Sooo much pooping

[bluekarin]

......You got a Land Shark.

 

Who knew that when you got a puppy, you were signing your soul away to own a shark. Seriously. A shark that can live out of water - on land, with four legs. This Land Shark still retains its insanely sharp teeth to make up for having fewer of them, and takes every opportunity to remind you of its simple-minded-biteyness.

 

“You’re walking? MUST… BITE..” It will wrap its front legs around your legs, hold you in place and bite whatever it can reach – usually your ankles as the Land Shark is usually small and young.

 

“That isn’t a toy. IT’S PREY!” It determines that this prey needs nothing more than to be shredded. Fear this Land Shark.

 

“Those aren’t cords. They’re snakes! I’ll protect you!” Those snakes need to be destroyed for the safety of everyone in the home. Seriously. The contradiction of said Land Shark protecting you by disemboweling those ‘snakes’ while still chewing your ankles is the ultimate *bleep*.

 

Give this Land Shark trouble, and you’re instantly determined to be the enemy. “I saved you from those snakes and you want to discipline me? WARFACE.” This warface is the ultimate threat. They show you their shark teeth!

 

Each moment of the Land Shark’s existence is spent shredding prey, disemboweling dangers, and threatening you, the enemy. And if that wasn’t enough, Land Shark enjoys getting back at you by leaving messes all over the place.

 

“HAHA. TAKE THAT. AND THAT.” To which you find little puddles of yellow stuff and when you look around for Land Shark, they are hiding, snickering away in that quiet way of theirs while you clean up their pee. “Now who’s trained who?!”

 

But as soon as you have food of any sort, be prepared for Land Shark to tackle you with every bit of lovingness possible. “You haz food?! Share food? I LOVE YOU. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE. I’m starved! I’m neglected! I need foooooddd!” And they’ll be dramatic about it too, because if jumping around doesn’t work, they’ll start crawling around low to the ground, tail wagging as hard as can be, while the Land Shark pleads with those eyes and utter cuteness. “Buy into my cuteness, human!”

 

Land Shark gobbles up food. Land Shark takes pleasure in tormenting the other animals of the household. Land Shark will walk all over you, literally. Land Shark is the ultimate cuteness that has sharp shark-teeth that shred EVERYTHING. Be warned, Land Shark does have a teething phase! And then everything is fair game!

 

Be prepared. When you get a puppy, you sign up for a Land Shark.

 

I was just looking on t'web for some help as although I love Neela to pieces, she has been very trying, and today has been a bad day and I have not really had a lot of joy out of having her here. I know its just a rough patch and it will get better, but I just felt a bit down. She is still quite bity (have bought some anti chew spray, but she seems to like it!) and bites her harness when I am trying to put it on to take her out for a walk, feet/toes/shoes of 'new' people who have just walked in the room, her waterproof bedding (now have a couple of plastic food mats to see if she leaves them alone), hands, licking the dirty stuff when I am trying to fill the dishwasher ewww

 

But, like I said, I know it will get better. I am just tired. I think things will get better when the kids are back at school, and I can her used to time alone etc

 

On the plus side, she did walk quite a bit of her walk this evening to heel then ruined it by growling and snarling at me as I was trying to taker her lead off and she wanted a drink!

[Lavenders_Blue]

It's very draining when you have a difficult day with a dog isn't it? But as you say, it WILL get better. Take a deep breath and focus on the positives, I'm sure there are plenty.

Tango used to chew her lead when were getting ready for a walk when she got excited (still does occasionally). We just stood still and didn't attempt to put her lead on her until she had calmed down (which to me means 4 paws on the ground and mouth closed). Ditto her harness. She soon got the idea that if she wanted to go out for a walk, she needed to behave. Oh and if you find a way to keep Neela out of the dishwasher, do let me know. Tango loves nothing better than to stick her head in and lick the skanky plates!

[Mercedes55]

I've never had a spaniel before but I've always had the impression they need a lot of exercise. We have a 13yr old chocolate labrador and recently got a puppy too. When our labrador was a puppy she was the hardest work ever. Honestly I lost count of the amount of times I wished I hadn't got her, which is awful. But she would be into everything. She could squeeze through the bars of the baby gate so we had to put rope across it, but she chewed through that too. She chewed through the burglar alarm wires in the middle of the night on many occasions. No one's socks were safe from her as she just kept pinching them and chewing them. All the legs of my tables and chairs were ruined. One day she got hold of an indelible ink pen that my son left laying around and we had a foot diameter dark blue stain on a pale green carpet that took us weeks to get out. Another day I answered the door and left a cooked chicken on the kitchen worktop and by the time I got back into the kitchen she had eaten it all. At puppy classes I got 10/10 for perseverance as she was so difficult to lead train

[zakjon-98]

Another day I answered the door and left a cooked chicken on the kitchen worktop and by the time I got back into the kitchen she had eaten it all

My puppy did something similar the other day. He is only a small dog but when we were out of he room he jumped up on the table and ate nearly a whole block of cathedral city mature chedder cheese in no time. He had a telling off and looked very sorry for the rest of the night

[Mercedes55]

You need eyes in the back of your head

[Eggasperated]

I was told to put Tabasco on chair legs when our chocolate lab was a puppy as he kept chewing them, he absolutely loved it , and curry paste as well .

[bluekarin]

I tried Tabasco on my YD's feet - her feet were burning and Neela loved it I have some Johnsons Chew prevention spray but I think I will keep an eye out for bitter apple as that's meant to work.

[The Dogmother]

They hate anything menthol, try dabbing Vaporub on things they tend to chew.

 

Seriously though, puppy's gums get very sore when they are teething which is why they chew, frozen carrots do help but I used Nelson's Teetha homeopathic granules on Ruby (used them when Rosie was a baby) and they helped no end. They just love trying things out in their mouths though and it can be a real trial, can't it? It's just like having toddlers; you need eyes on them at all times but they grow out of it soon enough.

 

Ruby is 4 now and still gets hyper-excited (blame it on the quarter of collie genes ) when there are lots of people around; I usually ask them to ignore her until all 4 paws are on the floor.

[Mercedes55]

I've got one of those puppy pens from Pets at Home and I pop Daisy in that when I go out of the main room so that I know she can't go chewing anything. I try to keep as many doors closed to stop her getting into mischief, but obviously it's not always that easy.

 

We have been told at puppy classes to always wait till they are on all fours before giving them any attention. Our little puppy loves to jump up which is sweet now, but will be a nuisance long term. We are also just starting to get problems with separation anxiety, something we never had with our labrador. But with Daisy as soon as I am out of view she whines and then barks. I am trying to just pop out the room and come back before she starts to let her realise that I do come back and she doesn't need to whine or bark, but it's hard to do that all day long!

 

I had forgotten how much hard work puppies are