Puppy survival thread! All welcome!

[VanGoSunflowers]

Running on from our last one…

I won’t tag people because I will forget someone and then feel awful 😂

I'm absolutely not an expert but my instinct would be to ride it out. I do one to one training now with my adolescent boy and it's so valuable because it's me that needs the teaching and the skills as much as him. If you send your boy off, you've no control over what's happening, how he's being trained, and that's time that's being lost in terms of your skills as well as your mutual bond and understanding. I can't think of any set of cues or behaviours that would be worth that loss, that could realistically be trained by a stranger in an ethical way in that time period, and that you could then immediately pick up.

@reversegear I think I would agree with @Bupster I think the mutual bond when training is a big factor. My pup already responds & picks up to my specific movements or tone when training. I’m not sure how well that would transfer but I could be wrong as I’m no expert.

@reversegear it doesn’t sound like your pup is doing badly as it it!

I have to be honest and say I couldn't do it. I'd feel as if I was damaging their bond with me and missing out on an important part of their development.

@Aubrielle@Idstillratherbepaddleboarding@Houndymumma@Bupster thanks for the reply’s.

He’s doing really well, he will travel uses the ramp, goes out for pub time, plays nicely with other dogs etc, fully house trained and can hold if we go out.

He’s terribly scared of traffic and cars as we are countryside based and my last training to a town was a bit of disaster and I almost it had to carry him back to the car! so I’m a bit worried I’ll miss this socialising time.

His loose lead is also poor he pulls to the end of his lead, I’ve done all the usual tricks, stoping turning, treats.. I don’t need a strict heel I just need a loose lead, but he snaps straight to the end and pulls, pulls on a harness as well.

Oh and he loves a good bark as well, so that training is underway.

I have a list of things to do and train, I think I’m just worried me being sick will hinder him.

He's out in the paddocks running free, playing with the adult dogs and getting told off, lots! I think I’m concerned we won’t have a town, village walk on roads dog if I’m not careful and that’s important for us as we may move to a town in his lifetime.

Thanks for the advice, it’s a long time since I had a puppy and I can’t remember any broken nights from then, might just be wishful thinking or my mind has blocked out the experience ! Prepare for the worst and hope for the best!

It’s been 15 years since I last did it and obviously I blocked out a lot from before too! It’s a bit of a shock when you go from two geriatric sleeping old timers to a pocket rocket of a pup! 😂

Well an update for our Freddie this morning.

He has lost his first two teeth- discovered by finding two little teeth on the floor this morning.

The chewing and biting of me has really ramped up this last week so that could explain a lot.

My little boy is asking if the tooth fairy comes to dogs too 😂

Same here! Last few weeks we’ve found teeth and pup even spat one out at me whilst sitting on my knee the other night! 😂 be nice when we’re all done.

Our pup also seems to be spitting them out which surprises me as he’s happy to eat everything else he shouldn’t be 😂
Yes I’ll be happy when it’s all done too as hopefully that will help with the constant biting which is full force at the minute.

@JuicyDrop same here. When my pup is out in the garden she’s chewing on absolutely everything she shouldn’t be. It’s quite exhausting! 🙄

@LandSharksAnonymous
Thank you so much for the suggestion on the previous thread to get a giant stuffed toy for “those” days. Genius!

I probably have only got it out every 2/3 weeks until now, but pup is now 6 months, seems to have back teeth coming through and this has been challenging week…..

Dragging the the toy around the kitchen and humping it for 10 minutes has saved me from those teeth a couple of evenings this week and she is now sound asleep on the floor after tonight’s session!

@Lavenderdog my sex toy for dog advice strikes good again! Honestly, it is a complete life-saver. I still get it out for Twatdog (3 this week) on the odd day where he has a manic moment. How is Lavenderpup doing more broadly? Any puppy photos for us? 😁

Just to say @reversegear I 100% agree with @Bupster!

@locket2009 I can't believe I confused your pup for a retriever! How has pup been the last few nights? Still being good as gold and leaving you waiting for something togo wrong?

@Struckbylightning how did the rest of you mini-break go? I have to say, if someone has a dog-friendly holiday cottage (I have one), I think you have to expect accidents will happen. The first few nights are always a bit stressful for even the most relaxed and chilled of dogs. As long as it's cleaned up, it's not the end of the world. Merry really does have amazing ears 😍

@LandSharksAnonymousthanks for saying that, it’s true that accidents are bound to happen. In fact there were a couple of spots on the carpet which Merry was particularly interested in, so she probably wasn’t the first. She settled really well after that, and I think she had a whale of a time. The best bit for her was all the outside space. There was an enormous garden, completely fenced in so, after some initial nerves, we started just letting her out and she had a fine time racing around exploring. She slept like a log as well!

