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Hi everyone, as most of you know Dan and I picked up Ollie last Friday. He's settled well, but he's starting to find his feet (and ours!)
Just wanted some advice really - he keeps getting smacked in the face by our two cats, silly monkey STILL hasn't figured out if he does his kangaroo jumps at them and barks that they don't like it. We have been putting him in a time out ignoring him for 2 minutes until he calms down but he hasn't sussed that out yet. Eva never did this as a pup so looking for any other training ways!
Also, for some reason he seems to think the kitchen is his toilet. I wouldn't mind but the back door is open for him and sometimes he will go out there. He doesn't go in any other room in the house. I was thinking about putting his bed in the kitchen for a little while, would that help (as in don't poo where you sleep theory)
He's got a thing for bites and our feet when he is playing, again when he gets too mch or if he hurts then we yelp and put him straight outside, I remember Eva being like that but I can't remember what I did to train it out of her!!
I know he's a young pup and this stuff will ease itself out but I don't want any bad habits developing even this early on!!

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Hi Nicky, with toilet training, I always find that puppies need to go about every hour. On top of that, every time they wake from sleep and each time they has been fed or had a drink. I always actually go with the puppy outside, it gives a chance to praise a success. Mine always learn a buzz word that I repeat when I want them to perform. I say ''get a wee wee''

Over the years I have found that we don't so much toilet train the puppy, as we train ourselves to read the signs. You absolutely must be on watch the whole time, and quite soon the sequence of events becomes a routine for you both.

Play biting is completely normal, puppies bite and that's that, and I find distraction is the best course of action. Give him something he is allowed to bite and chew and you could try ignoring him for a few minutes, but putting him outside is probably not going to help this problem.

The cat thing I have no idea about because I don't have cats, but it's my guess that the cats will sort this one out themselves and Ollie will get the message eventually.

Regards, Dawn Riddell
We basically stationed ourselves at the back door of the house. Our pup stayed in that room when playing and we were outside more than inside and our last dog came to us at 8 weeks and it was march in chicago which means it was so cold and damp out. But if he wasn't asleep he was about to pee in my mind. And I always was out with him. He was so small that he couldn't even get back up the back step to come in and he could get stuck in the fencing even at that time. And then I could praise him for doing it right. Many a neighbor could see and hear me, in a bathrobe, with a coat over it, with boots on, whispering "go pee pee" at 2am! But I found my dog was housebroken immediately really. Or I guess we were. He had one pee accident and that was because I yelled to the kids get the dog outside quick and no one moved off the couch in time. As far as the nipping feet thing, we all had torn robes, pajamas and jeans for months. He would hang on while I walked. That bugger had such a prey drive at that age and would run after anything moving. I even have a video of him sitting on my kitchen mop head while I was cleaning the floor up. He loves to chase the mop around.
hi Susan,
yeah I know what you mean about hanging on and chasing everything that moves! Never had a male, apparently they are far more boisterous than the females.
Thing is it's not during the day that it's a problem now, it's at night, he can't seem to hold it. He will pee on the mat which is fine, we can't do much about that, but there's poop everywhere, and then he decides to chase the cat and, well you can imagine the floor! We want to have him outside at night but we are breaking him in slowly out there because he is so young, last night he stayed out from 9 til 11pm then we brought him in. Once he's has got used to the fact he will go back in then I know he'll be fine, but unfortunately we have a stroppy cow of a neighbour across the road who doesn't understand we are training him at the moment and she keeps whinging whenever she sees the poor boy breathe! Wouldn't mind but next door either side are absolutely fine and they said they understand it won't be forever. Grrr!
xx
Hi Nicky
I wonder why he is pooping so much overnight? Can you set an alarm to possibly wake you to take him out every two or three hours during the night? I know it sucks! And is he eating his last meal early enough? I usually think our food choice is good if the dog goes once after each meal and again once overnight or before bed even. I know they are little but too much poop might mean the food isn't the right one for the dog. I could be wrong but generally that is how they gauge the right food is by the amount they are pooping. I wouldn't free feed while trying to housebreak either. I never free feed anyway, but if the dog eats overnight then obviously he will bathroom without you there. Controlled feeding makes the housebreaking easier. So you plan to have the dog live outside? I didn't understand the post. Or just at night outside? Not sure where you live but geez it is cold here, we would never do that. Even if the temps were fine I worry about skunks, oppossum and other creepy things out there after dark. Again I am in the midwest and my dog is always curled up in bed with us.
Hi, I live in the UK, the worst thing we get is our cats and neighbours cats! We don't get wildlife. It's still pretty mild here so we wouldn't have him out if it was snowing.
We feed him at 8, 2 and 8pm, three times daily just as Dee advised us to, there are about 4 or 5 poos during the night. Might be worth setting the alarm. He'd only be out at night, not during the day, that's harsh to have him outside all the time. Would never free feed the dog either otherwise he'll get fat real quick. You're brave having him in bed, we won't let him upstairs as I don't want him falling down the stairs as Eva did once and hurt her leg!
Oh we shut the bedroom door when a baby. And I sleep light after raising kids so I hear a pin drop. I know the stairs freaked us out last time we had a puppy till he learned how to come down them. And even then he didn't do it gracefully by any means. He would like run to get the courage and then go way to fast. I gate the stairway off if we have the puppy loose upstairs till I am comfortable with their mastery of the staircase.
Hi Nicky
I just wanted to say how cute your name choice was. I love that name, Ollie. I am now asking for name suggestions. No one in the house can agree on anything at this point and I have 6 weeks now to find one that suits us all. I like Dillon, husband likes Mayo, son wants Cash. See how different they are! I like Sully short for Sullivan also.
Hi Susan,
i loved Bailey but my fiance said that's what he wanted to consider as a child's name which I wouldn't go for, so we both said neither of us can have it. I thought it was a nice neutral name for either a dog or a bitch.

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