# New Puppy for my Fiancee



## Zeonstar (Jul 21, 2007)

Hi all.

New member, just signed up. It didn't take me long to find a dog forum on the internet. About .2 seconds actually.

My name is Adam and my finacee, who I am mostly writing here for is Erika. I am writing about the new puppy she just got, who I believe she is going to name Wendy, but I don't know if that is for sure yet.

We don't know exactly what breed mix she is so I put some pictures below in hopes someone could guess. Erika said she saw the mother and it was like a Chiwawa, but the Dad is probably a bigger breed. We both think she looks like a golden retreiver or something. Wondering how big she will get? I'm thinking definately bigger than a cat?










I have actually had a dog before, but it was quite a few years ago and I did not use the internet like I do now for so much care in research in just about everything I do. So in a way I am starting from scratch, and this is Erika's first dog 100%. I have a cat also that I have had about 10 years, that I recently changed her diet after much internet research and it helped immensely, more on that in a sec.

I should mention the dog will be in apartment living for a few month. After the wedding we may try to rent a house, but may end up in an apartment together. Pet friendly of course.

The main reason I am writing this today is to ask about food. This very subject helped me improve my cat's disposition, so I want to get it right best I can with the puppy. 

First off, what is the general consensus about dry and wet food? My cat now lives off wet, and she is better for it, but in the case of a dog, are we going to want to give her both? I'm going to try the same brand that we get for cat food, Wellness, and see how that goes. It's a product I have been very happy with. I just wanted to ask to see if people feed dry, wet, or both commonly.

With my dog before, it was only dry, and not high quality stuff. Like I said, I have tried to educate myself much more since those days.

I hope I didn't write too much starting out. WE would so appreciate any input about food diet, and maybe...what the heck kind of dog mix we have. 

-Adam & Erika


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## borzoimom (May 21, 2007)

Welcome! Maybe pom chihuahua? It uh would be pretty hard to be part golden with a chi. But looks like a toy breed with those little knees and paws, unless the pup is incrediably young..


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## Zeonstar (Jul 21, 2007)

1 month I believe she was told. Definately thinking it's a toy breed myself. She wants a small Dog, so I guess she got what she wanted.

It's little paws are so cute! Too small for it's body almost. 

I was thinking the same thing regarding the Chi/Golden mix. How the heck would that work? Haha.


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## TheChinClique (Jul 6, 2007)

I most definitely see Terrier in there, as well as Chihuahua. I think it'll be easier to tell when the puppy gets a bit older. She's a cutie


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## Zeonstar (Jul 21, 2007)

Yeah...and to think I was agaist her getting the puppy, thinking it would be better to wait till we get our place.

Shame on me. Cute little face!

(Thanks)


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## borzoimom (May 21, 2007)

TheChinClique said:


> I most definitely see Terrier in there, as well as Chihuahua. I think it'll be easier to tell when the puppy gets a bit older. She's a cutie


 Yea but hard to tell that young in the coat yet.. Are you sure a month old btw- 4 weeks old is barely weaned. What did the vet say? If you so you want to add a little esbalac in the food- but the vet will know..


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## Durbkat (Jun 26, 2007)

Zeonstar said:


> We don't know exactly what breed mix she is so I put some pictures below in hopes someone could guess. Erika said she saw the mother and it was like a Chiwawa, but the Dad is probably a bigger breed. We both think she looks like a golden retreiver or something. Wondering how big she will get? I'm thinking definately bigger than a cat?


Think about it, how could a golden get a chi pregnant? Also why would you get a dog of unknown breed from a "breeder"? You shouldn't have gotten it till it was 10 to 12 weeks old.

I think it's, a chi/shih tzu myself. With how the tail curls over the body and the ears.


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## Jaylie (Mar 5, 2007)

Durbkat said:


> Also why would you get a dog of unknown breeder from a "breeder"? You shouldn't have gotten it till it was 10 to 12 weeks old


Now, who said he got it from a breeder? He most likely got it from a rescue.

I was thinking Chi/Pom mix too. Definately cute whatever it is!!


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## skelaki (Nov 9, 2006)

BTW it is very possible for a Golden to Breed a Chihuahua but allowing the bitch to actually carry and give birth could easily kill her if the Chi was the female. But, I don't think that's the case here. Some Pomeranian is a definite possibility. Cute little thing.

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/ Here's a link to a site that rates various brands of dog food. I'm getting a puppy soon and plan to feed a raw diet and one of the kibbles rated 6 stars, possibly Timber Wolf Organics.


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## Durbkat (Jun 26, 2007)

I just assumed since he she saw the mom. 

For food, I'd recommend getting canadae all life stages.


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## Jaylie (Mar 5, 2007)

Durbkat said:


> I just assumed since he she saw the mom.


Yup, that's the problem. Assumptions. Alot of times rescues bring in pregnate strays, and put her in a foster home to give birth. Then they find the puppies homes, then the bitch.

I agree on Canidae...Best food on earth! Guide Dogs of America uses the all life stages, because if you don't switch the pups food, it cuts down on the stress when the puppy leaves home.


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## pup_at_heart (Jun 19, 2007)

She's sooo cute! I'd guess chi/pom also. Have you taken her to the vet yet? They could give you a better estimate on how old she is and maybe what breed she is. Good luck with her!!


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## Zeonstar (Jul 21, 2007)

It wasn't a breeder, more like my fiancee's family's neigbor. Basically she thought the puppies were really cute (Her niece and nephew got one) and she wanted it. Who she got it from was definately not a breeder. She is honestly not into all that stuff, she just will be happy with a sweet dog. 

I'm the one more into the purebred type. But that's another story.

And I'm so out of touch I'm sorry, I didn't even THINK about the suggestions of what it could be. So a Golden couldn't easily mix with a Chi. I was only guessing! 

Oh and no to the vet. But very good suggestion. Hopefully she will do it. The dog is living with her. I guess she named id Daisy by the way. All our pets have Disney names. I'll definately ask her about the vet thing. Today was a very busy family day. No time.

I asked her and the owner seems pretty sure it's a month old. What should we be feeding it? For now, I went to a pet store and got some small dog puppy food, but the person told me to wet it to make it a little softer. We fed Daisy and she ate alot. I believe the brand was Royal Canin. Please don't say it's awful or anything, even the Pet store person said it was only ok. But I just needed something that a pup so young could eat. Don't plan on sticking with it very long.

You all seem to like Canadie. No Wellness for the new dog it looks like.


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## BoxMeIn21 (Apr 10, 2007)

Wellness is good. So is Timberwolf. Welcome to dogforums!


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## MartinCarson (Jul 11, 2007)

Only 1 month old? Seems a little early to be seperating from the mother. I'm no expert but from what I gather you should wait until at least 9 weeks to remove a pup from its mother/littermates.


