# Can i have some advice regarding my new 8 week year old puppy?



## Liam (May 10, 2011)

First off just wanna say a big hello, im new here and i must say this forum is full of useful info that has helped me out loads already. Im the proud owner of a new 8 week year old Bichon Frise called Bailey. He's adorable and i love him so much already, this is my 1st dog so was wondering if i could have some advice on a few things if thats ok.

I understand new pups are chewers and i have no problem with it at all but the one thing that does worry me a little is my pup can be quite aggresive and when he bites my ankles it really hurts! Basically he'll be chewing away on his kong toy and then all of a sudden he just get up and go straight for my feet and there is no way of getting him to stop, if i try and move he just growls and growls even more he will definatly break my skin soon as those needle teeth are getting sharp. I have red and tried lots of various things to get him to stop like a loud "yelp" but again he doesnt stop. I have also tried leaving the room for say 10 seconds but thats near on impossible as i cant close the door behind myself as he's so quick. Would anyone have any good advice or had success stoping this kind of thing? I understand he's young and will hopefully grow out of it but this being my 1st dog im not to sure what to expect so im sorry if i find myself asking silly questions.

Second thing was i have recently got my Bailey a crate as at 1st we had him in the kitchen with a baby gate with cardboard fed between the gaps but he always seemed to chew his way through the cardboard and get out! little devil . He sleeps in the crate in the kitchen and he's been alot better at night times now he hardly cries at all, just normally when we put him in there first of all. As me and my partner work shifts with our current jobs i feel really bad having to put him in his crate for a few hours, i have friends who dont mind coming over and feeding him etc is it ok to leave him in a crate for sometime? I always leave him a bowl of water a bed and some toys to keep himself amused but he doesn't really play with them unless i actually give them to him if you see what i mean. I also cover him up as well to make it a bit more cosy.

Last thing, i started to clicker train him and i must say he's doing quite well bless him. I use grated cheese as rewards for him as i dont really know what else to use. He knows he has to sit in order to recieve his treat im really chuffed he picked that up so quick. Just wondered what other little things i could use for treats?

So overall im so happy with my boy im just worried about doing the wrong things having never owned a puppy before, i guess once i can take him outside properly for walks his hyper streaks inside might calm down a little well i hope so 

Thanks so much, sorry for the long post id be so grateful for any help

Liam


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## Liam (May 10, 2011)

Hi Vettyvine

Sorry dont think i explained that bit very well, I do have a proper metal crate now, i used a child gate with cardboard threaded between it for a few days and found it was not working at all


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## jesirose (Mar 27, 2008)

Liam said:


> I understand new pups are chewers and i have no problem with it at all but the one thing that does worry me a little is my pup can be quite aggresive and when he bites my ankles it really hurts! Basically he'll be chewing away on his kong toy and then all of a sudden he just get up and go straight for my feet and there is no way of getting him to stop, if i try and move he just growls and growls even more he will definatly break my skin soon as those needle teeth are getting sharp.


Google Bite Inhibition. It can take a while to learn, especially if the dog was taken from it's siblings too soon. Considering he's 8 weeks now you either haven't had him long, or got him too young. 




Liam said:


> is it ok to leave him in a crate for sometime? I always leave him a bowl of water a bed and some toys to keep himself amused but he doesn't really play with them unless i actually give them to him if you see what i mean. I also cover him up as well to make it a bit more cosy.


Remove the water, he will likely have potty accidents or just make a mess. You can leave a puppy in a crate for a few hours, typically their months+1. An 8 week old puppy is fine for 3 hours.



Liam said:


> I use grated cheese as rewards for him as i dont really know what else to use. He knows he has to sit in order to recieve his treat im really chuffed he picked that up so quick. Just wondered what other little things i could use for treats?


Uhm, treats? Like, that you buy for the dog.... at a store... I don't get this question. Go buy some treats. Too much cheese is not good, and it's probably more expensive than small soft treats.


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## Liam (May 10, 2011)

Hi jessirose thanks so much for the reply

I picked him up at 8 weeks so he is just over 9 weeks now, i will look at the link you gave for sure thanks so much for that

Thanks for the advice regarding the water also i will definatly look into this as a possibility

As for treats, most of the ones i have seen in my local pet shop are quite "hard" so to speak. We have to soften his kibble with water as he cant eat "hard food as of yet thats why i decided to go with a soft option like cheese. I was thinking of trying little cubes of ham but im just a bit wary of what i can and what i cant feed a puppy


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

Hi and congrats on your puppy! 

