Hi all First time user here so I do apologise in advance for undoubtedly asking things that have come up before. I have a 9 week old pup (Penny) who we feel is doing very well with her crate and toilet training, on;y one accident in the last 4 days and only waking once per night to go outside and do her thing. However my questions are for during the day. Fortunately I am able to be home with her all day long, however I read the new puppy guidance on the website and I see things such as recommended exercise is around 5 mins per month of her age? At the moment, she sleep in her crate for around an hour and then I play with her, do a little training with a few pieces of her dried food and spend time watching, this usually last around an hour. I try and repeat this throughout the day to make sure she gets the most out of companionship, play, learning and rest. But I am a worrier, is she having too much exercise and stimulation? As after about 40mins of being awake she is a terror, refuses to respond to her name and is completely unwilling to behave, and won't be distracted with a toy. At this point I encourage her to go into her crate and she sleeps. Should I be encouraging these sleeps? I am also trying to gradually build up separation times, mostly just by moving to and from the kitchen (where she is behind a baby gate) doing chores etc, but not directly entertaining her, she tends to just cry for a few minutes if left in the kitchen alone, and does not play with her toys, then falls asleep. Is this sleep a sign of her being down or sad? or is she simply a baby and in need of all the sleep she can get while learning that sometimes separation is necessary even at her young age. I would really appreciate any advice or reassurance, we research so much before getting her and want to ensure she is happy and her welfare comes first. With so much info out there and often conflicting it can be hard to know what is right and wrong. Thanks Tom This is Penny
Re: New Pup Questions hi tom and penny welcome to the site, she is beautiful, you will get all the advice you will need from the site, i am not experienced enough to give advice.....you are doing very well
Re: New Pup Questions Hi Tom and welcome to the forum. Penny is gorgeous. She reminds me of my next door neighbour's pup which I sometimes puppysit. ;D The 5 minute guideline is meant for exercise on a hard surface like pavement as far as a I know. Playing and running around in the house and garden doesn't come under that rule. Just be careful not to let her run up or down stairs or do any jumping. You are doing the right thing by making sure that she gets a lot of sleep during the day, rest for such a young pup is essential. It always amazes me how they can play furiously one moment and then be zonked out fast asleep the next. ;D It is also a very good idea to get her used to being left on her own and she seems to be coping with it very well. Looking forward to more photos and I hope you will enjoy this forum.
Re: New Pup Questions Thanks for the advice so far, really appreciate it. It's our first puppy and hard to know what's best at time. Will post some more pics later.
Re: New Pup Questions She's beautiful! Look at those big, dark eyes. She'll melt your heart As Heidrun said the 5 min guideline is for "walks" as she won't be able to tell you she's tired and will follow you to the ends of the earth! Also it's to guard against damaging her growing bones which is also why no jumping and stairs. The causes of dysplasia aren't known exactly but exercise can be a factor they think. When she's playing at home she can stop when she's tired so she should self regulate better. It sounds like you're doing brilliantly
Re: New Pup Questions Hello and welcome from me and Sam , my two year old Lab , your little one is divine You are doing very well indeed , but as the others have rightly said, the 5 min rule is just a guide and applies to walking on pavements , play at home doesnt count at all .
Re: New Pup Questions Thanks appreciate the clarification. It's good to know, but very odd to think that in 3 weeks time when we are finally able to take her on walks the daily recommendation would only be 15mins. It's really worth reading and hearing all of this advice because I can see how you could unintentionally do harm.
Re: New Pup Questions Hiya and welcome! What a beautiful little pup. Don't worry too much, it sounds as though you are doing all the right things. And the 5 minute rule really is a guide, not a hard and fast rule. Wishing you lots of fun with your lovely little Penny.
Re: New Pup Questions A couple more questions. Penny has taken to eating grass/mud/stones, when she is in the garden. I am trying my best to be strict and remove it from her, especially the stones and things that may hurt her. How big of an issue is it that she eats mud and grass? I keep taking it from her, but she just hasn't lost interest in it. Thanks all Tom
Re: New Pup Questions Mine did that too... Obviously the stones aren't great, and you will need to keep an eye on her to stop her eating inappropriate stuff... But this will only go on for a few weeks, and then she will grow out of it. Except for eating grass, that is. And the odd mouthful of mud...
