snickelfritz Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 We have a new dog as of 6:30 yesterday. Spur-of-the moment. :glare: She's a black lab, 9 weeks old, and seems to be really sweet. We lucked out and were able to start puppy kindergarten today. We have a small, but privacy-fenced back yard. It can get pretty muddy and squishy. We have a covered patio that always has at least partial shade and blocks the wind. We bought a crate and she slept inside, in the crate last night. Obviously, we're home a lot. But, we can be gone for half a day if we go to the zoo or have several activities in a row. We've been mulling over whether we should leaver her outside, if we're going to be gone from the house? Or leave her crated? We'll probably crate her at night. We'd like for her to be comfortable and behaved inside, when we're home. So, not a full-time outside dog. And if it's really muddy, we would probably crate her. Still planning on taking her for walks, since that seems to be the advice to keep them from getting into trouble. What do most people do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snickelfritz Posted April 4, 2009 Author Share Posted April 4, 2009 I've read up on inside dogs. You pretty much take them at regular times and watch them like a hawk or crate them. But, when a dog is outside a bunch...how do you know when to bring them back in? How do you know if they've gone potty recently and are safe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 (edited) Crate her inside....and have a neighbor come in to let her out to pee if you are gone for more than a few hours. As a puppy she can't hold it too long. If you leave her outside the neighbors will get annoyed as she WILL bark all day. Labs get lonely! Unless you or the kids are outside with her - she will NOT want to be outside by herself!!!!! Labs want to be with their "pack". When she is outside now - watch her, and do not let her back in until she has gone pee. Let her play in the house for 15- 20 minutes then crate her. Keep her crate near people. Take her out to pee frequently. If you do not have a book on dog training, get one asap. We have a lab - three years ago, when Captain was a puppy, it was like having a baby in the house again. Hey - a puppy IS a baby!!!! At least dogs grow-up quicker than human babies!!! PS - Captain stopped needing to be crated once he was close to 2. Now he snoozes all day and can go 8 hours or more w/o needing to go outside. He sleeps on the sofa (I know - we bad) all night and all day - the ultimate couch potato. Edited April 5, 2009 by JFSinIL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Country Mouse Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 If you want to housbreak your dog, now is the time. It is exhausting and hardwork at times but worth it. Our dogs (labs) have always been inside dogs - crated when we are away and only outside to go pee/poop or to get exercise with us. The puppy naturally will want to keep its crate clean but if you leave puppy in there too long she will have no choice. Once the dog is crated for too long and messes in the crate it makes the whole process a lot harder. I recommend you get a couple of puppy training books from the library as soon as possible. You can also get some good ideas of what to expect from the the website Oh Yellow Dog. www.ohyellowdog.com Labs make wonderful pets but they do require a lot of attention and training early on. Clear your schedule and try to be home as much as possible these first few months that your puppy is learning the ropes about being your pet. We have a nine week old black lab puppy right now,too, so I'm right there with you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Country Mouse Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 We have a lab - three years ago, when Captain was a puppy, it was like having a baby in the house again. Hey - a puppy IS a baby!!!! At least dogs grow-up quicker than human babies!!! This is so true. I am so exhausted right now from sleeping on the couch and getting up every few hours to stand outside with a flashlight waiting for the pee to come. The other thing is - puppies are more mobile than newborn babies - everything is a chew toy! It's been so long since I had a puppy I'd forgotten what hard work it is. At least they're cute :tongue_smilie:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom4him Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 We have always had our dogs inside. We use a crate when one of us can not be on board to watch them and when we are gone. If we are going to be gone for longer than I want to leave them in the crate we take them with although that can be risky also. Have to watch weather and if they dig or chew can get into trouble in the car. We have had a second crate for in the car for this purpose. We got 2 labradoodles almost 2 1/2 months ago. It has been much harder with two, to house break them but they rarely make a mess any more. You have to be very vigilant with them and you might go through a time of thinking it is never going to happen but they love to please their people. I am an inside dog person. You miss so much of their personality, IMHO, when they are outside most of the time. With two of them ours have been double trouble.. OH! I ment to say fun. The down side of having a lab inside is