Puppy Problems

Katelan · 10-30-2006, 10:13 PM

Hi Everyone!
Well My name is Katelan and I have a 10 week old maltese dauschund mix named Tanner. I am new to owning an inside dog and am running into considerable problems. Any advise will be greatly appriciated.

Problems:

1. I got to school all day and my mother goes to work so nobody is home between the hours of 8 and 6. Neither of us is able to come home to let him out at all during this time so we are not sure what to do about potty needs.

2. Tanner is very sweet and loving most of the time but when he gets to excited he starts to get rough and sometimes so rough he draws blood or seriously hurts one of us. We have tried kind of popping him on the nose but that just makes him even more rough and we have also tried putting him in his crate but he just does it again once we let him out.

3. He pottys EVERYWHERE, the floor, his crate, under the bed, on the rugs, etc... The thing is when we take him out he goes like he is supposed to but still goes when we bring him back in.

Please help if you have any ideas on what to try.

Thanks a lot,
Katelan

Dulce · 10-31-2006, 02:04 AM

First of all, DONT EVER HIT YOUR DOG! That's your problem right there..smacking a dog on the nose will make them WANT to bite you. Do you want people hitting you on your nose?

Second, a puppy has LTOS of needs, and needs WAY more time than you are giving it. It's a baby, give it a break! Puppies potty everywhere, and need to be taken out frequently.

Puppies get excited, it's just their nature. There are ways to control it. Puppy class is a must. But it sounds like your puppy doesn't get enough attention, and gets super excited to see you. Granted, all puppies are like that, but if he got more exersize, and spent more time with you, he wouldn't be so spastic.

I would suggest taking him to training, work on spending more time with him, etc. Buy some books on raising puppies, ask your vet, read online. There's lots of info available.

He sounds cute!

blackgavotte · 10-31-2006, 07:35 AM

A 10 week old puppy should not have the run of the house while you are not there first off. You have to get either an exercise pen and put his crate in there with the door open so he can go sleep in it but put papers or peepads down inside the pen on the floor so he starts at least to know where he can potty. He cannot hold it for all those hours and should not be expected to. Get a large enough pen so that he can have some toys, and yes, there will be some cleanup when you get home, but you have to expect that with a 10 week old puppy. Whatever you do, don't follow the advice of anyone who tells you to shut him in his crate while you aren't home, they won't potty where they sleep... they darn sure will, because they have to at that age, they just can't hold it, and then you will have a dirty pup for sure...As soon as you get home, take him outside, that way he will start at least to get the idea of pottying, and let him roar off some of his pentup energy and excitement. He is very excited to see you when you get home, because he is living a lonely little life all alone for those long hours. Give him some cuddles and play, remember he is just a baby and baby dogs do mouth and play with their teeth, its all they can do. You can already start saying " no bites !! " etc, but give him a bit of time and attention... he needs it... read books, talk to people about puppy classes when he is fully vaccinated, and remember he needs company and love, he is much too young to be misunderstood and mishandled. Do your research, and love him....

Katelan · 11-07-2006, 11:10 PM

"Puppies get excited, it's just their nature. There are ways to control it. Puppy class is a must. But it sounds like your puppy doesn't get enough attention, and gets super excited to see you. Granted, all puppies are like that, but if he got more exersize, and spent more time with you, he wouldn't be so spastic."

This what I thought too but he does it all the time not just when he is excited, he even sometimes does it out of nowhere likes when he is sleeping he will just get up, come bite or atttack us and then go back to sleep. I don get it! Someone help!!!!

"A 10 week old puppy should not have the run of the house while you are not there first off. You have to get either an exercise pen and put his crate in there with the door open so he can go sleep in it but put papers or peepads down inside the pen on the floor so he starts at least to know where he can potty. He cannot hold it for all those hours and should not be expected to. Get a large enough pen so that he can have some toys, and yes, there will be some cleanup when you get home, but you have to expect that with a 10 week old puppy. Whatever you do, don't follow the advice of anyone who tells you to shut him in his crate while you aren't home, they won't potty where they sleep... they darn sure will, because they have to at that age, they just can't hold it, and then you will have a dirty pup for sure...As soon as you get home, take him outside, that way he will start at least to get the idea of pottying, and let him roar off some of his pentup energy and excitement. He is very excited to see you when you get home, because he is living a lonely little life all alone for those long hours. Give him some cuddles and play, remember he is just a baby and baby dogs do mouth and play with their teeth, its all they can do. You can already start saying " no bites !! " etc, but give him a bit of time and attention... he needs it... read books, talk to people about puppy classes when he is fully vaccinated, and remember he needs company and love, he is much too young to be misunderstood and mishandled. Do your research, and love him.... "

