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Discussion starter · #101 ·
One other thing happened on our walk yesterday, which underlined the value of a harness for puppies. Our path took us over a cattle grid, or rather through the pedestrian gate next to the cattle grid. Freddy didn't mind the gate going, but coming back convinced himself it was going to swing closed in his face, and shot off across the grid instead without pausing to notice it was not a solid path. Fortunately I already had him on a shortish leash just in case, and I immediately looped it even shorter, so as he fell through at the third bar the harness supported him and I was able to lift him clear. Another lesson learned for both of us!
 
Discussion starter · #103 ·
Several, Liz, but he was quite safe. Even had he fallen right though I could have reached him, but he might have hurt himself struggling. Both the others recognised cattle grids as something to avoid the very first time they saw them, so I was not really prepared for Freddy's flying leap.
 
Glad he's ok. Incidents like you describe are the reason I prefer to start puppies in a harness. I want to protect their necks while they figure out the whole walking on a leash concept. They don't mean to be naughty; they just don't understand.
 
Discussion starter · #107 ·
This morning Freddy very nearly managed to clamber up onto my lap all by himself, using my foot and the footstool as stairs, then slithered all the way back down again. It won't be long, though. He should be ready to try stairs in another week or two, with the aim of managing them comfortably before Sophy's spay early in December, when she will need to be the one being carried for a while.

Time to get the day on the go and take them all for a walk before the rain starts again. Nothing like what those of you in the NW US are facing, but it has been pretty unremittingly damp and dank here of late.
 
Discussion starter · #108 ·
Freddy is 14 weeks old today - hard to believe that 4 weeks ago I did not even know he existed.

This morning after a pee in the early hours he was rather wakeful, so after a second unsuccessful bathroom visit the next couple of times he got wriggly I lifted him off the bed and sent him off by himself while I stayed warm in bed. After the 7am trip he came prancing back, immensely proud of himself, and insisting I come and admire the huge poo he'd done on the bathroom pad. I will make doubly sure there are no dangers in the bedroom and bathroom and start letting him find his own way more often at night.

He is showing the first signs of clasping and humping while playing, behaviour that I am gently discouraging. He has not yet attempted it with Sophy and Poppy, whose response will probably not be gentle at all! The weather is horrible here again this morning so we are having a lazy start to the day. I gave Freddy a new toy, one of the batch I bought when he first arrived that I have been saving - a Kong Knots elephant. It is the smallest one, and still almost too big for him to carry, but he is very pleased with it. Sophy and Poppy have never been particularly interested in toys unless they hide food, so it is very refreshing to have a puppy that loves them and plays tug and fetch and small games all by himself - I have to keep reminding myself that we have a large box full of toys, and most certainly don't need to buy more, no matter how cute! Christmas is coming, though...
 
Discussion starter · #109 ·
Freddy had a lovely walk this afternoon - we went to the cycle track again but this time we met a dog walking acquaintance with her young rescue chihuahua mix just as we got out of the car. We first met them two years or so ago, when little Chica was very nervous but really enjoyed walking with cheerful, confident Sophy. She is now a secure, happy little dog and she and Freddy had a lovely time running zoomies up and down the path while the older dogs did their own thing. Freddy was very good about coming when called - he was trailing his long leash just in case - and the two of them had so much fun that we have agreed to meet for playdates in the future. The dull weather meant the path was much quieter, so Freddy was excited but not overly so - he is now fast asleep in his bed.
 
Discussion starter · #110 ·
Slightly to my shock I have a cataract assessment appointment for mid-November, and they insist that I leave my contact lenses out for a full 14 days before the appointment. As my specs are decidedly out of date, even before my eyes change shape without the lenses, it seemed a good idea to get a cheap pair with my most recent prescription so I nipped into town in the pouring rain to organise it. Far too wet for a walk, but I took Freddy with me into the opticians, tucked into my jacket. He was so good - not a peep or a wriggle, just watched everything as we walked from the carpark, stared at everything in the opticians (where a nice young chap found the perfect frames in their ultra-cheap collection, and suggested I save my half price offer voucher in case I wanted something better after the op, as I would only be saving ÂŁ12.50/$16 on these!), and then watched all the unutterably gloomy and miserable people we saw going back to the car. Two women managed a smile at the sight of Freddy's face peeking out from my jacket; everyone else stomped past with faces like a wet weekend. I had forgotten just how thoroughly depressing Lancaster can be in the rain.

This afternoon we are going to play Rainy Day Games and Follow the Leader, but for now the dogs are all having an after lunch snooze while the rain pours down outside.
 
Discussion starter · #114 ·
Four weeks

Sophy has now decided that if Freddy plays tug she will too - but only with me and never with him. I don't think it will be long, though - she is very tolerant of him out on walks, ignoring the jumps at her face and ears and teaching him about interesting smells and places. Seeing him sniffing carefully beside her, then trotting beside her to the next lesson is quite charming - when Poppy joined us the dogs were so close in age that Sophy played rather than mentored, so this is my first real experience of puppy and older adult together.

