Make sure she is on a leash outside for potty AND on a leash inside teathered to you when not in her crate. Freedom is something that is earned when she can prove she can be trusted. If you see her sniffing get her outside. Once she starts peeing or pooping repeat go potty go potty go potty then a ton of praise and treat when she finishes. 12 weeks is an infant. Most pups aren’t 100% housebroken til about 6 months but routine is key. They need to go out about every 45 min at that age. If you stay consistent w potty before and after every nap and before and after every meal and lots in between she’ll pick up quick that she doesn’t need to go inside because you will take her outside.
Some dogs have different coloring on some nails which stinks because it’s harder to see the quicks. I think those are just dark colored nails but wouldn’t hurt to have your vet check just to be sure
This seems like a very preventable problem if you're supervising your puppy when she's out of her crate. If you're unable to adequately supervise a puppy or keep your home clean enough for it to be a safe place, the line should be that you pay for this second surgery and then rehome your puppy.
It only takes a second for them to grab something though. Puppies are idiots and put EVERYTHING in their mouths. I can’t even take mine for walks anymore because it is non stop stress of me pulling him away or pulling something out of his mouth literally every foot. Inside the house is no better. Today I had him baby gated in the kitchen with me. Turned around to scoop his food on a plate turned back and he was chewing the kitchen cabinet. Turned around to fill his water bowl turned back and he was gnawing on the refrigerator.
Felt. I've seen a decent amount of people say they puppy proof their kitchen/keep puppy restricted in kitchen and I'm always left so flabbergasted. Our girl is almost 6 months and tends to be super mellow and sit on the couch waiting for us to be done cooking, but like we have to gate our kitchen off because the lil shit will bite the wooden chairs and kitchen corners. We could neve use the kitchen as her primary place to reside in. If anything, she's fine most places in the house except the kitchen.
Please don’t beat yourself up. Sounds like you are doing everything right. Puppies are little shits and gobble everything in a blink of an eye. I have knots in my stomach daily mine will find himself in big trouble w his pac man mentality of gobble everything. I can’t even walk him at this point because every step is me jerking on the leash to stop him from picking something up or pulling something out of his mouth. Yes I watch him like a hawk but it’s impossible to keep up with. I just took him out to pee and in less than 5 min I pulled a helicopter from a tree out of his mouth, flower petals from our lavender bush, a piece of straw that blew into the yard. And inside the house is the same nonsense. I vacuum twice a day and he still finds dust balls, rips pieces of his toys (which all claim to be indestructible), a napkin the fan blew off the table. I’m exhausted and stressed 24/7 so I get it. Yes I’m teaching leave it to no avail. Glad to hear your baby is ok
Seconding the experience with my 7mo heeler. My dog is such a little shit, I love him to pieces, but he will absolutely hold items in his mouth until he's sure I'm not watching him, then he starts crunching again.
