[LaDay&Rallo]

Hello,

I am new to this forum but far from new to dog owning. I grew up as a child mostly with large dogs. German shepherd, alaskan husky, Rottweiler, poodle etc. But as a 1L student I'm a bit busy but I wanted a dog so bad for mostly companionship issues.

I trolled the internet and finally located a puppy in my price range and one that seemed to fit my single apartment style living lifestyle. I got a male rat terrier/poodle mix commonly known as a Rattle. The dog breeder I got it from stated she was a Chihuahua puppy breeder and the mother of my puppy (I saw the mom but couldn't distinguish if it was the poodle a full pure bread poodle because of the grooming) accidentally got pregnant by her neighbors dog (the rat terrier).

When I picked up the puppy he was 1 of 3 (2 boys 1 girl) but not the runt (btw the runt was gorgeous!). I took my room mate with me who use to be a vet technician. She checked out the puppy for me and the initial owner gave the dog his shots right in front of me along with the packaging and some de worming medicine. MY room mate noticed that the puppy had a few flees and ticks on him. The initial owner told me she had given him a flee bath the night before but the dog had been playing outside and could have gotten a few flees. Initially the dog was calm and sleepy but once we got him home and gave him the flee medicine he has been a totally different dog.

His first night was ok. He is not a fan of the crate at all. I initially put a puppy pad in the crate for an overnight accident but after further research I decided to take it out and just put a towel/blanket in the crate. I have started to also give him a treat every time I put him in the crate and leave for sleep or just for the day so he can start to associate it with quiet time and good behavior.

I ended up having to get up at 4 am last night after putting him to bed in the crate around 12am (after i took him outside) because he was whining so loud and so long. I took him out cause I thought he wanted attention but really he wanted to go to the bathroom. So he had an accident in the house (outside of the small pee accidents he had earlier) and after I took him outside to finish. I brought him back in, gave him a little food and water and then put him back in the crate. He slept for about 3 hours and then was back to whining.

I got up for class and took him out. This time when I took him out but this time he seemed to be having issues with doing his poop business. It seemed as if he was struggling but the only thing I can attribute that to is his change in food from what his original owner gave him to what I am currently giving him. He also was worrying me because of his yelping and scratching. I gave him the flee and tick medicine last night around 8 or 9 pm and he seems to be going through a tough time with the flees and ticks. He scratches around his neck where I put the flee medicine and where his collar is. I was worried the collar was irritating him (but I did the finger check and its not too tight) or the flees and ticks were just freaking out because of the medicine. Today, around the same time I gave him the flee medicine yesterday I plan on giving him a bath with a oatmeal shampoo I bought to hopefully give him some relief from the flees, ticks, and itching.

I want to get him to stop yelping and whining as soon as possible. I also want to start training him as soon as possible. Im a very mellow, laid back person who shows a lot of affection. I feel this puppy was the right move for me but I just need a little help on the way. If anyone has any tips, question, or suggestions please feel free to let me know or reply. I would really appreciate it.


-LaDay&Rallo

 

[mashlee08]

Ideally, the puppy needs to go back and spend at least another 2 to 4 weeks to learn behavioral things from his mother and litter mates. He is much to young to be away from his litter mates and mother.
At 6 weeks he has no control over toilet functions whatsoever and his bladder will be tiny! His nervous system wont have developed enough to send the "i need to go potty" signals to his brain yet.
So expecting him to hold it for any longer then an hour is completely unrealistic. You need to be setting an alarm and getting up every hour to allow him to go out to toilet otherwise your just setting him up for failure. Have a party when he goes outside.
But seriously before all that, the puppy needs to go back and spend more time with mom.

