Puppy Survival Thread Autumn 2025 - all welcome!

[VanGoSunflowers]

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

@YvieYfronts with mine, if I could trust him to greet calmly and to actually listen to other dogs when they tell him to back off I would let him meet other off lead dogs. But he’s big, boisterous and adolescent which understandably, a lot of other dogs don’t like. His way of dealing with another dog giving him a warning? To bow down low and try to constantly lick their faces which doesn’t help the situation so I just avoid it for now and instead am working on calm greetings in controlled environments with other dogs that we know. The whole time I have had him, we have only met two other dogs that have the same energy and vibe as him. One was a spaniel but he’s too big for her now, the other way a lab but rarely seem her out and about. I’m hoping consistency with what I am doing and maturity on his part may make it all a little easier! I work on the premise that all dogs have their limits as to what they will tolerate, even friendly ones and I don’t want it to end in disaster because I couldn’t control how excitable he is.

and absolutely YES to good days and bad days!! I have had him on walks before now surrounded by dogs and people and he’s recalled away from all of them every single time. Then I think great we’ve cracked it, and the next day it’s all gone to pot again 😂

Also yes to good days and bad days.

Hello all! I'm not sure if anyone will even remember me, but I wailed a LOT on the puppy threads this time last year when we got our Kerry Blue / Shih Tzu cross, Betty. 😅

She's almost 18 months now and you were all, of course, completely right – it was all worth it (even when she's being a disobedient teenager...). So much so that I'm now considering getting another...! Betty is very much DP's dog – partly because she's his choice of breed/size etc, but mostly because he did all the work while I had a meltdown! So she's very bonded to him. I can see now all the places I went wrong – plus now I know what to expect, and how short a time that tough puppy stage really is.

Anyway, it won't be for a while – we're getting married this year, so it will be post-honeymoon, probably this time next year – but I wanted to come back as a story of hope for anyone else in the mire of puppy blues – I was an absolute MESS, thought I'd ruined my life and would have handed her back in an instant if it wasn't for DP and this thread! – and now I love her so much I want another one...!

Would also really appreciate any breed advice. Essentially, I want a companion dog – as small as possible, total lapdog, wants to come everywhere with me, affectionate and cuddly, doesn't need huge amounts of exercise as I'll need to fit it in around work and can usually only join DP and Betty for one or two of their three walks a day (though I can easily fit in short play sessions as I work from home all week). I am pretty well convinced that a Maltese ticks all my boxes but very willing to hear other suggestions! Not a fan of flat-faced breeds but otherwise I'm open to anything, including crosses. We rescued Betty but I'm willing to go to a reputable breeder for this one.

What a lovely update @peachgreen of course I remember you & Betty. So pleased to hear everything is going well.

@peachgreen that’s amazing news! We have 8 week old Ellie who is a Cavapoo who fits all of the things you want in a new dog. Mine is an F1B so more poodle. But you can get 50:50 cavalier and poodle cross which is also lovely. She’s absolutely fab and been a dream to train.

@peachgreen Maltese sounds good. Bichon frise another possibility? Coton de Teuleur?

I have a 3 month old labradoodle. Mum a chocolate lab and dad a merle miniature poodle.
She's the best dog I've ever had. Learns so so quickly, is beautiful and funny and tries so hard. Eats and sleeps like a dream. But the excitement wees are really getting me down. I can't give her any affection at all (apart from verbal) without her weeing. If she's literally just been for a wee outside, I can give her some physical fuss without lots of dribbles but even then, she still wees a few dots more.
All sources of information I've talked about this with reassure me that she's young, her bladder will mature etc. But I'm sad and annoyed at all the wee. She's doing so well with actually going outside and rarely has an accident.
Do I just wait it out?
My previous experience of many decades is with Dobermans and Yorkies. Never encountered this before. I'd be really grateful to hear from anyone who this has happened to or who can advise me.

Here she is 🥰

Thank you all so much and thank you @NorwichMom, I've never heard of a Coton so that's definitely something to research!

So Casper is 17 weeks now. We’re going to a dog show tomorrow and his mum, dad and litter sister (and breeder) will be there. I’m excited to see if he’ll remember them.

