Puppy is exhausting me already!

[pinkdaisy226]

Lol, ah the bell stories... I am determined to stick with it, as irritating as it can get. I've decided that bell means potty and she has 3-5 minutes to potty or we're going inside. Not sure if she's understanding but we'll see. I wish we could just let her go out alone but then she finds nasty things to put in her mouth - blegh.

Our latest "trial" would be Jordan... he cannot stay away from Lola. And not in a good way. He's ALWAYS around and when she wants to run up to him and play, he bops her on the head and/or hisses. Baylee at least keeps her distance - actually I don't think she cares one way or another about the puppy - but Jordan is always instigating. I know it's cuz he's jealous (he's gotten a lot more snuggly lately) and that he needs time to get used to her but it's frustrating!

 

[KitEKats4Eva!]

You're getting some great advice on this thread but I HAVE to reiterate - she is only 9 weeks old! Just equate that to what you would expect from a human baby at that age and you'll see she is still pretty helpless in a lot of ways. It will be at least another month - at least - before you start to get reliable potty signs like sniffing or going to the back door. I wouldn't even bother with `stay' for another month, either, or `down'. They just don't have the concentration.

However. Having said all that, I think it's brilliant - just brilliant - that you are doing so much already and if every dog I met could sit at 9 weeks old my job would be done already! Good for you - and don't forget to enjoy it!!

 

[aktotx]

Originally Posted by pinkdaisy226

Yes, she's, well she'll be 9 weeks on Wednesday or so. Actually we've set up a bell on the door to get her to indicate whether she needs to go outside or not. She's actually started catching on to ringing the bell to go outside and for the most part, she needs to pee so that's great. The downside is that sometimes she'll ring the bell just to go outside but then she'll just play... oh well.

Oh and yeah, she's already started trying to pick up and eat poop... ugh. Blegh.

Hi, I am new here but I understand what you are saying. We have 2 10 week great dane puppies (Lola and Belle) and are doing the bell thing. One puppy likes to hear it ring but doesn't want to go out and other just looks at it and then her sister, I think she is trying to tell her to ring the bell. I never have had a puppy before and now have 2 plus a year old mixed mutt who we got at 5 months. They drive me up the wall but I love them to death. We will go through puppy madness together..
almost 2 weeks ago they are each about 7 pounds more and taller...

Susan

 

[pinkdaisy226]

Ahhh!!! I have to tell you all my success story... someone celebrate with me!

Okay, so like I said, we've been doing the bell on the door thing. Naturally, like I mentioned, she thinks it's just a way to get outside but I take her, on leash, to the "bathroom" part of our yard so she'll learn that when she rings the bell = bathroom, when *I* take her out = play time.

Anyway, yesterday we were playing in the backyard for a half hour and she had her water out there so she wouldn't dehydrate. We went back inside and then, not even a few minutes later she was trying to go ring the bell. I wouldn't let her, thinking she wanted to go back and play outside. She tried again and then... peed on a blanket on the floor.

Okay, I know, technically she had an accident - but she gets it. She gets that bell = bathroom and had I listened all would've been good.

Oh and within the next hour she rang the bell twice and each time I listened... and each time she had to go in one form or another.

My baby's learning!

Originally Posted by KitEKats4Eva!

You're getting some great advice on this thread but I HAVE to reiterate - she is only 9 weeks old! Just equate that to what you would expect from a human baby at that age and you'll see she is still pretty helpless in a lot of ways. It will be at least another month - at least - before you start to get reliable potty signs like sniffing or going to the back door. I wouldn't even bother with `stay' for another month, either, or `down'. They just don't have the concentration.

However. Having said all that, I think it's brilliant - just brilliant - that you are doing so much already and if every dog I met could sit at 9 weeks old my job would be done already! Good for you - and don't forget to enjoy it!!

Sarah... yes she's little but... she DOES want to learn, you should see how much she concentrates when I pull out the clicker. There's a clicker "trick" I've been trying with her... you hold a treat tightly in your hand and let her sniff it... when she gives up and sits down, then you click and give it to her. It teaches her to sit and wait, rather than try to grab. Well, we've been doing it for 2 days and now as soon as I put a treat in my hand and show it to her, she sits down and waits!

Now if only there was a trick for getting her to stop chasing Jordan...

