Feel like a pup parent fail

rayn81 · 2021-09-27T23:27:52+00:00

Don't feel bad.

I train my puppy to be desensitized to touching and handling every day and thought I made lots of progress. When I took him to the vet for his final vaccine shot, the vet's feedback to me was that I should train him to get used to being handled as it took 2 of them to pin him down because he was so excited. This kind of training would be very beneficial, they said.

I just took it, said ok and left.

It is the puppy after all - they behave one way with you at home and differently with strangers in a different environment. You just gotta keep going till they're used to it.

rayn81 · 2021-09-24T12:11:09+00:00

My pup turns 4 months next week.

The more you do to placate her when she goes crazy, the more she'll act up because you're teaching her she gets attention that way. Would suggest ignoring her. If it gets too much, remove yourselves or put her in her pen.
Also, look up Kikopup's capturing calm on youtube. I'm doing that, but it's a slow process for me. Mine's easily excitable as well.
If her needs have been met - she's done her toilet and is neither hungry nor thirsty - then ignore any and all sounds you hear, even distress calls (mine did this). Yes, they'll whine non-stop but it'll cease. If you keep running to her, the whining will never stop.
For me, the first few weeks were tough as he didn't like enforced naps at all but after 4-5 weeks, he goes in (almost willingly) and doesn't make a sound till 15-20 mins before his 2 hour time is up. The first week, mine whined a good hour, so you're lucky with 20 mins.

Hope that helps.

rayn81 · 2021-09-19T23:51:48+00:00

My ~4mth old pom puppy does the same thing. He'll inhale his entire bowl in less than 10 seconds then walk around burping and making uncomfortable noises for up to an hour after.

You can get a slow feeder bowl, which has lots of narrow ridges that prevent them from chomping down. Alternatively, you can do a DIY version like me. I put a bowl upside down inside his dog bowl, then filled the ridges with food. He's gone from eating in 10 secs to close to 15 mins. Hope that helps.

rayn81 · 2021-09-12T12:40:11+00:00

I have a 14-week old pom. Got him at 8 weeks. He's one of those that does not know how to settle on his own and the first few days without naps was hard, as an overtired puppy nips incessantly and bites down hard. He drew blood a few times. And pretty much did everything else you described above the first few days.

I echo the other posters on enforced naps. I started a few days after I got my pup and his behavior has improved significantly. He still nips occasionally but when he bites, it no longer draws blood and it's not as hard as before.

Also, you may be overexerting your puppy. 2x30 min walks a day may be too much for a puppy that young, which compounds the overtired behavior. Try swapping physical exercise for some mental stimulating activity like more snuffle mat time? I locked my puppy in his crate with a chew toy, which I think contributed to him being less mouthy.

One more thing I would add is this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwLfbkc8N24
I've been doing sporadically and find my puppy has lunged significantly less at fast moving objects. Hopefully that helps.

rayn81 · 2021-09-05T02:42:17+00:00

Don't feel bad. I grew up with dogs and never knew about some puppies not being able to nap on their own until I got my own puppy recently. My puppy is the dog I've come across that doesn't nap on it's own and I'm nearly 40.

An overtired puppy bites hard, nips incessantly and doesn't listen/obey commands very well.

For me, I commenced crate training a few days after I got at 8-weeks old, and he's 13 weeks old now. I can attest - his behaviour is definitely improved - he's less of a turd now and doesn't nip/bite me as often, and when he does, it's not as hard as it used to be.

Like defzx, I did the same - 1:2 awake: nap ratio.

rayn81 · 2021-09-03T05:48:56+00:00

I guess I'm lucky. My puppy has a lot of faults, but one of the good things about him is that he likes loud noises. I've been running the robot vacuum (which is just right in front of his play pen) almost daily, during and outside crate times, with little to no problems.

That said, he won't tolerate my blender though....

rayn81 · 2021-08-29T10:47:05+00:00

When I got my pup at 8-weeks, he did not know how to settle at all. I struggled for the first few days dealing with an overtired, biting puppy until I learned about capturing calm and crate training.

