New to the pets board and need help!!

Hi all,
My husband brought home a puppy from the shelter 2 weeks ago. The puppy is now 12 weeks old, a male hound/shepherd mix. I am the one home all the time with the puppy (along with the 3 kids, one of which is a 2 month old ). We have the puppy on a good schedule, we take him out on the leash to his "pooping spot" in the yard, and he's been doing very well. Now here's the problem...

Two days ago, he started to basically only pee & poop in the house. He won't go outside but as soon as we bring him in he pees & poops in the house. It's like he's regressing. Also, he suddenly started jumping all over the place, barking, nipping at the kids, etc. He has never done any of this before. I really don't know what to do. I'd like to get a crate but since we've already been doing something else for 2 weeks, will this just confuse him? What to do about the sudden behavior problems?

TIA for any help/advice you can give. With three kids and a new baby, I am really at my wits end. I don't know how much more sh!t a person can reasonably be expected to pick up!!!!

Please help !! Thanks for reading this far!

Re: New to the pets board and need help!!

Look at your new puppy as a developing child that will go through phases and periods of different behavior that need to be corrected. This will go on for at least a year of it's life, if not more. Mine is a year and a half old and he just started with a chewing problem. He's not even teething!

Anyway, you sound overwhelmed, but it sounds like the puppy needs more training and attention. If your family can't provide what it needs, I would consider contacting the shelter because they are SO much work. Is it a no-kill shelter? Normally I would never tell someone to give up on a responsibility they've taken on but as a puppy, they have a much greater chance of being adopted.

If you can find the time to devote to it, here is what I would do:

Increase the puppy's exercise. Take it on walks, not just for playtime or potty breaks in the backyard. Multiple the puppy's age (x of months) by 15 minutes and that's how much exercise you can give it. Trust me, walks are a much greater treat for them and they will try to pee and poop even if there's nothing left, just to have the chance! It's a joy to them, and something that I think no dog should be denied.

Get the crate! But don't use it as a babysitter while you're home all day, or as a punishment. Make sure it's not too big, it should only be large enough for it to turn around comfortably in or it will poop and pee in there too. It might still do that. Consistency is key. We had ours sleeping in the crate every night for the first six months or so, and when we left the house. He's uncrated now and everything is great in that area.

Get that schedule down pat, so you train the puppy's bladder to go at certain times and in certain areas. It's young so it's bladder just can't handle too many hours. Again, multiply it's age by one hour and that's how long it can reasonably hold it.

I taught my dog to ring a bell right before we went outside every time to do his business. After a time, he started ringing the bell himself when he wanted to go.

This is a lot of work to be sure, but that's what puppies are. Nothing you can really do except devote the time and energy to doing the training, exercise, and attention right... Or trying to get the puppy another home where it can get these things. Good luck with whatever you decide, and if I can answer more questions, I would be happy to.

Re: New to the pets board and need help!!

Thanks for the response. We are going to get a crate this weekend and hopefully cratetraining will work.

Question: What do you do when the puppy does poop in the house? I've been bringing him to the spot, saying NO and then bringing him outside. Is this the right thing to do?


Thanks!

Re: New to the pets board and need help!!

Although some might disagree, it has been suggested by many experts that dogs have a very very small attention span for such things. Unless you catch him in the act (and that is the goal), anything else is going to be useless.

I reserve my best "NO!!!" for only the worst things. So that when I do say it, it has more of an affect. For everything else that we don't want him to touch, we use "leave it". I would say NO or startle him in some way, I've heard of people who use change in a metal coffee can and shake it loudly. Something to make an impact.

Really though, the best way to combat these things, in my opinion, is with positive reinforcement for good things. Not negative reinforcement for bad things. If your dog is like mine, it's very loving and wants to please. Being yelled at will make it scared but I think being praised highly when it does something good will make a much bigger impact. Plus, it's a baby. Scaring it is a little mean.

Re: New to the pets board and need help!!

ITA with Greeny, every single word!!

A crate really is the best thing for your puppy and I'll recommend it to every new dog owner. Sometimes too much space, even being gated, gives a dog too much anxiety and they act out. I know sometimes as humans we see crates as cruel and harsh; but for a dog it offers security and they really do feel most comfortable in there. Kasey loves her crate and will often go in there for no reason or just to lay down.

Like Greeny said, I wouldn't worry about punishing the negative behavior as much as rewarding the good behavior. When your puppy is playing nice with the kids, give him a small treat. When he does his business outside make a big deal about it, HUGE deal. Seriously! Jump up and down, clap your hands, and keep repeating "Good boy"!!!! You might feel stupid at first but you'll be sending the message that he did the right thing.

Hope this helps, good luck!!

Re: New to the pets board and need help!!