Puppy Survival Thread Autumn 2025 - all welcome!

[VanGoSunflowers]

Hello everyone! Won’t tag you all as you know everyone is welcome 😊

@Bordercollierun do you need to continue with the crate if your pup is so against it?

My last puppy didn’t like the crate & started high pitched crying if we ever tried to close it - yet he settled very quickly with being left alone in the kitchen with the door shut at night or when we were showering say. The floor is tiled so it was easy to clean up accidents. And we had one of his beds in there with toys & his water bowl.

I know some dogs grow to love their crates. But possibly they are not all suited to them. Not judging whatsoever as I’m not against crates.

Thankyou everyone. I’ve always had collies and not to be rude to current dog but they are much brighter than her. She doesn’t seem to pick things up quickly at all. Im actually experienced in training, I ran agility dogs for years so feel even more like a failure.

I don’t need to crate, to be honest I would prefer not to! But she’s already half the size of older dog and I was worried if I leave them alone together that older dog would be ragged around allover the place. She’s relentless with the play and very rough. I’ve been worried sick that this means they will never be okay together! My older dog is often crying or yelping and I have to peel her off ☹️
Ive left them alone at night as she won’t stay in the crate but had to separate them in different rooms. I can’t have her in the bedroom as I don’t want her upstairs due to her joints.

I might as well move to the garden, I’ve spent hours and hours out there so far! Glad to hear this likley to improve with age.

I have a husband. He’s useless and every time I leave her with him she manages to wee allover the place.

Another thing, going out! It’s a minefield. Did you just start as you mean to go on and leave? I think she’s okay. I don’t want to create separation anxiety but at the same time I need shopping and to go on the school run. Argh!

I hear you @Bordercollierun about the husband who is useless when left alone with the puppy.

I watched mine like a hawk but when I had to spend one night away my husband couldn’t cope. I’ll never forget when he phoned me that night to say, “ we’re going to need a new carpet”.

Going out? Yes I started as I meant to go on apart from I only left for half an hour at first. Then gradually built it up to an hour, then 2 hours and so on. Yes the puppy gave me the sad face as I left. But when I returned even after half an hour he was yawning before dancing around so I know he had just been napping while I was out. I didn’t use cameras though I know a lot of people do. I would find that more anxiety inducing and took the attitude that - he has to learn to be left alone even if he does cry at first. It’s a life skill to be self resilient & makes life so much easier as they grow up if they are ok with being left alone.

@Twiglets1 that’s exactly like mine. I’m finding it infuriating as I’ll have had a good few hours with her going outside then come in after an hour and she’s weed on the carpets because he’s not watched her properly! He actually told me this morning she was weeing as if he’s incapable of sorting it out. He does work full time and I don’t so I think after work he just can’t be bothered maybe. I did push for the dog as I want to show her.

Ive been doing the same with leaving, just sort of going and not making any fuss. She’s fine lying asleep while I do jobs or go upstairs, she doesn’t cry or follow me. I’m in a semi detached house so can’t have a howler or barker.

Giant breeds are no less intelligent. They are just less biddable and far more stubborn. Don't underestimate her intelligence, their brains just work differently. And don't make comparisons with your other dog because that isn't fair on her. You have two breeds with very different energy levels and complete extremes in levels of trainability. In some ways your experience might go against you with a giant because they're so much more laid back and everything takes longer. They like to do things at their own pace and not be hurried. They are the control freaks of the dog world and have a fuck that attitude to doing what they're told.

I don't have mine upstairs, but they have two rooms downstairs at night. It's good to hear that you're not adamant about the crate. With the separation anxiety just take it slowly as @Twiglets1 says, but with your other dog for company she should be okay.

I confess to using puppy pads with mine for the first month or so. Although most people here believe that teaches them to toilet indoors, that has not been my experience. The girls can just be a bit lazy but once they get in a routine they're fine.

The other thing with a giant is the growth. You can't carry them about for long so initial socialisation is a sodding pain. They can also be lazy walkers when you start proper lead training. They like to sit and watch the world more than focus on what you want from them.

Try not to think of her as a dog and it might help. I think of mine as creatures because they're quite undoglike. One of my cousins is a vet and even she says she finds it difficult to think of my Pyrenean as a dog.

Re the husband; with our current pup it was his first puppy since working from home full time, he admitted that he found it really hard work. When our previous lot were young he was out all day and he had no idea how full-on puppies are. S yes, it's a man thing.

