[Yogi2009]

We are getting a Shih tzu, Bichon, Maltese mix 8 week old puppy next Friday. By then he will be 8 weeks.

We are on the 3rd floor of an apartment and it will be hard to take him up and down the stairs because he is so tiny, and not a good idea because he's only had his first series of shots (other dogs living in the apt. and don't want to expose him to diseases).

Anyways, our plan is to buy a dog litter box and put newspaper in it at the beginning (he is currently being paper trained at the breeder) and then gradually switch to litter. Anyone had good luck with litter box training? I wish we had a yard, but we don't and since he will be small I'm hoping the litter box training will work for him.

Any recommendations/tips? I can't wait to get our little Yogi!

 

[hulkamaniac]

Once he has had all his shots he'll be fine to take outside and once he's full grown it's definitely ok to take him outside. I would explore the idea of putting sod in the box so the dog gets used to eliminating with grass under his feet. Once he's had all his shots and gets the OK from the vet, you can start housebreaking as you normally would.

 

[Yogi2009]

We can't take him outside? I thought it was okay as long as the pet is not around any dogs or has any contact with where other animals have been. We are only planning on taking him out on the balcony...no where else. That will not hurt him, right?

 

[hulkamaniac]

We can't take him outside? I thought it was okay as long as the pet is not around any dogs or has any contact with where other animals have been. We are only planning on taking him out on the balcony...no where else. That will not hurt him, right?

The first part is correct. The tricky part is avoiding any place any dog has been. From your first post I thought you were well aware of this rule so I'm very confused.

The balcony won't "hurt" him, but the dog will learn to pee on the balcony. If that's where you want the dog to go and you're willing to follow him around with bleach and a pooper scooper to clean up after him, that's fine.

 

[Yogi2009]

This is why we're bringing a litter box outside for him to do his business in the litter box on the balcony.

 

[Thracian]

I posted about this on another thread. You can see what my friend did on her balcony. A small patch of earth.

http://www.dogforums.com/19-first-time-dog-owner/47550-doggie-litter-box.html

Scroll to see the pictures.

 

[craven.44]

Couldn't you just carry him down the steps and take him a little bit away from where other dogs go? At least after he has had his shots I would do that.

 

[nikelodeon79]

We can't take him outside? I thought it was okay as long as the pet is not around any dogs or has any contact with where other animals have been. We are only planning on taking him out on the balcony...no where else. That will not hurt him, right?

IMO, the whole "isolating your dog completely until it is 100% vaccinated is overrated. I think socialization benefits outweigh the risks.

As long as you avoid areas that see a lot of dog traffic (dog parks, Petco/Petsmart, etc.) you should be fine. Find a puppy class at a place such as a vet clinic. I can't say enough about how helpful puppy class has been for me & my pup.

Finally... I'm a bit concerned that you are getting a mixed puppy from a "breeder." Search for "BYB" on this forum and you'll find out why I'm concerned..

 

[Yogi2009]

I am not concerned about getting our puppy from this breeder, as she only breeds her dogs once a year and she gets joy from helping raise them until they are ready for new homes. We asked her several questions and we saw the papers for the registered Shih Tzu mother. She answered all of our questions and even asked us some questions too.

I am not concerned about getting our puppy from this breeder, as she only breeds her dogs once a year and she gets joy from helping raise them until they are ready for new homes. We asked her several questions and we saw the papers for the registered Shih Tzu mother. She answered all of our questions and even asked us some questions too. Oh yeah, she also gave us references which I called.

 

[hulkamaniac]

I am not concerned about getting our puppy from this breeder, as she only breeds her dogs once a year and she gets joy from helping raise them until they are ready for new homes. We asked her several questions and we saw the papers for the registered Shih Tzu mother. She answered all of our questions and even asked us some questions too.

I am not concerned about getting our puppy from this breeder, as she only breeds her dogs once a year and she gets joy from helping raise them until they are ready for new homes. We asked her several questions and we saw the papers for the registered Shih Tzu mother. She answered all of our questions and even asked us some questions too. Oh yeah, she also gave us references which I called.

The fact that she breeds her dog for profit raises a red flag in my mind. The fact that the dog is registered means nothing to me. You can register pretty much any dog.