My New Puppy Jaxson is HERE! Now I need HELP!
We left Jaxson in his crate too long this morning as we were not home and he had an accident. No worries though since we know why it happened. On the other hand the crying at night as got to stop soon. Sometimes we sit next to him until he falls asleep (which happens within 5 minutes or so) but after he has been sleeping for awhile and just had a potty break it takes longer. Not only do we want to go to sleep but the last thing my wife or I want to do is sit by him so we go upstairs and he whines and cries for a looooooooong time. How do we handle this? As per above advice, we will not take him out when he cries. Allison, great article, thanks!!! |
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| Oh, Scott..... That stinks. I am sure he will relax soon enough so you can all get some sleep. We were just so lucky and blessed with Dahlia that she has always slept. This certainly wasn't the case with my 1st OES, so I have paid my dues to some extent. We do have her in her crate in our bedroom so she can see and hear us and I really think that has helped. I know this wasn't what you wanted to do in your house, but, I am sure he will eventually get used to the crate. Do you have some towels down in the crate or a blanket? Have you tried a blanket around the crate to make it more secure? Do you have a radio or something that maybe you can leave on or a television? I know Dahlia likes to listen and watch PBS kids and other children's shows. She totally relaxes when it is on the TV. And, if he is crying, you need to leave him. If you know that he has gone to the potty and there is nothing else wrong, then you need to just let him be.... otherwise, you are teaching him that if he cries, you will save him from the crate. |
At our house we just shut as many solid wood door as possible, and go to sleep.  Oh, the joys of a 150 yr old farm house that has many rooms, with many solid wood doors.  After a few days, they are good as gold. The longer you drag this out, the more miserable it is for human and puppy.  I never have lost more than a week's sleep (usually a couple days at the most) when we introduce a new puppy (or foster) into our house..and we have done it many, many times. Many times every year, it seems!   |
| Like Dahlia, Charm wasnt much of a crying problem. Maybe, an old shirt with your scent or the childrens' may help him feel more secure. Does he have a toy or chew in the kennel with him? I don't have experience in this matter, just grasping. Our first week was the worst however. After that, the routine just clicked with her. Hope Jaxson gets the "click" soon.  |
| Great advice. Thanks. We will take all into consideration and see what works best. Just this moment we were playing with him and he is nipping like piranah. He got me once and I screamed loudly and he back off. I do not want to punish him and put him in crate or play pen. We give him a chew toy instead but he wants flesh or shoes. Just for reassurance, you all have or are going through the same thing? Shari, We have a blanket draped over the crate but nothing around it. There is a carpet he lays on inside. I will throw a tshirt of mine in there and maybe that will help. Perhaps the radio may help as well. |
| A carpet precaution.. If it is truly carpet, not a good idea. If he chews it will ravel, and a continuous string of the fiber pulls out..and out. I personally know of 2 people who lost dogs d/t to this. The string keeps going, they keep chewing and swallowing. The fiber either balls up and causes a blockage, and/or tears up their digestive tract and they bleed out. Both are horrible things.  Fabric like fleece or an old towel are safer. I never use a real dog bed with those that still chew, as it is a waste of money, but I do save old cotton bath towels just for this purpose (that and for lambing time  ). Thrift stores are a good source if you don't have any at home. |
| Sorry its not a carpet but a mat that is petfriendly from the pet store. I added a cozy fleece blanket as well so here's to a better night. |
| We put the crate in our bedroom with us. It is still there. A bonding takes place at night when all are alseep. They hear you, smell you, bond with you. Putting the crate in your room with you might help the crying and whining...Just remember, as a new pupy, they will need to pee as soon as they get up. For as long as I could, I would pick her up and carry her out side in the morning. To just open the crate door was too long a walk! And the pirannah teeth, yikes they hurt! A product called bitter apple works well. You can also mix some white vinegar and water into a spray bottle. Harmless but tastes terrible. DO NOT get into the eyes however. Spray your hands and pants letgs. yes, you will smell like salad but for now, it will stop the biting! Also, provide lots of chew toys. Or he will chew your walls, etc. He NEEDS to chew...A wet wash cloth twisted and then put in the freezer works well for their teeth and gums. |
| We just do not have the room for the crate in our bedroom otherwise we would do it. Its gonna have to work this way and it will. Just need some time. We will get the apple spray. I like salad. Maybe I wont crave pizza and burgers so much if I smell like Salad. LOL!!! |
| Any chance the crate could go in the hallway so Jaxson could see you? |
Giantfish wrote: Just for reassurance, you all have or are going through the same thing?. Yes, my hands are tattooed with tiny healing cuts. It isn't pretty. Charm understands "no" but sasses with air snaps. And barks. We turn away and try to ignore the shrill yipping. That's the worst for us right now. Like Jaxson, she chews anything from outside also. Sticks, stones  , tree roots but particularly mulch. She loves her mulch munch. And yipes, when I retrieve it! Those razor teeth!! It's a puppy phase, I keep repeating that mantra. I have been giving Charm bully sticks for chewing. She didn't take to the frozen cloths but enjoys the stick. Its a good break for us too, and the stick lasts quite a while at this stage. She will chew for 20-30 minutes, then I return it to the freezer until next time. It seems to tire her too. Also, she chomps carrots and apple slices like a starving termite. It's pretty amusing. It does and will get better, every day with our sweet puppies is so worth it.  |
Ron wrote: Any chance the crate could go in the hallway so Jaxson could see you? No, my hallway is smaller. I have a lot of furniture in the bedroom so thats why no room their. However there is plenty room in my daughters room. You think I should do that? I think it would disturb her in the middle of the night for a potty break. She is a deep sleeper though and would understand. This is a possibility  |
| Aunty, As we speak he is yelping in his crate. He does not give up. He fits in well with my kids. They do not give up asking for stuff as well. Yup we do the bully stick as this gives us a break and lasts for a long time. Its been a few days and he only put a small dent in it. The frozen cloth works for a moment. We get the "air" snaps as well. too funny how we are all in the same boat. Next time talk me into getting a fish tank of piranahs. I may be better off!!! |
| Try putting a box fan in the area of his crate, pointing it at his crate (but not right against it) & turning it on low. This has worked everytime I've had a strange dog here for a night or so that cried or barked. Most of the time they settle in nicely because they feel comfortable that there are other dogs here & they can see them. But every once in awhile there is one we need to use the fan for. |
| In our first apartment (2nd floor of a 2 1/2 story house), our "master bedroom" had two windows and two doors and no closets. We had a king-size bed and my night stand kept the door to the kitchen blocked. The other door was at the foot of the bed; there was just enough room to slide by the dresser sideways while facing the bed. Good thing Joan was skinny... if her butt were any bigger, she'd have to face the dresser! It was almost but not quite "stand in the doorway and jump onto the bed." So I can understand this problem! |
Ron wrote: In our first apartment (2nd floor of a 2 1/2 story house), our "master bedroom" had two windows and two doors and no closets. We had a king-size bed and my night stand kept the door to the kitchen blocked. The other door was at the foot of the bed; there was just enough room to slide by the dresser sideways while facing the bed. Good thing Joan was skinny... if her butt were any bigger, she'd have to face the dresser! It was almost but not quite "stand in the doorway and jump onto the bed." So I can understand this problem! This is the best story I heard all day. I thought you were going to say you managed to fit a crate in that space. My room is not that tiny. I can put the crate right next to my side of the bed but will not be able to get up out of that bed on that side. I will have to crawl to the front of the bed or over my wife (which may not be a bad thing ). I will discuss now with wifey and see what happens. Keep you posted. |
| Scott, I would try out the daughters room. Get a baby monitor and when the pup gets restless(gotta pee) you would hear it and be able to get the pup before he wakes your daughter up. I know people, me included have urged you to put the crate in your bedroom but if you don't have room, go with your daughters room, just for the baby to know that there is someone near can do wonders for the crying. For the first 6-8 months of Simon's life, I looked like a battered victim. I always explained that I have a puppy...dog people understood. Keep a toy in your hand at all times, ready to shove into puppy's mouth. When he nips, a sharp NO BITE, and shove the toy into his mouth. I was also sleep deprived for the first months. I don't have kids so getting up two or more times in the middle of the night was hard. Try to sit down in a quite room, have a drink or two and remember...this too shall pass. It all goes into the joy of having a puppy. We are thinking of you... |
| Well....tell us it went better last night ??? Was thinking of Jaxson this morning when Charm carried in a mouthful of leaves as her post bkft snack. Its hard to see what she has when it's early morning darkness. Not complaining, but I'm gonna need a new broom soon. I'm wearing this one out, plus Charm attacks it in the most pouncing and delightful ways. |
| Good morning. Believe it or not we had a decent night with the crate which remains still by the kitchen. When it was night time he spent about 25 minutes crying then went to sleep. He slept about 2-2.5 hours. Then went out for potty and back in. No crying. We stayed with him for only a few minutes. Slept another 2 hours and repeat. He may be getting it.......... Todays main subject looks to be nipping so far. Which is not much different from yesterday. Lol. Aunty, spray some apple stuff on your new broom. |
