Misty is home

[Harriet]

Welcome home Misty 

Glad to her everything is going well. The first night dosen't sound too bad but I hope tonight is better for you 

[Lumi]

Scooby ... kept coming back for a look

That's so cute. 

[MollieMoo]

Anyway, all was quiet for a couple of hours and then it started, Scooby was barking continually because Misty was crying and whining. 

Glad I wasn't the only one who had this problem

When I was trying to settle Daisy at night time, she would whine and bark, and then Mollie would bark back so it was becoming a vicious circle, it was quite hard to deal with.  Somehow, it all settled in the end.

It will definately get better in time! otherwise, just buy yourself some ear plugs (for sleeping) like I did!

[maxnlilysmum]

I took my girls to see Misty at Joanne's this morning what a darling. .  My girls have not stopped pestering since we got home.  My oh wont let me get another one though, and if I did I know  Joanne would want another one. .  So that probably wouldn't go down to well with Joanne's oh  .

[scooby's mum]

Only just had time to come up and update cause Misty won't be left alone for a second - the only break we get is when she's asleep 

She's up half the night crying and whining - we're trying so hard to ignore her but it's very difficult cause she makes such a racket and is disturbing poor Scooby.

During the day, she's great, has settled in really well but unfortunately she's hardly eaten anything since we brought her home    She's just nibbled - I have tried everything, chicken, lamb, tripe, scrambled egg but the only thing she's remotely interested in is goats milk and Scooby's food.  She kept going to his bowl and pinching the kibble and running off and eating it, so I had to remove it in the end and I don't want an upset tummy 

The breeder did say she was a faddy eater but now I'm getting a bit worried - going to ring her later.  Has anyone else experienced this?  We took her to the vet yesterday for her first jabs and he told us not to worry and that she'll eat when she's ready so I'm trying to not fuss too much.

Anyway, she's lively enough and her and Scooby are getting along great, which I'm so relieved about.  They play so well together, and he's even sharing his toys with her.  I was a little worried he would guard everything from her but he's been great, the only time he snaps at her is when she goes near his food bowl 

We did have a bit of a scare last night though - we had my sister and her boyfriend over and we were all sat in the conservatory eating an indian takeaway.  We had put Misty in the kitchen with the baby gate shut.  Anyway, we had been eating about 5 minutes and she started crying so we ignored her, next minute the crys got desperate and I just knew something was wrong.  I ran in and she had got her head stuck through the bars in the gate 

Mark had to take off the gate to release her head as it had got stuck at the very edge, the gap between the edge of the gate and the wall.  Thankfully she was OK, but I felt awful    We had bought the gate when Scooby was a pup - it wouldn't be possible to get her head stuck inbetween the bars but it was because she stuck it at the side, if you know what I mean 

I was mortified.  She was quiet for a few minutes but was OK.

[clairep4]

Aww, poor little mite with her head stuck!  Glad to hear you were able to unwedge her and that she's okay. I'm not sure on the not eating thing, I guess maybe just keep at it for another 24 hours? Zorro's eating fine so we don't have this but I'm feeding him in his puppy pen at the moment as he's being a bit whingey about being in there so I'm trying to get him to associate with nice things. Having said that I've just managed to get him to settle down for a sleep in there with not too much complaining, although he's sleeping with his face squashed up against the bars just to be dramatic about it  .

Great to hear that Scooby and Misty are getting on well and playing. Bella & Zorro are getting there, he's starting to learn what he can and can't do and she's being less grumbly, just telling him off over specific things (like trying to nick toys or being too close to her when there's food around).

Is Scooby demanding lots of cuddles from you? Bella is being very, very clingy today, she's actually copying Zorro and has gone to sleep with her head resting on my foot which is unheard of for her, but is what Zorro was doing before I put him in the pen. We're just trying to make sure she still gets play sessions with us on her own while he's in the pen ripping up a cardboard box or whatever.

I hope Misty starts to eat properly soon - what food was she on from the breeder's?

[Ros]

Hi, I missed this thread somehow! 

Sorry to hear Misty is not eating and that your nights are still pretty bad.  We did have some really bad nights at first, and my OH ended up sleeping downstairs the first two.  Then the next couple of nights Jasper cried at about 5am and we got up to let him out, then left him even though he wanted to play, and seemed okay.  We've given up keeping crate door shut though!  He's not woken us up the last 2 nights, but I think that's mainly down to him being poorly!

It's great news that Scooby is being good with Misty as I knew you were worried about that.  Hopefully the eating will sort itself out as he settles into his new home.

And sorry to hear about his accident, poor little thing!

x

[scooby's mum]

Is Scooby demanding lots of cuddles from you? Bella is being very, very clingy today, she's actually copying Zorro and has gone to sleep with her head resting on my foot which is unheard of for her, but is what Zorro was doing before I put him in the pen. We're just trying to make sure she still gets play sessions with us on her own while he's in the pen ripping up a cardboard box or whatever.

I hope Misty starts to eat properly soon - what food was she on from the breeder's?

Scooby is not being particularly clingy with us but we have had a lot of visitors this week-end to see Misty and he's been a bit "in their face" and demanding attention from them 

The breeder has been feeding her a dried cereal mixed with chicken/lamb/kidneys/heart and a little we dog food mixed in.  Have tried all variations of this, even tried Weetabix, scrambled egg but to no avail.

