Hi all.
We picked up an 8 week old fox red Labrador puppy on Saturday- much wanted and years of waiting until ‘the time was right’. We have a five year old son who is on awaiting an assessment for autism but has been round his aunties dogs all his life and never shown any real fear.
My son is not coping too well at all with the new puppy and my mum guilt is horrendous. I feel like I’ve ripped his life in two. Puppy is a nibbler and he seems to do this the whole time he is awake. He’s going for our hands, our feet, the sofa, our clothing. I’m sure this is all normal but it’s non-stop. I try redirecting him everytime with one of his toys but it lasts for a few minutes then he starts again on us. My son is not coping with this at all and has become actively scared of the puppy. I’m having to be on hand 24/7 to intervene if he jumps up at my little boy- it’s becoming impossible to leave him or the puppy alone for even a minute to make a drink or cook. I hope this will improve when my son is back at school tomorrow and I can have dedicated time to start training some better habits.
The puppy himself is doing well apart from the biting- he’s weeing outside and telling me when he needs a poo. He’s sleeping all night in his crate if I’m beside him on the sofa- aiming to move that distance over time. He does not like being left alone though through the day- he won’t actively go to his crate for a nap and sleeps at my feet during the day. I’ve tried giving him ten minute spells in his crate with the door shut through the day just to hang washing out or spend some time with my little boy but he howls and cries the whole time.
I suppose there are already some puppy blues and I hate admitting it- it’s more the impact it’s having on my little boy which is a curve ball we didn’t expect at all. Got the school runs starting tomorrow and still not sure what I’m doing with the puppy- I’d naively thought that he’d sleep in his crate while I was gone for the half hour it takes but it’s seeming that’s not going to be possible either. I don’t drive so haven’t got a car to take him with me or anything and he’s too heavy to carry that distance.
just here for support really- this puppy was much wanted and still is. I just feel so stressed out with it all.