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## Durbkat (Jun 26, 2007)

Well then she just got it from a person who's dogs happened to breed. She should return it till its at least 2 months old because it still needs the mom's milk.


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## Shalva (Mar 23, 2007)

a month old is to young while the pup can be on regular food it should be soaked in water and mashed into a pulp they dont really have a good swallow reflex so the mushier it is the better ... almost like a thick pea soup would be good. 

the pup is also going to need worming... 

as far as food the food that works for your dog is the one that is the greatest food in the world... I have to say it really annoys me when people spout off about foods and that there is only one brand that is the best for everyone... in the same way as some people can eat hot peppers and be fine, some people get heartburn.... personally I know of many dogs that didn't do well on Canidae and I know of some dogs that do great on Iams which is not a food I would ever recommend.... my dogs don't eat kibble at all so its amazing to me that people spout off about kibble.... its all in what you want and your individual dog.... for a small pup like what you have.... I would consider some plain old gerber baby food chicken.... if the pup is really a month old I would feed her four times a day .... 

then Wellness is an excellent brand of food as is wysong, evo.... artemis, and a host of others... the key is to find one that your dog likes and does well on. 

royal canin is ok... better than iams and science diet.... kinda in the middle as far as good foods are concerned... however, keep in mind that a young puppy may do better on a food that has fewer ingredients and this is generally a problem with foods like Innova and Canidae... to many ingredients for a baby.... 
good luck 
s


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## Zeonstar (Jul 21, 2007)

I doubt she is just going to give the dog back for a month. She wants to keep her.

Worming?


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## rsculady (Jun 23, 2007)

Wanting to keep her is fine but if she wants her healthy and well cared for at this time, it is best that she be with her mom and littermates not to mention that pups that have such a short time with litter and mom tend to have socialization issues. Not to mention that mom's milk is the best thing for her at this time and I am sure your fiance wants what is best.


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## gizmobaby (Apr 30, 2007)

That's such an adorable pup!  

I feed mine kibble, because switching back and forth between kibble and wet or using a combo usually makes my dog have diarrhea, since he has a very sensitive stomach.

I use Solid Gold. I'm pretty happy with it.


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## applesmom (Jun 9, 2007)

What's done can't be undone! Once a puppy has been removed from the litter and has settled into a new life it would be unrealistic to expect to put it back with mom and littermates without creating some serious problems. 

Even at four weeks it was well on it's way to being weaned and is most certainly fully weaned by this time. 

Now that the pup is settled in it's new home, the OP and the puppy will benefit more from the guidance he's being provided on raising the puppy properly under these less than ideal circumstances. Taking it back isn't going to solve anything at this late date!


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## Shalva (Mar 23, 2007)

applesmom said:


> What's done can't be undone! Once a puppy has been removed from the litter and has settled into a new life it would be unrealistic to expect to put it back with mom and littermates without creating some serious problems.
> 
> Even at four weeks it was well on it's way to being weaned and is most certainly fully weaned by this time.
> 
> Now that the pup is settled in it's new home, the OP and the puppy will benefit more from the guidance he's being provided on raising the puppy properly under these less than ideal circumstances. Taking it back isn't going to solve anything at this late date!


I agree and that is why I suggested making a kibble gruel.... while he is on his way to being weaned I am unsure considering he is a tiny pup whether he can actually chew efficiently and swallow kibble.... 

making a gruel would be better..... little water soak the kibble food process and voila... instant weaning food.... baby food or some canned gerber baby food.... 

I recently had a four week old that was just not ready to be weaned and ended up fairly sick .... couple trips to the ER clinic and we are good as gold now... however, I agree that if the people are that clueless going back is probably not the best idea and she won't bring the pup back and who can blame her.... he is probably going to get better care with someone who loves him .... 

however some simple food steps would help 
s


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## Zeonstar (Jul 21, 2007)

New question: Any tips on pad training the little thing? She hasn't gotten it to go on a pad once. She says she understand but I don't want her and her mom's apartment to get all stinky. But I hope she knows what she got herself into. Thankfully I gave her some good stain remover in the meantime.

She has to work during the day and the dog is home with her Mom. Just thought I should note that. She is in an apartment, at least till we get married in 4 months.

Thank you...again!


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## SammyDog (May 21, 2007)

Durkbat im guessing your very new to dogs becuase that is very possible. He didn't even say he got it from a breeder. Just because he saw the mom doesn't mean its a breeder. I saw Mags mom and dad and rescued her.


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## Durbkat (Jun 26, 2007)

She should either keep it in a crate or confine it to a room that is puppy proofed and covered in puppy pads.


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## Zeonstar (Jul 21, 2007)

I've been researching a bit this morning (I should be working) and slowing understanding the whole crate training thing and trying to convince her it may be a good idea. At first she thought it was mean, but I (Through my own learning) have told her it's not mean at all, but a very good idea.

She works long hours, paying for our wedding, and I live 25 miles away. During the day her MOm (and aunt) are home with the puppy now. I don't know if she wants to get them involved with it or you know... put it on them to take care of it.

I just emailed Erika at work and asked her and she wants it to learn to go on the pads for now, since we simply can't take it outside at will currently. 

But still.... I think I should have her research crate training ASAP.


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## Ella'sMom (Jul 23, 2007)

I don't know what kind of dog that is or where you got her from but it has to be the CUTEST thing I have EVER seen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Snowshoe (Nov 17, 2006)

Although I will not be on this forum much, I do occasionally like to pop my head in every once in a while and offer advice. 

My concerns are much like the other posters: that pup is way too young to be away from its mother. I'm not sure if you're aware, but in some states its actually illegal to seperate the puppy from the mother before its 8 weeks old. Your pup is only half of that. 

You will want to be prepared for behavior problems. At this age, the puppies are learning an important skill known as bite inhibition from their brothers and sisters. That is where they learn how to bite softly, because if they bite too hard, their brothers and sisters will cry out and stop playing with them. 

Pups that don't learn this are often complained about as being too mouthy or too rough. My suggestion is to learn as much as you can about canine behavior and positive reinforcement. 

As for your fiancee working 12 plus hours a day, I'd like to put in my two cents and say that that will only add to the behavior problems. Just like kids, puppies misbehave when they are bored. And due to their short attention span, it's SUPER hard to change a behavior if you're not home to catch them in the act. 

One common scenario I see is that a poster will complain that their dog won't stop going to the bathroom in the house, yet they get angry when they come home and see the mess. My problem with that? Your dog has forgotten that it made the mess. It has NO idea why you're angry. 

For house training, a pup can only hold its bladder 1 hour for every month old that it is. Here is a more clear example of what I mean: 

1 month= 1 hour
2 months = 2 hours

and so on. I'm sure you get the picture. 

