posted 03-06-2004 12:26 PM         

On top of everything, he gets up all hours of the morning (every 2 or 3 hours) and whines and barks at us until we get up and play with him. Is this normal for a 9 week old puppy?? Or is he trying to be the boss of US?

I suppose I am just really frustrated because I want to be a great mom to him, but it feels as though i'm failing miserably.

I feel awful and disappointed at myself and completely lost on what i should do!!!!

posted 03-06-2004 01:06 PM         

Nine weeks is very young. I wouldn't expect too much at that age, even if it does seem he's learned a little. He hasn't really 'learned' until he does it no more. I believe that most sources say not to expect complete housetraining until 16 weeks. But that's just a rough guide. One of our dogs still made 'mistakes' up until she was 6 months! - and believe me, we were on her as much as was practically possible. But don't let this discourage you.

Let's see- I'd probably take that rug away and see if that doesn't help. If it's a wall-to-wall carpet, be sure you're cleaning every trace out of it.

Is he getting enough play/exercise during the day? If so, I'm surprised that he's wanting to play so often at night. One thing you shouldn't do, if you're trying to stop a behavior, is to reinforce it by giving in. Sounds like he's training you to get up and play with him when he has the whim- and he's doing a pretty good job! Is he in a crate at night?

posted 03-06-2004 01:33 PM         

As for the playing at night...since he's so young, he literally plays 30 mins and sleeps 2 hours day and night. I think we're going to try to play with him for longer period of time around 7-10, so that it tires him out.

The giving in part, you're absolutely right. I think we gave in because it was 3:30 am and we live in a condo, so we didnt want him to wake up the neighbors. But i realize this will persist and worsen if we allow him to get away with it.

As for the crate, i've been deliberating on this and I was hoping for some opinions. my maltipoo is currently 9 weeks old and weighs about 1.6 lbs. All the crates we've seen are too big for him so i was thinking of using a laundry basket. Is this no good??

Also, what is the rule with the crate...as in...how often should he be let out...he's not potty trained yet.

posted 03-06-2004 02:12 PM         

Definitely try to keep him playing in the evening, so he'll conk out at least a little during the night. He's probably just in that particular sleep/wake stage for now and it'll change- he's start adjusting more to your routine.

I don't know that a laundry basket would make a good crate- I would think he might try to jump out of it. And there is a rule of thumb for pups as to how long that can 'hold it' - of course, it increases with age but at nine weeks it's probably only a couple hours or so. Again, get a couple of good books on puppy training- they will explain all this. It will be a great investment for you. You're going to have millions of questions as you raise your pup, especially since this is your first. Not that we mind helping, of course, but there's really so much you need to know.

posted 03-06-2004 07:11 PM         

~If your interested in finding a crate for him, I would go ahead and buy a bigger one so he can "grow into it." Just section it off to fit his size. If you buy a small one for him now that fits him perfectly, you will have to buy another one for when he gets bigger.

~As far as your puppy getting up in the middle of the night, that is pretty common when they are that young. Just try and tire him out the best you can, especially in the evening hours so he will be more likely to be tired and sleep for longer periods of time during the night. When he does get up in the middle of the night, see if he has to eliminate, then go right back to bed ignoring any of his winning or barking. If you give in to him now, he will soon catch on that if he wines and barks, he will get what he wants. The whole point is for you to train him, not vice versa! LOL

Housebreaking a dog, and training in general, requires a lot of patience, persistence, and time. Just give it time, your puppy is still very young! Don't be disappointed in yourself, there is no need to be, just arm yourself with those necessary qualities and time, and you are well on your way to a well-trained pup! Hang in there!!!

Keep us updated on your success, it is sure to happen!

Wishing you all the best!!!

posted 03-06-2004 08:34 PM         

Thanks for your kind words! It means a lot to have people who have "been there" give me adivce.

We just bought a crate at PetCo and it is "just right." At this point, we are more concerned on potty training him correctly than anything so we dont mind buying a bigger one later.=)

This crate training is so hard to figure out! I mean, there are very conflicting views and methods on this issue! I'm so lost on how long i should keep him in there. I'm taking hour intervals and letting him to the potty pad, but do i do this until when?? Until i can open the gate and he goes in/out and poo/pee by himself??

Another thing is that my puppy seems to have lost his appetite. =( Stress, new environment...i'm not sure...but i'm really hurting for him. =( And it's hard to reward him with a treat when he's not eating. Also, i tried putting toys in his crate, but he's reallly disinterested.

posted 03-06-2004 09:26 PM         

You are absolutely right in saying that the crate issue is a very conflicting one because indeed it is. I didn't make a big deal out of using a crate all the time only because I am not fond of the idea of confining a dog to such a small and cramped space. I did not use a crate to housebreak my pups, and they were housebroken quickly. Like I said before though, they were put in their crate every so often so they would be become accustomed to it. It really did not take them long to become accustomed to it, and they often would go in there voluntarily.

But, if I were to have used a crate on a daily basis, I would NEVER leave them in there for more than 2-3 hrs. In my opinion, it just doesn't seem fair to leave them in there for any longer than that. If you are able to keep and eye on him, and he really doesn't need to be in his crate, let him out. Just be sure to keep him very close by, in other words, don't give him free run of the house.

As far as the toys in the crate goes, there really isn't much room to play with toys in a crate, so that may be why he seems disinterested.

It will take a little while before he learns to go to the proper eliminating area every time he needs to eliminate. Be very persistent with this, the more persistent you are with it, the faster he will catch on.

You also mentioned that it is hard to give him treats. Find a treat that he REALLY likes, trust me, there is bound to be one that he likes. When he does eliminate in the correct area, reward him with a LITTLE treat (the treat itself really doesn't need to be any bigger than about the size of an eraser on a pencil).

As far as his food goes, keep in mind that small dogs usually don't eat a whole lot of food. To make his kibble a little more appetizing, I would try mixing in a little canned food in with it. Be sure to mix it in really well so he doesn't just pick out the wet canned food and leave behind the kibble.

Also, I am glad to hear that you aren't giving in when he whimpers. I know how hard it is to resist, but the consequences if you do give in now are far too great. You'll be happy you didn't give in!

If you have any more questions, please feel free to post!

posted 03-06-2004 10:13 PM         

i will survive!!! lol!

By the way, my maltipoo is SO HANDSOME and i love with with all of my heart!! Though it's hard now, i know it'll get better. Hopefully!

posted 03-08-2004 07:03 AM         

I was also leery of crate training, but it did give me peace of mind at night. I never put my 2 babies in the crate during the day, but they sleep there at night. They know when it's time to get in their "beds". It really helped to get them to "hold it" for longer periods of time (since I was taking them out constantly, trying to housetrain them, they weren't good at holding it). I don't feel guilty doing the crate thing at night - I figure I'm in a confined bed area those 8 hours and so are they.

As for treats, I had the same problem with Baxter. Try the yogurt drops at PetsMart (the Petco near me doesn't carry them). They are very little and come in an orange can. Those are our "potty treats" and "get in your bed" treats and they love them. Not too big to ruin their appetite either.

Good luck!

posted 03-08-2004 09:23 PM         

He is our first puppy, brand new to our home for just 4 nights and now i'm absolutely heartbroken. The bill alone for just one night at the vet is costing $500, and though money shouldnt be an issue, i'm afraid of anything possible to come.