Genabee

I have a dog that will eat anything, so no kibble taste issues here. I know it doesn't aid in the training side of things, but what if you were to mix in some sardines or wet food? I originally didn't want to go down the path of wet food, but due to skin issues, I have added a little bit in to G's diet. She'd give 'Hoover' a run for his money! I might have to rename her... Dyson perhaps?

That is what I thought!!! Wouldn't want to be bitch slapped by those!!! He looks so cute in a sit position though!!! How has he been going with learning commands KTB? PS. Genevieve slides all over our floors too, I can never get her to sit for too long before she slides into the down position!

At your blinds KTB!!! One of the first things I did when G came home was pull our blinds and curtains up - and tie up the long cord that you are left with!!! I caught her chewing on my timber blanket box this morning, but in the past have caught her trying to chew on the leg of our dining room table - which is wider than her head!!! :D I've been slack in the photo taking department lately, but I have thoroughly enjoyed scrolling through everyone else's! I love the ones of Ava and Satch playing! KTB - great video!!! Those dogs are so lucky to have someone like you on their side! Niques - I am sorry you haven't been having fun at obedience! Sometimes the little buggers just have their own agendas! Genevieve and her friend Bronte, like to dig up the grass. So annoying.... I spent yesterday afternoon on the couch having a nanna nap with G asleep on my lap. It was sooo nice (I was pretty tired... after doing nothing!)! I was out for the count for nearly three hours and when I woke up, she was lying there looking straight at me.... I have no idea if she was awake that whole time or not. But it was nice to snuggle with her and her not moving, scratching, licking, digging or trying to bite me! Back to being feral this morning. Hi to everyone else!

Oh My God she has ears now!!!!!!! That is just so cute Maia!!!!

What a great thread AussieLover!!! Here is Genevieve at three weeks: Genevieve at five weeks: Genevieve at eight weeks: Genevieve last week:

Hi Peoples! Wow those pics are amazing LS!!! I have never seen snow in real life before... I would love to one day! No, I haven't been downing lemonade and salads! Do they work? I just feel sea sick on and off all day, some days better than others... dry toast and tea sometimes works for a little while. Basically steady eating keeps it at bay. I just am constantly eating which I don't normally do, so I feel out of sorts. Poor G looks at me as if she never gets fed! She probably thinks I am a mean Mummy now because I am constantly stuffing my face. We had a hail storm early this morning, so I woke up to our back patio covered in hail stones. Genevieve was going off her tree, barking at them. I think she got hit by a couple when she went out to the loo - she came back inside with a few lying on the top of her coat. It was pretty hilarious - until I saw paw prints all over the floors! Love the pics of the recovering patient!!!! Poor boy. I am sure he will heal fast and forget all about it. KTB - Elbster and Hoovster look like they have become great brothers already! I love the pic of them sleeping side by side!!! Maybe Hoovster likes the company, rather than just trying to hyjack his bed? And if you ever want to borrow Genevieve to add to your family, be my guest! I bet she would become Daddy's little girl! She adores my Dad... its quite pathetic really. When we were in Perth she followed him everywhere, slept on him etc. The fact that he winds her up and lets her lick him might have something to do with it! As for the discussion on expectations.... I expected her to be a bit more sad, quiet, subdued and not so bark-a-lotish when I bought her home. WRONG!!! I am pretty sure she was running in some presidential campaign for dogs, because she was pretty vocal. And attention seeking!!!! She would purposefully do naughty things to get my attention - she was 8/9 weeks old!!! I didn't expect that kind of behaviour until now (which she still does, but even more naughty things!!!). I think that is why I struggled so much in the first few weeks... I wasn't expecting hyper puppy quite so soon.

:p KTB, don't worry, I have asked this question too... but on another forum!!! I'm a mean Mum... We throw a blanket over her crate and hope for the best! A couple of times she has barked to be let out!!!! There is no way I would let her roam free in the room though - she would want to join in!! We only have to try and cuddle standing up in the kitchen and she gets all jealous! I can't concentrate shall we say, if she is there, so she gets thrown out and bought back in later, most of the time. Sorry to keep it short, just had to reply to that. On my way out the door! PS. Loving all the pics!

