New puppy - freaking out!
I just got a new 8 week old puppy and am having a very hard time with housetraining. Going between outside (the roof) and wee wee pads.
She pees in the crate, doesn't care. I take her out every 2 hours and have to do so at night, too. Thought I could get a few hours sleep in but no, really every two hours.
I'm going crazy, I'm unemployed, and I don't know what I'm doing and I feel held hostage by my dog and i'm feeling really anxious.
Anyone out there with a puppy? Going crazy? Let's commiserate and offer advice and petsit for one anothter?
She pees in the crate, doesn't care. I take her out every 2 hours and have to do so at night, too. Thought I could get a few hours sleep in but no, really every two hours.
I'm going crazy, I'm unemployed, and I don't know what I'm doing and I feel held hostage by my dog and i'm feeling really anxious.
Anyone out there with a puppy? Going crazy? Let's commiserate and offer advice and petsit for one anothter?
Comments
-
Maybe the crate is too big. Is she then lying down in the pee? If there is room for her to get away from it, you need a smaller space for now. Maybe you bought a crate for her adult size? If that's the case you need to get (or borrow) a smaller crate for now.
What kind of dog is it? Some breeds have a much harder time with this so it might take time, but it will get better. At least you don't have to go to work all tired
Oh, and she is just a baby so it might just take a little time for her to develop any real bladder control. -
the crate is large, but i have a divider, although I can try to put somethin in there to make it smaller width wise. She doesn't try to get away from the pee, she sits in it.
She's a Samoyed.
I'm good with the obvious stuff: taking her outside when she wakes from naps, but I keep messing up otherwise: she spontaneously pees during play, She's gone from 5 minutes to an hour going potty after eating and, if I need to do stuff, like go into the kitchen and she's awake and I put her in the crate - pee.
Honestly, I wonder if I should return her now. I thought I was ready for this, but I'm not managing well at all. -
OpossumQueen summed up what I was going to say. All I would add is that the Dog Whisperer series has vastly improved not only my dogs (one year old red nose pitbull) behavior but mine as well. Ceasar teaches humans how to relate to dogs as dogs and this has lead to a much more rewarding relationship between my dog and myself. You feeling anxious is absolutely effecting the mental state of your dog and how she relates to you. Honestly the best tool for you and your dog is getting all of the seasons of Dog Whisperer. I suffered through several months of leash pulling, peeing, rough play with our cat, disobedience, and lunging at people with bags before I finally broke down and took some advice and decided to get season one. It took only a few days to have my energetic pitbull walk beside me and stop her constant searching for chicken wing bones. Her peeing was due to insecurity and since I took the responsibility to be a pack leader she has not peed once inside.
-
DD - we got our Roxie at 8 weeks old also. She is a lab mix. We had the same problem with her and the crate. Actually we didn't crate train her (like we wanted). What we did do was use the wee-wee pads and positive reinforcement. Each time she went on the pad she got a treat. After about a week she was just excited that we all clapped our hands for her and didn't need to give her the treats. It is also very important to buy some Nature's spray and whenever puppy goes in a spot you don't want them to, clean it right away. Instead of the crate we bought this circular baby gate to contain her in. I think at about 9-10 weeks she was only going on the wee-wee pads. At this time we found those pads to be expensive so we started using newspaper. We kept these pads/papers in the same spot all the time and she would go right to it when needed. I did read or was told at one time you determine the amount of time a puppy can go without using the bathroom as 1 hour for every month (so since your puppy is 2 months, he/she should only be able to hold it for 2 hours). She would sleep through about 6-7 hours at night and not get up to use the pads.
-
If you got her at a shelter/rescue they might have some helpful tips and if she's from a breeder, then a good breeder will be more than happy to offer advice (or let you know if this is normal at this age for their pups). If she came from a puppy store, she may have come from bad (mill or bad breeder) conditions where she just had to get used to sitting in pee and this will take time.
How long have you had her? House-training really can take a while, and if she's 8 week's now, you shouldn't have had her more than a week which isn't long. Dogs are a lot of work, but I think they are worth it -
doublediamond wrote: the crate is large, but i have a divider, although I can try to put somethin in there to make it smaller width wise. She doesn't try to get away from the pee, she sits in it.
If you want to borrow our gate I would be more than happy to lend it to you.
She's a Samoyed.
I'm good with the obvious stuff: taking her outside when she wakes from naps, but I keep messing up otherwise: she spontaneously pees during play, She's gone from 5 minutes to an hour going potty after eating and, if I need to do stuff, like go into the kitchen and she's awake and I put her in the crate - pee.
Honestly, I wonder if I should return her now. I thought I was ready for this, but I'm not managing well at all.