Do a search here on the forum for the Sticky "The Bite Stops Here". It gives very good advice. I'll just add my own tips to sum it up:
- when he bites, make a noise, like "ouch!" or yelp. 
- if he does it again, make the noise again, and then leave the room for 20-30 seconds, then come back.
- if he does it again, start over with just the noise.
- if he does it again, make the noise and leave the room for 20-30 seconds.
The most important part is to be consistent. YES! It's a hassle to have to get up and leave every couple minutes, but it WORKS! Do the same thing every time, and make sure everyone in the household does it, too!

There are soft treats you can buy. We love Zeke's Mini Naturals. But, you can also cut up tiny, tiny bits of turkey hot dogs, and also cut up tiny, tiny pieces of cheese. There are lots of brands of soft snacks, just keep looking.

Crating is fine. People have differing opinions on how long, but, if you have friends who are willing to help and let him out throughout the day, so he's not crated all day, he'll be fine!


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## Liam (May 10, 2011)

Thanks so much doxie thats helped me out loads, i will make sure im consistant like you say. I think the main problem i have is that i forget that the puppy is only 9 weeks old and i expect to much of him already.

Thanks so much for your advice i will put it into action straight away

Liam


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## Elana55 (Jan 7, 2008)

If you take a hot dog and quarter it lenghtwise and then make cross cuts you can make 100 treats. 

Just a thought.

Congratulations on your new puppy. Pictures????


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## lisak_87 (Mar 23, 2011)

Liam said:


> Thanks so much doxie thats helped me out loads, i will make sure im consistant like you say. I think the main problem i have is that i forget that the puppy is only 9 weeks old and i expect to much of him already.
> 
> Thanks so much for your advice i will put it into action straight away
> 
> Liam


I have this problem with mine too. I constantly forget his age because he knows so much already...I get frustrated when he doesn't pick up on something right away. Time and consistency is key.

It took Brady 2 months to learn how to go into a "sit" from a "down" position. 

And we're having tons of trouble with leash training!


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## Liam (May 10, 2011)

Thanks Elana pictures will follow for sure! thanks for the hotdog advice to will give that a go for sure.

Lisak, the next stage for me is to try and get him to "lay down" but i need to find the right command for it. He knows most of the time when i point to a certain spot on the floor thats where he has to go and he normally sits straight after without me having to say so im happy with that so far. As for leashing thats the next step for us to, i got him a small coller but he seems to hate it! im going to try and put it on for an hour a day so he gets used to it. We also got him a harnes along with an extendable zip lead but when we tried connecting it to the harnes he seemed to just want to chew the metal part of it! I really want to start getting him to walk round the garden on it so he will pick it up quickly. He's due for his 2nd and final jab next week so i'll be able to take him on his first walk a week after that, im really looking forward to it i must admit. We have loads of fields round us im sure he will love it just hope i can get this leash training working


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## CricketLoops (Apr 18, 2011)

Liam said:


> Just wondered what other little things i could use for treats?


The list is endless! Cheese is a good option, but I would also start discovering now what foods your dog is indifferent to, what foods your dog likes, what foods your dog loves, and what foods your dog goes bananas for!

Here's what I'm using for my current foster dog, ranked:

Class A treats: Liver, cooked or uncooked, Fetch
Class B treats: Hot dogs (Turkey and Beef), Chicken, Ground Beef, Cheese, Ham
Class C treats: Ground Turkey, Bil-Jacs, Any flavored milkbone except the green ones
Class D treats: Green milkbones, Carrots, Regular Kibble. 

My last foster dog had a slightly different list, and the one before it also had a different list, etc... I guess what I'm saying is that your dog will be more motivated to perform with some flavors than others. 

This list is helpful because it can help to motivate your dog for some behaviors more than others. I've also found that it increases performance from the dog during training session if treats are mixed: for example, a dog who has been receiving Class C treats will work much harder for the next several repetitions after receiving a Class A treat. 

You'll also notice that I put "Fetch" under class A, and that's because I'm currently fostering a retriever mix. If I break up training sessions with some short games of fetch, he finds that extremely rewarding. You may find that your dog is the same way with other toys or games, such as stuffies or tug. You can add these into training sessions if your dog finds them very rewarding, or use one to end the session on a high note. 

Also, remember that you're subtracting your dog's treat allowance from his food so that he doesn't gain too much weight. If I were you, I would keep a record of the amount of treats and food he receives every day and use smaller pieces of treats/use more kibble in training as a replacement for treats etc if he starts getting plump (although with puppies it's kinda hard to tell... lol).

Hope this helps!


