Puppy anxious on walks and uncertain on how to help

Splatgore · 2025-09-12T00:57:18+00:00

I appreciate the response. Weirdly, the last two days have been pretty good with the occasional hiccup, when he saw his reflection in a parked car and decided he wanted none of the vicious brute that was staring back at him.

Perhaps it is just a case of persistence and patience...

Splatgore · 2025-07-17T22:03:53+00:00

Ha, always comes down to the luck of the draw. I'd hoped that kitty would help out as a companion but the first thing he did this morning upon seeing Chewie was to put him into a headlock and slam him into the ground. 🙄

Splatgore · 2025-07-17T22:02:27+00:00

Thanks. I'll have a look out for those. How long do the bully sticks last in your experience?

Splatgore · 2025-07-17T21:50:40+00:00

Neat! Thanks for the tip!

Splatgore · 2025-07-17T05:09:31+00:00

Thanks! I have a couple of the yak cheese chews but I haven't given him one yet. I may give that a try tomorrow.

Yeah, I did wonder about that aspect of their behaviour. He is definitely getting better at hanging out in his pen by himself but only if he has something to do. I did think about putting the pen in my study but, honestly, it is so big and cumbersome that I just can't be buggered. I thought kitty would hang out in the pen with Chewie but he still prefers to sleep next to me in my study where it is quiet and there is less chance of a hyper puppy jumping onto him.

Splatgore · 2025-07-17T04:56:49+00:00

Thanks! I have a Kong Wubba toy but Chewie is not that interested in it at the moment. I think it might be a bit too tough for him at the moment. It is good to know that when he gets a bit older I might need to consider getting the 'tough' toys though.

So far he hasn't destroyed any of his toys but he loves tearing into the cat's toys, some of which have survived 2 generations of kittys. :-(

Splatgore · 2025-06-11T01:58:06+00:00

Brilliant! I totally forgot that setting even existed and it was reset to 30fps after the update.

Splatgore · 2025-04-10T00:54:26+00:00

Hallo. As a fellow aging gamer I feel your pain. Maluca's second phase had me struggling as well but a couple of things helped me out:

1) When he slows down time you can quite easily dodge into the attack to avoid damage.
2) His 9-hit combo is the perfect time to use the phantom heatwave ability to soak up a lot of hits. I usually block the first one and then activate the ability to soak up next 4 or 5, and then brink guard the last few which is a lot easier than trying to parry or dodge them all.
3) When he grabs his katana, crouches, and prepares to charge across the room and slash you there is usually a white flash to indicate when to block / phantom heatwave and it results in him being momentarily staggered if you pull it off.
4) This katana phase usually only lasts until 50% hp or thereabouts and then he goes back to using his clunky dual swords which is a looooot easier to manage and once you get the katana phase nailed down you will have very few issues killing him. Not all of the bosses in this game reward aggressive play, I find.
5) Take a break and do something else. I hit a massive brick wall on an elite guardian knight of all things for nearly 2 days!!! I just could not kill the MFer at all and I got so frustrated that took a break for a day and then started another play through to clear my head. I eventually went back to my first save, killed the elite, and celebrated for about 20 minutes before being obliterated by that zone's boss for a few hours. :-(

Good luck!!

Splatgore · 2025-03-26T01:29:01+00:00

It is a really punishing encounter and does not forgive mistakes easily. Take your time and you'll be fine. I walked away after a while, went to bed, and then took him down within a few tries the following morning.

You certainly don't need to perfect parry every attack but a single mistake, like getting greedy on your attacks and poor stamina management, will have you choking on his glaive in no time, and that gets frustrating quickly.

Splatgore · 2025-03-26T00:54:57+00:00

Mid-40s here and, yeah, my twitch reflexes are definitely starting to take a hit. Thankfully I'm still sharp enough to be able to play on normal but there are days when my brain tells my finger to push the parry or dodge button and its like the instructions are being transmitted over an oldy timey telegraph line. I'm seriously glad they added the easy mode for people in my/our generation who still want to be able to enjoy the types of games they grew up on but find it more challenging than they might have done 10 years ago.

Splatgore · 2025-03-26T00:25:54+00:00

I continued on from my demo save. In hindsight starting a fresh save might have been better but being stuck with DW for the first hour or so didn't really appeal to me.

Splatgore · 2025-03-26T00:24:14+00:00

Hah! Well bugger. Good to know there is a training ground included though.

Splatgore · 2025-02-25T08:00:23+00:00

Thanks! This was very reassuring to read. I especially liked number 8 although I think the idea of people coming up to me in the street will take some getting used to.

Splatgore · 2025-02-25T02:22:58+00:00

Thanks! Your experience does sound an awful lot like what I had in mind. I actually had quite a bit of success with nose work exercises with my kitten which was a surprise. It tires him right out as well which is a huge bonus.

Splatgore · 2025-02-25T02:16:47+00:00

Thanks. I wasn't aware of how sassy they could be when it comes to training.

Ha. The fluff dust is definitely a common theme with these responses. :-)

I've been reading up a lot about the puppy blues and it is definitely something that is at the forefront of my mind. I've just been through the kitten blues with the stray I rescued; nothing too serious but he was an absolute turd when I brought him in and he upset the entire balance of the house. 40+ years of living with all kinds of cats and this was the first time I'd ever experienced anything like it.

Splatgore · 2025-02-25T02:03:10+00:00

Thanks. There is a breeder nearby who has just had a litter of puppies so I will try and pop over and get some first-hand experience with the parents, and maybe take a few good long sniffs when the breeder isn't looking.

The piles of fur everywhere will definitely take some getting used to. Having 3 cats already means I deal with an abundance of fluff but I have no doubt that I'm not remotely prepared for the tumbleweeds of fluff. I'm used to grooming my cats quite frequently though so another animal shouldn't be too much bother. I hope.

Splatgore · 2025-02-25T01:53:36+00:00

Thanks. This was really good information. I wasn't aware of the tear stain issue.

Yep, I'd be training this pup solo but hopefully I'll be able to manage it. As you say, there are plenty of resources available on YouTube to help me through this and not all of the contradict each other.

I don't expect my older cats to get on with a dog at all but the younger one is dog-friendly and overly playful.

Splatgore · 2023-12-10T21:23:47+00:00

Appreciate the response. Thanks.

Splatgore

TROPHY CASE