| Izzie is the only puppy I've ever raised, and the alarm clock worked wonders. I never responded to her desire/cries to go out. I had her crated in my room and I would set the alarm to go off maybe 3 hours after we went to bed. When it went off I would get up, carry her outside and say "go potty" until she did. Praised her and carried her back to her crate. Set the alarm for another 2-3 hours and so on throughout the night. She learned very quickly to wait for the alarm clock. She didn't become a night whiner/cryer and never had to wait too long for potty time. Every couple nights I would add 5/10/15 minutes slowly pushing to 1 out per night...even if it was 2 hours before wakeup time. It was tiring and if I could I would go to bed an hour or two early to make up for the multiple wakeups When she was really little we often got up "too" early on the weekends for food/playtime and then we would all take a nap after being up for a couple hours.  |
| Pam, great advoce especially "this too shall pass" that is one of the sayings I use for a lot of things. The couple of scotches as well work too As stated above he had a good night next to the kitchen in his crate so not going to move the crate just yet. Lets see what happens. If we keep moving forward then will keep everything where it is. If not then make the change. Amanda P - glad the alarm thing worked so well. That is a good method. |
 Yea Jaxson |
| I would say the first 2 months we had Mady were extremely hard. She was and is a near-perfect dog, but the first 2 months we were completely drained, exhausted, and fed up with the nipping. Then it started to get better, then a lot better, and she's been a dream dog for over a year now (she's 16 months). So as cute as they are when they're little, just know that the first 2 months you have him will most likely be the most tiring, stressful, and trying time with him. It gets a lot better! (But enjoy and remember everything about him when he's so little because it passes so quickly! ) |
Baba wrote: I would say the first 2 months we had Mady were extremely hard. She was and is a near-perfect dog, but the first 2 months we were completely drained, exhausted, and fed up with the nipping. )Ditto that. Howie was a handful for about 6 months. He is turning one and is now a pleasure to hang out with (most days). Scott, just know you & your family are doing the right things, keep a routine, BE FIRM, and know Jaxson will grow out of this stage. peg and howie |
| David and Peg, thanks for the encouragement. I have a window of 2 months to 6 months to possible a year when Jaws (I mean Jax) starts to mellow out. Do you think its ok to put him in his play pen area if the biting gets bad. There are moments where he seems to lose his mind and nip at everything. I can handle him and keep putting toys in his mouth but he sneaks a shot (nip) once in a while. The kids on the other hand are running for the couch when Jaws (I mean Jax) approaches. Anyway when he is out of control can we put him in his play pen, not crate to mellow out. Thoughts? |
| Also what about food. How much a day? He is around 15 lbs and currently feeding him puppy chow for the next few weeks (thats what the breeder was feeding him) then will ween him off this. Thanks in advance. |
Giantfish wrote: Great advice. Thanks. We will take all into consideration and see what works best. Just this moment we were playing with him and he is nipping like piranah. He got me once and I screamed loudly and he back off. I do not want to punish him and put him in crate or play pen. We give him a chew toy instead but he wants flesh or shoes. Just for reassurance, you all have or are going through the same thing? Shari, We have a blanket draped over the crate but nothing around it. There is a carpet he lays on inside. I will throw a tshirt of mine in there and maybe that will help. Perhaps the radio may help as well. You have to keep giving the pup something in his mouth when he bites, eventually he will get it. I know it seems redundent, but that is how they learn. My Aussie, Asia, who is 3 1/2 still grabs herself a toy when she gets excited and keeps it in her mouth. Puppies don't come with manuels in their brains and it take a lot of patients. I was lucky with China because when she came to me at 8 wks, I would put her in my bedroom at night in her crate and Violet, my oes would lay next to the crate so they could lay next to each other. |
| We give Dahlia 1 Cup of food 3 times a day. (plus peanut butter and treats) She eats Science Diet Large Breed Puppy since that is what the breeder was feeding her. My vet said that in the beginning, it is OK just to follow the puppy food bag... It is a good guide. |
Giantfish wrote: Do you think its ok to put him in his play pen area if the biting gets bad. There are moments where he seems to lose his mind and nip at everything. I can handle him and keep putting toys in his mouth but he sneaks a shot (nip) once in a while. The kids on the other hand are running for the couch when Jaws (I mean Jax) approaches. Anyway when he is out of control can we put him in his play pen, not crate to mellow out. Thoughts? Having lived through the same craziness not too long ago, I'll mention what we did. Not sure if the more experienced dog owners would do the same or not, but this is how we coped. When Howie was WILD, running full force and chomping down on our arms, I would run, hide and cry.  No just kidding. Mark & I would calmly grab Howie, say "no bite, go to time out" We put him in a separate area (a gated room) only used for his calm down times. We used this area many times throughout the day. We never used his crate for punishment, only for sleep. Once Howie became relaxed he would be let out to play, we did not used our voices. I noticed when we would laugh or talk quickly to Howie he would get hyped up, and then bite more. We tried the 'put him to the ground hold until he gives up' move. After doing that a few times, I realized that it really just made life worse for all of us. I am sure it works great for some dogs, not Howie. Each day, once or twice, Howie would have a "psycho pup' event. We would get out of his way and he would tear through the house or backyard. He would go running in big circles for about 4 minutes straight. He just had to burn off energy. If we got in the way, we would be attacked, we made sure the area that he was going nuts in was safe. Even now at a year old, if I walk him on leash for a long time, when we get home Howie will run crazy around our yard for about 5 minutes, and then flop down & breathe heavy. As for teething, we sliced bananas small into small strips and froze them.. It really helped when Howie was starting to chew something other than a toy, we would say "banana" and he would run to the freezer, sit and wait for the frozen treat. At night, Howie slept in the cool basement, in a crate, with a baby monitor, radio, and a fan. I don't know if any of these things helped, as I mentioned before he would wake up every few hours. I tried to ignore him...but he also had a sensitive stomach and was often sick. So I was nervous to just leave him be in a little pile of vomit. So I'd get up often through the night. Scott, it really is hellish when sheepie pups act this way. Record the good moments, and count to ten and breathe through the bad ones. I really can say now, after those painful & stressful months with Howie, he is a very cuddly dog who is lots of fun to play with. All the best with Jaws! peg |
| When we first had our Bailee he did all the normal puppy stuff like biting, running around etc. We had a Trainer come to the house and she gave us some of the best advice we ever received. First, SOCIALIZE, SOCIALIZE, SOCIALIZE! She told us to make sure Bailee met AT LEAST 100 people in his first 2 weeks with us. Take him out to meet the Mailman. Even at that age he will always remember those people he mets early in his life and will always be friendly to them. It is amazing how true this turned out. Also socialize with other dogs, ALL shapes and sizes. Bailee is now 2 1/2 and he is the most friendly and well socialized dog we have ever had. His only "problem" if it is a problem is he is SO friendly. We kept him in a crate in another room and our Trainer's advice was to leave him alone even when he cried. This worked grat also, one or maybe 2 nights at the most and he was fine. As far a potty training be PROACTIVE! Don't wait to hear the signal, set your alarm and get up and take him out. Lots of praise and a treat when he goes and right back to the crate. We got Bailee when the weather turned COLD here is South Jersey and it was a little rough (on me) getting up 3 or 4 times a night, BUT, it only lasted for less than a week and to be honest he was almost completely housebroken with 3 or 4 days. He had ONE accident in the house in the next 4 months and that was my fault for not listening to his signals. At about a year & a-half we gave him complete free roam of the house. With regard to the "nipping" thing the Trainer told us to YELL and ISOLATE. What that means is when the pup bites you (which is absolutely normal behavior) to yell out like another puppy would when bitten and put him by himself (either on a tether or in a room)and walk away for a few minutes. It sounded strange BUT it was remarkably effective. Don't forget, LOTS of praise and treats and it also would not hurt to sign up for Obedience Training. They are really never too young to learn and he will amaze you at how smart he can be. |
| We are also doing the 100 people, 100 places and 100 things exercise with Dahlia. We take her every where and we introduce her to strangers/kids/adults/mail-lady/UPS guy.. whoever is around. We also take her to puppy playgroup every Monday night and Puppy Kindergarten. It is really a fun exercise to introduce her to all of these new things and for her to gain confidence in the big world. Scott: You should check the puppy schools in your area and see if they have something like I have with Puppy Playgroup. It is awesome. It gives the puppies a chance to run around and play with other puppies in a safe environment for an hour each week. It doesn't sound like much, but, it really helps them with their bite inhibition and meeting new people/pups. |
