posted 02-12-2004 08:02 AM         

2. How often can I bath him?

3. Potty training- argh- he doesn't seem to be getting it. If I take him out every 1 1/2 hours he will go and then we go inside and he will piddle somewhere. For poop he usually goes outside, but sometimes when I take him out he will pee, and then beg to go in, I still make him wait for about 10 minutes, but when we finally go in sure enough within half an hour he has messed somewhere. When I can't be watching him I keep him in a play pen like thing with his kennel inside so he can go in and sleep if he wants. He never has an accident in the play pen area.

3. How long until he will be able to make it through the night, say past 3 in the morning without having to go out?

4. He is very good with the kids but really nips at one of my daughters when she goes to pet him or pick him up. She loves him and has more interest in him than the other kids so this seems very strange. Any thoughts?

5. He doesn't seem interested at all when I try to teach him something. All I have tried to work on so far is to follow the command to "come" and "sit". He is not catching on. Help!

I love him to death, and I am surprised at myself how attached I have become to him. The kids really have fun with him. My husband is loved him, now just likes him because he is frustrated with the "problems". He keeps saying that if things don't get better soon he won't tolerate it any more. I don't want to lose our little Benson!

Sorry for the long post, I just really need some advice!

posted 02-12-2004 10:00 AM         

I'll be curious to see the responses you get.. I'm not a Shih-poo owner yet but will be in the near future!

posted 02-12-2004 10:01 AM         

Don't worry, Things will get better with your dog so tell your husband to just be patient. I have a 4 month old Shih poo named Milo. I have had him for probably the last 2 months. I noticed that Milo, unlike other puppies, only goes to the bathroom 2 maybe 3 times a day (but 3 is pushing it). I asked the vet and the vet said that that is normal, so i'm not worried. Milo can go throug the whole night without going to the bathroom. Why don't you try this. What i have done with milo, is that since me and my boyfriend are at work during the day, and no one is home to watch him, or, take him outside, i trained him to go on the newspaper. Now, especially with Milo, it's kind of hard. One week he will go on the papers and then one week he will stop. Let your puppy know that if he goes where you want him to go, he will get a treat, or praised. Try and only praise him or give him a treat when he does something that is good. It's easier to train them that way. I also take Milo outside to go to the bathroom. Another thing you can do is know when your dog has to go to the bathroom. Milo always goes as soon as he wakes up, around 6 and maybe sometimes before he goes to sleep. This way it is easier to train your dog to where you want him to go to the bathroom.

I heard that if you bath a dog more than once a month the dog can recieve a skin rash. I try to bath Milo once a month. I know that, expecially with a puppy, and Milo, he loves to get dirty, you know jump in the snow or dig in the dirt. If he does that then i will just get a wet cloth and wipe him down.

As for nipping with other kids, Milo is pretty good. Make sure that your dog knows where he is in the Hiarchy. He must know that he is at the bottom. All dogs, not just pack dogs, go by a hiarcy. They know who is the top dog (in this case, you or your husband), and they know who is the lowest, (place your dog name here). It's important to do this because otherwise your dog will think that they have a higher position then your daughter and therefore won't pay attention to her or keep on nipping at her.

I heard that Shih-Poo's were to be intellagent and easy to train because of the poodle in them. Well it looks like my dog Milo is far from that. It has taken me 2 months to get him to know where to go to the bathroom, and even then he still makes mistakes. If you want to train your dog then consider obedience school. Milo is starting his on the 22. Find a class that will fit your needs. The one i found will train Milo to come, sit, lay down, stay. Also where to go to the bathroom, barking (That sold me), bitting. and i think thats it. Try an obedience school because your husband might be able to tolerate the "problems".