from our experience the labs shed, a lot. That is why we went with the labradoodle. When we first got ours I always went outside with them and they never got to come back in unless they had gone potty. Have fun, enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5knights3maidens Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 Our dog is a mix of black lab, golden retriever, newfoundland (all black). We never crated. He is an excellent inside dog and loves kids. Now that he is older, over 9 yrs., he loves to be outside to sleep. He stays outside when it snows and rains. We sometimes have to drag him in! He hears...he ignores us. Just like a child. ;) Oh, For the first few days we had him sleep upstairs in a box so I could keep my hand on him for security. He was 6 weeks old. We then used newspaper in the kitchen with it blocked off so he couldn't go into the other rooms. I also think we put the radio on for him when we left. Have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snickelfritz Posted April 4, 2009 Author Share Posted April 4, 2009 So, it's pretty much going to be what *I* can make work. I can do some things to spread out errands or run home in-between. dh jokingly says that this puppy bought him more time from me wanting another baby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 I've always believed in leaving dogs in the house. Eliminates dogs taking off because the fence blew down and that was the last anyone saw of the dog. Eliminates bored dogs digging at hole until he/she is finally free and takes off. Eliminates a goofy neighbor poisoning the dog. Or a rat who consumed poisoned at someone else's house, dies in your yard and your dog eats it. One family I know had a break in and the bad guys left the garage door open. The dogs in the backyard had access to the garage so ran out and got run over by cars on a busy street. Fences blow down all the time in the Winter -- so that can easily happen. The people around the corner lost their dog that way. The others are a little more far fetched. But we're so attached to our black Lab that the very thought of coming home and finding her gone would be awful. Not to mention having to search for her for days or weeks and possibly coming up with nothing. I know, I'm overly worries (I keep my kids in protective bubble stuff where they belong), Alicia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rafiki Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snickelfritz Posted April 5, 2009 Author Share Posted April 5, 2009 I don't know how working people get a puppy. We were gone for 1 1/2 hours this morning for an errand and she peed in the crate. And she HAD gone right before we left. Nice long walk. We remembered that we are normally gone 5 hours just for church. For a bit, dh is going to leave the 1st church service early, come home, then go back to work the nursery during 2nd service. That still means 2-hour stretches, but not much else we can do. Dog trainers said an hour for each month, so 3 more months and she should make it through church. :) Situations like that mean we need to have the back yard as an option, so we bought a dog house for the patio. One benefit we do have is that neighbors on all sides also have privacy fences. So, except for our gates, each way out only leads to another yard. This option will not be for overnight, but for days when we will be gone longer than she can stay in the crate. We have great neighbors, but honestly...they are busy and not home on a regular basis and all of our immediate neighbors work typical daytime shifts (except for the police officer who works nights and sleeps days and I wouldn't want to ask him.) So, not many options. Today has been a nice balance. Playing in the backyard with the girls, coming in and we watch her like a hawk, take her out at first sign of needing to go potty or put her in the crate for a bit. Repeat with lots of naps in between. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alicia64 Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 Just my .02 and I promise to shut up: I leave my adult dogs for five hours and try to keep it to that to avoid accidents. I don't think a puppy has the bladder muscles to hold it for five hours. Alicia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
usetoschool Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 Won't work for long because it will be a big dog fairly soon, but for now something like this "playpen" We used something like this that we made ourselves when our puppy litter was young. