couple more puppy questions

i have two more puppy questions.

1st one is
what does everybody think of if going with the litter box for a puppy? i was thinking of putting one in the downstairs bathroom then as he gets older i would like to move it outside and maybe make it a little bigger so there are no bombs all over the yard. what does everybody think of this?

also what is the best way to discipline a puppy. i know a lot of people say no hitting. which gets hard to do at times because sometimes he just does not listen. most of the time i give him a stern NO. then he will do it again and i will give him another no then he does it again usually after the 3rd no he gets the idea but sometimes he doesn't. what else can i do to get him to behave a little better?

a little info on the dog he is a puggle- beagle pug mix. and he will be 3 months old in 9 days.

thanks for the help

 

I don't think your litterbox idea will work. he's a dog, not a cat. he doesn't care where he goes and has no need to cover it up. When you move it outside, it will just confuse him.
Disipline takes time and effort. he is in a playful time of his life. Many people think it's funny to let a dog chew on their hand. Then they get mad when he is older and BITES them. Dogs learn by strict concentration to the rules. Don't let him chew on one thing and get mad when he chews on all things. A puppy that is raised in a litter learns not to bite when it's littermates react with howls or screams when bitten. They then just ignore him and he feels left out so he learns that it is not acceptable. Good luck.
Hitting only teaches the dog a fear of YOU. Not what he is doing.

 

i realize a dog is not a cat, but i have read many articles about a litter box for small dogs and my grandfather does it with his dog and it works great. i know what you mean when somebody comes over and they play with him he will bite a littler harder as he gets more hyper then they yell at him and i tell them not to let it get that far because then he will always think he can do it. i never say oh well i don't like those shoes anyways and let him chew on them i say No then give him his chew toy so he associates bitting and playing with his toys.

at what age do they start to calm down a little more start to "relax"

 

Puppies tend to be a little hyper until they out grow the puppy stage. With some dogs this is around a year old and with some they are still puppyish at 10. It all comes dwn to his training. Now is a good time to begin this. You can start by teaching him to calm down. When he is calm tell him "calm....GOOD CALM" or something to that effect. We use the word settle with our dogs. They are a Siberian Husky and a Husky/malamute mix. These dogs are very hyper their entire lives. Also make sure your puppy gets plenty of exercise. This will help to tire him out. Also remember that bored dogs are very mischevious. Provide toys but don't over whelm him.

Good luck with your new family member.

 

The best way I have seen to discipline a dog is the same way the mom did it. Take hold of the loose skin at the back of the neck and give it a shake along with a very firm NO. Do not shake too hard, as you don't want to hurt him. Also, it does not do any good to discipline a dog unless you catch him at the behavior you are trying to stop. BTW, at 3 months old he is going to be a handful. No way around that, just be patient.

My wife and I also strongly recommend that people who buy a puppy from us take their puppy to a puppy class as soon as puppy has the rabies shot. It helps you learn how to train the dog and, more importantly, helps socialize the dog. I feel stongly enough about the socialization part that any puppy we keep for ourselves goes to puppy class.

I have only known a couple people who tried the litter box. Both finally gave up.

Bruce

 

I have to agree with Bruce about the puppy class, and also suggest a good book on basic obedience training that is NOT treat based.

Your puppy is old enough to begin learning basic commands, and the sooner you begin training and socializing the better for you both.

Check at your nearest large pet store for good dog training titles, and pick up one of them. They will also have classes for puppy/dog socialization and obedience as well.

Puppyhood can be both a fun and challenging time, but remember that love and structure, just like with children, is what is needed with a puppy.

Keep us posted on how things go...

 

You are probably not going to be able to get the puppy to use the litter box, I wouldn't even try. As to behavioral problems, you have to keep the future in mind when you decide what's allowed. Puppies need to chew, but they should only be allowed to chew on designated things or somewhere down the road it will be something valuable or dangerous (like electrical cords). Remember that dogs learn patterns very easily, but will get confused if sometimes something is ok and sometimes not. It's a lot like raising a child, except you can't explain an exception to the rule to a dog.

 

J.M.C.'s post reminded me of something. My wife and I show and breed dogs, so we have a LOT of puppies running around the house at various times. Every now and then we have a puppy that likes to chew on electrical cords so we have put GFI's in all the receptacles where dogs are around. At about $8.00 a pop, it's very cheap insurance. We also spray the cords with bitter apple, but the GFI is much more foolproof; and every now and then we get a puppy that seems to like the bitter apple!

Bruce

 

we recently purchased a house and have been doing some improvements. i will be using the electric cord for something and the dog will go and eat his chew toy ontop the electric cord. maybe i will pick up some sour apple to stop hime from doing that. does that apple stuff make things sticky. and can i use that on pretty much anything. like the skirting of a couch or something like that?

 

I would reccomend trying the bitter apple in an inconspicuous space and see how in works/looks. If you're talking about a long extension cord, that's a lot of bitter apple. The GFCI would probably be a better solution.