How do I get this puppy to shut up???

Eissclam · December 15, 1999, 1:13pm

Please take your dog inside at night.

Please housetrain your dog lovingly. Use a crate, take him out every 2 hours at night, and reward him for peeing outside. Remember that your dog wants desperately to please you – please allow him to do so by setting goals that he can meet. If you need more information, I will be happy to post more. I have raised and trained 3 puppies and will give you all the help that I can.

Please love your dog and make him a member of your family.

If you cannot do these things, please return this animal so that he can be adopted by someone who can.

Eissclam.

missdavis102 · December 15, 1999, 2:47pm

I got my first ever dog in February, a big bulldog, Hap. I swore he would not live in the house; he was too big, and I had gotten him strictly for protection - I didn’t even like dogs all that much. However, I’m a real softie when it comes to animals, and seeing him in the yard by himself all day long (I did at least make sure to have a fence before I got a dog), and how happy he was to see me at the end of the day got to me. He now sleeps on the floor next to my bed. We’ve worked together on training and behaviour modification (both his and mine), and he really is the best thing that ever happened in my home.

I hope you will make room in your home and heart for your new family member. Because that’s what you’ve got - a new baby who needs protection and love in addition to food and water and a place to get out of the rain. Talk to your vet about what’s best. Check out books and go to obedience training. Buy a crate and put it in a warm corner. Teach your son about responsible pet ownership. If you do, the puppy will be a valued and rewarding part of your family’s life.

One last thought - whenever I see animals on stakes, it reminds me of the Great White Hunters of the colonial days. They would stake a baby animal under a tree, and its cries would interest any tigers in the area. While the tiger was eating the little thing, the hunter would shoot it. Your staked puppy is an easy target, and if anything happens to her on that stake, it will lie heavy on your conscience.

The_LION · December 15, 1999, 2:55pm

Cornflakes

Please don’t take this question wrong but.
Would you stake your child out in the yard the way you are the puppy?
Properly trained a dog is less of a problem than a child of adult.
All the previous posts contain valuable information concerning your new famly member.
A well trained and cared for dog of any size will be the best friend you will ever need.
As well as the best protection for your home and person that can be had, bar none.
Would your best human friend be willing to lay down there life in your defense like your dog?
Please rethink your decision to keep that puppy chained up outside,you would not like being treated that way if you were him.
If that is not posible then give him to somebody who will make room for him in there life.

Peace
t lion
(A life long animal person)

" I Wonder What Happens When I push THIS Button? "

Stoid · December 15, 1999, 5:37pm

Cornflakes:

I hope to GOD you are paying attention. So far as i can tell, you haven’t had one OUNCE of support for your position from any of these people, and we are a wide variety of folk. The only thing we all seem to have in common is that we all know and undeerstand dogs. You apparantly do not.

I must simply echo what everyone else has said: WHY THE HELL DID YOU GET A DOG?

You are being CRUEL. You may not think so, but it is abundantly obvious that you have no idea what youa re talking about. I dare you to find me a single human being who knows jack squat about dogs that would tell you that your choice is okay.

You don’t have to let the dog sleep with you on your bed and have the run of the house 24 hours a day, but if you are going to have a dog, you MUST make the commitment to train it (WITH LOVE, NOT PAIN!), teach it to be a good doggy citizen, and keep it with its pack: you guys.

She’s 3 months old. She’s desperately lonely, miserable, confused, and unhappy. She doesn’t want to be alone, and SHE NEVER WILL. It is UNNATURAL for a dog to be alone all the time, or even most of the time. Dogs are modified wolves, and wolves live in social groups.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE…I and everyone else here is BEGGING YOU.not or WILL not make the commitment to understand, love, and teach your dog and make her a part of your family: FIND HER ANOTHER HOME. PLEASE.

Don’t kind yoruself that you have done her ANY favors by rescuing her from the pound and sticking her in the backyard. That’s YOUR human understanding of death vs. life. What SHE understands is the misery she’s feeling.

My god…PLEASE… I’m sitting here freaking out, praying you hear us and make a new decision. PLEASE.

I know it may LOOk like I’m not doing anything, but at the cellular level, I’m actually quite busy,

Shayna · December 15, 1999, 5:44pm

Michelle, I know you’re right, that many people just replace their animals and start the chain all over again. It’s really infuriating that they can be so irresponsible. Thank goodness my sister finally wised up and put a stop to it, but it sure took losing a lot of pets before she did. I got so upset every time she told me about how one of her pets was killed, I had to ask her not to even tell me about it anymore.

And you are welcome to email me any time at shayna61@yahoo.com.

cornflake, you asked us how to best get your new puppy to stop barking at night, and the unanimous recommendation was to bring him in the house and provide some kind of area (closed off kitchen, a crate, etc.) for him to stay in. I hope you asked your question sincerely wanting recommendations, with the intention of taking whatever advice was given. Please come back and let us know that you contacted your vet and are making arrangements to housebreak your new puppy.

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” - Anne Frank

Stoid · December 16, 1999, 6:17am

Yes, do come back and tell us what your decision has been.

And Cornflakes: your puppy will NOT be housebroken by simply being left outdoors. There are very specific, effective ways of housebreaking a dog, and a 3 month old dog should learn them very quickly.

Incidentally, NONE of them involve hitting, yelling or otherwise punishing the dog. the most common and STUPID mistake people make (and believe me, I’ve made it in my younger, stupider days) is to show the dog their mess and then yell or hit and throw them outside. Means nothing, achieves nothing except to maybe make you feel better. the dog will have NO CLUE what you are trying to convey.

Shepards are bright dogs. Keep him inside, in a confined area, unless he has just gone to the bathroom. Then you can let him out for awhile to play.

