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#1
04-26-2005, 09:48 PM
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New Puppy Questions Suggestions?
My wife and I both grew up as kids with dogs, we
have been married almost 11 years now and decided it was time to get a dog again (we both missed our dogs from home). We got a 9 week old yorkie/poo mix and the vet says he's a great dog and is in good health etc. The issues I am asking about here are most likely very common - we have had him 2 weeks so far btw... I am just looking for ideas or books or websites to read about how to properly teach/train him vs him training me hehe. First off he chews on everything he isn't supposed to, I realize pups need to chew  and I havegotten him lots of toys, bones, chewsticks, a small ball, even tied up a few of my socks into a knot ball (he does play with that) but in general he tends to just bypass the toys and goes for things like the couch corner or the phone cords or our french door sheers even goes as far as climbing up onto the chair and trying to get the cord from the ceiling fan (he acts like a cat at times)... When I catch him chewing on something I don't want him to (the phone cord for instance) I say NO BUDDY! as he is doing it it and immediately I bring him a chew stick and say in a nice voice "buddy, chew on this", using his name and giving him the bone or chew toy etc... I just want to train him properly as to what or how to know what is ok to chew, maybe too many toys has confused him and he thinks ok I can chew on everything? Secondly, he bites, not hard or to draw blood - maybe just chewing more? I think it is in more of a pup's playful manner he gets a little growl going and tries to play tug of war or nips out of nowhere and it hurts at times. He only gets this way maybe 2-3 times per day usually after a nap, and the other part of the day (majority) he's either a loving lap dog for hours that does nothing but lay there and roll on his back to be touched, or he falls asleep... I am a stay at home dad so I am here with him all day long, so I spend most of the day with him here at home but I want to teach him it isn't ok to chew on people (guests etc). What I do when he does try to put my finger or hand into his mouth or when he lunges out to nip is I say NO BUDDY, in a strict voice. I then put him down and don't pay attention to him for a few mins, eventually a few mins later I let him back up, he seems calm again for a bit but if starts up the hands in mouth stuff so I repeat my action (NO BUDDY and put him down), sometimes I have also tried to go get him a toy to play with, but he doesn't seem to want the toy he wants back up on my lap. I would dismiss this as just chewing and puppy play but recently it has gone to him wanting to nip at our nose or ears, again once he gets them its not a mean growling teeth showing BITE, its almost as if he's just playing (but too rough), and I just don't want him to develop the thought pattern that its ok to play by biting me or anyone else in the face or hand area. Lastly we are trying (without success so far) to pad train him, he is tiny 2.5lbs and expected to be about 7lbs adult size, we want him trained on pads 100% inside no outside use. What we are doing now is we have his pad set out not near his food or bed but opposite corner of his little room just off our kitchen (sortof a breakfast nook), he looks at it sniffs it yet goes wherever he wants vs the pads... When we catch him sniffing or about to go on the carpet, we say no buddy, and take him to the pad and say go potty in a excited voice, we praise him bigtime if he goes on the pad, also after eating within 10 mins or so we know he's gonna go so we sit with him in that area by the pad and say GO POTTY and praise him if he does go on the pad. I was told DON'T do treats when he goes potty on the pads cuz it will just teach him to go squat for a treat, and I realize it will take some time for him to learn this pad thing, but just wondering what else I can do or what I might be doing wrong or missing? Thanks for all the help, it may sound like we are complaining, actually I am not - he's a great little dog and we have become very attached to him even within these first few weeks, I do realize he is a pup and will need plenty of time attention and training, that I have (time to train being home all day with him). I just wanna make sure when we do train him here we are doing it right, it frustrates me to see people smack a dog or push his face into his poop, I know that's not good, I just wanna know what else I can try or if I am on target so far with what we are currently doing/trying... Bill
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#2
04-27-2005, 08:19 AM
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It sounds like you're doing an excellent job so far. Every pup is different, so you have to make little adjustments for what seems to be working or not working for that particular pup, just as you would with a child, but it really does sound as though you're doing an excellent job.