Its this one
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2963260
ETA - my dog also did the "piddle" thing when she got excited. It pretty much stopped once we had her neutered. -
Having a new puppy is like having a baby. Expect a lot of sleepless nights at first. We didn't do crate training with Louie, so I can't address that issue, but I can tell you that when we first got him (at about the same age as your puppy), he peed everywhere and often. He peed on our bed, he peed on his doggie bed, just everywhere. Little puppies have little bladders.
It definitely gets better. Louie's 15 months old now and rarely has accidents. We leave him alone during the day 4 days a week for about 6- 7 hours and he can hold it for the entire day. He does hate to go outside when it's raining, so sometimes we have a problem with that. We have a backyard, fortunately, but when it's raining hard, he'll refuse to go down and poop. Instead, he'll sneak over to one of the litterboxes and try to poo in there (he usually misses, but I appreciate the thought). -
Allow me to just agree that having a 2 month old puppy is hell, especially if it's your first, and you've never had kids. The peeing, the nipping, the total-lack-of-discipline. But it's not you, it's not this dog, it's just the nature of big-dog puppies.
Positive re-enforcement is the way to go with peeing. Praise and high voices when she goes outside. Only scold (firmly, gently) if you catch her in the act, she'll forget what she did within 10 seconds. If you can, try to literally pick her up and bring her to an accepted pee-spot if you catch her in the act. Even if it's a mess along the way (you'll laugh about it later, trust me, I did)
In the end, the puppyhood settles down, they get better, they start to think you are their moon and their stars, and most of all -- IT'S ALL COMPLETELY WORTH IT. It makes you a better person and results in a wonderful dog. Don't give up, even though there will be MANY times when you want to. I doubt you'd be able to. -
Beyond shrinking the size of the crate (which is important as noted above to prevent the dog from having enough room to pee in one half and hang out in the other) - my thought is that perhaps working on getting the puppy to view the crate as a happy place might help. iirc, the reason crate training works is because the dog views the crate as their "den," a comforting hideout, and dogs' instinct is to not soil their den. If she views it as a punishment zone and not "her" space then the crate training is less likely to take. Maybe spend some time giving her some positive associations with the crate - feed her treats in there, hang out near it, leave the door open so she can come and go and hide fun toys in there for her to discover, etc.
Other thought - I think some experts recommend not mixing paper training and outdoor training to minimize confusion in tough cases. Either paper train first and then once the dog realizes that the paper is the one acceptable place to potty, then work on relocating that "one spot" to the outdoors. Or just train outdoors exclusively.
One last thought - instead of training the dog to pee outside on the roof, maybe (assuming she's had all her shots and is cleared for socializing) take her out to the street/park where she can smell that other dogs have been there and peed and help her realize that outside is where she, too, should be peeing.
And yeah, Nature's Miracle all the indoor spots so she can't smell her previous pees anymore (which would encourage her to pee there again).
And for overnight - maybe pick up some dog diapers so you can sleep once in a while? Not a solution, but a way to help you out so you can address the main problem with a well-rested mind. Pretty sure I've seen some at Petland...
Good luck. I got my dog when she was an adult so I missed the worst part of training, but my girl has a weak bladder so I know the frustrations of pee in the house! I'd be down for some pee-prone petsitting exchange
ps - Antigone - love the thought of Louie trying to go in the litterbox! Reminds me of when my dog would have accidents - always be in front of the (closed) bathroom door, making me think that she knew what the room was for and was trying to do the "right" thing... -
I've bestowed all my knowledge upon you already, but I must re-state that she is SO young (JUST turned 8 weeks) and just like you wouldn't expect a baby to be able to tell when he's going to pee, you can't really expect a puppy that young to know either. She probably barely knows shes gonna go before the piddle starts hitting the floor! Lots of praise if she accidentally pees on the pad will go far for when she IS able to tell and make it to the pad in time, but its going to take lots of time and patience. And, as I said, dont let her on the furniture till she can hold it more because she WILL pee on you and your couch/bed.
-
Toadette, if your dog is an older spayed female, there might be a pill for her. "PPA" is what our vet gave us, after pee testing for other issues. It's harmless, magic, cheap. Our dog was WTF *mortified* the first time she woke up from a nap and she'd leaked a little...
Good luck w the puppy thing. Man, I love adopting adult dogs . . . -
as someone who is going to be getting a new puppy/dog in the next several months, I'd like to say thanks to everyone who responded...it's great to know there is this kind of support system!!
