[c.mignon]

Hello everyone,

We are a mother and daughter raising a female toy pup. This is our first ever pet. We are overjoyed and also very overwhelmed. Definitely didn’t realize how much work this would be and the commitment is certainly daunting! We got Coco when she was 13 weeks and our life has not been the same in all the right and sometimes inconvenient ways. ? Any wise words for anxious first time puppy poodle moms? I feel like I’m going to read myself silly with all the internet research! She has slept through every night, never whining once, hardly barks, loves a good romp, she’s the nap queen, her zoomies are so cute.

However, I have so many worries about her crate, x-pen, and potty pad setup (until her last parvo booster), going from potty pads to outside vs skipping potty pads now and going straight to outdoors, leash chewing, refusal to walk/play with leash, digging and chewing up her crate bed, separation anxiety, scratching when we tell her no, learning her name, simple obedience commands, refusal to eat, pickiness, socialization without a leash, can my puppy be socialized beyond 15 weeks or is she just going to be messed up and antisocial for the rest of her life, itchiness, not listening, stopping unwanted behavior, manipulation, stubbornness, etc.

Also does she seem to have chondrodysplasia? Thought my puppy was fine until I read about that online? She’s only 4lbs and quite petite but now I’m seeing that she looks slightly more rectangle than square and that’s another thing to be anxious about!

I know that’s a lot to unload on strangers on the internet but can anyone out there empathize? We’re trying to cherish the good moments. It just feels like she’s taking up every waking second of our lives and it’s so hard to peg down a schedule with her. She’s honestly a delight and I’ve heard puppy nightmare stories from others, fortunately, she has been an angel in comparison, hopefully it’ll only be upwards from here... It’s just hard to know what to expect since this is the first time and we’re anxious over her development into becoming a well mannered adult. It’s like parenthood with the first baby. Please send me help! :help:

Thank you in advance for the vent and responses! We look forward to learning more about this breed and how to best understand our little girl. ?

 

[Rose n Poos]

Hi and Welcome to you, your daughter and the oh so adorable Coco Mignon!

You are so in the right place for new puppy parent worries lol!

For the health worry first, her back seems a bit long compared to her legs BUT that might be corrected in a growth spurt, it might be corrected by a haircut, it might be something to worry about or nothing at all. There is a difference between a pup who may not come from show/conformation lines and one who has an actual health issue.

Did you discuss what health testing was done on the parents with the breeder? What does your vet say?
----------------------------
Socialization experiences have the best effect when they're still very young and haven't really learned to be afraid of things. If done during that time frame, it's just another thing to them.

Will she be messed up for the rest of her life? Probably not. It just takes more effort to get her past fears as they start to develop .
-----------------------------
What are your concerns here:

"crate, x-pen, and potty pad setup (until her last parvo booster), going from potty pads to outside vs skipping potty pads now and going straight to outdoors"

is it housetraining in and of itself? or transitioning to outside? Do you have a fenced private yard to bring her to or is it public areas only (and likely frequented by unknown dogs and other wildlife)? Parvo and other diseases are an issue but if you have a private fenced yard, I can't think of any reason not to have her out there (never unattended at least at this point).
---------------------
I'll leave the other questions for the next round . Those are sort of a package deal and the ever-present dilemma of raising a puppy.

Not wise words but hopeful ones...in three months a lot of this will be past or improving so that you'd hardly believe it. You'll get thru this!!

 

[Dechi]

Hello and welcome !

Coco mignon is very cute ! (What’s the story behind her name ?). Her back is a little long, but unless she’s from a show breeder, that’s to be expected and most probably not an issue.

I recommend you get her groomed (face, feet and body) as soon as possible, because this is part of being a poodle and puppies who aren’t exposed to it young will be a nightmare to groom. Even if you prefer the shaggy look, we recommend you give her a clean face and feet for the first hear, or at the very least six months, so learns it’s okay. If you have to shave her later on, she will to,erate it well.

I’m sire other will chime in for the rest but for now, try to relax. Coco seems like a normal puppy and will turn into a fine adult. Enroll her in a puppy class, you both will learn so much !

 

[Raindrops]

Hello and welcome. Your little girl is very cute. I second what the others have said. Personally, I had my pup out and leash walking as soon as I got him at 10 weeks, because I feel like the socialization and learning was worth it. We were just careful to stay in very clean areas not frequented by lots of dogs. If you are worried you can carry her around. The sooner you get her out the better!

Grooming is super important to poodles, and that includes daily grooming. You might want to check that you have all the necessary supplies. At home, you can work on daily brushing, weekly nail trimming, and bathing with blow dry. You can also work on getting her used to vibrations on her feet and face if you have an electric toothbrush or something that vibrates a bit.

I would also recommend puppy classes! They will be great for all three of you.

