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Old February 15th, 2009, 11:00 AM
lianatomo lianatomo is offline
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Exclamation My FIRST puppy...help!

Hi there!

My name's Liana I'm 16 years old...yesterday I bought my first puppy, Maggie, she's a Maltese Shih-poo mix and she's 8 weeks old.

The breader lived quite far from where I live so on the way home of the 2 hours drive Maggie was vomiting quite a bit.

Anyway, my biggest concern right now is training her and leaving her when I have to go to school and my parents to work.

Since this is my first puppy I really don't know how to train her.
I did as much research as I can, but I can't seem to be executing the tips I learned the way I want it...especially when it comes to potty training.
She has been peeing and pooing anywhere but the spot we designated for her to do her stuff.

In her "room" which is a walk-in closet, there is her bed, her food and water bowl, and a low cardboard box with newspaper in it (her designated spot).
I wait 15-20 minutes after she drinks or eats, and then I put her in the box and wait for her to do her stuff. She doesn't seem to understand and when she tries to leave I say "No, Maggie!" and she stays. After waiting a few minutes she just sleeps in the box.

When she has accidents I try to point at it and say "No!" and try to make her snif it, but she seems to think it's a game.

Another thing is I'm worried about leaving her by herself when I go to school, from 8 a.m to 3 p.m.
How do I feed her?
And how can I make sure she doesn't get bored, or feel neglected?
And how can I make sure she will do her stuff in the designated area?


I really don't know what to do anymore, I need ALL the suggestions and advice I can get. It's only been day one but I want her to get into good habits as soon as possible.



Thanks in advice!!
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Old February 15th, 2009, 11:00 AM
lianatomo lianatomo is offline
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thanks in advance***
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  #3  
Old February 15th, 2009, 11:49 AM
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diandpat diandpat is offline
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Hi Liana and welcome to the board.

Congratulations on you new puppy though I have to say I hope you did not pay that breeder too much for you mixed breed pup and I especially hope that your puppy is indeed at least 8 weeks old. I also hope that you have found a good vet and that you have an appointment set for you new furbaby.

Is there a reason why you are trying to train your dog to potty inside in a "litter box" for lack of a better word? Is going outside not an option?
Whatever the reason, it sounds like you are asking the dog to potty where she eats/sleeps and that is not going to happen. If she must go inside it should be in another area away from where she eats/sleeps. Also, remember, she is ONLY A BABY and you have only had her for one day...potty training can take weeks and months!!!! I hope you are prepared

Who is going to be home with the dog while you are at school from 8-3? A dog that age can not be left for longer than 2 hours, 3 max. Have you made arrangements for this? Whoever is staying home with her should be letting her out or guiding her to the litter box after she has eaten, woken up or played.

Is this the first family dog? There is a lot of information on this site so I hope you can peruse it.

Good luck with your new Maggie and please post pics soon.
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Old February 15th, 2009, 01:53 PM
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Hi and welcome!

It sounds like Maggie has taken the box as her bed and as already mentioned, she won't want to potty where she sleeps. Eight weeks old is soooo young and it will take many weeks/months to teach her what to do. If you have to keep her inside to potty, you might want to buy "piddle pads" and place one maybe near the door to go outside so she learns that is the direction to go when it's potty time.

It's a very confusing time for a new puppy (and a new owner too!). Hopefully someone will be home with Maggie to feed her, water her, socialize her and teach her everything she needs to know.

Good luck and don't forget to post some pictures!
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  #5  
Old February 15th, 2009, 04:28 PM
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Liana, you're not going to like what I am going to suggest. I'm sorry to say, but it doesn't sound like you did your homework in the amount of care a young puppy needs. You're away too long during the day at school, as are your parents at work, unless they work shifts. Any other family member at home? Is it possible you can return "Maggie" to the breeder for a full refund, and get another one when you're finished your school term? Summertime is an ideal time to potty-train her when you would be home a lot and you would be able to train her and give her the attention she deserves.
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Old February 15th, 2009, 04:49 PM
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Liana, Maggie is far too young to be on her her own. Puppies absolutely need socialization with humans and other dogs to become well-mannered canine citizens.