100% yes. Not only will it make your life easier but it keeps them safe and out of trouble. Not to mention it’s good to get them used to it for when they need to be caged at a groomer or vet. My pup will not nap or settle unless he has a forced nap in his crate. Outside of the crate he will play and play and play until he’s an overtired cranky bitey monster. I have to put him in his crate so he settles and sleeps
I think also what people need to realize is puppies are babies. They simply can’t hold it that long. Older dogs have better control BUT please keep in mind-can they hold it longer, yes! Is that fair to the dog, no! Just like can a human hold it all day without having to go? Probably. Are they going to be comfortable? Heck no. Dogs by nature typically don’t like to soil their space just like people don’t like to pee their pants but when you gotta go you gotta go but my opinion is it’s not fair to put pups/dogs in a situation where they have to hold it all day
For counter surfing keep pup on a leash/lead tethered to you. When he goes to get up on the counter or table pull him down gently and carefully and say “off”. Praise and treat. Also helps w housebreaking-see him sniffing? Get him outside right away. And helps correct other behaviors too. Try as i might with puppy proofing and literally vacuuming twice a day, my pup would still snatch stuff he shouldn’t and try to run from me. Keeping him on a leash prevented him from doing that. For cat chasing i could tell you what helped keep my puppy from terrorizing my 3 yr old dog that was recommended by my trainer but last time i suggested it my comment was reported and removed so i’ll drop hints. It’s 2 words. First word starts w an S. Second word starts w a G. First word rhymes sounds like skirt. Second word rhymes w bun. 🙃
Absoluuuutely ready to skip adolescence and go straight to adulthood! We're 7 months here, and while I'm proud of how well he's growing up, I'm also pretty sick of the teen antics and would love to fast forward. It's rough because I also can't just put him into a daycare to take a break from him. :,)
I personally am a small dog person too but they have their disadvantages-teeth issues, knee issues (luxating patella’s), easier to hurt/injure by getting stepped on or children thinking they need to be carried and then drop them, tend to be barkers
Also just throwing this out there for people saying their pups only interact w vaccinated dogs-vaccinated dogs can get parvo too. They can also get kennel cough, lepto, internal parasites, etc. Not saying to live your life in fear but don’t think your pup can’t catch something from a vaccinated dog. They can also pass something to a vaccinated dog as well. Also that’s such a broad phrase “my pup only plays w vaccinated dogs”. Vaccinated against what? Rabies is the only vax in my area required by law but there are so many other yearly vaccines that are vet recommended-distemper, bordetella, flu, etc
People in my area completely disregard leash laws. There’s no where I can go without being run up on by an unleashed dog. I don’t consider myself extremely risk averse, I just assume if these people are that cavalier with leash laws, they’re probably not really keeping up on vaccinations either. It sucks, I would LOVE to get this tornado out on a long walk.
I add Tropiclean to the water bowl. It’s a water additive that helps w plaque and tarter and it’s amazing how fresh and clean it keeps their teeth. Puppy is only 6 months old but my other dog gets a dental once a yr every year where they put him under for a deep clean
Thanks! I see in the other comments that the additive can be very expensive stuff. As it has to be a good amount of it in the water. We change water twice a day. It's always a full bawl, and my pup never makes it empty.
I get in on Chewy.com and pay $20 for 33 ounce bottle. There are 90 capfuls per bottle. Instructions say to change water twice a day but my dogs don’t drink a ton either so I change water once a day or if they happen to be playing hard on a particular day and drinking more I’ll change/refill as needed. I do one capful everyday and then add 16 ounces of water to the bowl. So a bottle will last 3 months give or take. Below are details from the chewy website. Honestly I never thought if they were getting enough. I just notice the bowl low at the end of the day so hoping they are and have honestly noticed a difference since I started using it on them. Hope this helps!
7 months and hasn’t happened yet. He will not sleep if I don’t put him in the crate close the door and put a blanket over it. When I do that he’ll nap perfectly fine but otherwise forget it. I’ve even tried leaving him for hrs un crated while I watch him and he will run and play til his tongue is hanging and turns into a biting terror and still will not self settle
I’m so sorry you have to go thru this. My vote is re home the husband. JK but you are all this pup has had for 7 months. I think re homing him at this point would be heartbreaking for him. Puppies are super hard in general so maybe your husband will feel differently once the puppy has outgrown the puppy stage? Or maybe he’s more stressed about the job stuff and not able to relax and enjoy the puppy because of that?
I used Zenidog on my dog and kept it on 24/7 for the 60 or 90 days or whatever it was my vet recommended. It did absolutely nothing. No difference whatsoever. Curious if the adaptil works. I would be nervous about leaving a pup in the crate w a collar too. Too risky in my opinion
I jinxed it. She’s been discouraged for 5 months from jumping up when we have food. She chose to ignore this rule spectacularly, and I got my dinner dumped in my lap and all over her too. (Bean juice!)
Noooooo not bean juice!!! Omg yes a total roller coaster! We had such a great day yesterday of him being a perfect angel all day and I was like omg it finally clicked! Nope, spent all day today chasing him around pulling stuff out of his mouth and having him run and ignore drop it.