The only food she seems interested in is Scooby's

Spoke to the breeder today and she said Misty was the faddiest one of the litter 

[scooby's mum]

Had another miserable night I'm afraid    Tried everything to settle her but nothing worked and just had to leave her crying in the end, which I wasn't happy with.

Got up at 6.30am and was saying hello to her when my neighbour appeared at the back door (in dressing gown and slippers) with a face like thunder.  To be honest I didn't think she would be able to hear the noise as my daughter's room is immediately above the kitchen and she slept through it and because the house is a 200 year old stone cottage, the walls are so thick I honestly thought we'd be OK - obviously not 

Thank god we only have neighbours on one side.  I feel really terrible 

So I've decided that tonight we'll have to put Scooby in the kitchen with her.  I'm just worried they will play too rough and she'll bang her head or something.  She won't stay shut in her crate, even with him in the room with her but I can't leave her to cry now as my neighbour will be gunning for me 

They play lovely together but sometimes Scooby gets a bit rough and she squeals, so do you think I'm doing the right thing?


Edited to add:  Just posted some pics in the puppy photos section 

[clairep4]

You poor thing, a sleepless night AND a neighbour with a face like thunder!

Bella has pinned Zorro down a number of times (in a telling off way rather than playing) and she stops as soon as he squeals so if Scooby's doing the same then I'd have thought hopefully they'll be okay together, but I haven't got alot of experience on the matter!

Zorro's in the bedroom with us (and Bella) so we're not having this problem - I'm in a terrace with not particularly thick walls and neighbours on one side who don't like animals of any description  so even if we'd wanted to we wouldn't have really had the option of making him sleep down there howling the place down.

Have you tried things like maybe putting the washing machine on and the radio etc overnight so that she's got some background noises?

I hope you get it sorted soon, those puppy howls are just so heartbreaking...

[Nicola]

Missed this thread 

Just wanted to say welcome home little Misty  and  to Scooby for being such a good big brother

I hope she settles at night soon, no advice really cos Alfie didn't cry. A radio or ticking clock might be a good idea though.

[Ros]

Hi,

Sorry to hear you are still having tough nights.  I think you just have to go with what works, rather than what you hoped would work.

Advice I've had before is that normally if you leave them cry a couple of nights, they get to realise that crying doesn't work and you will still be there in the morning - maybe you could buy your neighbour some ear plugs!?

I wouldn't worry about them playing too rough though, as like Claire says, as long as Scooby gets off when Misty yelps you shouldn't have anything to worry about.

x

[DennyK]

Don't know if this helps or not but...when I brought Paddy home (10 months ago today!!), he was 8 weeks old and I thought I was being mean if I shut him in the crate at night, so I left him in the crate, door open but the kitchen door was closed.  After a couple of grim nights like you describe, and coming down to a kitchen covered in wee and poo, I decided to start closing him in the crate.  I had watched one of those "SuperNanny" programmes where she talked about having a fixed bedtime routine for kids so they see all the signals/prep for bed, so I started doing the same with Paddy.

I realised that, in leaving the crate door open, I was terrifying him: little puppy, away from mum for first time (worse for yours as she was pining for siblings before you took her home) and from siblings with this big, scary kitchen. 

I had the crate covered on all sides and top, except for the gate end of the crate. 

I started a "bedtime routine" with Pads.  Turn TV off, scoop him up and trot round turning off all the table lamps and other lights downstairs while carrying him, (left a small sidelight on in the kitchen for the first month or so, but it was around the corner from his crate so low level of light).  Then I took him outside for last pee/poo, brought back in and scooped him up again to snuggle on my knee for ten minutes sitting next to the crate on the floor, not playing just stroking him then letting him settle with no stroking, no eye contact, silence.  Pop him into crate, close the gate "night night " (Still say that at bedtime!) and left him.  He stopped whittling and slept straight through.

Frankly though - Gwen Bailey in "The Perfect Puppy" advocates keeping the pup with you for the first couple of nights in a cardboard box by your bed.  If I had my time over, I'd do that and move the puppy on night four to the kitchen.

Hope this helps.

Denise

[scooby's mum]

Thanks so much everyone for your advice and help regarding the night-times 

It's worked - I put Scooby in the kitchen with Misty, alone together, and we didn't hear a peep out of her all night, I'm so chuffed.  I woke up at 5.20am this morning and crept down to have a look and they were both mooching around the kitchen, unfortunately Scooby heard me so I had to go in for "cuddle time" - left them 10 minutes later and they were fine until I got up at 7am.

I'm so chuffed 

Also, had to leave them for a couple of hours this morning whilst I went to see my daughter's teacher - there had been an accident somewhere nearby and it took me a while to get back (would have normally only been gone an hour tops) and I was panicking.  Got back and there were happy as anything - I'm so pleased they're getting on.

The rough playfighting has now calmed down a bit, I have found Scooby to be at his roughest in the garden (think he was letting her know that it's his turf) but today he has been fine.  I suppose at first I was keeping her a bit separate so when he was with her he was OTT.

Anyway, both asleep at the mo, managed to get my huge pile of ironing done (which I have neglected in all the excitement) and feeling much better now (now I've managed to get some sleep) 

Edited to say:  Had the documents through this morning from the KC and her name is "Moscodees Misty for Me" which I'm really chuffed with.  We tried to get "Moscodees Play Misty for Me" but that was rejected, but missing out the "Play" seems to flow better anyway 

[Ros]

So pleased to hear you had a good night, and that the two of them are getting on great.