I met one in a cafe once and they are beautiful.

My older dog is a bichon frise mixed with a cavalier. She is the most perfect, loving calm dog ever. Very bonded to me, very well behaved. Not sure I’d recommend though due to potential cavalier health risks. Saying that she’s 12yo with no issues apart from slowing down.

But a full breed bichon would be a similar temperament. Grooming is an issue but I just get her scalped every 7 weeks so I don’t have to worry. I think the Coton de Teuler might have a slightly easier coat to manage and a similar temperament.

Morning! Well Pip is 12 weeks tomorrow, time is flying by! She has 2nd jabs on Monday all being well so getting so much closer to being able to leave the garden! She doesn't seem to like her puppy collar and lead much and prefers to mooch around the garden but trouble is she does love to crunch a snail which is obviously not ideal. Thinking we should get her a better collar or harness for walks - any recommendations? Hope everyone else is doing well.

Harnesses in pets corner are good and you can ask them to help find a good fit x

Thank you @sunshineandkindle

B goes to puppy play sessions there on Saturday mornings so I will ask for their help after a session, once he’s a bit bigger. At the moment he’s growing so fast! 12kg now at 15 weeks.

They run free puppy play sessions from fully vaccinated to 18 weeks old.

Hi! Been lurking a while but now have my own eight week old cockapoo and feeling a little overwhelmed with the amount of things I have to teach him! Firstly, I know cockapoos can be very prone to resource-guarding and the advice is to always trade when puppy gets something he shouldn't have. Our issue is that no trade is as good as shoes! All the shoes are put away all the time except our gardening shoes that we need on hand to be able to take him out to toilet about a million times an hour. We keep those behind a fence so he can't get them but on the occasion he manages to snaffle one, he runs off to the garden to enjoy his treasure and no trade will work. His attention span is pretty short so I can usually wait til he drops it and wanders off, but he's getting more confident and apparently shoes are incredibly desirable so I can see that getting trickier. Any good ideas on trades for something as glorious as manky old gardening shoes?

Surely there must be something he would really, really value.

I buy lots of food treats for our Lab puppy to work out which ones he likes best. In his case it's the mini burgers from Lily's Kitchen. Some people swear by liver paste for dogs like the one below. Or you could reserve one of his favourite toys for swaps, or an old slipper that can be donated to the cause.

www.petscorner.co.uk/dog/fred-ginger-luxury-liver-paste-dog-treat-75g/

Thanks! I didn't know if I should use food treats in case he figured out stealing a shoe is a good way to get something tasty. Donating an old slipper did make me laugh, he is quite welcome to have a horrible piece of footwear of his own I guess! I think perhaps I need to be more strategic about toys and not have them all available all the time. I have just introduced a kong for the crate only, so I will look for a good toy that could come out just for shoe thieving (I'm sure I have a tired old slipper under my bed...)

It's fine to use food treats, all dog trainers that I have known do.

Our last puppy was one we raised for Guide dogs ... they use food treats all the time to train their dogs and it does work very well for puppies that are food motivated.

My husband has given B a pair of his old slippers and B loves them, at least one is normally in his crate among the other precious objects 😂

Hi everyone. I’m new here. We’re getting our new canine addition to our family later this month. I may well be looking for tips and advice as a first time dog owner!!

Ooh exciting ... you are sensible getting a puppy in the Spring as I intended to until I started looking at litters too early and forgot my own good intentions!

What breed are you getting?

Timing is good but it’s purely by chance really rather than planning by me!! We’re getting a shih-poo.

I had to google the breed but oh, they look very cute!

She’s gorgeous!!! We’re really looking forward to welcoming her to the family.

I am one week in, puppy is nine weeks old and I thought we were making progress with toilet training but it all seems to have fallen apart completely today and I don't think he has a clue. We're constantly out in the garden but he finds it so stimulating out there that it sends him a bit loopy. I have cleaned up so many wees today it's made me despair.

I know the feeling very well.

Things improving on the toilet training for us finally … but our puppy is 15 weeks.