Question and More Questions...

Well, as you all know I've had my Rocky for almost a week now. Wonderful dog, love 'em a lot.

Well, anyway I was just wondering. I've been taking him outside a lot, letting him do his business and he's done a good job on the most part besides some peeing and pooing accidents inside the house. I was just wondering, how long is it going to take for Rocky to realize that inside the house isn't the place to do his business?

I was just wondering when... and if he does have an accident INSIDE the house does that kind of ruin what I HAVE been doing for him?

And some questions about nipping:

Well, I've tried what Saje recommended which is when he does do it, to squeal "Ouch!" and go into the other room for a few minutes leaving him without attention. It doesn't work, I'll come back and he'll forget all about it and start nipping again. It's starting to hurt. How do I stop this?

Well, I guess that's it. Thanks.

for the biting you should stick a toy in his mouth

Lol! You poor thing! Rocky's actually doing quite well for a baby who hasn't been in his new home for quite a week. Seems longer when you're mopping up puppy pee, doesn't it? Accidents don't wipe out all the times he's done it right. It's just a matter of keeping at it and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of patience.

And patience.

Did I mention it takes a lot of patience?

As for the nipping, if the yelping isn't working, you might want to start teaching him "no" taking your hands away from him, then putting a chew toy in his mouth and giving him good dog baby-talk when he bites the toy. If he goes back to your hand, a firm "no" then offer him the toy again and more soothing baby-talk.

Those little needle-sharp puppy teeth are just painful!

Oh, and in case I forgot to tell you . . .

It takes a lot of patience to raise a puppy . . . {HUGS}

LOL! Thank you...

*Hugs back* You've been a lot of help in raising Rocky. He's a good dog, he means well .

I just hope the house training will go buy quickly.

He hasn't pooed in a while in the house. Which I appreciate very much! He's mostly peeing inside the house than anything else. But any time I ever see him "assume the position" I pick him up real fast and run outside. Is this a good approach?

Right on target!

Try slipping his lip between your skin and his teeth....not much fun when you're biting yourself!

It's taking me ages to housebreak my puppy too... Got him for a month now. Just take him outside a lot, and praise him a lot when he does outside (I give him a treat, he's very food oriented ). Take him every 30 minutes-one hour if you can, when he wakes up from a nap, after eating, after playing etc... My puppy knows he has to go out, knows how to show us he has to go (by sitting next to the baby gate, lol so cute), he just 'forgets' when inside sometimes... If I see him do it, I say a sharp no, and shakes him a bit, and believe me he knows I'm not happy! If I don't, I clean when he's not looking (usually put him in his crate with a blanket over). He's usually pretty good about it though, it's just annoying how he can hold 7 hours in the crate but not 2 hours in the room...

For the biting, we've tried everything... Saying no, grasping his mouth and keeping it close, doing a loud 'ow', nothing worked... Until we got that water spray bottle. In 2 days, he stopped biting, lol. You should try it.

Dang... now, where's that water bottle...

Hey, do any of yours dogs ever seem like he wants to be alone? Mine seems to go into the tile kitchen a lot where we have to leave him for a while 5 days a week during work/school hours. Does anybody else's dog do that?

It may be because I rolled up a newspaper and gently tapped him on the back to give him a scare for the nipping. I dunno, he's a lot of work... I need help.

Do you think he gets hot and it's cooler on the tile? My Maverick is always hot and he sleeps in the doorway on the tile where it's cooler but he can still see us.

Pups need a little down time, just like we do - maybe more so, if you think about how much more intensely their senses are bombarded with stimuli than ours are. And the cool tile probably feels great on a hot, furry little belly!

That's what my friend said, cause the tile is cool. Maybe that's it but you'd think he'd come when I called him.

Today 3/20/05 has been a sort of tough day with Rocky. Similar to the one in the My Pup's Being Weird thread. But I guess it's part of raising a puppy.

I love him a lot though . . .