Spaniel Puppy Advice/Vent

Agree put his bed in the crate so he has a good feeling going in as his bed is his normal sleeping place . I would use the crate as a regular thing so he gets used to being in there. I put a blanket over the top of the crate so it covers the sides and back as well, it makes it more like a den for them. Sounds like you are going to be able to keep him, just remember puppies are hard work and it will get better ..
 
And remember a pee and a walk or free garden run will not tire him. At least get the lunchtime visitor to throw his kibble all over the lawn. Then he can have a treat Kong or something for back in the crate. Two four hour left alone sessions a day is a long time for a pup, are the neighbours friendly and won’t mind howling?
 
skinnydipper said:
I saw the photos, too. And because I'm nosy I need to know what's the matter with Wolfie's leg.
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Long story into a short story
We went away for the weekend and while sometime during the weekend she stepped on something (in garden not babysitters fault and I have checked the whole garden and cannot find anything) but the hole was too tiny to see. Started limping then wouldn’t eat (she would eat anything so alarm bells went off)
Started on antibiotics on a sunday
Went for X-rays on a monday
Horrible infection
2 different strong antibiotics
Saved the leg but a toe had to be removed
She is now recovering well
She been through a lot

Apologise for taking over your thread for a moment ❤️
 
JBM said:
Long story into a short story
We went away for the weekend and while sometime during the weekend she stepped on something (in garden not babysitters fault and I have checked the whole garden and cannot find anything) but the hole was too tiny to see. Started limping then wouldn’t eat (she would eat anything so alarm bells went off)
Started on antibiotics on a sunday
Went for X-rays on a monday
Horrible infection
2 different strong antibiotics
Saved the leg but a toe had to be removed
She is now recovering well
She been through a lot

Apologise for taking over your thread for a moment ❤️
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Oh no, poor Wolfie.

The big girl and I send her our love and best wishes.
 
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Reactions: JBM
Clodagh said:
And remember a pee and a walk or free garden run will not tire him. At least get the lunchtime visitor to throw his kibble all over the lawn. Then he can have a treat Kong or something for back in the crate. Two four hour left alone sessions a day is a long time for a pup, are the neighbours friendly and won’t mind howling?
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He will have his Kong refilled for both 4 hour sessions. He doesn't howl or bark when we go. He will cry for less than 5 minutes and go to sleep. Our neighbour is also very very old and can't hear him. 🙈
 
I’ll admit when I first read your post I found it a bit rage inducing (how can you get a puppy and then x,y,z…) and was surprised how sympathetic everyone was being (as HHO can be savage!). I saw lots of positives in what you were describing (food drive, desire to be with humans). And then I thought back to my dog as a puppy, and an adolescent, and a young adult. I cried soooooo many times. I was overwhelmed so many times. I couldn’t see a way that any of peoples suggestions could work, because realistically I wanted them to work ‘right now’ and that just isn’t how life with a dog works. And then your post started to make sense to me. I’ll admit, my dog still isn’t entirely simple, but he is my best mate and my whole world, and I am a better person for having him. Though lockdown he was my constant source of joy.

One of the most important lessons I have learned both with the dog and my horses, is to control my own emotions. If I am stressed and anxious, I have the types of animals who pick that up and escalate it. If I can’t control my own behaviour and emotions how can I expect them to control theirs. So making time and space for yourself is important to keep your nervous system well regulated to cope with these moments of overwhelm, especially so that any conflicts or stress don’t start to affect your relationship with your partner.

For my cats I had (and still use) stair gates across doors with cat doors in them, raised walkways around my house, raised places in the garden for them when he is out there. For months I had huge guilt about disrupting their lives (puppy would scream with excitement at seeing or hearing them), and was sure I had made a huge mistake. Now they all live together perfectly amicably.

It sounds like you are putting in measures to make things work. It won’t be quick or easy, but at the end of it you will wonder how you ever lived without him. Good luck!
 
Ok, I can do better than most, my puppy fell into a mill race at roughly 11 weeks old and disappeared under a bridge for about one minute. My first thought was "thank god for that, now life can get back to normal", varying emotions were gone through before he emerged the other side like a Poo stick and either I hoisted him out or he scrambled out himself. I can't remember really, it was 10 years ago.

These days I can't imagine life without him but the first few weeks were a mixture of pure hell and total joy.
 
