Puppy Tips

[FN-2199]

So, the girlfriend and I finally got our puppy a few days ago.

His name is Charlie, he's two months old, and he's a Pinny-Poo (Cross breed between a Miniature Pincher and Toy Poodle). He'll be vaccinated and de-wormed in the coming weeks, and he'll be neutered once he's old enough



I've never been a dog owner, and my girlfriend has had experience with her previous dog, but doesn't quite know the basics to training a puppy. Right now we're crate training him, and he already knows to pee and poo on his training pad (if people are in the vicinity of the pad).

We are, however, having troubles leaving him alone. He whimpers and cries when we leave him and even locking him in his crate for the night.
Do any dog owners here have any tips or advice for training our puppy? He's not quite accustomed to being alone, and he definitely didn't like going for walks. We're not too sure if he's too young to be crate trained just yet, but we taught him how to sit in 10 minutes, so that makes us believe that we should start training him right away.

We've read some guides online, but I think it's best if we find some owners with first hand experience with what works, and what doesn't. Any personal advice or experience is appreciated!

[xilley]

your going to leave him in the crate at night as when you go out? or when your home sleeping?
it looks like a smart dog and probably is if you taught him how to sit in 10 mins!

puppies needs alot of attention, so i asked about the crate train
is it potty trained yet?

[FN-2199]

Originally Posted by xilley

your going to leave him in the crate at night as when you go out? or when your home sleeping?
it looks like a smart dog and probably is if you taught him how to sit in 10 mins!

puppies needs alot of attention, so i asked about the crate train
is it potty trained yet?

We'll probably be leaving him in the crate at night, so first thing in the morning, we'll be leading him to his spot to pee. When we go out, we'll most likely leave him in his pen as opposed to his crate, so he has his space to roam about while we're away.

He's only really potty trained if the training pad is near, and there are people in the room with it. If we're in another room, he'll just go ahead and poop and pee anywhere, so crate training is a must!

[Lil Bastrd]

Put a clock right next to the kennel. Puppies are used to sleeping with their siblings so the clock sounds like heartbeats. This will hopefully help calm him. He will cry a little though, unfortunately you just have to ignore it. make sure you limit water and food an hour before bed that way they don't have to go pee as much through the night. If you do this you should be able to get a few hours of sleep. What i usually do is for the first three days take them out every two hours, then 2.5 hours for two three days, then if they are successful I keep adding time.

[Soundy]

Watch lots and lots of Dog Whisperer

[TheNewGirl]

Part of crate training is teaching them that the crate is their special place. You should keep it opened all the time. Give him treats or certain chews toys (a Kong filled with some treats) only in there so he'll have good associations with it and come to understand that it's his 'room' so to speak.

He will also whimper because it's the first time he's been alone. The clock thing sometimes works. You could try giving him a large stuffy or pillow to cuddle with too (though he may tear it apart).

As I side note. Don't, please don't, swallow all the Dog Whisperer stuff. While he's right about somethings (calm, assertive energy is good with all animals after all), all the dog experts I know of through rescue stuff have SERIOUS issues with some of his methods.

[FN-2199]

Originally Posted by Lil Bastrd

Put a clock right next to the kennel. Puppies are used to sleeping with their siblings so the clock sounds like heartbeats. This will hopefully help calm him. He will cry a little though, unfortunately you just have to ignore it. make sure you limit water and food an hour before bed that way they don't have to go pee as much through the night. If you do this you should be able to get a few hours of sleep. What i usually do is for the first three days take them out every two hours, then 2.5 hours for two three days, then if they are successful I keep adding time.

I'll definitely give this a go if my current system fails!

Originally Posted by TheNewGirl

Part of crate training is teaching them that the crate is their special place. You should keep it opened all the time. Give him treats or certain chews toys (a Kong filled with some treats) only in there so he'll have good associations with it and come to understand that it's his 'room' so to speak.

He will also whimper because it's the first time he's been alone. The clock thing sometimes works. You could try giving him a large stuffy or pillow to cuddle with too (though he may tear it apart).

As I side note. Don't, please don't, swallow all the Dog Whisperer stuff. While he's right about somethings (calm, assertive energy is good with all animals after all), all the dog experts I know of through rescue stuff have SERIOUS issues with some of his methods.

Awesome! It sounds like we've been doing everything correct thus far. We do keep his crate open, and he loves to grab his toys and hop in there and munch away.

I don't quite take anything from the Dog Whisperer because our dog is just a puppy, and most of what he says pertains to older, stubborn dogs. Also... I can't afford that channel

[TheNewGirl]

It sounds like you are! I really really love the Kong treats. Keep in mind dogs are meant to work for their food so having something they can gnaw at for a while to get out a few treats keeps them busy. I've got a friend who trains dogs for searching and also for herding and she uses the things to great effect for training.

