[giggalz]

he's driving me crazy!..My family isnt new to owning dogs...but its new for me to care so much for a dog. Being home a lot since getting the puppy he's been my little furry man. But lately he's not been acting like himself and I'm about to lose my mind and not sure what his deal is. He's a 3 month old yellow lab. We got him when he was 6 weeks old. I house trained him so that when he has to go out he rings the bell at the door. We've gone through and I think we are still in that stage where he doesnt hit the bell. He will walk by but I'm the only one who knows and can see he has to go out. I have waited for him to really ring the bell praise him and take him out. I'm still unsure why he chooses not to ring the bell at times. I dont know if when others are around they tune out the bell..which makes this frustrating when I'm seriously trying to train him. Tuesday night he vomits on the floor...I've been trying to train him to give paw and I've started to include treats I break them up small..I dont know if it was to much or something else going on. But tuesday I washed his bed for the first time. It is machine washable..but the insides kinda exploded so off for a new bed. He's had this bed since a few days after we got him. Now 35 pounds he still uses it...but I felt there was no point in a small bed that he would soon grow out of ..so we got him a large bed..which I think he hates because he's chewed the one side up...he's never chewed up the first one...and since tuesday..he's pooped in the house..and not squatting and pooping but walking poops...he's peed a few times...and again we arent squatting we are just walking and going. I've noticed after he's pooped in the house his bowels have been runny..and didnt eat as much yesterday as usual..on top of all of this we live on a farm so we've never had to put him on a leash...up until this week he's been good about staying close by and not running off to far..and if so he will come to you when you call him. But we've had to start putting him on a leash especially after running across the road the other day...and I've been outside calling him..and flat out ignores me. he's not liking the leash at all. Sometimes he just takes it across his mouth and i tell him no biting...but he honestly does better on the leash when its in his mouth..i kinda joke to myself that he's walking me...there have been times where he fights me on going out..and will refuse to walk out the door..

im sorry i know i typed a lot up there..but just wanted to make sure all the info is there...i just dont know if he's going through a phase...if this phase is kinda worsened by the new leash and the missing bed or what..im not sure how to correct this so that he can have a bed ..one that he will enjoy and wont chew up..and learn to like the leash...neither of us are enjoying the fact that he sometimes forgets he's on it and takes off...especially when i'm walking out the door..and there goes my arm...i'm kinda wondering if he's going in the house because of this leash...i feel like i've caused this phase because i didnt want him to be on a leash outside and now its a must...i was the one who decided to wash his bed...it got ruined..and he hates his new bed...not that i think going potty in the house is okay either...

 

[Amaryllis]

That is my 3-5 year old rescue chewing his bed. Your puppy doesn't hate his bed, he just likes to chew things. Labs are mouthy dogs, and he's getting to the teething stage, so he's likely to chew everything soon. Don't take it personally.

At 3 months old, a dog is physically incapable of predicting when they need to pee or poop. The nervous system isn't developed enough for that and won't develop until 6 months at the earliest. House training at this stage is simply prevention. Take him out often, after meals, after naps and after play. He will have accidents, just clean them up.

It's normal for tiny puppies to stay close to you. It's an instinct left over from the wild when they were prey for other predators. At 3 months, he's more confident, so, yeah, he'll take off. Put a leash on him and keep it on him. Off leash training is time consuming and difficult and not all dogs can get it. My dog will never go anywhere without a leash, he just can't be trusted. It's okay. He'll learn the leash, it just takes time. No dog is born with leash manners. We have stickies in the training section on loose leash walking.

All of these things are totally normal. Puppies are frustrating. I don't even do puppies for the above reasons. To me, a puppy is the long way around to the adult dog you really want.

Now the diarrhea, how long has that been going on? Did he eat something unusual? Has he seen a vet? Puppies can dehydrate pretty quickly, so I'd call a vet on that one. In the meantime, buy some canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling. check to make sure the only ingredient is pumpkin.) in the baking aisle. Give him a tablespoon every 4-6 hours. That might help firm up his poop and even if it doesn't, pumpkin is good for him.

Hang in there. He won't be a puppy forever.

 

[giggalz]

hmmm i replied to this but do not see it at all..

hmm i know he will chew...i just felt it was a little bit to much of a coincidence...he hasnt chewed up anything he's not suppose to..never touched his first bed...until we got him this one..he just didnt seem to take to well..i noticed it was pretty fluffy and kinda took over his crate..and usually has room to move around..which he does often when he sleeps...this one doesnt allow as much...

the diarrhea didnt start till yesterday...i'm on a different time schedule then the others in the house..so i was told it was running this morning...my sister put him in his crate earlier so she could take a shower..then i did..then took her to work..he's just been sleeping and will take him out shortly and see how he does..

 

[Amaryllis]

Be prepared for him to chew everything and anything. Like I said, labs are mouthy and when his mouth starts hurting from teething, your chairs will start to look good. And your fingers, and shoes, and possibly your walls. Just replace whatever he's chewing on with one of his toys and praise him when he chews his toys. When he's teething, wet a towel, twist it up and put it in the freezer. Then give him the frozen towel to chew on, it'll soothe his mouth.

Diarrhea can be so many things, something he ate, a virus, worms, gastroenteritis, a reaction to heat. It's more of a concern with puppies because small things dehydrate more quickly, so stay on top of it.

 

[Hambonez]

My pup is 7 months. He hasn't chewed up his little crate bed that we got him the day we got him. He does drag it around sometimes. Then we got him a bigger bed to have in the living room (aka his "couch"). I had to sew it back together pretty early on because he gnaws on the sides. Now he has a THIRD bed (spoiled brat) for the other room, and he doesn't chew on that, but he does drag it around. He loves all his bed and sleeps in all of them, but apparently there's something about his couch that's just irresistible.

As far as him letting you know he needs to go out - just too young! It's your job to make sure he goes out enough. He should always be within arm's reach so you can grab him before he goes in the house.

Don't know if I missed anything else there... the block of text hurt my brain!

 

[hanksimon]

Like Amaryllis said, Labs chew. At 3 mos, he may be teething, losing his baby teeth and growing his adult teeth, so his gums are sore, and chewing the bed is soothing. Many Labs will chew and swallow anything... that's b/c part of a Lab's history a dog was bred with a goat, later they were also bred with a piranha, and an alligator I'm surprised that you forgot to mention that he's been trying to make a Happy Meal out of you... ... Eating the bed, changing the food, or eating too many treats, or other things could result in runny stools.... which could result in the house training issues. You'll have to ask what other people are feeding him. But watch the diarrhea and determine the cause. Also, let everyone know that they can never feed him from the supper table and shouldn't feed him snacks or people food... due to potential reactions.

A Kong and a hard rubber bone may help...

 

[Mheath0429]

He might not like the bed in his crate, our dogs cant stand it.

 

[xxxxdogdragoness]

I agree, I love puppies everyone does, but for thr same reasons as Amaryllis about puppies... The long way around getting the dog you want