Hi Joy, thanks for the good advice. That would help! I do live in a neighborhood with hiking trails so I can and have let him off leash for a good run. I don't feel comfortable doing this right now though, this time of year we have so many bears roaming around, yellow jackets are starting to swarm, and neighbors have seen some copperheads around. Yikes, that's all I need! So I'm stuck until late fall when things are safer in the woods. I was taking him along with his sister every day in May and June for off leash play and recall. It was going well so look forward to doing it again. The local dog park can get rough, we have had some terrible experiences in the past with my other dogs. wish I could find a huge fenced in field somewhere close by!!
Red did this when I first started walking her so she was a lot younger than Spencer but I was advised to do extremely short walks and keep changing direction - so literally just outside the house here - up and down - treating every tiny bit of loose lead. It did work and we increased the distance. It seemed to take forever. It also got easier when I started using a Halti lead attached to front and back of her harness (which she seems to hate having put on but is ok when it's on). Now Red is great around the village and most times in other places. We have just been away a week and I have experienced the 'freight train' when she has got excited - scary. I did get pulled over once and ended up on my poor arthritic knees so I understand how you feel.
Hey Joy, sometimes I wish I lived in the UK as well!! I decided to go ahead and "risk it all" by taking the pups for a run off leash this morning and it went extremely well! They stayed close to me and kept checking back when they did go afar. Only came upon one yellow jacket nest-lucky! Spencer didn't pull as much today-probably tired!! We will see what tomorrow brings!
I will try the short walk and change directions advice, hope it works for him/us! He just wants to run, in too much of a hurry I think but aren't they all!!
I am so glad to find this board ! We recently got an adorable lab puppy, we got him at 2 months old and he is 3 months now. He is my fourth lab, but I have never had a puppy before. My other labs were about a year old when I got them. I had no idea what I was getting into! I have had the puppy blues, puppy remorse, puppy guilt , the whole range of emotions. Then I found this terrific thread about the Puppy Blues, and realize I am not alone. He is adorable, sweet, loving, beautiful….and a canine wrecking crew who never stops moving ! Right away, I got an excellent trainer ( we are doing this on line until quarantine is lifted ) and he has helped me a lot. We have stopped the barking and the biting, so that is big. But I am reading here that this house breaking process takes some time....I can see that he improving...but without the trainer, I would not know what behavior was normal and what was aberrant. My last lab was a sweet, gentle 13 year old who unfortunately passed away six months ago...he was a perfect gentleman and I had him for 12.5 years until his demise from cancer. I know that we are improving daily, but this being a puppy mom is way more than I was prepared for....I am sticking with it and I love him....I know that between me , the pup and the trainer, we will be able to get a good, well socialized, happy little guy, but the road to getting there: wow, its tough.But reading the experiences and emotions of the other lab moms here, is a tremendous help...I know that I am not alone.
Therese again here....re: puppy blues....just wanted to comment again, I am so grateful to have found this site, I was feeling so alone in all this puppy chaos and really feeling that I was doing a terrible job or that there was something amiss with my three month old lab puppy, but now I realize that he is totally normal and no matter what I do, he is going to be a crazy adventurous puppy, not really housebroken but "trying", trying to chew anything and everything, and a cute bundle of wiggly fur, teeth and claws ! My trainer is helping me a lot but its still online until the shut down is lifted ( hopefully soon ) but the best part of this is that I am finding people at my stage-of-the-game with their pups, feeling like I feel, when I really though there was something amiss, no dog could be this crazy ! No mom could be this tired LOL ! But again, I have never had a puppy and my previous labs were adopted at a year or two old, a whole different situation. It is endearing, however, to watch him from one week to another, suddenly learning something I had tried to teach him for weeks...I see the lightbulb go off and suddenly my little prodigy is not grabbing the shoes, he is barking when he has to go out, so I am seeing progress !
Stick with it. Things really do get better and it sounds like you have the right attitude/skills and help to see it through. Before long you will be saying how quickly they grow up!
We have an 11 week old lab puppy and I’ve been feeling like you! We always had adult rescue dogs before. The feeling of sweet relief when I can see our little guy has learnt something is wonderful!
