Summer 25 pups

[Lavenderdog]

Any other new puppy owners around this summer? Have been looking back at some of the old puppy support threads and can see how helpful it was for those posters to share their experiences.

9 week old mini schnauzer here - so toilet training and avoiding those needle sharp teeth are the current main activities here!

(And being tolerant of her determination to rid my garden of lavender plants. Hence my user name 😂)

Thanks all!
I do need to be a bit firmer, I get cross at even having to explain why I don’t want him jumping up because surely it’s common sense? Then I’m repeating myself over and over and it gets on my nerves 😂 on the one hand, it’s so much easier when we have a walk where there are no people or the ones that I see ignore him but on the other, I need to come across it sometimes so I can tell him what he needs to do!

On the topic of commands and multiple ones meaning the same thing, thinking about it - I already use a variation of this way - if he’s heading in a direction that I don’t want him to I say ‘no’ as in a ‘don’t go that way’ and it always works how I want it to. I think I will substitute it for ‘this way’ though as ‘no’ can be used for so many things! When walking him on lead, I either say ‘heel’ when he starts to walk too fair ahead or say his name in a tone that suggests he has forgotten what he is supposed to be doing and that usually works too.

We had a nice walk earlier, everyone we encountered ignored us and one woman who was walking a goldie saw me pick up Pablo’s lead and ask him to heel so we could walk past and she just got it immediately- put her dog on a lead and also got hers to ignore mine while giving me a knowing smile and saying ‘afternoon’ - I wanted to hug her!

But the one game changer was brining a mini baby bel out with me for the walk back. It’s always the walk back on the lead when he pulls for some reason but he will do anything for cheese so I pulled that little secret weapon out on the way home - tearing little bits off as we walked and I’ve never seen him pay such attention to me on a walk 😂

@VanGoSunflowers I know what you mean about wanting to hug other people when they put their dogs back on lead. I’ve found such a difference with attitudes depending on where we walk. At my in-laws in the Cotswolds all dogs are put on lead on approach. In my local area it’s a free for all with loads of out of control dogs.
I always recall M and hold his lead with approaching dogs, but the amount of abuse I have received from owners (whose dogs are allowed to barge up to M) when I ask them to recall their dog is unreal. The latest was a small lurcher who bounded up to M snarling and snapping, only for the owner to say ‘it’s ok she’s got a muzzle’. No it was not ok. Firstly she was stressing her dog out allowing it to approach other dogs and secondly, I don’t want M to become reactive if he has lots of negative encounters.
It’s a real challenge to find areas with polite dogs and owners!

It’s great when you find something high value. Something to consider though- you may find the value lessens if it’s used all the time. With M I need to circulate the high value rewards or he’ll sniff it and go ‘meh- this smell in the bushes is much more rewarding’!

@VanGoSunflowers It is common sense tbh.

But, and this is probably going to be a very controversial opinion, I think the way a lot of people view other peoples puppies is very similar to the way that grandparents view their grandchildren. People like fussing puppies and letting puppies do things that they wouldn't let their own dogs do - whether that be jumping up, licking, mouthing etc. It's sort of how grandparents will let their grandchildren eat cake for breakfast (or at least in my family) or have extra desert. Children get away with so much more with grandparents - at least the ones I know - compared to what they get away with their parents. Just like how strangers will let puppies get away with more than their owners will.

It's not because they mean any harm, but because they don't have to face the consequences of what they have done and because doing it makes the grandchild/puppy happy - and all anyone wants is to see a puppy happy or their grandchild happy. And making others happy (be that puppy or grandchild) makes the touchers/grandparents happy. Parents/dog owners are the 'responsible' party - we're the ones that install rules, who have to play 'bad-cop' etc. But grandparents/puppy touchers just get to experience the joy and not deal with anything after.

So lovely of that Goldie owner to put her dog on a lead!😍Goldies/Labs/Spaniels tend to have that same 'manic' energy I've found, where their one braincell gets so excited by another of their 'kind' that they just go bonkers.

@VanGoSunflowers sorry I’ve been having problems with MN loading all day! In a nutshell, the very old school trainer took exception to Billy sniffing the ground as he was walking, grabbed the slip lead off me and ragged it really hard. We never went back but Billy was scared of old men for ages after 🙁. It’s a shame because I think Rory would be far more suited to gun dog training (but Billy was an agility whizz!).

Is it wrong that I’ve bought my first Christmas present and it’s for Rory? 😂 I bet I don’t make it to Christmas before giving it to him though!