If you want to sucessfullly housetrain your dog, you must be there to take your pup out once an hour. Something else you may want to consider is getting your new addition on a schedule. Here would be a good one: 

6:00 a.m.- taken outside to potty
6:15 a.m.- first meal of the day
6:30 a.m.- taken outside to potty again
6:45 a.m.- play time, including early education for your puppy on bite inhibition
7:15 a.m.- taken out for potty again
8:30 a.m.- another small meal

You get the drift...

You'll notice that I have two meals in two hours. Very young small breed puppies are often hypoglycemic and often perish if their blood sugar drops. That is why the puppy must be fed multiple small meals a day. 

You can see that being away from home for 12 hours at a time is not going to work for such a young puppy. Your fiancee is going to have to have help in order to raise this disadvantaged youngster into a happy, healthy adult dog. 

In regards to the veternarian- your finacee will want to take this puppy to the vet as soon as possible. You guys have no idea what this puppy has in terms of worms, fleas, or diseases. Parvo is a dangerous disease and spread easily like wildfire. 

Had you come to this board before you got the puppy, I would have suggested that you wait until you were married and settled before you got a dog, and then I would have suggested an older dog from the pound. Your situation is very far from any kind of ideal and you will have to work extra hard to make it work for everyone involved. 

I want to make sure that you both understand the full extent of what you've taken on. 

Take care! 

Snow


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## Zeonstar (Jul 21, 2007)

The puppy already play bites like crazy, but it's not hard. 

I'm sorry but I almost regret mentioning the age of the puppy. My fiancee will not be giving it back, period. If it had been my choice, things might be different. But she saw the puppy's face and had to have it. I really don't think she has thought through the consequences of taking this puppy, but she has said she wont give it up, so that's that I guess.

I should be working, I am just trying to deal with this situation she created. 

And about her long hours, remember my fiancee's Mom is home pretty much all the time. So it may come down to her helping, if my Fiancee will see if she is willing.

I still do appreciate all the info though. I wish I could get her on here, but she probably wont do it.


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## digits mama (Jun 13, 2007)

Zeonstar... Whats done is done and it sounds to me like your future wife wants this baby. Please dont get discouraged about this pup. I think you got alot of great info on here and just take what you can and leave the rest. I am not a dog pro but I lOOooove puppies. And even though the person you got the baby from says it is 4 weeks. My personal opinion. that pup looks a tad older. I dunno what it is but it does. 
Whatever the case.. You got you a new baby..and I think that you and your future bride are gonna have a wonderful companion. You stated that you havent had a dog in a long time. And seeing that you came here for advice shows that you are gonna be a good doggy daddy.
As for the crate.. I was totally against putting a pup in a crate till I started coming here to dogforums...I thought it was inhumane! But I just got a new pup and she is 10 weeks old... She loves her crate. She doesnt want to be anywhere else at bedtime. It is really good to have them grow to love it. 

I had to bring my pup with me to visit my grandfather in the hospital last week. And I dropped her off at grammas and put her in her crate. I ended up having to stay at the hospital during some touch and go times and noone was with her but my uncle who despises dogs. When I finally returned to grammas (8 hours!!). He says she was very quiet entire time, said he had to check on her to make sure she was alive becasue she was way too content for a pup in a box. now he wants one! The crate is a blessing and I am glad I learned here that it is ok. Just be prepared to play relentlessly for awhile after letting her out!

good luck on your new baby and your wedding.


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## icepaw (May 14, 2007)

Who wants to make a bet that this dog will end up in shelter?


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## digits mama (Jun 13, 2007)

icepaw..not nice not nice atalllllllllll. Go hug your doggy or kitty please..it helps it really does.


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## icepaw (May 14, 2007)

digits mama said:


> icepaw..not nice not nice atalllllllllll. Go hug your doggy or kitty please..it helps it really does.


I'm sorry for being so blunt but I've seen this happen so many times. I used to work at an human society. I will never forget the faces of the dogs I've seen behind cages and being euthanized. People buying puppies based on cuteness and through impulse. These dogs usually end up in a shelter before their first birthday. This dog is far too young to have been seperated from his mother. It will likely deveolop serious behaviour problems. i.e soiling the house, biting too hard etc... In fact the OP has already said the dog bites to hard. What till the dog gets older. His fiancee works twelve hours a day and has not done any research on what it takes to raise a puppy. 

I hardly doubt this dog has been dewormed or received shots yet. In fact the OP does not even know what worming is. I saw stuff like this all the time. Most people that give up their dogs are people like this.


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## digits mama (Jun 13, 2007)

I surly am not gonna question your exxperience with this. But, Could we kind of give some positive information here? He managed to come here out of the goodness of his heart. lets not turn these folks into monsters already. You know how it is when you have a pet for a companion. Most people grow to love thier animals even if they arent happy with it in the beginning. From my experience, Ive seen strays wander up to peoples houses and see animal haters become wonderful pet parents! You never ever know! So lets show some love..k?

The puppy already play bites like crazy, but it's not hard is* what he said*

I have a 10 week old pup that plays and bites, a simple NO gets her attention. Why wouldnt that work with a baby like that?

Sorry icepaw, I am not a debater, not a professional pet owner, Dont give great advice either. Just trying to show some love


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## Zeonstar (Jul 21, 2007)

Yes I did say DOESN'T Bite hard. Thank you Digits for saying that. 

Thanks all for the positive info. Not even going to touch what Icepaw said with a 10 foot pole. I'd tell him (her?) off if I wasn't coming here for help. But damn talk about being out of line.


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## icepaw (May 14, 2007)

Of course your dog dosen't bite hard at 1 month. What till your dog starts teething. Dogs learn bit inhibition from their mother and litter. By removing your puppy from said litter, it will not recieve this vital information. Digit, your ten week old pup, probably spent at least seven weeks with its litter. Therefore, it obviously had more of a learning curve with its mother and littermates. 

The first eight weeks of a dogs life is crucial. If a pup learns bad behaviour now, it will take years to remedy. I apologize if I was overly hard on you Zeonstar but if you ever have the chance to see dogs being euthanized you will gain a different perspective. The fact that your here asking questions is a good sign.


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## Zeonstar (Jul 21, 2007)

This probably wont win me any friends but life is sometimes very hard and things happen.

Case in point: The dog I had before that I mentioned was my first dog EVER in my life. It was also my "Dream dog" so to speak, as it was a full blooded American Cocker Spaniel. I loved it from the moment we had it, and it was from a proper breeder and everything. It was a very sweet dog, which I often called "happy dog" just because he always seemed just that. His name was Gus Gus.