If there is no one at home to care for her, I strongly recommend you consider a dog day care.
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Old February 15th, 2009, 05:07 PM
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I have to wonder what condition these puppies were kept in at this "breeders" house. Breeders that care for dogs properly Paper/pad train them as soon as the mother doesnt have to stimulate them to getthem to urinate/defecate. For health and sanatation reasons.

Did you see were the breeder dogs were kept? Did you get to look around in the breeders home and stay a while and talk?
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  #8  
Old February 16th, 2009, 08:40 PM
JennieV JennieV is offline
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Liana, welcome to the forum!

As was said before, Maggie is WAY too young to be left alone. Another thing is, you cnnot expect to train her within one or two days, it takes a long time, a lot of patience and persistance, as well as know-how. She needs contstand supervision.

Basically, just to break it down for you: you are now replacing her mommy, her siblings and are practically the ONLY thing that she kind of knows. She will be very unhappy left alone, and she can get in trouble. she can and will chew on things, damage things and generally make trouble, if left without anyone watching over her.

Potty training is a process. If you expect it to take one day - it will NOT happen. Yes, some breeders keep the puppies going in one spot, but that spot will not be where they sleep and eat and it will not be a permanent solution. Can you imagine the smell in your room if she will pee and poo there ALL THE TIME? the smell will penetrate clothes, walls, carpets etc..

What I would suggest is that you URGENTLY start reading on things and catching up on information, how to do it...But also arm yourself with A LOT of patience. It will not happen overnight. What you have right now is a baby. A tiny baby. Not a fully trained, adult dog, which even then would have a problem staying at home alone, but a baby! Would you leave a human baby alone?

Good luck! I hope you don't get discouraged...
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Old February 16th, 2009, 08:41 PM
JennieV JennieV is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by babymomma View Post
I have to wonder what condition these puppies were kept in at this "breeders" house. Breeders that care for dogs properly Paper/pad train them as soon as the mother doesnt have to stimulate them to getthem to urinate/defecate. For health and sanatation reasons.

Did you see were the breeder dogs were kept? Did you get to look around in the breeders home and stay a while and talk?
what does that have to do with anything? She is no longer at the breeders home. She is in a new environment, unfamiliar, scary and lonely. she needs to be with her new family. Leaving her alone for most of the day will probably not be a good idea. Whatever conditions the puppies were kept in their original home are now gone.

Last edited by JennieV; February 16th, 2009 at 08:57 PM.
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  #10  
Old February 16th, 2009, 09:31 PM
LittleMonster LittleMonster is offline
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Okay, lets take a step back here. Personally I think you should try to keep the puppy if you can. If you return him, the breeder is just going to sell again to someone else. At least you're here taking the initiative and asking for help. We can discuss the reputability of the breeder in another thread.

Anyway, to stay on topic, I got my first puppy a few months back, when he was 4months old. I also had lots of trouble potty training him. I tried all the textbook methods, but finally what worked for me was this:

The puppy liked to pee all over the house, but certain areas were more appealing, certain areas were less appealing. Remember, the dog will not potty where he plays, eats, and sleeps. For example, he knew the living room was a play/eat area, he would not pee there.

I limited him (using babygates) to the living/dining room area. He still had access his favorite corner of the room to pee on though, so I just placed lots of puppy pads where he liked to pee. From here on, if he made a mistake, I would quickly pick him up, put him the pads, and tell him "go potty". Even if he was still peeing, or if he was done peeing! You have to be consistent. After about 1-2 weeks, he got it, he was trained to go on the pads and also to the phrase "go potty". It takes a lot of time and patience so make sure you give it a good shot. It could take you 1 week, or 4 weeks, depends on the dog, so be patient.

Make sure you praise and reward the dog if he comes close to getting it right. Act like he just laid a gold brick for you, give him treats, get him excited, make sure he knows you are pleased.

Also, be sure to clean the pee spots thoroughly from the "no no" areas. You have to get the pee scent out of floor/carpet. There is a product out there called "Nature's Miracle" that is made for this purpose.

Just in case you need to know about pee pads: You can buy them at any pet store. There are different brands out there, some are just plain sanitary sheets, some are scented to stimulate the puppy to pee there, and some even have an absorbent material that also minimizes odor. I recommend the scented/absorbent kind.


