New puppy, fireworks and a show for the neighbours!

pboae

I think the breeder is being completely unreasonable if they won't hold the other pup until after the test, it's less than a week away. I can't believe that there are other people interested who won't wait a few more days.

Sallys_Savings

pboae wrote: »

I think the breeder is being completely unreasonable if they won't hold the other pup until after the test, it's less than a week away. I can't believe that there are other people interested who won't wait a few more days.

I agree in the circumstances they should hold onto the other pup for you.

i_need_help_3

I agree that from what you have said about the situation you and your family are in, you shouldre turn the pup, but that is just my opinion.

He then will find someone who has the time for him that he deserves. As hard as the decision is. Why have something that is the opposite to what you were hoping for. That may sound harsh and i dont mean it like that but i'm trying to be helpful.

My parents have just rehomed a springer and the springer rescue stated she was partially deaf and since havng her so has the vet but we feel part of it is ignorance and her nose taking over her ears ha ha. She is more interested in smells, don't get me wrong she is getting better and has improved since she came to us but she cannot be let off her lead because of her determination of sniffing out what she has sensed. Whilst on holiday in the newforest we lost her for nearly 2 hours. She had slipped out of my mum's grip. We were all so distraught we never thought we would see her again but somehow by a miracle she ended up running out of the forest near where my mum was searching. It was such an ordeal and so heartbreaking we had nearly given up hope.

So you really need to think, do you want a dog for 10 - 15 or even 20 years that is maybe deaf/ partially deaf that will not be able to interact with you and your children as you would have liked and plus maybe not being able to let him run free and play with the kids.

I really do hope you can make the right decision for you, your family and the pup.

If you do think that you can 100% cope with him for the rest of his life then keep him and give him the love and attention he deserves but if you have any doubt at all, don't keep him.

Good luck xxxxx

Kimberley

If he is deaf you can teach him sign language for his basic sit, down techniques. I wouldn't take him back myself but it's your choice only.

zebidee1

Update:

The appointment I'd made to get the pup's hearing tested had to be cancelled as the girl who took the booking was not aware the animal had to be referred by a vet and as I'd just phoned myself, I was not allowed to keep the appointment. I then called my vet who said he would refer us if we wanted but in his opinion it was not worth it as he thought we would just be told what we already knew...the pup heard certain sounds and didn't hear/ignored others.

After spending hours on the net looking for more advice/guidance, I got in touch with a dog behavourist/specialised trainer who said that two things immediately jumped out at him with regards to our pup's lack of / unusual response. Either the pup had not been handled/socialised properly by the breeder at the correct times (which I thought was unlikely as breeder seemed genuine and knowledgeable).......or it was possibly showing signs of being autistic. Although autism in dogs is very rare, he thought this was much more likely than only hearing certain frequencies. He also said that over the years he'd seen several labs who acted like this and they were all yellow.

I found that ironic to say the least as that was a concern I raised in my 'might have picked the wrong pup' thread, although when I mentioned it on the thread, I didn't really believe that could be the case, it was just an observation. :rolleyes:

He told us to do a little exercise with the pup for a couple of days which would help get his attention and teach him his name and if it was successful, then we could work with the pup. If it wasn't, then we had problems and returning him was the better option.

Thankfully, it worked, although we had to repeat the exercise with everyone in the family as the pup didn't transfer what he'd learnt to other people and just continued to ignore them. (When I say ignore, I mean ignore...he didn't even twitch or show ANY physical signs of acknowledgement.)

So, in the end, I still have no firm idea of what his problems are, just that he has them but hopefully time, training and patience will deal with them as much is as physically possible. The pup has formed a strong attachment to my youngest and I dont think either of them could deal well with being separated now tbh, so he's here to stay.

I have no idea how all this will pan out, and I suspect our work will be cut out for us but we will do our best with him and take as much advice on training etc as possible.

Right now my biggest concern is the smell! He smells of dog and now so does my house! I hoover/clean all the time but it still smells. His coat smells of dog, his toys (he has a teddy, lol) smell of dog and his bed smells of dog! (It's not a wee smell, just a dog smell iyswim.) He's only been here just over a week, although with all the hassle, it seems much longer!

Any advice on that????

pboae

I'm so glad you decided to keep him :-)

With regards the smell....what are you feeding him?

JennyW_2

zebidee1 wrote: »

Update:
The pup has formed a strong attachment to my youngest and I dont think either of them could deal well with being separated now tbh, so he's here to stay.

yay! :j I'm so glad he's staying and it's lovely to hear a bond is beginning to establish.

I'm so pleased to have taken the time to try and establish what the issues may be when so many people would give up. There appears to be light at the end of the tunnel eh?

As for the dog smell - i'm not sure about that one would something as simple as a bath for the dog sort the problem out? I have 2 dogs and hoover every day and burn fragrance oils and to be honest I think my home is pretty dog-smell free (except when they get wet)

I've not had a pup before - I wonder if its something thats normal with youngsters? Alternatively may be worth chatting to the vet/nurse to see what they recommend

zebidee1

The pup is fed on Beta Puppy (kibble) which is what he had been given by the breeder. Our vet also recommends this.

The behavourist/trainer recommended Burns, not for our pup particularly.....he just felt it was one of the better ones generally for most dogs, so I'm wondering if we should gradually change. Sometimes it's hard to know which advice to follow, lol.

I do think the pup needs a bath, but all the advice is not to bath too often and I'm wondering if he'll just smell bad again very soon which makes the bath idea redundant. I think I'll have to bath him soon though and see what happens. His teddy is about to hit the wash VERY soon whether he likes it or not.

pboae

All dogs smell of dog (obviously) and bathing will only sort that for a very short period. There is no reason for a healthy puppy to really pong though (unless it's been rolling in something nasty!). I'd be inclined to look at the food first. Sometimes a food just doesn't agree with a dog, and that can make it smelly, especially if it makes it's skin sensitive so it sheds a lot more and produces more oil and dander.

Burns is an excellent food, so if your trainer suggests that too, then it's worth a try. It won't be a miracle cure though, you'll need to give it time to see if it helps.

candygirl

Aww i'm really glad you're keeping him, It's great news.As for the doggy smell, you will get used to it i'm sure.When I got my fiorst dog I was really aware of the doggy smell around the house and wasn't keen on it.I soon got used to it though and found that as long as I wash the bedding, and toys regularly the smell isn't so bad.Try to avoid using the plug in air fresheners as they can be really bad for allergies.
Look forward to seeing pics of the little chap!!:D