New Dog Owner-help please (long post)

allison

Hi jesirose!
I cuddle with him A LOT... we are both very snuggly beings

Treats... that's a good point... how often? I have given him a small treat when he has pottied outside. Also when he came in from a walk. I want him to stay off my couches... when say, "down" and he gets down, is that a treat appropriate time?

Thanks!

jesirose

You can use his meals as treats, keep his food in your pocket and whenever he does something good, treat. Even if it's him just being quiet on the floor - treat! Give him LOTS of treats for stuff like going outside. Give him treats ON the walk when he is being good. You can google clicker training and learn how to mark the good behavior and give treats for it, you want to reward for all the good behaviors so he keeps doing those.

allison

OK the latest...

I had to leave for about 30 minutes... I left Ozzy free around the house. I came home and there was NO PEE OR POOP!!! Yippeee! The only thing awry was a few couch pillows overturned and one on the floor. I'll take it! Hopefully I can start leaving him for longer periods of time now. Do you think I should try leaving him free tonight whle we are sleeping?

Now about him still not going potty in my yard! What do I do??? Also, even with the chicken broth, he only eats about a cup of food.

alphadoginthehouse

Good job Ozzy! I would suggest penning him for a little while longer, just to be sure. And if he doesn't mind it and goes to sleep, all the better. Do you have plenty of toys for him to play with while you are gone (and at night)? That usually helps.

How many times a day are you feeding him? I do once a day but they are adults. I forget how old Ozzy is. My thought is, when they get hungry they will eat. Put the food down at the same time every day and leave it for 30 min. If he doesn't eat it, take it up and put it back down at the same time the next day. He will get in the routine of eating when the food is put down. Trust me, he will eat and won't starve. IMO, he needs to learn to eat it w/out the chicken broth. I feed mine only dry food and they get something on it as a special treat.

You are doing very well with him and give you high marks in the "new owner" category I think you, your SO and Ozzy will have a very good life together. There may be missteps along the way but it will all work out.

allison

Good morning!

Thanks alpha, I am really trying and Ozzy is such a good boy!

Last night I did gate him in like suggested. He went right to sleep but moved around a little at around 3:30 am, but did go back to bed. He was ready to get up at 6:00 am, which is when I have been getting up during the week (no sleeping in on the weekends I guess! lol) I took him out back to potty. He hadn't pottied since our leash walk around the neighborhood last night. But of course, he would not go. Took him inside and fed him and he only ate a cup of food. He is 48 pounds and 6 years old. I guess he ate until satisfied? I took the food up and I wont feed him again until about 6pm tonight. My main concern is that he MUST need to potty, but he simply will not go in my yard. And he hasn't pooped since Thursday (it's Saturday morning now) after his mishap being double gated. I really want him to potty in my yard. I have all desert landscaping rock in my yard, could that be the problem? The family who gave him up lived in the same city as I do. Obviously he was leashed walked, but he hasn't pooped during our walks either. This is what I am really concerned about now, because he such a good boy and hasn't peed or pooped in the house, it can't be good for him to hold it!

Anyone have any wisdom?
Thank you!!

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alphadoginthehouse

I'm at a loss on the no pee/poop. You might want to post in the dog health section and get more suggestions. It will be new and others may see it better. Have you called your vet for any suggestions? Good luck! Ozzy seems to be fitting in quite nicely. I love the name too!

allison

HI everyone, this has been a very busy weekend!

I got Ozzy a crate. I had to convince myself (and most of all my husband) that the crate is not cruel. I am convinced after all the reading I have done. Ozzy seems ok with it so far. It's in the livingroom, but he sleeps in a confined place upstairs at night. We are in the livingroom most often so I figured that was best. I fed him in it for the first time tonight. He went right in! I have not tried leaving the house yet with him in it.

