Bored puppy

Londonwriter

I'm going to do the following things:

a) Play with him exclusively in the kitchen/his confinement area so he decides these are terribly exciting places rather than the living room. This might stop him peeing in and bolting into the living room. I'll allow him back into the living room when I feel confident he won't automatically pee there, regardless of when he last went to the loo, and he has a more sensible attitude towards it (it's 1/2 the bottom floor, the kitchen is 1/4 and the conservatory is 1/4. He has exclusive access to the conservatory).

b) Buy him toys that suit his interests and cycle them in and out of play (he's currently getting very annoyed with a container with one strong smelling treat in and a pop-up lid. He'll work out eventually how to get it open)

c) Ignore him completely if he tries to manipulate me into letting him into the living room, not even telling him off for making a fuss. Likewise if he whines/freaks in the conservatory when I'm standing next to him in the kitchen. If he can see me, he's probably not lonely.

What would you recommend for disinfecting tiled surfaces? I'm using Dettol surface cleaner (the spray stuff for disinfecting kitchen surfaces and kiddie toys)

Fire_Fox

I have read on Purrs that any cleaning product that goes white in water is toxic to cats, not sure about dogs. Dettol will probably denature the active ingredient (enzymes) in biological washing powder too.

Kimitatsu

I have 2 working cockers

Describes as a breed that is "a whirlwind on legs" they are active inquisitive curious and LOVE to be around people.

Your puppy is 9 weeks old, I have an Irish Water Spaniel who took 12 months to house train (common for the breed apparently!) and my eldest cocker was 4 months before she got the hang of it and 6 months before she was absolutely sure. At 9 weeks your baby doesnt have the muscles to keep it all in, and the food that he is eating may be a bit rich for his tummy, which means when he has to go he has to go!!

I would use biological washing powder to mop up the stains as it denatures the protein in the urine and the anal glands so your house wont smell - and its lots cheaper than any specialist product. When he is housetrained hire a carpet cleaner for the day and give them all a good going over.

As he is still so little, be careful of the amount of impact excercise you give him, his growth plates a wont fuse until he is between 12 and 18 months old and he has a LOT of growing to do. If you over excercise him now then you can damage his joints, at this age he will run himself ragged and then collapse in a heap and sleep, usually after about 15-30 minutes. Lots of short interventions interspersed with sleep is better at this age because he will get used to going out to the toilet - lots of praise when he goes outside and a stern voice when he does it inside, they are very bright and get the idea quickly.

Can he not come in with you? My two tend to sleep at my feet when I am busy but like to be wandering around with me when I am home. Once he gets used to the idea that he can be around you, he will stop hassling you and amuse himself a little more with the things you provide him with. I crate mine when I am out and they are fine with that, they know when I am home then they are out with me.

All in all a cracking breed - although my "working" dogs are currently flat out in front of the fire :rolleyes::D

Kimitatsu

Londonwriter wrote: »

I'm going to do the following things:

a) Play with him exclusively in the kitchen/his confinement area so he decides these are terribly exciting places rather than the living room. This might stop him peeing in and bolting into the living room. I'll allow him back into the living room when I feel confident he won't automatically pee there, regardless of when he last went to the loo, and he has a more sensible attitude towards it (it's 1/2 the bottom floor, the kitchen is 1/4 and the conservatory is 1/4. He has exclusive access to the conservatory).

b) Buy him toys that suit his interests and cycle them in and out of play (he's currently getting very annoyed with a container with one strong smelling treat in and a pop-up lid. He'll work out eventually how to get it open)

c) Ignore him completely if he tries to manipulate me into letting him into the living room, not even telling him off for making a fuss. Likewise if he whines/freaks in the conservatory when I'm standing next to him in the kitchen. If he can see me, he's probably not lonely.

What would you recommend for disinfecting tiled surfaces? I'm using Dettol surface cleaner (the spray stuff for disinfecting kitchen surfaces and kiddie toys)

Our posts have crossed so apologies if I repeat myself:

He is 9 weeks old - he wont know what a sensible attitude is! If you only play with him in these areas then you are making a rod for your own back as he will always expect you to play with him (and anyone else that comes in to those areas) when you are there.

Cycling different things in and out is good but you dont need to buy expensive stuff necessarily. My little one loves to chew used toilet rolls - they teeth at about 3 months and again at about 6 months, they need lots of stuff to chew on!

If you are in the kitchen and he is in the conservatory he wants to be with you, dogs are a pack animal and you are his pack. By excluding him from the pack he feels he has done something wrong and so wants to make amends and greet you.

Dorato

I know this may sound odd but my puppy was a bit like that until we got him a squeaky dice. Oddly, he's been fine since. We squeak the dice for him the number of times shown in the dice (when he puts it down, it'll have a number 1-6 on it like a normal dice and we use this number for the number of squeaks). He's actually learnt to count now from playing with it. He can get to six with no problems. If we give him the dice on, say, the number 3, he'll squeak it 3 times. He'll do it correctly probably 7 times out of 10 which is pretty good really.

Maybe your puppy would appreciate something like that? Something different that he can learn? You can teach him by putting it on 1 and squeaking it once, then letting him do it only once and then praising him and telling him he squeaked it once. He'll soon learn and be able to amuse himself, providing his attention stays on it. Might be worth a try

k.o.d

Maybe I am just being daft here, but the puppy is 9 weeks old, roughly the same age in dog years as a 10 month old baby (approx), so you can run him round, get him tired and all sorts, but it isn't going to make him pee on command.
You wouldn't expect a baby to be housetrained so why expect a dog?
Cockers are bred for endurance and for going gung-ho all day, a lot of peop,e buy them because they are a cute 'small' dog, but they need space and they need company.
Ours are well catered for, we live on a farm, they adore my wife and love all the rest of us mortals, but the pup is gradually learning housetraining but that is all it can be, a gradual process.

suki1964

Congratulations on your choice of breed - Cockers be it either working or show have to be my favourite breed.