Poppy mostly ignores him as long as he doesn't push her too far. He is learning that tolerance levels fall all round in the evening - behaviour that the dogs would ignore at midday gets a snarl when they are settled down for the evening. In fact I have copied Sophy and use a low throat rumble to mean cease and desist with a sharp bark if it is ignored, which is proving unexpectedly effective. I gather my accent is terrible, but the message is understood.

We are still working on communication and manners rather than "obedience" and verbal cues. He is very good about being picked up - doesn't always want to, especially when it means time for a nap, but most of the time waits nicely and has started to position himself to make scooping up easier. Unless he is tired he waits to have his leash put on before we go out, and again to have it unclipped, and he has grasped that mealtimes mean his will be in his pen in a minute or two, so don't bother trying to steal from the adults. He sits very nicely for treats, and waits his turn (even getting better when the treat is toothpaste, which he loves). The leash is not his favourite thing, but the Follow me! game is working, and we do brief spells of loose leash walking in between letting him sniff and noodle at his own pace (and if I get odd looks for striding along singing "Freddy puppy follow me, I am the leader!" to the tune of London Bridge is Falling Down, too bad!). Recall is improving - flying towards me while I leap around like a maniac with my arms spread is a fun game - but I am careful not to call when he is too focussed on something else.

First puppy class is on Sunday, weather permitting. The instructor says it is a gentle introduction and he should manage the full hour, but I intend to take the small crate for him with rugs and hot water bottles for both of us, plus coffee for me and soft treats for Freddy. On past experience an hour will be far too much, and he will need a nap, so might as well be prepared.
 
Discussion starter · #116 ·
First male puppy ever - even childhood dogs were all females. So far there is not much difference, but I will undoubtedly be asking for lots of advice come adolescence!
 
Discussion starter · #117 · (Edited)
Feddy has spent a happy hour shredding the piece of card that came with his latest toy, while the toy itself lies ignored in his bed... He is quietly settled on a blanket next to Sophy's bed, playing his own small game with cardboard and not disturbing her, so is officially Being Good. It is nothing 5 minutes with the vacuum won't sort out later, but I shall have to start having one bin on the floor for safe stuff that he can chew if he likes and another well off the ground for non-safe and potentially messy items.

Yesterday afternoon he was angelic on our leashed walk, after being tired and cross in the morning. The weather has been pretty foul and it has been hard to schedule walks around naps when we have to dash out in the brief periods when it is not pelting with rain. But yesterday afternoon he woke up just as the clouds cleared, and we managed a fairly relaxed 3/4 mile along the cycle path, meeting just a few dogs and people, learning that not everyone wants to play or be bounced upon, and discovering how to keep the leash comfortably loose instead of fighting and biting it, which is what happens when he is tired. I was particularly impressed with his frequent glances up at me, checking in even while trotting beside me. Lots of praise and regular treats, of course!
 
Discussion starter · #118 · (Edited)
Today's rainy day game is Wait/Come. It is amazing how easy it is with the other dogs to model the behaviour. They stayed sitting so Freddy did too. They came running, so Freddy ran too. Only a few repetitions, because his attention was wandering, but the seed is planted. Now back to exceptionally good piece of card, alternating with squirrels-in-a-log and bees-in-a-hive. With luck the rain will stop soon - Sophy is much in need of a walk.
 
Discussion starter · #119 ·
Today was Freddy's first puppy class - held inside, thank heavens, because the weather has been horrible.

He did very well. All the other pups are much bigger than him - labs, pointer, whippet, spaniels and a cockerpoo - and mostly quite a bit older, but we were well spaced out and there was no mixing. He settled very nicely by my feet on a comfy bed with a Kong, and was not too worried by the noisy big puppy shenanigans going on around the room. He sat beautifully when asked, learned hand touching in a few repetitions, and then faded out before we really got onto the next game - it was Look at Me, which won't take long to teach at home. He snuggled down on my lap and very nearly fell asleep, too tired to even watch what was going on for the last quarter of an hour. And he managed to hold on to do an enormous pee until we got outside, which was excellent. I had taken a pad, and knew he needed to go, but he still waited.

He managed quite a large lunch despite having oodles of treats, and then went straight to sleep, completely cream crackered. I'm just hoping he wakes up in time for a walk before it starts raining again!
 
Today was Freddy's first puppy class - held inside, thank heavens, because the weather has been horrible.

He did very well. All the other pups are much bigger than him - labs, pointer, whippet, spaniels and a cockerpoo - and mostly quite a bit older, but we were well spaced out and there was no mixing. He settled very nicely by my feet on a comfy bed with a Kong, and was not too worried by the noisy big puppy shenanigans going on around the room. He sat beautifully when asked, learned hand touching in a few repetitions, and then faded out before we really got onto the next game - it was Look at Me, which won't take long to teach at home. He snuggled down on my lap and very nearly fell asleep, too tired to even watch what was going on for the last quarter of an hour. And he managed to hold on to do an enormous pee until we got outside, which was excellent. I had taken a pad, and knew he needed to go, but he still waited.

He managed quite a large lunch despite having oodles of treats, and then went straight to sleep, completely cream crackered. I'm just hoping he wakes up in time for a walk before it starts raining again!
Sounds like a good day!
 
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