I hope while he's young you'll look at a good quality grain free diet too. A healthy puppy is much more likely to be a well behaved puppy.

[Soundy]

Originally Posted by FRESHvibe

I don't quite take anything from the Dog Whisperer because our dog is just a puppy, and most of what he says pertains to older, stubborn dogs. Also... I can't afford that channel

Most of what his philosophy applies to ANY dogs: they're den animals, they're pack animals, and they need a pack leader, at any age... ESPECIALLY when they're young: just like human kids, they need structure and boundaries and rules.

Obviously, take anything from a TV show with a grain of salt, but frankly, most of the "complaints" I've heard about Cesar's methods come either from, or about people who don't actually pay attention to the thinking behind what he's trying to do.

Case in point: one trainer I knew was hating on Cesar's method when they saw someone kicking his dog to keep the dog walking right beside him, because that's what (he thought) he saw Cesar do. If the guy had actually watched and PAID ATTENTION to the show, though, and LISTENED to what Cesar says when he does that, they'd know he's BLOCKING, not kicking the dog, and if there's any contact, it's the dog bumping into his foot, not the other way around.

My wife is another example: she figures she can wave a finger and "PSSHT" at the dog and gain instant control, but she doesn't exude the dominance they need... and she panicks about every little thing when they're out walking (she thinks there's a coyote, or a bird of prey, or a car coming, or whatever), so she fails to command their attention. She WATCHES the show, but she doesn't absorb or understand the methods.

That's the fault of the student, not the teacher.

[rsx]

Personally, I don't over do my goodbye and pet my dog or have a sad tone to my voice when I'm about to leave. Just say "see you later, take care of the house" and be on your way. The more you linger the more they feel anxious.

Like everyone says, it'll take time for her to get used to being alone.

I had some problems with my crate training and eventually figured out my crate was bigger than it should've been. I reduced 2.5" in width and 3" in length, it really helped!

[FI-Z33]

have a stuffed toy/animal or sth in his crate..they'd want something to play with since they're away from their siblings now..from now on that'll be his source of comfort

ex. prof's dog grabs and sucks on her special blanket when she's nervous..that's her source for comfort :P cute eh?

as for me, i have LOTS of stuffed animals myself, so i gave one to him...he HAS to sleep with it

my puppy is now 5 months old, headache. BUT i still love him

[FN-2199]

We tried the warm water bottle method for a few nights in a row now, and it works like a charm! First time in a week that he's been silent all night!

[hchang]

Sorry for the thread jack, but I figured that I could just ask here as opposed to starting a new thread.

There's two dogs in the house, one of which is 24 months old, whereas the other is 6 weeks old.

When the little one first came along, he kept on following the bigger one along, and would just keep sniffing the bigger ones butt. Then he started to bite the big one's "area" close to his butt.

At first I thought that maybe he was just used to getting milk from his mom, but now, I noticed that he bites everything. Anything from my slippers, to his blankets, my fingers, my clothes, my toes. Literally everything.

The big dog has never had this problem growing up, so I have no clue how to respond/teach him not to do this. I've tried yelling, and I've tried constantly chasing him around pulling him away when he starts to bite the bigger dog. None of those seem to work.

I have no problem with him biting my slippers, but the fact that he's now biting anything including humans, and the other dog, I'm kind of worried.

Is this problem just because he's young?

Does anybody have any tips on what I can/should do?

Thanks in advance

[1-Slicer-1]

Originally Posted by hchang

Sorry for the thread jack, but I figured that I could just ask here as opposed to starting a new thread.

There's two dogs in the house, one of which is 24 months old, whereas the other is 6 weeks old.

When the little one first came along, he kept on following the bigger one along, and would just keep sniffing the bigger ones butt. Then he started to bite the big one's "area" close to his butt.

At first I thought that maybe he was just used to getting milk from his mom, but now, I noticed that he bites everything. Anything from my slippers, to his blankets, my fingers, my clothes, my toes. Literally everything.

The big dog has never had this problem growing up, so I have no clue how to respond/teach him not to do this. I've tried yelling, and I've tried constantly chasing him around pulling him away when he starts to bite the bigger dog. None of those seem to work.

I have no problem with him biting my slippers, but the fact that he's now biting anything including humans, and the other dog, I'm kind of worried.

Is this problem just because he's young?

Does anybody have any tips on what I can/should do?

Thanks in advance

It's called teething.

Limit His Freedom
The first thing to do with a teething puppy is look into crate training. Crating your puppy will keep him away from the deadly things he'd love to chew to pieces when you aren't looking (like electrical cords of appliances that are still plugged in. Ozzy - 3, Vacuum Cleaner - 0).

