Hello from New Jersey!

Ok so I found a sitter. Price is fair. Very responsive. However, my wife said she will come home during her lunch break and potty and feed the dog. I don't know how long that will last. Her break is only 30 minutes long and her stomach supercedes everything when she's hangry. I hope this works out.

 

Hi and welcome from my gang here in the UK. How did it go at the vets?

 

Hello and welcome from me and my two, Willow and Shadow.
I agree with the others that that is far (far, far) too long for a puppy to be left alone. I'm still concerned even with your wife being able to pop home at lunchtime; her break is only 30 minutes and I assume there will be some travelling time involved. Even if that is only five minutes each way, by the time she's got into the house and let the puppy out of the pen/crate, that will only leave about ten minutes of "real" time before he has to be put away again. It's not enough; he needs play and stimulation, socialisation. As well as his basic requirements of regular toilet breaks. It's not fair to leave a puppy with his own mess for hours at a time.
It's great that you've found a sitter. I'd strongly encourage you to go with that option. I'm afraid that the cost of the puppy's social needs should be considered as important as the costs of his food.

I don't understand why he's drinking from a bottle? Dogs' mouths aren't designed to do this. Their tongues act like a backwards scoop to bring water into their mouths. I'd be concerned that he wouldn't get enough water from a bottle. Why can't you use a heavy dog water bowl? I have a heavy ceramic one that my puppies couldn't move. Other people use cast iron saucepans or other similarly heavy bowls.

 

I thought i posted something about the vet visit, but I guess i did not. It went real well. I told my wife that she cannot put the puppy down on the floor at the vets or let him near other dogs we meet at the vet. She did real well with that. As we sat in the waiting room, a young couple came in with a huge pit, very formidable. He instantly eyes Sparky and tried to come over, but his owners were very good and kept him at bay sitting down, albeit staring down the pup. Sparky just ignored him and was busy playing baby. As we all sat there, a man and an even bigger Stratfordshite (sp?) Terrier came out of one of the exam rooms. His dog was bouncing up and down very excited and he first sees the pit. They both see each other and get very excited. I can see the nervousness of the pit's female owner, as her bf/husband pulled him back. He managed to get him to sit behind him and stay. In the meantime, the terrier's owner was struggling to keep his boy in check. What a rowdy dog! One of the tech's finally call us and we had to walk by the man and his terrier. He literally had to sit on top of his dog that was half sitting so that he couldn't jump on Sparky. Sparky paid him no mind and we were happy to get inside the exam room. The whole time I was thinking, what would Cesar Milan say. Keep calm and don't let the dog feel your anxiety.

Vet checked out Sparky. No obvious problems. She gave him a clean bill of health. Told us what to expect and when we should be able to walk the dog in public - 2 more months. Sparky weighed in at 11.5 lbs. He also received his Bordetella vaccine. The vet told us he seems well socialized and he should be fine. In the meantime he was busy cleaning the vet's scale. I sure hope they cleaned that scale well. He is due back this Sunday to receive his next shot.

So this potty thing is working out great so far. No accidents in the house. He faked us out after allowing him in the living room. He does is half squat to pee and I said no and flopped him over to the plastic runner and he stopped peeing. Then I brought him outside to go potty and nothing.

Today was the first time he would be alone for a few hours. My nieces weren't here to help with the puppy. Wife and I went back to work and I had a long day. Tuesdays is 12 hours for me. Woke up to the puppy whining and crying so I go down. My wife was getting ready for work and she said the puppy was awake at 4 am so she took him out to potty. He was whining because he can hear my wife getting ready for work. He eventually quieted down on his own. I went back to sleep and came down at 5 am to potty him. Only pee no poo. We go back in and pop him in his pen. I give his kongs for breakfast and I go shower. After 20 minutes he started whining and crying ending to a feeble howl. When he quieted down and I was mostly dressed I took him outside to potty. This time the sun was up and again no poo. Only pee. I soon discovered my wife left me a gift on the grass. There was cold poo and I was left to clean it up. I didn't have time to continue waiting for him to poo again so we went back inside and I put him in crate. My mom was still asleep, so I figured the crate would buy her sometime before she can take him out again to go potty. I was worried my mom would have trouble bringing him outside to do the toileting but at 9:15 she said he pooed 2x with pee. She was going to her doctor around 11 am or so, so i had her give Sparky a kong snack (portion taken from his lunch allowance) to pop in the crate to keep him occupied for a little bit. She came back around 12 and toileted him and then fed him his lunch. I think he fell asleep after this and I didn't get another text message around 4pm that he pooed and peed. Finally my wife and I got home around the same time, 7 pm. My wife just fed him his dinner kongs and we had no luck getting him to poop, but he did pee. Brought him in after awhile and he went right back to sleep. I just woke him around 10 pm and he finally toileted completely outside and then back inside to play and work on charging this clicker thingy. Now he's back in his crate with little complaint sleeping. I think he did pretty well for his first day his mama and papa were out.