@CoubousAndTourmaIet

Thank you. She’s very independent, if I take her for a wee she thinks nope not coming back in and will zoomie around the garden or just point blank refuse. Never had this before/

Training wise she’s picked some things up quickly. She can do hand touch etc. But she’s soooo wiggly and easily distracted that she will do something once then wander off and forget where we were 😄 loose lead walking is coming on okay.

Socialisation is a struggle. I carried her on the school run and almost keeled over, she’s about 10kg. Only another week until she can go out then I plan to start doing more!

I think you’re doing everything right with going out/going upstairs and your pup is already showing good independence for a puppy.

My husband also worked full time whereas I didn’t so maybe they do feel the puppy is more or less our responsibility but it’s so hard to do it alone. I do remember moments of regret & desperation feeling like the puppy will never learn to do his wees & poos outside as we were told to show no emotion towards these “accidents”. All we did was give him treats every time he did happen to do his business outside and being a Lab, he did want those treats very much. It still took weeks & weeks for the penny to drop though or maybe for him to be able to control his bodily functions.

Your puppy will get there @Bordercollierun she is already learning so much & may be more intelligent than you think but it’s hard to see them as intelligent when they keep weeing & pooing in the house right after being in the garden! My puppy did that too all the time but he’s about to qualify as a working guide dog and has proven to be very talented at all the new training they have given him.

@Twiglets1 that’s amazing! You must have put so much work into him for him to be able to achieve that so well done!

Im currently following a few showing pages and they seem to have them stacked and trotting around already. I’m looking at mine rolling around and thinking how. Suppose comparison is the thief of joy and all that 😂

Yes, but I bet they still shit on the carpet. 😂

Tbh the puppy raisers don't do that much beyond just raise a nice normal well adjusted puppy to about a year old. Actually that is a lot! 😂

All the serious training is done at the guide dog centre by their trainers. But we never thought Roman was that intelligent & he's acing it now.

Not saying this to show off on his behalf just to say some develop a bit later but it doesn't mean they won't be amazing adult dogs.

😂😂😂

@Twiglets1 that’s brilliant news about Roman- you must have had a proud mum moment!

I did indeed 😊

@SpanielsGalore that’s reassuring, fingers crossed for skipping adolescence! It sounds like most pups get through this phase eventually. He does understand bite inhibition because he mouths softly initially it’s when he’s over tired the snapping and lunging starts.

We had a terrible puppy training class tonight. It’s at 6:30 in the evening so he’s completely exhausted even with a 2 hour nap before we leave. I’ve already paid for the sessions otherwise I’d be considering knocking them on the head. He just comes back wired and isn’t taking much in. I feel like he wants to do a good job but goes a bit treat wild and it ends with him biting at my treating arm, I got a thorough mauling.

@Struckbylightning i feel your pain! The devil in the eyes is completely accurate! I think grief has also played a part in how I feel as well. I felt such a loss after my old girl, it was a hard slog for the last 6 months as well with medication and vets bills trying to keep her quality of life as best I could.

@Bordercollierun i hope things get better with your newfie, if you have any advice about collie puppies I’d gladly take it 😂

Anyway, I don’t want to wish away time but I’m really looking forward to his adult dog years …

@FromBarktoShark86 the only thing I’ll say about collies is that I adore them! My last one was the most perfect dog in the world, I don’t even remember training him he just knew what I wanted before I did.

Hang in there!

@FromBarktoShark86 I took Pablo to an evening puppy class once. I never went back after the first one! It was absolute bedlam! I also didn’t like the ‘trainers’ that ran the session, I found them very condescending. Plus, it was the middle of summer in a hot, stuffy hall.

I love Border Collies. Something about the way they move and respond to their humans. I could watch them all day!

Pablo keeps doing this thing in the evening, not every evening, where he just starts going mad and barking at the living room window, hackles up and everything. When I check, there is literally nobody out there. I have no idea what it is he is barking at! Friends have suggested I either have a stalker or ghosts. Anyone else’s dog do this??

He makes me laugh as it’s as if he thinks he is a good guard dog, but if anyone came in to the house he would ridiculously friendly with them 😂

Could he be seeing his own reflection?

Our old Lab used to bark furiously at his own reflection in glass and then his hackles would go up which made him bark even more as the “dog in the reflection” looked fiercer too. We used to laugh and agree with him that the dog out there looks a nasty piece of work.

This was despite our dog being the friendliest dog imaginable to any real dog or person he came across.

Haha that made me laugh!

