Hi all, I posted my first message to this forum about a week ago, when puppy ownership was still theoretical. Now it is real (collected pup on Sunday) and although we like to think I did a lot of research to try to come into this eyes-open, wow is it more intense than I could ever have expected. Our pup (Rory, a fox red lab) is a beaut - he is playing vigorously, sleeping deeply, eating well, consistently pooping solids, and has already bravely been for his first shots at the vet. But we (first time puppy owners) are having some issues with housetraining right now. As everything we have read suggests you need to get this right immediately or you set up hard-to-break habits, this is causing us to really despair! I seem to have two issues working together: 1. The puppy does not yet enjoy being closed in his crate. I know that this is pretty normal, and we have made (slow) progress over the last two days by treat-training him to enter, closing and opening the door quickly, feeding him in the crate, etc. This seems to be in line with what I have read about trying to create positive associations with the crate. But unless I am missing something this need for positive associations seems to render the crate a useless tool for toilet training until such times as he already comes to enjoy the crate. 2. The weather here has been horrible since we got the pup. Wind chill down below zero, sleet/hail, and a thoroughly waterlogged back garden. As such the pup is not enjoying being outside - he quickly begins to pick up his front paws in turn, and then starts shivering. Normally before/without going to the loo. My instinct would ordinarily be to wait out in the garden for longer, until "things" happened, but the shivering has put paid to this. Then the stock advice seems to be to put the puppy who has not toileted into his crate for 10 mins and then to try again. But as he does not yet like the crate this causes whining, and seems to go totally against creating positive association with the crate! So what is happening on occasion is that we come in for the ten mins, the puppy has some freedom in the room, I am already somewhat frazzled from being "on" 24/7 the last few days, and somehow, no matter how hard I am trying to focus on him, he goes to the toilet inside. I guess that this is mostly a rant at myself, to help me try to stay sane But I also want to check in to see if I am misunderstanding the process of getting crate training up and running in the first days? Should we put him in the crate for these ten minute sessions anyway, even if this leads to a lot of whining and a less positive initial crate experience? Thanks! Pete
Oh yes - winter pups are the hardest, and it’s not even meant to be winter now! I tend to carry little pups around for 10 mins or so if they haven’t ‘performed’ and I know they are due a wee, until they are used to Kongs and happy in a crate.
That's a great idea! I imagine my little wriggle-monster may have some other ideas, but I shall definitely give it a go! My wife and I were just chatting and think that perhaps our pup is not sleeping enough and is overtired, likely because we cannot yet get the crate online as a place of peace and safety. He has a bed, but seems too easily distractable by ANYTHING going on so is sleeping a bit less than he should during the day (oddly he is fine at night, in the crate, after a few mins of whining - although that is with us sleeping in the same room so far). We really need to get him crate happy as soon as we can Pete
I hold a rawhide chew for them as I walk around - I don’t give it to them because of risk of choking, but they like to gnaw one while I hold it and it stops them being so wriggly. A rice bone works just as well when they are tiny - but last no time as they grow .
Hi boogie - thanks for your continued advice! I am finding that this puppy raising lark is full of surprises, and swings from despair (yesterday) to joy (today). We moved the pups crate yesterday evening into a more central location in the house and, low and behold, as if he was swapped for a different puppy, he straight away decided to take himself to the crate for resting and to watch the boring goings on in the kitchen. We have yet to work on closing the door during the day, but he seems soooo much more settled now, and less like an overtired toddler! The weather is vile again today and the garden is pretty much an inch deep in mud. He is getting better here, but nonetheless we have a roll of astroturf matting being delivered today that we are going to lay on the patio to try to help get stronger associations with going outside and doing business, until such times as the garden can dry out! Progress, day by day.... Pete
Good idea re the AstroTurf on the patio. If you get a watering can and some bio liquid (the stuff you wash clothes with) a squidge of that in the water. Swill each wee and you’ll get no smell. We have a spending area so that they don’t get to the mud at wee time, there’s gravel at the other end of the spending area, both prefer the gravel to the concrete. Guide Dogs pups have to have a spending area because they’ll have one when placed with their owner - so that their owners know where to ‘look’ for the dog’s busys. But I find it highly useful for my pet dog too.
Thank you. Keir is a Flatcoat/Golden Retriever Guide Dog puppy, nine months old and my sixth puppy. Tatze is my pet Lab, five years old .