Re: New Pup Questions Penny is a cutie!! I agree with everyone else that you are doing a great job. I also wouldn't really worry about the mud and grass. But steer clear of the stones. They want to explore everything with their mouths. Plus Labradors assume that everything is food unless proven otherwise My first puppy was a big fan of pine bark mulch and cigarette butts (gross-a-rama ).
Re: New Pup Questions Hi Tom, Penny is beautiful! The five minute rule is just a rough guide and is not set in stone. Rather than applying it to hard surfaces, I interpret it as applying to exercise that the puppy cannot 'opt out of'. E.g. being walked on a lead, or at heel, as opposed to playing with another puppy in the garden. Howver, it is not something that has been 'tested'. Mostly it is about doing everything in moderation. And giving your puppy opportunities throughout the day to recharge her batteries with a little nap. Pippa
Re: New Pup Questions Thanks again all. Really appreciate the info, now to get her to wear her collar for more than 5 minutes and we might be able to practice walking on the lead in the garden. Wish me luck! Tom
Re: New Pup Questions Hello,your pup is lovely, and the image of mine, I wonder if they are related. I am having problems with Chloe ie food. Please can you tell me what you are feeding her on. Went to vets yesterday as Chloe on Purina Beta puppy and was doing loose poo mostly in night, he gave us some Kaolin based stuff yesterday, said chicken and rice,until Monday, and we are changing tomorrow to Welbeloved. She is very energetic, etc., not ill. Really worrying about this. Please move this post if in wrong place, thank you. Val ps Chloe is 12 weeks old now.
Re: New Pup Questions Hi Val Penny too is eating Purina Beta. We have persisted with this food as it was what she was eating before we collected her and wanted at least one thing in her life to remain consistent while there were so many other changes. We feed her around 3/4 small cup of food 3 times per day, using a small portion of her daily allowance as training aids. Her poop is generally pretty good, with a couple of softer ones here and there. Have you considered the amount Chloe is eating? and also soaking the food in some water for up to an hour before she eats as this can aid in digestion. One more suggestion from what I have read is the time of day and the frequency that you feed her, Penny is a few weeks younger than Chloe so the amount she eats may differ, but Penny has her food between 7-8am, 12-1pm, & 5-6pm. Her water is also removed around 2 hours before bed time to reduce the chance of night time accidents. We get up once per night now and take Penny outside to have a wee. Not sure if any of this helps, but it might help you rule a few things out. Good luck Tom
Re: New Pup Questions What do you all do with your pup when you are ill. Today I have been suffering what I can only imagine is a nasty stomach bug or some sort of virus, but it has completely knocked me on my backside. Normally between naps, Penny and I get lots of time to play and learn but today I am finding it tough to even move from bed or the sofa. I have taken to allowing her to have a bit of free roam in the kitchen and out to the garden, but I do worry that she is unsupervised. She normally ends up just wandering into her open crate and having a sleep. Should I be making a bigger effort to get on with it and entertain her? or are days like this inevitable? Thanks Tom
Re: New Pup Questions Hi Tom, from Lisa and Simba (9 months old), Sounds like you are doing very well in your puppy adventure so far. And don't worry, you could still do everything perfectly and by the book and your pup will still misbehave at some point. It's been a looong time since I've dealt with a young pup (ours came to us last month when he was 8 months old) but everything you are doing sounds fine. In the end, the dog has to fit into your life, and although it seems like everything has to revolve around them, especially in the beginning, at some point they have to be "okay" with doing what you want, when you want. Dogs, being the remarkably adaptable creatures that they are, will adjust! So don't worry about having to change routine, etc if you are sick. Your pup is young, and as you say, will likely just sleep when there is nothing better to do. Perhaps you should keep her at least in the kitchen or in crate close by when you just can't manage to supervise closely - they can get into trouble outside when they are little and haven't figured everything out yet. Others who have gone through this more recently will be able to give you more advice, I am sure. Hope you are feeling better soon! Lisa