To get to the point, I had a marriage not work out and had to move out and back in with family. I DID NOT have any choice and had to give him up for adoption. And actually it was so hard for me, I couldn't even do it, my Mother did it for me. It was the hardest thing any of us dad to do. To this day to be honest, I don't even know what happened to him. My only comfort is that he was a VERY beautiful and very loving dog, and My mother had told me that even before she was done with the process, MANY people were already looking at him. So that is kind of a comfort.

I'll never do that to another dog as long as I live. You'd have to pry it from my cold, dead hands. 

After we get married, and depending on what kind of place we get, my soon to be wife knows I want another Cocker of my own. 

My point... I think... was that even a dog that is very much wanted things can happen you can't control. But believe me, Erika wants her new Puppy, it ain't going anywhere. 

(By the way, Erika's brother's family did get one of the puppies also, which mean ours will see it's own brother from time to time.) 


I miss Gus Gus.


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## Durbkat (Jun 26, 2007)

icepaw said:


> *Of course your dog dosen't bite hard at 1 month. What till your dog starts teething.* Dogs learn bit inhibition from their mother and litter. By removing your puppy from said litter, it will not recieve this vital information. Digit, your ten week old pup, probably spent at least seven weeks with its litter. Therefore, it obviously had more of a learning curve with its mother and littermates.
> 
> The first eight weeks of a dogs life is crucial. If a pup learns bad behaviour now, it will take years to remedy. I apologize if I was overly hard on you Zeonstar but if you ever have the chance to see dogs being euthanized you will gain a different perspective. The fact that your here asking questions is a good sign.


Exactly, Snoopy is only two months and all his teeth hasn't come in yet but when I first got him a couple of weeks ago he bit so hard that he left teeth marks on my fingers. So it will begin to hurt and it may hurt more since he doesn't know how hard to bite.


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## icepaw (May 14, 2007)

It's ok to cry when you see something like this...this is sick but then again we live in a sick society. I guess we can thank Hitler for the efficient and inhumane ways we handle things today. For the love of life people learn to take responsibility for your pets so this shit can stop. 

The shelter I used to work at no long employs gas chambers as a from of euthanization but this is a nice vid that shows the consequences of our actions. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fl6wYn7tQo8

I am glad that you are so willing to learn and make up for mistakes ZEON. Sometimes I fly off the handle a bit because I have seen so many hrrible things happen to wonderful dogs. So many irresponsable people causing pain and misery to mans best friend. I really wish you and your fiancee the best of luck.


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## Zeonstar (Jul 21, 2007)

I'm a pet lover to be sure. I've had my Cat about 10-11 years now. Thanks to the internet and my (semi) obsession of researching the crud out of everything, she is on a new diet and is like a different much HAPPIER Cat. I'm so glad I read up and got her all taken care of. This puppy, though not intially "Mine" will get no less. 

My fiancee just got the dog without much though. (I was actually pretty upset when she first did it.) Maybe a bad decision, maybe not. But I am just trying to work with what I got... and hopefully she wont do stuff like that again without a little more thought.

Or MY life is gonna be hard. Forget the pups! Ha ha. 

I am SO not clicking on that video link!


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## digits mama (Jun 13, 2007)

Icepaw...I promise...I will not discuss this any further after this..Cause I dont want to ruin my mojo.

I am not going to go into it deep because it is all irrevelant. I know a little about life and how things such as people and pets, Things that have compassion tend to overcome certain situations with proper care. Most importantly love. Sometimes people get into certain situations that they cant back out of because of...just the way the cookie crumbled so to speak... and that it what is going on here. ALLLL WEEEE can do is try to help this fella get on the RIGHT path of raising this life that is there with them now. Applesmom SAID Ya cant just bring the pup back. SEE I learned something today! I am here to learn. and help folks do what they need to do. HOW DO YOU KNOWWWW that this couple is gonna throw this pup in a shelter?? I think from the effort of coming here we shouyd praise the fact the pup is aliveeeeeeee! MAn..I know this is an internet forum but this is kinda like being burnt on a stake for trying. Icepaw..Be blunt my fellow doglover. But dont make accusations....its really ugly and I think we all needa just play nice.

I have handraised 19 pups from birth and 5 cats over my lifetime. They all were wonderful pets.. I kept 8 of them my self. 6 of them to very close friends and i kept all the cats. I have done it for myself and friends becasue the mothers died and once for the shelter..Never seen aggresive behavior from any of them.

Ther is no way I could ever imagine seeing a healthy pet euthanized. I would do something crazy to delay the process and theyd kick me out. So i wouldnt imagine what you have seen. Dont watch anymore if ya can..Its not good for ya.

A human learns everything they need to know about social skills alsotheir firt 5 years. It is what forms compassion, love, oral skills, how to be nice overall. I adopted my kid at 5, Yep hadda time with em...But he is 21 now and doing wonderfully. 

Wat I am saying is. Anyone can take a life and make it all good. We cant change the world and we cant change this particualr situation and make it better. except for helping this guy out. 
I am not sorry for this long post either


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## icepaw (May 14, 2007)

Tell your fiancee to socialize the heck out of her pup. A good way to do that is sign up for obedience classes. Your pup willl get to meet other dogs and people, which will be crucial to its deveolopment. By eight weeks of age a puppy should have generally met at least 100 people. Your dog is probably to young for long walks so invite lots of people over to your house. Oh and please get your pup UTD on shots.


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## digits mama (Jun 13, 2007)

Icepaw...Sorry..I seen we got it all worked out. you are very compassionate with your beliefs...that is awesome. You are determined to change things...that is cool as heck.


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## Dieselsmama (Apr 1, 2007)

icepaw said:


> Tell your fiancee to socialize the heck out of her pup. A good way to do that is sign up for obedience classes. Your pup willl get to meet other dogs and people, which will be crucial to its deveolopment. By eight weeks of age a puppy should have generally met at least 100 people. Your dog is probably to young for long walks so invite lots of people over to your house. Oh and please get your pup UTD on shots.


Can I add a couple more things here??? Given that this pup hasn't had all (any?) shots yet, EVERYONE should be removing shoes prior to going into house ( parvo and other deadly diseases can be tracked in on shoes) and thoroughly wash hands prior to and following handling puppy. I wouldn't be bringing this pup outside yet. Make sure you're not taking him/her around other dogs or puppies unless you're 100% certain that animal is up to date on shots, this includes bringing it places like pet shops, dog parks, any areas where there might have been other animals you don't know to be vaccinated. I don't mean to sound extreme, but parvo is a horrific way for a puppy to die, if you'd ever seen it you'd buy stock in Clorox and Lysol and be a sanitizing fiend.


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## Zeonstar (Jul 21, 2007)

Hey everyone.


Couple of things. She took the puppy to the vet last night. Didn't have much done YET, but the real appointment is Friday. So she will get some stuff done. I'll be asking her later what she is gonna get done and remind her about the shots. 

