Truffle pupdate; first vet trip for inappropriate munching

So we made it to 4 months, with a finally much-improved digestion system, and only minimal damage to my mental health (No. More. Puppies!).

Having been so proud of her training, and how quick she was to learn, I have been despairing of her new cheekiness now she has discovered she is tall enough to reach up to the kitchen table top. She seems to spend most of her time in the kitchen scratching at the counter edges and getting her nose over the table edge. She knows to go to her mat, and every time we say it, she pops over there, bum down as if butter wouldn't melt.... then two seconds later, she's back at the counters grrrr. She is also like a greased eel to escape into the hall for a quick snack from the cat litter tray, and has recently found out she can jump right up onto the coffee table and steal laptop cables etc. She is like a superfast toddler. May I just have one little *aaaarrrrrrrrgggghhhhhh*?! And could the experienced lab parents please, please, tell me when they just settle down at your feet when you sit down to do something?

She is also so typically a Labrador in the food area, and the things she has eaten to date include:
green plastic, purple plastic, the handle off her toy trug, the wooden bead off my knitting needle, several dug-up plants, a stone, a cube of cooking chocolate (Luckily I got that out of her mouth), a segment of chocolate orange, and worst of all, a tulip/hyacinth bulb. That was last week's trip to the vets for emergency emetic Sadly it was not long after I'd given her a big lunch to keep her going until after puppy class, so it was a big job. She seems determined to end up in the vets, and she is really not happy about going there, as what with the two sets of antibiotic jabs she had when we first got her, she's had plenty of unpleasant trips. I'll keep taking her in for her weight check and a cuddle with the reception staff, but think I'm on a loser there.

On the plus side, the biting is easing up considerably, to the extent that the children can have a game and sometimes even a cuddle with her now, which makes everyone much happier. My oldest daughter has even been enthusiastically training some tricks with her too. And it is so pleasant to have a glimpse of the walks to come, when we get a tiny circuit of our local woods to play in the leaves...

 

For some dogs/puppies that just happens. For other puppies, the answer is 'when you train them to do that'.

My big tip is keep all of this stuff:

out of her reach - not only is it dangerous (as you know), but you are training a dog to learn that anything in its environment is his/hers to take. This is a nightmare to correct later, and results in a dog with no impulse control. Really, it makes for a nightmare adult dog (I know from first hand experience ).

 

You have my sympathies @Trufflepup Bailey at 9 months is loving his adolescence phase, including thinking everything is his and his alone! Although he has a good leave command he is really pushing the limits - I have just taken off him one of the silicone bag things you get in new bags and shoes to keep them dry in the box....yup had brought replacement shoes (can you guess what happened to the other ones?!) and although I thought I had all the bags and threw them away there must have been an extra one in there cause it ended up in Bailey's mouth!

He is at his worst before crashing out for a snooze, so we are working hard on his impulse control and leave and away commands, as a four month old he really didn't have this level of determination! We will get there as will you (right now he is laying across my feet snoring!) keep going!

 

I AM training this, she gets a click and treat for settling down in her bed, and is starting to do this as her default option, but sometimes seems compelled to leap about anyway.

As for all the other things, I have done my level best to keep things out of her reach, but with children in the house you can read them the riot act so many times, but occasionally things will be left about. She will usually swap something back to me no problem, but if it is small she will eat it to get the swap.

Thanks so much, a bollocking was just what I was needing to hear......

 

Er...ok.

Well, either: sorry about that, and of course you should continue to allow her to nick anything she wants, rack up vet bills and so on...or... you are welcome.

One or the other.

 

The 'leave it' and 'drop it' commands are still work in progress with Tuppence after three years of training, particularly with food. She's been the worst dog I've ever had for scavenging.

Last week she grabbed an apple and swallowed it whole two days running and was on her lead on both occasions. The first time, I saw her grab one and she clamped her jaws together then swallowed it whole very quickly rather than drop it. A few minutes later she was trying to be sick but it took nearly twenty minutes until she finally managed to get rid of it. I was beginning to panic and thought I needed to get her to a vet, but I couldn't even lift her. Once she'd been sick she carried on with the walk as if nothing had happened!

The following day I didn't notice that she'd managed to grab another apple from amongst the fallen leaves until she was sick again (fortunately more easily this time) as we were returning home.

Can somebody explain why she has such an excellent memory for some things - treats when she comes in from the garden, playing hide and seek with her rope when certain members of the family are around, waiting at the fridge rather than at the treat cupboard for her 'goodnight' treat (cheese!), knowing that if I say "Right..." something exciting for dogs is going to happen - yet she can't remember the consequences of scavenging an apple!

