WFH with 19 week old puppy

[PoochMama]

I have my own business and have lots of flexibility. Currently, I work in the office 1 day a week and the rest of the time from home. However, I'm finding it pretty tough going as pup won't self-settle and can only entertain herself v v intermittently. She is so-so about chews - and I've tried lots of them. If I let her out into the garden, she's barking or digging holes. I'm primarily getting work done during her crate naps right now.

She'll soon be starting doggy daycare for a morning a week to begin with.

She can't do long walks right now (20 mins or so, twice a day) - so I'm reliant on playing and mental games to tire her out!

Any advice, please?

Your latest message sounds like there is a training issue to resolve first - the reactivity. Please consult the Dog Training Advice and Support FB group which is a learning group - niot a chat group - and please read the guides.

Without the right training - pup is reactive. Bcos pup in reactive - it doesnt get off lead runs. because it doesnt get off lead runs - it climbs the walls at home. And so on.

Puppies are definitely excitable little things. What has worked the best for me is to allow my puppy to play with other dogs in enclosed dog parks for 10-15 minutes a day. This has made him more blase about other dogs in general, so he is no longer desparate to say hi to every dog we meet on a walk. He minds his own business because he gets to interact with other dogs anyway and it's no longer a new and exciting thing. It means I can also let him off lead in areas that are not fenced off as he is more concerned about where I am than where other dogs or people are. I think her going to day care will help with this a bit.

They haven't on this thread, no.

I imagine the OPs reading extends beyond these two pages of a single mumsnet thread though. 🙄

I am relaying my experience, and recognise a bit of myself in the OPs tone when I was at her stage.

We’re still at a stage where she’s in a puppy-proofed kitchen where I work - but maybe she's a bit bored by that??! I can't trust her to roam around downstairs though as we're pretty open plan after the kitchen door - and the rest of the downstairs is not puppy-proofed

How come the rest of the downstairs isn't puppy proofed? I'd definitely get on with doing that asap! She's a large breed and she will be a puppy for a while, so unless you plan to confine her to the kitchen or follow her around all day every day then you need to puppy proof your house, because you have a puppy.

Oh I apologise! I didn't realise you were talking about people in general.

@MindYourUsage It's an open plan space and it'll be impossible to hide everything away out of reach. It's not that bad, but I can't really just leave her in there alone at the moment.

@Snoken She'll soon be playing with an older puppy (with a similar energy) at the dog minder's. I'm sure she'll be happy with that!

Oh she will. It's so beneficial for them to socialise with other dogs. They learn so much.

She's met my sisters' dogs and she was too excitable and too much puppy for them! She was great with the other puppy though and they played so nicely together.

I have a one year old cockapoo and hand in heart I don't know how anyone can work from home with this type of dog. She's more or less taken over everything, but as I'm retired it's ok. However locally there's an excellent Doggie Daycare and a lady who either boards or has dogs for the day. My dog is extremely confident but I only send her to daycare for half day. It's brilliant and she sleeps the afternoon having spent a few hours playing. Maybe you could research something similar in your area? It's great for socialising, if you can find the right place of course.

No advice. She sounds adorable though #Useless

Yes, she’s starting at a doggy daycare soon! She’s been for a visit already and it seems ideal. Our previous dog was also a doodle and she was high energy and puppy-ish for a long time.

Info from the awesome Mike Farrell - orthopedic surgeon and researcher what he doesnt know about bones dysplsia etc is not worth knowing.

Medical evidence on why 5 min rule is rubbish 5 minn walk is debunked but type of exercise does make a difference, so no sliding slippery floors etc but walking is fine.

All 19 week old puppies will need a lot of attention and will not really self amuse themselves for a while. Just training a dog to settle calmly will take time and your attention for a while yet.

As someone who fell for all that internet stuff and the pressure to entertain and buy toys and treats and chews and constantly enrich my puppy, and who now has a four year old german shepherd that cannot sit still i highly agree with anyone who says to teach a settle and let the puppy suck it up because you have to work. I made such a rod for my own back. Luckily/ now, by design, I can provide for my dog and put the time in that he wants, but I am doing hard hard strides now rowing back from the crazy dog I created.

Also, providing more and more chews and lickymats and food related things is just throwing more calories in that need to be burned off.

Ha ha. My then older staffy went to play with a friends puppy. When puppy go too rambunctious he would body slam it into the floor and sit on it for a bit. Really helped settle pup down. My westie loves to wrestle and had a little bestie at park. They'd run around like terrors, knocking each other over.

Have you given your pup a nice meaty bone? I find them the best for entertainment.

My vet told me the 5 mins per month has been debunked.

Sounds like your dog needs a bit more benign neglect. We have a puppy. Apart from his 2 walks and brief garden breaks, he’s expected to chill out, even though there’s someone home, they are working. He is just fine with that.

And, they rarely like the car at first, they just have to get used to it. We’ve made a point of putting ours in the car regularly and he’s great now.

I also have a one year old cockapoo and I work from home. He does go to daycare or my Mum’s one day a week, (the daycare mainly so he can learn from other dogs.)

I manage with him there just fine the other four days with a solid routine, which includes periods where he has to either entertain himself or just settle down.

I suppose they are all different even within the breed. ❤️

In the car, it can be too much stimulation to be able to see out of windows so if she travels in a crate cover it with a blanket, we used an Adaptil spray and put in something that smelt comforting and familiar.

Mine has a bed under my desk and he settles there , when he was smaller he actually had a bed on the desk and loved being there where he could see me

@PoochMama seems like you have several issues here, too much attention, not enough training, not enough exercise. As people have said above, the 5 minute rule is outdated. Also, with a mongrel, you should have less exposure to issues than with a pure breed.

I haven’t said how much training I’m doing though? Or exercise? There’s more to exercise than walks.

She’s a puppy and obviously isn’t fully trained.

I wanted to get advice from people who had done it before - that was all! By that, I mean people who have had a puppy and worked from home at the same time.

I’ve had a young adult dog and worked from home at same time… she settled just fine.

Actually that’s not true. OP has a designer doodle which are often more riddled with health and behavioural issues due to poor breeding.

Mongrels are a very different beast.

I have a 2 year old cockerpoo and I work from home pretty much full time. I started as a puppy having a very set routine. Out for a walk, 10 mins training/groomimg/playing, food, nap on repeat. Did lots of flitting games around the house and just accepted he’d be a Velcro dog for a while.

He now sleeps while I work, either in a bed in my office or on the sofa in the next room. While he was little I’d entertain him with licky mats, and toys bit it was hard because he wants to be near and wants to play. In all honesty I just accepted I’d be starting work early, while he was sleeping or late afternoon when the kids would entertain him. He’s fabulous now but it took time.

I wfh with my now 7 month golden and older cocker. I can really see a difference on the days she doesn’t get off lead. Can you take her off lead at the end of the day? You can use a longline to build confidence but from experience you need to work on recall and that includes getting them off lead.

She sleeps for the first couple of hours then will go out in the garden and mill about. I also take her to a dog training class once a week and we practice her training in short bursts throughout the day. Just a couple of minutes when the kettle is boiling.

On thinking, yes, absolutely right.