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## JiveDadson (Feb 22, 2010)

Read the "sticky" article, The Bite Stops Here.


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## Liam (May 10, 2011)

Thanks so much again for everyones help im so grateful. I have started to let him bite me now as before i would not allow it and as soon as i feel its to hard i shout "ouch" and he does flinch a little. Most of the time he stops but sometimes he carrys on and bites a little harder, i thinks its proberly excitement that makes him bite that bit harder.

Just wanted an opinion as well on where i could be going wrong with his potty training. I play with him in the garden alot with the backdoor closed and when he toilets outside i praise him lots and click my clicker and say "well done wee wee's or poo poo's" which ever he does and give him a treat as well. The problem is he sometimes always runs to our front door mat even though i have been outside with him for say 30mins and want to pee on that. I have sprayed the mat to remove the oder so he will hopefully stop going there but he still does on the odd occasion. I could well be my own worst enemy i guess as we crate him a night time normally put him to bed around 11pm and i wake up at 7.30am. We have a nappy in the crate which normally has wee on it in the morning which is fine as there is know way i would expect him to hold it for that long, there is also a small poop sometimes again which i understand. I try taking him out to poop and wee before bed but he seems to be scared to go in the garden with me when its dark. So is the fact that he poops and wee's at night in his crate on a nappy the reason why he might want to do this in the house during the day?

Thanks again to everyone and sorry for the silly sounding questions its just being a 1st time dog owner i just want to make sure im doing things right

Liam


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## CricketLoops (Apr 18, 2011)

Liam said:


> So is the fact that he poops and wee's at night in his crate on a nappy the reason why he might want to do this in the house during the day?


Short answer: Yes.

Long answer: A puppy this young has terrible bladder control. He really should not be expected to hold it for 8.5 hours during the night, as right now he can hold it for maybe 3 hours at a time. The general easy to remember "rule" about pottying and young dogs is that they shouldn't be asked to hold it for more hours than how many months old they are plus one. Right now he's 2 two months old, so he shouldn't be expected to hold it for more than 3 hours, as Jesirose already said here:



jesirose said:


> Remove the water, he will likely have potty accidents or just make a mess. You can leave a puppy in a crate for a few hours, typically their months+1. An 8 week old puppy is fine for 3 hours.


This includes at night. 

Dogs are actually very clean animals when it comes to their own poop and pee -- they don't like to do these things in their "dens". They will hold it if they know an opportunity to relieve themselves in a larger space is soon going to be available. They do not like to sleep in their own poop and pee. At 2 months old, though, your puppy does not have the muscle control to hold her potties until 7:30, when you're awake, so she's learning to relieve herself in her crate and "get over" her natural aversion to pottying there. This isn't something that's good to let happen, because you are going to have a very hard time to teach her not to potty in her crate when she's older if you're letting her rehearse it now.

Check out this thread for a LOT more info: http://www.dogforums.com/first-time-dog-owner/88458-enough-potty-threads.html


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

I have to disagree slightly with Cricket....the general rule about the age + 1 is just a guide. It doesn't work for all puppies. AND, in most cases, puppies WILL be able to hold it longer than that at night. They may not be able to hold it ALL night, but longer than the day.

The reason for this is that, at night, the puppy's bodily functions slow down. Heart rate, blood pressure, all that is reduced at night. As a result, less urine is produced. 

But, as I said, that doesn't mean they can hold it ALL night, in the beginning. The smart thing to do, so that the pup isn't needing to pee in the crate, is set your alarm for around 2 am or so, and take him out. It won't last forever. My 1st pup only needed middle of the night pee trips til he was 10 weeks old. The next puppy needed them til she was 16 weeks old.

As far as the puppy needing to pee on the door mat, even though he was just outside with you for 30 minutes, puppies are very easily distracted outside. There are so many sights, sounds, and smells to investigate. Even if you remind him every once in awhile "go pee pee" or whatever your phrase is, he probably isn't focused on doing that, especially if he's been out for 30 minutes.

If you are wanting him to pee when you take him outside, have him do it the first 5 minutes or so you are out. After 5 minutes or so, he's not thinking about going potty, he's smelling and looking, and listening to other things. If he doesn't pee, go back in, and try again in 5 minutes. BUT, watch him closely inside to make sure he doesn't sneak a pee inside.
Basically, alternate, 5 min out to potty, then 5 min in, then back out, etc.

Now, if he DOES potty, then you can give the praise, the treat, and let him play outside.