Also I personally would recommend adopting an adult from a shelter or a retired breeder dog because puppies are awful lol but if you do get a puppy from a breeder make sure they do health testing because they are prone to eye and knee issues
Well, we watch them and praise them when they go potty. So they're just returning the favor. Potty = Group activity where one is doing their business and the other is there for guarding and moral support.
If you got him at 5 weeks that is wayyyyy too young to be separated from mom but regardless, puppies at this age should be sleeping 18-20 hrs a day. They shouldn’t be going for walks either. He’s not fully vaccinated plus they should only be getting 5 min of exercise for each month of age, twice a day. So 8 weeks old should only get 10 min twice a day
I just read a post from a lady that tried it and “woke up in a sea of yellow and brown”. Also read a post from someone who woke up to the puppy pulling a sock of his foot and swallowed it so those stories alone make me say nope lol
My boy is 8 months and I lool forward to 9 every night when we put him in his crate for bedtime. I don't expect to get out of the puppy blues until he is 1.5-2 years old. The only thing keeping me going is telling myself that as long as I am consistent with his training and behavior that eventually he will settle in as a well adjusted adult.
I’m so glad to know I’m not the only one that counts the min til bedtime every night lol. It’s like ahhhhh he’s asleep. Now I can finally relax, watch tv, read a book, etc
Make sure she is on a leash outside for potty AND on a leash inside teathered to you when not in her crate. Freedom is something that is earned when she can prove she can be trusted. If you see her sniffing get her outside. Once she starts peeing or pooping repeat go potty go potty go potty then a ton of praise and treat when she finishes. 12 weeks is an infant. Most pups aren’t 100% housebroken til about 6 months but routine is key. They need to go out about every 45 min at that age. If you stay consistent w potty before and after every nap and before and after every meal and lots in between she’ll pick up quick that she doesn’t need to go inside because you will take her outside.
Some dogs have different coloring on some nails which stinks because it’s harder to see the quicks. I think those are just dark colored nails but wouldn’t hurt to have your vet check just to be sure
Yes. Mine plays w his food and bats it around and I kid you not makes meowing noises
This seems like a very preventable problem if you're supervising your puppy when she's out of her crate. If you're unable to adequately supervise a puppy or keep your home clean enough for it to be a safe place, the line should be that you pay for this second surgery and then rehome your puppy.
It only takes a second for them to grab something though. Puppies are idiots and put EVERYTHING in their mouths. I can’t even take mine for walks anymore because it is non stop stress of me pulling him away or pulling something out of his mouth literally every foot. Inside the house is no better. Today I had him baby gated in the kitchen with me. Turned around to scoop his food on a plate turned back and he was chewing the kitchen cabinet. Turned around to fill his water bowl turned back and he was gnawing on the refrigerator.
Felt. I've seen a decent amount of people say they puppy proof their kitchen/keep puppy restricted in kitchen and I'm always left so flabbergasted. Our girl is almost 6 months and tends to be super mellow and sit on the couch waiting for us to be done cooking, but like we have to gate our kitchen off because the lil shit will bite the wooden chairs and kitchen corners. We could neve use the kitchen as her primary place to reside in. If anything, she's fine most places in the house except the kitchen.
So true!!!!
Please don’t beat yourself up. Sounds like you are doing everything right. Puppies are little shits and gobble everything in a blink of an eye. I have knots in my stomach daily mine will find himself in big trouble w his pac man mentality of gobble everything. I can’t even walk him at this point because every step is me jerking on the leash to stop him from picking something up or pulling something out of his mouth. Yes I watch him like a hawk but it’s impossible to keep up with. I just took him out to pee and in less than 5 min I pulled a helicopter from a tree out of his mouth, flower petals from our lavender bush, a piece of straw that blew into the yard. And inside the house is the same nonsense. I vacuum twice a day and he still finds dust balls, rips pieces of his toys (which all claim to be indestructible), a napkin the fan blew off the table. I’m exhausted and stressed 24/7 so I get it. Yes I’m teaching leave it to no avail. Glad to hear your baby is ok
Seconding the experience with my 7mo heeler. My dog is such a little shit, I love him to pieces, but he will absolutely hold items in his mouth until he's sure I'm not watching him, then he starts crunching again.