I don’t mind telling you though (since you are all strangers on the t’internet), we are home and I’m struggling again. For full disclosure, we got her in May and at the end of October realised I had hit the menopause. Here’s a handy hint - don’t get a puppy while you are entering the menopause. I have no idea now if it’s my hormones talking or if I genuinely have a demonic puppy. I don’t really have the patience required for training and I have lost all perspective of…everything. Maybe I’m being really unfair on her and too impatient. She is only 5 months old.

Went for a walk this morning and she legged it again. She flushed out a pheasant and took off, and then refused to come back, ranging about all over the place. Obviously she eventually did come back, in her own sweet time, so I put her back on the lead and she dragged me round the rest of the walk. I did cry a lot and dreamed about dropping her off in the nearest farmyard. I really don’t want a dog I can’t let off the lead. She does perfect recall in the house and garden. Even in the park on a long line. I suppose the obvious answer is keep the long line on for now and keep practicing. I’m so tired.

Sorry I realise that I have gone off on a complete ramble, I don’t even know what I’m asking. I’m going to call a trainer in the morning because I obviously need some guidance with training.

@Struckbylightning Tbh i'd be more surprised if nothing happened when a dog stayed at a holiday cottage! I'm glad Merry enjoyed herself though and that you were able to relax and trust her 😊

It's completely normal to struggle at this stage.

I know posters sometimes think I get get quite sharp with people who struggle at weeks 8-12...but I do it because it does get worse and I just wonder how they'll cope at 5 months if they can't cope at 2 months! Everyone always says teething is the worst stage. But it's not. When they're teething, they still want to be with their humans, and cling to you because they're in pain and it hurts. Once they're over that stage, and they're a bit braver and the worlds a bit less scary, they're little turds.

I would stick to the long line for now. Do you have any enclosed dog walking fields near you? There are a few near me, and one is actually a former riding school so it's covered floor to ceiling and the gate is impregnable - Jackie Chan couldn't get through it (and apparently they're becoming really common as more riding schools shut up shop). So, I'd try a dog walking field. They're incredibly stimulating given how many dogs go there - so good to wear her out - and you can walk them beforehand whilst she's in the car to make sure it's fully secure so you can try her off the lead in a safe environment.

Is she food motivated? Or is her motivation the chase? Collies do have a herding instinct, which makes them harder to train I imagine...but if you can figure out what motivates her, then you're halfway there. If you are struggling then there is absolutely no shame in calling in a trainer or some additional support.

Menopause is absolutely miserable and adding a puppy to that is even moreso, so you have my full sympathy! It's that tripple whammy of not enough, lots of stress, and dealing with two things that takes up your life 24/7 - the combination is exhausting. And don't feel guilty for thinking about getting rid of Merry - we've all been there. There's a reason Twatdog is called Twatdog. Merry will get there, it just takes time.

This may sound odd...but is Merry a humper? Or showing any signs of it? I know I joked above with @Lavenderdog about sex toys. But one of the tricks I have found is to give high-energy dogs that you can't over-exercise whilst they're young, a bit of an 'outlet.' I have a giant elephant (or duck, depending on availability) that's a childs toy that I still now shove at Twatdog on occasion when he's being manic. A little bit of toy (or cushion) humping never hurt a manic puppy - and it could well be that Merry is just at that stage where the exercise she can take isn't enough, and she needs an outlet for her energy.

FWIW, no dog is perfect. Anyone who declares otherwise is a liar. Dogs might be close to it - but there is always something that will catch their attention. And even in breeds, or in my dog's cases, families, it can be different. Eris lose all sense of decorum if she see's a ball, I have found. So if I see someone throwing one for their dog, she goes back on the lead - because there is no way I am getting her back once she see's a ball. I only know that because she's taken off twice in pursuit of balls. It's never been an issue in 20+ years, and nearly a dozen, Goldies and yet with her I absolutely cannot trust her.

Just had a massive firework display right behind our house and Rory loved them thank god! We ended up watching them in the garden. Poor Billy would have freaked out 🙁.

@LandSharksAnonymous Knowing Eris' fetish, I thought you meant a different type of ball for a minute.

@SpanielsGalore I mean...it could well be the little dirt-bag is confused and thinks where there's a ball there's a winky. Who knows?😂

@Idstillratherbepaddleboarding what a brave boy Rory is! Did he sit there doing the cute puppy head tilt as he watched them? I have to say I bring mine inside, but that's more because I don't like fireworks than because they have an issue!

@LandSharksAnonymousLittle turds is a good description, though I more often call her a bellend. I think there are dog walking fields around - I have seen people asking about them on Facebook. I’ve never really liked the idea, but I see now that it might be a good thing, at least until her recall is better.

