Introducing Lottie - need lots of advice!

[WynneLottie]

We are new puppy parents to the lovely 3 month old Lottie. She has been in our household for almost 4 weeks and is adorable..... 90% of the time! The other 10% of her time is spent biting and sometimes launching herself at us. We've tried the distraction, which works for a little while, and as a last resort we put her in her pen and totally ignore her. Not quite sure how long she should remain in the pen ignored though.
That really is the only thing we have to complain about. She sleeps through the night, only had 1 rough night with her when we first had her and our breeder made sure that she was toilet trained which is fantastic.
Could do with advice on healthy snacks/chews for her age, how long should she be walked, any other tips on dealing with the manic half an hours she seems to have?
I've never had a puppy before and seem to spend most of my time worrying about whether we are doing things right - eek!!
Any comments would be much appreciated.

[Robin black mini]

Welcome on board..
Lottie sounds like she's a really good pup ,many will take much longer to get where you are now..she may fall back sometimes with her sterling house training,but continue to feed around the same time,let her out after a game or a meal and she should be a fast learner.
I'd definitely give her a routine to follow,and have safe chew toys at the ready to divert her mouthing onto them and away from you. If she's in launch mode a soft toy to throw and retrieve is a good diversion ..

We've recently had a post on which treats are suitable for a pup
viewtopic.php?f=51&t=23714

At three months you can get her out and about ,we used to take a carry bag with us so the pup could travel In it when tired,yet be exposed to an assortment of stimuli...my pups have all gone to the huge outdoor market,the malls,the cycling paths,the countryside to encounter cattle etc,the city with its bustle.,meeting children etc..my mini is bomb proof..I've yet to see her afraid ,and it's partly character based but also down to the wide socialization she had as a pup.
I'd definitely be getting the pup used to doing short walks on lead,with a harness or collar...we still use both..
If you include the pup in your routines everything will flow as they grow,but also include time for the pup to be alone to sleep in their allocated area...this will help her to avoid anxiety when you do have to go out without her.
Remember not to let her get overtired as the "manic phase "can sometimes be the pup simply needing to have a rest..
Also try to brush your pup every day and handle her feet,paws etc so this becomes second nature...you will need to get her into a grooming routine so handling early will serve you both well.

If you click on the " add image to your post" below the posting box,you can add a pic of your pup...we love puppy pics here.

[Oscar 12345]

Welcome to the forum and well done on picking a lovely breed for your first pup. Sounds like you are doing a fantastic job. I certainly wasn't where you are at that stage.

First of all remember she has not singled you out with this behaviour, she is a normal happy puppy. To answer some of your questions or add to Jo's input, I found split antlers fantastic for a puppy's biting/teething stage, get the small size and select one with as much of the marrow in the bone as you can, Otto would spend a long time gnawing at it and it would exhaust him. Carrot is also good for chewing. Nylabones for puppies are useful for biting/teething stage.(All under supervision of course). As for the popping in the pen, don't leave her too long in there. I used to leave Otto in until he had calmed down and then was sitting waiting to come out which was about a minute really. If he flopped down as if going to sleep I would leave him there until he woke and let him out as soon as he woke - that wasn't very often though, he didn't like being put in his pen in the day time. Talk to her about what you want from her all the time. They do get it eventually.

Keep a toy that is very special so when the manic time comes you bring it out and immediately get her focus. Don't allow it to become just another toy. Before you think she is getting bored, swap it for another and remove it. Ted Ted is still Otto's very favourite toy and is still in one piece with all others being killed over time.

Follow the guidelines for how long to exercise a puppy. They were completely new to me with my second pup.

Finally, ask away, we love talking puppies (and adults) here. Also the search box on this forum is excellent, I can't remember how many times I have used it and it has helped immediately.

[zeta1454]

Welcome to the Forum

There are a few links here which you may find useful:
Re puppy exercise:

https://www.puppyculture.com/new-approp ... rcise.html

There is a chart re exercise guidelines for each stage on the webpage link which will give more detailed guidance.

Re some of the things you should be doing with your puppy at key stages in the first year:

http://www.thepuppyplan.com/the-science ... 04fp9HTWf0

And for eco friendly and safe puppy and dog toys and chews:
https://www.ethicalpets.co.uk/

As Jo says you really need to be taking Lottie out and about and introducing her to as many new sights, sounds and scents as possible. A carry bag or pet buggy can be really useful for this as they not only protect a puppy while they are still unvaccinated / vulnerable but mean the puppy can rest if need be and not over-exercised.