| We feed Charm 1 cup three times daily. She gets her training treats too. I give her about two tbsp of yogurt daily too. She loves it. A trainer friend told us something similar about socializing. We started around twelve wks of age(I was afraid earlier). Yesterday, Charm visited a shoe store, a salon and the drive thru at bank. She loves people. The trainer said not to overwhelm her for long periods but to introduce, allow petting etc and then move on. Charm does well, and gives the opportunity for working on her manners. As Peg mentioned, she gets crazed sometimes and runs. Usually she does this outside. As soon as the weather breaks, we are going to increase her exercise. Right now, the worst frenzied behavior is sliding full speed in the bank of mulch like stealing home  ugh!I Like the idea of time outs. Will keep that in mind. Thanks for this thread Scott, I'm stealing all your advice!! |
| Everything posted today is such great help. Everything posted everyday here is great help and cannot be thankful enough. My wife says, "write to your friends and find out this. Write to your friends and find out that" You are all awesome. One week almost in the books and we have come a long way. He is used to his crate. Not at the level I want him to be at but at least the crying has subsided plenty. The teething is an issue that I will continue to work on. The bad news today is he had a couple of accidents. Mostly my fault as I missed his signals but hey I am learning them as well. No harm. Jaxson is great, we are having a blast. We are waking up every 2 hours during the night and will try to stretch it out asap. Its cold out there at 3 AM. |
| Sounds like good progress And at least 3am is warmer now than a couple months ago...thank goodness! |
Sounded like good progress yesterday but its the classic 1 step forward, 2 steps back. We are still good with the crate training however his biting is horrible. His teeth must be killing him that he becomes an alligator chomping. Toys in the mouth, yelping. It does not work. My wife and kids are terrified and while I am not scared, I am getting frustrated and starting to show it with him. I do not like to see my wifes hands scratched up. While I understand we all have been through it all I can say is keep the faith and it will be better. Any training techniques for this sort of thing?  |
Sorry to hear of Jaxsons unrelenting chomping. That is so frustrating, particularly when the family is upset.  Plus, the first week is so hard with sleep deprivation. Charm is beginning to settle down at sixteen weeks but when stimulated with play for a length of time, will nip with abandon. I noticed this with my grand daughter yesterday. Olivia would run and play, hide, toss toys, etc. Charm would become hyper and nip at her. She tore her pants at one point. Today, in a quieter environment, she is much improved. I know its hard not to constantly play with these cuties, but try the time outs. Put Jaxson in his kennel with a treat or kong and let everyone rest for frequent periods. Perhaps it will help him to become less agitated to nip. I don't really know if it will work, but hopefully. A tired puppy is cranky, maybe he needs a break too. Charm still sleeps alot. Glad to hear he's liking the kennel more, and nights are getting easier.  Like you said, one step at a time, baby steps. |
| I agree with Brenda. At the beginning with Mady, I don't think that we read the signs well when she was tired and we let her get overtired and a tired puppy doesn't learn the rules as well. Kind of like toddlers. And husbands.... |
Mady wrote: I agree with Brenda. At the beginning with Mady, I don't think that we read the signs well when she was tired and we let her get overtired and a tired puppy doesn't learn the rules as well. Kind of like toddlers. And husbands.... Not enough sleep for Howie was our biggest mistake. Everything I read had talked about socialization, training tips, puppy proofing...nothing mentioned how much sleep a pup needs. I wish we provided more naps, less play. Scott, I remember one night when Howie was 10 weeks old, I was alone with the pup and he was attacking me. I was squashed on the couch hiding my feet & hands and I started to cry because I thought I created a monster.  Around week 14 the crazy attack of tiny teeth slowed down for us. He still loves to use his mouth today at a year old when he gets wound up from playing, but we have the command that reminds him 'no mouth'. Hang in there. It is hard to see your family members all bruised and scratched. More sleep for everyone! peg |
| It reminds me of a night when David went out and came home to find me standing on the sofa, crying, with Mady on the floor bark bark barking. Seems funny now, but was not funny at the time. |
| I feel better that we are going through the same thing ya'll are going through. You guys are survivors....lol!!! We took Jax to puppy kindergarten today and he loved it. We loved it. We learned so much then jax got to play with the other puppies in the class and let go of tons of energy. I must admit it was fun seeing him get tossed around since he has been tossing us around this past week. No complaints today. Hope everyone enjoys their weekend. |
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| So glad puppy kindergarten was a success!! |
| YAY! I am glad you are taking him to Kindergarten. We love it and we had a sheepie and other pups before but, you can always learn new tips and techniques to help with the training. We will have to compare kindergarten tips since we are going into our 3 week tomorrow. |
I like puppy school stories..  If you ever feel low, just watch a group of pups running and bumping into each other, lifts the spirits for sure! peg |
Hello! I just HAD to respond to this post because I'm going through the same thing with the nipping and biting, but I want you to know that it DOES get better. My girl is almost 5 months old and thankfully the biting is getting less and my hands are healing from all the cuts and bruises. I swear I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown, though, when she wouldn't stop no matter what I did! I took all the tips and advice I could find and practiced them, but nothing worked. I would sit and cry at night when the day was done and I could finally relax in my bedroom. The only thing that seems to be working (for my puppy anyway) is time and just realizing that it truly will stop. Now she won't stop jumping on people, counters, the garbage can, etc. Lol!  That's why she's enrolled in puppy kindergarten! Next Saturday is her first class and I can't wait! Anyway, even though Sheepdog puppies seem to be puppies from hell, they do chill out slowly. That's what I've been told time and time again and that's what I'm experiencing now. So, hang in there! |
| Thanks for the kind replies. Kindergarten is a definate plus but after 1 day it wears off, sort of. He is great with learning his name. Sitting for food etc. But the invaluable experience was him getting to play with other dogs. Not only does it tire him out but he learned not to bite so hard. Therefore more biting these past 48 hours. "this too shall pass". Its funny but he seems to bite a little easier especially after we scream or yelp. He gets it that he is hurting us and thats the last thing he wants to do. He is a good boy and goes int his crate without a problem, no crying or weeping. We take him out before we go to bed around 11:00 and then around 3AM and then finally around 5:30. So he is doing great so far. Amazing how far we have come from the very beginning to learning about Sheepies to being parents in their 2nd week. P.S. The best is when I was holding him and his face against mine and he is licking my face up. |
| Today was not so easy. It says Jax needs 3hours of chewing his toys and things. Turns out he is craving attention and acting like a bad boy. We keep an eye on him throughout the home but he is canvasing the place for anything to put in his mouth. I was working all day and gave him a solid hour of playtime together. In that hour he had my arms and hands in his mouth for most of it. It gets frustrating but what can you do. Just stay the course. He has class tomorrow nite so cannot wait for that. He needs to run around with others puppies. He was so good on Saturday and Sunday after class but that faded and frustrated again. Thanks for letting me vent. |
| Oh Scott, I feel your frustration. One thing that really helped us when Howie was Jax's age, was going over to the local school yard around suppertime. It is fenced in, and no one is that hour. We would let Howie off leash and he would run. He would get stupid and run, jump and bite us while we were at the school yard.  But at least he was out of he home and burning off energy. We still go over to the school yard each day, we throw a ball around then carry on to the dog park. I like to have him tired out a bit before he meets the other dogs. When Howie is running with another dog away from us and ignores the command 'come', we say 'bye bye" and walk the other direction...works every time, he comes zooming us next to us. Enjoy puppy class tonight. Maybe another puppy might be able to do a playdate with you & Jax between classes? peg |
| Oh boy....Jaxson is already testing you! Unfortunately, this will continue to happen for awhile, so you need to remain strong even in the darkest moments. When Dahlia needs to burn off energy, we tie a really long rope to her and throw a tennis ball around and work on retreiving. She loves it and it quickly tires her out after running for the ball all over our hilly back-yard. We keep the rope on in case she decides to bolt, even though she hasn't done that yet. We also use a lot of sticks in the yard. If she is walking with us, we give her a stick to carry around so she doesn't try to nip us while we walk. This has been extremely successful and she loves sticks. It also stops her from eating dirt, moss and rocks when she has a stick in her mouth. Dahlia is quite mellow though compared to what I think you are going through with Jax. She wasn't that nippy in the early weeks and any time she would try, we would always have a toy in our pocket to throw in her mouth. Tennis balls work great or little stuffed animals. The stuffless animals (skunk or racoon or fox) work well too. Is Jax getting enough nap-time in his crate, alone? They tend to get more nippy and obnoxious of they are over-tired or even over-stimulated. You should learn some techniques in dealing with this in Kindergarten class. We learned some ways to hold Dahlia. Is he mentally stimulated? We set up a little obstacle course for her using those little kids play-tent and tube. They are like $15 and she loves it. We throw balls through it and hide stuff in the tube and she has to go and get it. We have been doing that since day 1 and although, she is a little big for the tube now, she still gets through it and has fun playing with it. Hang in there. You will get your groove with him soon. It hasn't been that long yet. Also, we can always meet up somewhere for the puppies to run around and maybe I can give you some additional tips since I am a few weeks ahead of you in puppy-hood.. |