The puppy has been outside, but only in an area we know and trust, but I will still tell her not to do that anymore for the time being, and remind her to stay very clean. The only dogs it has been around were it's brother puppy Erika's brother got, and I believe that's it.

Good news. The vet says the puppy is actually about 7 weeks old, according to her teeth. Erika later confirmed this by asking her brother. (Who lives next door to the people they got the puppies from.) Turns out her brother GUESSED 4 weeks. (Yeah I know, I know!)

I admit I'm new to Parvo, but read about it. Didn't realize puppies were so... how shall we say Fragile at first? Yikes. You can't trust to take them anywhere preshots. I don't remember my Cocker being like that, but then again he was from a breeder.

One more thing I wasn't quite clear on, but i do still need to read more. Is Crating intended to be PERMANENT or only to house break a dog about relieving himself? Or does this actually vary for different people?

Oh and she already is planning obedience class. She wanted to do that before I even came here. She's already planning it.


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## Snowshoe (Nov 17, 2006)

Sounds like you guys are trying to make the best out of a less than ideal situation. 

(It's also nice to know that the things I wrote about in my post are being echoed from other posters, LOL!)

As for the crating question: we've crated our dog since day 1 and have been very thankful every day since that we did it. Its really helped with keeping her on a feeding/bathroom schedule that otherwise would not have been possible. 

It REALLY helped us cut down accidents in the house. She wasn't able to potty on the floor when we weren't watching. Now, our dog goes to her crate when it gets to noisy for her, or just when she wants to nap. It's like a den. 

I'd suggest being very faithful to crate training until your dog is at least one year old. I know my pup is well over a year and isn't mature enough to be alone in the house by herself. What I mean by "mature" is that she'll still destroy things if left alone.

As much as I hated the fact that she chewed on Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, I'd hate it more if she chewed on an electrical wire and shocked herself or got into the cabinets to our cleaning solution. After all...we'd not be home until 5 and by then it would be too late to save her life...

BTW- I also suggest baby proofing your house. you know, the plastic plugs on the sockets, making sure taht everything but her toys are off the floor, making sure that all wires/cords are taped down, making sure that you baby gate off the areas where you are unable to remove dangerous equipment from the floors (like exercise equipment, computer materials, speakers, hazardous materials such as bleach). 

Even if you are home, you'll be surprised what can happen if you take your eyes off of here for "just a minute." 

Make sure your vet's emergency number is on speed dial and Its always good to have a puppy first aid kit on hand at all times. Especially if you have stairs in your home.


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## Zeonstar (Jul 21, 2007)

One quick follow up for the moment. When your dog willingly goes to it's Crate, or Den on it's own to nap, do you close the door or let him go in and out at will in cases like that?


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## poohlp (Jul 10, 2007)

It depends on the dog. My dog is five now and I still put him in the crate when I leave in the morning to go to work, unless it is nice enough for him go go outside in my fenced backyard. He knows the routine and is comfortable and secure there, while he can become destructive due to separation anxiety and boredom if left in the house.

My crate stays open unless I am not in the house or need the dog locked up for some reason...i.e., usually I have had one of my klutzy forays into glass breaking while cooking or washing dishes. Sometimes, usually if he is pouting because I'm busy doing something that doesn't involve him, my dog will go lie in his crate and look pathetically at me. I think it is his passive aggressive way of saying, "time to play with me!"


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## digits mama (Jun 13, 2007)

Hey there! 

I am new at this crating thing but, She is more secure in her crate it seems. When I first got her 3 weeks ago i didnt crate her. About a week later I read about it here. I tried it the first night and she whined a little bit. And the next night she spread eagled but no whining. Now its time for bed and she happily goes in now. as long as she has a chew toy. She stays in her crate at night in my room. During day when I have to work she stays in her room. But when I am home I leash her on my belt as I am doing daily duties. I am telling you, this forum is chock full of great ideas. I am finding out that majority of the tips givin are so true!

I am glad your baby is 7 weeks...............


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## Zeonstar (Jul 21, 2007)

I was just reading the forums on my break and discovered what I guess is the WONDER TOY for Dogs, the Kong thingie. Erika is bringing the puppy over for me to see it for a little while tonight and I think we're gonna go buy one.

It sounds like the crate can sort of double as an indoor dog house. I was just thinking Dog houses are kind of a simular concept as a Crate and dogs do willingly go in them. I'm understanding it better.

It seems using a crate always vs only for training also varies. Not sure which category my fiancee is gonna end up falling into. 

I just looked at the Kong website. I have a product ofthiers and didn't even realize, the Zoom Groom for my Cat. Oh she loves that thing.


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## bluesbarby (Apr 10, 2007)

Riley is now 8.5 months and fully potty trained. We still use the crate, mostly for when we eat dinner so he won't beg for food. But I have alot of cats. If I want a good night's sleep Riley sleeps with us. If I leave him in the crate the cats will surround the crate and tease him until he starts barking. They think that if I get up they'll get fed earlier. Or maybe it's their way of getting even for his chasing them during the day. This starts at about 4 am and I really like being able to sleep until 5:30am. He has a safe room for when we're gone. We have baby gates up and he's closed into the dining room kitchen area which has a cat door to the outdoor cat run. It is totally dog proof. He's never done his business in the cat run so I know he can hold it 8 hours which is the longest he's ever been left. His crate is left in the dining room so he can sleep whenever. Which except for chasing the cats is most of the day when we're gone. Since my DH and I have different schedules he's usually only home alone 4 hours at a time.


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## Durbkat (Jun 26, 2007)

Zeonstar said:


> The puppy has been outside, but only in an area we know and trust, but I will still tell her not to do that anymore for the time being, and remind her to stay very clean. The only dogs it has been around were it's brother puppy Erika's brother got, and I believe that's it.
> 
> I admit I'm new to Parvo, but read about it. Didn't realize puppies were so... how shall we say Fragile at first? Yikes. You can't trust to take them anywhere preshots. I don't remember my Cocker being like that, but then again he was from a breeder.


You can't trust any place outside unless you live in a house with a fenced in yard because any dog can come thru that has parvo. Also a dog shouldn't be around other dogs till its 4 to 5 months old. Thats what my vet said because they don't really build immunity to disease's


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## rsculady (Jun 23, 2007)

We crate Makita and Fuzzybutt at night either in the teenagers room or our bedroom. They both love their crates at bedtime. No issues. During the day I leave them open and they go in on their own when they want quiet time or to get away from one another. LOL These two play like 6wk old siblings even though they are 2yrs old and have only been together for a month. Angel(our 16 yr old Sibe) does not get crated and never has. He is also a special case though since he is blind and has been since he was 2yrs old. He never ventures very far and just hangs out under the stairs now. LOL


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## Shalva (Mar 23, 2007)

Durbkat said:


> You can't trust any place outside unless you live in a house with a fenced in yard because any dog can come thru that has parvo. Also a dog shouldn't be around other dogs till its 4 to 5 months old. Thats what my vet said because they don't really build immunity to disease's


I disagree wtih that as does my vet.... 
while you certainly don't want to take your puppy to petco and pet shops, dog parks or other places where there are lots of dogs, it is very important that young pups are socialized well..... to quote my vet " more dogs are rehomed and euthanized due to lack of socialization than anything they might pick up on a carefully planned excursion." 

