Help! New puppy in the house

KellyB

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#23
I just wanted to say that what you're feeling it totally normal. I didn't sleep for at least the first week we had Kovi. I honestly thought about just giving her back . . . just like what you were saying. I don't know what it is because I myself, like you, wanted a dog for the longest time before we got one. I think that once you two start to bond you will feel so much better about things. It is hard at first and you fear that you are dong the wrong thing, but trust me, everything will be fine.

I'm sorry you're feeling so down right now. This is a huge transition but you'll be fine, and when you need support or have questions there are TONS of people on here to help you out!
 

Lyn Scillitoe

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#24
Thanks so much KellyB - I'm so glad so many people on the forum are telling me its normal as all my friends with dogs seem to think I'm mad!

Caren, that sounds great about meeting up in Frinton one day - we'll have to sort it out when Rogan is bigger - thanks for all your encouragement today its been a huge help!
 
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#26
Wow, I thought I was the only one.

I so felt this way, my dbf kept asking me why I was not happy, I had a new puppy I had craved for! I think most of it was a combination of nervousness with getting my first dog ever and and lack of sleep from taking him out all the time.

We adjusted our schedules so that my dbf stayed up later and was able to take him out later so I least got 6 hours of sleep and that really helped.

Please give it another month. Unfurtunetly with the smaller breeds it usually takes longer to house train and is hard to prevent accidents because there bladders are so small, but I promose it is sooooo worth it in the end.

With his breed also be sure to slowely increase the length of his walks. Since they are so active they require lots of exercise.
 

Lyn Scillitoe

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#27
Another one! Yay!!! I'm not mad after all!

Cos we're crate training him at the mo I wasn't planning on getting up at night as he has a training pad in his crate but that may all change as he gets better at being trained during the day - day 2 and he has gone on the paper every time today so fingers crossed!

Thanks for the support!
 
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#28
Lyn Scillitoe said:
Another one! Yay!!! I'm not mad after all!

Cos we're crate training him at the mo I wasn't planning on getting up at night as he has a training pad in his crate but that may all change as he gets better at being trained during the day - day 2 and he has gone on the paper every time today so fingers crossed!

Thanks for the support!
No problem. I hope you don't mind me telling you, but many people believe that training pads increase the length of time it takes to train a dog to go outside (as well as paper training)

I also would not want a dog to associate going to the bathroom with being in his crate, even if it was on a training pad. This could cause issues with him getting used to going in the crate even if there is no pad.

Sorry, but I thought I would let you know so you are informed. There are many other people who can confirm this information :(
 
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#29
I would agree not to put a mat in the crate, as the crate is bed and toileting in thier bed could get confusing for the puppy when you take the mats away.

I however did use the Training mats for Bailey and found that they worked well.
I think there are alot of different opinions on the mats though.
 

Lyn Scillitoe

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#30
Okay thanks for all of that - so if I am using paper successfully during the day can I continue to put paper in his crate at night for the time being. When I saw the vet this morning he seemed to think that this was a good idea but there seems to be so many differing opinions it gets confusing.....
 
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#31
I wouldn't let him associate the crate with toileting at all.
If you line the crate with bedding then he shouldn't pee in there.
It will help to housebreak him if he doesn't use the crate for toileting.
Otherwise when he gets older and you take the paper away he will still pee in there b/c he wouldn't know any different.

This would mean setting the alarm to get him out a couple of times in the night, or if you have the crate in the bedroom with you ( i didn't do this) then he should wake you up.
 

Lyn Scillitoe

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#32
Ok Thanks I may try this but tonight I don't have the energy - I'm seriously knackered from my exhausting day crying and fretting and really need to sleep tonight - I hope it won't cause too many problems if I leave it for one night?
 

mjb

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#34
I did the same thing. I didn't know much about dogs at all, and I was so worried about how to be sure they bonded with us and wouldn't grow up to be aggressive, etc. It was alot of wasted energy, my worrying. On the plus side, I was so depressed, I lost weight!!! Weight loss was good, not depression. If I had it all to do again, I would probably still have the crying moments because watching a puppy constantly during the housetraining stage is exhausting. And I felt like I couldn't get out of the house very much because I didn't want to leave him alone for long! So I would go through the same thing again about being exhausted and feeling like I didn't have a life anymore, but I wouldn't worry as much.

I decided at the time that I would never get a puppy again....that I would get full grown dogs from now on!! Two years later, I'm weakening on that stance.
 

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