| Great stuff, thank you. Definately hanging with him and giving him the attention he craves helps him. He wants to please us but does not want to be ignnored. I took him for a nice walk this morning and he really liked that. While my wife and kids get ready for school I am able to keep him busy whereas he was being ignored since everyone was doing their thing and forgetting about jax. Some solid attention goes a long way. Shari and Peg you are right, get him to burn off steam everyday. I cannot wait for puppy class only 2 times a week. Also giving him a stick outside and I should carry around a toy when he starts chewing on us. I need to get into better habits, cant go empty handed anymore. |
| Oh thanks for the stick idea!! I love the thought of not cleaning out the moss-mulch mouth!! That's a good solution. I've been carrying toys outside but Charm would rather eat nasties. |
| Some suggestions regarding sticks: We live in the woods, so sticks are always available. We do a lot of hiking so sticks are always available. This makes it very easy to always have a toy around since sticks are always around. We took a few really nice sticks and cut off the bark and we keep those by all of our exits. When we leave the house, we immediately give her a stick. She prances all over with it. If she finds a more interesting one in the yard, then we let her swap it out, but, we always keep around those bark-free ones. She sometimes likes to sit and chew on them but, it is much better then the dirt! I hope she grows out of this dirt issue before we do our gardens this spring/summer...!! She just loves getting dirty and the richer and darker the soil, the better! We have also started introducing her to the lakes near our house. She loves putting her feet in them and drinking the cold water. We want her to swim this summer, so we wanted to start her off young with liking the water. So far, she loves it! |
i sort of lucked out with dreamer instead of me getting attacked he did it to his brother ..  just think when you finally get jax trained you will want another one but trust me the second one is easier lol --david are you reading this for mandy |
| Once the teething settles down so hopefully shall the nipping Mine at 12 weeks with a stick zooming around burning off hypo puppy energy  And she never grew out of that the sticks just got bigger We have lots of gum trees around and she would just go and pick a stick and have fun with it and still does.  |
| Suz - great pictures. Funny how the little ones are the terrors while the adults kind of hang back and relax. The adults know their role while the kids are all over the place. Lisa - 12 weeks and your pup is huge. I hope the biting settles by then. Jax is 10 weeks now and not slowing down. After he nips at us we immediately put him in time out for 30 seconds. He stops briefly but usually starts up again. We shall see.... On the other hand the crate training has gone well. We pick up his water at 8:00, we take him for his final walk around 10:30 and then he sleeps for 4 or 5 hours usually. Then by 7 AM take him out for his morning walk. No complaints here!!! |
| Oh we have a stick boy too This is Chewie finding stick to play with at a stop on our way home from nationals in NY last fall...I missed him dragging and tossing it -  We have mulch in our dog yard and he loves when a bigger stick sneaks past the grinder...lol |
| Poor Mady, I don't let her chew on sticks. I am actively trying to train her to leave sticks alone "leave it!" when she goes for a stick. Our problem is that she too often eats the stick. And it's no good for her stomach, almost all the times she's thrown up, there's been sticks mixed with the kibble in the throw up. |
Baba wrote: Poor Mady, I don't let her chew on sticks. I am actively trying to train her to leave sticks alone "leave it!" when she goes for a stick. Our problem is that she too often eats the stick. And it's no good for her stomach, almost all the times she's thrown up, there's been sticks mixed with the kibble in the throw up. Very true - thankfully Chewie only PLAYS with them. He's only vomited once in his life, and that was from the antifungal medicine that has nausea/vomiting side effects. Now foster basset Harley, HE does eat a bit of mulch or stick and pukes it. Just cleaned some up this morning |
| Violet has had mulch stuck to the inside top of her mouth before, so I don't have mulch down where the dogs go. Violet is truely my clown. Today is Friday, which is garbage day, so the girls like to ride in the van down the driveway and wait while I pull both the garbage bins out. I hear a thump from the van and look inside to see what happened. Violet sits on the bench seat in the back, which is really three seats that fold down into the floor. Well one of the sets was not locked into the upright position so when Violet went to itch herself, she fell into the "trunk" part of the van. She was ok, more started then anything. So we pulled back into the garage and I opened the hatch and lifter her out. The adventures of a sheepdog. |
| The weather was 86 today in New Jersey. Jax must have been so hot with all that fur. Sticks are one thing Jax likes but does not love. Its all the rocks and new flowers on the ground he likes. Aww who are we kidding. Anything that can get in his mouth goes in his mouth? I can probably name 100 things. This Wednesday he will be 11 weeks old and hoping the teething slows down a little. Probably have a little ways to go yet. Hope all is well with everyone. |
LOL wait till the "Teenage Phase"  You have awhile yet for jaxson to finish teething, oh the joys of a baby sheepie  At least you have not had dry wall chewed along with washing machine hoses, yep had that, that was fun when I turned the washing machine on and water everywhere They are a late maturing breed, I say they finally grow brains around 3 ish |
lisaoes wrote: LOL wait till the "Teenage Phase" You have awhile yet for jaxson to finish teething, oh the joys of a baby sheepie At least you have not had dry wall chewed along with washing machine hoses, yep had that, that was fun when I turned the washing machine on and water everywhere They are a late maturing breed, I say they finally grow brains around 3 ish |
| I do feel an overwhelming urge to balance things out. We've had MANY dogs, many breeds and OES at our house, plus fosters. Unless I'm having severe amnesia, I don't remember any of this crazy really out of control or destruction. My house is still standing. No hoses/walls/furniture eaten. Oliver, our 1st OES was trained by one of my daughters, who was 13 yrs old at the time. She did AKC conformation and showed in obedience and Jr showmanship in 4-H. The started this when he was a puppy. He had a brain. They both did fine - all the normal obedience, on lead and off lead. He was also intact (not neutered) until he was 6 yrs old, and that was done due to medical issues, totally unrelated to any behavior. He was a therapy dog with me from a young age on, and we also did herding classes. Chewie was a bit older (4 months) when he came here, but he most surely has had a brain. And an intact male too, and still has a brain off lead and competing surrounded by females!  Neither one had any more biting/nipping issues than any other puppy. It is not something allowed. And I do notice it is an issue ( many breeds not just OES )with students that come to class, as they are mouthing/nipping at their humans in the beginning of class. This is still at 4 months and up (average age starting my regular obedience class), so other new puppy owners do have some difficulty dealing with this in the home. A good puppy class instructor should be able to help you with this while they are young. There is no reason to have a pup doing this to the point you are scratched, bleeding or bruised, or frustrated and crying. Yes, they are puppies and are going to do some crazy stuff. But they can learn. And learn well! |
| I have to admit that Mady, besides her annoying nipping phase which was pretty much over by 4 months, never chewed, ate, or destroyed anything (she was also very very quick to housetrain). With the exception of my gloves.... when Mady wants attention and feels like she's being ignored, she will march off to the front door, get a glove, bring it into the living room, and either just drop it ostentatiously or sit down and start chewing it. If I just remove the glove, but don't start giving her attention, she will march off to the front door, and get the other glove. That's about as naughty as she gets. She also hasn't shown any teenage craziness I hear about either. One of the trainers we've followed and really like, has the philosophy that you should always have high expectations in your dog, set the standard high and the dog will meet it. Keep working on training, keep discouraging nipping (through yelping, time-outs, distractions etc), the nipping was truly unpleasant, but it will pass, and will pass faster the more consistently you try and control it. |
| I've always thought rather than a lack of brain...they are TOO SMART!!! It takes time, effort and energy to stay a step or two ahead of the buggers Izzie has always much more easily "trained' my sister and I to do something that we have trained her The nipping took a bit of time to eliminate, but she house trained really quickly...especially considering that she had re-occuring bladder infections when she was really little. As long as she gets enough exercise (mental and physical) the battle of the brains usually is won by us  |
I want to say that Howie at a year old is lots of fun to live with now. Oh, he has his moments (so does my husband) but nothing that we can't easily deal with.  Hopefully his great behavior continues.got sheep wrote: Neither one had any more biting/nipping issues than any other puppy. It is not something allowed. There is no reason to have a pup doing this to the point you are scratched, bleeding or bruised, or frustrated and crying. As for the nipping and biting....I have lived with this, we asked for help, and received lots of guidance, but there was NOTHING that was going to stop Howie from biting, other than keeping him in his crate constantly. When our puppy was 'attacking' it is almost as though he was 'possessed' I have had other nippy pups before, but nothing that resembled my Howie. On a positive note, Howie has not destroyed a single item in our house, he was able to be left alone uncrated since he was 4 months old. Amanda P wrote: I've always thought rather than a lack of brain...they are TOO SMART!!! It takes time, effort and energy to stay a step or two ahead of the buggers ^^^^^^ I totally agree. peg & howie |