 

[MaizieFrosty]

Hi, and welcome!

I don't think she has chondrodysplasia. She just looks to have very poor conformation. She is super cute, anyhow

She sounds like a wonderful puppy! Everyone else has given you great tips about grooming and training, and if you stick around, you'll learn a ton more.

 

[fjm]

Welcome - she is a poppet! As others have said, many poodles are rather long in the back and it rarely bothers them, although it would be considered a fault in the show ring.

I too would get her out and about as much as you safely can, but don't get too paranoid about it. She sounds like a happy, confident pup who has bonded well with you, and that is a good foundation to build upon even if you are forced to be rather late getting going on socialising her. Remember the key is happy, positive experiences, so take care not to overwhelm her when you do go out - short, fun excursions to nice places. If you know anyone with a friendly, fully vaccinated dog or puppy a few playdates would be a good idea, and inviting lots of different people of all kinds to visit, one or two at a time, to play and give her treats will also help.

Definitely look around for a good puppy class - best to watch a class before you commit, and be sure you are comfortable with the methods used. A good class (not just a play group) will give your pup experience of being calm around other dogs and people, and give you the support of a qualified instructor and a crowd of other puppy owners going through just the same worries (and as you have a poodle you she will almost inevitably ace most of the exercises - I had to sit out with Poppy through half the games at her puppy class Christmas Party just to give the other dogs a chance of winning something!).

On house training, I would not worry too much. Most dogs get it eventually, although if you pad train you may need to reckon on lifting rugs and mats for a while to avoid confusion. And over he years I have come to the conclusion that a toy dog that will toilet on a pad in an emergency is a blessing - too many nights out in the rain, wind and snow at 2am, 3am, 4am when Poppy had an upset tum...

 

[Mufar42]

Welcome to the forum, cocoa is a cute pup. AS already mentioned I would defiantly get her to a groomer and do it regularly like every 4 weeks -5 weeks. Find a groomer that will work with you by telling them you want a schedule for grooming so that she will become accustomed to it and not later give them a hard time. Most good groomers will work with you and probably have her in and out in an hour. My people always get trained on a schedule. 6am wake up and out to potty on a leash, after business done, inside to eat & play 20 min later out again. This is repeated throughout the day with crate time in-between. With a young puppy (* weeks) I start the feeding 3x a day , 6 am/noon and 5pm. When they skip a meal I cut one out reducing them to two meals a day. Doing this helps me learn their schedule for having to go potty. At night you could have her crate open inside a pen pen and have pads in case she has to go during the night. As my small dogs age I begin closing the crate when they are sleeping but the second they wake outside on leash. Eventually I get ri of the pee pads. They usually end up tearing them up on me anyway. But I pretty much had a good idea of their needs by them. There are many on here with toys that can give you advise but theses first few weeks you will be sleep deprived but it gets better. Good luck with your adorable lil one.

 

[scooterscout99]

Congratulations! Sorry to provide one more reference. Ian Dunbar’s advice is practical.

https://www.dogstardaily.com/raising-a-puppy

And pdfs for download here:
https://www.siriuspup.com/resources

 

[itzmeigh]

She’s lovely!!

I agree about no worries taking her in your own yard now.

But I’m a rebel. My little Pepper (spoo) is 13 weeks and we not only let her out in the yard but she travels with us as well. We are currently on our way home from a weekend away.

I just make sure to potty her away from high traffic areas.

But we have 2 now and it would be impossible to keep one inside all the time. And we are too active to just stay home.


If you are interested in keeping her pad trained you might consider changing her over to a “litter box”. I’d use a little plastic baby pool and a pressed pine pellet litter and teach her to go there. It’s something I have thought about teaching my spoos even, it would be nice on rainy days. The litter box would remove any rug confusion. And there’s no reason they can’t learn.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Mfmst]

She’s so cute! She’s going to be a smarty pants, so make sure you do training and expose her to the world safely. And don’t forget to have enjoy the experience

 

[PeggyTheParti]

She's so very cute. Congratulations on your new family member.

I recommend stepping away from the internet, picking up Ian Dunbar's "Before And After Getting Your Puppy," and finding a fantastic local trainer who will start working with you and Coco TODAY—someone who is kind, knowledgable, runs classes for when you and your puppy are ready for them, and can be a great source of wisdom and reassurance in the meantime.

Peggy was already in a puppy socializing class at 15 weeks, but no, I don't believe it's ever too late. I got my last dog at 16 weeks and she'd been in a cage up until that point. She absolutely flourished with me in our very busy urban environment, despite the fact I had no clue what I was doing, and we became the very best of friends. She trusted me so completely, I could bring her anywhere. It was our RELATIONSHIP that established that foundation, not a socialization checklist.

So deep breaths! You got this ?