My pup doesn't 'listen' to Tatze when Tatze says 'game over' so I have to stop all bitey games when Tatze shows her signs. Zaba, on the other hand, plays just as roughly with Mollie but she stops the minute he tells her. Rather like a strict teacher he can 'default' to his strict persona. Not Tatze - she is too kind from the start, every time. She has her two safe places during the day, her chair and her bed. I don't allow the pup near her when she's on her chair. I let them interact during the day and stop it when I or Tatze have had enough. But the front room, in the evening, is for settling only. No toys no play. This happens from 16 weeks and any pup that doesn't settle is put on the lead and soon learns. We don't go in the front room until 9pm so it's only an hour for the pups to settle.
Your first sentence is very interesting @snowbunny as I think you have 'hit the nail on the head'. I think it is both - I don't like the excitement - it seems over the top and I am worried Sky will get hurt. My DH says exactly what you are saying. My experience of dogs is very little and not positive ones - Sky is my first dog and Red is my first puppy from a very young age - I am in my late sixties. I was bitten on the face as a young child and despite 'burying' this incident for years and years, it obviously scarred me in more ways than one. I was told it was my fault for stroking the dog the wrong way!!!! Of course I know that is not the truth but I believed it for many many years. DH says I should leave the room and maybe he is right. Sky will move over to him or me and we take that as a sign she has had enough. Red will still try to get to her and that's where she needs to learn that the game is over. Thank you for your reply - it has put it more into perspective for me.
Yes this is the problem @Boogie - Sky is too kind like Tatze. My daughter's very chilled greyhound makes a sound that says 'game over' to Red so she immediately stops - just wish Sky would do the same - would make it all so much easier for me.
Thank you @snowbunny and @Boogie for your comments yesterday. It did help me and I was later able to observe them playing a bit more calmly. At one point I left the room to get something and DH said it was funny as they stopped to look where I had gone. Sky shook later on and my DH stopped Red jumping on her. What I did find interesting - after we had said playtime was over, Sky actually initiated play by rolling on her back and enticing Red over!! I notice this thread is getting very long. Should I stop it now and start a new one if I have a question i.e. make it more specific?
No it's an interesting thread and it's been great watching you form a relationship with Red. Its an heartwarming thread and shows what can be achieved.
I think it's a good thread - great for people new to pup-dom to read and realise we all (most of us) start with 'heeeeelp I've got a Labrador puppy!' Then end up sharing our experiences to help others. Keep it going - the title is good too, for those who think puppy rearing is all cuddles and fun. It isn't! I'll never forget the early days with puppy Tatze - such a shock, and I've had dogs all my life. Labs are different - and addictive .
@Atemas, I echo above comments from @SwampDonkey and @Boogie -- keep it going. I'd say many will benefit from your openness and honesty in sharing both the really bad times and the small steps leading to great progress
Yesterday afternoon I was in the kitchen - Red was in there too. I heard a funny noise and looked over to the doorway where the baby gate is and Sky was actually rattling it wanting to come in!!! I think it was probably more about the chicken roasting in the oven but it made me laugh .
Yes, definitely continue the thread. It's good to follow your progress with Sky and Red. I've just checked to see when you first posted this thread (22nd February), so patience, time and perseverance are certainly paying off. I hope Sky got a bit of roast chicken!
Ha ha, I did sneak her a minute piece . Another amusing thing happened. I was in the garden doing some Recall work with Red. Sky suddenly appeared from the other end of the house (out through the conservatory) and joined in. I know it was the prospect of getting the treats - (she is obsessed with food) but I reckoned she wouldn't want to be with Red if she didn't want to be. We are on holiday next week and will be all together 24/7 - my DH says it will be a bonding experience!! I hope he's right .
I am sure your DH is right - and it does look as if Sky is enjoying training time with Red now (or at least the treats!). Hope you have a lovely break, you really have come so far with Red you deserve a lovely break away.
That is so kind of you @Samantha Jones. We are camping so I am expecting it to be challenging but we will just take it as it comes .
We camped with Bailey when he was about 6 months old and I was terrified he would get out of the tent while we slept - but he was as good as gold - apart from one morning he invited himself to breakfast at the tent next to ours (luckily friends of ours and we were up and getting dressed!). I am sure both Sky and Red will be angels for you x
We have had to cut short our camping holiday at the coast. Yesterday afternoon, there was the most dreadful rain and frightening winds which demolished our tent!!!! We are home now. Words cannot describe the nightmare we had. I just wanted to say what an absolute superstar our puppy Red was and of course Sky . I will post more on the very positive two days before this happened when we have dealt with all that has to be dealt with!
Oh dear, sorry to hear your holiday was cut short. I hope you've dried out now! The wind and rain has been dreadful here too. I walked Tuppence on the short, local on-lead walk yesterday when there was a break in the deluge, only to realise the rain was starting again just as we got home. I couldn't disappoint Wispa, who was waiting patiently for her turn, so gritted my teeth, put on my long raincoat and set forth with her in a torrential downpour! Needless to say, she didn't seem to notice!
Hi everyone. We've taken ownership of a black lab nearly two weeks ago. Jasper's 10 1/2 weeks. I am so glad to see it's not my husband and I doing things wrong and that you all seem to have had trouble with the puppy stages. His loopy time is 7-9pm and we're finding it frustrating and hard as we used to wind down at that time. He's stuck inside till his 2nd jabs next Friday (and then a week after that obviously!). Did any of you find your puppies calmed down a bit once they could go outside and interact properly at ground level with the big wide world? My husband is clinging onto hoping if we can walk him at that time in the evening it might help take the edge off the madness of nipping / jumping up / pulling clothing. Thanks, Jennie
Hello Jennie. Yes Red was hard work during the evenings at that age and I found it tough as I would usually just relax as our older dog is quite content to just snooze all evening. I too clung onto that idea of the evening walk but when I could take her out, I then got into the 'walking on a lead' issues. I had a lot of great advice from lovely people on this forum and for a while now, we can go out in the evenings for a walk which has helped break that time up. Red is 6 months.
@Jen123, when I had my first puppy, Willow, and she was too young to go out on the ground, she would become a horror at 6pm every night. Once I had learned this pattern, I pre-empted the crazies by taking her round the village in my arms at that time of evening. She would meet people and see the sights and sounds, which would tire her out so that when I got home, I could pop her in her crate for a snooze. It worked wonders.