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 I would take the puppy with me when i go places, unless it's too hot. I wouldn't just leave it to rome in the yard. Bad habit to have to break. Also, is your crate the right size and not too bug? With little ones who might have an accident, I suppose plastic is best; we have a wire crate. In the house, they'd be on the leash. (What's that leash that you can use that the company replaces them if the puppy chews it?) You keep them leashed, outside playing with you...or in a crate...until a certain age. Makes for a good dog, supposedly. I kept mine the same way when I adopted him, and it worked wonders. Carrie:-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jann in TX Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 We did not use a crate when house training our German Shepherds--too many GS breeders recommended AGAINST it --GSs need to stretch ALL the way out when they sleep--and a crate that big was too big to be a deterrent to going potty in it. Instead we blocked off a small bathroom with a baby gate. At first I added newspapers on the floor 'just in case'. We had times when we needed to be away for more than one hour--but this worked well--and we only had an occasional mess. The puppy still had room to play and move around when we were gone for longer periods. By 4 months they were good inside while we were gone--but we still put them in their 'room' for meals and for bedtime. By 6 months they were wonderfully trained. (Both potty trained in just a few weeks--but we had to make sure they would not chew the house apart when not supervised!). Our oldest puppy just turned 2 (I guess he should be called a 'dog' now) hand weighs in at 115 pounds (33 inches at the shoulder). Our youngest is 10 months and 95 pounds--28 inches at the shoulder).. they are huge FLOOR RUGS! If your puppy ever makes a 'mistake' be sure NOT to punish them--maybe a firm 'NO' but nothing more (don't put their nose in it...) instead make sure you PRAISE them big time when they do the right thing. Also invest in some 'nearly indestructable' dog toys. My guys LOVE the Kong toys--especially the ones covered in canvas with tails. Look for a ball that has a special hole in it. These dispense food when rolled around. Before you go fill it with some kibble food. The puppy will roll it around to get a snack/meal and it will keep them occupied so they will not notice you are not around (helps with separation anxiety). Labs LOVE to chew--and their puppyhood is a LONG one--2-3 years. After that you should have one of the 'best dogs in the world'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blossom'sGirl Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 We bought a crate and that is where he slept or was put when we left. Last summer we built an outdoor pen with a doghouse for when we are gone. I wouldn't leave a new puppy in a pen but our dog was fine with it as he got bigger. Our dog is only allowed in our kitchen but it is right off the family room so he doesn't miss much. We have a gate to keep him in there. I just cannot do dog hair all through the house and we have white (it came with the house) carpet. I cannot emphasize enough that if you are diligent to work with your puppy now you will be greatly rewarded when it gets older. We live on 24 acres and I will let the dog run free while I am able to keep an eye on him. It is invaluable to have a dog come when he is called but it takes a lot of work. I found a lot of good advice from watching The Dog Whisperer. Our dog no longer uses the crate at all. He knows to do his business outside and is fine whether we leave him inside or out when we are gone. He actually prefers outside in his pen. Most nights he sleeps inside unless it is a real balmy evening. Sometimes he gets to barking at the night time critters so I like him inside so he isn't bothering everyone. Our dog is a laid back mutt but I have had many labs growing up. They are high maintenance as puppies but can become great dogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 We have an inside dog (non-shedding labradoodle) which has an outside run. The run has a dog house in it, so it's out of the wind. She goes to the run several times a day for toilet stops; we also use it if we need to go out for the day. Otherwise, she's an indoor dog who sleeps in the kitchen. Good luck Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snickelfritz Posted April 5, 2009 Author Share Posted April 5, 2009 I looked it up. If the temperature outside is 73 degrees F, it takes 20 minutes for the car temperature to reach a lethal temperature. I don't know what conditions they placed on that (parked in the sun or shade, windows down or up)...but being April in Oklahoma means that's not going to be a consistently safe choice for me. Most errands would have us inside for at least 20 minutes. I would rather have her in the backyard with water and shade. We have an inside dog (non-shedding labradoodle) which has an outside run. The run has a dog house in it, so it's out of the wind. She goes to the run several times a day for toilet stops; we also use it if we need to go out for the day. Otherwise, she's an indoor dog who sleeps in the kitchen. This is probably the scenario that we will end up with. We can maintain the home visits for a while, yet. But, in the city....it's hard to do errands and be back in 1 1/2 hours. It can take 30 minutes just to get to where we're going. I know normal people (with jobs and gone from 7:30-5:30) have pets, so there has to be some way that homeschoolers can fit a pet in the family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 I looked it up. If the temperature outside is 73 degrees F, it takes 20 minutes for the car temperature to reach a lethal temperature. I don't know what conditions they placed on that (parked in the sun or shade, windows down or up)...but being April in Oklahoma means that's not going to be a consistently safe choice for me. Most errands would have us inside for at least 20 minutes. I would rather have her in the backyard with water and shade. This is probably the scenario that