@Idratherbepaddleboarding i cant remember which thread I posted it on but I had a near miss with an old school gun dog trainer! I went against it in the end due to gut instinct partly and also the advice I got on here. The one I went with in the end was the total opposite to that. When Pablo first met her, he did what nearly all puppies do and jumped up to say hi - I immediately said I was sorry and I have been working on stopping that behaviour and her reaction was a very calm, laid back one - just understood that he is a puppy and with a mix of training and maturing, it will stop but don’t stress about it. Then straight away showed me some of the stuff I should be doing and was so complimentary and encouraging.
I dunno, I’m no expert but I kind of feel there has to be a mix of training - I.e. telling them what you want them to do and what you don’t want them to do, and also excepting that they’re a puppy and are going to act like a puppy most of the time!

What Christmas present did you get?? So exciting!

I'm waiting for the dog walker to arrive to collect pup for her first outing. He seems great, answered all my many questions quite happily and interacted well with the small piranha.

I am very scared though! I hope it goes well and he looks after her. She's just so tiny.

I don't need a regular walker until September, but I'm determined that this puppy is going to be able to socialise with other dogs and people (my last dog couldn't) so I want to get her out and about asap. I hope I'm doing the right thing!

I guess I'll just see how today goes and take it from there

I've just handed her over. I think/hope she'll have fun.

I've been taking her to a local park daily and she's been having a great time rushing around with all the bigger dogs, or watching from the sidelines. Turns out one of them is on the walk with her today. (It's not actually a walk, he takes them to a private enclosed field and they can play or rest as they like, but I don't know what else to call it).

Now to make the most of the dog free time by popping to Tesco and trying not to worry.

@Unmute I hope she has a lovely time. I'd say try not to worry, but I'd be a bag of nerves, so I won't bother. 😂

Still struggling with lead walking. Got a barking collar that just beeps when he barks, got an extendable lead so he can get a bit more of a run but he’s still pulling! It’s really making me feel disheartened about walks. I know he’s only 4 months and super excited to be out and around new things, but apologising to everyone he crazy barks at and him constantly pulling is such a drain! The only good thing is it completely zonks him out for a longer nap when we’re back. He’s so good otherwise but listens to zero commands when walking, treats don’t work either as everything else is more exciting. Do I get a trainer at this stage??

@Megsro with my last dog an extendable lead meant even more pulling. I think she was testing how far she could get. The only thing that worked was changing back to a fixed lead, stopping still every single time she pulled, and waiting for the lead to go slack before waking on. Sometimes we waited a LONG time. Sometimes we only made it a few metres down the street before giving up and going home. There were tears. It felt like it would never end, but we got through it eventually.

No advice re the barking. Current pup likes to shout to get my attention. I'm hoping she gets over it before she grows into her proper adult bark.

@Megsro hi, yes I would get a trainer. A good one (it’s worth grilling them on experience/ training/ knowledge etc) will be able to read the body language. Pup may be barking because he is scared and overstimulated. I would ditch the bark collar as this won’t change the way he feels in a positive manner. If he’s having something unpleasant happening when he barks because he’s scared, then this may make him more scared.
If it was me I would take it right back, so he’s seeing dogs/ people etc from a distance. Look into ‘click the trigger’ it helps to pair the scary thing with a reward (treat) to change his emotional response.
Practice loose lead walking inside and slowly progress to garden then park etc.
4 months is very young to expect loose lead all the time.
Also use a longline not an extendable one- lots of negatives with extendable leads

@Megsro Is the beeping collar meant to stop the barking? If so I would remove it - I don’t think using aversive training techniques on a puppy this young is very wise (tbh I wouldn’t use them at all). As PP said, it’s possibly terror in which case the collar will make it worse and if it’s just over excitement the collar may make it worse.

I’d go to a trainer. Loose lead and ‘nice’ walking take months to install properly unless you have a very food motivated dog like a retriever. It’s about patience, as PP said.

Also please do avoid the extendable, it gives very little control and I’ve known dogs end up with life changing injuries as a result of owners using them (their dogs behaved like yours - overstimulated/scared/anxious). Puppies bones are incredibly fragile and extendable leads can be quite jarring.

Would you believe the collar and extendable collar were recommended by a ‘dog trainer’ 😮 so surprised! But will definitely ditch it and work on more voice command! I’ve emailed a girl who is a reputable trainer and offers ‘pawsitive walks’ where she will come along on walks and help both puppy and me! If we could get the barking under control first as a priority. I will start ‘stopping’ now when he pulls and wait for him to stop before we continue!