Manic behaviour as in five minute "zoomies" round the house or garden is completely normal for a puppy as is nipping and biting while they are teething. Have an antler chew or a root (see the toys / chews link) to distract her teeth to something more suitable. You could also get a dried chicken foot or similar if you are not squeamish about such things! Our pups and dogs love them
https://www.amazon.co.uk/White-Puffed-C ... t+for+dogs

Establish a routine with Lottie as regards rest periods and playtime and, as suggested above, include grooming as well which is very important. Puppies need plenty of rest while they are still developing so about a couple of hours rest to one hour activity is a rough guide. Overtired puppies are much more likely to be bitey, noisy or manic so adequate rest and plenty of interesting stimulation in between rest times is the best balance.

Look forward to seeing a photo of Lottie too.

[WynneLottie]

[Oscar 12345]

Oh nooooo Nikki, my goodness, too cute, far too cute. OK Lottie, you win cutest puppy of the day award.

[WynneLottie]

Here she is!!
Thanks for the advice, I have been taking her out since we first got her. We carried her before she had her 2nd jab and then have been doing short lead/harness walks with her ever since. She’s very good on the lead too but then I am quite strict, she sits when told to at the kerbside. She does tend to stop still if she sees another dog/cat/car!! But we soon get going again. I did find some nearby puppy classes to join but they finish this week for the summer so not much point joining.
I know everyone keeps saying don’t let them get overtired but I don’t know how to stop that. She’s so into everything that you can’t physically make her stop and rest. Stroking her and saying good girl (when she’s distracted from biting us) with a toy only seems to remind her that we’re still there to be bitten
I know she’s still a tiny pup but I find I’m always doubting if we’re doing things correctly

[Oscar 12345]

You are doing fine Nikki. You can't stop them getting overtired when they are playing just don't overtire with too much exercise of your own doing if you see what I mean. She will sleep when she wants to. With the zoomies, as long as she is safe I would let her do her own thing. My husband always wanted to stop our dogs but I just let them burn off the energy. A great toy for letting them burn off energy is a plastic cup or container. One that will withstand some chewing. Noisy but kept my dogs very occupied by getting their nose in it and throwing it around. Also, puppy class will probably introduce you to the settle mat. If you have not got one get a small kong that you can stuff her food in or little treats. Get a small mat or blanket that can become her settle mat and put it by your feet. Use the word settle get her on the mat and then give her the kong. If it is stuffed with her food it will take some time for her to get it out, a small piece of carrot can be used to partially block the opening so it is a challenge to get the treats out. That ought to give you 30 minutes peace Nikki.

[Schnauzer Sam]

What a wee cutie. She's adorable.

[mikegoodson1]

Hi Nikki,

Lottie is a real cutie, sounds like you are doing really well. One 'toy' that my two loved when puppies (and even now, they jump around all excited when I bring one into the lounge for them to play with) is an empty plastic milk bottle. Rinse it out and take off the label and let her play. It makes a great sound, Lottie can chase it around and around and if you don't mind blowing it up again (once it's all squashed down), it's like new.

The other 'toy' my Oscar loves (although I am sure others here will not agree) is a leather glove that I wear. I put on the black leather glove and pretend it's a spider to get him, the good thing is he can bite down a little on it and wrestle with it and it doesn't hurt my hand. Oscar knows well enough that he only bites when we have the glove on, I guess for a puppy it may encourage biting, which you are trying to discourage

But like I said, sounds like you are doing great, before you know it, Lottie will be a little older and have calmed down

Mike

[Riesen16]

Hallo Nikki

We have been dog owners for over 30 years and have our first Giant Schnauzer Pepper Salt.

Enya sleeps all through the night. During the day she is convinced that we are solely there to engage in activities with her.

She is very good in tracking. Most Schnauzers have good noses. She is also very good in finding articles hidden in the house or garden. Schnauzers in general need mental exercise, i.e. Searching, Tracking, etc. They need to be mentally exercised.

[WynneLottie]

Thanks for the great tips, she's been easily distracted from the "aggressive" biting the last couple of days so I'm keeping the plastic cup and milk container tips up my sleeve for now. We've been leaving her alone for short periods of time (in her pen with her open crate inside) during the day so she must be catching up on her sleep then. She's quite partial to a chew on a Whimzee at the moment too. I'll keep you all updated with our progress!

[Oscar 12345]

Nikki, whimzees are not recommended for dogs under 9 months of age. They can cause blockages. Even at 9 months Otto ate some large pieces and they came out undigested.

[WynneLottie]

Gosh thanks for that. The breeder gave us lots of stuff and there was one in there so I just presumed they were ok.... looks like the plastic cup will be making an appearance sooner then.
Told you we need lots of advice!