Puppies

[Padfoot]

He's 13 weeks tomorrow so we've still got a looooong way to go until 6 months other than his biting, he's absolutely fantastic and picks up on stuff really quickly. He just can't seem to control himself with biting!!

The biting, alone time and stopping him from trying to chase our cats are the 3 big things that he struggles with at the moment

oh nooo.we dont have cats, but ours is the same seems to pick things up really quickly and it is just the biting it just gets a bit crazy sometimes! its just nice to know we arent alone!

 

[Bleurghgram]

My dog’s started sleeping about half the night in the spare room on an inflatable mattress I had set up for when a friend stayed over. It’s made me wish I never caved and let her come in my room 🥲 she’s got all day to groom and lick herself, why does she have to do it when I’m trying to sleep. Stay strong everybody!

 

[freezelouise43]

Hi, not a puppy post but dog related! After a bit of advice. So I am a mom to a gorgeous very spoilt little Pomeranian, after losing my last dog at 13 last august. I have become friendly with a girl who lives near me who also has a dog. I pass her home each day walking mine. As she works long hours and is always out socialising and has a busy life she asked me if I wouldn’t mind letting her dog out when she’s out and I’m passing (she gave me a key). I said of course not a problem and have been doing so for a few weeks now. I already know she doesn’t bother with vaccinations or vets for her elderly dog. Yesterday she admitted she doesn’t worm or Deflea her and I’m really angry. I was collecting her dogs poo when I let her out as it’s on a playing field. Now I know this, I’m neither happy to let her mix with my dog or let her foul in a public area even though I do pick it up. I’m so angry at the irresponsibility but it’s not my dog and I don’t want to ruin a friendship. I feel like she just goes off and does whatever and I’m left checking on her dog. Help! Do I say anything or carry on doing it?

 

[OnlyHereForTheLolz]

I'm so happy things are going better. Honestly dogs are like children, consistency and a good routine is key when they are younger

 

[Murphygirl]

@Murphygirl good luck! At least there are a few of us in the same boat!

Thanks, and to you, hopefully we can share our highs and lows on here (and a few photos1). I know if we can ride it out and commit to training and socialisation we will have a lovely dog and a friend for life. Not looking forward to the sleepness nights though, my husband is a deep sleeper so I know I'm going to be the one doing the nightshifts

 

[Former_Antelopee]

Does anyone have any advice regarding crate training and/or alone time?
It's the biggest thing our puppy struggles with. Even if we leave the room to go to the bathroom, he cries and cries.

Any advice would be so so appreciated!

We crate trained our dog and we just ignored his cries and he soon settled, didn’t take long just a few days of crying for a while when first put into the crate. I also think it’s the best way as if you go back to them when they are crying they’ll learn to cry to get your attention. If they go quiet then leave it a little before going in to let them out.

 

[Kim Mild]

our girls not currently sleeping well at night! long post ahead, advice is much appreciated! our girl is an English show cocker spaniel and is 1 year and 2 months!

when she actually goes down for bedtime at night she starts kicking off once we put her to bed (which is any time between 9.30/10) in her crate which she never did! so now she's free roaming but can't actually settle anywhere. kicks off if you gate her in the kitchen. (which she's now free roaming when we go out) before all this she'd wake up at 5 am randomly wee and poo but then can't settle back down (my mum would take her upstairs, and she'd be ok after all the excitement of being there!)

we blamed the light mornings and then the heat last week (in UK) thinking it was too hot to be in her crate. she also doesn't settle back down if we take her out for toilets at silly time. she's left for free roam when we are here so nothing should be exciting any more. she goes out for a last wee has a bed time biscuit.

so not sure what to do. she gets walked, fed, tasty treats, mental stimulation. from 7.30 pm time it's chill time before bed. we are letting her free roam. so she can just take herself off and sleep and be a bit more independent on that which she's currently not really doing. don't think anything disturbed her. we are trying butternut box which we started over the weekend but she was doing this way before we changed food (doing half biscuit and half butternut)

thinking back she did go through a stage of waking up at 5 as a puppy as we thought it was the paper coming through.

sorry for the long post but just need to rant/get of of my chest/see if you guys can help!

Could she be coming into season?

 

[Caffeine Fiend]

What are your best toilet training tips. We picked up our pup (15 weeks) a few days ago. First night she got 2 pees in the garden but since then they’ve all been in the house, and pooing on the stairs

we’ve been leaving the back door open and I’ve actively been putting her out even when it’s open but any tips would be greatly appreciated.


also, does anyone have one of these, are they worth the money? I feel it might be creating a rod for my own back with it though

Best toilet training tips

- lift any pads if using, do not have any down, all they do is teach your dog to toilet indoors
- outside every 30-40 minutes with you, stay with them until they go, when they do go, use a cue word (wee wees, toilet, be quick) whatever you want to use. Stay with them as long as it takes
- if you do need to go back indoors, lift and under your arm, go back out when able
- keep the outdoor doors closed. They need the barrier to determine the difference between in and out.
- have pup near you at night, you will hear if they need out and yep that means middle of the night trips to the garden.

I did the above with all of my pups and they were reliably toilet trained v quickly, certainly within 4 weeks of coming home we had no accidents indoors and still dont. It is intensive but at this point any toileting in doors is human error not dog error.

Good Luck

Edit - I probably wont get another puppy ever but I will never get a winter pup again feel like I froze limbs off standing outside.

 

[vanilla cupcakes]

Is he a cockapoo? I feel like I remember this. Anyway RG is so common with these fluffy beasts. If hes bitten I wouldnt be removing anything from him unless its life threatening. Removing with force will only reinforce the behaviour as he thinks youl take things from him.

