Is there a new puppy survival thread?

[Isadora2007]

I could only see one from Autumn so assumed it was older?
Anyone with a new pup wanting to share the trenches?

Is there a high value toy or chew stick you could try? Something non-food but still desirable?

Glad she is making good progress with the weeing/pooing indoors @longtompot

She's getting there! Progress just feels slow sometimes but it sounds like she's doing really well overall.

Hmmm no toy that he really loves so far- he enjoys playing with stuff just not anything specific. Maybe a chew? Today he dropped my socks when I called to him very excitedly to come here and called him clever lol, so maybe he just wants praise. He’s such a cuddly thing sometimes. I’m still surprised how much I actually like him- I was quite sceptical about getting him tbh and very much “dogs are pets” lol

We are attempting to make dog wear his collar today. He’s so small we hadn’t found a good fitting one for him, but as we start puppy training classes next week he needs to be wearing one and not distracted by it!!
wish us luck

i have accepted his wake up time is 6.15 pretty much but found that I could snooze for another half hour by giving him a frozen Kong so that was good.

we are also trying to help him not be so dependent during the day on company so the Kong may come in handy for that too.

Good Luck!

My puppy didn't like his collar at first so I practiced him wearing it quite a bit in the garden for just 5/10 minutes and giving him lots of treats. Also bought a very soft collar, it was made of corduroy. Got a matching lead but he found the lead unattended one day and chewed through the middle so it fell apart 🙄

He was wearing his collar when I came home from work - apparently didn’t like it going on but then didn’t seem to notice it. He’s getting fluffier these days (can’t get groomed til a few weeks after his next jabs!) so it isn’t too noticeable but will try to grab a photo later once he wakens up!

Big boy with his collar on! Tbh you can hardly see it for all the fluff!

What a little cutie @TappingTed

He’s adorable @TappingTed

just be careful leaving crocs around, they’re like crack cocaine to teething puppies, apparently the material they’re made of just hits the sweet spot for chewing, and they smell strongly of us! PieDog has had two pairs here!

Is anyone else getting bored with the ridiculously short walks? DPup is 13 weeks so we’re limited to 15 minute walks which is basically no where. I am interpreting it as 15 mins of movement by him so we’re often down at the park for 45 mins or so and spending some of the time on other training or just sitting and watching the world go by but I can’t wait to go on proper walks. Meanwhile, I think DPup is beginning to wonder why, when he is running around in the park, he still has his lead attached and none of the other dogs do. So far, he’s doing really well at recall but I don’t trust him so am leaving him to run around grassy areas with the lead attached so that if (when!) he chooses to ignore me, there’s more to grab hold of!
We knew DPup might have attachment issues as he’s a cockapoo so it’s part of the breed but the unpredictability of it is annoying! Monday, I went out for a couple of hours (had to take DS to the orthodontist) leaving him in his crate and he settled down straight away and that was that. Tuesday, I went out for a couple of hours (car needed an MOT) and he howled for the first 30 mins and then seemed to give up and nap. Yesterday I went out for a hour (mammogram) and he howled the entire time and stuck to me like glue for the rest of the day. Today I put him in his crate and I’ve been going outside and standing out there for 10 mins or so and he’s just carried on dozing. We will be using doggy day care a bit but the plan was to use that for work and big things like days out. I was hoping that, for ad hoc things like the above or just routine things like trips to the supermarket, I’d be able to leave him in his crate and just go. I think I also need create more opportunities to leave him. When I pick the DC up from clubs or things, I tend to take DPup with me so they get to see each other (and DPup gets a little bonus walk as we’re often there a few minutes early) but I think I need to leave DPup at home instead, at least in the short term

The 5 min rule re exercise has been debunked. There is no scientific evidence that it is necessary or that it prevents injury. What is more important is the type of exercise.

No twisting, turning running up stairs, mad pay with other dogs chasing etc. But walks that the puppy can control eg rest etc can be allowed quite freely.

Mike Farrell orthopedic vet has a lot of info on exercise in puppies

@PieonaBarm thanks for the croc tips- thankfully DSs lightning McQueen crocs are safe so far. He has the odd sly chew of croc straps now and then but hasn’t been a major croc chewer- phew, as we are all croc lovers here.
@FoxandDuck yeah we are also worried about separation anxiety issues too and it’s hard to allow for the puppy stage and age appropriate actions whilst building up independence. It’s hard as Dd is off of study leave and is happy to be there all the time just now but we are trying to encourage crate naps (even with the door open) so the when she’s back at home Ddog can be fine with DH wfh and not be quite so demanding. It would also be good to know we could go out for an hour here and there and not worry about him.
@bbb77 thanks for that info and it makes sense about quality and avoiding the twisting and stairs etc. We are quite late to taking ddog out as he started his vaccinations a little late so he will be 14 weeks plus… so hopefully he will be fine on a wee circuit round our park from the get-go.
The little monkey found a snail tonight and tried to eat it. Then had the zoomies and snarly barking when he had it taken off him so he’s in disgrace right now! 🤣

More photos please of your pups!!

