She's huge! Those hips look like a GR puppy to me - all gangly. There's something delightfully unique about the way that GRs sit - I could see it in Gypsy a lot and here is it in Twiglet, too
She is gorgeous. That is like Helen's picture of Hattie and Charlie in the doorway with the twist of big sister monitor in the background. A real winner.
Look who we met at puppy class today - big, beautiful 14 week old Max, guide dog puppy. He's going to be a stud dog if he passes all his tests
I thought of you as soon as I saw him Julie - he was best behaved in the class too Twiglet has been a bit off colour, I put her on three meals a day yesterday and it was too much for her wee tum - so I will have to do the changeover really slowly. I've made a chart. With Gypsy I just went from 4 to 3, no messing. It shows how different they all are. The manual says 14 weeks (yes, she came with a manual!) but it's going to have to be a really gradual process methinks.
I was thinking how different the training is for Guide Dog pups from the way we train our pet dogs. Twiglet is not allowed on grass until she is 18 weeks old, apart from fox - free gardens. So all recall is practiced from garden to inside and room to room and at puppy class (lots of practice recalling past playing dogs etc) But her lead work started at 8 weeks old - so she has been doing it for 6 weeks now! We have walked in many places, every day - shops, shopping centres, garden centres - anywhere other dogs are not allowed. This week we are allowed on pavements and we started local lead walks on Tuesday. It's going quite well, she's good at keeping a straight line, for her age. It took a day or two to get her ignoring blown leaves She's fine with cars but worried about trucks and buses. I will be asking my supervisor whether that means I should do more work in busy traffic or less. I didn't have this with Gypsy - she was super confident at all times. So, what about recall? The pups are whistle fed from the day they start eating solid food, then every meal for the rest of their lives. This really helps with whistle recall. I wondered how Gypsy would do, being off lead for the first time at 18 weeks - but her recall was 100% from day one and never wavered. I hope Twiglet is the same! Here she is (14 weeks) showing off her Guide Dogs tag which she will have all her life. Our own tag is behind it, that will come off and be handed on to the next pupster
Twiglet learning bite inhibition with her big sister http://s1106.photobucket.com/user/BoogiesAlbum/media/IMG_0889.mp4.html
Oooh, Tatze is so wonderful! It's so brilliant for your pups having her around. (And, obviously, Twiglet continues to be adorable!)
Mags, From a practical point of view, how do you manage from 8 weeks until the pup is housetrained, with shops and shopping centres? Just keep a bag and towel handy? So much to learn! Lorna
I have a small backpack with puppy pads cut in half (great for clearing up big puddles and the plastic on the back protects your hands) kitchen roll, a small spray of anti-bac, poo bags and a pack of large floor wipes. I have a tupperware to put any poo bags in 'till I get to a bin. I also keep a bottle of water, collapsible bowl, nylabone keys, small bed for pup's comfort when I'm having a coffee/beer/meal/all three (we are taught to keep them comfortable at all times, no cold floors) treats and chews when she's ready for them. Just kibble as treats for the first four weeks. Once the pup is more reliable (Twiglet and Gypsy both at 14 weeks) I have a poop pac with a couple of 1/4 puppy pads, small spray (like you get for air travel) poo bags, chews, small nylabones, gel hand cleaner, my phone, keys and money/cards. Any accidents are then double bagged and put in the front bit 'till a bin can be found. I use it on free runs too - http://tinyurl.com/pwr38zw Then I only use the backpack for days out and puppy class. You need quite a few things at puppy class like a blanket for the 'sniffy area' grooming tools, toys etc. If she has an accident I whip into action and clear it all up in 30 seconds flat, making no eye contact! Then I go and find a member of staff to inform them and apologise. BUT I try very hard to avoid shop accidents and we have only had two. I go out to shops etc after she's pood and peed. When she's a very tiny piddler she has her feet down for the first five mins in shops, then I carry her. When she's very tiny (up to 9 weeks) I take her in the loo with me and give her the chance to go on a puppy pad if we've been out a while, but you can risk it on the floor by the car on big retail parks where no dogs ever go. I keep a poo diary so that I know when poos are likely. Twiglet tends to have two in the morning, so I go out after the second poo. We try very hard to have clean walks too as her owner will need that eventually and the sooner we start the habit the better. Garden centres are great because you can have a time outside and ask them to lead relieve there (they also need to learn lead relief on command) If you haven't had the manual yet here it is online - http://tinyurl.com/pjov8br
That's brilliant, thank you so much. I've googled my two local garden centres and they both allow dogs, so I guess I can't go there until vaccinations are finished? I'm quite close to the M25 and a service station, so that could be a trip. Lorna
Yes - they have one vaccination at 6 weeks then one at 12 and one at 16, you will be OK at the garden centre 2 weeks after the 12 week vaccination (plus clean pavements) grass and free runs at 18 weeks. Your supervisor will go with you for the first free run
I am really chuffed. Apparently there is a problem with my pups name. It's no longer Dawn, but Zola. I'm really chuffed, I I love it. Xx
Twiglet is 16 weeks old today and growing fast! She has her last vaccination today so we can free run from next week - can't wait! She's an absolute poppet and melts hearts wherever she goes.
