It's Day 18 of the Widget's Pawvent Calendar - and the one where somebody is over-tired and fighting sleep.
I've left the family audio on (and thanks so much to them for sharing), as it's such a common experience to wonder what the idiot puppy wants and then realise they're just tired.
Settle now Sonny.
It's Day 15 of the Widget's Pawvent Calendar - and the one where Sonny is having a Sunday lie-in.
No, not really, puppies don't have lie-ins! So, neither do their humans.
But Sonny has gone back to sleep and seems to be dreaming. Could he be on an exciting adventure or maybe managing pigeons in the garden?
We don't know for sure that dogs dream, but the signs are there. What do you think?
It's Day 12 of Widget's Pawvent Calendar - and the one where 3 year old Connie flexes her training muscles!
Connie is being supervised by her mum and she is being prompted to pay Sonny each time he offers a sit. She isn't asking for a sit, she's just waiting for one and then rewarding when he naturally offers it.
Connie is very gentle, but often little people can be a bit handsy with puppies, which can in turn leading to the puppy getting a bit overexcited and then jumping up. This game is nice and rewarding for both ages and teaches a different type of interaction.
And did you know that dogs have a mental age of a three year old child, so currently these two are particularly emotionally sympatico.
Lovely training Connie!
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#labpuppy
#yellowlab
#foxredlabrador #dogtraining
Day 6 of Widget's Pawvent Calendar - and the one where Sonny says "whatever!" to the noisy sucky machine.
Today's game is a simple one. If you are doing something in the home that may produce noise or movement, just give the puppy something relaxing a positive to do, like a licki mat. They will still be aware of the "thing" but the pressure will be reduced and it can help them habituate to it.
I also suggest doing the "thing" on the other side of a barrier so the puppy can't get close up and practice unwanted games such as hanging on to mops!
Using a barrier and licki mat is also really great for helping them acclimatise to little people noises when they might be playing loudly or having tantrums. And stops the puppy physically being able to get involved.
The home can be a weird and noisy place and puppies just need a bit of time to get used to it. So use some positive distractions to help the puppy think "whatever" whenever you can.
I'd ask Sonny what he thinks but he's too busy nomming.
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It's Widget's Pawvent Calendar Day 2!
The one where Sonny shows you his pen area.
There's many types of bed set-up you could have for a new puppy. My favourite is a large pen with a crate inside / attached. The crate is left open and has a comfy bed, and behind the crate is a DAP diffuser to help the puppy settle in to their new home and feel safe. The free area of the pen can be for play and have a puppy pad in the corner if needed. The crate can also be covered to create a snuggly area. And if your pen is on a hard surface, make sure you include mats to make it non-slips and safe in case of accidents.
Ideally the pen should be within the family area but away from too much foot traffic like doorways or halls. And mostly the puppy should have free access in and out of the pen while they are getting used to it.
A pen, rather than a crate alone, allows the puppy to feel like they have more space and it gives the family a place where the puppy can be encouraged to settle when needed such as at mealtimes and at night.
To help the puppy like the pen, give them their meals in there and drop treats into their crate every so often to create further positive associations. I also like to drop treats in there after they come in from the garden and walks to practice going straight to their pen. When you need the puppy to go in their pen, it's better to encourage them in with a treat rather than pick them up.
Sonny already is great and going in and out of his pen, but some puppies may need a little step added to help them with the threshold - some old cushions can work well if so.
Puppies are not designed to be on their own so any restriction should be carefully introduced to avoid isolation problems and barrier frustration. Follow the Pawvent Calendar to hear further tips.
Thanks for the tour of your pen Sonny! 🐾
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Welcome to Day 1 of Widget's Pawvent Calendar with new puppy Sonny. And today we are whispering as Sonny is fast asleep and we don't want to wake him.
Young puppies need lots of sleep - roughly 18-20 hours in every 24! And Sonny certainly likes his snoozes.
Puppy sleep is important for lots of reasons: growth, repair, brain development, digestion and to replenish their energy levels.
So sleep well Sonny and sweet dreams for all your new adventures! 🐾
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Welcome to puppy class Bramble!
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Update for her fans. The Velvet Hippo is going strong. Fracture, what fracture...
Love it - always complement your dog! We think Bear is gorgeous too.
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Gulliver puppy was doing so well...