I have to admit @FoxandDuck that I haven't been timing walks with my cockapoo (four months old). We aren't out pounding the pavements, we walk on soft ground through fields and woods and we let him wander at his own pace and sniff absolutely loads. We're definitely over the five minutes thing and we do two or three walks a day of an hour or so (if he gets too tired he starts biting his lead and being annoying) but I figure if I brought him home after too short a walk he'd just go bounding around the garden anyway? We have a stair gate to keep him off stairs, we don't let him jump on or off furniture, we don't play fetch and he doesn't run around with other dogs so we aren't doing the higher risk activities.

Recall - he knows it, but he's easily distracted! I keep him on a 2m lead and he's good at loose leash walking on that. We have a 10m training line that we let him out on a field with to practice recall though we've only just started that. He is overly friendly and enthusiastic so if he was walking off lead he would be jumping up at everyone and leaping all over other dogs - we seriously have to work on that with him as not everyone wants a mad cockapoo's undying affections the way he thinks they will.

Leaving him - he can be a pain if I leave him in a different room in the house (behind a gate) and will sometimes bark for attention. I don't want to reward that by giving him attention but also don't want my neighbours to complain! So that's tricky. I do leave him in the crate to go out to the gym/shops/school run and I've never heard him protest as I walk out the door. I don't have a camera or anything to see what he does when I'm out, but I never hear barking or crying from outside when I come back. He hasn't been left more than a couple of hours, and always after a walk so I know he's tired and will sleep. But when I'm in the house, working or cooking, and want to keep him gated in the lounge he can get a bit frantic - i think because he knows I'm there so he thinks why aren't I fussing him? Whereas if I have left the house, he isn't frustrated by not being able to get to me as I'm not there. I wouldn't mind him coming into my office with me except his toilet training is still not perfect - it really should be by now I know, but he sometimes does a wee in the house if he's not in sight of his usual exit door to the garden - and he's always getting hold of things and chewing them up. We only have one room puppy proofed so he doesn't get to free roam really, only comes into other rooms with our supervision or on the lead and always after toileting. A good chew, like a yak chew or lamb braid or disgusting rabbit ear sort of thing, will keep him busy sometimes and not caring if I'm in the room with him or not.

I am so sick of the biting and the clothes pulling. It seemed to be getting better but ramped up again the past couple of days. How much longer do we have to do this for and why did I think getting a puppy was a good idea???!?!?!

I hear you. I was almost in tears today when dpup was literally swinging from a towel that was hanging on the line. Of course I can laugh about it now, but really thought fml for the next 12 months at least

The biting has never been bad towards me. I have no idea why, but I think maybe she thinks I’m no fun, and dd and DS are more playful.
When I think back to the videos the breeder used to send me, it was usually the puppies play fighting/biting. Of course I thought it hilarious at the time.
I guess that we become their litter mates when they leave their mum and siblings 😬

I find distraction (or removal) the only thing that works. We have a collection of things to chew, or a frozen carrot from the freezer usually does the trick

I'm not usually the target either - I'm definitely a less exciting presence! But it's been a bad couple of days. He's been tricky with everything, even stuff he is normally good at, and he's started barking like mad which really gets under my skin. I was so stressed and frustrated today, I just felt furious towards him. It isn't his fault, I know!

Awww @RaptorShark hopefully tomorrow is a better day.
We had a bad day in terms of pees indoors. The last few days, none… then today? 3!!!! He’s had a busy busy day and unsettled a bit with visitors and kids around and I think it all just got him out of routine and overtired. And he knows how to get outdoors from his room and from the kitchen but when he’s in the lounge don’t think he’s as sure… so we need to be careful about making sure he has pee opportunities and reminders when he’s spending more timeout of “his” room and in the rest of the house… tomorrows another day.