got sheep wrote: I do feel an overwhelming urge to balance things out. Unless I'm having severe amnesia, I don't remember any of this crazy really out of control or destruction. My house is still standing. No hoses/walls/furniture eaten. Neither one had any more biting/nipping issues than any other puppy. It is not something allowed. A good puppy class instructor should be able to help you with this while they are young. There is no reason to have a pup doing this to the point you are scratched, bleeding or bruised, or frustrated and crying. Yes, they are puppies and are going to do some crazy stuff. But they can learn. And learn well! I agree with Dawn--We have had 5 OES that we raised from puppy to adult to senior and then to the bridge. Two of those were intact males their entire lives-- and I do not remember stressing--being bit or nipped uncontrollably and crying--any extreme frustration-- or any crazy destruction with any of them. Of course there was the typical 'puppy behavior'--some funny moments and some-- not anything that I wanted repeated. I do personally believe that your expectations will be met if you are consistent-firm and of course loving and quick to praise and reward. With each puppy as with my children I was determined to enjoy each age and enjoy each stage! And still live by that! I enjoy a schedule and a routine--BUT with both children and puppies it has been my experience that as soon as you feel like you establish a routine or schedule--they outgrow that one and are on to the next one. In many ways I have found that flexibility allows for growth and enjoyment of each age. Relax and enjoy the special moments--and firmly deal with bad or annoying behavior.My advice to all new parents of both uprights and furbabies is: ENJOY the moments--they pass all too quickly-- especially the 'newborn' moments and the baby years! Before you know it they are grown and gone! |
| Happy weekend to all.... Yesterday I had some friends come over for a movie and at first Jaxson was a little wild. I put him in the play pen upstairs but he barked and wanted to hang with the boys. I took him out and brought him downstairs and when he was bothering one of my friends, I clearly said Jaxson NO and to come to me and he listened perfectly. We did this about 3 times and he just sat by me and ate his bone. He was great and I am so proud he passed this test.  Here is Jax at 12 weeks..... |
| yea jax good boy |
| Very good! It sounds like communication is there between Jax and you, and then learning is happening....congrats! |
| scott, i'm glad to hear jax did well, but i don't know if it's just me. he appears to be plotting something new. |
| Congrats!! A great step in the right direction. Jaxon at 12 weeks is adorable! |
| He is learning! It must be hard to say no to that cute face. |
| OMG...he is so darn cute. Keep the pictures coming!!!!! |
| Yea!!!!! |
| What a good puppy! See? There is a light at the end of the tunnel! As difficult as some days were with Oscar when he was a pup, it went by so fast, in the blink of an eye. Next thing you know, Jaxson will be full grown and you will miss those days when you used to be able to carry him around. (Or, maybe not.)Just remember, when Jax is being a relentless little hellion, this too shall pass. Laurie and Oscar |
| Communication is definately there. We definately take 2 steps forward, 1 step back at times but he is a baby still and it is expected. He loves to listen for treats and within time he is going to be a perfect buddy. He is on the same page as my kids, they both do not listen at times.... My family was over and my brother said to me he is a great dog, well behaved. He said he expected so much worse from what he has heard from us the previous 4 weeks. Jaxson only wants to hang out with everyone and is a good boy. He does not want to be in the play pen or crate when company is over and I feel its unfair for him to be in there when people are over. The only draw back is he chases the kids from time to time. Especially when then run to the couch.... Good times!!!! |
| Scott, so glad to hear your update on Jaxson. Sounds like he's definitely fitting in with everyone, and maturing. The children are enjoying him more now? It doesn't take long, and the biting fades like puppy breath, hers is gone Charm has changed so much these last two weeks. She's about 18 weeks, and absorbing her lessons very well. Her confidence is improving, and she minds most of the time. She is smiling and happy, but trying to train us with her sweet communications. BARKBARKBARK!! It's so much fun to move into and through phases. So glad we have these babies. Give Jaxson a treat for us!!! |
auntybren wrote: Scott, so glad to hear your update on Jaxson. Sounds like he's definitely fitting in with everyone, and maturing. The children are enjoying him more now? It doesn't take long, and the biting fades like puppy breath, hers is gone Charm has changed so much these last two weeks. She's about 18 weeks, and absorbing her lessons very well. Her confidence is improving, and she minds most of the time. She is smiling and happy, but trying to train us with her sweet communications. BARKBARKBARK!! It's so much fun to move into and through phases. So glad we have these babies. Give Jaxson a treat for us!!! Thanks Aunty. I cannot believe we have him for a month already and have come a long way. Yes the children are getting more comfortable with him and jax is getting more comfortable with us. You can tell he likes his home! He completes our family. Yup, he tries to train us as well with his barking as well. Treats all around.... |
| Interesting change in Jaxson's sleeping arrangements last night. We moved the play pen down to the den and he prefers to sleep there instead of his crate. One of 2 things play into his decision. 1- the floor is tiled and therefore cooler (however its not that hot out yet) 2- I still have the divider up in the crate and maybe he is cramped. he has grown a lot since we got him. and btw - his biting / teething is still bad everytime he plays with us. I need some tips how to nip this in the bud (no pun intended). Thanks. Have a great day! |
| Mady has always preferred sleeping on cool tiled floors, regardless of time of year or temperature in the house. |
Baba wrote: Mady has always preferred sleeping on cool tiled floors, regardless of time of year or temperature in the house. Yup. The tile is the spot of choice. He is so much more happy on the tiles. |
| For biting niping when playing there are two main approaches. 1. Any and every time he nips you, you yelp or yell ouch and walk away. No more game, no more attention. Wait 5 mins before paying any attention to him. As they get older some owners will leave the room for a few minutes. You have to apply this consistently for him to get it. 2. Give them a stuffie to hold in their mouth while you play. If they'll hold it they can't bite you. I used this method to stop Tiggy barking at me when I got home too. She would bark and bark at me with that high pitched bark as she was so happy and excited to see me. It was not fun when I got home tired from work. So I kept some stuffies at the door to give her. Now at 3 years old if she is excited when I get home she grabs a toy herself so that she can't bark. Good luck |
Mim wrote: Now at 3 years old if she is excited when I get home she grabs a toy herself so that she can't bark. Good luck That is sweet. Mady does the same thing when we get out the vacuum cleaner (hoover to some of you). She gets overly excited and grabs a toy and flails the poor toy around. |
| I agree with item #1 that Mim posted a high pitched yelp or squeal does work. We recently got a cocker spaniel from the humane society that was biting and nipping terribly. Within a week of us yelping like hurt puppies and folding our arms and turning our backs on him and stopping all play for 5 or ten min, Moe got the idea and it has not been a problem since. You need to do it consistently and your pup will get the picture. |
| The yelping does not work so much with Jaxson. He barks back at me when I yelp. While he does not nip hard he still has to put my hand in his mouth often and I cannot get him to stop. With me I think he thinks he is playing since I roll around with him on the floor and stuff. He thinks I am a puppy also.....lol so the bite inhibition thing is happening. He is almost 14 weeks so hopefully his baby teeth will fall out soon and we can get passed this phase. Other than a few accidents in the house Jax has been very good. |
| One thing you could try is that if Jaxson nips is to completely withdraw: walk away and ignore him for a few minutes. It must be immediate so that he connects a nip/bite/mouthing you with a negative consequence for him: loss of your attention, which he craves. Of course as he gets through the teething phase, this will improve naturally. But in the meantime, right now, your hand in his mouth = relief for his gums + attention from his beloved person. Remove the attention part and that should help. Note: Walking away is much harder on you than on him. |
When Oscar was a puppy, he was all FANGS and CLAWS, so I literally know your pain.  (We called my dad the "blood donor", because every time he played with Oscar, band-aids were required.)Withdrawing from Oscar never seemed to work, as he would latch onto your pant leg while you were walking away to ignore him. He was relentless! Due to his deafness, a high pitched "ouch" from us was, needless to say, highly ineffective. The only thing that worked was shoving an appropriate toy into his mouth when he was biting/nipping. Consistency is the key. Everyone in the house has to be on board. Every single time Oscar came in contact with our skin, we signed "no" and shoved a stuffie in his mouth. As he got a bit older, and the teething calmed down, we were able to do a big "ouchie face" after a bite, while holding our hand exaggeratedly. Then we would put a toy in his mouth. Like others have mentioned here, Oscar now grabs a toy himself when he is getting too wild. Laurie and Oscar |
