New puppy-advice needed

[andicap]

Got a new puppy over the weekend -- 3 1/2 month old cockapoo -- sooooooooo cute. I'll post a pix when I get one.

Anyway, we're housetraining it using advice from the pet store (I read Barbara Woodhouse but people told me some of her housebreaking methods are outdated -- like leaving turf or sand in the dog's crate.)
anyway, we're making progress but the dog seems to have -- ahem -- the runs. We fed her at 8 a.m., let her out to her "spot" and she promptly pee-ed and pooped. So, we let her play outside the crate and five minutes later the dog poops again inside the house! Stools were loose like she has the runs. I ran her back outside and then into the crate where she didn't go again.

(we're supposed to keep him crated for 2-3 hours then take him to his spot in our backyard for 5-10 minutes, then back in the crate for 10 minutes if he doesn't go. If he does go, he gets 20-30 minutes of play as a reward.)

Any advice from knowledgeable dog people?

[Bobby]

The vet is where u need to take it.
Where did you get the dog?
Did you get a health guarantee?
It could be the food, it could be parasites, intestinal track issues or something else.
The vet will take stool sample.

[Bobby]

But I would wait a couple of more days and c what happens since you just got it. Maybe change in diet. I had a cocker puppy that had parasites. it had runny stool.

[sniezer]

If the puppy is crated,then how is it supposed to let you know it needs to go out? My Aunt raises dogs and she always recommends putting newspapers near the door. This always worked for me. I would make a big deal if they went on the paper. Oh what a good puppy!

Then when they would know to go on the paper, I would catch them when they approached the paper and take them outside. More good puppy! when they did it outside. When they couldn't hold it and went on the paper ,I didn't scold them,but I stopped the good puppy for the paper and only did the good puppy! when they made it outside. Always worked.

As for loose stools,definitly vet if it lasts more than a day or two. Boiled rice sometimes helps if they are just not used to the food your feeding.

[lsbets]

I've always crate trained - they key is to take them straight outside and praise them when they go. The rgeat thing about crate training is the crate becomes "their room" and its common for dogs to go there when they need a break from the activity in the house. All of my dogs do that except one - she would rather nuzzle up under my feet wherever I am sitting.

I have to agree with everyone else on the loose stool - wait a day and see what happens. Dogs have pretty sensitive digestive systems, so a change in food can mess them up. If it doesn't clear up call your vet. A lot of puppies have worms, even well bred puppies, its very common. Has the puppy been wormed yet? If the stomach is bloated that is a common sign.

[so.cal.fan]

Congratulations, andicap!

I'm pretty good at training puppies.
I set up a schedule.
I prefer a confined area to crating.
A playpen or an enclosed area in your home, but where the puppy can see you.
I get them up first thing in the morning.....take them out to there "potty" area.
Then they have a half an hour of free SUPERVISED time in your house.
You then feed them, and of course always have water available in their confined area during the day.
You then take them out again to the potty area.
You then confine them for 3 hours.....take them out again.
Give another half hour free time.....then confine them again for a few more hours.
You basically feed them and take them out at specific times.....offer free play time (always supervised, so you can quickly bring the puppy outside if it starts to have an "accident").
You take them out last thing in the evening to the potty area.....then take away the water from the confined area....until morning.
There are some really good little books out with systems for training....check them out.
If you have any questions, I may be helpful with, please feel free to PM me!
Good luck! :)

[JustRalph]

Decide on one type of food and stick with it. No table stuff. Every time you change foods you will see the loose stool again......until they get used to it.

[Bobby]

yea, no table food and no kibbles n bits. Try something like hills or iams (sold now at Wally world) or eukanuba.

I have a suspicion its more than the food though. Cockapoo are a cocker and poodle mix? right?

Next time I would advise you to stay away from Pet stores. A lotta times - not all the time - they are the puppy mill dogs and the prices are too high anyway.

with the cocker I had (actually my parents. i lived with it though), when we first got it it had runny stool with blood. Kinda scary. Vet took stool sample. I think it was bacteria. We had to give her gatorade and stuff like that to keep her hydrated. Just gotten her too. Not to burst your bubble or scare you she died at like 2 or 3 years old from Thyroid disease. Just a bad situation. Since then my folks get a health guarantee.

My brother got an english bulldog. It had kidney failure and eye problems. Died at 3yo. He got another one WITH a health guarantee for like 2 years. And no problems. Gotta watch those dog breeders.

Not trying to scare you. Every dog different. I guess my folks and brother have just had BAD LUCK with dogs.

[blind squirrel]

every time i change the diet of my dogs,"runs".
all the comments previously posted are very logical.

read a good book on how to communicate with dogs.

"THE DOG LISTENER"...JAN FENNELL,she uses some of
the techniques of MONTY ROBERTS{THE MAN WHO LISTENS
TO HORSES},a good read,and if your dog has "issues" later
on its a good reference book......good luck!

[Achilles]

Other replies offered lots of good advice, especially about no table scraps. After you get through this situation, pls consider some of the following: Make sure that you find a vet who you trust and who goes the extra mile when necessary. If the office is very, very busy with a crowded waiting room and long waits, find someone who will take the time you and your pet need.

I don't know your home situation, but if you have little kids, they can be pretty scary to puppies and small dogs in general, and sometime too attentive; pets need their private time too.

If possible, I would get your pup a canine companion of the opposite gender. Look for a medium sized dog, maybe older too. A larger dog will withstand the attention of the kids too. The pound is an excellent place to find one. They will be companions for each other when you and your wife are at work and the kids are at school. They will get into a lot less trouble than if they are left to be solitary creatures, and they will be happier. So will you.

Good luck, your life is about to be taken over by someone a tiny fraction of your size.