@BBP I think perhaps many felt the same rage (I did but I always step away for a while so I can give a calmer reply) but one phrase in your reply says it all - “and then I thought back to when my dog was a puppy”. All the research in the world doesn’t really prepare you for your first puppy! You (one) think you have it all Sussed out first. Then reality hits. But it really is worth all the blood, sweat and tears in the end.
 
meggymoo said:
@BBP I think perhaps many felt the same rage (I did but I always step away for a while so I can give a calmer reply) but one phrase in your reply says it all - “and then I thought back to when my dog was a puppy”. All the research in the world doesn’t really prepare you for your first puppy! You (one) think you have it all Sussed out first. Then reality hits. But it really is worth all the blood, sweat and tears in the end.
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Definitely agree with comment about research. I honestly thought I was prepared but as soon as I got Clover it all became very overwhelming. Looking back she was very easy as a pup, but even saying they I still found it very hard during the time. OP is at least trying to listen to people's advice and do the right thing, I think if OP can find a job for the dog it would help. That breed does seem to need it
 
meggymoo said:
@BBP “and then I thought back to when my dog was a puppy”. All the research in the world doesn’t really prepare you for your first puppy! You (one) think you have it all Sussed out first. Then reality hits. But it really is worth all the blood, sweat and tears in the end.
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I do agree, my family had dogs all through my childhood and then my husband and I took on a couple of adult dogs. But that still didn't prepare us for how hard a puppy would be - you imagine them as cute, cuddly little babies but in reality they are often like bitey, possessed little demons a lot of the time!

I do wish some of these 'puppy regret' posts should be pinned on the forum so that people contemplating their first puppy could read them. Not necessarily to put them off but so they can see what type of problems can occur and get them to think about whether what possible solutions would work in their own circumstances.
 
There are rare puppies who are angelic from the start (Bear, the GSD CorvusCorax found me being one...!) but most will test your patience, provoke you, infuriate you and probably make you question your sanity. Then suddenly one day you realise they haven't chewed anything for a while, chased the cat, had a toilet accident etc and they become pleasant beings again!
 
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TGM said:
I do wish some of these 'puppy regret' posts should be pinned on the forum so that people contemplating their first puppy could read them. Not necessarily to put them off but so they can see what type of problems can occur and get them to think about whether what possible solutions would work in their own circumstances.
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And so that they realise they're not alone in their experiences and feeling. If you know it's 'just a phase' and to keep going and it's not personal to you and what you're doing it's a lot easier to keep going.

Others might disagree, I always feel like I need to preface my posts in AAD that others are far more knowledgeable and experienced than I am but if the idea is for the puppy to go to work with your OH, once he's crate trained, would it be worth putting the crate in the back of his car/ van if the weather is nice (not too hot!!) and he's doing a job where the puppy could be with him for a bit then sleep in the crate the rest of the time and gradually build it up? Just thinking that it would give the puppy something to think about and digest (/tire him out!!) and he's starting to learn about going to work with your OH if that's still the plan for the future.
 
planete said:
We have these, they keep our lurchers and greyhound comtained: https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9561430?istCompanyId=a74d8886-5df9-4baa-b776-166b3bf9111c&istFeedId=c290d9a9-b5d6-423c-841d-2a559621874c&istItemId=rpwltawwt&istBid=t&&cmpid=GS001&_$ja=tsid:59157|acid:278-707-7346|cid:20213315256|agid:|tid:|crid:|nw:x|rnd:10530269194483178370|dvc:c|adp:|mt:|loc:9045699&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=20213315256&utm_term=9561430&utm_content=shopping&utm_custom1=&utm_custom2=278-707-7346&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD9II9l5GnZ1dy4GjFy1lj6TCMwNO&gclid=CjwKCAjwufq2BhAmEiwAnZqw8ilSs8iHrSfRzeUacGpwPIYrnG75Z921orrHsptjKQxeV52sF8h-WRoCacsQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
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Thank you. I've got a tall one with a little cat door on the way! Hopefully it's being delivered tomorrow.
 
My OH has decided it's for the best to move him on. He's not coping well being left, even for 2 hours. He doesn't cry but he inevitably gets destructive, he's ripped down our blinds and torn them to pieces, will need replacing as they are the landlord's. He's pooed and peed all over the carpet despite going for a poo twice beforehand and several pees. Obviously I'm upset that our house is getting slightly destroyed although half expected but the pain of letting him go is consuming my whole being. I'm at work and can't stop crying, the pain is unbearable.
 
Midlifecrisis said:
I’m sorry to hear about the destruction Grasschop…puppy is definitely expressing his unhappiness isn’t he. I think I would ve abandoned a gradual intro to the crate and just locked him in with treats for the couple of hours..at least destruction would be localised.
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I know people do it but is it fair to the dog being in a crate for several hours while they go to work? We never did that with our dogs when we grew up so it's new to me.
 
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