So few questions:

1. 2 out of 3 co-workers are telling me to shift him to 2 meals a day. Everyone on the internet is saying 3 meals for a puppy of this age. They are telling me it will be so much easier doing two meals a day. I think his stomach can't hold so much food while holding his poo for so long. Next week my mom goes back to work and it will be so much easier for my wife if she didn't have to do a feeding during lunch time. She can potty the dog and play with him for a little bit during her lunch break and then go back. Or if i stick with the lunch feeding she can pop kongs inside the crate when she leaves.

2. I can't seem to entice him enough when training when holding a treat. I am trying to teach him the sit command. Either him keeps lunging at me and trying to nip or play. He stays lying down and does not get up to walk/stand so I can sit him down. Is he too hyper at this point and I need to leave the room to get him to settle down. The only time he wouldn't lunge is when the pen is between him and me. Also sometimes he doesn't want to take the treat. Is it because he is too full to have more? It also seems that if there are too many toys around he gets easily distracted and tries to chew them. When is the best time to do training? Before meals when hes hungry or after meals when he is not?

3. Someone said she had experienced her pet breaking a puppy molar on a frozen kong. Should I be worried about this?

4. Humping. I noticed that when my two nieces or younger kids are playing with him he would start humping them. I was told this is bad and I need to stop it. My other co-worker said that no need to worry about this right now since he's a puppy, but I will need to stop it in the future.

5. Mosquitoes. What repellant is pet friendly? Is Picardin safe? We have so many bites now, its terrible! And they are also attacking him. Can I use insect repellant on the puppy?


Tomorrow, similar setup again as far as puppysitting. My mom has a lunch date, so i told her to pop his lunch kongs inside the crate when she leaves, and potty him when she returns. My wife and I should be home around 4 or 5 pm. Oh and the Canadians are coming back after their short escapade in Pennsylvania.

 

You know you are right. No wonder he drips when he licks the bottle. I just thought this would give him a solid water source that doesn't all get spilled onto the ground. They said put a big rock inside the bowl, but the water bowl I have it too small to have a rock heavy enough to go in there. It is ceramic. I do have some heavy duty velcro I can use to secure it to the floor. Then again maybe that's a bad idea too.

 

I know and realize that. I don't know how long it will be feasible for her. Wish us healthcare workers got longer lunches. Actually she's lucky she even gets 30 minutes. I'm an RN, and lunch is when you are not doing something (which is never) and it's always on the go. It's sad to say, but as of this time, its the best we can do. We all work and need to save money where we can. But if we have to get sitter/walker, then we'll need to.

I had another sitter/walker contact me who lives only a few blocks away from my house. She seems great also, and probably someone my mother would like and trust to be inside the house. I told her of the situation and she said its cool. My mom as she gets older becomes more anxious over little things and she already stated that she requires a police clearance before she approves of anyone...

 

Heh. Staffordshire. But close

It sounds like Sparky did really well at the vets. Good boy!

Don't think what CM would say. The man is awful. Just awful. He believes in the dominance model, which has been extensively discredited, and uses fear and physical violence against dogs to make "good TV".

As for your questions:

No. He should be on at least three and more likely still four at this point. Two meals a day is too much for his young stomach to cope with at a time, and you'll end up with digestive problems.

There are several things here. He may not be hungry. Your treat may not be enticing enough. He may not understand what you want him to do. The lunging towards your hand is something you should work on before working on a sit. It's called "no mugging". Here's a video which will show you what you need to do:

Kongs are the safest of treats to leave with your puppy. I've never heard of a broken tooth from one, but I suppose it is possible. Surprising, though, because the rubber remains soft even when the contents are frozen. I personally wouldn't be worrying about this. Is he having his kongs frozen already?

At this age, it's just excitement rather than a sexual display. However, I chose to discourage it in my puppies because I didn't want it to form a habit. So I would distract with playtime if they ever started to do it. Other people choose to give their dogs a "humping toy" which they can use their whole lives. Personally, I'd rather they didn't do it at all!

There are specific pet-friendly repellants on the market. If you're using a topical treatment for fleas and ticks, such as Advantix, this has permethryn in, which is a repellant. You should talk to your vet about heartworm protection if he's being bitten.