Summary for potty training, my method is this:

1. Limit the puppy's movement.
2. Let the puppy pick his pee spot (for now at least) and put lots of puppy pads around
3. Correct the puppy if he makes a mistake, pick him up, put him on the pad, and tell him "go potty".
4. Clean the area and replace the dirty pads with clean ones. Dogs don't generally like to soil an area that is already dirty.
5. Be consistent and very patient.
6. Reward him generously when he does it right.


To make sure he doens't feel bored:

This may be easy, but I could be wrong. Puppies get tired quickly, and they need lots of sleep. If you can take the dog out for a quick walk, or a quick play session in the morning, he will nap for a good portion of the day until you get home. You can also give him a toy to pay with.

When you are home, take him out for quick walks, again, puppies get tired easily so short but frequent walks are good. Maybe half an hour when you get home, and another half our before bed time.

Feeding

There are lots of different foods out there. Some good brands are wellness core, Orijen, Eagle Pack, Acana, Horizon Legacy, Canidae, Innova Evo. These are often refered to "holistic brands".

Generally speaking, "supermarket" brands like Iams and pedigree, aren't very good. If I had to pick a "supermarket" brand, it would be Royal Canin.

When you go shopping out for food, look at the ingredients on the back of the food pack. The ingredients are listed according to their proportions. ie: the ingredient that makes up most of the food would be the first ingredient. The first three ingredients should be some sort of meat. I would stay away if I saw any kind of grain, corn, potato as the first three ingredients. Maybe someone here can suggest a few good stores in Richmond Hill.

Almost forgot, the back of the food pack will tell you roughly how much you will need to feed. Fill up a bowl with the recommended daily amount and leave it out in the morning. I think thats the easiest way for your situation.



Hope this all helps. Come back if you have questions.

Last edited by LittleMonster; February 16th, 2009 at 10:41 PM.
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  #11  
Old February 17th, 2009, 10:48 AM
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Hi Liana, you've taken on a big responsiblity with your new puppy. LittleMonster has given you some good advice. If you stick to those rules and you are consistent you and your puppy will have the reward of a good puppy who will learn to potty where you want him/her to. I hope your Mom - Dad and familly will help you with the puppy but, you should all follow the same rule so not to confuse your puppy. You'll need to remember that because the puppy is small he/she will have to potty almost every two hours, so you have to watch and see that he/she uses the puppy pads. If you want your puppy to potty outside, the same rules apply; you have to make sure that the puppy goes out on a regular schedule. It takes time; let us know how things are goiing, I'm sure your going to take good care of your puppy and that you'll teach him/her to behave properly. I'm sure your parents will be proud of the good training you give your puppy. Good luck
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Old February 17th, 2009, 05:28 PM
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catlover2 catlover2 is offline
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liana,

You will not be able to do any of the things you're worried about:
How do I feed her?
And how can I make sure she doesn't get bored, or feel neglected?
And how can I make sure she will do her stuff in the designated area?


unless you are able to find someone---friend, relative, neighbour----who can babysit your pup during your school hours & working hours of your parents.

This little 2 mo. old puppy is a baby. A baby cannot be left alone, unfed, unsupervised. A person who did that and got found out would be reported to authorities who would remove the child for its own protection.

Little pups can get themselves in a lot of trouble just playing around that can be dangerous. I remember one time I had a young kitten that got itself tangled in looped fringe and almost strangled itself....if I had not been there to resuce it, I would've had a dead kitten.

The breeder should've made sure you and your parents were knowledgeable about what is required to raise such a young pup. If breeder didn't ask questions as to whether you or your parents or someone was going to be at home with the pup 24/7, the breeder was very negligent and didn't really care about the pup, more than likely just in it for the $$$. A reputable breeder knowing your circumstances would never have sold the pup to you.

keep us posted.
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  #13  
Old February 17th, 2009, 05:39 PM
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Hmmm I think Liana's gone AWOL
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  #14  
Old February 24th, 2009, 05:02 PM
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pwrca pwrca is offline
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Just another one of those circumstances where we will never know the outcome. I find it disturbing at times to read posts that just drop-off and you never know what finally has transpired. I hope that Liana, has found a way to train her puppy or that worse case scenario; she had to get rid of it, hopefully to a home that was better equiped.
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