Our new dog - attempt 2

[jnerges]

maybe it was his gut, dogs take time to acclimate to new surroundings and food. Even if the food is the same, you never know what kind of water he was used to. He may have just had a bad night.

I do remember Scout cried and cried and cried. Chief didn't make a peep. Kind of weird.

Poop like the wind

[Stefrobrts]

I think you were right, it was an upset tummy. Last night he did fine. Slept in his crate next to our bed and only woke up up twice for potty breaks. After potty we let him play for a bit them when he started going all 'groggy doggie' on us, tucked him back in the crate and he slept for 3 more hours. We took turns on potty duty, so it was a much more peaceful night.

[2airishuman]

any suggestion of fido bowel or bladder control before 6 months of age...

is mostly imaginary.

really it's more related to 'intake control' as in the timing of food and water...

and the transit time can vary significantly as new treats are gobbled.

some breeds may have better toilet manners than others at this young age,

and some owners think we are better at training for this issue,

but mostly it's still timing and opportunity and being wary of loading the little bugger...

the joys of puppyhood!

cheers
2air'

[Stefrobrts]

I think Alki was completely housebroke by 6 months, and it was good to take our time and not try to rush it. We did the papers, moving the papers closer to outside, then going outside.

I'll be happy if I can get him to go on the papers when in the house. When he's awake we watch for potty clues and rush him outside or to the papers. I don't really expect much in that area until he is older. How much can his little bladder possibly hold? And his thought processes are still developing, along with body coordination. Luckily his messes are tiny, compared to the older dogs.

I was a little worried we might have trouble housebreaking him because the older dogs are to the age where they regularly have accidents inside (even with full time access to a doggie door). So hopefully he won't take too many cues from them!

[CanoeStream]

Originally Posted by Stefrobrts

I was a little worried we might have trouble housebreaking him because the older dogs are to the age where they regularly have accidents inside (even with full time access to a doggie door). So hopefully he won't take too many cues from them!

Then use a cleaner/deodorizer, not Lysol. Natures's Miracle Stain & Odor Remover is good. I also see it online at Petco.

We're restocking our homefront after being dog-less for the first time in 34 years. Last Saturday we visited a 4-week old English cocker litter from which we'll get one pup in early April. English cockers are pretty much a 27-30# springer spaniel -- not much resemblance to American cockers. The color is 'blue roan.'

[maxandgeorgia]

What a sweetie he seems to be! On first glance, I thought you were holding a baby GSP. His coloring looks so close to that of our Moose, our German Shorthair. Training puppies is no picnic, though their antics help us forget all the oopses we/they go through on the road to their maturity. Now that our Moose has filled out and settled down (well, somewhat), I'm nostalgic for that gangling, awkward, thundering-herd runner he was as a puppy and "teenage" dog. ~G

[Stefrobrts]

What a cute little guy! Our vet told us to hold Barclay like a baby everyday and make him stay like that until he settles down, just to peacefully reinforce who's in charge around here. Sometimes he really throws a tantrum, and other times he just lays there.


I do use the natures miracle, but I'm sure there's places we've missed. I need to dip the entire carpet in the stuff!

As for them being cute, my husband insists they're cute so we don't kill 'em!

[Sugarfoot]

CanoeStream, that is a precious pup. Almost as cute as Barclay!

Stef, Those photos are wonderful. I love the one of Barclay napping next to his toy. Glad to hear you had a better night with him.

[Stefrobrts]

More adorable Barclay pics!

He's doing great. Getting a little 'bitey', wants to have his mouth on everything. I'm glad we start puppy class next week so I can start getting some advice on how to deal with this stuff. It's been a long time since we had to deal with this puppy stuff!

Alki still doesn't want to have much to do with him. It would help if he didn't run up to her and grab a tuft of fur! We're trying to manage their interactions to keep them positive and not frustrate Alki too much. The cats are warming up to him, and I caught Mouse rubbing up against him. Chester was playing with him out in teh yard today and stepped on his foot and Barclay cried like someone was killing him, and ran off and hid in a bush! We went and got him out and he was fine, then he trotted away wagging - no harm done! Overall, I think we're doing pretty good considering tomorrow will be the one week mark!

[wheel interested]

Adorable is right. Such a fluffy wuffy woofy cutie baby...alright enough baby talk, but they love it don't they? Great looking animals Steph. Looks like a house full of love. Congrats on the new baby Barclay.

[safari57]

I would say from the look of things your pets have a very tough life. The look like they are really suffering from lack of attention. Yeah, right. What a great life Barclay lucked into. He sure is a cute pup. Look forward to meeting he and Alki.

Barry

[cameront120]

Forthe biting and other puppy issues, I would recommend you pick up Ian Dunbar's "Before and After Getting your Puppy". Lots of tricks for nipping the biting in the bud. Such as yelping when he nips, so he knows he's hurting you, to simple redirection - always have a toy on hand so that he can be tought what is acceptable for chewing. This book was really helpful for me when Kai was a pup.

Amazon.com: Before and After Getting Your Puppy: The Positive Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, and Well-Behaved Dog: Dr. Ian Dunbar: Books

I love the picture of him sleeping and showing his belly!

[Stefrobrts]

Thanks, I ordered that book!

We had a little breakthrough last night when he finally pushed Alki too far and she barked at him and snarled, causing him to roll backwards about four feet getting away from her, then he just stayed back and watched her for about the next hour while she smugly took over the middle of the front room - daring him to challenge her again - and he didn't! So today she was ignoring him while he followed her around, but when he gets too close she feels confident enough to tell him off I was starting to think she'd never do it!

[cameront120]

Good news! If he gets to the point where he is actively playing with the other dogs and biting with those sharp puppy teeth, the older dogs should teach the pup about bite control. I had a heck of a time with Kai. Labs are naturally mouthy dogs. Some more than others. I tried all the tricks and none of them worked. Finally a breeder told me that I had to grab Kai by the muzzle with one hand and with his upper lips covering his teeth, squeeze hard so that he bites himself. I hated to do this, but it did work. He learned very quickly that there was a consequence that he didn't care for if he bit. Such an extreme action isn't necessary for all dogs, but is for some. I had exhausted all the other tools so this was a last resort. I doubt you'll have to take it as far as I did.

I think you'll enjoy the book. It's a very quick read and is very informative.

[Stefrobrts]

Alki was so mouthy as a pup that we ended up spraying our hands with bitter apple! That also cured my nail biting habit I don't remember how we finally got through to her that biting was not ok, but she ended up being mouthy, but gentle. She's never so much as pinched us in years and years, even though she loves to get her mouth on you. I'd like to do an even better job training Barclay, hopefully getting him to where he won't even put his mouth on someone.

[cameront120]

Kai is still mouthy to a certain degree, but only when we're playing. The only time he ever 'bites' is if it's accidental while playing tug. Bitter Apple didn't work for us. He likes the taste of it.