__________________
In a controversy the instant we feel anger we have already ceased striving for the truth, and have begun striving for ourselves. ~Buddha Stupid is the most notoriously incurable and contagious disease known to mankind. If you find yourself in close proximity to someone infected with stupid, walk away as soon as said infection is noted. There are few things more nauseating than pure obedience. ~ Kvothe ***8206;"silence is the language of god, all else is poor translation." — Rumi Be a god. Know when to shut up. Good Kharma Tags Felurian
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#3
04-27-2005, 10:21 AM
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Thanks for the reply, I guess having dogs as kids helped a bit but our parents did the training back then LOL
Buddy is good little boy most of the time, he does get that devilish side to him at times altho we understand hes still a pup and thats 1000% normal... Today I spent even more time with him after eating, stayed near the pad, reminded him with words and asking do you have to GO POTTY?!?!? He didn't get it right started to squat but I quickly brought him to the pad and PRAISED him for going on the pad vs the floor. Still probably has no clue but we will stick with the program here LOL Today was also 2nd bath day, he does really well tho with the water, likes to play too, so it wasnt bad at all, had him trimmed up a bit at the groomers and nails clipped, that helped alot too with scratching and with poop getting stuck by his butt... I am feeding him Innova Puppy food, his stools are somewhat loose yet not water (just very soft), I am hoping that firms up soon, as this is suppposed to be GOOD food for him, vs the wet food he was eating when I got him (I hated the wet food smell and mess) so I put him on dry right away recommended by the vet. At first we put a bit of water into the dry to soften it up but after just a day or two he has eaten the dry without needing it softened. Thanks agian for the re-assurance that at least what we are doing is somewhat on track to success. I also did some reading around on these forums and have decided to hit the library for a few of the puppy books mentioned here as well as I ordered up a small sized kong ball for him to put something yummy in that he can chew on vs us! Bill
Last edited by Bill A; 04-27-2005 at 10:40 AM.
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#6
04-27-2005, 11:38 AM
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Quote:
Yep thats tops on my list, checked my library online here today and they have 2 copies both on shelf so im gonna get me one of them today for sure A few others in the same area ill probably look at too but that one review wise on amazon seemed very good for sure.. Thanks for the tip ! Bill
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#7
04-27-2005, 11:40 AM
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Quote:
Hopefully it all adjusts soon to "normal" firmness. Bill
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#9
04-27-2005, 01:17 PM
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Hi Bill.
You are doing an excellent job! Where do you keep your puppy? If you have a safe place for him like a play pen or the kitchen... you could put puppy pads all over the floor so he has no choice but to go on them. Then gradually take them away so that he learns to go on just a section... I, personally, don't think there is anything wrong with giving praise and treats when he goes in the right place. I think that is positive reinforcement and will encourage him to learn. Innova is the best food you could feed your dog. I'm so glad you have him on it. Be patient with his adjusting. Did your vet recommend it? If so then I love your vet.  Chewing... "We" mostly recommend that you stop yourself from being a chew toy by either yelping like he's really hurt you and acting wounded or completely ignoring him when he chews on you. By that I mean get up and walk away don't look at him or anything. He's doing it because he wants to play and have attention. If it's hard to just walk away then give him a short puppy time out in the bathroom or somewhere safe. Just pick him up without making a fuss or saying anything and put him there. Just a minute or two. You have to be consistent. Do you have a kong yet? A kong stuffed with peanut butter is an excellent toy that amuses them for a long time. Even better if it's frozen. I have three. Hope that helps.
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#10
04-29-2005, 01:26 PM
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Quote:
I have been putting 2 pads out vs one, tried newspaper around under pad yet that was a mess he just TORE it to shreds...but still no luck really getting him to go ON the pads really, he goes around it and around the house alot! LOL just rarely ON the pad. If i catch him going on the carpet i take him to the pads and praise him for going (GOOD BOY!) once he has done it on the pad but nothing has "clicked" for him yet I guess. I am about ready to pick up the poop and move it to the pads, i try to catch him in the act - yet he goes SO fast sometimes and I am not gonna leave him locked up in the nook all day... Besides I have wanted to by a carpet cleaner for a while anyways - this is just a good excuse LOL...Target has that spot cleaner thing, anyone tried one? I might just get a full machine to do the entire carpet, but i've wanted one for a long time... At night we babygate him into that nook and when we wake he has usually gone potty but again mostly around the room not on the pads sad to report but this is only week 3... Gonna try special treats, ONLY given when he goes on the pads, im gonna feed him then play sit with him by pads, repeatedly telling him GO POTTY and GOOD BOY then here is a TREAT if he goes on the pad...(gonna start that this weekend). I read up on the net about Innova then at the vet asked her what she knew or thought about it, she said most go with more common less expensive brands like purina, iams or science diet (cost & ease of availability wise) but that Innova was a great food a little harder to find and in general just a bit more pricey than most common pet owners want to pay. We have a solands feed store here in town, and I figure since he is tiny, he doesn't eat much, and if its good for him then hey the store is here that sells it locally, if I get it for him - cool hopefully I will have a happy healthy puppy that I know is at least eating good... He has gotten a bit better on the bititng, I have ordered him two small kong balls, (slightly different shapes) cant wait for them to arrive, but for now when he tries to bite my hands i say NO and put him down, a few mins later i let him back up and if he repeats the behavior I say NO again and put him down and ignore him for about 5 mins, he usually settles down after 15 mins or so of that, and just lets me pet him after 3-4 times of ignoring him... I know hes not trying to hurt me, moreso just excited I would guess, being a puppy & wanting to chew... all day long he just chews on stuff, mostly his stuffed bunny with a bell inside. Actually hes starting to HUMP the bunny, I didn't expect to see that at 9 weeks here... yet he is still a while away from being able to be fixed... Bill
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