Puppy Advice (merged)

Paparika

Sounds familur mine is about the same age just smaller and sticks his nose up at his breakfast, and can and will hold up until tea time in the hope of human food, OH has told me not to chuck food away it'll be fine for perry, but perry cottoned on to this.

I think we both have to give our OH treats and tell them they are good boys when they don't spoil the dog.

Paparika

Mine was 14 weeks when i got him, he was the last of 2 to go, i saw the parents, he's not the usual JRT, he has long legs big ears and he is brindle all over, yes he was upset the day as i took him away from his mum, threw up lots in the car on the way home.

The next morning he was bright eyed and busy tail so to speak.

Why did i buy private... because i live in a maisonette one floor up and i don't have a garden, dog's homes and rescue centres refused me on those grounds.

I've said this before, bad way to discourage me, i could be rich and have a huge garden and be really horrible to my perry.

But i am not, he goes out several times a day (every 2-3 hours) he's had all his jabs now, and been micro chipped, I've spent an absolute fortune on him to make sure he has everything he needs, again a fortune on getting his car sickness sorted (thankfully successfully) ...

Does that make me sound like a irresponsible owner? no not really but the rescue centre and dogs home thought my home was.

Thats why i looked to private sales, I'm glad i did, Little perry is a happy well fed content puppy.

The only thing i can say to OP, don't forget to watch how he walks and interacts etc.... don't just buy him because you want a puppy and he looks cute, big fat belly could not be that he's just been fed, it could be full of worms etc but good luck

f1re_cr4cker

hi i'm thinking of rehoming an adult pug and eventually (if its not already on it) putting it on dry food- maybe Burns. How much would this cost a month roughly? Price isn't a worry, id just like a rough idea.

SAMHP_2

When our puppy was still at the 'weeing-on-the-carpet' stage, we mopped up after her using white vinegar, slightly diluted. This neutralises the wee and therefore the smell.

With regard to air fresheners - I find I end up hating the smell of the air freshner more than the original smell! We have a solution in our house - used mainly in the toilet - a pack of Swan Vestas! Spent matches smell much nicer and will cover up most smells but don't over-power in the way some air fresheners do. Just remember not to put the spent matches down the loo (they can eventually block the drains) - put a little dish with a bit of sand on the top the loo for them. It works - it costs pennies and I'm sure doesn't do quite the same damage to the Ozone layer!
Sam

Titch89

We use throws on our sofas. Sometimes, the dogs sleep on the rug on the floor. Their fur falls out and we just use the hoover. They always mess in the kitchen or dinning room, which isn't carpet (lino?) adn easy to clean.

SAMHP_2

Teaching your dog a command when he goes to the loo is really useful too. Ours knows that 'empty' means "now's your chance - I really recommend you take advantage of this opportunity!" for example if you're going on a long car journey etc.
Like all training, you just need to repeat, repeat, repeat. Being a Lab, food is EVERYTHING to mine so from a pup when she squatted down to either pee or pooh it was 'empty, good girl'. And then a little treat which also means when she's gone off to hide behind a bush and comes back to you looking very pleased with herself, she's probably done her business.
Yes, you feel a fool but you end up with a dog that will virtually do it's business on command.
Sam

kaya

to cure the chewing whenever the said crime is comitted be sure to give them a toy they can chew instead, they will soon learn that only vcertain things are for chewing

SAMHP_2

I'm probably going to be in for a really hard time suggesting this and I agree your puppy is far too young to revert to this treatment but.....

When my Lab was getting just TOO boisterous and the play biting was too much to bear (6 months?) and all else failed - believe me, we tried - I took the 'last resort' advice of a respected local dog trainer.

"When she nips you, pinch the tip her of ear between your thumb and index finger" - this is exactly how her Mum would tell her 'enough is enough little fella'

Did it twice - never had to do it again. Sometimes a short, sharp lesson is taken on board quicker than other methods. More than anything with puppies is to be consistent - don't let her do something one minute and then decide it's against the rules the next. Whatever you let her do is up to you, but just remember a puppy's bad habits form very quickly and become the norm, and you have to live with the consequences for the next 10+ years!
PS - Just in case you're wondering....I've ended up with an adorable, soft-mouthed Lab, who hasn't got an aggresive bone in her body and who will carry newly laid hens eggs around in her mouth without breaking them. My life revolves around 'my best friend' so please don't accuse me of being cruel!

wuno

Some good advice already, so I'll endorse what I think is the right way to go.

First. this is all normal.

Second. A crate would be a very good idea. Try ebay or the small ads, because a lot of people buy a crate, and then don't need it after 6 months. A collapsible cage might be better, because when you've finished with it, you can store it more easily for future use if you ever get a new puppy. Your vet might be able to rent you one for a few months.... It should be big enough for him (once fully grown) to lie down stretched out without sitting in his water bowl and no bigger. If he doesn't want to go in, feed him in there, he'll soon get the hang of it.

Third. At this age, you can't leave the pup all night without going out. He will make a mess. Get up at 4.00am and take him out. Do this for at least a month, then stop to see what happens. He may bark at 4.00 am, but tell him to shut up; he's probably not barking because he actually needs the loo, just that it's walk time.

Fourth. When ever you take him out and you think he should be going to the loo, tell him so using a consistant, simple command. You choose. Try not to choose an everyday word like "Eastenders", or it might have disasterous effects...

Fifth. Wait until he has gone to the loo. He will eventually. When he does make a huge fuss of him.

Sixth. Start to teach him what "no" means. If he's doing something you don't want him to do, remove him from the area whilst saying firmly "no". It is sometimes sensible to reinforce "no" with a light tap on the end of the nose or sholder. One finger only, just a touch, but quickly. Teach him to sit or lie down as soon as possible, and of course to "come here". You will probably need to use treats at the start. But never substitute treats for lots of praise and cuddles. You can use training practice to distract him from doing something you don't want him to, and "no" to reinforce that he's doing something wrong.

It is not entirely true that you should ignore a whining or barking dog for fear of praising the behaviour. So long as they know that "no" or "shut up" is a negative thing, you can use it. But don't go down stairs to do it. Shout from upstairs.

Seventh. If you see him going to the loo in the house, immediatly pick him up, tell him "no" firmly and take him outside. When he finishes the job, give him lots of praise. Never get angry, just be firm and fair.

Eighth. If he starts going to the door and asking to be let out, this is a great sign. Praise that in itself and let him out as quickly as possible. However, make sure he goes to the loo and comes back in straight away. Don't let him get into the habit of asking to go out when he wants to. As he gets older, you can control this more, but not letting him out unless you know he should need to go to the loo.

The key to any sort of training is be consistant with your commands and rules, firm and fair with your rebukes, and allways praise good behaviour.

ameliarate

It is not going well at all. My dog was growling at the puppy last night.
She didn't seem to be too bad with her initially but actually seems to dislike her the more she sees her. I get my partner to "do the meetings" because I do have a tendency to get a bit tense. Will keep trying.