 

[LaDay&Rallo]

Ok,

Thanks for the reply but the dog can't and isn't going back. So I would appreciate more advice on the current situation instead of an unable ideal situation. I've noticed the pee accidents and realized that it happens when he is just walking around. He doesn't even stop to pee lol! So i can completely agree with him not having the control just yet. Would it be possible for me to get him to play with other dogs in my apartment complex and that would suffice somewhat for him being away from mom and litter mates? Would it be confusing for me to do pee pads every hour and outside every 4 hours? I also bought pet puppy diapers but he seems to not like wearing them right now because it limits him from scratching with the flee situation. Any suggestion on how to incorporate the diapers into his potty training?

 

[Shell]

NO, that dog should NOT be outside playing with other dogs, walking where other dogs are etc. He shouldn't be anywhere there is the potential for an unvaccinated dog to have eliminated. He has no immunity right now to things like parvo (very common in many areas and expensive to treat with a high fatality rate) and distemper (common in some areas, high fatality rate, no real treatment options).

If you gave a topical flea med (which I hope was marked for pups at 6 weeks of age and older), then you want to wait several days before bathing. Topical flea meds are most effective given at least a few days after a bath and not bathing for several more days (for the oils on the fur/skin).

You need to get a vet check ASAP and get started on the vaccines - making sure that whatever shots the original owner had given are the correct ones for that age and doing the second set at the proper time.

 

[huskysmiles]

Your puppy is really young. He should not be out and about when he is in danger of catching diseases and he certainly hasn't learned to socialize yet. He definitely doesn't have control over his bladder functions so training him right now should be the last thing on your mind. Like the poster above me said, you need to get him to the vet straight away to vaccinate him and that everything is up to day and right for him. A vet can also help you when it comes to your puppy's care - so you might as well ask. Taking care of a puppy this young is a full time job for a few weeks and unfortunately I don't think he'll stop yapping very soon. It's a shame you can't return him to his mother because he really does need to learn more from her. Regardless, I wish you the best of luck with him! Just remember to talk to your vet.

 

[Amaryllis]

WASH HIM, WASH HIM NOW. I just looked at every brand of OTC flea topicals and they all say for puppies 8 weeks of age and older. Get some mild dish detergent, ideally original Dawn, and wash him and rinse really well. Then take him to the vet immediately afterwards. Do not allow him on the floor at the vets, or outside your apartment or anywhere another dog might have been. Parvo kills and it kills horribly.

 

[Shell]

WASH HIM, WASH HIM NOW. I just looked at every brand of OTC flea topicals and they all say for puppies 8 weeks of age and older. Get some mild dish detergent, ideally original Dawn, and wash him and rinse really well. Then take him to the vet immediately afterwards. Do not allow him on the floor at the vets, or outside your apartment or anywhere another dog might have been. Parvo kills and it kills horribly.

there are some OTC topicals that are 7 weeks and older (Advantix 2 and Advantage 2 at least)

Am I reading it correctly that you have given flea medicine twice since you have had this dog? Or just the once after he'd been given a "flea bath"? You never want to double up with a chemical flea bath and a flea medication- esp. on a tiny puppy that can basically overdose them.

Either way around, get the dog to a vet, held in your arms or in an enclosed carrier.

Use pee pads 100% for now since you live in an apartment complex and have no idea the diseases that could be on the ground due to the other dogs.

He's yelping and whining because he is an infant taken away too young.

 

[LaDay&Rallo]

I guess I didn't mention that I took him to the Petsmart vet right after I purchased him and had them have a over look of him. The petsmart vet weighed my puppy and gave me the flee medicine that I applied to him. I have been taking him outside to my apartments designated "dog friendly" spot to do his business. Should I stop doing that? He has not interacted with any other dogs and I only take him out when he is the only dog in the area. His next shots are not suppose to be until 12 or 13 weeks. Also I am suppose to give him the worming medication that the original owner gave me some time next week.

 

[Shell]

I have been taking him outside to my apartments designated "dog friendly" spot to do his business. Should I stop doing that? He has not interacted with any other dogs and I only take him out when he is the only dog in the area.