I know City Farmers are usually pretty good. Where in WA do you live? I am a former WA girl myself, but I am sure there are plenty of WA people here who can recommend somewhere that is close to you. Get your hands on a copy of 'Puppies for Dummies' and any books on the breeds he is a cross of.

Thanks. Sometimes it helps when it is articulated in a way that can be understood - the OP is a Mum!!! I totally get it! OP, It can be overwhelming. When we got my pup, we had been waiting for her for weeks! She was very much planned and wanted, I had raised a puppy before and thought I knew what I was in for. Like any expectant Mum, I read all the books on how to raise a good, happy, healthy pup. By about day three I was ready to return her to the breeder. My husband was overseas at the time so there was no relief. A little bit like when you bring a new baby home... you love it, you wanted it, you expected it to cry, sleep and poop... but you didn't expect the crash after the high... I am pretty sure I suffered with Post Natal Puppy Disorder. I was literally in tears over her. I didn't have babies at the time, but everything I set in place then, was knowing that I would have a baby on the way soon enough (we've just found out we are expecting our first). The hardest part for me, was having to train my Husband (who has never had a dog before) on how to behave with the dog!!!! When he came home after four weeks and it wasn't until then that I realised how much she had learned and grown in that short time. Might I also suggest that you stick on the fridge a list of commands that you will use and what they actually mean. This might help with consistency in that area (ie. I say 'down' to get her to lie down, Hubby always says 'lie down' and gets frustrated wondering why she looks at him as if he is speaking Japanese - I am always correcting him ) and help teach the kids as they get older. A good puppy school is likely to provide you with this anyway... It does get better and you have come to the right place for advise. But like with parenting your kids, you take what works for you and spit out the rest. Everyone on here can only offer what they know to be true and what has worked for them. Admittedly, some are probably more right than others. But whatever you decided to do, you need to stick with it.

Just quickly, when you take him out of his crate in the morning, pick him up and take him straight outside. Don't rely on him to walk there. He is probably peeing out of excitement, as much as having held on for so long!! Are you toiletting him during the night at all? Once he learns to settle, he shouldn't make noise over night, so I wouldn't worry about him disturbing the kids. The kids are far more likely to wake him, as puppies have this incredible ability to be snoring one second and wide awake ready to go the next!!! Also, if it is of any help, when I first bought my pup home, she slept over night in the laundry with the door closed. I put her crate in there for her, but left the door open. I left a puppy pee pad down and she instinctively knew to use that. So when I attended to her in the morning, she had usually gone over night and she would go straight outside the next morning (me carrying her). Some DOLers don't agree with this approach, but it worked well for us. We haven't had an accident in the house since she was about 4 months and she was holding on over night by about 11 weeks. That being said, if your pup hasn't learnt not to go in his own area, it most likely will take you a bit longer. Do your kids have naps during the day? Maybe when the kids go down, allow the puppy time out too. This will give you a break also. Make sure he is being toileted after every meal, drink, play time, walk and sleep. And if in doubt, take him outside. I would suggest using a lead to guide him to wear he needs to go. Make a big fuss of him when he goes in the right place - a treat will work wonders. As pp said, ignore accidents inside, especially if you didn't see him do them. If you take him outside and he doesn't go (assuming you know he probably needs to), PICK HIM UP and bring him back to his crate. Try again in 10 minutes. Desexing - sounds like a good deal you're getting to me! Good on you for being so on to that! Food - pop into the nutrition thread. There are heaps of discussions in there about kibble qualities and price etc. Totally agree with pp regarding better value for money with the premium kibble. For example, my pup had allergies to her first food (provided by the breeder!)... allergies and health issues cost you more in the long run, than a few dollars extra a bag. We have since changed foods and she is fine. Alot of kibble brands now have a thing running that if you buy ten bags you get one free. Depending on what pet supplier you use and what brand of food you go for, you might like to take advantage of this. Teach your babies, that puppy is the new baby and he needs sleep time and rest time. Depending on what your routine with them is, I would schedule in supervised play time with the pup, then when time is up, have them move on to something more interesting (like helping you bake, crafts, play dough etc) and let puppy have time out. As he gets older, he will nap less frequently, but dogs do tend to like a midday nap, even when they are fully grown!!! Good luck with your pup. I am sure he will be a much loved member of your family. P.S. The first four weeks are the hardest. Get him into puppy school asap, and that will keep you sane. Once you get your head around the fact that it is as much about training YOURSELF (and your OH and kids), as it is the pup, it will all fall into place. You need to be more consistent with the pup, than you are with your own kids.