Hi all - just adding to the thread - my 10 week old lab situation is making be anxious and im fearful of depression. im feeling overwhelmed and now this is turning in to sadness. I read all the above comment with interest - any support or motivation is welcome!
It does get better honestly. I kept thinking everyone was saying it to me to make me feel better. Our pup is 5 months now and at the start it took me a longer time to adjust to it and I found having a pup way more difficult than expected. Keep at it, you will see improvements and you will suddenly realise that you have come so far!
@iain noblett Puppies are hard work but try to look ahead and imagine how different it will be in a month, 6 months, a year, 18 months etc. Tell us about your new puppy - girl or boy? Name?
Hi Thank you Jules, I am a very determined person - but have been having real difficulty. However over the weekend i was able to start to take her out of the house on walks. Im nervous to say it - but i can immediately sense a change of atmosphere with her (Yogi ) she seems to be more comfortable pottering around on her own in my house / garden and sleeping more! Hopefully this will continue and one week turns to another!
Hi Joy she is a choc lab called Yogi (girl) 10 weeks. I was 100% prepared for her craziness, pooping and 'hard work' what i didn't anticipate was my personal anxiety rising so much waking at 5am etc and not getting back to sleep etc. I am also a bit embarrassed as i was expecting the new born to be such a happy period, and cant help thinking that other people think im just 'moaning' and ungrateful for the new Pup. as i mentioned, above we have been able to get her our of the house from Saturday just gone and its amazing now that she sleeps so much more when she has been out side for a walk! We are also we are starting to have a few 'cuddle moments' which were very few before because she seems calmer ! thank you for your comments.much appreciated.. iain
I love the name Yogi. I always think I feel much better when I can get out and about and you sound happier. She will gradually sleep longer in the mornings, so just keep telling yourself that this routine will be completely different this time next year.
Hi Iain I’m glad she is settling a bit more. Our pup was certainly better once we started going out. She is still very high drive though! I understand where you are coming from when you say about feeling not happy with a new pup. I had that for sure. I didn’t like talking about her because I really didn’t like her for quite a while. We get on now
If it helps, I think there is a period akin to postnatal depression with new pups (often) to be honest. There is this period of looking forwards to getting the pup and all the great things you're going to do... and then there is the reality of sleepless nights and not feeling like you have any time to yourself. If it helps: It will pass. By 12 weeks it will all be a lot easier and by 16 weeks you should largely have your life back... so it is not forever although it feels like it is. The other thing to say is that some pups are easier than others. This is both a breed specific thing (some breeds are easier pups on average) and also an individual pup thing. People who've only experienced an easy pup, just don't 'get' the stress and pain levels of those who've got challenging pups and judge them. And people with challenging pups look around them and see others coping so much better and finding it easy and rewarding, and they wonder what they're doing wrong and blame themselves. When they probably just have a more difficult pup. Lots of things make some pups harder than others... We have a pretty challenging GSP pup at the moment. She's 12 weeks and we are still taking it in turns to sleep by her crate on a futon... Our last 4 Lab pups went through the night from a few days after 8wks. They're all different and a good home and owner recognises that and adjusts to the individual pup they have instead of trying to put them through a sausage machine So whatever the difficulties are, they will pass. But do get your pup out daily. I love to take my pups out on a socialisation trip every afternoon to experience a new location because then I get peace and quiet when we come home. I also take them to as many puppy training classes as I can(!) - for the same reason!! I can't recommend this enough.
Hi Jo - i read your comments with great interest. im actually feeling a lot better since i posted my first message. i think something changed in me mentally just this week - something akin to 'just let my (self induced) anxiety go and just enjoy the puppy'. I think i was so focused on what i had 'lost' ie my tidy / neat lifestyle and i wasn't allowing myself to really appreciate the actual ownership and joy of the new puppy. also as you say I will have to appreciate more that it is a process and not a sudden success overnight! i have a lot to be grateful for - my 11 year old is loving her crate and happily goes to bed through till morning with no mess. best wishes and great points raised...
