I need puppy help!

[JackJack08]

DH and the kids, are on their way home with our new puppy. I have no clue about training of any sort!!! HELP....I know you dog people are out there!

 

[crisi]

Hopefully you have a crate, food, collar, leash. With a puppy, you want to keep them crated as much as possible until they are housebroken - and you need to keep the crate small enough so they won't want to soil it. When you take them out of the crate, take them outside right away. Wait until they go, praise them like anything, then take them back in to eat/play.

 

[luvinyou]

I totally agree with the pp. Crate train your puppy! You want the crate to be just big enough for your puppy to turn around in. When they are not in the crate keep them on a short leash so you always know where they are and you can watch for signs that they need to go out. Those first few days take them out every 20 mins if you have to so they get used to going outside. Use cues when you do things. When you put them in the crate say "go home" or "crate" or whatever you are going to call it so they learn to obey. Same with when you go outside, say "outside" so your puppy will learn what it means. Always use the same door when going outside so your puppy falls in a routine. At night you might want to cover their crate with a blanket to make it dark and cave like, they seem to sleep better like this. The first few nights they will cry, but if you know they are fed and dont need to go out, then leave them. Otherwise they will learn that when they cry you will come running and trust me, you dont want that. You will probably start the puppy on food from the breeder, but if you are going to switch to another food make sure you have enough to wean your puppy onto the new food (1/4 new 3/4 cup old on the first day, 1/2 and 1/2 on the second, 1/4 old 3/4 new on the third for example).

COngrats on the new puppy! You are going to have so much fun with it. What kind of dog is it?

 

[SLK1]

Yes!! Get a crate. Don't just put the puppy in it when you're gone; use it even when you're right nearby so the puppy knows it's a good place to be and not a punishment. If you use puppy pads, move them closer and closer to the door so you will notice the puppy going to them. Eventually, he will be at the door to pee on the pad and you will just let him out at that time. It's all about training YOU, not training the puppy per se! Good luck and enjoy it! You will probably not get very much sleep the next few nights!

 

[JackJack08]

THanks guys! O.k. so if I put him in the crate at night, he won't always have to stay there right? The kids want him to sleep with them when he is bigger!

 

[sherreis]

We crate trained our dog and we just started letting him sleep on the bed - he'll be 2 yrs old in January.

Congratulations and good luck. It's a lot of hard work in the beginning but they are so worth it.

What kind of dog? We have a goldendoodle.

 

[RMulieri]

THanks guys! O.k. so if I put him in the crate at night, he won't always have to stay there right? The kids want him to sleep with them when he is bigger!

VERY IMPORTANT...during crate training do not allow the dog to sleep with you.They will whimper and cry alot.Expect little sleep the first few nights.If you allow them to sleep with you ,initially they will be very difficult to break them of the habits.Once crate training has been established and they are housebroken, then you can try letting puppy sleep with the kids.I have crate trained over 8 dogs in my life and for some readon, I still fall hard for the night time whimpering,sad puppy routine.

 

[shelly3girls]

PICTURES PLEASE!
I highly recommend the crate with the insert so that you can adjust the size instead of having to buy a new crate as the puppy grows. Our puppy only soiled once in her crate. We had no problems training her. The key is to keep a close eye on her every minute. If they never go in the house they will not think it is ok. We took her out every 20-30 at 8 weeks old which is now up to 2 hours+ at 7 months. Whatever you do, do not paper train her! Some dogs will never break the habit.

Buy several chew toys including fuzzy ones that squeak. This will prevent chewing of your things.

Only feed the puppy 3 times a day and eventually cut it back to 2. Constant feeding allows for more pooping. It is easier to house break if you control when the puppy eat.

 

[crisi]

THanks guys! O.k. so if I put him in the crate at night, he won't always have to stay there right? The kids want him to sleep with them when he is bigger!

You can, but you might want to think this through.

I thought the same thing - instead we have a dog who doesn't go upstairs to the kids bedrooms - they have STUFF in their bedrooms - and our very good dog will occationally chew STUFF. So, in the interest of fewer tears over beheaded Barbies and unstuffed Webkins and eaten Legos....the dog stays downstairs.

Our dog is really very good, but it takes a LONG time for puppy to outgrow chewing, at almost two he isn't quite dependable.

Plus, sleeping with a dog is - a big deal. Dogs don't share the bed well. Dogs shed all over your bedding - and dog hair is a pain to wash out. The dog will likely be more comfortable in the crate, and its almost certain that the kids will be - once the newness of the dog wears off.

 

[chloe770]

I want to see pictures too! I love puppies!

 

[~audrey~]

What kind of puppy is this? Honestly its good to know because some dogs take a long time to grow out of that "puppy phase".
Puppies can sleep in the kids room once they are housebroken, but just know that housebroken just means they don't pee in the house, not that they don't tear stuff up. Our lab/aussie mix is a year old and still wayyy in the puppy phase.
Crate training is the way to go! Once they move out of the crate if they are still destructive, a good technique is to keep them in one specific room unless you are home and watching the dog.
Hope this helps!

 

[JackJack08]

Thanks you guys! I love all animals but am usually a cat person! Cats just know what to do (that's why I love them!).
Berkley...is a male Newfoundland. Gasp...yes his Dad is 170 lbs. Lucky for me, DH is the real dog person. I am not scooping poop, of a horse...um...dog that size. He is a doll. Chocolate brown with a little patch of white under his chin and on his feet. I need to locate my camera tomorrow, to get you some pics. He is a beautiful boy.
The other nasty thing (which has never happened with my cats )is, he pooped on the floor last night. But it was full of roundworms!!! Oh my. I about died. What is the scoop with these things? DH took him to the vet first thing this AM to get him treated. But oh my. They were like 6" long. After the vet and DH went through his puppy package, they figured out he was treated a few days ago by the breeder. I know they can be passed to humans but how long before they are gone??

