smashtank

We'll see how we go this week! We tried the coming home calmly thing yesterday. i couldnt hear him barking through our apartment door and he wasn't feeding off our excitement when we came in. I checked with our neighbours and they haven't heard him (they have a Weimaraner in their apartment). Will make sure to give him some time out from us today again. So hard to not spend time with him - he's so loving and cute! And that face!

Thanks guys - bit of reassurance! On weekends I spend all my time with him (get the guilts otherwise!). And I mean all my time - my friends know not to book indoor restaurants for lunches and dinners even if it is freezing!!!! I will start giving him timeout on weekends too :)

I'm worried Tank has developed separation anxiety. I could hear him barking before I opened the door to our apartment yesterday and the day before. He can't handle being in his pen if we're home - he just barks and barks. He's a Frenchie so he shouldn't really be a barker (and he isn't when we're around). I think I'm going to start with not letting him sleep with us anymore and go back to him being in his crate. Might be a bit of an ordeal to start with. Also going to cut being excited to see him when we get home and just greet him super calm and quiet - we were definitely over doing the excitement factor. Will start coming home at lunch again more regularly too - I slacked off a bit with this. Any other ideas to help me?

Tank gets woken up at 5am by our alarm when we go to the gym. He sleeps in bed with us most of the night unless he snores too loudly then it's off to the crate lol

So awesome you guys getting your pups soon - I remember that feeling!!

My boy had C3 at 8 weeks. Just before 12 weeks I have C4 and then four weeks later at 16 weeks he got C5. As soon as he had the 12 week vac, Tank was walking on footpaths. My vet said he didn't even really need to wait until this time (for my area) though he did say to avoid Woolloomooloo. Tank had his 16 week shot and was running around in a park the same day. I was super worried at first too, but I just spoke to other owners who had obviously brought up puppies in my area and just felt them out re what their vets had said and what their experience was. Tank was also playing with older dogs from 10 weeks inside at home. Socialising them vs being over zealous about viruses I think has more benefits...

I was just looking at pics of Tank from the week we first got him. I can't remember him being that tiny! Crazy!

Tank seems to puke when he's hungry. He pukes this brown foamy stuff - bile I guess. The vet didn't seem to concerned and it only happens maybe once a week at the most. Still freaks me out when he does it though!

In reply to lolli's comment, yes outing a pup too early can create dissatisfaction in the game. It's got nothing to do with a motivational out which is the correct way if you want a rock solid out when the dog is in high drive, but everything with outing too early when the dog is tugging. Saying that her window of tugging is about to be cut short anyway with teething coming up, no tugging at all during that period or you really create problems. What exactly is this referring to?

I haven't registered Tank yet - apparently it is cheaper to do once I chop him. Is this correct? :) ETA I think he is rego'd - just not in my name. I have a bunch of paperwork I haven't done anything with (my breeder told me to wait)

My Frenchie does the same thing you talk about in the first post (he's also four months old) re not always leaving a room to go and pee on his pee pad. If he's in the bedroom with me while I'm doing something, he'll hide behind the door and pee or hide next to the bed and pee. He's getting better, but he is taking his sweet time! :laugh:

Thanks guys! @Lhok - it is pretty calm down at Bird & Bear (the cafe) so thankfully no risk of wash - although we do keep an eye out whenever we're on the boat ramp!

And some more... At the Opera House: At the Opera House looking towards the bridge: At Elizabeth Bay: At Elizabeth Bay: Looking down the stairs in Potts Point towards Woolloomooloo and the city:

Hey guys! Haven't been on for a while! Here are some recent pics of Tank taken in the last few days. Everything is going pretty good with him. He's getting so big! Broken through 7kgs now! His training is going well - I'm not doing a lot to be honest, but house training okay - he's up to about 8/10 times on his pee pad! He still is pretty obedient - he knows what 'no' means. I really need to get him doing a recall. Had a scare this morning - his clip on his leash somehow came undone and he ran to catch a pigeon and ran onto the road - thankfully its a quiet street and the cars were stopped at the lights... Hope you like the pics! At Elizabeth Bay with me: At Elizabeth Bay with his other daddy: At Elizabeth Bay: Sydney Harbour outing by The Rocks: Sydney Harbour outing by the Overseas Passenger Terminal: At the Museum of Contemporary Art:

Tank had his first full night in my bed last night. I caved..........Only because I wanted snuggles... I normally put him back in his crate at some stage (after an hour or two) but I couldn't resist last night!

