Thanks, Atemas. We are trying to put his lead on every night and reward with little lumps of cheese (he's a posh dog and has Cathedral City Extra Mature!) when he walks forward without turning and trying to chew the lead or pull away in fear from it. I might well suggest the walking with her in our arms round the estate / nearby field to see if this helps. Might be nicer weather this evening - last night was a little grim with the torrential rain and wind sweeping East Anglia! Might help us too getting a little fresh air instead of us being stuck inside with the gremlin.... sorry Jasper!!
I wasn't able to do the walking around outside as it was February and cold and dark and I really struggled being in all the time - mainly in the kitchen as we had to keep our two dogs separate for a long time (still do at times to allow the older one to have her snooze times in peace). You will definitely find getting out beneficial and it breaks up the evening. Where about in East Anglia are you? Lucky boy with his posh cheese .
I think we were lucky we have him in summer so not as horrid standing outside in the rain and cold!! We're in north Essex (Colchester). Well tonight I took him about the estate when he started being nutty and jumpy. Sadly place was deserted of people so he couldn't say hello but he experienced cars up close and kept him quiet. He's really much heavier than when we got him!!!! He started playing up a bit after getting in but then fell asleep. Hubbie then got him up and put him in his crate. Doubt this evening's relative calmness will happen two days in a row but I am thankful for a little bit of calm tonight. Not felt tearful once this evening and it feels lovely.
@Jen123 please don't beat yourself up too much. I hated having a puppy when we first got Stanley, and I begged and begged my OH to let me have one. He took to it like a duck to water and I cried every single day. Everyone was so worried about me. I hated the thought of being around him and was so worried I was going to mess it up and have this little terror forever. It's a huge adjustment and they're really really hard work - by far the hardest thing I've ever done. It clicked for me when OH went on a stag do and I had to look after him for 3 days by myself when we'd had him about a month or so. I just fell madly in love with him - and I've never looked back (although he is still a little terror )
What @JenBainbridge says is so true for me as you have probably gathered @Jen123 from this very long thread. I took Red for a walk last evening - not a soul about (although I did pass some neighbours who made a nice comment about Red). Apart from a few times, scooping up leaves off the ground, she walked beautifully by my side, lead very loose. Had to remind myself of the dreadful walks I attempted when she was a very young puppy and I was close to tears almost all the time about everything. It's a horrid feeling being like that. Certainly my family and friends were very worried about me for quite a while. Without a doubt, the people on this forum who quickly responded to my bleatings helped steer me through those first few difficult months.
Thanks @JenBainbridge and @Atemas. I really felt alone till found this forum and already just reading through everyone's experiences I am feeling more confident after a couple of days.
It can be a long, difficult journey, but it has its rewards. You've made such good progress with Red - anyone feeling jittery about their puppy should read the first page of this thread, then fast forward to this one! It's so easy to feel despondent when thngs don't go well. I still have tricky moments walking Wispa, as she's such a Jekyll and Hyde, one day walking beautifully on her lead, sitting at the kerbs, not batting an eyelid at anything, the next day walking beautifully on her lead then suddenly being spooked by loads of invisible fairies, other dogs, people, pushchairs, scooters...! She's normally such a lovely, kind, happy dog that I hate to think that anyone would think that she's a menace, but she can give that impression sometimes. It helps to read about other dogs on this forum who aren't always perfect!
Now I have come up for air after the horrific weather that bought our holiday at the coast to a sudden halt (our lovely tent that we have had many happy holidays in was destroyed by the massive winds) I just wanted to say how good Red was. She took to the tent with no problems - we took her crate and she slept just like at home. We went on the beach, she ran and ran and tried the sea (photo posted here yesterday). We went for a meal where dogs are welcomed and she just lay down with Sky whilst we had a relaxing meal. We walked down the busy High Street in the nearest town and DH and I took it in turns to go in some shops. We walked down the promenade and a few people spoke to us about her. She walked off lead along the cliff path and stuck to my side. She was brill. The afternoon our tent started to let in rain and then got torn and started to collapse, we quickly put both dogs in the car. They had to stay in there whilst we rescued our sopping wet belongings out of the collapsed tent and stuff as much as we could into the car. We then had a two hour journey home with the inside of the car as wet as the outside!! Both Red and Sky never made a peep whilst we got on with it - couldn't have asked for more from them. Their meal time was late that day but again no fuss. Since we have been home though Red has shown she is getting bolder and today ignored me several times on our off lead walk - that is another story - I think a lot more training is required!!!