Great tip, the struggle is real 😩😩😩
100% yes. Not only will it make your life easier but it keeps them safe and out of trouble. Not to mention it’s good to get them used to it for when they need to be caged at a groomer or vet. My pup will not nap or settle unless he has a forced nap in his crate. Outside of the crate he will play and play and play until he’s an overtired cranky bitey monster. I have to put him in his crate so he settles and sleeps
I think also what people need to realize is puppies are babies. They simply can’t hold it that long. Older dogs have better control BUT please keep in mind-can they hold it longer, yes! Is that fair to the dog, no! Just like can a human hold it all day without having to go? Probably. Are they going to be comfortable? Heck no. Dogs by nature typically don’t like to soil their space just like people don’t like to pee their pants but when you gotta go you gotta go but my opinion is it’s not fair to put pups/dogs in a situation where they have to hold it all day
I’m fortunate to work from home in IT
For counter surfing keep pup on a leash/lead tethered to you. When he goes to get up on the counter or table pull him down gently and carefully and say “off”. Praise and treat. Also helps w housebreaking-see him sniffing? Get him outside right away. And helps correct other behaviors too. Try as i might with puppy proofing and literally vacuuming twice a day, my pup would still snatch stuff he shouldn’t and try to run from me. Keeping him on a leash prevented him from doing that. For cat chasing i could tell you what helped keep my puppy from terrorizing my 3 yr old dog that was recommended by my trainer but last time i suggested it my comment was reported and removed so i’ll drop hints. It’s 2 words. First word starts w an S. Second word starts w a G. First word rhymes sounds like skirt. Second word rhymes w bun. 🙃
Oh, Lordy, yes. Just settle down and be a nice doggo, already!
Yes please!!!!
Absoluuuutely ready to skip adolescence and go straight to adulthood! We're 7 months here, and while I'm proud of how well he's growing up, I'm also pretty sick of the teen antics and would love to fast forward. It's rough because I also can't just put him into a daycare to take a break from him. :,)
Omg same!!!!! I catch little moments and glimpses of what a good dog he could be and then bam! Right back to being a straight up devil! lol
Usually fully housebroken around 6 months
I personally am a small dog person too but they have their disadvantages-teeth issues, knee issues (luxating patella’s), easier to hurt/injure by getting stepped on or children thinking they need to be carried and then drop them, tend to be barkers
Also just throwing this out there for people saying their pups only interact w vaccinated dogs-vaccinated dogs can get parvo too. They can also get kennel cough, lepto, internal parasites, etc. Not saying to live your life in fear but don’t think your pup can’t catch something from a vaccinated dog. They can also pass something to a vaccinated dog as well. Also that’s such a broad phrase “my pup only plays w vaccinated dogs”. Vaccinated against what? Rabies is the only vax in my area required by law but there are so many other yearly vaccines that are vet recommended-distemper, bordetella, flu, etc
People in my area completely disregard leash laws. There’s no where I can go without being run up on by an unleashed dog. I don’t consider myself extremely risk averse, I just assume if these people are that cavalier with leash laws, they’re probably not really keeping up on vaccinations either. It sucks, I would LOVE to get this tornado out on a long walk.
So true!
I add Tropiclean to the water bowl. It’s a water additive that helps w plaque and tarter and it’s amazing how fresh and clean it keeps their teeth. Puppy is only 6 months old but my other dog gets a dental once a yr every year where they put him under for a deep clean
Thanks! I see in the other comments that the additive can be very expensive stuff. As it has to be a good amount of it in the water. We change water twice a day. It's always a full bawl, and my pup never makes it empty.