Hey guys quick question! Tank is 14 weeks now! Can he start chewing on antlers? Also, if I go to a butcher for a bone for him, what should I ask for?

Tank's (14 weeks this weekend) an indoor dog. But I started from day one giving him time alone in his pen / playroom. I did a little more each day. He had a day on his own the first week we had him. He seems fine - I have waited by the door before and he sometimes makes no noise. If he does, it's some crying for about 5/10 mins. No barking or howling. When he's alone I usually leave the radio on Triple J or FBI. Never leave the TV on. He has a heap of toys which I rotate (he has a metal bin in his pen which I put half his toys in each day randomly - sometimes I get home and he's tipped the bin over so it might be a game for him. I also hide a Kong under one of his soft toys with his food and some peanut butter covering the hole. Every time I come home he is snuggled on his pillow (unless he's heard me come in which will mean he is waiting to be let out). I should probably not make a fuss when I get home but I really can't help it and he is so happy we're home! I walk Tank for 30 mins in the morning before he gets breakfast. And then I walk him as soon as I get home for about the same - 30 mins or so. This is when he actually wants to walk and doesn't plonk his stubborn Frenchie ass on the footpath and only move if there are treats on offer! I think he's fine on his own. He doesn't really play in his pen when we're home (he avoids it and is hesitant to go in there) but he's started eating in there again which is good. I should probably do some of my training and playing in there to help associate some more positives with it.

I'm so sorry to hear about Raiden, Lhok. I hope you have a lot of comfort at this time.

I hope he's ok!! Sending good thoughts!!

I take him on different routes. He was better this morning. We talked about it in puppy class last night and I decided this morning to do no pulling on the lead and praise like crazy when he walks after sitting. He also am trying to use 'lets go' and make lots of happy noises to get him to come with me. Will keep going with him - I forgot to take treats with me this morning so it was like he kept looking for a reward and then realised I had none... The rain didn't make things easier either!!!!!!

Second night of puppy school tonight! Here is a picture of Tank from the weekend... Question re walking... So Tank has decided that he no longer likes to walk. He was doing fine for a week. But now he walks like 10 meters and then either plonks his butt down or spatchcocks himself on the footpath and refuses to walk. Any tips? It's weird - the first week he loved it. Now he seems to hate it. He does walk off lead - he trots along behind me or he stops and sniffs and then catches up.

So just to update. Tank's been walking since Saturday. He now sits as soon as I grab his lead or collar (I think he knows it means walk time). While we're walking he barely scratches his collar and he barely pays attention to his lead. He'll have a nip at it occasionally, but I seem to be able to just give it a shake and he drops it out of his mouth and carries on walking. I've been using a thin rubber collar for some walks and his nice leather collar for others. It doesn't seem to matter to him which one. Likewise I have a chain lead and a leather lead and it doesn't seem to matter what I use. He walks really well outside - always beside or behind and no running ahead/pulling! Seems pretty good when we walk past other dogs - he does stop and is really alert but he doesn't bark or rush or pull on his lead (the lead isn't loose though - I keep it pretty tight but he doesn't pull against it or move around). I hope he gets to the point where he just ignores other dogs, but at the moment he seems fine. I try not to let him meet other dogs on lead in case something goes wrong and he can't run away.

That's great Raiden is doing well! Tank can go pretty much through the night without a pee now - we went to bed at 9:30 last night and I was so zonked I didn't wake up until 4. Got him out of his crate, he peed, then back into my bed for cuddles before I got up for the gym at 5.

Yeah it was good to hear from people who seem to know what they're doing that I'm on the right track (not that I don't get that from this forum but you know - its different in person!!!). I'm determined to not have to use a harness on Tank... I know people go on about how they're safer for Frenchies, but to me I shouldn't need a harness because my dog should walk beside me on a loose lead. Tank is pretty good at this - he's pretty much always behind me when we walk. This morning he only ran in front once when the rubbish truck startled him a bit (glass bottles......). If he does walk in front I stop walking straight away.