 

[2dogmom]

Yeah, I had seen some info somewhere that says that dogs have to be a certain age to learn things. based on my limited personal experience I am not sure you you can apply it to all dogs. Zircon had learn things that technically he was not supposed to be able to learn because he was too young. I think the key is that you can TRY, you can make it fun, and if your puppy learns, great, if not, don't be disappointed or make a huge deal out of it.

OK now for getting back to reality.

This is jsut for a couple of weeks that you can give your doggy so much attention, right? If you haven't done so, practice your "exit strategy". Lola will have to get used to being alone and going cold turkey is not good. Dogs love routine so do this gradually. Start by leaving your place and stay out for say ten minutes. You might hear her cry, but resisit the urge to go back in. If you can stretch out that time to an hour or so before your Christmas vacation is over you will be in good shape.

Sounds like you have a hard-core dog lover in you somewhere! Let me give you a warning though: when little puppy souls are in heaven waiting to be born, they sit in classrooms learning to give their humans THE LOOK. You'll knwo what I mean when you see it.

 

[pinkdaisy226]

2dogmom - yeah, I understand. Right now I'm not pushing it... just getting her to Stay for half a second so that she will Come. Oh and trying to get her to learn her name - a click and treat for everytime she looks at me when I say her name. Her poor tummy isn't doing well so today her treat was yogurt... I might need to ease up on the treats til she gets all better.

Well, actually, I've been making sure not to give her too much attention. And by that I mean, every few hours I'll leave her in her room for a little bit while I do something around the house - make lunch, clean up, wrap presents, etc. She's getting used to it, I think, (barely fusses and I think she naps) and that's what I want... granted, it'll be hard when we'll have to leave her for 4 hours at a time but she's a trooper.

Lol at me being a dog lover - I've never really been a fan of dogs, I guess Lola changed my mind. I'll have to resist those puppy eyes tho - 3 pets is plenty for me!

 

[KitEKats4Eva!]

Originally Posted by 2dogmom

Let me give you a warning though: when little puppy souls are in heaven waiting to be born, they sit in classrooms learning to give their humans THE LOOK. You'll know what I mean when you see it.

**snort** oh yeah - that's just a killer isn't it? `Mummy I'm starving I haven't eaten in three years nobody loves me I never get any cuddles or get to go anywhere I'm skinny and underloved and have a miserable life'

NOT!

I don't even know why mine look at me like that in the first place - I sometimes think if I was an animal I'd be lining up to try to get to live with us!

But they still give us THE LOOK on a regular basis. I guess it does achieve one goal though - it engenders immediate smooching and cuddling (which they then pretend they didn't want in the first place!)

Ari - I am so impressed at what I've read with your training of Lola. Many people have a number of dogs before they manage to get it so right. You are absolutely doing ALL of the right things, using the clicker properly everything is great. Good on you! And keep it up, because she already knows the clicker means that good things are coming, which is the whole point, and it will get her in the headspace for learning, and being stimulated, and then being rewarded, which they love! You are laying the foundations now for having a very well behaved, polite, loving, secure and safe little dog. She's a lucky girl, and you will reap the rewards. Congratulations.

 

[momofmany]

"The Look"?!?!?!? That pathetic, woe is me, why are you punishing me by either ignoring me or not giving me junk food when I want it? My Sam (part golden part setter) gives me "blinky eyes" instead. It is a twist on "the look", and its so cute that I usually can't resist him.

It sounds like you are making great progress with your baby!!

As far as Jordan's reaction to him. If you don't have tall cat condos for the cats to escape to, get some. They love to look down on dogs and feel superior to them.

 

[tavia'smom]

What kind of a dog is she and what did you name her I think I missed that.

 

[pinkdaisy226]

Originally Posted by Tavia'smom

What kind of a dog is she and what did you name her I think I missed that.

A Chihuahua mix (we think Chihuahua and Jack Russell Terrier) and her name is Lola.

Momofmany - we have a lot of places for the cats to jump to (not really high condos but one high perch, plus Lola can't jump up on the couch yet) but Jordan likes to be like right next to her, lol!

Thanks for all the advice guys, my vacation is over, sad to say... we didn't do nearly as much as I wanted but she knows her name, knows Come and Sit and a bit of Stay so that's a start.