If you are just taking him outside to play, and hoping he'll take advantage of being outside to go potty, that probably isn't going to happen. Young puppies do best with structure. Outside play time has to be different from outside potty time. If he potties, then you can turn it in to play time, but to have him out, playing, and still try to get him to potty, that's confusing to him. 

Also, young puppies do the "double pee" where they pee a bit, and then pee a bit more inside. So, after he pees, stay a minute or two extra to see if he does it again, outside.

Other pee/poop times: after waking up (even from a nap), after playing/exercising, after eating/drinking, and at his age, every 1-2 hours, just to be sure.


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## Liam (May 10, 2011)

Thanks so much for that doxie. I am definatly going to give getting up in the night a go tonight. I just find it hard sometimes as me and my partner both work shifts so the pattern of his feeding and soon to be walks will be a little inconsistant. I always see him sniffing the floor in the lounge in different areas so i take him out straight away but he normally doesn't do anything. I have also made sure i keep my back door shut now so he understands whats inside and whats outside. Alot of the wee's he does inside i think are just excitement wee's so to speak. I can be downstairs with him and i'll pop upstairs for no more than 30 secs to get something and the will be a small pee stain waiting for me on my brand new carpet . Its the same as well when he gets to aggresive i have to pick him up put him behind the door and close it quickly wait for say 10 secs for him to calm down and know that he was not playing fair and on re-opening the door there is a small wee stain.

Im sure he will get there in the end he's been a lot better as the days go, hes munching on a frozen carrot inside his genius kong toy at the mo wont last long though as he doesnt have a very long self attention span. I had a bit of a scare earlier tho i must admit, he just went mad! he started running round the garden full speed jumping through my garden chairs near enough rolling down the steps as well, even when i let him back in the house he done the same sprinting round the living room grabbing and growling at my ankles then finally letting go to carry on running around. In the end i had to pick him up amd put him in his crate to calm him down just dont know what come across him.


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## 123fraggle (Feb 20, 2009)

Awww, puppy zoomies!


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## lisaj1354 (Feb 23, 2008)

> I had a bit of a scare earlier tho i must admit, he just went mad! he started running round the garden full speed jumping through my garden chairs near enough rolling down the steps as well, even when i let him back in the house he done the same sprinting round the living room grabbing and growling at my ankles then finally letting go to carry on running around. In the end i had to pick him up amd put him in his crate to calm him down just dont know what come across him.


Its just the zoomies! I actually encourage them with Pepper. He gets out all his excess energy and sleeps like a log afterwards!


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## Liam (May 10, 2011)

Thanks fraggle & liasj,

Can i be really silly now and ask you what you mean by "zoomies" i honestly dont understand lol is it a doggy term?

thanks so much again


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## Cracker (May 25, 2009)

Zoomies:
http://mysmartpuppy.com/services/index.php?c=learning_center3&pid=601

Otherwise known as a Frenetic Random Activity Period. It's normal behaviour and almost like clockwork with most pups...early morning and around 6 pm or so at night they basically lose their minds. They do pretty much grow out of the periods...though some adult dogs keep them longer than others..


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

Oh, yes! I love the zoomies! 

I usually think of it as a toddler who is over tired, and needs to go to bed, but just refuses, and starts playing wildly! ANYTHING GOES! Crazy play! If it gets too out of control, I usually put Abby in her crate, not as punishment, but as a little "forced" rest, and she's usually out cold, sleeping, in 2 minutes!


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## Liam (May 10, 2011)

Thanks for that cracker & doxie, i must admit i was laughing so much watching him run around like a loony i thought maybe i had sent him mad!

One final thing i am really interested in finding out is the best way to bath my bichon. I tried putting him in the bath, i filled it up to around the top of his paws with luke warm water but he didnt like it one bit. I ended up having to try and pour a jug of water over him and that was hard work! he kept trying to climb out the bath put just kept slipping down the sides bless him i felt so bad. I used baby shampoo dont know if thats ok to use or not but again i could hardly rub it in as he was going mad and looked like a little drowned rat! Just wanted to know how everyone else goes about bathing there pups


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

A handheld shower head is your best friend when it comes to bathing a dog. You can get a cheap one for maybe $10-$15 and they're easy to install. I wouldn't try bathing a dog without one. . .but if you must, pouring the water over him with a cup is much better than trying to dunk him in standing water. Or he'll think you're trying to drown him.


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## xxxxdogdragoness (Jul 22, 2010)

My old female, Izze loves carrots, I can't eat one without her suddenly being right there, we can sit down to a steak dinner without a single glance from her... But snap into a carrot & you'll suddenly find a dog sitting at your feed, waiting for her share lmbo.


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