Some small breed questions!

Well, Tink goes up stairs,(4 1/2 lb chi mix) but I've actively discouraged her going down stairs,b/c of our house set up, she has too much opportunity for trouble if she learns..I'd rather keep her NOT doing that...
She's 14 weeks, so still growing-
she's slept all night in her crate since 7 weeks old, no noise at all,and she was only 2 pounds back then!

My Jackson didn't start going up and down stairs until he was about 5 months old. He is now 8 months old and I think he is pretty much finished growing at about 9 lbs. He sleeps through the night but is an early riser so he wakes us up to go out in the morning after about 6-7 hours. He is *close* to being house broken as we are using pee pads whenwe are not home and he tells us most of the time when he has to go outside. We are thinking he should be able to hold it for longer periods of time and are being more diligent with getting the pee pads off the floor for longer periods of time now.

I have a question about barking...Jack has started this recently and it is getting on our nerves! We do the process of elimination...check water, food, pee mats, put him outside, put him up on the bed (He can't jump that high), throw the ball. Unfortunately he wants us to get up and play usually very early in the morning. BUT as soon as you do get up to play...he falls asleep! I have been thinking of getting a dog whistle to blow when he barks to distract him from barking. I think it is similar t the high pitched plug in units you can buy? Anyone have any other ideas?

help.. nervous mommy lol

hello everyone.. i am a complete newbie to this forum thing.. i guess i cant post a new thread on my own? terrible shame i have a million questions atm.. my shih tzu is pregnant.. very much so.. and i am seeing things that i do not recall with my bigger dogs when they were pregnant.. and i need comforting i think.. lol.. she is my baby and 6 years old (almost) and when i bred her i sought out all sorts of advice.. she is from a reputable breeder and i just want to have one of her daughters.. but anyway..

she is not "due" for another week or two.. first supposed date is the 16th and last is the 23rd, but she is very big.. cannot manage stairs or climbing at all last few days.. and.. she has already gotten her colostrum.. doesnt that normally only happen right before? and so i took her temp a bit ago.. 4 times.. it ranged from 97.5 to 98.3.. doesnt that seem extreamly low? and she will barely eat for the past 2 days i have to really offer her meat or "human" food to get her to eat.. is this all ok? i called her vet and he said no worries, but it seems so early.. any advice?

you know with mine.. it sounds silly.. but.. you watch the dog whisperer? basicly they dont know what annoys you til you tell them.. and we do this by a certain sound.. i use a snap of my finger.. my husband does sort of a shush sound.. the trick is to do this and make a dominant move toward the dog at the same time.. very hard to explain.. but if you can picture it.. the dog barks.. you make the sound and step toward him.. if he stops back away or relax.. of not do the sound again and move closer.. it is about repeating the same thing until he stops.. it sounds mean, but dogs dont understand words.. they understand signal and primal behavior.. i have never spanked my dogs.. i use this method for all forms of undesired behavior.. and it always works.. at the end of the day.. all i have to do now is snap.. and they know its a no no.. you are forcing a submission to you if you will.. being a pack leader

We love this show and my bf shushes the dog just like Caesar all the time...it's not really working though...it becomes a game almost to him! I have tried clapping and it doesn't work either. We even try the bite ( where he nips back at the dog with his hand ) This is why I am thinking the whistle may be better...With Caesar is it usually isn't the dog with the problem---it's often the people---I guess you just have to find the way that works for your pet, just as with children you have to find different ways to punish them for misbehaviour as well! Pets are harder to understand since they can't talk and tell you what they want.

Aija - how big is she?
and how big was the stud?
Did you to health screening like eyes/hips ect ect??

If the vet said no worries, than things should be okay. If you're getting really nervous you can take her in so your vet can look at her and tell you then.

she is 1o lbs plus a bit of change well likely a few pounds heavier atm.. the stud was 11.5 lbs.. yes Maam.. when she was 1 then 2 she has several health screens.. and of course goes to the vet once a year... i was told she was of good breeding stock, and in prime health.. the one thing i was not sure of.. my hesitation to breed her if you will.. was that she lost an eye about 2 years ago, just when i was wanting to breed her the first time,at the age of 3 and a half (nearly 4) due to a dog attack.. (chow) my vet said that was no reason to not breed her... otherwise no troubles, her sire and dam were both show quality, not champoins but show winners in confirmation.. i am just concerned that she seems to be doing things early?

1) Climbed stairs at 3-4 months. With some help, mostly to overcome fear. Once I showed him how to do it, I wish I didn't cause he keeps climbing up and down.

2) 7-8months. maybe even 6. He was big at a young age. Now he's 16.5 lbs

3) 8 months, and just today he had accidents. But he is sick today (upset stomach) so I'll give him a break.

He was sleeping through the night by 5-6 months.

However, at 6 months, he got snip-sniped and from then on, due to my gf falling for puppy dog eyes, he sleeps outside of his cage, in our room.

But oddly enough, he goes back in his cage, door open and sleep there sometimes

I have a chi mix.
She probably went up and down stairs at 6 months. She stopped growing at about 10-12 months (that I started noticing)
Wow, well, it took until about 9-10 months(that was a looong time, but she had such a tiny bladder it was much harder than with my other dogs.) to housetrain her with a doggie door, but now we don't have it anymore and she's going all over the place!