we will end up with. We can maintain the home visits for a while, yet. But, in the city....it's hard to do errands and be back in 1 1/2 hours. It can take 30 minutes just to get to where we're going. I know normal people (with jobs and gone from 7:30-5:30) have pets, so there has to be some way that homeschoolers can fit a pet in the family. We have a Jack Russell/beagle (????) mix who was only 2lbs. when we brought him home. We crate trained but we actually scheduled our lives for a few months around the puppy so he wouldn't be home alone too long. My kids are older than yours so we had more leeway. We simply didn't leave him alone for more than xxxx amount of time. At first it was an hour then it grew from there. We sacrificed certain activities for a while, like daylong field trips. Good luck! It is a ton of work but soooooo rewarding! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 5 hours is definitely going to be too long for a puppy, but it helps to remember that housebreaking doesn't take forever (usually ;)). I'm not a fan of "outdoor dogs", especially with kids. Dogs are pack animals, and they need to learn their place in the pack. That's much easier to do when they spend the majority of their waking hours interacting with the rest of the pack. Once they're housebroken, indoor dogs do not need to be watched like hawks to see when they need to go out. Mine bark when they have to go (or whine if they think we're ignoring their signal). My aunt's dog rings a bell she hung on the door, which I think is adorable, but my kids would be ringing it all the time, lol. They learn. After the first couple of months, we've never had trouble leaving them (crated) for as much as 8 hours, though we do try to keep that to a minimum. When I was in labor, they actually went THIRTEEN hours without being let out. That wasn't intended (dh thought I let them out before we left, I thought the person NOT 42 weeks pregnant had!), but they did it! Nobody wants to sit around with their waste! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vettechmomof2 Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 You can cause UTI's in dogs if they are forced to hold urine to long. I am wondering what is going to happen with training the dog though as you need to devote 10 minutes a few times a day for the next 2 months, then 20 minutes a day for the following months of training consistently. If someone is unalbe to do that you will probaly end up with a dog who does not have something to do with WAY to much energy. THis is a lab, right? That is a dog who NEEDS to do things. Not just run in a fenced yard, although that can work as play time it is not enough to tire the dog out every day. Your schedule does not sound to be very flexible for a young dog, would it be possible to return the pup and find a older, housebroken dog who might not need as much exercise? I am being honest in my assessment of the situation. It sounds like for church at leastmy your husband coming home for a potty break wtiht the dog will def. be helpful but it will also make housebreaking a little longer if this is an every day situation. Once a week should be fine but not every day. Do yuor children waht to be able to play with the puppy as well? Do they stop extra summer activites or are they always that full with scheduling? It really might make it difficult for your family to enjoy the dog and for the dog to be comfortable as well. I would also recommend lookinig into a 1) dog walker 2) puppy day care Either of those options could really help you with this. I would contact your local 4-H and ask if there are any children(who already do the dog project) who would be willing to help exercise and train this puppy. Plus you are going to need to add in puppy classes for training so that you learn how to train the puppy properly or you will end up with a large, overbearing dog with 2 small children and then no one can enjoy her. Good luck and keep us posted.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snickelfritz Posted April 5, 2009 Author Share Posted April 5, 2009 I am wondering what is going to happen with training the dog though as you need to devote 10 minutes a few times a day for the next 2 months, then 20 minutes a day for the following months of training consistently. If someone is unalbe to do that you will probaly end up with a dog who does not have something to do with WAY to much energy. The total time available isn't the issue. The issue is that we do have commitments (and life) that means we will be away from our house for more than 2 hours at a time. Church is one example. It's once a week, not daily. Our dog trainer works full time and raised her (inside) dog from puppy-hood, so I think it can be, and is, done all of the time. I just don't think that all puppy owners are able to completely re-arrange their schedules to come home every 2 hours. I don't even think that many do. I think that many probably go home on their lunch, which is far less than what I am able to do. I think that with our fenced yard, our dog crate, and our fairly open schedule....we can make this work and that's what I've been trying to get ideas on. It sounds like Laura Corin's situation is similar to what we will end up with, so that's what we'll go forward with. Thanks to all for the ideas. We are going to keep the play-yard