The puppy blue's
10 July 2023
Elton John is on his farewell tour this month. I really like his song I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blue's. It got me thinking about puppies and how it can be an overwhelming time, but in our instagram filtered world, the stressful elements of sharing your life with a puppy doesn't get talked about.
You excitedly bring your new fluffy bundle of joy home after weeks of preparation, setting up their bed, food and water bowls, and gathering all their toys. However, instead of finding them calmly resting in your arms, you discover them nibbling on your fingers with their sharp puppy teeth and creating holes in your favourite cardi. They even persistently chew on your table legs despite having a variety of chew toys available.. they don't sleep at night and steal your socks.
The abundance of information on the internet can be overwhelming, and advice from your mother-in-law may seem outdated or unhelpful. So, what can you do in this situation?
Rest assured, you are not alone. Many new puppy owners face similar challenges. Puppies are bundles of energy and alot of work.
Start by identifying the specific behaviors and noting when they occur to detect any patterns, this way you can get ready to redirect or change the environment.
Here are some strategies you can try:
- Nipping: Offer a cold, crunchy baton sized carrot or your puppy to chew on. Hold it for them. This helps them associate your hands near their valued items with no cause for concern, while also soothing their gums. Reward them when they refrain from nipping and train them to engage in alternative behaviours. Have long dangly toys for them to grab and shake.
- Toileting: Block off areas that you can't supervise to prevent indoor accidents. Take your puppy outside every 30 minutes (or less) and reward them with a treat when they relieve themselves. Set a timer so you don't forget.
- Settling: Puppies need ample opportunities to rest and sleep, as their brains and legs are still developing. Ensure your puppy has time for relaxation and downtime. Although it may be tempting to take extensive time off work to lavish attention on your new companion and engage in constant play, this can hinder their emotional resilience.
Remember, reaching out for support is perfectly fine—it truly takes a village to raise a puppy!
What is a nervous system?
Being on the other end of the leash when a dog is barking and lunging can be painful stressful and upsetting.
There can be lots of different reasons why a puppy may not be walking. I’ve had this question quite a few times. Many puppies won’t walk outside but will run home when they reach their street.
Are puppy pads for toilet training the answer? When you’re toilet training your puppy it can be confusing to know what to do. You may have heard that puppy pad’s are the answer. Let’s discuss this. Remember that physically a pup’s bladder is very small.. they can’t hold it for too long! They don’t go to the bathroom indoors to spite you. Also remember that some dogs may not be going to the bathroom – they may be marking scent by doing very small pee’s.
I read a paper recently called An Investigation into the Impact of Pre-Adolescent Training on Canine Behavior by Dinwoodie and colleagues. The aim of the study was conducted to see whether training done prior to 3 months of age was more effective than doing training later. Here is what they found.
Christmas can be a difficult time for many reasons: lack of routine, new visitors coming into the home, lack of sleep, more noise.
Many people have dogs because they enjoy the social side of having a dog.. chatting to people in the park and watching their dogs bound around and play with each other. However, for many people I work with this isn’t their reality. Their dog may have had a bad experience with a dog and is now scared, or they could be recovering from an operation, for example. This can make walks – especially in narrow locations very difficult. If you, your self have had a dog who shows signs of reactivity then you’ll appreciate how hard it is and you may be doing the below already.. but if not please read on. · If you see a dog who is reactive walking down the street (perhaps they have a jacket that is yellow), or perhaps their handler just looks uneasy.. then walk across the road.. this will give a dog some breathing space. · Feed your dog to distract them rather than letting them get fixated on the other dog. · Change direction or if you can, wait behind a parked car so that the dogs do not notice each other. The above steps can really help a dog and their handler. Walking a reactive dog can feel stressful and anxiety inducing and people’s behaviour can really help the dog and the person.
Some things to teach/get started with, with your new puppy
Devastatingly, thousands of dogs end up in rescue centres each year, sometimes because people have financial problems or divorces and sometimes because of behavioural and health problems (behaviour and health are interlinked – pain can make a dog more grumpy and less tolerant). The pandemic and cost of living crisis means that rescue centres have seen the perfect storm of dogs arriving into their care.
If it’s going to be your puppy’s first Christmas this year here are some things to consider to make the day as safe for your pup and enjoyable for you and your family as possible. 