I get in on Chewy.com and pay $20 for 33 ounce bottle. There are 90 capfuls per bottle. Instructions say to change water twice a day but my dogs don’t drink a ton either so I change water once a day or if they happen to be playing hard on a particular day and drinking more I’ll change/refill as needed. I do one capful everyday and then add 16 ounces of water to the bowl. So a bottle will last 3 months give or take. Below are details from the chewy website. Honestly I never thought if they were getting enough. I just notice the bowl low at the end of the day so hoping they are and have honestly noticed a difference since I started using it on them. Hope this helps!
7 months and hasn’t happened yet. He will not sleep if I don’t put him in the crate close the door and put a blanket over it. When I do that he’ll nap perfectly fine but otherwise forget it. I’ve even tried leaving him for hrs un crated while I watch him and he will run and play til his tongue is hanging and turns into a biting terror and still will not self settle
Usually 6 months
What a sweet baby. Congrats
I’m so sorry you have to go thru this. My vote is re home the husband. JK but you are all this pup has had for 7 months. I think re homing him at this point would be heartbreaking for him. Puppies are super hard in general so maybe your husband will feel differently once the puppy has outgrown the puppy stage? Or maybe he’s more stressed about the job stuff and not able to relax and enjoy the puppy because of that?
I used Zenidog on my dog and kept it on 24/7 for the 60 or 90 days or whatever it was my vet recommended. It did absolutely nothing. No difference whatsoever. Curious if the adaptil works. I would be nervous about leaving a pup in the crate w a collar too. Too risky in my opinion
I jinxed it. She’s been discouraged for 5 months from jumping up when we have food. She chose to ignore this rule spectacularly, and I got my dinner dumped in my lap and all over her too. (Bean juice!)
Noooooo not bean juice!!! Omg yes a total roller coaster! We had such a great day yesterday of him being a perfect angel all day and I was like omg it finally clicked! Nope, spent all day today chasing him around pulling stuff out of his mouth and having him run and ignore drop it.
He has now also chosen sleep regression as his next quirk!
Nooooooooooooo 😩😩😩ugh praying it’s only temporary 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
As much ?! Don’t forget the sound of the bark. I think I will need my hearing devise much sooner in live.
Omg the sound of the bark 😩😩😩. So high. So shrill. So head shaking and eye roll inducing from all the neighbors.
Also I personally would recommend adopting an adult from a shelter or a retired breeder dog because puppies are awful lol but if you do get a puppy from a breeder make sure they do health testing because they are prone to eye and knee issues
Being able to have my hair down without him trying to rip it off my scalp
Well, we watch them and praise them when they go potty. So they're just returning the favor. Potty = Group activity where one is doing their business and the other is there for guarding and moral support.
How adorable! Lol
Sometimes I wonder how some of y’all have a job and only leave these pups for 1-2hrs at a time.
Based on your schedule you described yours isn’t alone for more than 3 hrs at a time. OP is asking about leaving alone for up to 5 hrs.
If you got him at 5 weeks that is wayyyyy too young to be separated from mom but regardless, puppies at this age should be sleeping 18-20 hrs a day. They shouldn’t be going for walks either. He’s not fully vaccinated plus they should only be getting 5 min of exercise for each month of age, twice a day. So 8 weeks old should only get 10 min twice a day
I just read a post from a lady that tried it and “woke up in a sea of yellow and brown”. Also read a post from someone who woke up to the puppy pulling a sock of his foot and swallowed it so those stories alone make me say nope lol
My boy is 8 months and I lool forward to 9 every night when we put him in his crate for bedtime. I don't expect to get out of the puppy blues until he is 1.5-2 years old. The only thing keeping me going is telling myself that as long as I am consistent with his training and behavior that eventually he will settle in as a well adjusted adult.
I’m so glad to know I’m not the only one that counts the min til bedtime every night lol. It’s like ahhhhh he’s asleep. Now I can finally relax, watch tv, read a book, etc