Raising a puppy (1st time dog owner)

sheramber

I was thinking of plastic sheet but not sure exactly what to look for or where to get it,

B & Q,  Homebase , ant DIY store.

dekaspace1

sheramber said:

Read the thread

The OP has excuses as to why all the suggestions are not possible for her.

But, there is no magic word or easy solution. Puppy training is hard work that requires constantly watching the puppy and preventing situations that you do not want.

Not excuses, who said the suggestions aren't possible, that comes across as rude.

FYI I am autistic so when I reply it may not be clear that I am listening also I researched a lot of things before I got puppy and more since I had her, posting here was more a personal advice thing due to the conflicting information online (like methods of training and reward)

I also post when I am having a stressful moment and don't talk about her positives.

I honestly cannot find local classes, except a dog walker when I was out with puppy once mentioned names of 2 but I didn't have phone on me at time to save the details, I also don't drive else I would go to the one which is about 15 miles away, just as if I had a car I would drive her to one of the multiple large parks near me and take her on long walks each day.

So try and not assume it can annoy some people.

Anyway EDIT - Today has been a overall good day so far, one small wee accident when I put the cushion covers and blankets back on, she did a poop around mid morning, and around 2pm I decided to take her on a walk then noticed a bus arrive (and its the quick one to town) I had an idea to take her to town, walk her around town centre for about 20 minutes, get bus half way back and then walk the rest, well it seemed to work as after she got off the bus on way back she did the business a minute later, and when I got home I took her in garden and she did a wee, and after her dinner I rushed her out in time as I have noticed recently she goes right after her evening meal.

She also after the trip was far more chilled, a zoomie when she first came in but then shortly after decided to nap only to be woken about 2 minutes later by a neighbours dog across the road barking which made her bark and run around.

After that I went to put up some blinds and noticed she took one look, and went into corner of living room and lay down, probably as she is frightened of the sound of the drill, but the holes were already there I just needed to put up blind.

Right now shes chewing a bone I got for her, it's risky as in the past bones have made her go more but this is also me seeing if she can handle it as it also keeps her occupied and stops the zoomies.

Fingers crossed for the rest.

ladyholly

have you asked your vet about finding training classes. Have you tried a toys that you can fill with treats (I use dog food and cut down the meal) and if you freeze them they last longer. I think to a certain extent you have answered your own question. More walks and actiivity both physical and mental. Dont give up puppies are very hard work especially collies as they are so clever and can easily get you to do their bidding instead of the other way round.

dekaspace1

ladyholly said:

have you asked your vet about finding training classes. Have you tried a toys that you can fill with treats (I use dog food and cut down the meal) and if you freeze them they last longer. I think to a certain extent you have answered your own question. More walks and actiivity both physical and mental. Dont give up puppies are very hard work especially collies as they are so clever and can easily get you to do their bidding instead of the other way round.

Haven't asked vet yet, I have a kong I can fill with treats just wasn't sure about balancing the treats to the meal, I also have a toy that you put food in different slots and the dog spins it trying to get it out, but shes so clever she works it out in seconds.

elsien

FWIW my dog won’t go in my garden. Each time he needs to go we go for a short walk. Which I think is better anyway as walking seems to get things moving (as it were) and is also more interesting for them as long as they can cope with the noise and traffic. 

comeandgo

elsien said:

FWIW my dog won’t go in my garden. 

My dogs have all been the same, non have messed the garden, preferred to go in long grass where they were half hidden, luckily have always stayed in the country so no problems finding wild areas.

Katiehound

Kong is easily filled with cream cheese or peanut butter.
Really only a generous smear inside not actually full- could use some of meal ration poked into the cheese /peanut butter
Did you read the recipes? I put a link to them early on this thread.

VERY IMPORTANT : check peanut butter ingredients MUST NOT contain xylitol sweetener. Some of the peanut butter in Aldi is 100% peanuts

If you are giving treats just reduce the meal food a little. it's not a science.

You could try hiding bits of her food under flower pots- it's a popular dog game.
As said before she needs massive of brain stimulation too

dekaspace1

elsien said:

FWIW my dog won’t go in my garden. Each time he needs to go we go for a short walk. Which I think is better anyway as walking seems to get things moving (as it were) and is also more interesting for them as long as they can cope with the noise and traffic. 