ideas in mind as alternatives. And this dog LOVES the kong toys. I haven't seen the ones that are wrapped in canvas, just the red rubberized, treat-filler...so I'll have to look for the others to keep her out of trouble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Country Mouse Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 You can do it! I think the message here is that raising a puppy is hard work but you obviously are interested in doing the right thing for your dog and your family. Research and asking questions and working with a trainer are all ways to have success with raising a dog. In my experience, the more time you spend with the puppy while it is young and forming its perception of the world, the better. Don't get discouraged by setbacks - there may be many puddles to clean up :D. If you are consistent and diligent you will end up with a great dog. And yes, you may spend a small fortune on chew toys (I know I have). Better that than the furniture, imho :D. So what is your puppy's name? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TxMama Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 We added a lab mix pup to our family a few months ago. We crate him at night and when we leave the house. He was about 5 months old when he joined us. We don't leave him for an extended time outside by himself because he gets bored and very, very naughty. Digging, destroying anything and everything he can access. He is well behaved when we are with him but gets bored and destructive when left alone. Invest in lots and lots of chew toys. They will keep him busy and happy in the crate and when roaming freely in your home. Lab's puppyhood last a few years so be prepared for an extended time before you get a mellow family dog. We love our guy and he is a lifer with our family but having experience him verses our last canine addition( adopted at over age 1) we will only adopt dogs over 1 in the future. Puppies are a lot of work and he as added an element of chaos to our family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TxMama Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 Forgot to add.... Zero Odor is great for accidents. We foster pups for our local no-kill shelter and Zero Odor saved our home after fostering a pup during his UTI treatment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vettechmomof2 Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 The total time available isn't the issue. The issue is that we do have commitments (and life) that means we will be away from our house for more than 2 hours at a time. Church is one example. It's once a week, not daily. Our dog trainer works full time and raised her (inside) dog from puppy-hood, so I think it can be, and is, done all of the time. I just don't think that all puppy owners are able to completely re-arrange their schedules to come home every 2 hours. I don't even think that many do. I think that many probably go home on their lunch, which is far less than what I am able to do. I think that with our fenced yard, our dog crate, and our fairly open schedule....we can make this work and that's what I've been trying to get ideas on. It sounds like Laura Corin's situation is similar to what we will end up with, so that's what we'll go forward with. Thanks to all for the ideas. We are going to keep the play-yard ideas in mind as alternatives. And this dog LOVES the kong toys. I haven't seen the ones that are wrapped in canvas, just the red rubberized, treat-filler...so I'll have to look for the others to keep her out of trouble. I am just trying to stress with the info given that for the health of the puppy potty breaks are important. It sound slike you plan to have that covered the best you can. Again, a once a week time where the pup has to be locked up with no potty breaks can and will happen but then you have the rest of the day to work harder and give them extra potty breaks to relieve that for them. THe kongs are great toys to stimlute the dogs mind while you are not able to be with her BUT the canvas covered ones should given only under supervision. In the last month I assisted with 4 exploratory surgeries to reomve the canvas from LABS. Enjoy your time with the puppy and if it is only occasionally like you said, make her a part of your inside family and do not think twice about it. Outside time should be enjoyed but unless they are a LGD or another type of working dog they should not be outside perm. if you want them as a happy [art of your family. THose are my opinions personally and professionally. Enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 (edited) I don't know how working people get a puppy. We were gone for 1 1/2 hours this morning for an errand and she peed in the crate. And she HAD gone right before we left. Nice long walk. How big is the crate? She should have JUST enough room to turn around and sleep - if the crate is full-sized then she can pee in the far corner. If it is small she will be more inclined to "hold it" than soil her own space. We have a crate that came with a doohickey that could be used to make the crate a smaller space inside - as the dog grew we increased the space he had. If you have a full-sized crate now you may need to jimmy something to make the space she can use smaller. Hope this makes sense. The book we used when we got our lab puppy