The schedule should be (taking him out) Immediately after food. Immediately upon waking (nap or nighttime) immediately after play. When he goes, praise him.

Also, my sister, who is good with training dogs, was having a helluva time with her lab puppy. She finally started doing the following: Leash up the dog and take her out. When she goes, praise and then return IMMEDIATELY inside the house, even if you intend to play, Remove the lead and wait a minute or two, then go back outside to play. This reinforces the idea that outside is the place to go, not just ONE place to go.

By the way, this was pointed out previously but maybe you need to ehar it again: Keeping your dog tied up could kill her in about a dozen different ways. Get a fence.

Stoid · December 15, 1999, 7:27pm

Oh, and another thing: (this stuff may seem obvious, but cornflakes has demostrated a profound lack of understanding of dog intelligence, ability, psychology and emotional depth) never make the dog wait for YOU. Not while he/she is so young. If you wake up and desperately have to pee, you don’t pee first. YOU know how to hold it already, the dog doesn’t.

Many people make the gross mistake of pushing their dogs, especially puppies, beyond their limits. Then they get angry when they don’t get the results they want. 98% of the time, the “goodness” or “badness” of a dog is entirely the fault or pride of their owner and trainer. Much as we all love our dogs and attribute all kinds of human-like traits to them, they are animals. You must communicate to them on a level that THEY understand, not that YOU want them to. All the wishing in the world won’t make it so.

I know it may LOOk like I’m not doing anything, but at the cellular level, I’m actually quite busy,

Gazelle · December 15, 1999, 8:07pm

Everyone has already said what I believe, but I’ll say it for myself.

If you don’t have room in your house for a dog, don’t get one.
Your dog will never be housetrained unless it is allowed in the house.
Either let the dog in the house with you, train him and love him… or take him back to the pound.

Falcon · December 15, 1999, 8:19pm

I’ll just second everything here…

I love dogs. I want to get a dog more than ANYTHING right now. But I won’t. You know why?? Because I can’t take care of one. I live in a small 2 bedroom apartment. Due to being a consultant, I’m out of there most of the day, and when I get home, I’m too tired to do much. That isn’t fair to a dog…and so I won’t get one until I can take care of it like it deserves.

I hope you consider if you can truly give this dog the care it needs. If not…giving it back to the pound is not wrong. It might be the best thing for it.

“Jesus Mary Joseph…you’re a biker chick!” - co-worker, upon hearing of my tattoo.

system · December 15, 1999, 8:39pm

Most organizations that adopt out animals beg you to bring them back if they don’t work out. These organizations are trying so hard to place animals in loving homes, but they would rather get them back than see them go to an unsuitable home. Some shelters around here do follow up visits too, to see how the pet is doing. If they saw a three month old pup tied up outside, I am pretty sure they would take it back.

Stoid · December 15, 1999, 9:01pm

Michelle:

When I got my Mags (Maggie, my absolutely perfect and awesome 3 year old Golden Retriever that I’ve had for about a month and now cannot imagine life without) they made me sign a contract stating that not only would I bring her back to them if for any reason it did not work out (and that meant any TIME, including years from now…basically I guess I have her on a lease!) they also made me sign a contract stating that she would be allowed indoors to live and sleep, I had to outline my disciplinary techniques, I had to list my other animals, their ages, what had happened to any I no longer had… it was like a a human adoption!

But I’ll never give her up. This dog is completely and utterly awesome. I’m completely in love with her. And I’m hooked on Goldens now.

I read a funny thing the other day about how many (dog breed here) does it take to change a light bulb?

Here are my faves:

Border Collie: Just one. And I’ll replace any wiring
that’s not up to code.
Lab: Oh, me, me!!! Pleeeeeasze let me change the
light bulb. Can I?
Can I? Huh? Huh?
Can I?

Cocker Spaniel: Why change it? I can still pee on
the carpet in the dark.

The best and truest:

Golden Retriever: The sun is shining, the day is
young, we’ve got our
whole lives ahead of
us, and you’re worrying about a burned out light
bulb? (That’s my Maggie!!)

I also have an old Cocker, Rufus, and this is him, too!

system · December 15, 1999, 9:08pm

Congrats on the new dog, S! Goldens are wonderful dogs, very smart and laid back and loving. The two of you (and your other dog as well) will all be happy together!

handy · December 16, 1999, 12:39am

And the shephard grows up and attacks the family in a year…

Actually, why have a puppy if you leave it outside? ANd where is the kid to take care of it?

My pet store sells a little electronic thing you put on the collar that gives the pooch a nasty shock when they bark. Might work on kids too, or owners. Hmmm?

Stoid · December 16, 1999, 1:25am

He hasn’t said anything yet, but I sure hope that Cornflakes is reading this and letting it sink in. I’d hate to think that there’s a poor baby shepard our there somewhere doomed to a lonely, miserable existance even though she had all these people trying to make it different for her. I pray that Cornflakes is not so arrogant as to think that he knows better, after reading so many knowledgable people telling him that what he’s doing is cruel.

I sent this thread to my sisters, huge dog freaks, and one of them told me she thought the dog would be better off back at the pound, whatever happened, and I actually agree. Better a quick death than a long, sad, lonely, frustrated life.

I’m going to cry now.

I know it may LOOk like I’m not doing anything, but at the cellular level, I’m actually quite busy,

OpalCat · December 16, 1999, 1:37am

I wish I knew where he lived, so I could call their pounds and let them know what was going on. They should be able to track down a 3 month old shepherd pup, I’d think. This is just as upsetting to me as hearing that someone had been beating their dog. The dog is just as miserable.

Please please please take the dog back, or give it away, or sell it or something. Do not continue this horrible life you’ve resigned this poor animal to!