked past the other day and messaged saying to bring V in to say hello next time, so I wonder if he will remember him!

@YorkshireFelix I'm pretty sure he will remember. You'll have to let us know what his reaction is.

Our boy went completely gaga and leapt all over his breeder and her teenage daughter as soon as he saw them. It was very sweet because it was as if he thought he was 9 weeks old again 🤗

Thank you @PyreneanAubrie & @YorkshireFelix 😊

More f*ing fireworks

😡😡😡

Ugh I'm sorry @PyreneanAubrie how frustrating!!

She hates it, poor baby She won't go out for a wee now. She was just in the middle of eating her dinner when the sodding things kicked off 🙄

I’ll join with my wee monster. 8 weeks last Sunday. Not getting anywhere with toilet tra8nung yet but this is only day 3 for us. At present he sleeps in a cardboard box at the side of my bed (that’s what we did with our last dog) and when he gets older we’ll put a bed in our room. He’s taking a while to settle at night and wakes about 3 - 4 times but I’m hopeful he’ll get better. He’s a cute monkey though!

He's gorgeous - what flavour of dog is he?

He's beautiful @haggisaggis . Is he a Sheltie?

Aww he is very cute @haggisaggis. The thought of him sleeping in a little cardboard box next to your bed is adorable! I wouldn't worry about toilet training so far, just keep doing all the right things and it will happen. My pup didn't click with it until around 4.5 months old! But now he's brilliant and rings the bell at the back door to be let out 😃 I was so stressed about it only a few weeks ago as I thought he'd never get it!

He’s a rough collie. Our last boy passed away suddenly in August. Up to then we’d vowed not to have another dog but the overwhelming grief and the dog shaped hole he left meant that we took the decision to get another one - we think of it as our last boy’s legacy. So this wee monster joined our family on Sunday. His box is very large! Just fits at the side of the bed but means I can lean over and reassure him.

New and struggling puppy own here, placemarking so I can join in when I’m a little less overwhelmed!

Oh my word, the constant vigilance for toileting is exhausting. Any tips? At the moment DP is at home but he’ll be back in the office on Wednesday so I’ll be on my own… suggestions on how to manage very welcomed!