And OP, good luck!! -
hahaha this thread reminds me of all the adorable things brunito did when he was more-smaller (he's only a bit over a year now so hes still a bit of a baby) I would describe puppyhood like this:
first- puppy is a peeing and pooping machine! Puppy wont use pads or go outside! Puppy pees on everything you love!
then- puppy is peeing on pad! hurray! Oh sh*t, puppy is eating poop! FRANTIC GOOGLING! No avail, hope puppy will outgrow it...
then- puppy stopped eating poop...but now he's teething! He eats your favorite pair of shoes, then the replacement pair you bought! Puppy eats macbook cord and cellphone charger and almost sets house on fire chewing on cords! oh wait...he's calming down...
then- 7-month-old PUPPY CRAZIES! LAPS! Puppy learns he can BARK and DOESN'T stop. However, puppy now has the ability to learn and can do cool things like sit and shake. Puppy is showing genuine affection for you and recognizes you and all that cute stuff
then till the foreseeable future- puppy is cranked 24/7 but does periodically sleep. No more poop eating, very little chewing of other things. Puppy loves you more than anything in the world and wakes you up with puppy-tongue in the mouth and a little stomping dance on your chest. Puppy has been reprimanded enough that he actually responds to discipline. You love puppy. Puppy loves you. Life is good. -
Oh, and sammy's aren't one of the breeds I know of with house-training issues, but be warned that sled dogs tend to be pretty fearless and adventurous so approach off-leash when she gets older with caution (or better yet, with a trainer). They are such cute puppies, though. My friend's looked like a teddy bear at that age--definitely a good way to meet your neighbors since everybody wants to pet the fluffy puppy.
Since you are probably home a lot right now, you should definitely read up on preventing separation anxiety for when you'll be away from her more. Not all dogs develop it, but dealing with it once it starts is so much harder than not encouraging it in the beginning.
And like we're all saying, it will get better and it's all worth the work if you really want a dog. If getting her was a spur of the moment decision and you really think you aren't ready for a puppy, by all means make sure she ends up in good hands (we can offer advice on that as well, I'm sure) but if this is something you've been wanting and planning for, don't panic
And get that dog some kongs (stuff them with peanut butter, I use natural no salt pb). Great for chewers, esp. bigger dogs. I'm sure we can all chime in on good dog toys if you like.
And finally, pictures?? -
For more training info check the files on the FIDO Brooklyn website. There is a TON of suport out there.
-
I'd like to chime in again and just say that the route to a happy pack relies on the owners and an understanding of "dog Psychology." Dog training is great, however there must be a pack mentality within a dog owners house. Owners are required to be calm, assertive in order to shape a dog into calm, submissive. Although we all at times humanize our pets, we must respect and understand their needs above our own. Dogs, including puppies (actually especially puppies) need the attention and guidance that one of their own species would afford them. As a lifetime dog owner and "trainer," someone who has taken in feral dogs and cats and successfully rehabilitated them, I would once again recommend following Cesar Millan's every word. The experiences outlined in this thread can fortunately be avoided instead of chalked up as cuteness, or traditional puppy behavior.
-
Subject: Housebreaking a puppy
I recently got a puppy and this is what I did. I brought a puppy play pen and put his bed and lots of paper in it (he chewed the wee-wee pads). I kept him in it (it's less confining than a crate). I sprayed the paper(it's the scent that makes them go in that particular place). When he went on the paper I gave him a treat and said "good boy, good boy". In the day time, I open the area, but keep the paper in the same place and he goes on it. I couldn't take him because he didn't have all his shots. Now I am in the transition period, (going outside) You are confusing him by taking him out on the roof, let him get use to going in ONE place and then gradually build up the demands. Good luck -
Pitu - thanks for the info. My dog is indeed a spayed female, age unknown but guessing around 4. I had mentioned her urine leakage to the vet I saw shortly after getting her and that vet recommended we start with an herbal supplement. I don't remember the exact conversation but I got the impression that there were some drawbacks to the stronger treatments. The herbal pill (http://www.petnaturals.com/vitamins_supplements/bladder-support-dogs.php) helps like 90% of the time, but when it fails it seems to fail for a few days in a row. Of course, the failures are never near her scheduled vet visit times so I hadn't thought to bring it up with the new vet. Hearing that you haven't had any side effects with the PPA is definitely encouraging. I'll be sure and bring it up on my next vet visit - thanks!
-
Thanks everyone, I gave her back to the breeder, who has a waiting list a mile long, so the puppy will go to another good home.
Reasons are a little more involved than just the puppy being a handful. I will say that going at it alone was very difficult. I think one needs to have some kind of support system, whether that be a partner, family, friends, what have you to help out in some way. -
doublediamond wrote: Thanks everyone, I gave her back to the breeder, who has a waiting list a mile long, so the puppy will go to another good home.
Giving her back is much better than you both being miserable. I'm sure you were sad to see her go, though.
Reasons are a little more involved than just the puppy being a handful. I will say that going at it alone was very difficult. I think one needs to have some kind of support system, whether that be a partner, family, friends, what have you to help out in some way.