And here I was thinking I was the obsessive compulsive one!

And here I was thinking I was the obsessive compulsive one!

Ok, so the truth comes out!! I am a little bit obsessive compulsive.... and don't function well when I am not organised! I am a little bit anal... I used to drive my Mum insane when I lived at home, because I would be nagging her to put the tree up from about mid October so I had somewhere to put my pressies! She hated it because we still had a few birthdays to go before then! I usually start shopping July/August and put things on layby... which I did, but it meant that I had to pick the laybys up!!! This year I made the most of the toy sales, and managed to get some of the adults of the family gifts that are classed as kids toys too!!! Also, this year we have family coming from interstate, Hubby will be away until the 23rd, I am working right up to the 23rd, plus I don't know how I will be feeling then (given I feel like crap now... ). So, thought I may as well do it while I am on a roll and feeling up to it. I also am sending a lot of gifts this year, so they will need to leave well before Christmas. We are starting to clean out the 'spare room' (aka Mr Wizzle's crap room) to make it the 'nursery', so I've been ruthless and have chucked a whole bunch of stuff out. So in the bottom of the cupboard were the presents.... I thought I may as well wrap them. In regards to Missy getting up on the table... Let me paint the picture... *Does a Sophia from the Golden Girls*... Cork (slippery) floors. One very long timber dining table. 8 High back leather chairs... She pushes the chairs out from the table and jumps up on them, and then jumps up on to the table. When jumping off, she looks hilarious because she knows she is in trouble and you see her looking for the fasted exit route, but she won't jump on to the floor from the table, so she has to go the slow way, via the chair! Last night, I had pushed the chair back as I got up to walk off... "She was in! Look who's top dog now Mummy!!!". I'd love to know if she would jump in my grave that fast!!! I probably hadn't closed the toilet door behind me and she was already on the table! Delinquent dog! She may well be a 'private school girl' KTB, but she sure can be feral! Spoilt rich kid maybe? I want to get Genevieve a booster seat for Christmas this year. No fun in it for her of course, plenty for me!! At the moment she has the rear section of my car (Hyandai Tuscon), but once a pram is semi-permanently in there, she won't fit. So I figure in the back seat I can have Genevieve on one side, Wee Wizzle on the other... maybe. See how I feel about that when the time comes! The seat might not fit in her stocking though, so I will get a couple of toys for that. Can't wait to see her try and sniff those out!!!!

I don't think I will be able to address all key points.... I can't keep up! Firstly, Genevieve gets called hoover too, as she hooves the kitchen floor when we are in there either cooking or cleaning! I agree, you need to get that savvy husband of yours to updte your sig! RE Pack Issues: Genevieve views the world like this: Mummy, Genevieve, Daddy, everyone else.... unless you are some one knocking on the front door, you get promoted to Mummy's position, and Mummy gets demoted! I think Wuffles has some good advice regarding setting your boundaries for what is and is not acceptable behaviour. You have to pick your battles otherwise you would never leave the house!!! And don't worry too much about Ruby LS - all dogs have their days!!! I don't think too many fail puppy school... do they??? So, my question to you all is, does Santa visit your dogs? I have pretty much done all our Christmas shopping and last night I had it all spread across the dining room table and wrapped them all. I went to the loo and came back, and found GEnevieve lying in the wrapping paper (I use the big rolls), ON THE TABLE!!!! I'm not sure if she was trying to tell me that she wants me to wrap her up and put her under the tree or if she wants presents!! We will get her a few things but I will leave them to the last minute as I know she is likely to sniff them out! I will also get a couple of little things for Lily (my sister's pooch) and Aurora (Mum and Dad's pooch), from Genevieve. Need to teach her the art of giving!! My camera battery is flat, hence no pics of last night's little incident.