I agree with that totally and as such Meir goes to the grocery with me, to the camera shop, to the ups store... to the downtown fair days.... he doesn't socialize with other dogs he sees, but he meets many people and experiences many new things.... 

I encourage my puppy people to take their dogs out when they are young using common sense of course. 
s


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## Zeonstar (Jul 21, 2007)

Hey again.

Haven't been here in awhile. Daisy is fine, Erika loves her. She's had shots and is getting all fat now...she eats alot apparantly...hehe. 

My fiancee decided she wants to try crate training afterall. I had given up bugging her about it, it's her dog and all that. She didn't like the idea of locking it in a crate.

Guess she just isn't going on the pads like she should. So we are researching trying it.

How can one crate train if they work all day? This is a big hurdle for her with her work schedule.


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## Durbkat (Jun 26, 2007)

Well its more ideal to do this when you can be home all day to take the dog out every couple of hours but at night you just put the dog in the crate and set your alarmt for aboute every two hours. This depends on how old the dog is because its 1 hour per however old the dog is in months.


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## poodleholic (Mar 15, 2007)

> One more thing I wasn't quite clear on, but i do still need to read more. Is Crating intended to be PERMANENT or only to house break a dog about relieving himself? Or does this actually vary for different people?


I crate trained my dogs for use during housetraining, and continue to have their crates available to them.

I have two Standard Poodles, both 6 yrs. old, and a Shih Tzu who is around 18 mo. old. All three have crates they like to go in, so they remain in my bedroom. The Shih Tzu is a recent addition (a foster who needed to be rehomed, so I kept him), and he gets into things he shouldn't, so his crate is locked when I'm not at home, and will probably continue this for safety reasons, since he's so small, and the other two are large dogs. They get along very well, but I'm a proactive person, prefering prevention rather than having to react to whatever might happen. The Poodles like their crates, but earned freedom of the house years ago, so I don't lock the crate gates. 

Dogs are crated while at the groomer, and if hospitalized at the vet's, so it's good to keep one's dog used to and comfortable with crating. It's handy, too, while on vacation, visiting relatives, and so on. The crate is a familiar, safe place, so they feel secure, and relax sooner when in a different environment. 

You also asked how one crate trains while at work. You can't! Unless you bring the dog with you to work, or have someone else let the dog out every 2 hrs. or so. With Toy breeds, and a puppy as young as this, every hour may be more like it.


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## Zeonstar (Jul 21, 2007)

I'm not getting notfications for this even though I have it set to. Weird. I was thinking no one was replying.

Anyway not sure what to do. We wont be moving for 3 months, and she definately can't take the dog to work, she works at a Law Firm. There is no one we can think of that can do the crate training for us...and we would hate to ask anyway.

She just isn't going on the pads consistantly my fiancee says. I don't live with her so I'm gettign all this second hand. I don't exactly know how she handles things.

Says the puppy bites too much too.


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## digits mama (Jun 13, 2007)

Time is of essence when crate training.. the sooner you start the better and easier it is for all of you. Is it at all possible you could get your girlfreind to come on the forum and read a few things? It is what saved me and put me on the right track to training in all the areas needed? I am really hoping that it works out for you guys. What about obedience training? any thought of that? 

As for the biting.....that is normal puppy behavior. It takes a little authority in getting her to stop. Let her know the limits. a simple OW! or NO! helped with mine. Give her a toy to play with when she gets rowdy..


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## Zeonstar (Jul 21, 2007)

I can get her to look here. On that same note, I would love a few link to some good crate training guides for her.

Yeah she has mentioned she definately wants to do obedience training. I'll mention it to her that it needs to ne ASAP. She does say NO when she bites, so guess she is doing that right.

Daisy does have a Toy, a Kong. She loves that thing.

If I can, where should I point her to on here?


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## digits mama (Jun 13, 2007)

If you look above the posts and you see all those sticky posts...Thats where I started from. Those useful links are full of ideas and most of them are working out great. Do a forum search and type in what you are looking for and it will give you a bevy of info.. I still look everyday and find new things to do with my guys.. Good Luck! 

Petsmart is where I am going for my pups first training. My vet is going to start classes this september and we will be going there for follow up training. But I feel it is crucial to start her now so thats the first step.


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## threedognite (Feb 10, 2007)

Your pup is adorable. It looks like a Pom mix to me.
As for feeding your baby...
If you have done your research about wet vs dry you will see that canned food contains mostly water. Not only is it expensive, your dog's poop will be loose and your dog won't get the nutrition it needs.
Your best options are feeding either a raw diet or a kibble that contains all natural ingredients. No corn, no by-products, no fillers. 
You can go to Google and type in any name brand commercial dog food and it will give you a list of ingredients. Most are disgusting.
Feeding commercial dog food can cause many, many health problems. Don't rely on your dog's vet to give you dog food advice. They don't know. 
A raw diet is by far the very best for dogs and this is what wolves and wild dogs eat in the wild. Domestic dogs are no different when it comes to food. If you don't want the hassle of preparing a raw diet then please buy an all natural kibble. It's a little more expensive but in the long run it's better. Fewer vet visits, healthier dog.
Good luck.


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## Zeonstar (Jul 21, 2007)

Hey all,

I'm back. I know I got attacked a bit here so I am bit hesitant to post again, but hopefully it will be ok.

We are married now and back from our Honeymoon. We brought Daisy to the apartment 2 nights ago. She unfortunately still is not housebroken and we do need some help. 

We work both all day so she is going to be alone all day, no way around it. We have her in a pen in the kitchen for today. We're talking about trying crate training this weekend. In the months Erika has had her, she hasn't taken to the pee pads at all. She also seems to not go when we walk her, but goes on the rug no problem. I think I'm going to get a steam cleaner to save on the rug, but that's another story. 

I was also looking into the Ugodog thing, which seems like a great idea. But right now, we need to get her housebroken to go either on a pad or outside. 

Maybe I should start a new thread? But just wanted to check in and say we would love some help. It's nice to be all living together now. The first night Daisy wouldn't settle down for bed so we put her in the crate we had been using, which is sort of like a large carrier, and she went right to sleep. Last night she was better and went right to bed on our bed when we did. 

