daytime problems
My husband and I are both gone during the day, with me leaving last and him getting home first, for a total of 8 hours of Luke being alone. We have had him for almost 2 weeks, and decided from the beginning we were going to crate train. On our first day back at work after the weekend, we left him in the crate and came home to a pee/poop covered pup. That right there rings a bell (to me) that it's not going to work like that since we are gone for so long, and unable to get home during breaks. So we have gone to gating him downstairs where we have tile floor. That went well for the first few days until my husband got home to find Luke waiting for him at the front door. We weren't sure how he got past the gate, but after putting him back and watching for a while, we found that he had learned to climb over it. The gate is at the bottom of the stairs as to keep him from going up and it's not pretty, but he manages to get over and land in a tumble on the other side. My main issue/question is about the crate training. Is it just not the thing to do since we are gone for so long and he can't hold it yet? If so, any suggestions on what else to try? We tried putting him in the bathroom and he continuously ran into the door over and over again. Not to mention the crying and whining. Our other problem.....we have a 2 year old son named Hunter who Luke LOVES to drag around by the butt of his diaper  We hoot and holler at him to try to get him to let go, but he goes right back to it. Not sure what to do there???
Sorry so long, I am just lost! |
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| What an adorable pup!!
I had a similar situation when my pups were small- I used an over large crate with papers in one end so they could go far away from where they slept. I also used doggie day care for a while, but there are mixed opinions about that. One thing I did do is walk them - a lot in the morning to tire them out. I would stick with the crate, your pup is way too young to be on his own during the day. My trainer thinks all dogs under two should be crated when no one is home and she does the same with her own. As for dragging your son - if you make a lot of noise the puppy doesn't know you aren't encouraging him. I would just distract him with a toy - I also wouldn't let young ones and puppies share floor time - neither one knows how to really treat the other and one may get hurt. Good luck |
| Is there a neighbor or a family member who can let Luke out every 2-3 hours while you are at work?
When we got Heart at 8 weeks, I did go home every 2 hours but if I couldn't, I had a family member or a neighbor run over to take her out. It worked out great...She is 6 months now and I only have to go home at lunch. She is totally housebroken at this point (crossing fingers) and she loves her day crate. At night she is with us in our bedroom and she gets me up at about 4 to go potty. Luke is such a handsome boy!!!!! Can't wait for more pictures!! 
Good luck and keep us posted. |
| Such an adorable pup. My husband would be soooo jealous. We had a Bouvier before we got George, several years ago. Our Bouvier was named Luke, too. George acts so much like him, looks similiar too, just different color, that we have both called him Luke a couple of times. Good luck and hang in there. |
| Maybe you could use puppy pads (if they are safe) for a while, as he is too young to hold it that long. I also agree with the neighbors helping out walking if possible. The best potty-training will happen with consistency, so any kind of schedule will help a lot. Puppy pads as far away from sleeping area as possible. |
| He's VERY cute!
We always crate train the first 6 months or so. But we adopted a 10 month old that we couldn't crate train due to the over confinement issues that she arrived with. She too would go over the top of the plastic gates so we put in a Dutch door. We picked up a solid wood door a the lumberyard and my husband cut it in half. I installed the hinges, door knob and finished the top with a board. It's much more sturdy and more secure than the baby gates we had used previously... though my Border Collie-mix has jumped it a time or two in the past. http://oesusa.com/WeHave4.jpg If you find you simply can't crate and decide to puppyproof a room with a Dutch door, be sure the the gap at the bottom of the door isn't too big... you don't want him to get his head stuck under the door. You'll need to address any puppy/child issues quickly... get him and yourselves signed up with a good obedience trainer. You'll find this pup is going to grow MUCH faster that your toddler so you need to address any issues or challenges immediately. Taking a lot of time early on to thoroughly train him in his younger years will help him grow into a good companion for the entire family. As mentioned above, I wouldn't allow your toddler and pup on the floor at the same time unless you are right there beside both of them. Remember that pups use their mouths to explore, as we would use our hands, so you need to be diligent to protect them both. Gotta run... hope to see more pictures soon! |
| Thank you everyone for your advice.
As far as having neighbors help out by walking in the middle of the day etc, unfortunately we are extremely new to the neighborhood and are not very familiar with anyone yet. Otherwise, that would be a great solution to our issue. I did move the gate up higher yesterday and that helped. He could not climb over, but it still worries me that I know he is probably trying throughout the day and could hurt himself. The lower level of the house where he has been staying during the day just consists of 1 room, it is basically a den with tile floors, so there is not much trouble to get into, but I still worry about him. Because of that, I would like to get back to crate training, but feel so bad about him laying in his waste. He doesn't seem to care about it. There was a suggestion to place papers at one end, and I think we will try that tomorrow since he does seem to favor going on the puddle pads. We also need to purchase more toys I think. Is he too young for a cong or is it fine? I've heart they are very entertaining and time consuming toys 
Many posts that I have read talk about separation anxiety and I think that is a big issue with him being left alone during the day. He HAS to be with someone all the time or he is crying. When he is older my husband will actually be able take him to work each day (laidback office), but not until he is housebroken. This is certainly comparable to raising a human infant! This is our first puppy as a family and we will get through it! Despite what I guess are pretty normal problems, we've definitely fallen for the little guy. How could you not??? |
| Oh and I am at work and unable to access my photobucket, but I will try to get on when I get home and post a few pictures. Not many exciting shots yet but lots of being lazy pictures. |
| they make a puppy kong - it is blue and white I used them for my two. |
| Puppy kongs are great...keeps them busy for a long time.
I have also used the teething bone..its made of material...you wet it and place it in the freezer..Heart loved hers! I also have the hard bones (they are white) from Petsmart, with the hole in the middle. I put some kibble and peanut butter on either end, freeze it --always a favorite!!! Stuffies and squeakies are fun for them too..as long as they don't pull the squeaker out ( Heart doesn't, so I'm safe)..cuz they could post a choking hazard. |
| Yes, at nine weeks, he is really only able to hold it for about 3 hours tops. Of course, toys & kongs are great to distract him for awhile. Whether you decide to crate him or leave him in a room, you'll probably need puppy pads for now.
As for him dragging your son around by the diaper, he is a herder, and that's his instinct kicking in. You'll need to redirect his energy when he starts doing that by giving him a fun toy and playing with him. Good luck & hang in there! It is like raising a toddler and it does get easier. He's an adorable puppy. Congratulations! |
| What about doggy daycare for awhile. I did that with Laika for her first year. Now we have a kennel area out back of where I work and she takes turns with other dogs (we found more than two dogs in the pen and they got loud) so she comes to work 3 times a week with me now. |
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