Achilles

-----Being unable to assume an initial premise with any tolerable degree of accuracy, I am loathe to assert a conclusion, fearful lest I should err.

[keilan]

What were you thinking buying a 31/2 month old puppy? I’m not familiar with cockapoo’s but you’ve put yourself in the unenviable position of breaking all the things he’s taught himself the past 100 days. Is this bred smart, probably not as it belongs to the toy family? Anyways get the pup on a high quality puppy food and have the vet give him a check-up. After you have done this, give me a phone call and I’ll explain the steps necessary to have your pup completely house trained within 7 days 100% guaranteed :) . There will be NO hitting or rubbing his nose involved, to train is to teach not punish with force.

[andicap]

Wow, thanks for the advice....

I might take you up on that, Keilan, depending on how's the pup is doing. :D

We have another dog..a 12 year old bitch who wants nothing to do with the new pup. She just wants to be left alone really. But we didn't train that dog. Got it from my mom who became allergic. This is the first puppy my wife and I have ever trained even tho I had dogs growing up and my wife has owned dogs too.

We do have a 6-year-old but the dog seems to love my daughter. He's very gentle and playful. Really eager to please!

We're crate training it per most of the advice we've heard and read. We did read Barbara Woodhouse's book and are following her advice to some extent. (not the stuff about keeping turf or sand in the crate!)
We crate him with a small bed and blanket and do the 2-3 hours in-crate/take outside/play for 30 minutes IF it goes and repeat. Expand as he starts learning.
Feed him 3x a day, 7-8 a.m., 12-1 p.m., 7-8 p.m but we've moving toward a firm 7 a.m., noon, 7 p.m. sked. Someone told me yesterday not to feed her after 6 p.m. You get a lot of advice!

He's getting the hang of housebreaking and it's only been three days. The biggest problem and what's vexing me the most is the double-pooping. He hasn't peed in the house since Saturday. Also,the dog has pooped every night at 3 a.m. !!!! What's this about? I take him out at midnight right before I go to bed and he pees but that's it.

he poops after we take him out to his "spot." We reward him by taking him in and playing with him for 30 minutes -- as So. Cal recommended (Our training routine is very similar to what you laid out.) -- and he poops again not 10 minutes later in the house!!!
I'm keeping a real close eye on him after we bring him in and today I rushed him out the second I saw him circling but he still got a small squib or two out before we got outside. This was minutes after he had pooped outside!
The storeowners said pups often poop twice in the morning and advised either keeping a very close eye on it in the house or keeping him out longer after pooping the first time as long as we don't play with him. Keep it all "business." But then he did the double-poop tonight too.

QUESTION: What's the feeling on giving the dog a small "treat" after he goes outside? You want to reward him of course, but without getting too used to getting a treat every time he goes outside.

On the puppy mills; We were very very cognizant of avoiding puppy mills. They are notorious. This store gets its dogs from breeders in the Midwest and has an impeccable reputation. The owner loves and cares for the dogs like her own children.

We have a vet appt for Thursday so we'll see about the parasites/worms.
We were thinking he might have worms.

And yes, we're keeping him on the same dog food...Eukanuba Puppy Chow which we mix with wet food the store gave us if he doesn't eat the dry stuff.
He has not had a great appetite today and yes, we put some white rice in with his food for the runs. hardly ate anything at dinner, but he doesn't seem sick as he's running all over the place. No table scraps of course.

[Tom]

So you finally found a use for all those old racing forms, eh? :lol:

[so.cal.fan]

QUESTION: What's the feeling on giving the dog a small "treat" after he goes outside? You want to reward him of course, but without getting too used to getting a treat every time he goes outside.


No, not a good idea. You praise her -good girl....pat her on the head....act like she did a really great thing...but no treat.
I also agree that after 7 pm...all food and water should be removed. Once she is housbroken.....of course you have water available at all times.
Do you have a dog door, andicap? This makes it easier.
I trained a 4 month old Pom. female in a couple of weeks, but I have a dog door and an older dog to be an example. I trained this baby while her owner had to go to Hawaii for 5 weeks. She wasn't that easy, because she was so young....but we did it.
My rat terrier was easy.....I kept her on the schedule and she learned right away and has NEVER had an accident in my home. Honest.
The little Pom, stayed in an enclosure, a fence that you set up, I set it up in a rectangular shape, put her little bed in the corner and of course all her toys....very important....you don't want them to think they are being punished. She was always in view of everyone in the family room.
I would put old DRFs down in the enclosure, as Tom suggested. Good use for them....LOl.....she would have a few accidents in her enclosure, but not too many. I was quite proud of the job I did with her! :)
Good luck with your new little girl, she sounds adorable !....I can tell you are a responsible dog guy.....my kind of guy! Enjoy your pup.

[andicap]

OK, she definitely has the runs --
Question is: how much warning does a pup have when the "urge" comes on and the stuff just leaks out? I have a fully trained 12 yr old who has gone in the house when she had diarheaa.

Could "wet" dog food be causing/contributing to it? She refuses to eat the dry food we feed her, only the wet food. She'll eat rice ONLY if we mix it in with the wet food. But I suspect her food might be causing her digestive problems.

She seems to be responding to our training -- when we take her out she pees right away and then poops if she has to and runs back to the steps as if to say, "I'm through, lets play."
Today she went again in the house only 30 minutes after going outside (it was right after her lunch with the wet food. ). I was keeping a real close eye on her but the stuff came out so fast I couldn't even move !!
(Well the floors are cleaner than they've been in a long time....)

I also wonder if the crate we got her is a bit too small....

Vet appt in the a.m....Thank God...

[Bobby]

yes, take the pup to the vet. He will take a stool sample. There's more to it than the diet if the runs have lasted this long. Probably a parasite or bacteria or congential condition.