@Atemas, the above is the perfect post to counter all those despairing posts of days of yore! What a fantastic, amazing, happy transformation (you AND Red). Your incredible hard work has paid off and your DH was right all along!
So lovely to read about how good Red was on holiday. What a shame the storms brought it to a sudden end.
Hi @Atemas I am so glad that both dogs were good while you were away - but so sorry that your holiday was cut short
So my OH is off playing cricket for the second Saturday in a row. I am at home with Jasper. We found that having a small crate in the lounge helped him this morning to go and sleep rather than continue to go loopy. We took him to Tesco's and he enjoyed meeting new people and again was super good in the car. We even had chance to do some training (sit, lie done, and touch nose to our palms for treats). I was left at midday - he went off to see our friends and play cricket. I am left at home. It was going well until the last 30 minutes. He's starting his loopy phase. I tried the frozen carrot - barely chilled him. I tried a time out - didn't work for very long. Took him about the fields and estate to try and give him a change of scenery. I couldn't spend more than half hour out because he's too heavy and he might need the loo. He's been digging up the garden and trying to jump a fence we put in for keeping him away from plants and stones on the raised beds. I put him in the kitchen crate with radio on and crate covered praying he's going to sleep and am sat eating a tube of Pringles. Hard to type whilst eating them fyi. Does anyone else start to resent their OH's or family sometimes during these times? Cricket is a big part of our social life and we plan to take Jasper along.... 2nd jab 6 days away....more freedom in 13 days (not that I am counting). There's no way of us keeping him safe and off ground all afternoon / evening if I went along with him still. I feel isolated.
It's not that long.....really I remember that feeling, though , a year ago waiting for Cassie to be able to go out on the ground,--- but I'd forgotten about it until I read your post. You've had some positive experiences today -- keep counting those. Does it have tobe you that stays home? Can you swap it with your OH? Hope the Pringles were good
Yes we are glad that we've worked out why he won't nap in the lounge with us this week. I think it's because we had to crate him rather than let him have run of kitchen when alone after he attacked the plaster last Monday. Think he feels safer being in a cosy spot that is his. Usually is me with him. OH plays on a cricket team on a Saturday although plan wasn't for him to play every week till we could bring Jasper with us. I think he agreed to play today as this week we've had the puppy madness commence and he wants to escape. Hoping he'll help out later tonight when he's home rather than sit on his bum and be the fun 'parent' playing with him and let me do the toilet trips to garden, clean up if he accidentally wees on carpet, etc. Will give me a chance to eat the rest of my Pringles. Poor puppy won't know what hit him in a few days - the list of places I want to be able to go and take him with us is growing by the day!
Me and my OH had a lot of arguments in the early days. We work different shift patterns so we were both at home with the devil on our own a lot and both felt as though we had it harder than the other. I resented him too because he's a heavy sleeper so it always ended up being me getting up through the night or at 4am and I was always shattered. As with everything it all passes and now the only thing we argue about is who Stanley loves the most. (Obviously it's me )
I did a mad thing @Jen123 and got a puppy on my own . I live with my 12 year old son but he is with his dad half the time, so I know what it's like to feel the responsibility is all yours. I suppose though, there's no one to feel resentful about so maybe that's a bonus!
What a brave lady you are @Plum's mum! I had cry on the kitchen floor. The dog is safe for tonight.... husband will be in dog house this evening. Bet your boy loves having a dog about. Our nephew loves our puppy already to bits. Goes and gets his favourite toy (the dinosaur) for him. They both love the dinos.
I never have had any help from anyone raising training and looking after my dogs.It does have its + points outside interferes can be irritating. They are pups for such a short time.
I think it is a challenge having a small puppy whether we do it alone or share with someone - there must be up and downsides to both. @Jen123, it's early days. Your morning sounded really good. Hope your DH enjoys his cricket and make sure you do something you want to do.