A designated "dog spot" is basically the worst place to take an unvaccinated puppy. It doesn't matter if there are no dogs there at that time, parvo lives for a very long time in the soil.

Note that I say "unvaccinated" even though your dog has had one set of vaccines- because the immunity from the mother (assuming the mom was vaccinated, which I wouldn't assume with a "breeder" like this) wears off at an unknown time frame that seems to be different for each dog, parvo vaccine is given as a series of 3 or 4 shots spaced over time. The first shot may not take effect at all because the mom's antibodies are still in the pup.

Many people will take a dog to places where all the dogs are proven to be vaccinated after the pups 2nd set of shots. So, a friend's home with a vaccinated adult dog or puppy kindergarten where the facility requires vet records and cleans well between training classes (but you still don't walk the dog through a public place to get to those places) are fine but not till your dog is 12-13 weeks and had that second set of shots.

What topical flea med were you given by the PetSmart vet? Did you tell the vet the dog was 6 weeks old?

BTW- in many states it is illegal to sell a dog under 8 weeks of age. Which is part of the reason I'd be pretty dubious of trusting anything the seller said to you.

 

[Kyllobernese]

I would set up a pen for the puppy or a safe room like a laundry or bathroom with a baby gate across the door. Put down puppy pads, you can put the crate in the pen but leave the door open so she will have a place to sleep. Put her food and water by her bed and the puppy pads at the far end of the pen.

Put a ticking clock under a soft blanket in the crate and make sure it is warm enough. Hopefully your puppy has not come in contact with any sick dogs outside but don't take her out there again. At six weeks they are just barely weaned so the shot the seller gave the puppy is probably not at all effective. You can take the puppy out but carry it, just so it gets to go to different places and see people and traffic.

My niece has a Rat terrier and they are sure very energetic little dogs but really cute, will be more fluffy with the Poodle in there.

 

[TK9]

I really hate reading the kind of stuff you've written. By bringing this too-young puppy home from an irresponsible owner (who is NOT a breeder), you display an awful lot of ignorance and selfishness.

A puppy is a lot of work and are so easily steered down the wrong path when they're so young. A significant number of dogs who are ultimately put down in shelters end up there because foolish people bring home puppies that they can't or won't properly potty train, end up frustrated and give up on them. I feel bad for your pup.

You may think it was the right thing for you, it is definitely the wrong thing for this poor animal.

 

[sassafras]

A puppy is a lot of work and are so easily steered down the wrong path when they're so young. A significant number of dogs who are ultimately put down in shelters end up there because foolish people bring home puppies that they can't or won't properly potty train, end up frustrated and give up on them. I feel bad for your pup.

The OP may not have brought this puppy home at an ideal age, but they seem pretty willing to put the work into potty training and are asking for help doing so.

OP, the puppy should not have come home this young but what's done is done and hopefully the next time you get a puppy you will do better now that you know better. Having said that, I agree with Kyllobernese, for now I would set up an area like a gated room or an exercise pen with an open-door crate and a separate area for pottying - either a short sided litter box filled with shredded paper or some pee pads. I think one of Ian Dunbar's free downloads at dogstardaily.com (Either "before you get your puppy" or "after you get your puppy") talks about a set up like that for puppies this young, too young to realistically have expectations of making much progress being actually housetrained (just because they barely have the physical control necessary to even realize they need to go, as you've seen yourself) but getting them started on the right track and then progressing on to "real" housetraining as they get a bit older.

Good luck. You've potentially set yourself up for some challenges with this puppy due to to his age. I would download both of the above pdfs, I also really like "The Puppy Primer" by Patricia McConnell and another author whose name escapes me.

 

[Contact_Zone]

I'm sorry to say you are off to a very bad start.
The "backyard breeder" is obviously only in it for the money and doesn't know what she's doing.
The pup was sold way too young, as already said, and you'll need to seriously work on socialisation with well balanced adult dogs so your pup can learn correct dog language and behaviour codes.
The pup is also too young to be housebroken, and will need to do "his business" very often.

