Lisa
Moderator
- Location
- Alberta, Canada
Otter's Puppy Log
- Thread starter Beanwood
- Start date
- Location
- Malvern Worcestershire
Gosh, how she has grown, another Reuben in the long legged department 
She looks a gorgeous puppy.
She looks a gorgeous puppy.
- Location
- Argyll & Bute, Scotland
Pretty puppy girl! xx
- Location
- The Hague, The Netherlands
She is just stunning inside and out!
Beanwood
Administrator
Get yourself comfy, this is a loonnngggg post! 
Yesterday Otter went to Puppy Skool., a little more about that in a mo....but first, I guess our first "thing" to deal with. I don't want to call it an issue, because I think from Otter's perspective it is an entirely natural emotional response, so it is a "thing". Something though, we just have to work out how to manage in the short-term. Dial back a couple of days I noticed a reticence to putting the harness on...and as a lot a people will recognise perfectly fine when harness was actually on. Hmmm. The next day, a very marked response, even reaching to the harness caused Otter to trot back into her crate. Now her crate is a quiet safe place so her reaction was interesting. No problem, leave the harness and have a think. Reached for her collar, and the same reaction. OK, sat back and thought no hurry, just need to unpick this, so sat back to mull over this "new thing".
My problem was: puppy class tomorrow. The trainer is fairly insistent on the pups wearing a harness for safety reasons.
Otters problem was DONTLIKEHARNESS mum!
And, maybe .....DONTLIKECOLLAR either...
The collar for me was the real problem. My gut was telling me the collar was associated with the harness, because of 1. I hadn't noted a problem with her wearing a collar 2. Otter had worn a light puppy collar from around a week old without an issue
I spent a day carefully working with Otter and her collar, and in summary, she was fine, I took care in how I clipped the collar on, attaching from below and not from the top. Lots of playing, having a party, off /on during the day etc....based on this I decided to invest in a step into harness.
Voyager Step in Puppy Harness
So, back to puppy skool!
@Mr Beanwood came with me, and after a flurry of activity in the morning...(why does one small pup take so much organisation? ) we arrive.
Predictably the first comment as we entered the training barn was "why wasn't Otter in a harness?" I replied,I " Just for this week I would rather she was in a collar" Then a bit of a mini-lecture about collars vs harness, and a bit of a presumptive remark, " I know you want to progress from harness to lead"....to which I replied it's OK just for this week...or something like that...an offer was made to borrow a harness which I politely declined. At this point I was aware I was maybe slightly defensive, however, I didn't feel we had the time to go all the way through this " Jeez My dog is headshy" conversation. The setting and timing just wasn't conducive. Trying an unfamiliar harness on a fractious Otter, in a noisy busy puppy class while trying to listen to the trainer, AND we were both knackered was just a recipe for disaster!!!
Anyhow, after the slightly uncomfortable start, we moved quickly outside to a lovely mini puppy paddock, complete with novel items and some light agility stuff. We all had a station to start with, loads of space from other humans and were given some guidance on how to approach and work with stations. This was impressive, very thoughtfully set up. Otter's wee face literally lit up!
Our first station was a rubber covered old car ramp. While the other pups approached this carefully, Otter gives the ramp a cursory sniff then sat in the middle with her "OKMUMWATDOIDO?????" face, lovely. We walk up a down, then use our placeboard cue. Off on Off on wooweeeee! Mum this is FUN!!! I loved this, other pups busy with their stations, other humans but Otter was focussed on us, yay!!! happy happy!
Other stations were the top of a clinic table, a hoop, agility weave poles and a tunnel. Otter wasn't bothered by any of them, in fact, she needed one go luring through the weave poles, then weaved through on her own with just my hand to guide her...clever pup!
We then worked on a meet and greet, using a nice wide curve on approach keeping a loose lead, and allowing the pup to choose to say hello or not.
Otter is certainly not a typical boisterous labrador, however, she does love to explore and has a thoughtful curiosity about novel things and environments. The other thing of note was how much she has grown. On our first class there was a gorgeous black lab puppy, full of joie de vivre, simply towered over Otter, this time although he was definately a chunky monkey still, Otter had caught up with him in height. This is quite a relief as I don't feel like I am quite breaking my back every time I give her a treat!
Peaceful Sunday morning with Otter....
Yesterday Otter went to Puppy Skool.
, a little more about that in a mo....but first, I guess our first "thing" to deal with. I don't want to call it an issue, because I think from Otter's perspective it is an entirely natural emotional response, so it is a "thing". Something though, we just have to work out how to manage in the short-term. Dial back a couple of days I noticed a reticence to putting the harness on...and as a lot a people will recognise perfectly fine when harness was actually on. Hmmm. The next day, a very marked response, even reaching to the harness caused Otter to trot back into her crate. Now her crate is a quiet safe place so her reaction was interesting. No problem, leave the harness and have a think. Reached for her collar, and the same reaction. OK, sat back and thought no hurry, just need to unpick this, so sat back to mull over this "new thing".My problem was: puppy class tomorrow. The trainer is fairly insistent on the pups wearing a harness for safety reasons.
