6 week old pup driving me nuts!!

[fawnbrindle]

Okay, I picked up my puppy yesterday. Everything was okay except for the car ride, which was to be expected since he'd never been in a car. He just cried for awhile. I got him home and everything went pretty smoothly, a lot of friends came over to see him. He 's quite friendly & outgoing:) THE DISASTER: I already knew about puppies and their many trips outside to "go", but reading it and hearing about it is totally different than living it. I'm crate training him, so when he has to "go" he cries and I get up and let him out. I AM SOOO TIRED!! I know this "routine" will keep up for awhile, but I'd like to hear from ANYONE that may be able to give me an estimate of how long it will be before his bladder & digestive tract can better hold his wastes. I'm have to work, so...I would like to know, thanks!

P.S- True_Pits, u asked in another post what bloodline I finally decided on. I know he's got Razor's Edge (ever heard of it), but as far as what else may be in him I'm not sure. I saw the Sire & Dam's papers, but did not memorize them. I'm waiting on my puppies papers to arrive w/the breeder. When I get the papera, I will post.

Also, I will post pics in the very near future:)

[Sara]

Best thing to do is feed on a schedule because then you'll feed...wait a few minutes...trip outside to potty...it's almost like clockwork at that age (generally speaking)... Once your pup is 8 weeks old he/she should be able to hold it and that's really when the REAL training will begin...at this point...since he/she can't hold it I'd hold off on getting too wrapped up in "training". I kept my pup in the bathroom till she got to be 8 weeks old so that she could potty if she needed to and not lay in it...that way they don't get used to laying in poopy and don't suffer if you can't let them out in time.

My pup cried to go out through the night and after she was about 9 weeks old would sleep comfortably from 10pm to 8am with free food (she was finicky and it was hard to get her to eat AT ALL much less on a schedule).

I hope you have a vet appointment already for your pup's shots... your vet should give you some pointers on crate training and potty training...

But 8 weeks is when they should be able to hold it...and when you can START to potty train them seriously.

Sara

[GinaH]

I have always create trained any dog /puppy I have ever owned or fostered. I have started crate training puppies as young as 6 weeks. Just make sure the crate is not so big that they have free roam of it because they will potty in it.
But as far as the actual puppy becoming potty trained it can vary in age as to when they can "hold it" some are just more stubborn.
In my opinion what Sara said about keeping it in the bathroom free to go in the floor until 8 weeks would be confusing for the puppy when you do start potty training.
If you got your puppy from a breeder your puppy should already be 8 weeks old and has most likely already had 1-2 boosters and a shot record.
I know how frustrating potty training a puppy can be it's a lot of work! Just remember to give positive reinforcement whenever your puppy does go in the appropriate place be sure to praise it immensely make a huge deal out of it. I also give treats and just gradually start taking them away so that the puppy does not come dependent on a treat everytime they do something they are supposed to do. It's so hard to say when your puppy should be potty trained all puppies are different.
Good luck to you.

[Angie]

I kept Shianne in a small kennel and she hardly ever "went" in it only very few times when I first got her. She was really good with holding it in until I could take her out. Then she just stopped all together and that didnt take very long at all but I dont remember how old she was. But she learned very young.
Now she goes out about 4 times a day. Only she doesn't bark when she wants to go out, I just know its time. She knows "Lets go outside" or "Wanna go out?" lol thats what I ask her all the time.
But when I get to the door I make her "Speak!" first that way she will start going to the door and barking when she has to go out.
I know you have a long way to go for that but thats what I did/do.
I think that IF you do keep her in the bathroom, at least put some paper down and try to teach her to go on that.
But the kennel worked great for me.

[Sara]

My vet said that at 8 weeks is when you can confidently say your dog can hold it. My pup was potty trained in about 2 weeks once we started with it after she turned 8 weeks old. No confusion for her.

[GinaH]

Sara: So did you get your puppy from a breeder at 6 weeks old? And you did not start potty training until 8weeks and she was potty trained by 10 weeks. If it only took 2 weeks you are very lucky. I just can't imagine a vet telling you by 8 weeks they should be able to "hold it".
I have never found this to be true they are still babies at 8 weeks.
And you can usually always expect accidents until at least 12 weeks sometimes even older but that has been my experience.

[Sara]

I got my pup from a BYB at 7 weeks old. At 8 weeks we really starte potty training and yes...by 10 weeks she was crated for about 6 hours at at time, sometimes 8 and never had accident one in her crate. If we missed her ever so subtle "let me out" signal while she was hanging out in the living room or whatever...she would have an accident or two but by 11 weeks or so...she was potty trained...