I grew up as a child mostly with large dogs. German shepherd, alaskan husky, Rottweiler, poodle etc. But as a 1L student I'm a bit busy but I wanted a dog so bad for mostly companionship issues.

one that seemed to fit my single apartment style living lifestyle.

It is an error to think a "small dog" is ok in a small appartment and a "large dog" is not; what all dogs need most is the owner's time.
Terrier type breeds or mixes are high energy and very intelligent dogs, if they become bored they can become destructive or otherwise get into trouble.

Ma suggestions in this tricky situation would be:

- Create a space as suggested by Sassafrass, for examle in the kitchen (easy to clean floor and daylight) with a couple pee pads in one corner, pup's bed and water in the opposite corner.
- As soon as possible (check with vet/shots) have the pup meet calm and well balanced adult dogs.
- Take the pup with you everywhere as much as possible, but never force anything on him, meet different people in different locations and situations, but a little at a time, don't do this too much/too fast.
- Don't start "formal training" too early, rather concentrate on building a good bond between you and the pup by play, walks and quality time together.

Good luck and enjoy your new companion !

 

[hanksimon]

I haven't seen any more posts from the OP ... I wonder if the tone scared her off?

 

[Irene V.]

Hello,

I am new to this forum but far from new to dog owning. I grew up as a child mostly with large dogs. German shepherd, alaskan husky, Rottweiler, poodle etc. But as a 1L student I'm a bit busy but I wanted a dog so bad for mostly companionship issues.

I trolled the internet and finally located a puppy in my price range and one that seemed to fit my single apartment style living lifestyle. I got a male rat terrier/poodle mix commonly known as a Rattle. The dog breeder I got it from stated she was a Chihuahua puppy breeder and the mother of my puppy (I saw the mom but couldn't distinguish if it was the poodle a full pure bread poodle because of the grooming) accidentally got pregnant by her neighbors dog (the rat terrier).

When I picked up the puppy he was 1 of 3 (2 boys 1 girl) but not the runt (btw the runt was gorgeous!). I took my room mate with me who use to be a vet technician. She checked out the puppy for me and the initial owner gave the dog his shots right in front of me along with the packaging and some de worming medicine. MY room mate noticed that the puppy had a few flees and ticks on him. The initial owner told me she had given him a flee bath the night before but the dog had been playing outside and could have gotten a few flees. Initially the dog was calm and sleepy but once we got him home and gave him the flee medicine he has been a totally different dog.

His first night was ok. He is not a fan of the crate at all. I initially put a puppy pad in the crate for an overnight accident but after further research I decided to take it out and just put a towel/blanket in the crate. I have started to also give him a treat every time I put him in the crate and leave for sleep or just for the day so he can start to associate it with quiet time and good behavior.

I ended up having to get up at 4 am last night after putting him to bed in the crate around 12am (after i took him outside) because he was whining so loud and so long. I took him out cause I thought he wanted attention but really he wanted to go to the bathroom. So he had an accident in the house (outside of the small pee accidents he had earlier) and after I took him outside to finish. I brought him back in, gave him a little food and water and then put him back in the crate. He slept for about 3 hours and then was back to whining.

I got up for class and took him out. This time when I took him out but this time he seemed to be having issues with doing his poop business. It seemed as if he was struggling but the only thing I can attribute that to is his change in food from what his original owner gave him to what I am currently giving him. He also was worrying me because of his yelping and scratching. I gave him the flee and tick medicine last night around 8 or 9 pm and he seems to be going through a tough time with the flees and ticks. He scratches around his neck where I put the flee medicine and where his collar is. I was worried the collar was irritating him (but I did the finger check and its not too tight) or the flees and ticks were just freaking out because of the medicine. Today, around the same time I gave him the flee medicine yesterday I plan on giving him a bath with a oatmeal shampoo I bought to hopefully give him some relief from the flees, ticks, and itching.