Otters problem was DONTLIKEHARNESS mum!
And, maybe .....DONTLIKECOLLAR either...
The collar for me was the real problem. My gut was telling me the collar was associated with the harness, because of 1. I hadn't noted a problem with her wearing a collar 2. Otter had worn a light puppy collar from around a week old without an issue
I spent a day carefully working with Otter and her collar, and in summary, she was fine, I took care in how I clipped the collar on, attaching from below and not from the top. Lots of playing, having a party, off /on during the day etc....based on this I decided to invest in a step into harness.
Voyager Step in Puppy Harness
So, back to puppy skool!
@Mr Beanwood came with me, and after a flurry of activity in the morning...(why does one small pup take so much organisation? ) we arrive.
Predictably the first comment as we entered the training barn was "why wasn't Otter in a harness?" I replied,I " Just for this week I would rather she was in a collar" Then a bit of a mini-lecture about collars vs harness, and a bit of a presumptive remark, " I know you want to progress from harness to lead"....to which I replied it's OK just for this week...or something like that...an offer was made to borrow a harness which I politely declined. At this point I was aware I was maybe slightly defensive, however, I didn't feel we had the time to go all the way through this " Jeez My dog is headshy" conversation. The setting and timing just wasn't conducive. Trying an unfamiliar harness on a fractious Otter, in a noisy busy puppy class while trying to listen to the trainer, AND we were both knackered was just a recipe for disaster!!!
Anyhow, after the slightly uncomfortable start, we moved quickly outside to a lovely mini puppy paddock, complete with novel items and some light agility stuff. We all had a station to start with, loads of space from other humans and were given some guidance on how to approach and work with stations. This was impressive, very thoughtfully set up. Otter's wee face literally lit up!
Our first station was a rubber covered old car ramp. While the other pups approached this carefully, Otter gives the ramp a cursory sniff then sat in the middle with her "OKMUMWATDOIDO?????" face, lovely. We walk up a down, then use our placeboard cue. Off on Off on wooweeeee! Mum this is FUN!!! I loved this, other pups busy with their stations, other humans but Otter was focussed on us, yay!!! happy happy!
Other stations were the top of a clinic table, a hoop, agility weave poles and a tunnel. Otter wasn't bothered by any of them, in fact, she needed one go luring through the weave poles, then weaved through on her own with just my hand to guide her...clever pup!
We then worked on a meet and greet, using a nice wide curve on approach keeping a loose lead, and allowing the pup to choose to say hello or not.
Otter is certainly not a typical boisterous labrador, however, she does love to explore and has a thoughtful curiosity about novel things and environments. The other thing of note was how much she has grown. On our first class there was a gorgeous black lab puppy, full of joie de vivre, simply towered over Otter, this time although he was definately a chunky monkey still, Otter had caught up with him in height. This is quite a relief as I don't feel like I am quite breaking my back every time I give her a treat!
Peaceful Sunday morning with Otter....
Attachments
Last edited:
Boogie
Moderator
- Location
- Manchester UK
We put anything like collars/jackets etc on our little pups to eat their meals, then take them off straight after feeding.
This helps them to love the ‘equipment’ side of things.
This helps them to love the ‘equipment’ side of things.
Beanwood
Administrator
She went through a really ugly phase last week....she looks darn cute right now, just as well really...probably be ugly again next week!That is such a beautiful photo
- Location
- Cornwall , UK
Ugly ???? No , never ugly ! I think they sometimes look like little gambling horses when they are the long legged variety as Reubs is , no Kate, not ugly just changing
No , never ugly ! I think they sometimes look like little gambling horses when they are the long legged variety as Reubs is , no Kate, not ugly just changing 
- Location
- Herefordshire, UK
Looks like you have another super model in the making.
Cath
MLF Sales Coordinator
That's a good idea
- Location
- Close to Devon/Somerset border
She's a gorgeous pup, slightly finer than Molly but otherwise very similar. If only Molls wasn't so camera shy.
Beanwood
Administrator
Otter has lost a tooth! A front bottom canine. It looks OK...but the worry wort in me thinks it's a wee bit early to lose a canine ( Otter is 14 weeks old tomorrow). Her baby teeth do look a bit small for her jaw now, so she has this "gappy" look. So when she does bite, her jaws are stronger and her needle-like baby teeth are bloody painful! Owwwwchie!!!
Boogie
Moderator
- Location
- Manchester UK
Some keep their baby teeth for aaaages, some start losing them almost straight away.
- Location
- Melbourne, Australia
But just think... The biting could be all over before you know it! Or not...