New puppy, fireworks and a show for the neighbours!

candygirl

zebidee1 wrote: »

Thanks for all the tips and advice! All noted for future use. :beer:

His name is Harley btw. (Not my choice but I'm going with the flow......:rolleyes: .)

I'm amazed at how he has come on in the last week and the last 3 days alone he seems to have had a switch flicked on. Everyone in the family noticed it. It's weird how unresponsive he was for long enough and now he seems much more 'with us' iyswim. Maybe he was just a slow developer.

I honestly thought we had a bit of a dumbo on our hands but he's just proved us all wrong. He's learned to sit, give a paw (and the 'other' paw, lol)and can stay for a short while even although you can see he's dying to run forward to us. We're getting to be dab hands with the old hand signals....no idea if they are the usual ones to use but they work for us. So much so that we subconsciously beckon each other with our hands now, lol.

He's good at toileting outside but will still mess inside too if we're not quick enough so that's not going so good right now. We give LOADS of praise and treats when he does it outside and completely ignore it when he messes inside but he's just not quite getting the message yet.

His favourite plaything right now is an ice cube...or loads of ice cubes! He chases them all over the kitchen floor (when it's clean) and picks them up and throws them. Silly beast. :rolleyes:

Aww Harley's a lovely name.Have you read the "Marley and me"book about a yellow lab?He looks the same as yours, and it's a great book, and shows what labs are really like.Brilliant!!:p ps my staffies love ice cubes too;)

Phirefly

to clarify, the bones I mean are these...

They were recommended by the breeder of our first dog and the vet.

I'm glad to hear Harley's progressing well! And anyone planning on reading Marley and Me, make sure you equip yourself with a stockpile of kleenex. I made the mistake of reading it alone on a plane, I about sprained my neck in trying to tun my head away from my fellow passengers so they couldn't see what a state I was in!!!

zebidee1

Actually I had read Marley and Me the week before we picked the pup up.

I read it one night in bed and couldn't get to sleep as I felt so upset at the end.

I have to admit to a small feeling of impending panic at the thought our new pup might be a mini Marley then I thought I would just develop a thick skin and deal with it if he was.

I do kinda see similarities though.............even at this early age.

Maybe calling him Harley was just too close????:rotfl:

candygirl

zebidee1 wrote: »

Actually I had read Marley and Me the week before we picked the pup up.

I read it one night in bed and couldn't get to sleep as I felt so upset at the end.

I have to admit to a small feeling of impending panic at the thought our new pup might be a mini Marley then I thought I would just develop a thick skin and deal with it if he was.

I do kinda see similarities though.............even at this early age.

Maybe calling him Harley was just too close????:rotfl:

Marley reminded me of my late choc lab Milo who was absolutely gorgeous but bonkers.Got me in many a scrape, I could write my own book.Labs are brill though, and I bet Harley will be great, he looks so gorg:p

zebidee1

You couldn't make this up!

Harley had his second jab tonight. Vet gave him the once over and asked how he was getting on given everything that has happened.........told the vet that pup was coming on great and laughingly mentioned how excited he gets sometimes and his front paws kind shake or tremble a bit when he's sitting waiting for his food or something to get thrown for him.

Vet got all serious and said that was a possible symptom of a neurological disorder and although it may be nothing, we've to keep a note of when it happens over the next month.

Best of it is, we've just been thinking how well everything has been going and this has been Harley's best day yet......3 (yes 3...yay!) times today he ventured out of the door by himself, did a wee in the garden then came in for his 'clever boy' pat. *swells up with pride*

He can sit every time, gives you a paw (even without asking, lol) and has just about (think 75%) mastered 'lie down'.

We've spent intensive time with him and it's obviously paying off and he's coming on leaps and bounds.

Although I have to say the big jelly is scared witless of tickle me elmo. :rotfl:

I genuinely can't believe this dog has anything seriously wrong with him so I hope the vet is just being overly cautious. I'm not religious....but if any of you are....a word to the big man on Harley's behalf wouldn't go amiss. Fingers crossed there's nothing worse than a dog whose excitement gets the better of him.

Debt_Free_Chick

zebidee1 wrote: »

told the vet that pup was coming on great and laughingly mentioned how excited he gets sometimes and his front paws kind shake or tremble a bit when he's sitting waiting for his food or something to get thrown for him.

Sparky does this - in his case, it's simply over-excitement. He's so desperate for you to throw the ball, he only half-sits so he's ready to bolt after it. He's either hugely excited or perhaps trapping a nerve, slightly - my money's on the former.

Let the vet be cautious and check him out Don't get into self-diagnosis as you'll be a jibbering paranoic wreck :rotfl:

zebidee1

Debt_Free_Chick wrote: »

Sparky does this - in his case, it's simply over-excitement. He's so desperate for you to throw the ball, he only half-sits so he's ready to bolt after it. He's either hugely excited or perhaps trapping a nerve, slightly - my money's on the former.

Let the vet be cautious and check him out Don't get into self-diagnosis as you'll be a jibbering paranoic wreck :rotfl:

Oh you have no idea just how easy that would be.......:D

Phirefly

Yeah my Weeman used to to that (a cocker) I used to joke that he was stamping his feet impatiently. Hope he checks out ok.

Incidently, as for Tickle Me Elmo, my sister just had to put one on ebay as my niece wouldn't go in the same room as it. She got £45 for it!!!

candygirl

My dogs do that trembly thing, theyre just trembling with anticipation of getting a treat.Let the vet do the checks if you like but most of my dogs have done it.we even used to nickname milo Elvis cos he twitched that much whilst being made to wait for his treats.Let us know how you get on but remember the vets are out to make money too;) .Sorry to sound cynical but i am speaking from past experience

zebidee1

Harley, our 10 week old lab was in the garden tonight, just about to wee when a firework went off in a neighbouring garden with a huge bang and loads of lights.

Needless to say he was terrified and ran straight back into the house....without weeing. We couldn't persuade him to go out again but he was still needing to toilet so desperate measures were required.

The whole family ended up in the garden (some in dressing gowns and boots, lol) each with a handful of treats and everytime a firework went off we all cheered and gave him a treat. He was still sat in the hall shaking at this point but he soon got the idea that loud noise or bright light = treat and within twenty minutes he was running around the garden with the rest of us. He even managed to wee and poo without falling over with nerves.

The neighbours have just told us we were better entertainment than the fireworks.

We might just have made a rod for our own backs here since he now equates noise / treats.....but on balance, I think that's the least of the evils lol.

I hope your pets are not having too bad a time.