The Party Season

Last night I went to my first party of the season (possibly my only party of the season!!).  I didn't have to worry about what to wear, jeans and jumper were perfectly acceptable, in fact almost compulsory.  No drinks were drunk, little nibbles were handed round, but only to our companions.  The other party goers all brought little friends with them....yes you've most likely guessed it was a 'Puppy Party'. 

The humans all sat and listened to the nice dog behaviourist/trainer lady while the puppies got to know each other.  First the more outgoing, confident dogs were let off the lead, yes Suky was the very first, but she is used to holding her own with our motley crew. Then the shyer dogs got their turn to play with each other. Then the dogs were all examined all over on the vets table to get them used to it, Suky loved this part....being stroked and looked at while being fed doggy treats....who wouldn't! 

Once back on my lap while we had the talk about toilet training and bad doggy habits, she very quickly fell asleep and snored her little head off to the delight and amusement of all present.  Not shy my little girl, if you need a little doggy nap...just go for it.

What I did find out is that I'm doing it all wrong on the toilet training front.  We were doing it the 'old fashioned way',  using newspaper, at first willy nilly all over the house and then less of it and moving it nearer to the door until eventually they associate going to the door whenever you want to 'go to the toilet' as the right thing to do (it did work with the other two!!).

Now, the latest thinking is that puppies learn to look for the same smell and surfaces each time, so if your newspaper is on carpet and they miss slightly they will smell the carpet and assume that that is the desired surface and obviously some smell will leach through paper onto the floor anyway.  So now the thinking is that you take the puppy outside every half an hour or so, after feeding and after drinking, if it 'goes' you praise it and give it a treat if it doesn't you bring it back in.  If it then decides to 'go' you pick it up mid-flow if necessary (the puppy WILL stop we were told) and take it outside to finish.

Well I got home told Lovely Hubby about all this and he said 'fine give it a go we'll start tomorrow'.  So today I am having a complete scrub down of all the floors where Suky has been.  I have 'Puppy Smell Eradicator' to spray over the cleaned surface and we are starting toilet training all over again.

This morning I have been in and out of the house like a yoyo, the big girls, who obviously have to accompany their little sister on any trip to the great outdoors,  are very good and when you say 'wee wees' will do their best to go, are completely fed up and looking at me with pleading eyes that say "Mum we are completely out of wee wees and we simply can't drink enough to keep up with these requests".

Suky....well she thinks this in and out game is brilliant, you get to go out play on the stones and grass, eat the stones and grass, chase the other dogs under the cars....... and then you get to come in and do your 'wee wees' straight away on the nice warm carpet. If someone picks you up mid-flow....you simply carry on and make a trail all along the carpet.  You look at the doggy treats waiting for you, shrug your little shoulders and fall asleep until the next time.

Anyone got any Doggy Pampers please!!

Edited in - after hoovering and then cleaning the whole of the living room carpet (our room is about 30ft x 14ft and has fitted cream coloured carpet) with a good carpet cleaner and then liberally applying the 'Odour Eradicator' I took the dogs out (yet again!!), and while Rosy distracted me Suky ran back into the house chased by Sophie with her huge muddy feet and now the carpet looks like a puzzle board of a game where you follow the doggy footprints to reach the treasure......off we go again.

Sue xx