Puppy food and pads have been claimed by a needy Border Collie! Thanks team!

Awww he is pretty darn cute!!! I know Aunties aren't supposed to have favourite nephews... but Elbster is still the man!!! I hope he likes his little brother! Hoover!!! I bet that one wasn't in the baby name book!!! Did he come with that name already or did you actually name him that? If we ever have a boy dog, OH wants to name him Rasputin!!! Probably because I won't let him name future wee wizzle that if it's a boy!

I have an enviro. bag full of Advance Puppy Growth mixed with Advance Puppy Rehydratable kibble. There is nothing wrong with it, but Genevieve isn't able to eat it anymore and the shop wouldn't take it back as I had no receipt! So now I need to get rid of it. It was stored in a purpose bought dog food sealed tub until this morning when I had to transfer it out to accommodate her new kibble! I also have a bag of puppy house training pads that I no longer need. These are free to a good home. You would need to be able to collect them from me (Glen Iris, Melb). PM me if you are interested.

Is Hoover's name really Hoover KTB?? He is very cute! Congratulations on the new arrival. Now, when is the naming day???

That is such a pretty puppy!!!! Wouldn't it be nice if they could stay like that, without the hypo behaviour?!!!

This belongs on a hallmark card! I will not be surprised to see a picture of a dyson, instead of a puppy. That would be something KTB would do!!! Next everyone will be taking pics of their vaccis!!!!! Don't worry too much about having Rubster desexed. Genevieve was fine the next day - and didn't have a cone! She didn't seem to want to eat/scratch/lick/play with her stiches either... Hubby declared she looked like she was 'a dog on smack' when he picked her up from the vet (and proceeded to phone me and I was at work feeling so guilty), but she was up with the tail wagging when I walked in the door that night!! I don't know what he was on about!! Such a Mummy's girl!! She was four months though, so I am not sure if they bounce back sooner when they are younger?

I think it is harder to be a dog parent than a human parent sometimes! (She says, before she has a screaming toddler!!! ). Mainly, because even though we can parent children differently, there seems to be a somewhat more universal acknowledgement as to what is acceptable behaviour and what isn't. Also, it is compulsory for human children to attend school, where it isn't for dogs. Maybe there would be less dogs in the pound if puppy school (as in, a real decent one) or a short course at obedience was compulsory. There would certainly be less impulse buying of cute puppies from pet shops I would have thought.

Oh Marley'z Mum!!! You poor thing. Dugites are one of the most dangerous snakes, and are only found in WA (as far as I am aware). I remember seeing one on my uncles farm when I was a kid... I quite literally crapped myself and was in hysterics. I am petrified of snakes. I won't even go and look at them when I go to the zoo. Can you set snake traps? Is there such a thing? I'd be finding a way to keep Marley inside.

Gorgeous! On the topic of training and choice of words. We use: 'down' to get her to lie down (most people I believe use 'drop'), 'drop' to get her to spit things out of her mouth (have no idea what everyone else uses, maybe their dogs don't try to run off with their belongings!!!!), 'Off' if she jumps up on us or furniture (anything I don't want her on really), 'Let's go' for heel, 'OK' as a release word... One woman at school was less than impressed with us using down to get her to drop. The reason we use these words, is that all the other dogs in the family have been trained with the same words. It kind of made sense to me to keep them all the same. What ever works right? As long as the dog does what you want it to do... A lady at school uses 'Treats' as her release word, and throws her arms up in the air! You should see her pony sized dog come running!!! I have to say, if I shake the treat bag and say to G 'Do you want a treat? Mummy's got a treat!', she comes bunny hoping along pretty enthusiastically herself!!! It works more effectively than 'Come'!!

Eucalyptus oil worked here.

How cute was that!!! He looks sooo fluffy and cuddly. Not to mention, attentive! I love how your little boy (?) tried to hyjack his puppy's moment!!! Out of interest, how well do pup and baby get along?