New dog owner...I need help!

[Esther]

I have never used the crate method.

I take my puppy out about every two hours until they are trained. I praise them when they finish their business and take them in right then and give them a treat.

They usually sleep through the night, most of the time. And take lots of naps during the day like a baby.

Don't listen to Ferd.

Also, IF you are going to keep them in the house a doggie door is the best investment I have made.

I guess it depends on your breed, but I have always has Poms and I have always left there dry food in the bowl and let them eat when they get hungry. They are not overweight.

But Poms are pretty smart animals.

And beautiful!

[BoredOutOfMyMind]

Originally Posted by Sheltiedad

You're old school!

Where is your avatar?

oloroid

I agree on the doggie door! We have one in the "storm/screen/whatever they are called now" door going into the back yard... as soon as I wake up in the morning I open the back door and it stays open as long as I am home until I go to bed.

We're also experimenting with an invisible fence right now for the front yard... it's all installed but we still have to train the dogs on how to use it.

[MrsMcD]

Originally Posted by Sheltiedad

Also for crate training, during the day if possible, start with the dog in the crate for a short time (an hour or so)... then immediately let the dog outside. You will have to actually pick the dog up and take him/her outside because the natural reaction will be to go to the bathroom as soon as he/she is out of the crate. Slowly work up the amount of time you leave the dog in the crate but ALWAYS take the dog out immediately after letting him/her out of the crate. Eventually the dog will be able to stay in the crate for 8-10 hours unsupervised but you should do this carefully and slowly.

Personally, one of or dogs can hold it for over 24 hours because she is too prissy to go outside when it is raining. lol.

This is exactly how I trained my miniature dachshund. The crate worked well.

Originally Posted by BoredOutOfMyMind

Where is your avatar?

oloroid

You wanna see me or my dogs?

[Ferd]

guess the days of chaining a dog up are gone...


acutally I think the practice is barbaric.


I grew up in the country and our dogs didnt come in the house but they had miles and miles of open country to roam.

[MrsMcD]

Originally Posted by Ferd

guess the days of chaining a dog up are gone...


acutally I think the practice is barbaric.


I grew up in the country and our dogs didnt come in the house but they had miles and miles of open country to roam.

I dislike seeing a dog chained. It just seems so cruel. We have a fenced in back yard. Since my dog is a miniature dacshund, he has plently of room to run and he sleeps inside at night in his crate (which is big). He loves his crate. When he gets ready for bed, he gets in his crate without being told to.

Originally Posted by Ferd

guess the days of chaining a dog up are gone...


acutally I think the practice is barbaric.


I grew up in the country and our dogs didnt come in the house but they had miles and miles of open country to roam.

I grew up the same way... but things changed when I met my wife... I couldn't imagine life without our dogs now...

[Ferd]

Originally Posted by Sheltiedad

I grew up the same way... but things changed when I met my wife... I couldn't imagine life without our dogs now...

when Levi gets a little older we will get a dog. I want a whippet. (it is a grayhoundish half size dog)

it will more than likely spend most of its time in the house.

[Nahum]

Originally Posted by Ferd

guess the days of chaining a dog up are gone...


acutally I think the practice is barbaric.


I grew up in the country and our dogs didnt come in the house but they had miles and miles of open country to roam.

I agree.

People who will be cruel to animals will be cruel to humans as well.

In regard to training. We took Max out about every two hours for the first couple of months. As a puppy grows he is able to hold it longer. He learned to ring a bell on the door when he is ready to go.

He's a Pug/King Charles Spaniel mix and the sweetest animal in the world. He brings his bowl to us when its empty. He'll set it down in front of us and bark at us. He sits, rolls, over, dances, says please, shakes, and understands English and Spanish.