was Maran illustrated Dog training. http://www.maran.com Edited April 5, 2009 by JFSinIL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hornblower Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 I am just trying to stress with the info given that for the health of the puppy potty breaks are important. It sound slike you plan to have that covered the best you can. Again, a once a week time where the pup has to be locked up with no potty breaks can and will happen but then you have the rest of the day to work harder and give them extra potty breaks to relieve that for them. THe kongs are great toys to stimlute the dogs mind while you are not able to be with her BUT the canvas covered ones should given only under supervision. In the last month I assisted with 4 exploratory surgeries to reomve the canvas from LABS. Enjoy your time with the puppy and if it is only occasionally like you said, make her a part of your inside family and do not think twice about it. Outside time should be enjoyed but unless they are a LGD or another type of working dog they should not be outside perm. if you want them as a happy [art of your family. THose are my opinions personally and professionally. Enjoy. :iagree: BTW, the rescues I foster for will NOT adopt a puppy to someone who is not home the majority of the time and able to commit to housebreaking and positive reinforcement training, as well as extensive socialization. We are also not so keen on crates. They are a good tool when used wisely (I use one in my car & I've used them when fostering a snappy stressed out dog who needed some space to chill out) but they are now widely overused by people who don't have the time/energy/know-how to deal with the dog's behaviour. A dog spending its life in a cage is not something I agree with. (it is btw, a pretty north american custom; in Europe, they're rarely used except for car rides & during dog shows/competitions where you need to 'park' your dog safely among hundreds of other dogs) I would strongly suggest you take the puppy with you wherever you go. This is beneficial not only for the housebreaking & preventing destruction by poor chewing choices etc., but also for the socialization. Taking your dog out to meet a variety of people, experience a wide variety of places, surfaces to walk on etc is critical to developing a stable temperament. Also explore options such as daycare (many have special sessions for puppies) Outside dogs do not make good family dogs IME. They get destructive, they bark, they run away. They also get DIRTY and then they're even less likely to be invited it. After the novelty wears off, they spend less and less time with people & hence when they do come in, they act totally beside themselves with excitement, break something, knock someone over, or pee with happiness. Ooooops - back out you go! Bad dog! Soon there's an ad in the paper - "free to good home, good dog just don't have time for him anymore". If they're lucky, they end up in rescue where foster homes will re-teach them how to be an inside dog, a part of the family and then adopt them out to homes where they have cushy beds all over the house, walks several times a day, special weekly outings for hikes or swimming, positive reinforcement training to keep their brains sharp & give them 'jobs' to do. The unlucky ones? Well. 2-3 million dogs are euthenized in shelters each year. Nobody ever gets a puppy thinking that the dog will end up being homeless and euthenized. And yet it happens 2-3 million times each year..... My own Miss Daisy was an outside dog who strayed repeatedly from the yard and eventually was not claimed by the owners. Every single one of the fosters who has been through my house was an 'outside dog'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted April 5, 2009 Share Posted April 5, 2009 Just wanted to also recommend that you train your dog to pee on command. When you take your dog out, train it to pee first thing. Give a command (based on words you pick and are comfy with--we say "Go pee, Riley" while our neighbors tell their dog to "Do your business!") right when the dog begins to pee naturally, then you will find they will pee when you tell them (pretty much). It saves you from having to stand there waiting when it's 20 degrees or storming! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calandalsmom Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 We have a 6 month old shepherd/ lab mix. We used the crate extensively in the beginning- she was around 12 weeks. If I couldnt keep my eyes on her she was crated. If I had to do intensive school, crated. Leaving to go to the store? crated. All of this is fine and is GOOD. Crates are a wonderful tool. Its NOT a punishment and it will prevent your frustration from bubbling over. Now we crate her only at night and only if we need to be out of the rooms she inhabits (family and kitchen) for a while. We have trained her from the beginning and she is wonderful! We love having a puppy!! I hope your pup is as much of a joy for you as ours is for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cworthy Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 And remember that, just like with human children, the canine children grow up fast. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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