As for the odor coming from the ears, i have no idea. LOL. sorry. Ask a vet, or, better yet, next time you go to the groomers ask what you can do to stop the odor, or find out what is causing it.

posted 02-12-2004 08:13 PM         

regarding Training: My big advice is to make sure you have treats for rewards that HE LOOOOVES! Also, I agree with Milo's mommy about the potty training. You have got to take them outside right after they wake up or nap, or when you get home from work. Bailey was actually a pretty fast learner... and even when it came to learning tricks, he did good. All I can say about that is that we didn't start with that until he was about 5-6 months old. of course, the secret is finding a treat that he absolutely LOOOOOVES! Bailey didn't do well with the biscuit type of treat and so he could care less... but once we found the Canine Carryouts (available at Petsmart and Walmart), he did AWESOME with trick training. If you've never tried those, I highly recommend them!

As far as bathing: According to our vet, we can bathe him once a week (but no more than that). Most of the posts I've read on this site say once every two weeks. I just prefer to give him a bath more than that, so my vet said it was no problem -- just watch for any reactions (mainly dry skin). But, the secret is in the shampoo (here I go again raving about this stuff). I use "EarthBath" Puppy formula -- it's awesome! It's all natural (which is why I think he doesn't have any reactions) and it's just great stuff. (Smells grrrreat too) Lots of other people on this site agree with me... so you should really try it if you haven't already.

And, as far as his ears.... I have a stupid question. Are you sure that the groomer cleaned them a week ago? USUALLY that's part of the hygiene treatment/deal -- and so they cut the hair and clean out their ears. The groomer and vet said you really need to watch out and make sure the hair is trimmed -- if the ears start to stink bad, then it's very likely they can get a YEAST INFECTION (EWWW) in their ears. So, the first question is to make sure the groomer cleaned them - if she/he didn't, then take him back and get that done. If they did and your baby still has stinky ears, then you need to do something about it before it gets worse. Personally, I'd call the vet... but I think that puttin had a good suggestion. She's a great person for advice and seems to know a lot... so try that too.

posted 02-12-2004 09:19 PM         

1) I would make sure that your groomer did indeed clean his ears thoroughly! If it seems to be a problem, I would definitely take him to your vet just to be on the safe side. There is a right way and a wrong way to clean a dog's ears, and it must be done carefully as to not injure the dog. Your vet and/or groomer should be able to show you how.

2) I was told to bathe a dog no more than every two weeks, but each groomer and vet has their own opinion about it. I bathe Mickey & Tigger every two weeks or so. And YES, I too LOVE Earthbath...GREAT STUFF!!!

3) Close supervision is a MUST when it comes to potty training. NEVER EVER let him out of your site (Is it difficult to do? Yes, but it is incredibly important in order prevent the majority of his accidents!!!)! Also be very aware of the signs that signal when a dog needs to go, or is about to go! Plus, take him out after he has been playing a lot, after he has been chewing a lot, as soon as he wakes up from his naps (and in the morning), after he eats, etc.

A small reward (rewards must be something they REALLY like as MonsterBailey pointed out) and lots of positive verbal praise should be given when your pup does eliminate in the appropriate area! Tell your dog in a firm voice "NO" when you do see your pup eliminating in the wrong area. Then immediately take him outside (if you have a special word for this such as "outside" be sure to use it). Patience and persistence is SO important in every aspect of training, and potty training is no exception!

You are doing the right thing by keeping him confined when you are unable to watch him!!! WHENEVER you can not watch him, he MUST be in his play pen area that you have set up for him!

He is still young, so don't give up hope!!!

3) There really is no telling when he will be able to make it through the entire night. My pups were approx. 3.5 months old when they were finally able to hold it all night, but EVERY dog is different. The only suggestions I can give you is to take him out RIGHT before you go to bed!

4) Try and teach your children the high-pitched yelping and walk away technique for when the biting does occur. If you see it happen, be sure to tell him (the dog) "NO" in a firm voice.

In addition, to teach your pup to respect your children, have them work on training with him! That is often a BIG help!

5) For training, I would HIGHLY (I can't emphasize it enough) recommend that you enroll your dog in a high quality obedience/training class that includes playtime. The classes will most assuredly help you out, and you will be able to seek any further guidance needed for your specific issues!

Your shih-poo is still young, and you are experiencing the toughest time in your dog ownership. It is though at times, but it does NOT last forever! With that said, please don't give up!

Best of Luck,
Kristi