I did think this at first, but he can always see his reflection when it’s dark out there yet doesn’t always bark at it, sometimes does it when it’s daylight and he can’t see his reflection, and then jumps up at the window where he is too close to see his reflection and is looking directly at something 😂

I pulled the curtains across one evening and this didn’t make a difference either!

Other times there will be a knock on the door and he won’t even register it 😂

I am building myself up this morning to fetch out the long line, go over the (busy) field armed with cubes of cheese to see if I can get him to pay attention to me when there are other dogs around. Wish me luck!

I found a mobile groomer who came and groomed him for me about a month ago. I was out walking him and the groomer arrived early. I told him on the phone to let himself in to the garden via the back gate and we would be back shortly.

We get back, there’s a strange man in the garden who my dog has never met and he greeted him like a long lost friend 😂 definitely not a guard dog… but then I did know that when I got myself a lab 😂

Good Luck @VanGoSunflowers

Labs are definitely not natural guard dogs as they think everyone's a friend.

My old one would at least bark fiercely at people coming up to the house, until the front door opened and it would be all kisses. The newer one wouldn't even do that, he would rush up to the glass panel in the door to see who was coming with his tail wagging hard even if it was a complete stranger 🙄

P used to like being picked up to admire the view from the kitchen window. So when I had a new back door fitted, I went for all glass so she could see out. Big mistake! It's fine during the day, but at night she'll randomly growl and then bark at 'something' in the garden. There's never anything there, that I can see. I have to remember to shut her out of the kitchen in the evenings. I'm going to buy some film to cover the glass and hope that stops her.

None of mine are guard dogs either, which was handy last week when I asked the neighbour to let them out for wees.
When I had a Taper round working in the kitchen, I left the back door unlocked and went out with N and K. He let himself in and P was very happy to greet him. 🙄

The barking is a weird one @VanGoSunflowers . Is he seeing a cat? If it's a dark coloured cat he might just be seeing its eyes and getting spooked. Or is he just hearing something that you aren't registering? The collie next door to us barks every time it hears an owl. Which is not so great at 3am 🙄

Normally I'd say adolescent male dog with female owner, be wary of him becoming over protective, but this doesn't sound like that. And anyway, I credit you with having enough nous to recognise that sort of possessive behaviour and nip it in the bud.

It's a strange one with the groomer or @SpanielsGalore 's decorator, because, as friendly as Brie is, I wouldn't be able to tell someone to come in through the back gate if I wasn't here. People who meet our dog(s) always think they're big softies that love everybody, and yes, if we are there, they greet people nicely. They don't bark at the postie or the bin people, because that's normal everyday stuff, but if a stranger was lurking they'd let us know. Whether they'd let a neighbour in would depend how well they knew the person; the ones that back onto us, maybe with Brie, but with our previous dog Algy, probably not. My cousins could definitely come in without us being here and they're our emergency back-up. That natural wariness and the ability to make a distinction between friend and foe is, I suppose, the biggest difference between a guarding breed and a dog that just barks at the doorbell.

Either way, I hope you can get to the bottom of what is spooking Pablo before it becomes too much of a habit.

Ahhhhh! I am so happy!

Just came back from the field where I knew there would be a group of dogs hanging around - it didn’t go to plan at first, as I was swapping his lead for his long line he bolted over to them. There are about 8 dogs in total so thrown in at the deep end, and they’re a mix of dominant/playful/ignoring.
So, I walked over and explained I was trying to train him around distractions now he has most commands fully down when there are none. I had cheese (which helped) so every time I called him over to sit, he did so and stayed until I released him. Even with the other dogs right up near him! And then - he legged it over to a different dog over the other side of the field but actually recalled to the whistle FIRST TIME 😱 and it wasn’t even a fluke because that happened two more times while we were there! To say it was a proud moment is an understatement. This is the dog that always went completely deaf when around other dogs, that pulled my arm out of its socket more times than I can count when we walked past another dog, that could never control himself around other dogs. To say I am overjoyed is an understatement!

@Twiglets1, @SpanielsGalore & @CoubousAndTourmaIet thanks for replying to the random barking thing! It seems to be common for them then I guess. He’s definitely never shown any possessive behaviour towards me. Nor any ‘protective’ behaviour that I could tell. If I give my
son a cuddle he just wants to get involved and cuddle us both 🥰 I did draw the curtains to see if that made a difference but it didn’t! Maybe he could hear something that I couldn’t. It’s the only time I will hear him growl!