When you do get a dog, you might want to do more research on good breeds for apartments. My friend has a pretty typical young sammy and she's a handful. She never leaves her home alone b/c of the typical breed barking that drives the neighbors crazy. And despite all her efforts, I've never seen the dog tired. She takes it for a long walk in the morning (our dogs play and run at off-leash for well-over an hour minimum) then she drops her off at daycare, then for an evening walk. She has to take the dog to daycare anytime she goes out. She adores her dog but it takes more commitment (time and $$) than a lot of dogs. -
OpossumQueen wrote:
Giving her back is much better than you both being miserable. I'm sure you were sad to see her go, though.
When you do get a dog, you might want to do more research on good breeds for apartments. My friend has a pretty typical young sammy and she's a handful. She never leaves her home alone b/c of the typical breed barking that drives the neighbors crazy. And despite all her efforts, I've never seen the dog tired. She takes it for a long walk in the morning (our dogs play and run at off-leash for well-over an hour minimum) then she drops her off at daycare, then for an evening walk. She has to take the dog to daycare anytime she goes out. She adores her dog but it takes more commitment (time and $$) than a lot of dogs.
I did do a great deal of research and became very familiar with this breed. They do well in apartments if you have an active lifestyle, which I do. So I did go into this with my eyes open. My issue wasn't breed-specific. This wouldn't be a good time for me with *any* breed of puppy. -
You are braver than I to choose the breed in a city!
I have a border collie mix and he's so much easier than the young samoyeds I know, so I just have trouble seeing them as truly good apartment dogs. My friend with one is very active and her dog gets at least 4 hours and many miles of outside time walking and running plus all day at daycare where she wrestles and plays, yet still can't be left alone which is something I just can't imagine dealing with. The older ones I know/knew (9+ years) are all pretty mellow but all belong to people who are retired or work from home.
Sorry it didn't work out right now. I was looking forward to a new puppy in the park -
OpossumQueen wrote: You are braver than I to choose the breed in a city!
The brave part was choosing a long white haired dog! Even with the puppy, I was wiping her feet after every outdoor jaunt (which she was so easy and good about). Imagine if she hit up some mud?
I have a border collie mix and he's so much easier than the young samoyeds I know, so I just have trouble seeing them as truly good apartment dogs. My friend with one is very active and her dog gets at least 4 hours and many miles of outside time walking and running plus all day at daycare where she wrestles and plays, yet still can't be left alone which is something I just can't imagine dealing with. The older ones I know/knew (9+ years) are all pretty mellow but all belong to people who are retired or work from home.
Sorry it didn't work out right now. I was looking forward to a new puppy in the park Their coat repels dirt, but still requires extensive grooming (I groomed several Sammies, so I knew what was involved, but still, a lot of work).
I can't imagine not being able to leave a dog home alone for short periods of time. Your friend really has her hands full. The 1year and older Sammies I met were all pretty mellow but all from the same breeder.
Yeah, I was looking forward to going to the park with her. She was such as sweetie, a cutie and mild. -
puppies definitely take a great deal of time and energy (all dogs do, but puppies excel in this category). if you still really want a dog/feel that a dog is a good fit for you, there are LOTS of adult dogs available for adoption. contrary to popular belief, they are not all "damaged goods", and many of them are fairly young (1-3 years old). i adopted my little monster when he was about a year, give or take. he has his fair share of issues (he's kind of like an adolescent now...argh), but he is awesome and recently became a therapy dog. just a thought, consider a young adult pooch - they are past their puppy time and have awesome bladders!
-
DD, too cute!
-
DDA wrote: but he is awesome and recently became a therapy dog.
That's wonderful. A therapy dog from Delta got me through a really rough situation and I still think of that dog to this day
Howdy, Stranger!
Categories
- 40K All Categories
- 27.1K Neighborhoods
- 5.1K Crown Heights/Prospect Lefferts Gardens
- 7.1K Prospect Heights
- 2.3K Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Bed-Stuy
- 8K Park Slope
- 549 Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Bushwick
- 442 Flatbush/Midwood/Ditmas Park
- 657 BoCoCa (Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens)
- 151 Red Hook
- 104 Gowanus
- 304 Bay Ridge/Bensonhurst
- 130 Coney Island, Brighton Beach, Sheepshead Bay
- 270 Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO and Downtown
- 598 Windsor Terrace / Kensington
- 673 Greenwood Heights and Sunset Park
- 749 Brooklyn and Beyond
- 6.3K Stuff
- 86 Brooklyn Back When
- 1.2K Brooklyn Pets
- 257 Brooklyn Kids
- 241 Brooklyn Eats
- 51 Brooklyn Booze
- 3.6K The Lounge / Random Stuff
- 611 Brooklyn Politics
- 122 Brooklyn Sports and Fitness
- 111 Brooklyn Photos
- 339 Site Issues
- 8 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- 6.2K Listings
- 1.1K APARTMENTS and REAL ESTATE
- 1.3K Sales Openings Events
- 2.3K The Classifieds