I want to get him to stop yelping and whining as soon as possible. I also want to start training him as soon as possible. Im a very mellow, laid back person who shows a lot of affection. I feel this puppy was the right move for me but I just need a little help on the way. If anyone has any tips, question, or suggestions please feel free to let me know or reply. I would really appreciate it.


-LaDay&Rallo

:wave: Puppies under 4 months of age have little bladder or sphincter control. Puppies under 3 months have even less. Very young puppies under 9 weeks should not be crated, as they need to eliminate very frequently (usually 8-12 times or more daily).

 

[tinaa1]

I can believe what I'm reading.... As a dog owner all my life, before I ever bought a dog i would do so much research.. I feel you haven't done that. 6 week old puppy, poor little mite must be so scared to be away from its mother and as for taking it out I'm gob smacked totally... You obviously have access to a computer, I suggest you use it

 

[Hambonez]

At 8 wks old, my puppy had to be brought out every 20-30 minutes when awake to pee.

I'm not touchin' the rest of it

 

[Pawzk9]

I really hate reading the kind of stuff you've written. By bringing this too-young puppy home from an irresponsible owner (who is NOT a breeder), you display an awful lot of ignorance and selfishness.

A puppy is a lot of work and are so easily steered down the wrong path when they're so young. A significant number of dogs who are ultimately put down in shelters end up there because foolish people bring home puppies that they can't or won't properly potty train, end up frustrated and give up on them. I feel bad for your pup.

You may think it was the right thing for you, it is definitely the wrong thing for this poor animal.

That's really a lot of assumption on your part. Lots of people get pups at under the ideal age. Sometimes, if the "breeder" is neglectful, it's actually better for the pup to be somewhere they are being cared for, though not a perfect solution. It's nuts to assume someone is going to dump their pup at the shelter because they are asking questions about house training. To the OP, treat this infant like an infant. And go to a better vet than Banfield, and ask for and FOLLOW their instructions on flea preventatives. These medications are not without side effects and you want to be sure not to overdose. Like with human babies, you're going to be cleaning up lots of messes and getting woke up in the middle of the night. This, too, will pass. Once the pup is safely vaccinated, one of the best things you can do fo her is find a very appropriate older dog who will teach her boundaries without injuring her.

 

[Pawzk9]

I would set up an area like a gated room or an exercise pen with an open-door crate and a separate area for pottying - either a short sided litter box filled with shredded paper or some pee pads. I think one of Ian Dunbar's free downloads at dogstardaily.com (Either "before you get your puppy" or "after you get your puppy") talks about a set up like that for puppies this young, too young to realistically have expectations of making much progress being actually housetrained (just because they barely have the physical control necessary to even realize they need to go, as you've seen yourself) but getting them started on the right track and then progressing on to "real" housetraining as they get a bit older.

Good luck. You've potentially set yourself up for some challenges with this puppy due to to his age. I would download both of the above pdfs, I also really like "The Puppy Primer" by Patricia McConnell and another author whose name escapes me.

Or dog litter - my last puppies, at 5 weeks would wake up and race for the litter box. I never had to clean up any accidents outside that box. And the substrate is more similar to outdoors, while pads are "like" rugs or clothes on the floor.

 

[sassafras]

At 8 wks old, my puppy had to be brought out every 20-30 minutes when awake to pee.

I'm not touchin' the rest of it

At around 12 weeks old, I resorted to setting a kitchen timer for EVERY 10 MINUTES to get enough successes outdoors and not-mistakes indoors to start to make housetraining meaningful for Squash. TEN MINUTES.

Or dog litter - my last puppies, at 5 weeks would wake up and race for the litter box. I never had to clean up any accidents outside that box. And the substrate is more similar to outdoors, while pads are "like" rugs or clothes on the floor.

I... didn't even know there was such a thing as dog litter. Got my "something new" out of the way early today!