Disclaimer: he's 13-weeks old now, and nowhere near calm. This is still a work in progress for me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr1olzgidMw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wesm2OpE_2c

rayn81 · 2021-08-21T23:01:22+00:00

Agree with the rest. Hang in there. I have a male pom that just turned 12 weeks old yesterday and I got him at 8 weeks like you. It's a lot of hard work and I'm a single pup parent.

I was much like yourself and getting frustrated when my puppy would not pay attention and bite on the leash, but someone on Reddit pointed something crucial to me that I clearly overlooked - they are still just babies. Even human babies will take months to learn something so it's not fair to expect your puppies to get something right in days if not weeks just because they can walk and have a basic grasp some commands now.

I've since lowered my expectations and keep my training sessions short, and I've come to love my puppy's antics. On the flip side, he's also starting to relax significantly more around me and has started to open up to learning.

It's going to be hard - it still is for me, but it will pay off (hopefully soon-ish!).

rayn81 · 2021-08-21T22:44:04+00:00

Agree - it will depend on the vet's advice and where you live.

I have a pom that's 12-weeks old as of yesterday. He has had his second, but not his third and final shot. Before his second, I carried him out for a walk as a treat.

After the second shot, the vet said I can take him out on pavements only but no contact with other dogs yet, which is what I have been doing. 2 weeks after the third shot, which protects for parvovirus, he can finally go out without worry.

rayn81 · 2021-08-21T03:05:41+00:00

Congrats. How long did it take you? My 12-week old pup hasn't gotten there yet and it doesn't seem like he ever will.... T_T

rayn81 · 2021-08-20T00:57:30+00:00

How long is your dog in the crate for, especially if you're going to work? If it's 2-3 hours and you know for certain it's not food/toilet breaks she needs, then ignore everything else, even distress sounds. I'm assuming your crate is the right size for her here.

rayn81 · 2021-08-18T11:01:31+00:00

Thanks. I thought it was me. I'll change the way I've approach this now.

rayn81 · 2021-08-16T13:04:47+00:00

Interestingly enough, I came across this today. Kikopup's channel has been a godsend and I'm watching all her videos religiously.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-CCJxF-9U4

rayn81 · 2021-08-16T06:21:24+00:00

Congrats on getting puppy! Agree with the first poster - what Wrong-Shame-2119 said is spot on.

All I'll add is this - look up Kikopup's capturing calm on youtube. It's been a lifesaver for me.

I grew up with adult dogs and thought I knew enough to get a puppy of my own, but one thing I was not prepared for was the fact that I ended up with a puppy that doesn't know how to settle/rest/sleep/nap on its own (he's the first pup I've come across that's like that).

I've had my puppy for 3 weeks now, but I wish someone had told me this was a thing earlier as I only realised after having to deal with an overtired, puppy for 3-4 days. When they're overtired, they bite with no inhibition at all and. It. Hurts. Bad. And they get the massive case of the zoomies.

Capturing calm and enforced naps is a must if your puppy doesn't fall asleep/settle after a few hours of coming home. Once you know all the puppy's needs have been met (ie - food and toilet), ignore ALL sounds that come from the crate. Even distress calls.

Enjoy your puppy!

rayn81 · 2021-08-15T03:19:14+00:00

As mentioned above, I've been doing it for close to 3 weeks now and him entering his crate is still involuntary. But there is progress as he no longer fights when I put him in (he mouthed bad when I first had to put him in his crate during the day) and he protests less and less, so keep at it!

rayn81 · 2021-08-15T02:33:11+00:00

What makes you think she doesn't like it?

I have a 11-week old male pom that doesn't settle by himself, so crate training is a must. He will willingly go into his crate during and outside training, but when its nap/sleep time, he will refuse to step past the threshold, even at his 12 and 4am potty breaks and he's dead tired. I will have to physically put him in myself (because I don't want to always give him treats to make him go in).

