Help required with Puppy training

Joyful

Hi

I have been given my Daughters puppy of 11 weeks to babysit for the weekend but I need some advice on 3 points. As she has only just had her second injection she is only allowed in my Garden with my dog of 8 years.They have met quite a few times but my dog gets very upset with the puppy who is appearing very dominant.

When I take the puppy -a Golden Lab- out to play and to try and get it to do the toilet it sometimes wee's but then comes back to my house and does both within minutes. My Daughter had advised me she does the same at home. As I also have my 13 month Grandaughter I cannot put down papers.

The other problems I am having is with her continually trying to jump on the settees ( my Dog is up there trying to get away from her) and also trying to lick my Dogs mouth all the time which she hates. I have been telling her to get down then praising her when she sits but she immediately goes back up again.

Any advice would be appreciated which I can try as well as let my Daughter know on Sunday evening.

DING_DONG_4

Aww, I have a 2yr old chocolate lab, and must say he was the easiest dog to toilet train by far (previously trained terriers).

I found that taking him out every 30-40 minutes. (time can be increased as they get bigger) With no playing until they have done their business! Even if you have to stand there 10 minutes! With immediate fuss and praise, when they do it outside. It has to be immediate so they associate the praise with going to the toilet. No toilet=no praise. Then hopefully that will trigger them to go immediately when they go out. When they are still quite young it can be helpful to put a lead on them too, just to get them used to a lead. 2 forms of training in 1!

I know when I got my lab at 10 weeks old, I was feeding him every couple of hours and this technique worked perfectly. No need for paper or pads!

Sounds a little strict and cruel, but early routine is the trick with labs I found. They are very clever despite acting a little daft and pick this up very quickly.
Within a matter of days my dog had it off to a tee! I can honestly say since doing this he has only had 1 'accident' in the house.

The only thing that may upset this is the change of surroundings. Coming to your house and then going back home, may delay the speed it is picked up a little.

This is just advice I was given and tried. Worked well for me.
HTH

Sorry to go on a little!!! lol:rolleyes::D:rolleyes:

I think the licking of your older dogs mouth is the puppy see's your dog as a mother figure!?!?!?! Maybe to do with feeding?!?!?

Have you tried a cushion for the pup to lie on on the floor very near the couch?!?!

Joyful

Thanks

As my Daughters garden was not escape proof until last week she has always been on a leash and taken out as often as you advise. This is what I was doing yesterday too in my patio(same as daughter). I then thought as she had never been in my garden off the leash and it was grass that she might perform there so did it both on and off the leash but it made no difference.

Joyful

Also if anyone can tell me why the pup is continually trying to get into my dogs mouth I would appreciate knowing. Every time my poor dog turns her head away the pup runs to the other side and tries again.

Sorry Ding Dong I hadn't realised you had answered this point. Can anyone confirm what Ding Dong said and if there is anyway to stop it.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Basically, the pup is asking the adult dog to regurgitate the food her instinct is telling her to expect. It's normal. 100% normal. She's only a baby and at most, has only been weaned for about a month, if not less. Her instinct is to follow the big dog as it is a parent figure. It's unlikely to be a dominance issue at such a young age, it's the survival instinct. Trying to tell the pup off for being a pup would be the same as telling your GD off for crying or needing a nappy at night.

Just don't leave big dog with the pup alone, just as you don't leave her with your GD, and the cleaning up will probably continue for a while yet.

It's a completely different thing looking after a puppy again after so many years, I know I had almost forgotten just how insane a young animal can be compared to the older ones - take how wonderful but exhausting grandchildren can be!

Joyful

Thank you Jojo. It's a shame she's stressing my dog out though.

I thought I would be clever this morning. Came down and immediately put her leash on to take her in the garden.She wee'd out of exitement which I understand. I then took her in the garden for 10 mins saying the command to poo with no response. Five minutes back in the house and she poo'd. Since then we've been out a few times where she wee'd once outside and many other times inside. I don't remember it being this hard with my Dog.

I will just have to hope that when she calms down my dog will feel better as she often stays at my Daughter's house.

foreign_correspondent

your older dog will tell her off when she has had enough - do not worry too much.

Raksha

She's got her puppy licence at the moment, so the older dog probably won't tell her off until she's about 6 months (then the older dog usually only has to do it once).

She probably won't poo outside because it's the older dogs area. Can you take her somewhere different? Where does she go when she's at home? If you can replicate those conditions as much as possible, it will help - grass, tarmac, paving etc.

If she's begging from the older dog, she may be hungry - how many times a day is she being fed?

Joyful

I have been replicating taking her to the patio as this is where she goes at home. Only once has she poo'd there. My Dog is constantly growling at her and has nipped her a couple of times but the puppy pays no attention.

She is being fed 3 times a day at the moment. She's def not hungry. I am wondering if part of the prob is my Daughter was told the pup was 7 weeks old when she got her. We then found she was 5.5 weeks. To say we were unhappy is an understatement. We had been advised the pup was no longer suckling for the last week!

Raksha

Is the 11 weeks based on the 7 weeks when you got her, or 5.5 weeks?

Personally, I'd be feeding a pup of 11 weeks 4 times a day - their tummies aren't big enough to take in enough food and digest it - if fed 3 times a day, the undigested bit passes through untouched and can lead to poo eating.

Joyful

Based on 5.5 weeks.The food was reduced from 4 meals to 3 on the advice of the vet. My Daughter did say she has eaten her poo though. I'll pass this info on. Thanks.