Just need to work on the bathroom problem!

I'd love any help. Feel free to ask me anything that can help you know our situation.


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## ozzy (Sep 29, 2007)

Hi I wasn't here when you first came on the forum but I just went back and read some of your posts. I am not attacking I promise-I hate getting attacked but it sounds like your wife did not do a good job housebreaking when she had the chance. You definitely missed the prime time to set this in but it's not too late. I would start with looking on stickys here or googling housebreaking or getting a basic puppy book for ideas. I am a new dog owner and had a lot of confusion over the whole crate thing myself. I used it for the first few months but he was very unhappy during the day and would wet in it so I switched to the kitchen with the crate in it. Since you cannot get home during the day you may want to put the crate in the kitchen with a pad down and let it have that area. Then crate train it when you are home letting it be in the crate for short enough periods.

The rest of the time you MUST take the dog out a lot. Since you are starting over try every hour on the hour. Tell the dog to go potty and when it does reward and make a big fuss. My dog caught on very quickly with this. Your pup is probably old enough now that it doesnt need to go out that much but you must catch and prevent accidents in the house for it to learn so you need to be really good about this. 

A lot of people hate mixing pads and outside but I don't see any other way if the dog is alone all day. If you can have someone come at her lunch to let her out thats ideal or hire a dog walker.

When you are home you must get the dog outside often, praise her for going, etc. It's really quite simple if you work at it.


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## digits mama (Jun 13, 2007)

Everything Ozzy said....and want to add that consistancy with the crate is key. Least until she is housebroke..And what also worked for me was to leash her to my belt loop while were home. It allows me to carry on with everyday activities and my eye was on her all the time...congrats on you and wifeys wedding!


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## the-tenth (Jun 29, 2007)

If you aren't watching her, you should be crating her. Not just when you're working, or not at home. The more she goes in the house, the more she re-enforces that behavior. I spent a lot of hours outside with Sandy the first few months we had her. Also, make sure you're cleaning up any pee spots with an enzyme cleaner. Most of the Wal-Mart stuff doesn't work. Just because you can't smell it, doesn't mean your dog can't. We use Nature's Miracle. If you think you've got the spots really clean, with whatever you're using (if it's not an enzyme cleaner), then turn the lights off and get yourself a cheap blacklight....and prepare to be 1. suprised and 2. disgusted.


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## Love's_Sophie (Sep 23, 2007)

Definitely looks like there is Pom in there...maybe a bit of Corgi, or Sheltie as well. I don't think she will be extremely large...

She is Adorable!!! 

As far as foods...

I like to feed hard kibble; currently my dogs are on Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's soul dog food...my kitties are all on Innova Evo. Only one of my indoor pets gets canned food, and that is our newest rescued kitty, Faith, and mainly right now, it is to ensure optimal weight gain; she gets wet food twice daily, and has free access to the kibble. 

My dogs I do like to put water in their food; sometimes I let it mush up, and sometimes I give it right away...either way, it helps them get it down better, without having to take trips to the water dish in between mouthfuls. The main reason I don't feed canned right now, is cost; I have two medium sized dogs, and one small dog (foster puppy). So I would go through like 2-3 cans a day, or more; depending on whether I fed just that, or along with the hard kibble.


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## Zeonstar (Jul 21, 2007)

Hey guys (and gals)

Thanks for the new replies. Glad to come here for some help, since we really want to make the best of our new apartment with a dog. This is also my wife's first dog EVER so it's special to her. I had one before, but it was so many years back I feel like it's my first dog all over again, and I didn't use the internet religiously like I do now.

Anyway on to business! Yeah I know she didn't crate train like she should of when she first got the dog. Much like now, she didn't have the time to. Originally the dog was with her in her apartment, and she tried the pads, but had trouble. Shortly after and getting closer and closer to the wedding she had taken the dog to her sister where it had the garage to go on, but that didn't work so well because it still had the "I can go anywhere" mentality and had a good deal of accidents.

My wife was real against the idea of the crate but I slowly talked to her into it when after she first got daisy. She did use it pretty regularly, though not enough to house break Daisy, but it did get her pretty use to it where she will go in it at will whenever we need her to so we can take her somewhere.

What we have now is a carrier basically but it's the right size, that is big enough to turn but not soil one end and live in the other. This weekend we are planning to get a proper crate with the sections and all that, but let me ask, do we need it or is what we have good? A real crate with the movable section would be a bit taller for her, but that's about it. We will get it if we need to, but if what we have is good, let me know. One thing to remember is she is use to it. The first night she was home she wouldn't settle down for bed so we put her in there and she went right to sleep without a sound.

So for our situation right now we bought one of those doorway gates and she has the laundry room to herself, but the kitchen door remains open so she can see out during the day. Yesterday was her first day alone in there and she did well, she actually hadn't went potty at all, all day, even though we did have a pad in there. To be complete and know what we are doing right/wrong, in her pen was a pad, her bed, toys, and some water. I'm thinking maybe the water was a bad idea, but it was her first day, we were being nice.

When I got home I did give her a walk and she did eventually pee, and of course I praised her. Took her back and tried to feed her but she didn't each much, and was averted to going into the pen. I put the food outside of it and she ate a little, but would take mouthfuls and run about 10 feet away before stopping to eat it.

When we were home she was out with us, and watched well but she still went poo twice right when we were watching her. We said no to startle her but it didn't do much, but it was small. We then took her right to the pad to correct her but didn't linger too long because I know it has to be quick or they wont know why you are mad at them.

Took her outside about 2 more times through the night but she really didn't go. In the middle of the night my wife got up to goto the bathroom and when Daisy wakes up she usually has to go and tells my wife by nibbling her ear when she is on the bed, so she does have some kind of signal apparantly to my wife at least know when she has to go. It's just when we are in the house all together, she just goes literally wherever, which of course is our goal to stop.

But last night when she woke my wife took her into the bathroom to a peepad and she went right on it, which is a big deal, so that was good. I also read sometimes it's good to keep the smell so they know where to go again so I put that pad in her pen today.

Sorry so long, but how we are doing? I need a good article on housebreaking with a Pen and Crate. I forgot if I mentioned this, but we did also put her crate in her pen just because she is use to it, so she can go in and out of it if she wants. A person at a petstore told us to take a whole weekend to crate train, putting her in, taking her out for walks, then right back in. But you are suppose to feed them too right? I am not sure how long we should start, because she is a bit older now, and has shown she can hold it for a good while.

Getting to the point, we need to housebreak her with a combination of crate and pen. How best is that done? Ultimately, we want her to not have accidents in the house and eventually let her have more access during the day, but we also want to get something like the ugopet (Unless someone tells me they are bad) and communicate to her that it's ok if she uses it during the day if needed.