Show Him What to Chew
Chew toys, Bully Stix, and other gnaw-ables are going to be your best friends. I know it may be tempting to just let your pup chew on an old pair of socks, or old leather shoe, but try to resist. At this stage of your puppy's life, allowing one shoe or sock is tantamount to allowing ALL shoes and socks in his mind.

Positive Reinforcement
Positively reinforce chewing on things he is allowed to have with praise, and petting, and try to identify each item: "Is that your stick? Good boy!"

Negative Reinforcement
Negatively reinforce his chewing on inappropriate items by removing the item and saying "No, that is mine." and exchanging it with a proper chew toy: "Here is your ball, good boy!"

Frozen rubber teething rings will help ease the pain of cutting teeth when your pup has to be crated for safe-keeping while you are either busy or out.

There's no cure for the teething stage (unless you adopt an older dog), and it can last from age five months to over one year (or longer), but you can minimize the damage done. Be vigilant, remember my favorite mantra "This too, shall pass", and start collecting chew toys.

Good luck!

Sauce: http://dogs.about.com/cs/basictraini...hing_puppy.htm


When you catch your puppy chewing on something inappropriate, you should re-direct his attention to a toy that is his. When he gives up the illegal chew-item, praise him profusely, and give him the appropriate chew-toy.

Teething puppies need to chew, and this usually means on anything they can reach.

A spray that works well, and is sold in pet stores is called Bitter Apple. Most dogs and puppies don't like the taste, so they will not chew what has been sprayed. From personal experience I can tell you that it does not harm the finish on wood furniture, and it does not have a strong smell.

[hchang]

^ Thanks for your response.

I tried giving him a chew toy to chew on instead of his brother today... but he still prefers to bite the bigger dog.

The chewing problem is not limited to just biting things he can get a hold of. He'll jump up and try biting the clothes I'm wearing if I'm leaned forward on the couch.

I understand that this is teething... but the first puppy never went across the stage this severely.

[1-Slicer-1]

Originally Posted by hchang

^ Thanks for your response.

I tried giving him a chew toy to chew on instead of his brother today... but he still prefers to bite the bigger dog.

The chewing problem is not limited to just biting things he can get a hold of. He'll jump up and try biting the clothes I'm wearing if I'm leaned forward on the couch.

I understand that this is teething... but the first puppy never went across the stage this severely.

When he bites the other dog, doesn't the other dog put him in his place?
If not, you should. Take your hand and wrap it around his muzzle and hold it shut. Dogs really dislike this. He should start to get it.

[hchang]

Tried it tonight, worked like a charm

But he still does it when he thinks I can't see him. Everytime I'm watching he doesn't do it.

The older dog is too nice, he just runs away from the little one when he's getting bit. But after a continuous 5 minutes or so he'll finally lose it and throw him down.

[1-Slicer-1]

Yeah, he's young so he will try to do it behind your back still. Just try to catch him off guard every now and then and as he matures, he will stop doing it. Just make sure you stay consistent with it.

[racerman88]

just shop around for puppy food. We went with Orijen because minimal fillers.

[TheNewGirl]

Originally Posted by racerman88

just shop around for puppy food. We went with Orijen because minimal fillers.

That's what's important. Wheat and Corn free food.

Wellness and Go! and Evo are good brands too.

[SwiftStriker]

ha ha hey!! Congrats on your new puppy! I remember the time when I first brought my puppy home and the countless times we had to get up at night! It was driving me nuts to the point where my parents were gonna sell her LOL. It's normal for him to whimper and cry at night. He's still slowly adjusting to the environment and you're just gonna have to put up with it for a while longer. Just give it time, trust me! Some things that MIGHT make a difference is putting an old smelling clothes of yours in the crate, a kong toy filled with peanut butter to keep him busy or a ticking clock. The ticking clock resembles the mother's heartbeat, and it might keep him calm. LOL good luck . I know its tough. been through it.

[racerman88]

get your dog into a routine when it comes to peeing and pooping. We always take our dog out first thing in the morning before work, after work, 7:30pm and once more before going to bed. Every time they do their deed, say pee pee or poo poo while they are doing it. We found that when our dog gets fidgety and it is not his scheduled time and we say pee pee or poo poo he will cock his ears up because he knows what we are saying.

[racerman88]

We found the best pee pads were the ones from Hartz, it was cheapest at walmart.
We buy our orijen dog food from Tisol, every 10th bag is free. There is a pet supply store in Burnaby on Kingsway near edmonds which is cheaper if you want to go that far. More tisol stores around, less hassle.

[guesskid]

when he is at the door, it mean he wants to go outside and pee or just run, btw such a cute doggy !!! looks exactly like my dog, his name is doggy chen .

[spyker]

FRESHvibe,if you have any other questions concerning training your dog,one of the best people you can ask is a Vet,believe it or not,they know alot about what methods to use to train dogs.