 

[kaysmommie]

Thanks you guys! I love all animals but am usually a cat person! Cats just know what to do (that's why I love them!).
Berkley...is a male Newfoundland. Gasp...yes his Dad is 170 lbs. Lucky for me, DH is the real dog person. I am not scooping poop, of a horse...um...dog that size. He is a doll. Chocolate brown with a little patch of white under his chin and on his feet. I need to locate my camera tomorrow, to get you some pics. He is a beautiful boy.
The other nasty thing (which has never happened with my cats )is, he pooped on the floor last night. But it was full of roundworms!!! Oh my. I about died. What is the scoop with these things? DH took him to the vet first thing this AM to get him treated. But oh my. They were like 6" long. After the vet and DH went through his puppy package, they figured out he was treated a few days ago by the breeder. I know they can be passed to humans but how long before they are gone??

Newfoundlands are so cute! I want to see a picture when you have a chance. I would definately make DH scoop those poops .

 

[JackJack08]

I gotta find my darned camera. I am already going to have to recreate his first day here. I can't seem to locate it. But I will get some up tomorrow. On top of my puppy "adventures" we are selling our house and people are coming for their third (and hopefully final visit) Saturday. DH is away with work, I am looking after my girlfriend's 3 girls tomorrow night, for a sleepover (+ my 2) and I need to get the house show ready. Swell. Just needed to vent a bit....when it rains it pours, you know!

 

[packofjedis]

We just got a puppy 3 weeks ago. I agree with everything everyone else said, but wanted to add for those accidents on carpet - try Urine Gone. I got mine from Bed Bath and Beyond on recommendation from my sister who swears by it. The starter kit (which you don't need) even comes with a black light to show you that the urine enzymes are gone so the dog won't smell it there and decide to mark that spot again.

We've had our puppy for 3 weeks and she was passed around quite a bit before she made it to us (so no consistant training) and we're now making lots of progress with the potty training. It takes a lot of time and patience.

 

[JackJack08]

We just got a puppy 2 weeks ago. I agree with everything everyone else said, but wanted to add for those accidents on carpet - try Urine Gone. I got mine from Bed Bath and Beyond on recommendation from my sister who swears by it. The starter kit (which you don't need) even comes with a black light to show you that the urine enzymes are gone so the dog won't smell it there and decide to mark that spot again.

We've had our puppy for 3 weeks and she was passed around quite a bit before she made it to us (so no consistant training) and we're now making lots of progress with the potty training. It takes a lot of time and patience.

Well that is encouraging news! Thanks for the tip about the Urine Gone. I'll check that out. So far he hasn't had too many peeing accidents....just diarrhea on our new shag type carpet. Nice. Oh well, I think I got it out. But I'm sure there will be more accidents to come.

 

[prplcrzy]

You should try and keep him contained in only certain rooms, unless someone is going to be in there with him and watching him constantly. At first, we kept our puppy in one room, which was tiled so accidents were easy to clean up. This room was also where the back door is so he knew where he'd go outside. As he got better at housetraining, we would expand it to two rooms, etc...

In the beginning we would bring them outside every 1/2 hour and went crazy and treated him when he did his business.

You definitely have alot on your plate right now and having a new puppy is like having a newborn in the house. He'll probably be up at least once (maybe more) a night, but hopefully it won't be too long before he sleeps. Make sure you limit his water after dinner because what goes in, must come out!

Nancy

 

[Momma2dakidz]

If you want any further help i am a dog trainer at our local obedience club. I have put several titles on my dogs and a very good friend of mine is a newfi breeder.

Yes the worms are contagious, wash constantly with HOT soapy water and bleach. Do NOT let him on carpet just yet. If its a must i would get some plastic carpet protection that sticks to your carpet. ( it says to only use for a short amount of time but i left mine on my carpet for weeks at a time with no problem.)

Best advice i can give you is CRATE TRAIN!!! He will need a 48" crate, get one with a divider or he will be pottying in his cage, due to too much space. Also it is VERY crucial to get him some obedience lessons now and stick to it! You dont want a 170 pounder jumping up on grandma or little neighbor kids.

 

[tazgirl1981]

I just wanted to add that I am with you on this new puppy thing...We just got a German Shepherd puppy this past Saturday. He is 8 weeks old and very much puppyish We are crate training him and he goes in there for naps and at night, during the day we have him on a leash so that he is with us at all times (less room for a disaster). He gets fed 3 times a day (but drinks water like its going out of style) we take him out right after each nap, after he eats, and before bed. He is doing very well. He only has pooped in the house 1 time (my fault because it was before I started using the leash to keep tabs on him) But the worst part for me is the teething...he chews on everything and I am doing my best to redirect him to his toys instead of us He has a really bad habit of chewing on his leash though...which is why I need to buy some of the bitter apple or no chewing spray...he is a good pup though and is already learning to sit on command

So good luck with your Newfie and Im in the same boat as you with the puppy...I also have a 3 year old little boy and just moved into a new house So I as well have a lot on my plate right now but we are managing (or should I say Surviving ) I wake up with him twice during the night to take him out...he whines to go potty so we go out, he goes right away (while me trying to praise very encouragingly while half awake)and then we come back in (no other talking or playing or anything) then he goes straight back into the crate until time to wake up. The best advice I can give is to try to wear them out with long walks and games before bedtime (it will save you some time to sleep)

 

[rt2dz]

I haven't read all the replies, but I'd love to recommend the following two books (much better than the dog whisper, imho). They are by the same two people (co-authored) and are realistic for the average dog owner and comprehensive. I recommend them to everyone, and I'm always thanked.

My Smart Puppy Run to buy it!!

Good owners, great dogs A good second book