First, he doesnt have free reign of the house, he is in his crate while we are not home and that part is going great, he has a potty pad in there that he goes on.

Second, it is like almost impossible to give him love and is impossible to cuddle him because the moment you pick him up he commences biting you anywhere he can get to, including you face if you get close enough. I just dont know how to show him love when i cant pick him up without him making me bleed. SOMEONE PLEASE HELP!!!!!!

opokki · 11-07-2006, 11:31 PM

A tired puppy is a well behaved puppy. See if you can get her involved in some interactive games with you, such as fetch. Some dogs will go nuts chasing a toy attatched to a rope that you can drag around for her. Try some of the toys that can be stuffed with food such as the Buster Cube, Kong, and the Twist n' Treat.

Here is a great article on teaching bite inhibition: The Bite Stops Here

blackgavotte · 11-08-2006, 12:19 AM

A 10 week old puppy should not be locked in a crate with a pee pad from 8 to 6 every day. Its impossible for me to understand how intelligent people can think that's nearly allright. No wonder this baby is so desperate and excited when you get home, he's a wild guy to control. He is lonely all day, and must releive himself in his crate on a pee pad. Unnatural, and you may never be able to stop this puppy from being dirty in his crate ! The very least this puppy should have is an exercise pen with newspapers and / or pee pads put down in it, and his crate door left open so he can move around through the day. When you come home, take him outside without over-greeting him, just quickly carry him out so you can start to train him to potty outside. Pick him up quietly, carry him out, then stand there quietly with him, he will probably go potty quickly, and if not, be prepared to wait a bit. He sounds like a very lonely little guy and is much too young to be kept in a plastic box all day while everyone is gone. Put yourself in his place. You say that part is going allright... what else can he do if he is locked in a crate with a pee pad, but use it? Its not the right way to housetrain a puppy, nor even to keep one.

Dulce · 11-08-2006, 12:30 AM

Take your puppy to training, consult a behaviorist, and be very firm with him.

Let him know it is NOT ok to bite. Although, he is a puppy, and puppies do that, and it will take a while for him to get.

Never ever hit, tap, or spank your dog. That is never ok.

A puppy should not be crated for 6-8 hours a day. What is the reason behind this? It's cruel, and puppies need LOTS of attention, and needs to potty FREQUENTLY. At such a young age, puppies need a lot of human contact.

Doglistener · 11-08-2006, 01:41 AM

Only two have mentioned the real problem here. That was balckgavotte and dulce

Katelan.

What possessed you to get a puppy when it is left alone for 8 hours a day. Does it seem right to imprison an animal in a small crate for 8 hours at a stretch because you wanted a puppy. Where do the rights of the dog come into all this.

Dogs are pack animals and seek solace in company. This dog will end up with serious behavioural problems, such as separation anxiety, possible depression, frustration. You will never be able to fully toilet train as you are not there to teach this vital training. No wonder it is desperate when you come home. I predict this little dog will also become fearful of strangers and perhaps even other dogs because of the isolation and virtual imprisonment it has every day.

Rehome it and get a cat or a goldfish.

Stan

drfong · 11-09-2006, 12:16 AM

There has been some good advice about the crate. A dog that young can't stay in a crate that long and an older shouldn't be in one that long. It will be harder to potty train your pup with the limited daytime time to work with it. Because of this I recomend paper training (which I don't really like, but your dog needs somewhere to go while your gone). I don't agree with hiting or spanking, but dogs are tacktile animals. If they bite you a corection is in order. Saying 'no bite' is a good que, but the dog needs some consequence for the action. Using your hand to lightly 'bite' back around the dogs neck. Don't hurt the dog, it's more of a way of comunicating biting is inappropriate and your the boss. Also you need to start walking the dog in a fashion that you are establishing yourself as leader. This goes for all things that you do, establish yourself as the dogs leader. When and how the dog eats. Always go thru doors first, etc. He won't bite you if he sees you as the top dog.