Really struggling with the biting here too. It was bad a week or so ago and we seemed to have cracked that. But now he is back at it again - probably because he has more teeth coming through - and it’s noticeable how much bigger he is as, rather than it being around the ankles, he is jumping up and going for my thighs and bottom. This seems much more painful, perhaps because there’s more flesh. I’m quite glad the weather has turned as I’d rather be in thicker clothes that give me a degree of protection than flimsy cotton

I am so glad it's not just me feeling this. I am really struggling with her biting and then getting tired but not going to sleep in her crate during the day time anymore, or only for as long as no one else comes into the room. So frustrating. She is however sleeping much better at night and waking around 5.45am after falling asleep around 11.30pm. I do take her out for the toilet and then she goes back to bed for an hour until breakfast time, around 7am.
She is also really enjoying her walks and is sitting beautifully when waiting to cross roads.
Today I had to give her a bath. She seems to dribble a lot when she wees so was smelling quite strong, despite me trying to clean her with wipes, and then she had a bit of a poo incident (eating grass or maybe my hair and had some hanging on...) I did it all wrong though. Forgot her treats, too much new stuff in one go, a bath in the big bath whereas before it was in the kitchen sink, and then dried off with the demon hairdryer on the grooming table. She got quite snappy and growly. I read afterwards if they don't like the hair dryer to just use towels, which is what I will do next time. I need to take a step back and let her play in the bath, sit on the grooming table without anything else happening etc
I know this is all a phase but boy is it difficult.

Are other people’s puppies basically chewing unless they’re asleep? I see all of these reels about how we need to teach our puppies to settle and just do nothing and, when we’re out, DPup is very good at just lying there and watching the world go by (in a cafe or a park bench for example). At home, though, unless he is asleep or actively playing, he is chewing. If it’s not something provided by us (various chew toys, frozen tea towel, frozen carrot, lambs tail thing) then it will be skirting boards or furniture so, as soon as we notice, we divert him with another chew toy, tea towel, carrot etc. Is this normal? Or are we over stimulating him?

Tbh I think your puppy is overstimulated if he can't just settle at home - unless he is still under 3 months? Sorry I can't remember his age. But he should be able to self-settle at home without always having to be provided with things.

Oh I have had exactly this! It really gets me down as in the moment it feels like all the training has evaporated and I question whether I have managed to teach him anything at all. But as you say, it's just one day.

@FoxandDuck mine needs to chew a lot right now with his teething. He will lay down by the baby gate sometimes and watch us (reproachfully) as we go about our business. And other times, especially mornings, he might just chill out on a blanket for a bit - maybe dozing, maybe just hanging out. Then other days he's manic or asleep in the crate with no in between at all. I think it could be overstimulation as Twiglets says because when I'm wfh and there is no one else around he is much more likely to settle and occupy himself, but if kids or visitors are around - or he's just having a mad day because it's windy/he's teething/he feels like being a knob - he can be far more frantic unless unconscious and those are the days I need to have a really good chew available to him that will help him settle. My conclusion on everything is that it's variable, and when we're in the thick of a challenging couple of days it feels like forever - but when I zoom out to bigger picture, things are better than they feel.

Any advice on lead biting, anyone? We have gone from beautiful loose-leash walking to gremlin hanging off the lead by his teeth and snarling. Why, I do not know, so back to fucking basics again!!

(I get myself through by promising myself I will never, EVER, do the puppy phase again - it's grown up dogs all the way for me from now on! Or maybe cats.)

I do love him btw.

I found one of these a god send when PieDog was at the annoying chewing stage. It’s completely safe for them, doesn’t splinter and get stuck in gums/teeth, and kind of slowly dissolves with saliva. You do get little bits like tiny shreds on the floor but I promise it saved my hands from crocadog! The only thing is if you’ve got hard floors when they drop it out their mouths it clatters! PieDog still loves his at 13 months old!

Was recommended to us by a trainer at puppy class for the bitey stage. She was right where PieDog is concerned!

https://www.petsathome.com/product/canophera-dog-chew-stick-made-of-coffee-wood-medium/7132941P

@PieonaBarm that sounds a good chew toy. It does say not suitable before 6 months though not sure why. Maybe too hard and might damage new teeth?

We are sticking to approx 15 min walk right now. I think taking your pup to the park and them just sitting and watching is a really good idea though. It helps with socialisation as they can take in all the sights and sounds at a safe distance and should help with any anxiety and fear they could develop as a result. There's a trainer I follow on Instagram, everydaydogtrainer and she has some very good advice and tips on training, for various stages on puppy and beyond.

Rosie after her bath yesterday. She's so soft and silky and smells of baby powder. I was looking back through all the photos I've taken and she really has grown in the last few weeks.

@longtompot🤷‍♀️ PieDog had his earlier than 6 months and he’s been fine. Tho I do understand if anyone didn’t want to risk it. I have to say I didn’t read it tbh!