Labradoodle & Goldendoodle Forum
One week in with our puppy!
Only one week in with our Goldendoodle pup Penny and this is where we are so far:
I'm taking her for 2-3 short walks round the block a day, apart from the grabbing the leash occasionally, she's doing pretty damn good. I don't let her lead the way, and she already sits at the curb to cross roads when I say "Sit for the curb!". I've decided that when she stops grabbing the leash and being shy of other dogs barking at her from behind their fences, we'll be good to go a little further. I know that walking is a great way to tire her and offer her some insight into the outside world. My wife and I both work from home, and both have a flexible schedule, so I'm sure that helps.
When going outside and inside the house, Penny has already learned that we go first, a good way to assert that alpha dog thing (thank you Cesar Milan). At first we had to block with our legs, but that is no longer a problem, she's a quick study.
We realized quickly how smart she is when visiting mom-in-law (grandma) last Saturday. Grandma has a sliding door into her garden (we don't) and she walked into the glass as soon as she spotted it. Then about 5 minutes later my wife went to let her out into the garden, Penny stopped at the door and pushed at the space with her paw to see if there was anything there. I thought that was awesome!
The constant nipping is a problem, but after searching on this site, I know it's common and doesn't last forever. However 2 nights ago, I was at my wits end end with her and was getting angry (I'm one of those people with normally infinite patience), so my wife Jeri, seeing that I was getting somewhat frazzled put Penny on the leash and held her in check beside her chair and eventually she calmed down. Seems she gets like that mostly when she's tired and refuses to accept it just like a toddler.
At night we crate her at the bottom of the bed, we wait until she's ready to drop, and put her in and we have had only one pee accident, and that was on the second night. We're reluctant to crate her when she's naughty as we don't want her to relate to it a punishment zone, so we haven't done that, although sometimes it's been close. We are going to bed a little earlier and getting up early too, but Penny is usually good for about 6 hours at night, I can cope with that at night.
We haven't had a pee accident in the house this last four days, and no poop accidents at all. I think we're lucky that we're both home all the time, as we are able to recognize the signs easier. Because we're home all the time, one of the worries I have is for Penny to experience separation anxiety when we need to go somewhere without her, yesterday we waited until she was falling asleep, crated her and off we went to the grocery store, she was still asleep when we got back, I'll keep you posted on that.
We also have 3 indoor cats, Penny wants to play with them but the cats are treating her with contempt. We have a small hallway off the living area that leads to two bedrooms (one being my office and where we have the cat dishes and the litter ray - aren't I lucky?) and the spare bathroom. We've put a cedar chest across the hallway that the cats can jump over and Penny can't yet. When she's bigger we'll put in a gate with a cat door and that will give the cats some space they can relax in, although they are starting to come out more, especially when Penny is asleep, I'm sure they are thinking "Is she dead yet?". Our youngest cat Violet (aka Potsy), does on occasion encourage Penny to chase her, and when she does, gains high ground and swots at her with clawless front paws.
All in all we're so glad to have Penny in our lives, she's frikkin' adorable, just love burying my face in hers and inhaling that new puppy smell.
Oh yes, another thing about that nipping. I'm bald, and sometimes when the nipping get bad, I've found that if I get on all fours with her and slowly bulldoze into her, she can't get her mouth round my head, and she drops to the floor on her back and goes all submissive, I like that and can do anything I like with her. I suppose that's another alpha dog thing.
That's all folks!
I'm taking her for 2-3 short walks round the block a day, apart from the grabbing the leash occasionally, she's doing pretty damn good. I don't let her lead the way, and she already sits at the curb to cross roads when I say "Sit for the curb!". I've decided that when she stops grabbing the leash and being shy of other dogs barking at her from behind their fences, we'll be good to go a little further. I know that walking is a great way to tire her and offer her some insight into the outside world. My wife and I both work from home, and both have a flexible schedule, so I'm sure that helps.
When going outside and inside the house, Penny has already learned that we go first, a good way to assert that alpha dog thing (thank you Cesar Milan). At first we had to block with our legs, but that is no longer a problem, she's a quick study.
We realized quickly how smart she is when visiting mom-in-law (grandma) last Saturday. Grandma has a sliding door into her garden (we don't) and she walked into the glass as soon as she spotted it. Then about 5 minutes later my wife went to let her out into the garden, Penny stopped at the door and pushed at the space with her paw to see if there was anything there. I thought that was awesome!
