Puppy Support Group

[ElvieMogs]

Sorry to be slow posting on this thread.....I've been busy with a puppy.  

Good points

Toileting - Madoc has occasionally gone to the back door spontaneously when needing a wee. It's a start!

Night time - he can go 6 hours between wees. Unfortunately that can be 9.00 - 3.00 rather than midnight to 6.00 but again there's hope!

He comes when called, sits and is learning down providing there are no distractions

Eats well & no tummy problems

Howling & crying when put in puppy pen or crate or car are getting less each time

He's so cute when he runs. He bounds around the garden, being frightened by blowing leaves, falling over his feet  & loving life



Bad points

Toileting - still very hit and miss.  OH & I are getting much better at anticipating Madocs needs and getting him outside but he will still do a small wee outside then come in to do a big one!

Night time. Given half a chance is wide awake and raring to go at 5.30 - way too early for me

Mad half hours - quite funny when he's tearing around the coffee table in circles but he's started barking & biting wildly, mostly at me. He calms down after time outs so hoping to nip this one in the bud

Still howls & cries when he doesn't get what he wants

Doesn't like being groomed


Overall we're very happy though working hard at training Madoc and preventing him training us! Most importantly he's gorgeous, cuddly & I love him    

[lola B]

its time to do a proper one
GOOD POINTS
sleeps from about 12 to 6 or 7
toileting is improving accidents are becoming few and far between
she will go to sleep in her crate if i put her in in the day
loves grooming
training going fantastic easiest dog i have ever trained she knows sit, lie down, roll over, stand on her back legs, paw, and wait for her dinner !!!

BAD POINTS
biting she bites at my heels my hands and even my face 
chewing she chews everything my shoes my hair EVERYTHING
barking she barks a lot now, especially at my feet
growling it is play growling but it makes her hyper and then she bites harder !!! 

but no matter how bad she gets i love her to bits but when i tell HER that i say i love you to bitsets Rosie Posie baby ooooooh little baby 

[Chillis]

good points
independent, deosnt mind hanging out by herself
Will happily sleep 11 till 7, then be let out for a wee & go back till sleep till 10 (bliss this morning!)
Loves her food
Let's me play with & brush her ears
Enjoys fetching a ball

not so good points
Thinks cuddle time is play so tries to eat you alive, so no snuggles unless she's asleep & completely pooped
Deos sneaky wees & poos in house
Watches you on the toilet
Has started shredding her training pads
Eats every leaf, stone & every bit on nature in sight

[piph]

Ozzy is 12 1/2 weeks old and we've had him at home for 10 days now

GOOD POINTS
Doesn't wake us up at night - sleeps in his bed in his puppy playpen from about 10.30 until we get up about 6.30
The first two nights he neither peed nor poohed on the paper we put down (but think that was a fluke as he didn't eat much the first couple of days!)
Is happy to go in his playpen to sleep during the day
Seems to be getting the idea about poohing outside, and sometimes peeing.

BAD POINTS
Biting and hyperactivity are our biggest problems - he just doesn't react to the usual ploys to get a pup to learn not to bite - at our wits end to know what to do next, the more excited he gets the worse the biting is!
Pees and poohs on the paper at night
Eats everything in the garden - we've had to take a lot of plants out because we don't know what they are and whether they are poisonous or not
 
All in all, normal puppy behaviour, though.  This is not our first puppy, but our first cocker spaniel, and it's a bit surprising to see how much more difficult he is to handle than our last two, which were golden retrievers.

The play-pen was our best buy - at least we can control his movements when he starts the zoomies, and we have got into the habit of putting him in there when he gets too excited - he calms down immediately, and usually just goes to sleep although sometimes he whines and whinges for a few minutes first.

[ElvieMogs]

Ozzy is 12 1/2 weeks old and we've had him at home for 10 days now

.

BAD POINTS
Biting and hyperactivity are our biggest problems - he just doesn't react to the usual ploys to get a pup to learn not to bite - at our wits end to know what to do next, the more excited he gets the worse the biting is!

Have you tried time outs?  When Madoc gets hyper we've found that saying ow, trying to distract him or ignoring him has no effect. He gets a 20 - 30 sec time out in the downstairs loo then is let out without any fuss. We use the loo as there's nothing in there for him to destroy or play with and he doesn't go there otherwise. We've only used it about 4 times in 3 weeks but it seems to do the trick & stops him getting more and more excited

[Helen]

Ozzy is 12 1/2 weeks old and we've had him at home for 10 days now

.

BAD POINTS
Biting and hyperactivity are our biggest problems - he just doesn't react to the usual ploys to get a pup to learn not to bite - at our wits end to know what to do next, the more excited he gets the worse the biting is!

Have you tried time outs?  When Madoc gets hyper we've found that saying ow, trying to distract him or ignoring him has no effect. He gets a 20 - 30 sec time out in the downstairs loo then is let out without any fuss. We use the loo as there's nothing in there for him to destroy or play with and he doesn't go there otherwise. We've only used it about 4 times in 3 weeks but it seems to do the trick & stops him getting more and more excited

please post this on the behaviour board as a separate thread if you want all members to see this problem and assist.

[Lily Freya]

Getting scared now...    Picking Gracie Mae up on the 20th of this month.  I had forgotten all the 'not so good' times of adapting to a puppy in the house.  Hey ho.....will be adding to this
post myself soon.

[piph]

Ozzy is 12 1/2 weeks old and we've had him at home for 10 days now

.

BAD POINTS
Biting and hyperactivity are our biggest problems - he just doesn't react to the usual ploys to get a pup to learn not to bite - at our wits end to know what to do next, the more excited he gets the worse the biting is!

Have you tried time outs?  When Madoc gets hyper we've found that saying ow, trying to distract him or ignoring him has no effect. He gets a 20 - 30 sec time out in the downstairs loo then is let out without any fuss. We use the loo as there's nothing in there for him to destroy or play with and he doesn't go there otherwise. We've only used it about 4 times in 3 weeks but it seems to do the trick & stops him getting more and more excited

Yes, we put him in his play pen, where he usually goes to sleep, but would prefer somewhere else!  Still starts again next time he wakes up though!  Will try the downstairs loo, sounds like a good place! Do you pick him up and take him to the loo?

[ElvieMogs]

Yes, pick him up put him in, shut the door and time 20-30 secs on a watch. Open door but largely ignore him   a minute or two after, he usually lies down and goes to sleep. If he wants attention get him to do a couple of sits & treat but nothing exciting