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Training a puppy
Magus`
The fun has been DOUBLED!Registered User regular
The fun has been DOUBLED!Registered User regular
So, I've gotten a dog for the first time in my life. Unfortunately, I've gotten a lot of conflicting information on how to raise the little guy. Heres some questions:
1. Should I kennel/crate train? If so, how? Some people say leave him in overnight while others say during the day. I'm WFH at the moment in case it matters.
2. Potty training - we've been keeping him up on furniture as he won't go if we're near him. I take him out every 30 minutes to an hour. However, I feel bad "trapping" him on the furniture, but, if he runs free he just goes everywhere. Should I just let him run and hope to get him right as he needs to go? He's doing this thing where I'll take him outside for a while and he won't go and then immediately goes when back in. I've been using treats to encourage outside pottying but I'm not sure if it's sticking yet.
If anyone else has any suggestions, let me know. I know these things take a while and he's about 9 weeks old so it may be (way?) too soon to expect results.
Also, expected photo:
1. Should I kennel/crate train? If so, how? Some people say leave him in overnight while others say during the day. I'm WFH at the moment in case it matters.
2. Potty training - we've been keeping him up on furniture as he won't go if we're near him. I take him out every 30 minutes to an hour. However, I feel bad "trapping" him on the furniture, but, if he runs free he just goes everywhere. Should I just let him run and hope to get him right as he needs to go? He's doing this thing where I'll take him outside for a while and he won't go and then immediately goes when back in. I've been using treats to encourage outside pottying but I'm not sure if it's sticking yet.
If anyone else has any suggestions, let me know. I know these things take a while and he's about 9 weeks old so it may be (way?) too soon to expect results.
Also, expected photo:
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I used a crate at night only. Many dogs will not want to go to the bathroom in there which makes the potty training a lot easier through the night. Also just prevents the little bugger from getting into things because hey, it's a puppy that you don't have your eyes on.
Heads up, the first night or three can be a nightmare. They may cry. A LOT. Get some comfy headphones and prepare for a rocky nights sleep. It will get better but you really have to just tough it out those first nights.
As for the potty training, you being home is exactly what you want so that's great (I would usually take a a good week off of work to make the starting phase easier).
But if you can at the very least just put up some gates to keep the dog very near you so you don't have to keep it just on the furniture that should be good enough. But like you said you basically have to just have your eyes on it at all times during this phase. Look for the signs they might have before they go to the bathroom and at the very start of anything that MIGHT be one of those just scoop them up and take them outside. This may just be starting to sniff at the ground or starting to walk a little bit different like a bit waddly. Better to be safe and quick about scooping them up and overly cautious to really get them used to only going outside. The better the success rate of getting outside the faster the dog will be learning. So just watch that little bugger like a hawk and they'll be learning in no time.
And that is one cute dang pupper!
Some people say make it small enough he can't move around much and others say they haven't. Also, I tried it one night and he did potty, but it wasn't a constricted size.
I also assume I don't put food or water in it during this time.
Edit: Forgot to mention the kennel is not in our room as there is no space to fit it.
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Yea the kennel doesn't need to be in your room. Especially not if you want the dog to get used to sleeping without you.
As for being small enough I didn't have a crate with an adjustable wall which may have helped. Also correct on the not leaving food and water in there. The pupper just needs to be sleeping and that will just cause them to probably make a mess and almost certainly go to the bathroom in there.
But also make sure to maybe set an alarm extra early in the beginning to make sure they don't need to be holding it for so long? And make sure they go to the bathroom right before going in the crate.
Is 7ish hours too much? He's been sleeping in our bed with no accidents.
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If the dog is going to be sleeping in your bed anyway and has been more successful at no accidents there then the crate part may be less important to you (but be aware there's still going to be a risk of a bedroom accident). Just make sure you are fine with the dog always sleeping in your bed if that's how you are doing the training. It's much harder to start keeping the dog out if it's spent all it's puppy nights in your bed.
I'm just very much a no dogs in the bedroom kinda person so the crate was more important to get through that period.
