Puppy Training - Need a Shoulder to Cry On :(

[mybubbles65]

I got an 8 week old puppy almost a week ago. Between all the peeing in the house and the constant biting and chewing on me and everything else, I think I'm going to have a nervous breakdown! I've already been in tears once. I don't know how long I can take it. I take her out at least every hour and after meals and playing. I distract her with toys when she bites. None of it seems to working. How long does this phase last? I guess I'm just looking to vent at someone who's been there. Thanks for listening!

[hazelrunpack]

Oh, I hear ya!! "There's a puppy in the house; you've let the devil in to play!" So she's driving you nuts, but isn't she cute when she sleeps? I'm not making light of your frustration--I understand the feeling completely.

Don't despair, mybubbles. It's all about getting into a routine and knowing that she'll be a wonderful adult some day. Puppyhood, however, can be a....well....a trial. You just have to grip your patience with both hands, try to keep her on hard surfaces (cuz it's easier to clean up pee if it's not in carpet ) and pray that your sanity holds out. But truly, truly, truly, it does get better. The first few weeks are hard because it's such a big adjustment to make!

One recommendation I make to everyone who has a puppy in the house--buy yourself a pair of cheap bicycling gloves. You know the kind with a front and a back but no fingers? Puppies find human skin so much more tempting than toys to chew on and until they learn what's a proper chew toy, it makes it easier to stay calm if your hands don't feel like hamburger. So use the gloves when she's in a playful mood and when she starts teething.

As for the peeing and the mischief, be consistent and patient and your efforts will pay off. A week is not a lot of time--it may take a few months before she's totally housebroken--but you'll see improvement before too long. If you catch her in the act, just a mild correction (like a throaty uh-uh) and take her out to finish, then praise. If she makes it out without an inside accident, praise when she finishes up. And if you miss the act totally and she's finished before you notice, no correction at all--she won't connect peeing in the house with the correction so the lesson will be lost. If you find that last is happening a lot, try tethering her to you so you can watch her every move. Pretty soon you'll begin to figure out her signals and know when it's time to take her out. Honest!! And if you haven't already, buy a good enzymatic cleanser that's made especially for neutralizing urine odors--if you can eliminate the odor completely, she won't be as likely to pee in that spot again. The scent of urine tells them that place is a good place to pee...

And that first time she actually asks to go out? That'll feel like a gift from heaven.

It'll seem like puppyhood is never going to end, but one day you'll wake up and you'll find yourself thinking that she hasn't gotten into any trouble for a long time. Your next thought will be, "I miss those puppy shenanigans!" I kid you not!!

You can do this. You can survive puppyhood! Cross my heart!

[MIA]

Enjoy the next few years depending on the breed you got. I recommend contacting your breeder for advice as they may have started the litter on potty training etc.

[TeriM]

Puppies are really tough especially if you are not used to them.

Eight weeks is still very young and the puppy will not actually have the body development at this stage to be able to control her potty episodes. Occasionally some dogs are super easy to potty train and of course we here that and everyon expects the same results. Small breed puppies are also commonly much longer to potty train if that is what she is. Realistically expect some reliability in a few weeks but not complete potty training for a few months. Patience, praise, reward, consistancy and a good time-out spot are all crucial to help retain everyone's sanity.

Are you crate training? Crates can be a wonderful tool to help potty training and also if used for short periods and very positively (do not put the puppy in there in an angry manner) then they can sometimes be very good for a time-out. When Riley was a pup sometimes he was just get super wound up and so I would cheerfully take some treats and lead him to his crate and we all had a short 5-10 minute break.

For the biting you can also try a sharp "yipe" noise when the puppy bites, then redirect to a toy. That is basically what his littermates would do. The next step is a "yipe" and then stand up and turn away from the puppy for a few seconds. The pup wants attention and this is how they know to get it.

Clicker training is also great for these types of problems. This is a great video on how to use clicker training to stop the biting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c77--cCHPyU

Ian Dunbar is also a recognized expert and has this website which has some wonderful information http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/raising-puppy

Good luck. Please let us know more about your puppy and we would love to see some pictures.

[Sunaj52]

Hey Bubble,

I totally know how you're feeling. We got a Puggle puppy 3 weeks ago today and about 1 week in I thought I was going to have a mental breakdown. For potty training, our pup has actually started to figure it out (she maybe has one accident every couple of days and that's because we let her get out of sight for too long). We do have to leave her in the bathroom with her kennel and food and water and what not (she literally climbed over two baby gates stacked on top of each other) and she's actually getting good at not having accidents in there. I've been told that most dogs can be almost 100% housebroken by the time they are 6 months old. I was actually able to kennel train her in a matter of days based on some help provided by some other members on here. Our little Bones still does have her moments, she bit me twice today, but we definitely see progress being made. So hang in there.