@Megsro look up Dog training advice and support. They have loads of info and resources that you can dip in and out of

This is the group logo- several groups with the same name!

I bet she'll love it, try and enjoy the time alone!

B runs around the park with a few other dogs and is mostly fine with nicely meeting smaller ones but constantly bounces and jumps in the faces of bigger ones. He's had a few warning barks and air snaps to tell him off but still does it. Putting him on the lead just makes him pull like a demon to get to them. Why can't he just sniff bums like normal dogs?!

I'm starting to think I need to do walks at daft times so we don't meet anyone but that's just my frustration talking. Now I wonder if a dog walker mught be a better idea!

I have to go back to the office twice a month from September and B is a total velcro dog so that's something else I'm trying to sort. I swear I wasn't this stressed with my kids!

@Megsro Sorry to hear you are struggling. I would find a better trainer. One that doesn't use aversive training methods on a tiny puppy. Or an adult dog for that matter. You really have been given poor advice. If you want to give puppy more freedom and they can't go off lead, use a long line attached to a harness. Or hire a freedom field.
Where are you walking? Can you go somewhere less stimulating for him? I can go for days without meeting other walkers and dogs. It might help a little with the barking.

@widewomanofthevillage My puppy was like that. Zero manners, not helped by my older dogs allowing them to walk all over them. Literally! I always asked people if she could say hello to their dogs first and if they were alright with puppies. She got a few tellings off. I think she was around 8 months old before she started to show some manners and do polite, calm greetings.

@widewomanofthevillage I definitely wasn't this stressed with ds! But I feel like babies are easier because nobody expects you to just carry on with your normal life, work etc while they're tiny.

I've had a video, and pup looks very relaxed but she's sticking close to the humans. I will interrogate the walker about how she did when he drops her back, hopefully any minute now.

I was going to say what @SpanielsGalore said about trying to walk somewhere quieter if it’s an option. I’ve only had Pablo in relatively crowded places maybe three times - and that was only to acclimatise him to it, I wasn’t expecting him to walk nicely or be calm and it’s a good job really because he was like a kangaroo on a lead! If every walk I did was like that one I would be stressed too. Set both of you up to succeed and you’ll feel much calmer! I hope this comes across the way I want it to - but walking my dog is my favourite thing to do in the world and I think a large part of that is because I don’t go anywhere busy. I know my home town really well, I love to walk and have done loads of walks around here so I know some lovely quiet spots and not only is it not stressful, it’s enjoyable for the most part apart from some of the idiots we sometimes meet

Even the walk I sometimes do with my friend and her greyhound I tend to dispense with heel or any of that because I’m not certain he will listen to me, so I just let him be on those walks. I will work on that later when he is older. Happy for any of the more experienced of you to correct me on that as always!

The majority of walks we do we may only walk past one or two people/dogs and sometimes none. I think that’s a good amount to try to start to teach him how to deal with all those distractions!

Definitely will try to find somewhere quieter to walk and go from there! It’s all so new to him and do have to keep reminded myself of that on those hard days. He is thriving at everything else, genuinely the best little pup! But today, we got down the road and I felt like turning back! Now I’m off to search some quieter spots!

Pup is home. Tired but happy. Please to see me, but not too pleased iyswim.

Filling her belly and then she'll probably be quiet, sleeping or entertaining herself, until I finish work.

We'll have another walk next week, then increase to 2 a week and then 3 in September.

On my office days I think she'll sleep from when I leave the house until the dog walker collects her, then I'll head home at lunchtime so we'll both be back at around the same time. She'll only be alone for 2hrs. She's done 1hr alone quite happily already (no crying according to my eavesdropping and the neighbours and a sleeping pup when I got home).

I know I sound like I'm trying to convince myself, but I really do think it'll be ok!

Not sure whereabouts you live @Megsro but I had an app called Gaia that shows all the public rights of way near me. I’ve walked them all many times which has helped because I know what will or won’t be living in which fields 😂

Hi all. We are thinking of getting a puppy (have been for ages) but not sure we have the band width as 3 kids and both work full time although mostly from home. Sounds like a tonne of work to begin with. How bad is it and does anyone regret getting their pup? We are looking at a labradoodle.

@Unmute That sounds perfect for a first go! ANd you have a solid plan in place so I reckon you'll be golden.

When you say she's ok for an hour alone, do you crate her or can she move around for that time? B follows me literally every step at home so I'm wondering whether to try and crate him (he sleeps overnight perfectly in it) and try to build up the time he can't see or access me or just leave the house for a minute and build up from there.