I'm afraid I'm going to sound rather harsh here, but I think you'll have to try a bit harder. You wouldn't bring a puppy into the house if you couldn't afford to feed him, would you? The need for socialisation is just as important. You're asking for a grown dog with behavioural issues if you continue to leave him for such lengths of time. But, more than that, he's going to be miserable, and it's just not fair. Please look at all the options available to find a better solution for your puppy.

 

A question - I dont understand why the vet said it will be two months until you can walk him in public. Did you mean two weeks?

Another question - is your mother at home the whole time? That would be a big help, once Sparky is calmer, they could be company for each other. Not suggesting that an elderly lady should have to be walking a lively young labrador, but it would at least mean there was someone home who could let him into the yard and play with him a bit. But you would still require a dog walker, to take him out during the day. It might make your mother happier as well from a security point of view, having a big dog around the house.

I have to agree with Fiona (Snowbunny); your wife popping home during a 30 minute lunch break is not going to be enough for your puppy to grow up into a happy, confident, well-socialized and well-behaved dog. It's in your own interests, as well as his.

 

I believe she said at 4 months old. I'l have to clarify this again when we come back this Sunday.

My mom is still working. She might retire after this year though.

As far as someone breaking up the day, what is a feasible duration for a "happy, confident, well-socialized and well-behaved dog?"

 

OK sounds good. Still amazes me how he can control those dogs.

I'll keep it three times a day. I don't even know why I am listening to these two who don't own a dog. The two extreme dog lovers at work said they kept at three meals a day until he was bigger before they even switched to two meals a day.

Actually let me clarify, its the lunging at me. He's not even close to mugging my hand for the treat hiding inside. I'm using his kibble as his treat at this time. I think he's just too busy playing with me.

I've tried a couple of frozen kongs, but its still too frustrating for him if he can't get at the ones all the way inside. I leave it unfrozen. Maybe I should just wet them and let em try to lick it up from inside. He already knows how to bounce em to get some kibble out, well really more like to whip it around.

He has one toy he likes to hump but its rare that he does this behavior. I hope its just excitement for now.

Will do.

My original planning was being able to leave him alone during the day while we are all at work. I really want him to be a great, well-socialized, house-trained dog. I guess I need to adjust. In hindsight reflecting on my other two co-workers stories about their puppies, they don't seem well-socialized at all. One leaves her pup alone all day at work. She said her pup doesn't even touch food/water until she gets home because he's probably holding her poo/pee and afraid to eat more. I don't think she brings him out to meet people and other dogs. I suppose for her purpose which is a companion just for herself (she's keeps to herself mostly). My other co-worker lets her dog rule the house and she has no control over her little cairn terrier. I don't want that. I want to be able to take my dog places, meet other people and meet other dogs. I want to be able to eventually leave him alone when he's older and he would not destroy the house. I'll see if the walkers i'm talking to is willing to satisfy my mother's criteria.

 

So decided to change up feeding schedule today slightly. I told my wife to feed him via his doggy bowl when she leaves in the morning. I wake up about 30-45 mins after she leaves so I can get him to potty. Worked perfectly. Soon as I got up, brought him outside with the lights off. Spoke to him sparingly and he pood/peed right away. Waited 5 more minutes just in case he wanted to do a second poop, but to no avail. Popped him back into his pen still with the lights dim, and he went right back to sleep. Was able to get ready for work with no whining or crying. I checked back on him before leaving and he was still asleep. My mom did the puppysitting for the day and gave him his kongs for lunch before she had to go to her lunch date. She said he vomited some of her lunch kibble when she took him out to go potty. When I got home he acted normal and I let him on my lap to nap.

 

No-one can really answer this precisely - it depends on all sorts, including the personality of the dog, and how much activity and exercise they get. The general rule, which most people think is reasonable, is 4 hours alone. My adult dog does a little more than this, but my young puppy (4 months now) doesn't do more than 2 hours alone in a day. She sleeps downstairs too though, my adult dog sleeps with humans.

My 4 month old puppy lives like this:

7.30am - out for an off lead walk and a bit of training, in woodland - she also meets other dogs during this time.
By 9am she is settled in her pen after breakfast
She gets out to the garden mid morning, for training and playtime - about 30 minutes
She spends an hour with me at lunchtime, we are just hanging out together, cuddling and playing
Another training/play session in the garden mid afternoon - about 30 minutes, then a short lead walk late afternoon - around 15 minutes
From early evening, she is around in the house with us, on the sofa, learning to behave and have good manners and so on, although if she gets too excited she might go in her crate for a bit

She is left alone for a couple of hours a day while I walk my older dog, or have chores to do. She is confined in a pen or crate between activities, between 9am to 5pm (because I work, but mainly at home) but not alone in the house.