Sorry so long, hope I gave some good info, we would love any help.


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## prolibertate (Nov 7, 2007)

Looks like a Chihuahua/Pomeranian or Chihuahua/Shih-Tzu mix to me, but you may be able to tell as she gets bigger. It doesn't look like she'll be too big of a dog, considering the size of her paws.

She does need to visit the vet though so she can get all of her shots and heartworm meds. Also, don't take the puppy out where other dogs or critters are (like the front lawn or the floor of the pet store) until she's had her shots; you don't want her to pick up anything that will make her sick; some things can make her extremely sick or ever kill her (like rabies form a passing squirrel, skunk, or raccoon).

I use Fromm, Wellness, and Solid Gold for my puppy; they're small kibble and have good nutrition with no fillers or preservatives. The bags will tell you how much to feed her.

In order to train a puppy/dog, one has to use time, effort, patience and consistency (TEPC). Without her humans doing this, a puppy/dog won't learn. Check the links below for some good training information. I use the ugodog with pee pads since I work all day, and my puppy has no problem hitting the right spot every time; he also will still potty outside when I'm home, on or off his leash. It just takes TEPC 

http://www.clickertraining.com/housetraining

http://www.clickertraining.com/puppy


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## Zeonstar (Jul 21, 2007)

Sounds like you have a situation simular to ours, and that's exactly how we want Daisy to be. Use Pads if needed, but know we will take her outside when we are home.

She has her shots by the way. Erika got het pet insurance months ago and has already taken her several times. She wants to take good care of her dog. Probably due to go back soon thought.

Do you let your dog free during the day or is it limited? Just curious.

How are we doing with what is in her pen with her during the day? Should food be in there or not? I figure a schedule is best, especially during housebreaking. We only have her on dry right now by the way, Canidae.


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## ozzy (Sep 29, 2007)

I think the big mistake you are making is by encouraging the dog to use the pads. Do you want her to be pad trained or housetrained? I want mine housetrained but because I am gone all day I leave a pad in the kitchen just in case. Even that is not ideal and I plan to phase it out. The rest of the time he does not go inside at all. I take that pad up as soon as I get home and he goes outside. You need to train her for outside and not take her out one time and then take her to the pad the next time. That is way too confusing. I don't have it all figured out I have had some problems myself but this just sounds confusing. 

They figure out to use the pad when confined because it is right there but the rest of the time you want her going out. If she goes in the house rush her outside not to your pad. Hope that helps a little otherwise google crate trianing and you will get some ideas.


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## 007Dogs (Aug 22, 2007)

Edited, because I did not realize this puppy is half grown now. LOL 
Have you thought about using Purina's litterbox training system. It works great for smaller breed dogs. I live in Colorado, so in the winter, my pups are litterbox trained. But usually the mom trains them, not me. In the summer, my momma dogs train them to use the doggy doors. Yet another good reason for leaving pups with mom's until they are older.


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## Zeonstar (Jul 21, 2007)

We want her house trained, but also to know she can go on pads when we are not home. We have to work with our situation, we both work all day, so she will be alone about 9 hours.

It's harder to rush her outside when she goes and we catch her. For one thing she goes so fast she is pretty much done when we catch her, and to "rush her outside" requires running across a hall and down steps. I wonder if too much time would pass for to even realize why she is being brought outside.

We want to prepare our balcony for her to go if she needs to, but I need to find some kind of large mat to place over it because it's basically a deck with gaps inbetween the boards where stuff could seep through to the balcony below if you know what I mean. 

I went home today at lunch, something I can very rarely do to try and feed her and she just will not eat, she's too busy wanting to lick me and be with me. She ignores her food. She didn't eat this morning either. I only had so much time before I had to rush back to work. I don't think she is too thrilled with her pen either.

Oh, almost forgot, we have thought about the litter training thing, just not sure how she would be with a box. We can't even get her on pads even semi consistantly.

For litter trained dogs, do they still go outside or is the box become thier only means of going usually?

What do you all think of the ugodog system? Should I hold off getting it? We don't want to confuse Daisy, we just want her housebroken, but again to know she would be allowed to go on pads, a box, or whatever we decide on. 

Any thoughts on how we did with the pen? Is it true we can take a weekend and crate train her a good amount? Just need to know what could be best for our situation.


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## digits mama (Jun 13, 2007)

Yes..My dozer was and outside dog for about 3 years, When he came to live with me he slept on my bean bag next to my bed. When I started coming here which was in june this year, I read all the advantages to crate training. My mom got me my puppy Puddles and so I decided to start right then.. Dozer loved his crate from the beginning. He is 6 years old now. He acted like he didnt like it by the way he looked at me, And I gave in and let him out periodically cause of those sad eyes. But within 2 days he wouldnt have it any other way.


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## Zeonstar (Jul 21, 2007)

Maybe I should not of made a new thread. Still struggling to get this all working out.

http://www.dogforums.com/19-first-time-dog-owner/18575-housebreaking-woes.html


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## peace36 (Jan 29, 2007)

Ella'sMom said:


> I don't know what kind of dog that is or where you got her from but it has to be the CUTEST thing I have EVER seen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Oh Ella cover your ears or on second thought put your paws over your eyes, LoL.



icepaw said:


> Who wants to make a bet that this dog will end up in shelter?


What a mean negative attitude I dont care what you have seen. You dont personally know this couple well enought to make that kind of assumption.


Zeonstar..Daisy is sooo cute, congrats on your new pup! Isnt this forum great! I know a fair amount from personal experience but still have learned a great deal here. Welcome!!!


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## Zeonstar (Jul 21, 2007)

Yeah it's been great. There is a forum for everything on the net, I love it. Wife things I tend to research things a little TOO much though. Or look for reviews on everything I buy over $10.  

Hadn't seen that comment from icepaw in awhile. Still stings.


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## DogsforMe (Mar 11, 2007)

Would love to see some new pics of Daisy as she's bigger.


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## clipclop (Dec 12, 2007)

Have you thought of reading Dr. Ian Dunbar's article posted on this forum? Please do! I think it will answer a lot of the questions you are asking here.


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## Zeonstar (Jul 21, 2007)

I would love to have a look, but I'm not sure where the post is? PLease point me to it.


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## Zeonstar (Jul 21, 2007)




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## RonE (Feb 3, 2007)

Zeonstar said:


> Hadn't seen that comment from icepaw in awhile. Still stings.


I wouldn't let it bother you. Icepaw hasn't been here in 4-1/2 months.

Sometimes people blow in here, throw around some insults, contribute very little that's constructive and then disappear after a few days, weeks or months.

Life goes on.

That's a handsome dog you've got there. It doesn't look like he's living in a shelter.


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## Dana1384 (Aug 13, 2007)

How cute, he looks like my aunts dog, but nicer!


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