Puppy questions

[Big Dave2]

We just brought our new 7-1/2 week old Brittany home on saturday. It's been so long since we have had a puppy in the house that I have a few questions to ask.

The 1st night we had her she whined for about a half hour when we put her in her kennel at night, but then quieted down. We left her all night and she whined once in the middle of the night (that I heard anyway). When we woke up she had wet and pooped in her kennel. I think that was just too long to go for her little body so last night when she whined (which was about every 2 hours)I took her outside to do her things. She did not have any accidents in her kennel. Should I find a happy medium between these 2 techniques? How long can a young pup like this go without going out? How about if I just got up once in the middle of the night to let her out?

Also I was wondering, What do most people do with thier new pups during the day when they go to work? I have the luxury of bringing her to work on the days that my wife is not home so it works for me but what do most people do?

[caseymcq]

I bought a paper shredder and between bills, junk mail etc. I had enough to keep my pups' kennels fresh. If they mess it really wasn't too big of a deal because the paper would absorb it or burry it a little bit so the pup wouldn't get too messy if at all.

Every 2 hours for a 7 1/2 week old dog seems about right. I had been told the a dog should be able to "hold it" for about an hour for every month old they are. So your pup should be able to hold it for 1 - 2 hours. I am not sure how accurate that rule is but it seemed to hold true for both of my dogs unless they were sick. You may want to try to limit the pups water later in the evening so you can get some sleep

WHOOPS I read that as 7 1/2 months! My bad, your dog is doing fine.

[gonefishin11]

I read that as a rule they can hold it one hour for every month old they are so you 7.5 week old puppy should be holding it every two hours.

When my pup was that age, I set my alarm every two hours and would take her out whether she was whining or not. I kept increasing the time, especially when she was sleeping hard until finally it was all night. At about 4 months she was sleeping most of the night on most nights. It also helped when she was really tired so I would run with her or take her to the park before bed and keep her running all day.

[LABS4ME]

It takes a puppy 12 weeks to gain full control of it's bladder and another week or two for it's bowels... the 1st 3-4 weeks you'll be gatting up and letting the pup out a fair amount.... I'd say 2-3 hours is about right and you'll be able to extend it a little bit as each day goes by.

As posted they are usually darn near perfect by 4 months of age.

Good Luck!

Ken

[Kallista]

Hunter was fully potty trained at 10-11 weeks, both day and night.. he goes out at midnight and doesn't go back out till 7-8 am.. during the day he goes out everyday 2-3 tho.. Hunter went once in his crate, and i cant blame him for that. Your supposed to get a create that fits your puppy then get another later, well i got a folding crate from FF in Rhinelander wis its a x large one, so theres so much room for him in there and thats why, they say a good dog wont use the bathroom where they sleep..dont if thats true..

[Surface Tension]

Kennel the dog when your at work.

After a pups drinks it'll pee soon after. Get it out the door before an accident happens. (See my post on "dog won't range") If you let it pee in the house then it thinks thats where is supposed to pee. Bring it to the spot you want it to go. He may or not pee when you let it out, if he doesn't then you'll be letting it out again very soon. With a new pup I wouldn't go more then a half hour before I put it outside. Might seem too often but its a lot easier then cleaning up the carpet. Reduce the accidents inside and the dog will learn that much sooner.

Last thing a dog wants to do it crap where it sleeps but we're talking a pup here. Don't give it water or food before bed time. Just in case the pup wets in the middle of the night, you can buy a floor mat thats about 3/4" think with holes in it. The pup will be up off that floor and won't be laying in pee. Crap is another thing, I think the shedded paper would work well there.

[Big Dave2]

Thanks for the replies, guys. She actually does wonderfull with going EVERY time we take her outside. I think she will be house trained in no time.

Last night she didn't need to go out until about 2:30 in the morning and not again until 6:00 am.

Thanks again to all for the input. I was not aware that the rule of thumb is that a pup can hold it for 1 hour for every month old. That is good to know.

[Kallista]

Dave

I wanted to say shes very beautiful puppy..

[Tom7227]

I have built a 4' X 6' pen with 2X2's and some fencing. I put wood chips on about 18 inhes of one end and block it with a board to keep it semi-neat. This rig goes in the garage. The dog will poop and pee in the chips and you can clean it fairly easily. I'm too old to get up at 2 a.m. so my dog can do his thing. Water and food in the pen as needed. Added bonus is taking the rig apart and using the 2X2's for the frame of the dog house. The dog spends the night there, days if I'm at work.

[Wild Willie]

It has been a while since I went through the puppy stuff, but I think this worked for me:

1) Kennel size is important - small but not cramped. You will need a bigger one as she grows.

2) Make sure she goes outside just before bed time. Then, like when you had little babies, get up and let her out about 3:00 am. This routine will gradually go away as she gets older.

3) Whining suggestion option #1 - place one of your old shirts in the kennel with her at night. Your scent from the shirt will help with her separation anxiety.

4) Whining suggestion option #2 - get one of them hollow bone chew toys and jam some peanut butter into the center. This will keep her busy until she falls asleep at night.

Patience, consistent routines, positive reinforcement and lots of praise will get your young pup on the right track. Britts are soft and very intelligent, and they are quick learners.

[Kallista]

Ticking clock or a radio works great too... I know of a breeder who used the teddy bears that are safe for new born babies that have a heart beat in them .

[Kallista]

Ok and i know a guy who took a baby monitor and strapped a rubber band around it so it stay keyed while he slept, he snored and stuff and he put the receiver near the puppy and the puppy heard him and slept and didn't whine..

I was very happy when i got Hunter he went right in his crate and didn't do the puppy whine at all.. but i think that had something to do with how he was raised too..

[Big Dave2]

Thanks everyone.

As it turns out, she has a little problem with stomach worms right now, so we have had to adapt and take her out more often.

She is doing great though and last night she went into her kennel without crying at all!

Once she gets over her little problem, I think she will be a breeze to house train.

[Big Dave2]

Quote:

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Dave

I wanted to say shes very beautiful puppy..

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Thank you, we think so too