Roova

She looks sooo adorable, she melts my heart!

Yes, I want to see porky Neko while she can still use pregnancy as an excuse :laugh:

Poor little Arkey, that looks like an awkward thing to have on a tiny leg! Neko is probably going to have fond memories of this time of her life when she 'got as much food as she wanted' haha. Getting cloooossser...

Haha the look of absolute bliss! I can get very speedy responses to trick commands when I have a nearly finished yoghurt container in my hand. Problem is two dog heads trying to access it at once lol

Lovely photos everyone. Wow, Cougar that Dally really got some air!

Is it silent when you're close or can you hear a whistling sound? They must have cleared those hills to place the turbines (or whatever those things are called). I guess something has to give to not use power?

Gosh this seems to have come around quickly! It sounds like you're prepared and ready so whatever happens you have help at hand and all will be well. Stating the obvious but don't forget to have the camera charged! :)

... and then does he want to run inside? Lol

He's gorgeous, what a great photo!

Lovely!

Lol that's very cute!

Well that's just gorgeous!

What a gorgeous looking dog Delta Charlie, no wonder you only look at border collies! That panning shot is very pretty. I'm not game to try anything clever like that, I struggle enough on normal! Didn't get out today so another photo from the yard. I have a fallen angel!

You can see the love in her eyes for you, just gorgeous!

I had my puppy beside me at night (in a soft crate so she didn't wander). If she stirred through the night I took her out to the toilet, no playing or interaction though. She cried I think twice but when I dropped my hand into the crate she stopped. As soon as she slept through the night she was out of my room which wasn't long. I practiced alone time from day two and I didn't have a crying puppy once through puppy hood. Hallelujah! Tough love is fine but I didn't want a tiny 8 week old puppy left to take herself outside in the dark to toilet or learn it was ok to wee inside the house.

Makes me immediately think of an older lady sunbathing. (Please don't tell Indi I said that) lol

That's sounds like a fine place while she's a baby, she can always have more room as you work out she's safe in the yard. I think we often create our own problems because the pup has company every moment of the day to begin with and big fusses made of them. They haven't learnt if we go away we do come back so they go in to panic mode when they're separated. Its definitely kinder to teach a pup how to cope with being alone so the rest of their life is not moments of intense stress when we aren't there. There'll come a time when she might have to spend time at vet, kennels or with a friend and teaching her alone skills now as a baby will make a big difference to her coping skills as an adult.

Once everyone is back at work and school is she going to be outside or inside all day? If outside can you create an area for her to spend the day large enough to have protection from the weather but also to run and romp and hopefully toilet on grass etc. You can fill it with safe items for her to play with or on which can keep her amused. You can also give her things like frozen kongs and cardboard boxes to rip up as a time killer. You want it to be a great place for her to spend time. I would start by giving her something she loves and place her in this area for five minutes only if you have to. Long enough for you to disappear from sight but for her to remain distracted and quiet. When you return I would avoid making any type of fuss but let her out of the area and go about your business. You want to keep doing this throughout the day but increasing the time until she can handle hours. You don't want her going in or out of the area to be note worthy (or your arrival and departure to be noteworthy)so no big fusses when you leave or get home. Also don't lift her over the top, always go through a gate or she'll learn she can exit over the top too. Increase the time she is alone until its hours if you have to. I would expect some crying but if she has a gentle positive experience there shouldn't be too much before she settles. Eventually you should be able to drive away for hours and return and she's quiet in her pen. She also needs to learn how to be alone when everyone is home so definitely don't always have her with you (as hard as this is) Here's some other tips if you're really struggling: Managing separation anxiety I would also chat with the neighbours and say you're working on the problem and to hang in there!

Hopefully you're also getting him out and about for some positive experiences with the world too? A bike pram might be handy to push a big puppy around if you don't have many safe areas while he's not fully vaccinated? It's such a small window where they soak up the world readily and take everything in their stride as opposed to when a bit older and more wary. Sorry if you're already doing this.

He's gorgeous! I think he's going to look forward to our winter months more than our summer ones!

Welcome to life in suburbia with people doing what they want. Its the bane of every responsible dog owners existence! If its regular and you can predict when most of the dogs are out and about off lead can you organise for a council member to be in the street to give the owners a warning\fine etc?

There's no way I'd want an agile Kelpie or roaming Staffie (examples only!) jumping my fence after following a scent trail home! (Especially with the multiple wee's probably happening among the way).

Enthusiasm with a capital E!

I had to leave my pup home alone when I returned to work. (I wouldn't have been able to afford her if I didn't work full-time!). I had her in a six foot high pen which ran down one side of the house and then around under the verandah for weather protection. I didn't feel safe having a huge backyard for a tiny puppy to have access to for months. She had a covered crate to sleep in if she wanted and I made sure to have plenty of things for her to do like a low tray full of sand for digging or lying in, a clamshell full of balls, a ramp to a small box to run up and down, cardboard boxes to rip up or play in, a kids tunnel to run through with material flapping off it, frozen kongs to eke out her food etc. Lots of stuff to keep her amused and hopefully make her think. I only had low containers for water though, a bucket is an accident just waiting to happen. I did have a few weeks home with her first for training and getting her used to alone time though. Personally if I was home for any reason I would be taking the opportunity for some type of training or socialisation in between time alone. Its such a small window when they're babies I wouldn't lose a moment of precious time. (Im not sure I'd get much work done lol)

Wowsers, she's really filled out!