He went to get his teeth cleaned today. When I brought him home, I had him in the front to pee. Then when I brought him inside, I was preparing his dinner when he wandered towards the front of the house. He was sniffing and acting weird, so I brought him outside and he pooped!!!! It was where he wanted to, not where I brought him, but YAY! That was the first time he has pooped! That was also the very first time he has EVER attemtped to poop/pee with us in the house. I hope I did the right thing!

Anyway, any advice on crate training is appreciated!

Thanks all!

jesirose

Are you sure he hasn't pooped somewhere in the house? Dogs like to go in corners. You might want to double check everywhere you can. Or you'll find out in a few days I guess

Or if he wasn't eating maybe he didn't have to go. Heck I don't go every day lol (TMI?)

Xeph

If he's not pooping and you're concerned, you could always try and matchstick him...

allison

lol jesirose!

Ok so here's the deal now. I got Ozzy back from the dental work and as I mentioned he was circling so I took him outside and he pooped. This was at about 7:00 pm. Then I fed him (in his crate). I took him outside again at 10 PM and nothing. He sleeps in a confined area upstairs, about 6 feet by 3 feet. He pooped sometime during the night... but no pee. I am thinking this may have to do with the medication he got from being put out during the dental work since he has never pooped during the night ever before? I am going to give him one more chance tonight. If he poops, then he will sleep in his crate. Only thing is that the crate is downstairs away from us.

What is everyone's thoughts?

Xeph, I don't know what matchsticking means!!

terryjeanne

What kind of dog food are you feeding?

My dog only eats once a day. I used to divide her food and feed am and pm and she started leaving the morning food. We were doing quite a bit of training so she wasn't hungry. Now she eats supper only and sometimes only eats part of it.

I have one suggestion though. When I want the dog to get off the furniture or off my lap, I tell her "off". To me, "down" is a position. Just in case you were going to do obedience classes someday I used to say "down" for her to get off, then one trainer told me that when we were just starting obedience.

allison

Hi terryjeanne!

Yes! I figured that out about the "down" and "off" thing! It made so much sense once I thought about it!

Ozzy eats Science Diet. I am aware of certain controversies over what people believe in about dog food, etc. That's what he ate at the shelter and that is what my vet feeds his dogs, so I am going to try that for awhile. This morning Ozzy finished his food for the first time! I'm hoping he continues this!

Any opinions on sleeping in the crate or not? The crate is all the way downstairs.

a

terryjeanne

Mine was in the crate at night for a few months, but we got her when she was 4mths. I wanted her somewhere safe if no one was watching her. She was fine in the crate as the breeder used them also.

Eventually she had the kitchen at night. Her crate was in the kitchen and she was free to go in if she wanted. She's two now and sleeps in our bedroom at night. Kids are home now that school is done so she pretty much has the whole house to roam.

Breezey poops first thing in the morning. There have been days when she doesn't poop in the evening, but it may have been a day she didn't eat much. I remember making a huge deal when she pottied outside.

allison

Help! Ozzy just wont potty in the yard. I take him out on the leash and he just stands there. He peed when I leashed walked him at like 5:00. It's now 7:50, he ate his food at about 7pm. I know he is 6 years old and I guess can hold it longer, but shouldn't he have to go? I'm afraid that if I don't get him to go before bed, he will poop at night This is really stressing me out! I need him to be able to just go in the yard.

melgrj7

Um well you could try the matchstick thing. You basically insert a matchstick into their anus alittle and it stimulates them to go. If you think he really does need to go and isn't it may be your best bet.

He may not be used to having an audiance for his potty times, so give him some time. Until he is going regularly outside I would crate him at night. Once he is going outdoors when you want then you should be able to let him sleep loose in your room again.

When he does go potty, give it a command (we just use go potty) then mark it (good!) and reward it (treat and loving). Eventually he will get the idea.

gingersmom

If the yard is fenced, you might try letting him out unleashed, or if there is no fence, try a long training lead instead of a fence. Some dogs are "modest" and would prefer to poop in relative privacy. My dog still doesn't like it much when we are out on leash walks, and I walk over to clean up the poop right after she finished (as if she wants to spare me the stinkiness!)