 

I feel your pain! Corona will be 4 months on Thursday and we have spent sooooo much money already. She's had an anal gland infection that started a month ago and is 80% better. I would be encouraged about that except, just when I think her tummy issues (that started 3 weeks ago) have settled due to a few different drugs and a special diet, it's back to the runs. She was JUST starting to sleep thru the night but since all this, she is back up around 5:30 and then cries in her crate on and off until my alarm. It's completely exhausting. As far as the settling down at my feet, I'm usually up and running until about 8pm when she FINALLY crashes and is out for the night. I'm at home during the day with her mostly and I have been going for LOTS of short walks. Whenever I can no longer get anything done, off we go. I feel like I'm walking in circles cause I always have to stop what I'm doing. I can't wait for the day that she handles boredom like an older dog! I laughed when I read about your pup on the coffee table because ours did just that last night. At least the look on her face made us all laugh. She was just as surprised as we were. Corona has eased up on the biting but has not stopped by any means. This is our third lab and I've never had one so persistent about it. Hoping that as more teeth fall out, she will give it up all together. Don't be too discouraged. My other 2 labs are were significantly settled by 6-7 months. Some of the stories I've read on here scare me that I've gotten a wild one this time around but I do see lots more glimpses of a settled dog to come. Whenever I'm about to lose my marbles, I lay in bed at night and go over all the milestones we've had so far. At least, I've been able to take down the baby gates! But then again, haven't put the Christmas tree up yet... oh boy. Hang in there and thanks for sharing/venting. I've also been having a bad day and your story has made me feel better

 

LOL... Libby is 4-1/2 months. I know what you're all going through. She is such a challenge but so sweet much of the time. And the biting continues. We are trying to break her of 'counter surfing'. Obedience is going well and she loves her clicker/treat training.

 

Ah, I feel your pain with the vet bills. Quinn has an excellent "leave it command"...but for some reason every few months she will find a cloth item (usually a sock) and gulp it down...no tasty treat is better and her leave it doesn't matter. She inhales it. We can't figure out what the appeal is and why it's not consistent...just 10 days ago had a vet visit after she gulped down a toy stolen from a storage bin In seconds right in front of me! Over $300 to get her to vomit it up! And another cloth was in there we had never seen before!

4 months is tiny and still in the height of hard work...Quinn was much more chilled out by 6 months. Time flies - you will miss that little tornado in no time!

 

Thanks to all who felt considerate enough to write a kind and supportive reply; much appreciated.

 

Bear is 9 1/2 months now and seems to be coming out of the phase. First it was the towels, then the socks, then shoes, plastic bags (plastic bags would send him into a mad dash as they crinkled as he tried to run off with them). I really had to go through the process of removing everything and anything, which is the logical answer, when he vomited up a sock (that was a rude awakening), but the reality is even though I try, he still does find things occasionally (sometimes things in the yard, I would swear we never owned). Fortunately he has not learned to jump up on tables though, that would be a disaster.

I have been teaching him the difference between "ball", "rope" and "toy", and every evening we play "where is your....". In the game he brings me say his rope (tug of war toy), we will play with that for a bit and then I will say "Where is your ball", we don't play until he goes and gets the ball (if he nudges the rope at me, I keep asking where is your ball). When he gets the ball I very excitedly (and in an embarrassing pitch should my neighbors here me) say "who's got his ball" and we play very excitedly, lots of pats and rubs etc. He can now distinguish between ball, rope and toy (toy being any other item).

Obviously there is a process to get to that recognition, but perhaps worth trying with her, as now when Bear does get a hold of something he shouldn't have, I simple say "where's your...." and he will swap it for that himself. Obviously I have taught Bear leave and drop as well, but this has just become another tool to use (not something I planned, but very effective).

With all that said, I am getting a second puppy soon, so it starts all over again and with Bear still learning, there must be something wrong with me.

 

The same with Tatze.

She hasn't eaten a non-food item for months *touch wood!*

 

I can't work out if you're brave or mad!

 

Mad. Definitely mad.

 

When I was going through the exhausting puppy stage with Snowie, the owner of his brother kept reassuring me: At two years old they settle down.

And sure enough, as if someone waved a magic wand, when Snowie turned two, he settled down. If he is anything to go by, there is hope!

He was always good at spitting things out his mouth - I'd say: let me see. If it wasn't dangerous he could pick it up again. He often pooed out tiny objects! But he was never one to eat things bigger than he could swallow easily and has always been good at chewing - he is fed raw meaty bones so he is used to chewing. He also never ran off with his loot, so I was lucky there.

But after having specs and sunglasses chewed as well as four pairs of Havianas (always only one of the pair!), I learned to become very neat!! Which is a happy consequence one must admit!

As an adult he often takes my shoe or scarf to his bed to rest his head on. I have no concerns he will chew them - he knows what is for chewing and what isn't. I guess we must've taught him but I can't recall how!! Except that he has always been supervised.

 

Well if it's any consolation Mole at 1 still loves to pick up shoes, socks, anything that he can find basically! He has worked out to bring them for me, tail wagging, for a treat. He has collected every fallen apple for me this way (very useful!!) and I can't see him being reliable for a while yet! Still keep things out of his way, clear counters, baby gate on kitchen door when I go out! My last lab was very chilled st this point so they are all different! Luckily he doesn't seem to swallow to much, he loves to rip up paper, loo roll etc. We have a routine when I make a fire now that when I scrich the paper he has one of his own to rip up.
All I will say that has really helped and continues to do so is Kongs, Kongs, Kongs!! As long as I leave him with one (big or small) he is happy and my kitchen is in one piece. I wonder if we will ever be without Kongs with this pup, probably not!!
Don't despair as it does get better slowly and try and make it rewarding to bring loot to you then at least you don't have the worry of swallowing!
Sorry you ended up at the vet - not fun.
Sam and Mole

 

Rolo LOVES Havianas. :') So funny.

@Trufflepup Good to hear the update. Rolo is still only 4 months so I cant add anything besides I am going through it all now

 

Waiting for OH to get to this point!!!! haha

 

2? Two? TWO?

 

I am still crying TWO seriously!!!!! Noooooooo