I am probably going to sound a little like I am over reacting, but being a 'new mum' to a puppy is a little bit of an overwhelming experience. There is so much to do and I just don't really even feel like I know where to look next. I've had him two weeks and I have to admit despite loving him so, so much, I am sometimes worried I am not doing well enough by him? He is 11 weeks old today, just to clarify. With Alfie, I've been working on recall and sit training. I've got him used to his collar, and I am working on his lead, though I am debating a harness for him when we go walkies. He is sleeping in his crate during the day currently, and in his bed in a little pen by my bed at night. Though soon I'm planning to shift him to sleeping in his crate all the time. The crate was a late edition, as initially we were not going to use one. Potty training is trundling along. He is starting to ask to go outside when he needs to go, about... 60% of the time? We put him out after each meal, and after each nap and after each serious play time. For the most part I do his training out in the garden for five-ten minute spells. He is never shut away in his crate, just encouraged to go in when he's tired, he is able to follow me all over the ground floor of the house, but only goes upstairs for bed time. However... I do not really know where to go next? What are the most important aspects of training to focus on initially? I feel like I should know this already but every time someone asks me what I'm planning to work out with him I sort of draw a blank despite all the reading I've been doing. I almost feel like I've been doing too much! I was wondering if you guys would share some opinions because I am starting to feel a little out of my depth and I'm not sure if I'm handling things right! Am I making any horrible mistakes? He seem's happy and well adjusted but I just can't help worrying.
Re: Feeling overwhelmed. You are doing brilliantly! The most important thing to work on at this stage is your bond with your puppy, everything else will follow. So, lots of play with you (and plenty of sleep in between!) and some short training sessions during the day are what he needs. Plenty of carrying out and about to meet all sorts of people, animals, traffic and situations - so that, when he's allowed out after his vaccinations, he'll be a confident pupster.
Re: Feeling overwhelmed. Hi , and please don't worry , most new owners feel just the same , can I recommend you buy Pippas book , the Happy Puppy Handbook , you can buy it from Amazon and honestly , it will really help to guide you through this whole process of puppy ownership and training . I would advise you not to attempt too much at once, keep all training sessions short too as pups don't have a long attention span , best to leave them wanting more rather than getting bored . Keep it all fun , but honestly , the book will prove to be invaluable
Re: Feeling overwhelmed. Thank you both. It is reasurring to hear that maybe what I'm doing doesn't seem as frantic and all over the place to me. I do have the happy puppy handbook, and it is proving to be a good read. I think I just need to relax my worries a little so I can absorb the information a little better. Some of it is probably the idea that some people make it seem easy, and when things do go wrong you start to wonder if you're doing something wrong I suppose! Also when setbacks hit, you question everything. Very much looking forward being able to take him out and about. c:
Re: Feeling overwhelmed. Please don't worry , we all have setbacks from time to time and anyone who says they don't is telling porkies If you have a bad day, or a bad morning , just write it off , call it a day and start again next day, keep the faith
Re: Feeling overwhelmed. You are quite right. Bad times pass. He has been a little "Shark" all day. Chewing everyone, and only momentarily being distracted by his toys, so there has been a great deal of standing up and removing ourselves from him. But then there are moments like this, where he's curled up in his crate with his head over the edge, resting on my foot. Thank you for the support, it means a lot.
Re: Feeling overwhelmed. You seem to be doing really well. The first few months can be really intense while you teach Alfie the basics, bond with him, socialize him. I think we all got overwhelmed at some point but stick with it. Recall and sit are a good place to start. With Holly, we had to break the crocadog habit quite early and used the same method as you. I'd put socializing very high on your priorities. While Alfie is very young he'll absorb new experiences really easily.
Re: Feeling overwhelmed. You are doing a fab job The first few weeks I concentrated on socialising as much as I could, worked on sit and recall. I thought that was enough and everything developed from there don't try and do too much
Re: Feeling overwhelmed. Just here to say hello and that it sounds like you are doing a fab job. I'd agree with everyone else - socialising, exposing him to new experiences, reducing the crocodog behaviour, sit and recall. And play with him and love him! -
Re: Feeling overwhelmed. Agreed...you're doing well. and headed in the right direction. With Bella I did hand touch very early with her - her nose to my palm....it's still a great way to get her to focus and to wear her out mentally...and sit and down and shake. All these are quick and easy for them to learn, and give them something to focus on....and you can do them anywhere, so plenty of opportunities to proof them. I also echo all the advise about socializing...the more she can do and see at a young age, the better. ON the main site, Pippa has an article that outlines puppies age and training she does at each stage...I used that to kind of guide me and what skills and tricks to teach Bella. She is 20 weeks now, and we do fun games of spins, weaving through my legs, feet up on an object, bow, and such....she enjoys the "new games" and I have fun laughing at her antics. She has also been a reliable retriever from the beginning, and any toy with a squeek is a favorite. We toss toys down our hallway constantly and she chases and brings them back to us for another toss. Its just a matter of finding funthings they personally like to do, and expanding from there.
Re: Feeling overwhelmed. Thank you all for your support, I really needed to read this tonight as he has just been a little goblin all evening! He was good as gold all day, but when it came to his usual after dinner nap, he just wouldn't take it! Nothing could get him to settle down. He tried a few times but something just got his brain fired up again. I tried playing a little. I tried taking him out to do a little training, but to no avail! I tried bringing him up to bed a little earlier than usual but he was having none of it and snapped at me a good deal. So we tried ignoring him, which didn't go well either he just got bitey again. We ended up turning the lights off downstairs which made him run out of the room we were sat in and into the hall, where he finally sat for a little and calmed down to the point I could actually pick him up. He is now settled and sleeping in bed, having passed out in about 30 seconds when he finally laid down. But good lord what a monster of a night!
Re: Feeling overwhelmed. Mine was a little goblin every evening until he was about 6 months old. He now has his dinner, settles down and sleeps all evening, has done that from about 6ish months and is now just 3.
Re: Feeling overwhelmed. We established a daily routine during the first few months. It was hard at first, but after a while it paid dividends. There are set "quiet times" during the day - after lunch and after the evening walk. Nowadays Holly toddles off to her basket after lunch for a sieta.