Meghan&Pedro · 11-09-2006, 12:33 AM

I'm not even going to TOUCH on the subject about the long hours the puppy is at home, or the potty-training, as everyone else has allready said it for me.

As for the biting - an 11 week old puppy WILL chew and bite - how old was the puppy when you got it? A lot of breeders are seperating their puppies and rehoming them at 7 or 8 weeks - which is early. If they stay with their moms until 10-12 weeks, they'll tend to have better manners - that's because of their MOMS.

What I reccomend for a bitey puppy is - when the puppy bites you YELP (like a dog would if it was hurt), growl, flip the dog on it's back (Not in a rough way that would hurt the puppy, just do it quickly and gently, without being 'sweet' about it) and stare it in the eye for a few seconds. Then let the puppy go and ignore it for a minute. Then come back to playing.

Every time the puppy bites you yelp, growl, flip, stare, let go, ignore. And then go back to playing. That is what the puppies mom would have done, and that's, in my experience, the best way to teach a puppy that YOU are NOT a chew toy. You are his new 'mom', and you demand respect.

skelaki · 11-09-2006, 03:44 AM

Katelan, I know you are doing your best, but I don''t think the decission to get a puppy was well thought out on your part.

That said, the person who told you to get and use an expen along with the crate was correct. It's not the best solution and will proably delay the housebreaking process but it's better that shutting him up in a small crate all day. Doing that has taught the pup it's ok to potty in the crate. If at all possible, along with the expen you should have someone, either a professional pet sitter/dog walker or trusted neighbor come in at least once and preferrably more often during the day to take the pup outside to relieve himself and have a short play session.

As far as the biting goes, it's what puppies do. I don't like the yelp method except for young children. For adults and teens, I tell them to tell the pup no in a low, growling voice as this is what the mother dog would do. Then stop all interaction, including visual, for a few seconds followed by giving the pup an appropriate alternative to chew on. If he keeps persisting on biting, then give him a scruff shake. It should be firm so he knows you are displeased with this behavior but it should be appropriate to his size and age. And, most importantly and correction, verbal or physical must be properly timed. For a young pup, even a 2 second delay between the unwanted behavior and the correction is too long.

If he's pottying all over as you stated in your original post, then he is not being properly supervised. He should never be out of your sight. If you're too busy to watch him, he should be in his crate/expen. At other times you can tether him to you as you go about your business. Take him out every 30 minutes if need be when you are home. Take him to the area you want him to use and when he starts to do his business, repeat a word or short phrase, such as go potty, over and over. When he finishes, praise him as if he just read Hamlet to you out loud, have a short, active play session and return him to the potty area to see if he needs to go again.

Everything should be on a strict schedule. That means food, water, training, playtimes, etc.

Dulce · 11-09-2006, 01:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by skelaki

Katelan, I know you are doing your best, but I don''t think the decission to get a puppy was well thought out on your part.

That said, the person who told you to get and use an expen along with the crate was correct. It's not the best solution and will proably delay the housebreaking process but it's better that shutting him up in a small crate all day. Doing that has taught the pup it's ok to potty in the crate. If at all possible, along with the expen you should have someone, either a professional pet sitter/dog walker or trusted neighbor come in at least once and preferrably more often during the day to take the pup outside to relieve himself and have a short play session.

As far as the biting goes, it's what puppies do. I don't like the yelp method except for young children. For adults and teens, I tell them to tell the pup no in a low, growling voice as this is what the mother dog would do. Then stop all interaction, including visual, for a few seconds followed by giving the pup an appropriate alternative to chew on. If he keeps persisting on biting, then give him a scruff shake. It should be firm so he knows you are displeased with this behavior but it should be appropriate to his size and age. And, most importantly and correction, verbal or physical must be properly timed. For a young pup, even a 2 second delay between the unwanted behavior and the correction is too long.

