posted 12-12-2003 01:26 PM         

My Precious (ShiTzu/Pekapoo mix) is now 8 weeks old!!! We are way past the every 3 to 4 hour bottle feedings. The puppies are growing strong and healthy and are now ready to start potty, house, and obedience ((Yeah Right!)) =) training.. I think =/

I was wondering if any of you have any suggestions? What are some of the things you've tried? What has and has not worked? I have trained puppies before but they were outdoor dogs. These guys are a completely different ball game. I have very little experience with toy breeds. I have been reading as much as I can about them but any wisdom from you guys would be appreciated.

Oh, and take a look at my Precious web page update: http://www.geocities.com/swtsun101/Precious.html

posted 12-12-2003 07:29 PM         

He has got an amazingly shiney coat. He will be georgous as an adult.

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posted 12-12-2003 10:26 PM         

First of all, VERY cute little puppies. Your black one at the bottom of the page reminded me of my little shih-poo, as he looks just like yours

About training: Patience, patience, and more patience is a definite must!!! Training any puppy can be quite challenging, but in the end, a well trained pup is quite worth the time and effort put forth in the beginning to train him/her.

Obedience Training: My best suggestion would be to enroll your puppy in a quality obedience class that includes "puppy play-time." If you don't already know of a good quality puppy obedience/training class, you will need to do a bit of investigating. Find a few (or one) that you are interested in and ask to sit through one or two classes to see if you like their style of training.

House training: Toy/Small breed dogs are, in most cases, a little more difficult to housebreak than the large breed dogs, simply due to a *much* smaller bladder. But, that is not to say that it can not be done, because it can!
A few tips: 1)take the puppies out soon after finishing a meal (10-30 mins. after) 2) after they have been playing for a while 3) after naps (and immediately upon waking up in the morning).
Signs that the puppy may need to eliminate: 1)A sudden stop in what they were doing, and walking away (this is usually a sign that he/she is looking for a place to eliminate) and 2)Circling. A vast majority of the time the previous two behaviors are accompanied by sniffing. Over time you will begin to recognize your dogs signs that he or she needs to eliminate. (Just a note: I was once told, "When in doubt, take them out," if you are unsure as to whether or not your puppy needs to go out.) Upon seeing any of these signs, quickly pick him/her up and bring them to one spot outside to eliminate. Choosing one spot for your dog to eliminate is helpful, because the scent of previous eliminations will be there, which will help remind the dog why they are out there at that spot. When they do go in the proper place, LOTS and LOTS of positive verbal praise, and a little treat, are a great idea.
If in the event of your puppy eliminating in the house, which will happen as I am sure you already know , a high quality deodorizer is quite important! This gets rid of the scent so the dog is not enticed to eliminate in the same spot again. Scolding a puppy when he/she has had an "accident" is not necessary. If you do catch them in the act, a clap of the hands and a quick no (not in a mean tone of voice), then immediately picking him/her up and taking them out, has worked best in my experience. Major point though is not to get angry or punish the dog for having an accident, it does more harm than good!!!

Well, hopefully some of that info. is of some help to you. There are also lots of good books and web sites that contain vaulable info. on training, in all aspects, a puppy. I am sure others on this board will be able to proivide you with other great info. to help you out!

Most important thing to remember is to have FUN and be real POSITIVE with the puppies!!!

Best of Luck to You,
Kristi

posted 12-13-2003 11:53 AM         

Especially you Kristi. Great information!I'm going to print your post so I can refer back to it.

Up to this point I have been taking them to a paper spot to eliminate.. but it is me who is trained and not the puppies. They are starting to go to that spot on their own now but they do have their accidents. I'm an at home Mom so I'm having no problem getting right to the scene of the crime (LOL) and cleaning it up. I have found that my Little Green Machine and Natures Miracle have worked wonders at keeping my house from smelling like we have pets. I also have a lot of help cleaning up after the destructive duo. =) I homeschool my 9 year old, 12 year old and 16 year old. The kids don't mind helping. They get a kick out of the puppies attacking them as soon as they turn on the Green Machine. They are such a riot!

Hey Puttin510, Do you know of any good obedience school in the area?

posted 12-13-2003 01:10 PM         

You are more than welcome!!!

It sounds like you are off to a great start! Being able to spend a lot of quality time with your puppies is most assuredly to your advantage (and your puppies thank you for it). Having those extra hands and help are always an added bonus! I know when I first got my two puppies they were an absolute riot to watch! And to this day, at 6 months old, they still attack the vacuum cleaner, which is quite a sight to see. I must admit though, having two puppies at one time can be quite the challenge, but it is also so much fun to watch them get into everything they can possibly get their paws on. The "destructive duo" is the best term yet that I have heard to describe two puppies; it certainly describes my two perfectly!

You also mentioned that you are paper training. The tips I provided in my post are applicable to any method of housetraining, whether you are using puppy pads, paper, or going outside. For your puppies to be going to the paper at that young of an age is quite an achievement for both you and the puppies. Good Job! The accidents will continue to occur for some time to come, but with your persistence and patience (which you obviously have), you will achieve the ultimate goal in houstraining, and that is a house trained puppy!

So, keep up the great work!!! And let us all know how things turn out for you.