So my puppy gets a total of 2 hours and 15 minutes 121 time during the day, split up into several sessions. Either side of the working day, before 9am and after 5pm she has company and interaction most of the time.

 

Prior to getting Edsel we had a female Boxer, Annika, who my ex brought home from a shelter at about 14 mos of age. She was always very good with my son and his friends, fine with other people inside our home and sweet and kind to me. But quite honestly she was confined primarily to our home and the activities and people she had access to there because as a puppy her previous owner never socialized her and left her all day while he worked from the beginning. I must admit that I had no idea of the extent of problem this could cause. I only decided to get a puppy as opposed to older rescue dog because I work from home and could manage the care and training on my own that way because we live in a very remote area with no access to walkers/sitters. I had no idea of the amount of time and work that would and still does go in to training and caring for Edsel even now at 2.5 years old. But it's worth it to have a dog who can and does have a full and happy life. It will be well worth it to enlist whatever help you can in these early months to help you get a dog who is able to share completely in your family's lives. I still feel sad for the fact that Annika was never able to experience that. It really can't be said enough. You sound like you are working hard to do the right things.

 

Sparky burns out after 30-60 minutes of play. If I exit his pen, he lays down in the corner and goes right to sleep. I suppose an hour with a sitter would be fine. And I would only need her 3-5x/week. Just gotta convince my mom to trust a stranger (for now) into the house. After 4pm, Sparky gets alot of attention. I've trained everyone to check on him as soon as they get home. If he is awake, he gets taken to go potty outside right away, then its play time inside. I just spent over 2 hours myself with him and now hes pooped after I finally figured out the puppy kong teething stick. He had a blast trying to remove the kibble from those cracks. My niece is back now so hes got a playmate all day for the next couple of days until school starts Tuesday.

Working on training Sparky. I think I was approaching it wrong and I get him too riled up before training. That is why he is lunging and nipping at me. I started doing the NO and walked out of the pen. He curled up in the corner and settled down and I went back in. Started doing the clicker, but after 20 minutes he lost interest and started chewing on his toys, so I let him be.

 

I wouldn't want Sparky to miss out on that also.

 

Sounds like you're heading in the right direction.

For now, if he struggles with frozen kongs, just use something wet and high value. You want to get him addicted to kongs! So, you can use wet dog food, or soak kibble, but I'd mix in some really tasty things, too - maybe some tinned sardines or tuna in oil or some roast chicken. You don't need a lot mixed in to make it suddenly so much more exciting than just kibble. As he gets hooked on them, you can start freezing them; you could start by half-freezing them first before going for fully frozen, but make sure he's obsessed with them first before you start doing this. Frozen kongs will be really helpful for the duration of his life if you can get him hooked on them now.

As for training; a pup of his age won't be able to concentrate long. Training sessions should be frequent but very short - think a couple of minutes at a time, no more. You need to finish a training session with him still wanting more, that's really important.

Keep us up to date with how you both get on - and we never say no to pictures!

 

You are taking good steps with Sparky, well done

Keep his training sessions short - 5 - 10 minutes is more than enough for a little puppy brain. But remember, everything you do with him is training. So if he lunges at you, and doesnt get the treat he wanted, he learns from that. If he sits nicely and gets a treat, even though it might not be in a training session, he has learnt that quiet behaviour gets him something nice. Similarly if he barks and whines in his crate and you let him out, he learns that making a noise gets him attention. When he is calm and gentle, be sure to praise and pet him, and so on. You get the picture

 

Karen and Snow, thanks!

Last night after potty, I attempted Pippa's off leash recall. Totally works! He started looking for me and coming to me when I walk away. After 15 minutes or so, he started to lose interest and started doing puppy things. So that ends recall training session!

Everyone is home today but me. But its gonna be raining so gonna be a wet puppy...

 

Try to end the training session BEFORE he loses interest.. Just a few minutes shorter. Keep it fun.

 

I just wanted to say hello, and to say how GREAT it is that you're taking the advice on this forum and trying to get things sorted out for your pup - you are a good person and a good owner, and if you keep this up then Sparky will be a lovely dog and companion for you!

It isn't easy, but it is really worth it. Good luck and keep us in touch with how it is going - we are here to help (and also just to listen at those times when you just want to rant and scream.....I've been there sooooo often.....)

Rosie (and my boy Pongo)