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Hi everyone! A newbie here - I’m Helen, we picked up our golden retriever puppy on Sunday and she’s settling in well. As this is the first time I’ve had a puppy I’m looking for all the support I can get!
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HI and welcome... Photos would be lovely we all like getting mushy about puppy photos.
We have all been there and done it, seen it all, and made the mistakes so feel free to share and ask. Most of us, even those who have had dogs all our lives have experienced puppy blues when the pooping teething and general puppy overload gets a bit much too, so dont be worried to have a rant if and when you need to.
We have all been there and done it, seen it all, and made the mistakes so feel free to share and ask. Most of us, even those who have had dogs all our lives have experienced puppy blues when the pooping teething and general puppy overload gets a bit much too, so dont be worried to have a rant if and when you need to.
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Welcome - and yes yes to puppy pictures!
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Welcome 
I would also love to see puppy pics!
I would also love to see puppy pics!
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Hi and welcome and all of the above!
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Thanks everyone for the warm welcome.
We thought we’d made progress on the pooping front, but we took a step backwards today. She managed a night on her own last night, no crying, she just went to sleep, got up this morning and everything was on the puppy pads, gave her lots of hugs, then all day today, she’s been doing her business in the living room, instead of in her toilet area (in the hall). We were wondering whether it was because her bed is in the hall (at the other end of the hall to her toilet) and whether moving her bed into the living room in the day, would mean she goes to the hall to do her business? Or would that confuse her as to where her safe space is?
She also had her first trip to the vets today and she was brilliant. Unfortunately she couldn’t have her vaccinations, as she has had an upset tummy, diarrhoea, with traces of blood. Vet took her temperature, checked her heart and everything is good, she’s drinking water and eating and running around like a puppy should be, so we’re hoping it’s down to a bit of stress and she’ll settle soon. We return to the vets next Tuesday, where fingers crossed she can have her injection, so she can start going out on her lead (my hubby is going a bit stir crazy at the moment as he is the one doing the day shift with her)
Photo uploaded
We thought we’d made progress on the pooping front, but we took a step backwards today. She managed a night on her own last night, no crying, she just went to sleep, got up this morning and everything was on the puppy pads, gave her lots of hugs, then all day today, she’s been doing her business in the living room, instead of in her toilet area (in the hall). We were wondering whether it was because her bed is in the hall (at the other end of the hall to her toilet) and whether moving her bed into the living room in the day, would mean she goes to the hall to do her business? Or would that confuse her as to where her safe space is?
She also had her first trip to the vets today and she was brilliant. Unfortunately she couldn’t have her vaccinations, as she has had an upset tummy, diarrhoea, with traces of blood. Vet took her temperature, checked her heart and everything is good, she’s drinking water and eating and running around like a puppy should be, so we’re hoping it’s down to a bit of stress and she’ll settle soon. We return to the vets next Tuesday, where fingers crossed she can have her injection, so she can start going out on her lead (my hubby is going a bit stir crazy at the moment as he is the one doing the day shift with her)
Photo uploaded
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Hi. First of all, getting up in the morning and giving her huge hugs means she will associate you getting up with the hugs - which is great, but she will have no idea you meant them for her using the pads.
I personally hate pads. They give mixed messages about whether indoor toileting is allowed or not and create confusion over toilet training.
Toilet training happens when two things come together - the ABILITY to hold the toilet, along with the DESIRE to hold it in order to earn the reward for doing so.
Ideally you want her to not be in a position where she needs to toilet before you have her outdoors, so that every toilet is outside - as far as possible, there will be accidents! So set her up to succeed by taking her out even more than she needs; for example every 45 minutes to an hour and always after sleeping, eating, playing. Unless your garden is frequented by lots of dogs and rats she will be fine. The time between a puppy realising they need to toilet, and being unable to hold that toilet, is zero. So your aim is to have her outside before she can't help herself. When she toilets outdoors make a huge fuss (never mind the neighbours, act like outdoor toileting is the best thing you have ever seen) and reward her with a high value treat. Do that immediately, don't make her come to you for the treat so she is clear that it's for toileting and not for coming to you. The idea is that she wants to earn the treat enough to hold the toilet until she is outside - once she is physically able to control her toileting obviously. If she has an accident inside don't react at all. If you get annoyed she may learn to fear your reaction and avoid you if she needs to toilet - the opposite of what you want. Dogs cant make the distinction between you being annoyed at them toileting, as opposed to toileting indoors. Take a rolled up newspaper and hit yourself over the head for not having taken her outside in time. Not when she is there though in case you scare her. Then clean the area with an enzymatic cleaner to remove any trace of smell that might attract her back to the spot. As she is actually performing the toilet you can introduce words she can associate with it (like 'do weewee' and 'busy busy') that later when she is reliably trained you can use these to tell her when you want her to toilet.
Indoors if you see her circling or scratching the floor, that can sometimes precede toileting so get her out fast.
Overnight she is unlikely to be able to control her toilet as her little bladder and bowel are underdeveloped and not strong enough to hold all night so set your alarm to take her out at least once if not twice during the night.
To relieve your husband's cabin fever, you can take her out to visit different places in a carrier or in your arms before her second vaccinations. The risk to puppies is from unvaccinated dogs and the urine of rats so she will be perfectly safe as long as she isn't on the ground, and easily positive experience of the world from a safe place will help her confidence.
I personally hate pads. They give mixed messages about whether indoor toileting is allowed or not and create confusion over toilet training.
Toilet training happens when two things come together - the ABILITY to hold the toilet, along with the DESIRE to hold it in order to earn the reward for doing so.
Ideally you want her to not be in a position where she needs to toilet before you have her outdoors, so that every toilet is outside - as far as possible, there will be accidents! So set her up to succeed by taking her out even more than she needs; for example every 45 minutes to an hour and always after sleeping, eating, playing. Unless your garden is frequented by lots of dogs and rats she will be fine. The time between a puppy realising they need to toilet, and being unable to hold that toilet, is zero. So your aim is to have her outside before she can't help herself. When she toilets outdoors make a huge fuss (never mind the neighbours, act like outdoor toileting is the best thing you have ever seen) and reward her with a high value treat. Do that immediately, don't make her come to you for the treat so she is clear that it's for toileting and not for coming to you. The idea is that she wants to earn the treat enough to hold the toilet until she is outside - once she is physically able to control her toileting obviously. If she has an accident inside don't react at all. If you get annoyed she may learn to fear your reaction and avoid you if she needs to toilet - the opposite of what you want. Dogs cant make the distinction between you being annoyed at them toileting, as opposed to toileting indoors. Take a rolled up newspaper and hit yourself over the head for not having taken her outside in time. Not when she is there though in case you scare her. Then clean the area with an enzymatic cleaner to remove any trace of smell that might attract her back to the spot. As she is actually performing the toilet you can introduce words she can associate with it (like 'do weewee' and 'busy busy') that later when she is reliably trained you can use these to tell her when you want her to toilet.
Indoors if you see her circling or scratching the floor, that can sometimes precede toileting so get her out fast.
Overnight she is unlikely to be able to control her toilet as her little bladder and bowel are underdeveloped and not strong enough to hold all night so set your alarm to take her out at least once if not twice during the night.
To relieve your husband's cabin fever, you can take her out to visit different places in a carrier or in your arms before her second vaccinations. The risk to puppies is from unvaccinated dogs and the urine of rats so she will be perfectly safe as long as she isn't on the ground, and easily positive experience of the world from a safe place will help her confidence.
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