If hes off lead and lifting things Id muzzle him so he cant pick stuff if he wont drop on command. Purely for his own safety because he could lift something that could kill him like chewing gum.

For now keep the house completely clear (appreciate he may not be picking up anything in the house) and swapping is the way forward. My oldest boy doesnt get balls anymore because he becomes fixated to the point his body is vibrating. He wont settle. He doesnt RG but it could certainly happen I reckon with balls if he knows there is one in the garden he will pant and whine and pace to get to it.

Anyway if he wont swap you just need to wait until he loses interest and lift it out of sight of him.

I know you wont but do not attempt to alpha a RG dog. It wont help. Swap swap swap.

My dogs love squirty cream so even the sound of it coming out they come running

Yeah he is a cockapoo! I was thinking muzzling might have to be the way forward, I really don’t want to but the rate he’s going he’s seriously going to harm himself he will lift and swallow absolutely anything 🫣 I’ll try squirty cream, that’s a good idea!

 

[Magwitch]

I love you! This is exactly what we’re going through right now (@ 16 weeks) I actually questioned whether I’d written the post! I have no advice right now but try and stay positive @WilmaHun it’s such a total rollercoaster.

@Magwitch obsessed with ‘cockerdile’

Literally every post on any puppy advice thread/forum is along the same lines, including plenty of mine from a few years ago.

You all sound like you are doing everything right. Just keep at it!

We’re getting another puppy next year and I’m equal parts super excited and absolutely dreading it

 

[epl000]

Lots of sleep! Good luck, but enjoy it too

 

[37BBL]

I wouldnt advise a beagle for a novice dog owner. Notoriously stubborn and scent dogs.

Thank you, have read a few similar views tbh.

 

[Monkeymagic85]

We just got our puppy this weekend and luckily he is fine with his crate/bed. We haven’t managed a successful toilet trip outside yet though regardless of how long I spend outdoors, he comes back in and does it then Any tips other than sit outside 24/7?

Look for cues, sniffing, circling. If you pick them up mid toilet they do actually stop and then go to where you want them to pee/poop and put them down.

I would suggest taking on a lead so they don't get distracted. There is also timings online that say how often they need to go out.

How was the breeder teaching toileting? If puppy pads you can slowly move them outside until you get to where you need them to go.

If you manage a pee or a poo you can introduce a word to associate with going, we tell our dog to 'go wee' irrespective of what she needs, now she's nearly two, she's knows it toilet time not mucking about sniffing the same piece of garden eleventy seven times time

 

[Longtimelurker xoxox]

Hi everyone my boy has turned one and decided he’s now alpha he’s barking lots waking me up early (when he always slept good before) if I ignore the barking he starts nipping its like he’s become a tiny pup again. We recently moved house and there’s not many dogs around as before he had lots to play with so when he comes across a dog (mostly male) he becomes reactive which is now making me anxious as hell! please help from a tired pawrent can’t afford training until the new year

 

[WilmaHun]

We made such good progress with our little pup and finally started to feel like we were enjoying him and he was getting out of the "difficult" stage. Toilet training - done. Sleeping where we want him to - done. Gives paw/sits on command - done. But the last week or so he's gone back to being terribly nippy and biting when he's overtired or excited. Last night I had to pick him up off me and put him behind the stairgate as he just wouldn't stop. It felt like he'd grown out of that as all his teeth are now through but it feels like we've taken 10 steps backwards. Any advice for a nippy puppy? He's not biting to hurt us, it is more playful but it's annoying because when people come round I feel really conscious of it!

Also, we've started letting him off the lead at a local dog walking field and his recall has been so good. But at the weekend he decided to chase a bird and then just continued running and running and would not come back. Fortunately there's a little tea hut there and he ran in there and the owner was playing with him and giving him treats until we got there but now I am terrified to let him off the lead again

 

[Murphygirl]

Who are people using for pet insurance? I've a puppy coming home on 23rd December and have quotes for Direct Line and Pet Plan which look reasonable (around £23 per month) Is there anywhere else that you would recommend that is worth checking for a quote

 

[jayne2240]

My poorly little girl has been so unwell since Christmas Day had the runs for 48hrs and has been vomiting as well, she’s feeling so sorry for herself. Vets for her tomorrow if it doesn’t get better through the night x

 

[Kthxbye]

I'm with PDSA. It's £19 a month for lifetime cover up to £2k a year.
My pup is only 5 months old. He's a rottweiler/doberman cross breed.

 

[S4buk]

No but it’s something I really want to do (I ordered one off wish.com about 3 months ago ) we use squeaky balls normally as her recall is not great but clicker training sounds like it may work better?

 

[Padfoot]

Have you tried taking her in the garden at night on the lead for a wee, my poodle who is nearly two is still scared of the dark and goes to the toilet just fine when she is on the lead, left to her own devices she either gets distracted or wants to come in or shouts at traffic!

We also have a cue word of ‘go wee’ she will usually just get on with business when told, she will do a pee or pop, you can introduce any queue word you like, the dog man on dogs behaving badly suggests go toilet. It’s easy to incorporate you just say it when they are going (doesn’t matter if pee or poo) then reward

Yup we've done all that! She hasn't yet peed on her walks (done poos) so I did actually put her lead on he just so she wasn't running around but as she's not weed on the lead yet I don't think she'll get that it's ok to! Got a command which is "hurry up" then reward once done. Which in the day time she's spot on! Absolutely no issues there. We are always out with her as she too get distracted/wants to come in/picks up everything so can't be left on her own.

Think she could be too attached to my mum.. and I may ask if e can reverse the rolls tomorrow see if she cries if I'm inside and she's out with her.