If he's pottying all over as you stated in your original post, then he is not being properly supervised. He should never be out of your sight. If you're too busy to watch him, he should be in his crate/expen. At other times you can tether him to you as you go about your business. Take him out every 30 minutes if need be when you are home. Take him to the area you want him to use and when he starts to do his business, repeat a word or short phrase, such as go potty, over and over. When he finishes, praise him as if he just read Hamlet to you out loud, have a short, active play session and return him to the potty area to see if he needs to go again.

Everything should be on a strict schedule. That means food, water, training, playtimes, etc.

Fantastically said.

workingdog · 11-10-2006, 09:04 AM

everything has pretty much been said but i feel like i need to put mt 2 cents in too.Frist i must say that it was the wrong time to get a puppy. You should of waited till summer, so at least you would be home.If your puppy is allowed to pee all over it's self and the house when it's young, it will just grow up to do it.I'm not to big on paper training but in this situation it would probably be the best way.You are going to have to fix a place for it, put paper down and LOTS of toys, it is a puppy it has to have something to do while your gone.I would not leave it in a crate, that is just teaching it to be nasty.It can't hold it's pee for that long, so it has no other choice but to go in it's crate. I know you want what's best for your pup but if more people would think things out before they run out and get a puppy, there would be less dogs in shelters.What you teach it as a puppy, is what it will know as an adult.Good luck.

IrishOne · 11-12-2006, 08:15 AM

Hi. My husband just got me an 8 week old American Bulldog. We already have a long hair chiuaua Gus who is 4 years old. The dogs get along just fine, just a little tift here and there, but overall Daisy is very attached to Gus. We got Daisy a crate and she is in there everynight and then on and off throughout the day for nap time. The problem is, Daisy chewed the corner of our stair landing and its wood! She has toys and I've just bought her a rawhide bone, but I'm not home right now. My husband is so angry over this that he already wants to get rid of her. I think he is jumping the gun a little bit. See I grew up with pets since I was about 7 years old and though I'm upset over this, I'm not ready to throw in the towel, so to speak.
How should I handle this? Puppy classes are just too expensive for us right now ($100.00) because I just spent $149.00 at the vets to find out that she has tape worms and another type of parasite, and I got her the medication and she is doing well. I am reading a book, "The only dog training book you'll ever need" by Gerilyn Bielakiewicz. Any suggestions??? She is really is a lovely dog and has a great personality. I'm working with her on using me as a human teething ring and so far, so good. I think Daisy is very smart and will outgrow this, as my boxer (deceased) did because she is only a baby.

opokki · 11-12-2006, 03:48 PM

Hi IrishOne.
To prevent Daisy from chewing on things she shouldn't, she just needs to be better supervised. When she is out of the crate, someone should be keeping a close eye on her at all times. She can even be tethered to your husbands belt so she can't sneak off out of his view.
Inappropriate chewing should be interrupted and redirected. Its a good idea to leave out only a few toys at a time and then exchange those with a few different toys then next day so the pup doesn't lose interest in them.

tsteele93 · 11-12-2006, 08:56 PM

Well, I guess we can safely assume that Katelan has been driven away from the forum by now.

Here was a young girl who has a puppy and was looking for advice on how to handle problems she was having.

Is her decision to have a dog in those circumstances less than ideal? Possibly so, but lots of people do it. Does abusing her on the forum help solve the problems that she is dealing with now? No.

Why attack a young girl who came here looking for help?

Annabellelee3 · 11-13-2006, 02:55 AM

Dont hit your dog on the nose. you are not even suppose to hit them anywhere on the face. he might also be biting back because he thinks that you are playing same with my dog whenever i tap him on the cheek he does the say but without biting. here is a bit of advice dachshunds are little dogs and dont grow very big when you take him for walks dont walk so fast or do not drag him because they end up tripping over and hurt themselves. write back soon and tell me how you went!

skelaki · 11-13-2006, 06:26 AM

Katelan received some good advice, which hopefully she is following. I don't think people were attacking her by mentioning that the timing was not ideal. I think she wants to do what's best for her puppy and I sincerely hope that she'll return to the forum in future if she has more questions.