| Hi Everyone. It has been too long since I have been back here. By the time we get a chance to relax, I am too tired to write. I still read oes.org so my apologies for being lazy. Having 2 kids, running a business and Jaxson gets you tired. LOL. In over 15 weeks Jaxson has come a long way, getting better and better all the time. His teething is better, he only lost one tooth but he has learned to chill out with the biting on humans. He still does it from time to time but its a lot better. He loves his play pen, where he sleeps and knows when bed time is. When its time for a nap he walks right in and we do not have to lock it. When we leave the house obviously we lock it since he is still a puppy and tries to eat almost anything. Shoes are his favorite. If you turn your back on him and shoes are around, he will scoop it up and walk to his favorite spot for some good chewing. He does not get away with it often. He loves his treats and when he starts acting up and not listening I can get his attention with some treats and settle him down. He has had some accidents in the house but nothing terrible. He rings the bell when he needs to go out. Sometimes he rings the bell even though he does not have to eliminate. He just wants to go outside to see who he can play with. He is a good boy. Here is a picture of Jaxson with his friend Henry. Hope you like it.  |
| Yeah, you're right. Its been TOOOO long. Every time I am on the forum, I check to see if there are any postings from you. I love to see pictures and hear how things are going. |
^^^^^^^^ ME TOO SO GLAD TO SEE HE IS DOING WELL what a cutie   |
| Me three!!! Was just thinking of you yesterday, but figured that Jax had chewed your fingers off, hard to type with nubs! So glad to see he has an active playmate~that has to go a long way with his energy level! How is it going with he and the children? I know Charm likes children, but she doesn't have a live in playmate. Great news about the playpen, now that's progress.  Charm still has her occasional #2 surprise for me, hidden well, so I know she knows better Looking forward to summer with her, all new adventures!!!  |
| Yup. I apologize for not being around. I will get to more pics and more updates. Glad everyone is still interested. Like I said he is a good boy and learning. We are learning him as well. As long as the puppy phase lasts he will still do his puppy things like try to put my head in his mouth....lol. But I ask for it when I am wrestling with him. He gets wild and starts chomping away on me however they are not hard bites b/c he knows. Aunty, you should know you can still type with 2 fingers. Who needs 10 fingers? When he gets my last 2 then be worried. LOL!!! Thanks again! All my best! |
| Glad to hear things are going better! Maybe some more pictures??? You HAVE to be taking some! |
 I started taking more pictures but some of them do not come out that great. He is a dog and he moves often. lol. Anyway, Jaxson is 4 months old here. We had our second vet visit on Saturday and he grew 15 lbs since we got him 2 months ago. He is a big boy already at 30 lbs. Who knows how big he will get? Our vet thinks around 70 lbs even though his Dad was 99 and Mom was 70 lbs. We could not be happier as a family to add Jaxson to our home. The bond that is forming between Jaxson and us is great. Even my little one has finally taught Jaxson to stop chasing him and biting him on the butt. |
| That sounds like good progress. Cute picture - your baby is indeed growing! |
| Thanks. I think it is good progress as well however I am waiting for the other shoe to drop. Just about a month ago I was exhausted from this boy and now we are good. |
| Jaxson and your family are indeed doing well. Chauncey was about this age when we were camping with a physician friend of ours. We were bruised and our hands looked like hamburger he asked if we had been wrestling alligaters Chaunce has been known as our furry alligater since.His paws were as bad as his nipping. He was quite the pip. Now he's almost 6 and there are days that I miss the more active times. |
| Awww, Jaxson is a cutie!! Look at that sweet face, and adorable solid black leg! He's beautifully marked. So nice to hear that he's doing well, especially with the children. Too funny about the butt bites! Just a quick grab n go!! Ouch! Occasionally, Charm gets me on the back of my leg, but now has an insane attraction to flip-flops and exposed toes |
| Yup flip flops, shoes anything that has to do with feet they love. All our shoes are in the guest room with door closed. The second a shoe hits the floor, Jaxson comes sneaking in, swipes it up and sneakily walks away with it. His look is like, "you think I can walk away with the shoe and no one will notice".... Anyway, forget about toilet paper, my kids left finger paint on the kitchen table and Jaxson got his paws on it and ate the pink color. (Pictures to follow) Good thing its finger paint and nothing harmful. His paws and mouth are all pink. |
| My first week with Otis was ROUGH to say the least! We were waking up to barks and cries every hour! I tried everything to get him to sleep - a ticking clock, chew toys, a blanket over the crate - nothing seemed to work. After about a week, I moved his crate into my bedroom and he went straight to sleep! Now (he's still only 13 weeks), he sleeps through the night without any potty breaks! It's a miracle!!!!! Having an OES pup is no easy job but it is worth all of the time, money, energy! Otis is an absolute joy and I am sure your new edition is as well! |
| My son got to bring home Fluffy. Fluffy is his classes pet stuffed animal. He was very excted to take a picture with Jaxson and Fluffy. All my son wanted to do is hold Fluffy and all Jaxson wanted to do is eat Fluffy. In this picture Jaxson was preoccupied since I had a treat in my hand when taking the picture. LOL! Jaxson is 40 lbs here and just over 4 months old. He gained 10 pounds in 2 weeks. HAHA!!!  |
| That is so darn cute! I bet Fluffy is quite interesting to Jaxson. Good practice for your son to keep an eye on Fluffy |
| Yea good practice for my son. Everytime he held Fluffy over his head Jaxson followed. He followed him all over the house. A couple of times Jaxson got him but quickly let him go since he knows better. LOL. |
| So the craziest thing happened this morning, Jaxson got his collar stuck on my night stand and was choking himself to get out. As he was in a panic he was putting more and more stress on himself. As he was pulling away I was trying to get the collar out but he was going nuts and finally I got it and everything was ok. However there was a smell that dogs do when they are scared. I looked it up and found out that this dead fish type smell is a nervous reaction to fear of some sort. Anway, thank goodness we were hope and there to help. These puppies get their noses in all types of areas. |
Giantfish wrote: So the craziest thing happened this morning, Jaxson got his collar stuck on my night stand and was choking himself to get out. As he was in a panic he was putting more and more stress on himself. As he was pulling away I was trying to get the collar out but he was going nuts and finally I got it and everything was ok. However there was a smell that dogs do when they are scared. I looked it up and found out that this dead fish type smell is a nervous reaction to fear of some sort. Anway, thank goodness we were hope and there to help. These puppies get their noses in all types of areas. You have just smelled anal gland secretions...... Glad Jaxson is OK, and the nightstand survived as well. |
| Gross!!! |
Giantfish wrote: Gross!!! Oh, I agree! I hope you sprayed a little cleaner (grooming spray, waterless shampoo) back there and wiped him off, or he may be leaving smears of odor all around.... And just so you don't fell that special and lucky, our coonhound Maggie does it when we clip her nails...just freaks her out (she's a neglect/cruelty rescue)...needless to say we do nails OUTDOORS! |
| I can join the smelly club, "today" also...YUCK! Just got home a little while ago from a vet appointment and wouldn't you know I had a present waiting for me as soon as I turned my back. Males I have found have very sensitive systems and boy can they be STINKY...yuck I tell ya. |
| My boy did not listen today. We ran away from me when I called his name and told him no. How dare he ignore me and run to the kids who were calling for him. Doesn't he know I am the one who gives him love and treats? He also started reaching onto the kitchen counters and trying to eat anything on them. This earned him a big time out. I bet he listens better tomorrow...... Hope all is well with everyone! |
| First let me say, I love his name. They do go through a teenage stage.Everything you thought they did learn, all of a sudden, seems they forgot.They are testing you.What has always worked for me is keeping the puppy attached to me with a light weight leash.Seems they know what is at the end of that leash has control over them.You are able to correct the behavior immediately. Always has worked for me. Good luck with your Jaxson. Robin |
gumbo41 wrote: First let me say, I love his name. They do go through a teenage stage.Everything you thought they did learn, all of a sudden, seems they forgot.They are testing you.What has always worked for me is keeping the puppy attached to me with a light weight leash.Seems they know what is at the end of that leash has control over them.You are able to correct the behavior immediately. Always has worked for me. Good luck with your Jaxson. Robin Today was not much better I must admit. He is simply testing me but he did it again and walked away when I called him. Besides the leash what is the best way to let him know when I speak, he needs to listen. Or am I being unreasonable here? Thanks for the Kudos Robin. |
| Hi Scott, How are you calling, Jax? Are you just calling his name and "come" Or what command are you using? We learned in class that we need to say Dahlia come and then repeat puppy puppy puppy puppy (or something in a high pitched excited tone) and then we keep doing this until she comes to us. We hold a treat at knee level and we practice this a lot. It works very well. Just a suggestion.... Granted, she does have selective listening sometimes, but, for the most part, it works well.... Shari |
| Hey. When I have treats on me then no problem. Jax follows me pretty well. But when I dont the Jax part alone does not work. He looks back and figures there is more excitement in the other direction. I guess when he gets older he will learn better. Cant be perfect everyday. I will definately try the Jax, puppy, puppy, puppy thing as well. Hope all is well. When are we getting together? |
| Charm is getting stubborn too. She tries to avoid a command by being cute. I will say "stay" for example and she proceeds to air snap and mutter under her breath. That distracts me, and soon I forget that she's in a stay. She's training me! So far, I've had no trouble with recall. We always treat inside now, and not everytime. She's always happy to go in, to see if its treat time. I don't know if that will help you with Jax but it works for us. Good luck. |
| Aunty, We are usually good with getting Jax back inside. I ask him if he wants a cookie and he'll march right in. Its only if/when his buddy down the block is out or neighbors are out, he wants to visit and does not matter what I say. Guess he is going to learn the hard way...... |
scott not to be rude but come on he has the kids and all that fun he is just a puppy give him a break  just saying what he must be thinking |
| Suz, you are too rude...... Except jax is not thinking much. He is a doofus in his own way. LOL. |
| Hi All, Hope all my friends here have been having a good summer. I think about everyone here but not a lot of time in the day to get it all in. Jax is 6 months old and we are wondering about food for him. Currently he is eating Kirkland chicken and rice for puppies. Jaxson is around 60 lbs. he has grown nicely however I do not think he is getting enough nutrition with this brand of food. For starters I think puppy food for large breed puppies is probably better than the regualr puppy food however to me the kirkland food looks very blah, Jaxson eats it all up anyway but I guess I am looking for more out of it. Secondly, he has diharrea after he eats. This does not happen often but usually he will make a nice one and then round 2 is the diharrea. (Cant believe I am having this convo but.... ) So I feel a change of food is a good move.I have heard about feeding dogs wet and dry food. Only dry food can cause kidney problems so mixing it up wet with a little dry food sounds like a plan. What do you recommend? Thank you. |
| Hi Scott, Just for reference, we have moved away from Puppy food. We slowly moved away from it by feeding a blend of puppy food and adult feed at about 5 months. Now, we feed Dahlia ProPlan Large Breed Dog food and also Nutro Max (I think) Large Breed Dog food. She is 60lbs and 7 months. She gets a mix---1 1/2 cups twice a day. Her stool is fine but, she has an iron stomach from what I can tell. She can eat anything and it doesn't bother her. I am not sure I would start on the wet food. My experience is.... once you start on wet food you can't reverse it. Dogs usually love it and I have found that their stools are softer with wet food in their diet and can have bad gas. But, that is just my personal opinion with my previous dogs. Shari |
NJ_Sheepie wrote: Hi Scott, Just for reference, we have moved away from Puppy food. We slowly moved away from it by feeding a blend of puppy food and adult feed at about 5 months. Now, we feed Dahlia ProPlan Large Breed Dog food and also Nutro Max (I think) Large Breed Dog food. She is 60lbs and 7 months. She gets a mix---1 1/2 cups twice a day. Her stool is fine but, she has an iron stomach from what I can tell. She can eat anything and it doesn't bother her. I am not sure I would start on the wet food. My experience is.... once you start on wet food you can't reverse it. Dogs usually love it and I have found that their stools are softer with wet food in their diet and can have bad gas. But, that is just my personal opinion with my previous dogs. Shari Thanks for the advice. Am I reading that correctly....1-1/2 cups twice a day. So Dahlia is only getting 3 cups of food all day? Jaxson is get 3 cups in the morning and 3 cups in the evening but its the puppy food I guess. Are you mixing the ProPlan with the Nutro in the 1-1/2 cups? |
| Is that 6 dry measuring cups of food, or 6 scoops? Either way, that seems like a lot of food for a 60 lb puppy. Could be why Jaxson is having loose stools. Sheer volume! The most Oscar has ever eaten when he was a growing pup (and he's 109 lbs. now) is 4.5 dry measuring cups a day. And he is an eater! We were doing multiple food switches during his puppy and early adult years, due to his IBD, but as I recall we got him off the large breed puppy food pretty quickly, by the time he was 6 months old. As far as canned versus dry goes, I think vets are changing their tune. My vets always advocated dry food, as they said it was better for a dog's teeth. Well, that only works if your dog actually CHEWS his kibble, which neither of my OES ever did. (We know this from the fully formed kibble in their barf.) Oscar does soooooooo much better on canned food, and we found this out completely by accident. After a bout of autoimmune pancreatitis, my vet wanted to start Oscar back slowly on food. Due to his multiple protein intolerances (he can only have venison), she was concerned about dry kibble, as it is more difficult to digest. She suggested we start Oscar out on the canned version of his kibble, and slowly reintroduce the dry stuff. Turns out, he did so well on the canned version, we now use kibble very sparingly, by adding a little into his canned food, and for treats. No gas. No tummy rumbling. No loose stool. Laurie and Oscar |
| I think we will stick with the dry food and maybe go with the Kirkland adult food. I would like to hear a few more opinions though. And we will lower the amount of food he gets. |
| Would like to hear opinions on giving a large breed puppy,a puppy formula ? Is this what your breeder advised to feed? I was advised the protein level was way too high for a growing large breed puppy. Feedback from others,please.... Robin |
gumbo41 wrote: Would like to hear opinions on giving a large breed puppy,a puppy formula ? Is this what your breeder advised to feed? I was advised the protein level was way too high for a growing large breed puppy. Feedback from others,please.... Robin No actually its not what my breeder advised. Simply looking for the correct meal for my dog. I have recieved great advice here and now I am seeking more for a subject I have not touched on in the past. |
Giantfish wrote: gumbo41 wrote: Would like to hear opinions on giving a large breed puppy,a puppy formula ? Is this what your breeder advised to feed? I was advised the protein level was way too high for a growing large breed puppy. Feedback from others,please.... Robin No actually its not what my breeder advised. Simply looking for the correct meal for my dog. I have recieved great advice here and now I am seeking more for a subject I have not touched on in the past. We have used Kirkland Chicken and Rice here ever since we have had a Costco and they do great! I would certainly switch to the adult now, IMHO |
| we have Ryleigh on Blue Buffalo large breed adult dry food. We switched her to adult when she was about 14 months old. We feed her 1 cup a day 3 times a day. Shes a nice fit and trim 68 pounds. (she does get treats ie small milk bones throughout the day for being good ). We learned the hard way with our lab about letting them eat to much and getting over weight. |
Giantfish wrote: The yelping does not work so much with Jaxson. He barks back at me when I yelp. Was checking out this post as I'm getting a pup soonish and got a kick out of this. Glad that stage is over for ya |
| My point I am asking is, I was taught to never feed a large breed puppy a puppy formula because the protein level is too high,will make them grow too fast. This is what I am trying to get others to respond to. Robin |
gumbo41 wrote: My point I am asking is, I was taught to never feed a large breed puppy a puppy formula because the protein level is too high,will make them grow too fast. This is what I am trying to get others to respond to. Robin Robin, I do start puppies off on puppy food, generally a large breed variety, but I find I'm switching them to adult food younger and younger, first by 6 mos, then by 5 mos, now I'm thinking possible 4 mos, I'll play it by ear, but you are correct that you want puppies to grow slowly and above all steadily. A number of years ago my vet - who counts quite a few Great Dane breeders among her clients, though she's an OES breeder herself - told me her Dane clients swore by Biljac for slow, steady grow. I just made a face. Biljac not topping my list of favorite foods. Though I love their liver treats. But who's to say they aren't on to something? Anyway, Scott - your best bet is to ask your dog's breeder as she knows her line's development rate best. There really are no hard and fast rules. Kristine |
| I fed my dogs large breed puppy food till they were a year. I have 1 OES and 2 labs, plus had a great dane a few years back. They all grew normal and never had any problems. Think its like everything else, do what works best for you and your dog. Your breeder and your vet and YOU know your dog best and what they will or wont need. |
| Sounds like the best advise...ask the breeder because the breeder should know their lines. Anyway, a longtime well known OES, OESCA,show/breeder and now into rescue for over goodness knows, how many years, preaches...no puppy food for a large breed growing puppy. Robin |
| I have only had two pups...Georgie was 5 months when she came in so she was on adult. We had Finn at 8 weeks so we gave him puppy food for a month or so and then switched to adult. |
gumbo41 wrote: .Anyway, a longtime well known OES, OESCA,show/breeder and now into rescue for over goodness knows, how many years, preaches...no puppy food for a large breed growing puppy. Robin Yeah, and, well, who is going to argue with Annie?!! Raising puppies is like anything else, as much art as science. One thing I've learned is that very few vets know squat about nutrition The good ones will admit to that Kristine |
Mad Dog wrote: gumbo41 wrote: .Anyway, a longtime well known OES, OESCA,show/breeder and now into rescue for over goodness knows, how many years, preaches...no puppy food for a large breed growing puppy. Robin One thing I've learned is that very few vets know squat about nutrition The good ones will admit to that Kristine When we got Finn I asked the vet what he thought and he said "Whatever you think is best" |
I knew most would figure that one out!  But yes that is one thing I do remember from that chat list...the preaching of adult food for a large breed puppy. Most vets will tell you to put the puppy on Science Diet! They did not learn about nutrition in vet school.Wish they would all get on the same page and admit that one! Robin |
| I'll add in on the volume of food making loose stools - it really does! It's like they get full up and saturated, and it comes out as really loose and mushy poop. I'm also an early switcher to a good adult food - 6 months at the latest. For several of the pups, we've been on an all life stage food at the time, and everyone from big to little, young to old has done well on it. Makes life easier for me, and I feel great knowing everyone is getting a food they do well on. At our house it's OES, labs, bassets - none of which should be getting puppy food much past 6 months. And they go to a decent adult food - not like it's they get Old Roy or Beneful... There are so many good foods out there to choose from...unless you live in some really remote area. |
got sheep wrote: At our house it's OES, labs, bassets - none of which should be getting puppy food much past 6 months. And they go to a decent adult food - not like it's they get Old Roy or Beneful... I have seen some dogs that are fed Old Roy and it does make for some funky colored poo |
| Dawn I have used the all stages formulas also. Does seem to work out well when you have different breeds and ages,only have to buy 1 type of kibble. Was wondering if you got to see Jaxson's parents with your own eyes? If so, this should give you an indication on how big Jaxson will be. I have told this story before but in this case I think it worth repeating. A four month old puppy came back to me because her owner was diagnosed as being bipolar. So the family thought it was in the best interest of the puppy to return her to the breeder. The puppy came here nipping at my heels and ankles and yes it does hurt. She wanted my attention and thought I was one of her litter mates. She got my attention alright,those sharp puppy teeth do hurt. Anyway what worked for me was tethering her to me with a light weight leash and when she did anything unacceptable I was able to pull the leash and have her eye to eye and said no bite in a firm voice,not the voice I use for praise and love.Took only 2 days and the nipping was over and never returned.I also trained her to sit for her food and even water in 1 day without giving a treat,just praise as in good girl and a hug. Do you know this 4 month old puppy from that time on followed me everywhere,if I got up to do anything she was right behind me.I swore she slept with one eye open. She turned into the best,smartest little girl I have ever had. Just telling my experience with a similar situation.I hope this can help you or anyone going through the nipping stage. Robin |
| http://www.dogfoodadvisor. http://www.dogfoodanalysis Both are sites I recommend when someone is trying to figure out what to feed. I also used Kirklands for several years. We changed where we boarded(pre OES). I liked the way my dogs coats looked post boarding, and changed to Premium Edge. Interestingly both of these products are made by Diamond. Post OES my breeder suggested Taste of the Wild (for all stages of life- I also have a multi dog household ages 9yrs down to 1yr). TOTW is what I've used for the last two years,and I'm really happy with the results. Also a Diamond product (it wasn't my plan to only use Diamond-you have to really search to find they make all these brands) It turned out my Shilo Shepherd (a rescue- the breed has horrible close bloodlines) had a grain intolerance. Multiple vet trips diet changes nothing seemed to work. Changing to TOTW he has done great (100lbs with intermittent diarrhea was not fun)My current vet doesn't recommend any one brand. He just said go to the sites above and buy the highest rated brand you can afford. With the higher quality premium brand you are feeding less. My vet also said the suggested feeding amounts on the bag are to sell dog food . His advice which we followed 1cup/10lbs till six months then 1cup/20lbs after.Ripley,my OES is now two and a half she weights around 70lbs. We put her on TOTW at 4months. I do keep my dogs a little on the thin side and they are all really active. Slow steady growth is always the right thing to do with dogs prone to HD. Feel your dog,look at your dog from the side.Bloodlines may vary,active levels may vary.... but you should be able to easily feel your dogs ribs, also you should see ribs/stomach delineation when looking from the side. By the way our dogs are related |
| Thanks for the links furry and four paws. We went with the Nutro natural large breed puppy food. Jaxson is 6 months however after reading more here I guess we will go to adult food after this bag. Jaxson ate up his new food without a problem and no diharrea which was abviously due to too much food. Now, something to consider a new vet since she advised he should have 3 cups in the morning and 3 cups in the evening. Waaaaaay too much!!! We cut it down to 2 cups each now and we are pleased. Good to know some of Jaxsons siblings are around and on this site. |
Giantfish wrote: NJ_Sheepie wrote: Hi Scott, Just for reference, we have moved away from Puppy food. We slowly moved away from it by feeding a blend of puppy food and adult feed at about 5 months. Now, we feed Dahlia ProPlan Large Breed Dog food and also Nutro Max (I think) Large Breed Dog food. She is 60lbs and 7 months. She gets a mix---1 1/2 cups twice a day. Her stool is fine but, she has an iron stomach from what I can tell. She can eat anything and it doesn't bother her. I am not sure I would start on the wet food. My experience is.... once you start on wet food you can't reverse it. Dogs usually love it and I have found that their stools are softer with wet food in their diet and can have bad gas. But, that is just my personal opinion with my previous dogs. Shari Thanks for the advice. Am I reading that correctly....1-1/2 cups twice a day. So Dahlia is only getting 3 cups of food all day? Jaxson is get 3 cups in the morning and 3 cups in the evening but its the puppy food I guess. Are you mixing the ProPlan with the Nutro in the 1-1/2 cups? Yes, we only give Dahlia 3 cups total per day of dry food. We split it out for breakfast and dinner. She also doesn't scarf down her food. She eats about 1/2 of it and then takes a breath and then goes back to it maybe an hour later and finishes it. She rarely eats the entire cup and a half in one sitting. She does get 2 big biscuits per day and at least 1 or 2 Kongs with peanut butter/treats as well... We mix the Nutro and the Pro Plan together in a big container for variety. We have always given our dogs a blend of food for as long as I can remember. We usually use 2 or 3 different dry foods...but, that is after I know that they don't upset the dog's tummy. |
| When is a good time to give a puppy a short haircut? What is the best age for a puppy cut hair cut? Thank you. |
Ok so I could not find or get an answer on when the best time to get your puppies first hair cut so we took him to our groomer and here is Jaxson's short hair cut.  I think he definately misses his furry hair but getting used to it. He is so much cooler now. He would take a long time to cool down before the haircut and now much shorter. What do you think? |
| scott, it's funny how that 1st haircut will drive some sheepies to say, "look away, i am hideous" even without a mirror, some hide after the traumatic incident and question the uprights motives. they soon realize they are cooler and all is well as it grows back soon. jaxson's do is |
| He looks adorable. I bet he is much cooler. |
| At first he was in shock. Like what the heck man. What did you do to me. Now he is adapting and appreciative. You can totally tell in his demeanor. He was embarrassed at first especially since his testies are there for everyone to see. He was not adjusting well to those. Lol. |
gumbo41 wrote: I knew most would figure that one out! But yes that is one thing I do remember from that chat list...the preaching of adult food for a large breed puppy. Most vets will tell you to put the puppy on Science Diet! They did not learn about nutrition in vet school.Wish they would all get on the same page and admit that one! Robin When we took Caitlyn in for her first vet visit, our vet suggested Purina ProPlan and Eukanuba, in that order. and he sells Hill's Prescription plan stuff. She'll move to Eukanuba for adult food because that's what Zoey eats and loves. Vance |
| You have a smart vet! Love hearing some are finally getting it,for a long time they recommended Science diet. Thanks for sharing this,Vance! Robin |
| He's a third generation Vet and they're all Swedes!!! Vance |
| Love, Dahlia BTW, Jax: My mommy took me to the lady who cuts hair too about 3 weeks ago and I feel much better in the hot weather! Mommy was a little sad to see my puppy hair go away, but, it was getting knotty and she kept saying these bad words when she was brushing me..... and it would make me squirm.I can't wait to play with you again soon! This time..... on a SUNNY day! My mommy has some pics to post of our muddy playdate. |
| Yes, a sunny day will be great. Funny thing if you remember we were at the groomer the day before Jax and Dahlia mud party. So that was all for not. Next time we have to cancel if the weather is bad. lol. |
| I don't think there's really any best or worst time to get that 1st haircut...yeah, fine advise after it's done! It certainly isn't harmful sooner or later If puppy is hot, getting matted, you are too busy to groom - then it's a perfect time for a haircut. It's not like it won't grow right back, after all!  Jaxson looks cute , and wow, is he getting some long legs!! |
| Thanks Dawn. We love him to pieces however my wife is not too happy with him these days. We went out Saturday night and when we got him she took her shoes off and left them by the door. Good Ol Jaxson thought they were his new toys and chewed them up. Needless to say they were my wifes best pair of shoes and she did not talk to him for 3 days. LOL. |
Giantfish wrote: Thanks Dawn. We love him to pieces however my wife is not too happy with him these days. We went out Saturday night and when we got him she took her shoes off and left them by the door. Good Ol Jaxson thought they were his new toys and chewed them up. Needless to say they were my wifes best pair of shoes and she did not talk to him for 3 days. LOL. Oh no...  I am so lucky...in spite of naming Chewie "Chewie" - he chose to emulate the intended Star Wars Chewbacca, not the "eat your shoes" version. Looks like sister Sybil took up all the slack for Chewie... And Riley who was a puppy right before Chewie ( they are 6 months apart) was a non-chewer as well. In fact he doesn't even like any toys...odd boy that he is. I swear I have the only rat terrier in the world who hates tennis balls - that's why we were flyball drop outs I'm SURE I will be having HUGE paybacks in the next puppy, after the gift of perfect behavior these two were as puppies!!! |
| I want to know how they always chew only ONE shoe and not the whole pair...I have more single pair shoes than anyone lse I know! Bottom line is...when you have a puppy, you either become a super neat freak who doesn't leave ANYTHING down on the floor...or...you live with shoes chewed...and other things...LOL!!! |
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