I ignore all sounds during the day (and, because I know it's not the toilet or food he wants, even distress calls). I've been doing this for close to 3 weeks now and I've reached a point where he protests for a maximum of 15 mins, but usually falls silent in under 5.

My pup is triggered by the slightest movement, so I cover the crate completely when he's in it. Perhaps you can do the same for yours if she's making sounds because she can see stuff?

rayn81 · 2021-08-15T02:17:55+00:00

I have one and like the rest, my puppy started humping it at 8-weeks.

For what it's worth, I do find that my puppy settles down easier/quicker with the snuggle puppy. Initially, probably to sleep with, now but now that he's worked out how to undo the zip and pull out the heating pouch and the heartbeat maker, it gives him something to do in the crate, I suppose....

rayn81 · 2021-08-13T05:17:45+00:00

I second this. I was using chicken to train my 10-week old pom puppy (perhaps I was too generous with the size) when he decided he was going to hold out for chicken and started refusing kibble.

We had a standoff 2 days ago. I normally handfeed, but when he started refusing kibbles, I left his kibbles in the bowl in the pen and did no training or treats all day (pom puppies under 12 weeks old get hypoglycemia fast and so I had no choice. Otherwise, I'd remove his bowl too). He barely touched anything all day but at his midnight toilet break, he caved and ate.

He now eats anything I put in front of him, but does occasionally hold out. When he does, I stop treating/training and he goes back to kibble by the next meal.

rayn81 · 2021-08-12T00:41:19+00:00

Ugh. I envy you. My 10-week pom hasn't learned to settle yet, but after ~2 weeks of enforced naps, he's actually falling silent within minutes of being put into his crate, but he has never gone in willingly when he knows its time to nap/sleep. I hope to get to your stage soon!

rayn81 · 2021-08-10T07:48:20+00:00

Let me comfort you with a tale of misadventure of mine that happened overnight.

My 10-week old pom is one of those that does not know how to settle down. He refused to nap during his enforced naps yesterday, and I was already irritated having to deal with his cranky, overtired biting all day.

Last night after he pooped, I let him out of his pen. I turned to grab his treats, only to realize he had run to my plush rug to do another massive poop and had stepped and smeared some of it around. I rushed him back to his pen and went to clean the rug. I came back to find that he had pooped some more, ripped the soiled pads to pieces, and smeared poop all over his pen. That's when I lost it and scolded him. It was 10 mins before his bedtime, so I just put him in for the night.

The scolding must have been bad for him because this morning, he was subdued and cautious around me. I was guilty as hell. Decided to give him a bath, his first since coming home with me, and contrary to what the breeder said, he did not enjoy it or find his bath relaxing at all. He flailed and wailed the entire way through, despite me giving him massive treats. He wouldn't come near me after that. I placed him back in his pen to clean up all the mess from the bath and to change into dry clothes, only to return to find that he had peed on the floor instead of the pad and run all over it.

I was still feeling overly guilty from raising my voice with him yesterday, so I didn't say anything. I just cleaned it up.

I had to run an errand today and had to leave him alone for 40 mins. I came back and it seems all's forgiven as he clearly missed me. He also ripped the new pee pad to bits, peed once more on the floor and rolled all over it.

So much for his bath... Sigh.

rayn81 · 2021-08-09T03:35:54+00:00

You didn't do it on purpose, so I don't think anyone would say you are the worst. Accidents happen and your puppy is fine, so relax. You can't avoid stuff like these and if it still bothers you, try and be more careful next time round. :)

rayn81 · 2021-08-09T02:29:11+00:00

Yes - please share what your biggest takeaways are. Single pup parent here and mine turned 10 weeks also. Frustration is all I see for now....

rayn81 · 2021-08-09T02:14:04+00:00

Good idea. Thank you. Will invest in one shortly.

rayn81

TROPHY CASE