Then we moved...had to start all over practically because that was an apartment and rather than being let out on demand...we had to do more of a schedule of it. But yes...

[Sara]

Most if not all the trainers I've spoken with can get a dog potty trained in a matter of one or two weeks...

[bullylove1]

Angie:
Harley is the same way. She will NEVER let you know when she has to go. I swear, her bladder would explode before she would make the slightest noise. I always say, "Wanna go pee?" As soon as she hears this she either bolts for the door, or looks at me like I'm crazy. The latter of the 2 is my cue that No,she doesn't wanna go pee. Sometimes when I ask she will grab her ball and run to the door. Mine as well got some catch in while she goes I guess.

[Angie]

Sometimes I fall asleep when I get home and she will bark to let me know that she really has to go but she usually holds it.
But when she is not in her kennel, she doesn't give a sign.
I usually take her out around the same time but if im not on time she is usually ok with it.
I usually take her out around 6am, 2:30-3pm, and then usually around 9 on the weekdays and maybe later on weekend, if im not home. But some times she has to go more often.
But the only way I can get a sign from her, is if she is in her kennel she will wine ? or bark or if i ask her she will go right to the door to get her leash on.

[GinaH]

My dogs are the same way they never really bark or anything they just kinda sit at the door staring at it longily hoping it will magically open. My dogs would bust before they would go in the floor. I have two that have to be crated at night however or they will not only sneak a poop in the floor but have a grand time chewing anything they can wrap their teeth around. But are perfect little angels during the day.

[True_Pits]

[fawnbrindle]

To tell u the truth, I honestly decided on my pup for what some people would say are the wrong reasons. I fell in love with how he looked. He also has beautiful parents. When going over the parents' pedigrees, I was primarily looking for bloodlines such as Snooty/Mims, Colby, Mayday, etc. Such lines, as I've seen in my experience produce a more gamey, wirey APBT. When I didn't see any of those & saw Razor's Edge, I hopped on it. You don't have to tell me this wasn't the greatest way to make a decision; I already know.

I've also referred others to this guy, only to find out that the papers may very well be fraudulent, among other things. I don't really care to go too much in depth about this as of yet, the matter may be going to court.

But yes, True_Pits, I searched for a very long time for the type of dog I wanted & when I believed I'd found it; I went for it.

Has anyone ever heard of the NKC (National Kennel Club)?

[Meg04]

Bullylove- that is so cute about Harley. She sounds like such a sweet dog. From the picture you have posted Zoe looks like her in the face. Soon I will figure out how to post pictures.

Fawnbridle- as far as your situation, I really don't have a lot of advice. I got Zoe when she was already one year. I do however, still have problems with her trying to chew EVERYTHING. Occasionally (like last night) she'll wake me up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom but not often. I know I didn't offer up much advice, for Ive never had a puppy that young, but I do wish you the best of luck and Im sure with patience, training and time things will get better.

Megan

[Angie]

Shianne stays in her kennel when I am not home and when I am sleeping...otherwise she would chew up everything in the house.
She knows my schedule, after I take her out in the morning before work, she comes back in goes with me to her food and then goes right in her kennel, i dont even have to tell her.

[Sook]

Well, my dog was a god-send - peed/pooped ont he carpet around 3-4 entire time, mind u we spent lots of time outside and had a good feeding schedule, now we use a sort of ESP to know if he wants to go outside, dont get me wrong it sounds wacked, but yeah, guess i know my dog so well... get vibes he needs to go, or u can just look at him or he gives the sutle signal.. looks @ u then the door ..

[fawnbrindle]

Thank u all 4 the stories and advice. I guess I'll just have to deal w/it as best I can. I do have another question. I think my puppy may be very vocal, are any of your dogs vocal??

[Sook]

Around the house the only time my dogs vocal is when he has KONG in his mouth or if someones just arrived and are outside...... although he does whine if he feels neglected... Which isnt the case... But all i can say is any puppys require so much attention when little....

Yet again, your dog could be vain from a very young age and enjoys listening to him/her-self i know my dogs vain...

[Sara]

My Male APBT Monty tells us things ALL the time... Last night he was telling us how he would like to sit on the couch but there wasn't room... Kind of like the way they talk on TV...the whold " I wuv you" thing... He growls and groans too... We look at him and he starts barking at us... He's not much for barking at noises though...VERY confident dog there...Sometimes we have no idea what he's telling us about...like if he wants out to go potty... he'll bug and bug...we ask... "wanna go outside?" ...nothing..."wanna go potty"....nothing...he just sits and stares at us... What a nerd! Have to go by process of elimination...we invite him onto the couch if he refuses then that's not it...if we're not eating we usually take him outside where he does his duty...but I swear...it's like he enjoys making us guess.