She IS very food motivated, at least until she isn’t. She does everything I ask, while looking at my hand as if to say - show me the colour of your money if you want me to sit/ lie down/ whatever. But if there is something she’d rather do - eat shit, say hello to that dog, chase the squirrel, then even bits of roast chicken won’t turn her head. Having said that, a ball will always grab her attention. I took her for a walk last night, quite nervous because the fireworks were driving her potty, but I put her on the long line and tossed a ball about and she didn’t even flinch as fireworks went off all over the place.

The thing with the ball is - I wanted to avoid her becoming one of these obsessive collies who won’t do anything except chase a ball. I think I just need to understand how to use it to my, and her benefit. I’m just not sure yet how to do that.

It’s very funny that you asked about humping - she started to do that to me yesterday. I honestly didn’t realise that girl dogs did humping. I quickly googled it and it said that it can be caused by overstimulation. I will be investing in a sex toy forthwith! I don’t know if it’s related , but has also recently started poking her nose right into my crotch, usually from behind. It’s rather.. invasive 😳.

Marley absolutely not bothered by fireworks. Having a tiddle in garden when some started, he just ignored them. Old dog used to shake and try and stuff himself in the smallest space he could, so I've been playing firework noises over the last couple of weeks to Marley, must have worked.

All the talk of humping reminded me of old dog and his love cushion when he was a pup. Might have to get something in advance for Marley.

Routine is working well and he must be getting enough sleep as biting has definitely calmed down. Also trying to get him walking on lead in the house as he can go out into the big world on his own feet next week. Save my back as he is already getting heavy in the sling.

@Struckbylightning I know what you mean about balls - if only because of the risk of joint issues. If you hold the ball and give it to her, will she give it back if you ask? So holding the ball is her reward until she returns it? Or is she more 'ball is mine, tooderloo' type? It does sound like you do have all the basics though to be set up for success, it's just about puzzling it out 😊

Sadly, girly dogs do hump! 😁The humping thing is overstimulation, but it's also excess energy needing to come out as well. I said above, but it is soo hard when you have a high-energy breed when they're young - you can't exercise them too much, because of their joints, and you don't want them running around the house, again because of their joints. I buy from 'TheMagicPetShop' on Amazon for Twatdog. When he was younger I used to have to give it to him daily/every other day, but now it's perhaps once a week.

I feel you on the crotch sniff though. Twatdog is quite the fan of them - and as you say very invasive. Thankfully baby Eris does not do that, but she is a winky sucker as well as a ball thief. Her new favourite thing is to greet boy dogs with a quite aggressive winky lick or suck. The amount of slightly bamboozled dogs I have seen in the last few weeks would be comical if not for the fact my dog is, apparently, a pervert.

@zobalina77 the humping trick does work wonders! Have you tried lead walking in the garden? That's always a good shout as well!

@LandSharksAnonymous He's walking okay on lead in house but as soon as we go in the garden he's not a fan. Wants to be doing zoomies in the wind I think.

Our pups never lead walked well in the garden either @zobalina77 , too many distractions and it is so totally different from being out in the big wide world. Mine all thought the garden was for play and toilet.

The humping thing is fascinating @LandSharksAnonymous . I'd never thought about it until now. We've only had two humpers, both female and they were hormonal humpers - they only did it when they were in season. None of the four boys ever did it at all, presumably by virtue of being a calm, lazy low energy breed...?

My girl has just started humping this week. Only when she had the zoomies and only twice. It’s like she doesn’t even realise she’s doing it. She has a life size IKEA puppy toy that got it. My late male dog didn’t hump until he was about 10 months old and then took a shine to my daughter’s pink space hopper at the time which caused much amusement. After he was snipped he never did it again. My late female never did it but we rescued her aged 2 after she had been neutered.

@Struckbylightning I think you were really brave to take a dog away on holiday at that age. My previous pair of hounds were always rubbish on holiday for the first few days. My female always did an anxiety puddle or worse on day one, not sure if it was because she had Addisons disease or she was just stressed. It was a standing joke that they weren’t good at holidays. Also my pup is coming up 5 months and some days we walk and it’s lovely, other days everything goes wrong! I’ve come back frustrated this week as it’s been half term. I’m trying to walk my pup and oblivious families with young kids, keep invading our personal space and exciting my girl whilst I’m trying to walk her!! I joked with my DH yesterday when I came back that I’m now officially a grumpy old woman (also menopausal). I think we all very much still have good days and bad. Good news is my girl is totally unfazed by fireworks though, it sounded like the Battle of the Somme a few days ago and she didn’t bat an eyelid.