The Puppy Diaries at 13 Weeks

Our little Herbie is already 13 weeks old. I am really noticing how much he has grown now, though he still has plenty more growing to go. I have also been reflecting on how far he’s come in just those few weeks with us, he really has learned so much and adapted to his new home and family so well. We do love our Herbie!

You can check out last week’s update here, or pop to here for all puppy posts.

Herbie the Miniature Dachshund at 13 Weeks Old

We are now at a stage where we can all relax a bit more with Herbie. He knows his routines, we know his. He understands what is acceptable behaviour and what isn’t and he actually responds when you ask him to stop doing something you’d rather he didn’t – it’s shocked me a couple of times this week!

Training and Behaviours

Housetraining is much better. There’s still the odd accident, but they’re few and far between now. We tend to know when he’ll need to go out and we know how long he can go between needing to get outside. He does also tend to head towards the back door when he needs the toilet – most of the time! He is not keen on the rain, so the rainy days have been the most challenging and he’d much rather stay inside.



Herbie has been spending a lot more time in his crate. He naps there every day and takes time out there whenever he wants to. The kids know not to disturb him in his crate, so it gives him a chance to recharge undisturbed.

Our training has been going well as I have started to see it working throughout the day. Sit, Stay and Leave have been mastered as he follows those cues whenever we need him to. We are working on Watch and Down at the moment. Herbie loves his clicker training sessions, he tries hard as he enjoys the chicken rewards!

We should have attended our second puppy class yesterday but unfortunately Little Man was unwell so we couldn’t make it. We will keep practising for it, ready for next week.



Out and About

We met up with friends over at Wightwick Manor over the weekend and Herbie absolutely loved his trip out. It’s a great National Trust property to explore with a dog as dogs are welcome in all of the gardens so Herbie was able to sniff and run wherever he chose.

We took Herbie to our local town centre. He’s been before but this was the first time he was able to see it from the ground as he was walking. He draws such a crowd, though, it took us ages to run just a few errands as people love to stop and fuss over him. He doesn’t mind, he loves people.

Herbie is getting used to visiting my in-laws over the weekend and now that he’s been to their house several times, he does settle down there more quickly. He definitely knows where he is when he arrives and all of the family that he gets to see and cuddle there.

Herbie visited my mum’s house for the first time. We waited until after his vaccinations as she often has foxes in her back garden. This will eventually become a home from home for him, and this will be where he stays when he’s older and we’re out for the day or on holiday. He loved exploring the house and garden and was delighted to find my mum there, as he really loves her. As a bonus, my brother and his wife were also there so he got to play with more of his favourite people.

Fun and Favourites

We’ve been playing lots of mental enrichment games, and Herbie is getting a lot faster at solving things now. We just use old tubes, boxes and paper destined for the recycling to hide and trap food in. No game has defeated him yet!

Herbie loves a tunnel. If there’s a sofa that he can sneak round the back of, he will be right in there. He loves it and often runs laps around ours.

Visiting people’s homes is a delight to this pup. There is no hesitation or anxiety over a new place, it’s all about racing in and discovering every nook and cranny as quickly as he can.

Cottage pie has been sampled for the first time and it’s a delight to him! This is a new discovery and he definitely likes it (don’t worry, there’s no onion in it).

Herbie loves going out on his lead, especially with the kids. He chases after them, runs laps around them and generally exhausts himself!

 

You can pop over to my Amazon Best Buys for Puppies store for recommendations of products that have worked for us or that Herbie has loved.

What do you think of Herbie’s week?

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links

Sharing is caring!

2 thoughts on “The Puppy Diaries at 13 Weeks”

  1. Hey there just found your blog. We have a 21 week old Brindle mini dachshund called Freddie. We lost our 14 year old Schnauzer Freya in February such a sad time. We said no more then Freddie popped into our lives. I thought I’ll just look, ( we’ve had 3 previous long haired dachshunds). He was the last of the litter to go and was ready to leave mum, it’s was meant to be. Freddie hates the rain too and doesn’t like being left in his own although he is brilliant at night. He is a sun worshipper and seeks out any strip of sunshine he can find. It’s lovely to see your updates, I will look at past ones now.

    1. Ah, hello to little Freddie! He sounds adorable, I hope that he helps you through your grief, rest in peace Freya.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *