Hi everyone joining the forum as need guidance and support being new puppy owner - HELP

[SukiB5667]

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Frustrated puppy owner who needs support and tips

 

[Ari_RR]

Sounds like you have a normal puppy!
Welcome, we are all ears!

 

[Dibbythedog]

Welcome . Puppies are hard work!

 

[JoanneF]

There are some great resources here, but do come back with any questions, or if your problem isn't covered by the files here.

Useful Links & Recommended Reading

 

[Hemlock]

Hello and welcome. Puppies are hard work but well worth it. Tell us what you'd like help with.

 

[SukiB5667]

Thanks everyone for your kind words and totally underestiamted the amount of care a puppy requires...
We have recently started Ziggy walking but finding this really difficult event with enticing him with treats
He walks and then stops and sits or jumps to be carried. Then when when turning back to walk home he then pulls and walks quickly as if he knows ... how do we overcome this hurdle
We also seem to find that he is biting a lot on our legs and furniture at a certain time in the evening - is this due to being overtired or hyperactivity due to food intake (though we are feeding on royal Canin Puppy at present ) and we have stopped shop bought treats (Waggs) and just feeding on natural treats ie: chicken, ham, mince or cheese.
Any advice would be great or recommends on treats would be welcomed

 

[JudyN]

How old is he now, and what breed/mix is he?

I need to head out in a min, but he does sound completely normal. Pups are often overtired and hyperactive and bitey in the evening. And it's easy to underestimate how much work will be involved - it's like having a human baby, but human babies stay where you put them, don't chew on the furniture (actually, some do...), and can wear nappies!

Do have a read through the links JoanneF posted. Advice for walking on lead will probably depend on his age, as early walks should be more about socialising and developing confidence rather than lead etiquette.

 

[JoanneF]

He walks and then stops and sits or jumps to be carried. Then when when turning back to walk home he then pulls and walks quickly as if he knows ...

This is really common in young puppies (I'm assuming he is young). I'd suggest you don't think of it as a walk, just a training exercise. With no expectations of getting anywhere.

So, if you only get as far as ten paces and he wants to turn back, let him. That does two things, first it lets him build confidence in baby steps by not pushing him out of his comfort zone, and second it shows him that you are listening to his fears, and that will help build your trust relationship.

Do carry him around in your jacket too though, that will let him experience a lot of what's out there from a nice safe place.

If you get ten paces today, tomorrow, or next week, you will get 15. And as his confidence and trust develops his natural curiosity will take over.

As Judy says, the biting is normal too, have a read of the puppy mouthing file. If he is hyperactive try to engage him in something calming before it starts - use food frozen into a Kong toy or lickimat. If you haven't got these, get shopping now, they are lifesavers!

For treats, go easy on the ham and cheese. They are quite salty for baby kidneys. Royal Canin isn't the best of foods, it contains a lot of cheap grain as a ”filler”. Have a look at www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk

It is an independent dog food comparison website which scores all types of foods (dry, raw, wet) out of 100. You can set filters for your dog's breed, weight, age etc. and for your daily budget; then you can add in any specific needs you have such as aiming for weight loss or avoiding specific ingredients. The website will automatically show the foods listed in order of what the assessors believe is best quality, and it also will show daily feeding cost (calculated from your dog's age and weight) so you can see what gives you best value for money. It has its limitations but it's a decent place to start. It rates treats too.

 

[Hemlock]

Also, bear in mind that puppy progress isn't linear, and what a pup does today doesn't necessarily mean it will do the same tomorrow. Sometimes they go several steps ahead, sometimes they regress several steps, come up with something unexpected, whatever. It can be a rollercoaster ride at times, but they all grow up into lovely dogs.

 

[SukiB5667]

thankyou so much for your recommendations - Ziggy is coming upto 14weeks. We will look into the link provided on food/treats but dont fancy going down the raw food route
We have bought a kong but dont fancy the paste they sell or the treats as they seem rather large - would kibble and water made into paste work ??

 

[SukiB5667]

How old is he now, and what breed/mix is he?

I need to head out in a min, but he does sound completely normal. Pups are often overtired and hyperactive and bitey in the evening. And it's easy to underestimate how much work will be involved - it's like having a human baby, but human babies stay where you put them, don't chew on the furniture (actually, some do...), and can wear nappies!

Do have a read through the links JoanneF posted. Advice for walking on lead will probably depend on his age, as early walks should be more about socialising and developing confidence rather than lead etiquette.

 

[SukiB5667]

Hi Judy - hes a cavachon (king charles/bichon frise)

 

[SukiB5667]

Also, bear in mind that puppy progress isn't linear, and what a pup does today doesn't necessarily mean it will do the same tomorrow. Sometimes they go several steps ahead, sometimes they regress several steps, come up with something unexpected, whatever. It can be a rollercoaster ride at times, but they all grow up into lovely dogs.

 

[SukiB5667]

Thanks we have seen that happen - we had though we cracked the toilet training and then few days back he decided to pee and poop around the house instead of his usual signs of being at the patio door.