View Single Post
  #4  
Old August 31st, 2013, 02:54 PM
Barkingdog Barkingdog is offline
Senior Contributor
 
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 4,371
Quote:
Originally Posted by hazelrunpack View Post
Our first rule was to ignore the rules and see what worked for us. We adjusted everything by what the pup was up to. If pup wanted to sleep through the night, so be it. If pup got cruxy in the middle of the night and wanted out, we'd take pup out, but only to pee/poop, not to play (if they just wanted to play, in they came). Also, keep in mind that one potty accident (or more) does not a tragedy make, nor will it destroy all your good training up to that point. It just means that someone missed some signals and it'll all be okay. Strive to see all the signals and avoid the accidents, but don't fret if you have to clean up a mess or two.

Another thing to keep in mind is that your chi is very little--and I think it might take a while for that little bladder to mature. So it might take a little longer to potty train her. If it's any consolation, it took Cole 8 months before he figured it out (and he weighed 50 lbs by then so his 'accidents' were of considerable size! ). Now he's completely reliable inside. Seems like the ones that take longest to train are the ones that are most religious about keeping the house clean when they finally realize what the game is.

As for sleeping in bed, we've had pups in bed with us at the age of 3 months with no problems. In fact, it's easier to feel them get restless if they do have to go out. With a young chi, though, I guess I'd be worried about rolling over on her accidentally just because of her size...

My suspicion is that the chis that try to take your hands off when you try to say hi are often the ones that have been overcoddled. I know quite a few well-adjusted chis (and other small breeds) who don't get picked up every 2 minutes and actually seem to enjoy a little independent play. These dogs are on the ground a lot, meet other dogs with confidence, but still love to cuddle. Socialization is important--ideally you'll be able to find some other small dogs for her to play with once she's got all her immunizations. But make sure she meets lots of people, too.

And most importantly, relax and try to enjoy the experience!! Puppies are little hellions --but we tend to forget from puppy to puppy just exactly how taxing the lovable little devils can be! Just do the best you can, and one day you'll realize all those puppy shenanigans have stopped and you'll get positively nostalgic...
I have Marty sleep in my bed for same reason , if he really needs to go out in the middle of night I can feel bouncing around on my bed . Marty did this a one time, he bounce all over my bed to wake me up.
Reply With Quote