Kathyy

There isn't any pee in your yard yet. He will get it. My old girl prefers to poop on the best grass she can find which isn't in my backyard. Many dogs need to walk for a while to get the system moving, very annoying.

I really like my dogs to be with me so they stay out of mischief. If it is possible I would crate the dog at night in your bedroom.

I read the best down versus off story on clickersolutions a long time ago. The poster was a terrific trainer and used papillons as service dogs. One of her dogs was dancing around on the back of the sofa and ended up on her DH's head. He didn't much care for that and told the dog 'down'. Dog downed all right, poor guy had a papillon hat!

Good luck. It is a bigger deal getting a dog than people think and takes a while to figure out how things work for all concerned. I read all the books I could find and knew how to handle most things that came up and it was still a lot of hard work.

allison

hi everyone...thanks for all of your posts!

So, I think i had a success! Today I left Ozzy in his crate for about 2 hours while I went to the gym, errands, etc. I came home to no mess but to a very excited Ozzy...lol. I came in and didn't really look at him. I put my stuff down and got something to drink. His tail was wagging so hard I thought it would fall off and he had his favorite bone in his mouth. I let him out of the crate and he went scooting around with his bone. I waited till he calmed down to pet him. Then I took him to the door, but I didn't put a leash on like I nornally do just in case what you guys said was true: that he didn't like an audience. So he followed me over to where I want him to go. He stood there for a bit, then trotted over towards the gate. I hid around the corner of the house, but I was watching him! He was circling, circling, circling...then he pooped! When he pooped I said good boy and then when he was done I went over and made a big deal: good boy and some hugs. I gave him a treat a few seconds later inside (I didn't have any on me... guess I should start taking some with me).

So! I think that was a success even though he didn't poop where I want him to.

So now how do I know when he has to go to the bathroom? He never barks except when I hear him when I am in my car leaving. And do I just let him out and follow? Or do I let him out and walk with him towards that spot again?

Kathyy he sleeps upstairs but not in the crate because the crate is downstairs. But he has a blanket, water and toys in a confined area near the bedroom.
By the way, that is a hilarious "down/off" story! I am trying to be diligent with "lay down" and "off".

Everyone... help me not feel guilty about leaving him in the crate. I feel sooo bad. Especially when I go back to work in late August and have to leave him from 7am - 4 pm and I won't be able to come home in between, etc.

LilChipMunk26

Hey Allison !! My dogs normally nudge me or whine when they need to go potty. Some even run back and forth. I always make sure my dog goes out in the morning and night, right after a long nap and if my dog has to go to the bathroom inbetween that time she will let me know. You just have to learn what his signal for the bathroom is. When I let out my dog I just keep telling her go potty and kinda stand back from her a little bit so she can have her space. Also, you should not feel bad about leaving your dog in a crate. It is actually very wonderful for the dog, although a crate should not be used as a punishment so they know when they are in there it is their saftey zone. I share your aggervation when it comes to leaving your dog in a crate all day, I also work LONG hours. Remember a crate to a dog if used correctly can be a safe haven for them to go when they feel scared or threatened. All dogs descended from wolves and they used dens, which, is kinda simular to a crate. I hope this helped you some

allison

Hi LilChipMunk!

Thanks for that! I really feel horrible about the crate. Right now I have only been leaving him in for a couple hours at a time. His water bowl is in there and I also feed him in there (with door open, but he goes all the way in). Sometimes I leave little treats in there so he will go in and find them. He hasn't gone in the crate to lay down while we are watching TV yet. He likes to lay next to the couch. He doesn't sleep in the crate either because it's all the way downstairs, but I am hoping that by feeding him in it and keeping his water in it, which he does drink, he will start to feel more and more secure. Do you think I am on the right track?

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