USVI-On-Line

Getting ready to watch the Bears game...

<a href="http://s180.photobucket.com/albums/x181 ... G_0020.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x181 ... G_0020.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

This is Rudy (on the left) and another puppy (that looked like my last boxer) at 4 weeks old


And this is Rudy about two years ago. He looks the same now; I just need to take more pics.

California Girl wrote:canucknyc! I remember Hudson! You posted his picture when you first got him! My, isn't he turning out to be a handsome guy!

Thanks, CG! He is gorgeous, isn't he?

Sheltie pup "Vinnie" born 4/8/08.

JULY





AUGUST



OCTOBER

All these animals are so cute! Bug, your dog looks so cuddly. I wish I could have pets.

JMQ, That picture of Vinnie running (right before the October picture) looks like something out of an AKC magazine. You should submit it! What a precious pup.

Speaking of pups, anyone else have trouble house breaking? We are really struggling. we are crate training but, when he's out (we have our entire kitchen penned so he can't go too far out of sight when we are in here and he's "loose") he just drops pee wherever, whenever, even if he's just been outside. It's not like he's stupid, either. He easily learned to sit, lay down, come and stay but this house breaking is NOT going well. HELP!!!

Thanks Marcia - I assume your pup holds it overnight in the crate? You've probably tried this, but re housebreaking, limiting the water and shaking a soda can with rocks in it when he squated inside (negative association - pups easily startled by loud noise). That plus taking him outside 1000 times a day with over the top praise when he went outside finally broke our pup.

Our other Sheltie broke in 2 days, but this guy took longer. We had a few weeks of a problem with him going after the poop outside - I'll spare the details. Now if he would only sleep past 6:45am on the weekend...

This was our last dog, who has now moved on to the Rainbow Bridge. His name was Gus and he was half wheaton terrior and half yellow lab. He grew to be 82 lbs. We called him a Wheaton Terrorist. Anyway, Gus always pushed everything to the limit. This is a picture of him walking across the top of our front fence, which bordered very close to our road. He wouldn't jump over the fence, just onto it. More then once folks slammed on their brakes because they thought that their eyes were deceiving them!

jmq wrote:Thanks Marcia - I assume your pup holds it overnight in the crate? You've probably tried this, but re housebreaking, limiting the water and shaking a soda can with rocks in it when he squated inside (negative association - pups easily startled by loud noise). That plus taking him outside 1000 times a day with over the top praise when he went outside finally broke our pup.

Our other Sheltie broke in 2 days, but this guy took longer. We had a few weeks of a problem with him going after the poop outside - I'll spare the details. Now if he would only sleep past 6:45am on the weekend...

He can last until about 3:30 am without having to "go" during the night (going to bed at 10:30 or so). We bring his crate to our bedroom at night and he starts
whining at around 3:30. He's VERY productive at 3:30 and is task oriented (does it and heads to the door to come back in immediately afterwards) then he'll fall asleep quickly in his crate until our alarm goes off (5:30-6:00). Forget weekends, we'll never sleep past 7:00 again. Grrrrrr.

Anyway, his issue is mostly daytime stuff. I'll take him out, he'll eliminate nicely and we play for a bit (to be sure he's really empty) before coming in and then, 30 seconds later, he'll mess someplace in the kitchen. So, I end up keeping him in his crate, while I get work done here and he whines. A lot. I'd like to have him out more but he won't learn that way will he?

Sorry to take over this thread but, he's 12 weeks now and we've been working on this for 4 weeks. Any other secret hints? Or, is he just going to be a bit more difficult to house train and I should be patient with him?

Thanks for any insight.
p.s. I do praise him greatly when he does his business outside. Like he just won the gold medal in peeing. And, when he messes inside (if I catch him in the act) I very loudly say "NO BUTKUS!!" and whisk him outside, where usually he doesn't end up finishing.

I'll try the can thing. Maybe a better method than my "strong man" voice.

Again, thanks for listening to a frustrated new puppy parent.

Try the can - can't hurt. Leave it where he could see it too.
Assume you are also picking up the water bowl by 6:30-7pm.
If it goes on for another month, maybe get it checked it out, although I'm just probably being paranoid about kidney stuff because our other Sheltie passed away from kidney problems.

jmq wrote:Try the can - can't hurt. Leave it where he could see it too.
Assume you are also picking up the water bowl by 6:30-7pm.
If it goes on for another month, maybe get it checked it out, although I'm just probably being paranoid about kidney stuff because our other Sheltie passed away from kidney problems.

Okay, I've made the can. We will start today with that plan. My vet knows that we are having problems (Butkus and I saw her on Wednesday for his next round of shots which he didn't care for so much) so, if at the next appointment we don't have him in a better place, we'll look into kidney issues. I cannot imagine how awful that must have been for you, losing a pup...

All are adorable

Marcia - what you described with Butkus is one of the most common signs of a bladder infection. It is very common for puppies to have them, and the only way to be sure is to do a urine sample. I would not wait to have that checked as it will hinder your housetraining.

Whenever I have a client that tells me that their puppy is peeing outside then coming inside and peeing again, I recommend they have their pup checked for a bladder infection. Nine out of ten times that's what it is. A round of antibiotics and they are good to go. Keep in mind that vets do not check for bladder infections when giving puppy shots, unless the owners mention it to them.

The other thing I always suggest to my clients is that they teach their puppies to ring bells to let the owners know they have to go out. It not only makes the owners aware, but it also helps the pups to associate needing to go out with the bells.

I don't recomend treats when they do it as alot of the little buggers will go outside and fake like they are peeing to get the treats

You may have to limit his water intake if he is drinking obsessive amounts of water. A general guideline is a cup to a cup and a half of water for every 8 lbs of body weight.

Also, when they are sleeping, their system is slowed down which explains why he may be able to hold it all night but has accidents during the day when he is awake.

Keep in mind that your puppies bladders don't finish developing till they are 7 months old, and that beagles are one of the harder breeds to housetrain.

Stick with it though and eventually it won't be an issue.

nothintolose

p.s. the shake can is an excellent deterrent for play biting

Thank you Nothintolose! I will call the vet on Monday and see if we can get in to get him checked for a bladder infection. How do I get a urine sample? Hold a cup under him?

I have the can made with the rocks in it. We'll use it for the nipping issues, too. He does get into "moods" from time to time when he acts like he's possessed (usually when he's over tired). Oftentimes we crate him during that time, to get him to settle down on his own.