The constant nipping is a problem, but after searching on this site, I know it's common and doesn't last forever. However 2 nights ago, I was at my wits end end with her and was getting angry (I'm one of those people with normally infinite patience), so my wife Jeri, seeing that I was getting somewhat frazzled put Penny on the leash and held her in check beside her chair and eventually she calmed down. Seems she gets like that mostly when she's tired and refuses to accept it just like a toddler.
At night we crate her at the bottom of the bed, we wait until she's ready to drop, and put her in and we have had only one pee accident, and that was on the second night. We're reluctant to crate her when she's naughty as we don't want her to relate to it a punishment zone, so we haven't done that, although sometimes it's been close. We are going to bed a little earlier and getting up early too, but Penny is usually good for about 6 hours at night, I can cope with that at night.
We haven't had a pee accident in the house this last four days, and no poop accidents at all. I think we're lucky that we're both home all the time, as we are able to recognize the signs easier. Because we're home all the time, one of the worries I have is for Penny to experience separation anxiety when we need to go somewhere without her, yesterday we waited until she was falling asleep, crated her and off we went to the grocery store, she was still asleep when we got back, I'll keep you posted on that.
We also have 3 indoor cats, Penny wants to play with them but the cats are treating her with contempt. We have a small hallway off the living area that leads to two bedrooms (one being my office and where we have the cat dishes and the litter ray - aren't I lucky?) and the spare bathroom. We've put a cedar chest across the hallway that the cats can jump over and Penny can't yet. When she's bigger we'll put in a gate with a cat door and that will give the cats some space they can relax in, although they are starting to come out more, especially when Penny is asleep, I'm sure they are thinking "Is she dead yet?". Our youngest cat Violet (aka Potsy), does on occasion encourage Penny to chase her, and when she does, gains high ground and swots at her with clawless front paws.
All in all we're so glad to have Penny in our lives, she's frikkin' adorable, just love burying my face in hers and inhaling that new puppy smell.
Oh yes, another thing about that nipping. I'm bald, and sometimes when the nipping get bad, I've found that if I get on all fours with her and slowly bulldoze into her, she can't get her mouth round my head, and she drops to the floor on her back and goes all submissive, I like that and can do anything I like with her. I suppose that's another alpha dog thing.
That's all folks!
Comment
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Comment by Deena Womack on June 22, 2009 at 9:37am
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Good to hear Penny is adjusting so well, thanks for sharing your story.
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Comment by Kendra K. Rhoton on June 19, 2009 at 6:31am
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Love this update! Too cute!
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Comment by Jeri on June 19, 2009 at 5:54am
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I too am in first week puppyland. (we now have3 dogs, one is a LD.) It has been an interesting week, but so far so good. My husband found a gate that has a swinging door. Tall enough to confine the big dogs too. We actually bought it to use on a porch to contain grandbabies. Boy amd I glad we have it. We are also into the nipping at the toes stage. But I know it will go away.
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Comment by LuvMyAbby&Kaela on June 18, 2009 at 8:50pm
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LOL. Bald has its advantages I guess! This is my 4th dog in my lifetime but my 1st doodle. And man-oh-man it must be a breed trait because I have never had such a mouthy, nippy, bitey dog. She is getting much better now (5 months old) but yes I think they should be called Pirranha-doodles.She hardly ever nips now, praise the lord...she mouths still a bit, but it is very soft and gentle. She is finaly getting it that mouths are not an extra set of hands to grab people with.
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Comment by Linda,Yankee & Finn on June 18, 2009 at 6:38pm
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Sounds like Penny is a quick study. That's great. It will be nice when the cats learn to play with her.
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Comment by Kai Doodle (Kathy & Keith) on June 18, 2009 at 2:42pm
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Sounds like Penny is doing great! I agree it's much easier to be a "work from home" parent. ;-) I want to mention that at 11 wks Penny's immune system is not fully developed (even if she has had some vaccinations) and if she were exposed to say Parvo or some other disease (in the form of poop on your shoes or on the ground) she could get sick. (Parvo can live for 30 days.) I wasn't going to say anything but if you posted she was ill and I had said nothing I would feel terrible.
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Comment by Adrianne Matzkin on June 18, 2009 at 2:21pm
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Glad to hear that first week has gone so well!! I have taken Samantha to work since she came to with us when she was 11 weeks old - she's now 16 months old. She is totally attached to me!! She does have separation issues when I leave her and it makes me feel very sad. I actually left her home overnight with her DD - you have thought that I left her tied to a pole in the street the way she acted when I got home. Take my advice, make sure that you do spend time apart. It will help make for lots less guilt and anxiety for all of you.
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Comment by Janie on June 18, 2009 at 11:44am
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Glad Penny is doing so well. Enjoyed your post.
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