But if you did want to try to crate thing and the 7 hours has led to accidents then certainly try a slightly shorter time and just know that as more time passes they will get better at making it through the night.
the reason people say not to give them too much space is that too much space gives them a spot to move away from their bed to pee/poop
i think the idea with the crate is to put them in for short times and work up to longer and longer. never use it as punishment area etc.
our first dog hated the crate. it stressed her out so when we left we gated her off in a safe room. at the time it was our kitchen which meant we could put in a doggy door.
He screams if he's locked in, though. I'm trying to have him go in for treats.
I don't want to stress him out unnecessarily but I don't want to make him think that crying automatically gets results.
This is hard.
Edit: Should I put his food/water in there if it's not overnight?
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We keep water in bowls in the kitchen as easily accessible.
The second dog gets crated downstairs at night and while she whined at first, she enjoys it now. She'll often go in on her own to lay down.
90% of treats are given in the crates. When we get back from walks, both dogs know to go to their crates for treats.
We try to let the new dog go about 7-8 hrs even on weekends. Wife and I go to bed between 10 and 11, and at least one of us is up by 6. We tried stretching a bit and she ended up wetting her crate.
We are lucky because the crate for the older dog had a divider, so I was able to install it in the new crate. The new dog has a little bit more room than she needs to turn around.
There are guidelines but a lot of early training is subjective. Try different options and focus on what the pup gravitates to. Also don't be afraid to join a local dog group or take a training class. You're learning just as much as the dog is.
I've currently got him in a small animal carrier which is a pretty good fit for him.
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What a nice boy! ) Wish you find your ways of training him right with all the advice and tips. My grandpa had a dog for a long time, but when he's dead, he took a small puppy. This new little dog is silly. Granpa lives at the coutry. So the dog is outside. He cries at night and killed the neighbour's chickens. So we don't know what to do, they want to give it to someone else.
Another thing you can do is stuff a kong and give that to them in the crate. Distraction + tasty association
Line it with (washable) pillows and blankets, cover it overtop as well with blankets so it's nice and warm, maybe have crate specific toys and treats which will excite them. Use the divider to only allow a little extra space, enough that they can get up and turn around. Too much space and they basically consider it a one bedroom with an ensuite bathroom, and you're gonna do a lot of cleanup.
Start with feeding them their meals at the front of the crate, and then move the food farther and farther in until they're willing to eat it at the back. At that point they should be comfortable enough to start closing the door - bonus points if they go in on their own time!
Then start practicing for 5 minutes with you by the door, then 10, 15, etc., and start leaving the room as well. Only re-enter once they stop whining or they'll assume they summoned you back with guilt, hahaha. Eventually you should be able to work up to a few hours, but be cautious not to leave them in there longer than they can hold their bladder, or it won't be fun for either of you.
Most importantly, the crate can never be a punishment, or else they will hate it. Operate on sanctuary rules here - if your dog is in trouble and runs into the crate to get away, you have to stop yelling and leave them be. It's their little safe space, gotta treat it as such.
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In the meantime, if you can buy puppy pads, they usually have a scent on them that will attract the dog to at least be a little more tempted to go on them. You can place these over places the dog has gone before, and it might ease cleanup a bit.
This is also gross, but when they go inside, collect some of the stool/urine on a cloth and put it on the pads as you move them closer and closer to the door. Leave some outside where you intend for them to go in the future. Sometimes just having their scent there is enough to clue them in to what they're supposed to do. And every time they go outside, use your command word (e.g. 'go for a pee' or whatever) even when they're doing it unbidden, and give lots of praise. It'll help associate the action with the words, even if they have extreme baby brain right now.
Oh also one last thing, since you're at 9 weeks - I highly recommend searching for a puppy socialization checklist and doing everything you can without risk in the whole pandemic thing we've got going on. Our family dog training business is expecting a *lot* of social anxiety calls in the next few months as folks have been unable to socialize their pups as easily as they can in normal times, especially once they hit the teens (six months and up depending on breed).