One thing I will have to tell you is - someone forgot to tell cockers that they are dogs.

They do not do well separated from humans at all

Most will even sit on your feet while you are sat on the loo.

My last lad would have been my skin if I let him - where ever I was he was attached. This lad I have now, although not such a cuddle monster is never more then two foot from me. Even if hubby takes him to bed with him, the minute he can escape hes back beside me

Cockers are very much in your face dogs, extremely clever, and esp if you have chosen a pup from well respected working stock - always needing brain work and exercise

Keeping him penned up away from you - its no wonder he screams. It can take a good couple of weeks of slowly slowly extending the time before he will get the idea that you are coming back to him. I know both of mine it seemed like I would never ever even have a pee in peace - but you slowly get there.

Dogs also dont actually like to be picked up and carried so no wonder he wriggles and scratches. You need to put him on a lead and walk him out. If you do have to lift him to move him quickly then hold him firmly close to your body supporting him underneath. Dogs also dont like being patted on the head or being approached head on.

Your living room, I had the same problem when this lad was a pup - till I gave up and let him in and out at will. Yes there was the odd accident and the carpet got christened but hey, you got to crack a few eggs to make an omelette and a carpet cleaner really works.

9 weeks is a bit young to be totally toilet trained,I wouldnt expect that till at least 12 weeks and even then the odd excitement pee.

I dont think anyone really can be prepared for how much a new puppy inpacts on their life. Im sort of guessing you and OH talked it all out and thought you had everything covered and now the reality is so different? All I can say is that with some minor changes to your expectations and a bit of time ( ok - a few months) things will settle down to a manageable level and pup will be a great addition to the household.


Then he will hit his teens and with that comes a whole new chapter:rotfl::rotfl:

Londonwriter

suki1964 wrote: »

Most will even sit on your feet while you are sat on the loo.

He does. I don't mind - it just gets a bit crowded.

suki1964 wrote: »

Dogs also dont actually like to be picked up and carried so no wonder he wriggles and scratches. You need to put him on a lead and walk him out.

This is the problem. He's too young to go out under his own power because he hasn't had his second set of vaccinations. We did try a short trip around our street with me carrying him yesterday and that was reasonably successful - he didn't make any major escape attempts. I hold him around the waist and under his bum.

suki1964 wrote: »

I dont think anyone really can be prepared for how much a new puppy inpacts on their life. Im sort of guessing you and OH talked it all out and thought you had everything covered and now the reality is so different?

The reality is almost exactly as I expected. I just didn't expect him to be as mentally bright at 8/9 weeks as he is - he's like a toddler wearing a rocket pack, rather than an animal wearing a rocket pack. This is why I realised I needed to keep him out of trouble. He doesn't just chew things and run riot - he works out how to operate the pedal bin. As such, he needs to be exhausted or occupied, or I don't know what he'll get himself into.

k.o.d wrote:

a lot of peop,e buy them because they are a cute 'small' dog, but they need space and they need company

I work from home and live near an enormous park. When we went on holiday last summer, we did Ben Nevis followed by a 74 mile hike carrying 15 litre rucksacks. I've spent weeks sleeping under canvas (sadly, husband doesn't like camping) and one of my best friends is currently doing the Himalyas.

Despite our small house, a Peke wouldn't exactly be appropriate. I was worried our walking habits and my jogging habit would exhaust a potential dog. Apparently, many people believe dogs have relentless energy but one guy had his lab collapse halfway through a long-distance hike.

I love our dog - he's as hyper as I was as a child. It's just I don't know how to keep him entertained while he's forced to stay in the house.

Kimitatsu

suki1964 wrote: »

Congratulations on your choice of breed - Cockers be it either working or show have to be my favourite breed.

One thing I will have to tell you is - someone forgot to tell cockers that they are dogs.

They do not do well separated from humans at all

Most will even sit on your feet while you are sat on the loo.

My last lad would have been my skin if I let him - where ever I was he was attached. This lad I have now, although not such a cuddle monster is never more then two foot from me. Even if hubby takes him to bed with him, the minute he can escape hes back beside me

Cockers are very much in your face dogs, extremely clever, and esp if you have chosen a pup from well respected working stock - always needing brain work and exercise

Then he will hit his teens and with that comes a whole new chapter:rotfl::rotfl:

Suki

That made me spit my tea over my keyboard :rotfl::rotfl:but oh so very true!!!

k.o.d

Londonwriter wrote: »

I work from home and live near an enormous park. When we went on holiday last summer, we did Ben Nevis followed by a 74 mile hike carrying 15 litre rucksacks. I've spent weeks sleeping under canvas (sadly, husband doesn't like camping) and one of my best friends is currently doing the Himalyas.

Despite our small house, a Peke wouldn't exactly be appropriate. I was worried our walking habits and my jogging habit would exhaust a potential dog. Apparently, many people believe dogs have relentless energy but one guy had his lab collapse halfway through a long-distance hike.

I love our dog - he's as hyper as I was as a child. It's just I don't know how to keep him entertained while he's forced to stay in the house.

I don't think you want a dog, you want Sherpa Tensing!!!! :eek: