Are you all ALWAYS happy with your dogs???

[Sandy]

I feel like such a loser right now. I love Toby, but some days I just want my pre-puppy life back. I am alone with him from about 7:30 a.m., when everyone else goes to work or school, until about 5 p.m. until they start coming home again. Toby is 11 weeks old, so I have to deal with being nipped, cleaning up pee on the floor (one or two accidents a day), playing, walking etc. I don't have any resemblance of my life before the puppy at all. When, oh when, might I have some light at the end of the tunnel? I have a crate and I do use it, but he certainly can't be in there all day. He behaves so much better for my husband than he does for me. I feel like bursting into tears. I have received such support from this board - can someone give me a glimmer of hope??

[Louise and Toby]

This is an investment in time that you will not regret! I see others have encouraged you by saying this stage will pass and that is so true. Hang in there!! We tethered our Toby in the kitchen much of the time, rather than crate him, until he was trustworthy. It worked quite well for us.

[2hl9mp3c2fuam]

I must say YES, more than not I'm always HAPPYwith my dogs..... I know from previous discussion you have had lots of struggles!! I really hope you get the the HAPPY point!! They make me happy every day!!

Good luck!!

[Trev]

OK so you miss your pre puppy days and feel like a loser, I wonder what that makes me since I sometimes miss my pre puppy days AND pre children days.... Revel in the good times, forget the bad times, soon the good times will out number the bad.

[Sandy]

Ha ha! That make me chuckle out loud. I'm at the tail end of children days (youngest in college). We're about even with good and bad days right now....Hoping to lean the other way very soon!

[Patty Barnes]

My Irish grandmother used to say, "Don't put an old head on young shoulders." That reality check helped me raise my children and now helps me with my puppies. Puppy behaviors can wear my patience thin at times, something most dog owners experience; however, in time puppies grow up and naughty behaviors go away. It also helps me to remember that a puppy is rarely fully housebroken until 6-months of age. Another instance of not putting an old head on young shoulders. I wish you well, Sandy, we have all been there!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Sandy, I think many people have given you great advice here. There are some things we endure for the end result. Raising a puppy is sometimes like that. Ned at 7 months is still doing some destructive puppy things BUT I compare his "misbehaviors" to my 5 year-old English Springer's puppyhood, and they are nothing. Gordie ate couches, rugs, molding in walls to name a few things. He became the most wonderful dog and I know Ned will also. Ned is becoming more cuddly by the day. Housebreaking during the summer in an RV wasn't fun - I think I spent the whole summer taking someone for a potty walk. Housebreaking at home with a doggie door took less than a week as long as he was downstairs. I love doggie doors. I also used White Vinegar/water mixture in a spray bottle as a deodorizer.

[323jfej66hz9c]

yep, sounds like a puppy to me...take Toby out in the morning and play actively with him and also do obedience training then crate him and go out for a couple of hours...the more you work with him the better he will respond to you...and you do not have to be a slave to the puppy...take yourself out for a break or call a friend to stop by for a visit...Toby will be better quicker than you can imagine...remember he is a baby at 11 weeks old...funny but it is my favorite time even though there are messes!

[Adina P]

Guess what I did today? I soaked some large chunks of carpet in Nature's Miracle...SOMEONE (who will remain nameless since all I know is it was 1 of 3 doggies) had an accident while we were gone. And it stunk to high heavens when we returned from our trip. I'm still not sure I got all of it...we'll see! So even fairly well trained and house trained dogs...occasionally goof! It just too bad when it's STINKY goof!

[Sandy]

Sorry about your mess, but.....good to hear, in a way. :) You just seem to have it all together! I'm just trying to "not put an old head on young shoulders" as another person on the boards told me. I suspect you may never figure out who the culprit is....put your detective skills to good use!

[Adina P]

Appearances can be deceiving! In my profile I mention how AWFUL it was at first taking care of 3 dogs. I really resented it...very much at times! SO MANY little bodies to deal with, attend to...I just could NOT get it together. BUT with time, it grew on me and became EASY--it helped that the dogs matured too ;-) So I did NOT have it all together with 3 initially...many a days I'd go nuts and just want to send them all outside to live..LOL.

I "think" the culprit was Thule because it was in the same spot she uses to barf, etc. Rosco tends to try to get as close to the back door as possible. And I think Cass would explode before peeing in the house.

[sandy b]

Sandy,
Max is now 14 wks old. About 3 wks ago I actually e-mailed the breeders asking if there was something on my application that led them to believe I wanted the psycho puppy of the litter!! I was ready to give him back. Iwas so tired from getting up at night, all the nipping, taking him out only to have him come back in and potty and just acting crazy. I thought maybe something was wrong with him. The breeders said it was normal. Yeah, right! About that time I contacted a trainer mainly to help me cope and it's really helped my sanity. I am realizing he is just a baby and these are his only ways to communicate with his mouth and those sharp little vampire puppy teeth which would much rather clamp down on your hand than a chew toy!!
I work at home so I'm with him all day but sometimes I just crate him and run errands, go to the coffee shop and read for an hour or just anything to get away for awhile.
But he is changing daily. He still nips but not so much, we can actually pet him without losing fingers, he likes to be picked up and cuddled somewhat and I can brush him while he's getting treats from his Kong. Of course, now he's found that he can jump on the furniture and he likes to eat kleenex!! But, he's responding very well to his training and will come when I yell HERE!! That gets him off the furniture but does not get the kleenex out of his mouth which most of the time I just have to go in there and get it!!
I have a designated outside potty area. Everytime I take him out we go out the same way to the same spot and I always say potty, potty over and over. He doesn't always let me know to go out but once there he is starting to potty on command. It does work.
Anyway, now I'm just trying to enjoy him everday because he's just so darn cute. Hang in there Sandy.
Also, I just found doodlekisses about a week ago and I love this place for all the support. From the response to your question you can definitely see you are not alone.

[Sandy]

Yeah - it doesn't feel so normal when they're clamping down on your hand, does it? Toby is improving daily as well, I'm learning that the crate is my friend, and we start Puppy School in Friday. Can't wait!! And....I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one with discouraging moments.