With her, she is more likely to go after a walk but at the same time the walk makes her too excited so when she gets into garden she tries jumping at me and biting lead and if that doesn't work she bites my hand, also she very very rarely goes on a walk and waits until she gets back.

This is what it all ends up being, a bit of a cycle of shes not going as either shes too excited, or bored (and maybe lazy)

If I make a phone call especially one 30 minutes + she is very likely to go, probably as phones make her hyper trying to bite and bark at me so moves things along.

She has done 2 poops outside today, and 2 wees but also 2 wees indoors.

Also what confuses me is she always wants to go outside right before a nap, not to do her business just to go outside, but going outside makes her excited so she tehn doesn't want to nap so I am torn between takiung her out, or waiting a minute until she naps.

Again a cycle of her hyper moments overwhelming everything else, im not sure if the best thing to deal with first is the hyper moments or the toileting, I can probably put off toileting a bit if I put plastic sheets on the sofa so I can easily clean it and deal with her hyperness.

I apologise for my confusion, my autism makes me get confused without literal exact descriptions of what to do which is why it can come across as not listening.

Katiehound said:

Kong is easily filled with cream cheese or peanut butter.
Really only a generous smear inside not actually full- could use some of meal ration poked into the cheese /peanut butter
Did you read the recipes? I put a link to them early on this thread.

VERY IMPORTANT : check peanut butter ingredients MUST NOT contain xylitol sweetener. Some of the peanut butter in Aldi is 100% peanuts

If you are giving treats just reduce the meal food a little. it's not a science.

You could try hiding bits of her food under flower pots- it's a popular dog game.
As said before she needs massive of brain stimulation too

It was more the things like cream cheese I was confused about, plus the worry that things like cheese, peanut butter and yogurt  would make her more likely to go more, but not in the good way, I currently use natural yogurt and a large kong for her evening meal, half fill it, put some yogurt in, some more dry food, a little more yogurt, and when its near full a little more yogurt and dry food and it takes her say 20-30 minutes to eat and she wants to go right after.

I have a small kong that would fit in her mouth but too big to swallow but won't hold much in.

I also use (but not much in past 2 weeks) dry food to control zoomies i.e she won't stop biting and barking I take a biscuit and she stares at it, I wait and drop it this can often after a few minutes stop her zoomies for a while but again it means I have to balance out her food intake.

So thats my autism mind taking things literal i.e food at set times, walks at set times, treats set amounts at set times.

Katiehound

The idea of the kong is that she might lick it- that can be quite time consuming, so the small one would be ideal.  It doesn't need to be filled to the brim- but of course if you do that reduce the meal.
You can bulk up her food with some chopped cooked (slightly) carrot or even raw grated carrot or small pieces of apple if you are worried she is getting too much food..

Toileting is the priority because the more she does it in the wrong place, the more she WILL do it in the wrong place. You have got to break that cycle of going on the furniture asap.

Is there somewhere totally boring that you can walk her?

Important to get the words in. Assistance dog puppies are trained from the outset- probably when they are weaned, if not before to toilet when & where told.

This is where you need an experienced trainer
The dog is so bright she is doing what she wants! Not good

For phone calls put her in her crate. She is unlikely to wee there and she can't interact with you. that would be the time to give her a small kong.-diversion time.

dekaspace1

Ok she started to get good last few days then today was bad again, and it dawned on me,  I had puppy pads, under 2 layers of blankets which had wee on and when I threw them out and put fresh ones out she started going outside again until she had an accident last night.

Today she seemed to not want to go very often and I would catch her mid crouching and take her outside, 10 minutes later each time nothing, walk around to corner shops and back, nothing, 10 more minutes in garden nothing and then around teatime she did a poop, and since then about 5 tiny wees, the puppy pad was a bit loose and she was going on that not the blankets.

So it seems thet problem is even with cleaning solution she is going in that corner, I do soak the area she goes in but I go through it very quickly and without having multiple spare blankets and washing them after every accident and even then it will be expensive.

Is there a more effective short term cleaning I can do, I hear some people recommend a little biological washing powder and water for spot cleaning.

I have sofa covers coming that are meant for dogs as they are "waterproof" and can be wiped off,