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Anyone else recently got a new pup?

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Maggie Mul

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After much thought and deliberation, we got a new puppy on the 25th November. We didn’t take this decision lightly as we had a sticky situation last year. We took in a rescue dog and to cut a long story short, things didn't work out- after 2 weeks of settling in, his behavior began to change and he became dangerously aggressive towards my son and we had to let him go. Everyone was devastated, strangely my son in particular as he was actually quite fond of the dog despite the treatment he received! We now have a small breed mix - havanese/shi zu. She is 13 weeks old and we have had her since 7 weeks. I just wondered if anyone else as recently acquired a puppy and maybe we could exchange experiences. Our puppy is quite a sweetheart in the home but is becoming increasingly nervous about some strangers coming into our house. Is this normal? We generally have treats ready for them to give her which generally works but only for the first few mins and then she starts barking again! It’s quite a loud fierce bark too. she is quite happy to have some people over but after a while she starts getting a bit feisty with them and starts to bite at their ankles or shoelaces. I am assuming she wants to play but then she can get into a frenzy and goes a bit mad!! Anyone else have anything similar. Would love to hear what other people are going through - both the positives and negatives. We love her to bits but she can also drive us slightly crazy at times too. It’s not been a walk in the park and its like having a new born over again so far......but we do love her to bits!
 
Maggie Mul said:
Woo hoo!! Congratulations!! How is it all going? Have you got a photo of them? Would love to see them!!
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thanks and yes...
Doris our puppy.JPG


Fudge Bens Dog.JPG
No Name - Sams dog.JPG


Ollie Uncle Toms Dog.JPG

Doris, Fudge, Samson and Ollie
 
A puppy has a socialisation window up to the age of about 12 weeks when their meet and greet experiences are imprinted for later life. I realise your puppy is at the end of that period so hopefully she has learned that strangers are good and her bark is a confident, play invitation bark. The type of play she is choosing though (ankle biting) is the way she would have played with her siblings but you do want that to stop now, and this is a good time for her to learn bite inhibition. Some people find crying "ouch" helps; others find it ramps up the excitement. Some people find putting a toy in the puppy's mouth redirects them on to something that you allow them to have teeth contact with. My preferred method is to disengage - walk out the room even - which gives a clear message that teeth mean end of play. It is helpful to be consistent with the whole family doing the same thing.

If she is nervous of some people I suggest they ignore her. No eye contact, no face to face as these things can be read as confrontational in canine body language. Instead, let them have treats and if your puppy approaches, they can drop (not toss) a treat nearby. As she gets closer they can engage more with her but let her make the approach.
 
JoanneF said:
A puppy has a socialisation window up to the age of about 12 weeks when their meet and greet experiences are imprinted for later life. I realise your puppy is at the end of that period so hopefully she has learned that strangers are good and her bark is a confident, play invitation bark. The type of play she is choosing though (ankle biting) is the way she would have played with her siblings but you do want that to stop now, and this is a good time for her to learn bite inhibition. Some people find crying "ouch" helps; others find it ramps up the excitement. Some people find putting a toy in the puppy's mouth redirects them on to something that you allow them to have teeth contact with. My preferred method is to disengage - walk out the room even - which gives a clear message that teeth mean end of play. It is helpful to be consistent with the whole family doing the same thing.

If she is nervous of some people I suggest they ignore her. No eye contact, no face to face as these things can be read as confrontational in canine body language. Instead, let them have treats and if your puppy approaches, they can drop (not toss) a treat nearby. As she gets closer they can engage more with her but let her make the approach.
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wow I never would have thaught this
 
JoanneF said:
A puppy has a socialisation window up to the age of about 12 weeks when their meet and greet experiences are imprinted for later life. I realise your puppy is at the end of that period so hopefully she has learned that strangers are good and her bark is a confident, play invitation bark. The type of play she is choosing though (ankle biting) is the way she would have played with her siblings but you do want that to stop now, and this is a good time for her to learn bite inhibition. Some people find crying "ouch" helps; others find it ramps up the excitement. Some people find putting a toy in the puppy's mouth redirects them on to something that you allow them to have teeth contact with. My preferred method is to disengage - walk out the room even - which gives a clear message that teeth mean end of play. It is helpful to be consistent with the whole family doing the same thing.

If she is nervous of some people I suggest they ignore her. No eye contact, no face to face as these things can be read as confrontational in canine body language. Instead, let them have treats and if your puppy approaches, they can drop (not toss) a treat nearby. As she gets closer they can engage more with her but let her make the approach.
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We have people coming over tomorrow, so I will try and get them to ignore her for a while until she feels ready. I have read that sometimes it is better to have the pup in their crate as a safe place when guests arrive and then let her out? Would you agree?
 
The book 'The Perfect Puppy by Gwen Bailey is very good.
 
Maggie Mul said:
We have people coming over tomorrow, so I will try and get them to ignore her for a while until she feels ready. I have read that sometimes it is better to have the pup in their crate as a safe place when guests arrive and then let her out? Would you agree?
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It depends on the puppy ;) If she is calm and happy there, then yes. But if she is going to get frustrated then I would say have it open so she can come and go as she wants. Sorry, maybe not helpful!:rolleyes:
 
Caro Perry said:
If you are on facebook there is a really good group which has excellent resources on how to deal with nervous pups and everything else! If the files don't answer your question then the admins who are all dog behaviourists will give you specific help

Dog Training Advice and Support
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Thanks for the tip!! I will definitely look at that!:)
 
Hi,
I've just joined. My pup will be 10wks tomorrow. He's doing great but the bitey stage is a bit irritating...

I'm looking for flea / wormer treatment discussions so I can decide what will work best for us.

As to barking, we thought he didn't know how, but he barked at his tail last night haha
 
JetFuel said:
Hi,
I've just joined. My pup will be 10wks tomorrow. He's doing great but the bitey stage is a bit irritating...

I'm looking for flea / wormer treatment discussions so I can decide what will work best for us.

As to barking, we thought he didn't know how, but he barked at his tail last night haha
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Welcome @JetFuel Speak to your vet about flee/wormers. (Drontal is a good brand.) They will know how to bark but maybe your dog doesn't need to bark? Hope it helps ! :)
 
Hi Maggie, we got our cocker in November too. He's five months old now and full of beans.

Don't feel bad about your rescue dog experience. We had a similar situation many years ago. Felt awful about returning her, but the fact is some rescue dogs come with a lot of baggage and novice dog owners often don't know what they're getting or how to deal with it.
 
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