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I've been using a small pet carrier at the moment since the kennel is pretty wide, even with the divider. I'll try switch to the actual kennel and use the steps you mentioned, though.
Edit: Also, our puppy has super bladder because when he's been in our bed overnight, he doesn't pee. It's been as much as 8-9 hours. He doesn't seem particularly bothered by it, oddly.
Note: We aren't forcing him. He sleeps throughout the night.
Edit 2: He's now ten weeks. Time sure flies!
Picture of the kennel (now much shorter with the divider but still wide):
I didn't know you shouldn't use a pad in there. Makes sense, though.
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Edit: Kennel now:
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If you're still working on it (or anyone else is...) a good way to keep a dog from going in the house is to tether them to you. Put a leash on em and around your ankle, it keeps them from peeing usually like having them on the couch with you but way less attention / energy needed, and it actually builds a bond beyond the literal one.
ALWAYS PRAISE THE HELL OUT OF THEM once they go outside. Lots of patience, but reward after so that it is clear what it is that they're rewarded for. If you have a stubborn pup that is shy to go outside and then pees immediately upon coming inside, obviously they're holding it and that makes it hard to praise/reward. SO, you boil a chicken and take some broth and add to a water bowl, let them slurp that shit up. They'll love it, and drink way too much liquid. Then you grab your phone or a book and a folding chair and camp out on your lawn with the pup tethered.
They'll not be able to hold it, even if it takes a couple hours, PATIENCE. Then once they go it's PRAISE PRAISE PRAISE throw a party. Go inside.
Has not failed us and others on getting hard cases housetrained, they'll still have accidents but it seems the be the only reliable way to get them comfortable with going outside if they're the type to hold it.
I don't know if he sees it as a den yet or not. He has no trouble going in to it to get food and water, though.
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I'm trying to find out the proper vaccine schedule for Neko. The very report we got from the person we bought him from said that he received a DPPH vaccine and that he should receive the DHLPP vaccine in one year. He was also dewormed.
However, stuff I've read said he should be getting more and sooner. What are your guy's opinions?
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Also, what's a good age for neutering? I was thinking a year?
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If you can wait until they're 12 months then it helps avoid orthopedic issues later in life due to growth and formation during that time with proper hormones in place.
My advice with schedule is find a vet that you're comfortable with and trust to have your pets interests at heart (otherwise find someone else imo?) and then go with what they recommend.
We use one that has been very good at following up only when she feels justified and doesn't just push products on us. We did some extensive lab work for one of our cats once and it turned up serious kidney issues, totally worth it. Have that older gentleman on a renal diet now and he is doing ten times better, vet saved him from likely losing out a few years early with us.
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I was thinking some Safari ones, but, I wanted to make sure.
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Neko is just about 6 months old now.
Seems he's hitting puberty as he's humped on some other dogs and now barks at whatever catches his eye outside.
While not constant, he still begs for food a lot. He gets two meals a day for a total of one cup of food. It's now half adult and half puppy since I'm sure we will want to transition him fully to adult food soon.
I'm wanting to wait until he's a year old to neuter, but it's hard to say what's best. He's not done developing and that's a concern, but I also don't want him to be like my fiance's sheltie who is hyper anxious and barky. Thoughts?
Training has gone alright though it's hard because he tries to mimic Junx (the older sheltie) who is not very behaved. He's already picked up his habit of barking whenever I go near the front or back door. He's also trying to herd us, which is cute.
I've taken him to a dog park a few times (social distancing!) and he has done okay. He's still kind of skittish but has gotten more curious and playful. Humping has started to be an issue.
He definitely has little(r) dog syndrome as he barks really aggressively and has nipped at my fiance's brother's German Shepherd (who isn't aggressive but not really socialized at all).
Updated photo:
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It depends on the breed.
For the pupper in question yeah 6 months is probably ok. Personally I'd wait until 8 but that's just me being cautious.
But for some larger dog breeds 6 months isn't a great idea for neutering. Spay is another topic entirely tbh.
I'm also really skeptical of your choice of words here because you're saying "pet".
Different breeds and especially different animals are not the same.