Hunnyjade my female pit is REALLY vocal when wrestling and about noises...she's GOT to investigate them too...

Riot the Male Boerboel is a whiner...he whines if he's really excited...or if he's sad...and for a 100# mastiff breed he can sound pretty pathetic and whimpy! LOL

[susan_cude@hotmail.com]

Perhaps this will help a little....I know it's LONG.....sorry! but it has some very good info...Good luck to you!

Some Basic Concepts for You to Understand
Dogs develop elimination habits during their first few months of life.
Dogs do not want to eliminate where they rest.
Being creatures of habit, dogs will return to their "usual spot" whenever it is convenient.
Dogs can be conditioned (trained) to react to a conditioned stimulus in a certain way. (they can be taught to eliminate when you say a word over and over).
A behavior is likely to be repeated if it is positively reinforced. (You will therefore be using food treats and praise to reinforce elimination at the proper time, in the proper place

Training

The easiest way to housetrain your dog is to use a crate or cage in order to use the dog’s instinct against soiling his or her den. If your dog is not accustomed to the crate, leave the door open and feed your dog one or two meals in the crate then close the door for the next meal. Once your dog is used to the crate you can start feeding outside of the crate. Put bedding in the crate to make it comfortable and tie the door open when the dog is not confined to the crate. As a final note you may have to make the crate smaller by bunching up bedding in the back of the crate if you have a large crate and a small puppy. If the crate is too big the pup may still eliminate in one corner and sleep in the other.

The most important keys to housetraining are close supervision and a regular schedule. Feed your dog at the same times each day and only offer water at scheduled intervals of about two hours. Don’t give your dog any water for at least three hours before bed. Let your dog out to eliminate after every meal, nap, and play. If he does not eliminate, try again in a few minutes. Keep your dog in the crate at any time that you cannot supervise, and while your dog is not in the crate watch for any signs that he needs to eliminate (such as sniffing the floor, scratching the door, whining, and pacing). As a side note to this, do make sure that you have play sessions indoors and outdoors during the day. Once your puppy has eliminated, he should be good for at least 30 minutes, depending on his age.

When you let your dog out to eliminate, you should go out too. When you see that your dog is about to eliminate, repeat a word or phrase (such as "hurry up") that your dog will associate with the act. You will definitely appreciate this tool when you have to take your dog on a long car trip.

At night, keep your dog in the crate. If she whines after being quiet for several hours she probably needs to go out. Be patient, and you will find that the number of outings will decrease as your pup learns to control herself. If at any time you are having problems during housetraining (as with any training), simply go back a step – you were probably pushing your dog too far. Of course adult dogs can be expected to go longer without eliminating than puppies can.

Accidents

No matter how careful you are, accidents are bound to happen. When they do, do not use folk remedies and do not even punish your dog unless you catch her in the act. Your dog or puppy might not remember the accident and may only get confused. Consider it your mistake for not supervising closely enough. Just put your dog in the crate and clean up the mess with a deoderizing cleanser or vinegar. Don’t use detergent or ammonia because the smell of ammonia may encourage the dog to soil in the same place again. Don’t let your dog see you cleaning up the mess. If she does happen to remember doing it, you do not want her to see you as her maid.

If you do catch your dog in the act, shout "No", clap your hands, or otherwise distract him from the act of eliminating. Take your dog outside and wait until he eliminates while repeating your chosen word or phrase. Once your dog has eliminated, praise your dog because he has now eliminated in the correct place.

City dogs

In the city it is not always practical to housetrain a young puppy as described above. Eventually you will want your pup to eliminate outside, but if you live at the top of an apartment building you probably do not want to be taking your puppy outside every hour. As well, until your pup is fully vaccinated it is dangerous to let your dog walk where other dogs have been.

In this case you will have to paper-train your puppy. Cover the entire floor of your pup’s confined area (eg. the kitchen) with newspaper. Praise your pup for eliminating on the newspaper and use the key word or phrase. Change the paper and remove some of the paper from the other side of the room. Continue this until there is only a small area of paper left. You may instead want to use special housetraining pads that can be bought at pet stores. After the pup is immunized at 16 weeks, take the paper away and use the crate to train your pup to go outside as described above. It may be necessary to take a sheet of newspaper outside so that your pup gets the idea.

If you want your dog to scratch or whine at the door, you may want to try the following procedure. Once you are down to one sheet of newspaper, move the newspaper progressively towards the door. Finally, slide the paper under the door so that only a small corner is visible. Watch your dog carefully to see if he whines or scratches at the door to try to get to the paper and take him outside immediately. Praise him profusely once he has eliminated outside.


Sincerley, Susan