Lucy the puggle dog is settling in to her role as garden assistant. She loves to play outside while I’m working in the garden.
As soon as I open the garden gate Lucy makes a run for it to say hello to the chickens. They haven’t exactly warmed up to her yet but that doesn’t stop Lucy. She’s pretty sure they are going to be best friends one way or another.
I was out walking Lucy the other day and one of my neighbors mentioned I should get some bells for the front door to help with her potty training. So I did. Do you do this, or is it a high maintenance suburbia thing?
The neighbor also wanted to know what kind of dog bones I was giving her, and I just kind of looked around because I had no idea I was suppose to be buying dog bones on top of dog food and dog treats.
So off I went to get some dog biscuits.
While I was at the pet store I also picked up a metal dish set {I was using custard cups previously}. I was starting to grab for a plastic one that gripped the floor pretty good, when some lady came up and told me I shouldn’t be buying plastic because the dog could get some sort of mouth rash or something.
I had no idea what she was talking about so I just grabbed the one you see above.
It was Lucy’s lucky day because I also spotted some chew sticks {um, hello, she chewed on that thing for 3 hours straight} and a cozy dog bed. Previously she had been laying on a old fleece blanket {because the pet store lady said I should use one}.
The cool thing about the dog bed is, Lucy is much less restless now and she loves taking super long naps. I’m not sure if this is because of the new {super soft} dog bed, or if she is wearing herself out in the garden everyday. Either way, naps are cool.
Here is what our current set up looks like. Ever since getting the dog bed, she only walks into the crate to eat. I thought that was pretty interesting. I thought she would still want to hang out in her crate, but apparently not.
Since bringing Lucy home, she has only had one accident in her area {in her crate actually on the third day she was with us}. So I have a few questions for all of you with experience with puppies:
1. Since she doesn’t really care about the crate anymore, should I remove it from her area?
2. When do I remove the fence? And when will she be able to roam around the house freely while we are home to keep an eye on her?
3. How often should I be giving her those cute little dog biscuits?
4. How often should we give her a bath {she’s had 1 so far}?
4. Is Lucy’s set up missing something?
Having a new puppy has been a lot of fun, and Lucy seems pretty happy. So far so good.
Thanks for all your help.
~Mavis & Lucy
Kris says
Mavis,
We live in the country and use bells for our dog. If we didn’t she’d scratch the doors up terribly. Plus, our friends think our dog is soo well trained! Ha!
Carol says
Hi Mavis!
The bells are a good idea, wish I had used them when my dog was small. Lucy does NOT need dog biscuits. They aught to be used as training treats, but don’t get her addicted to them as daily needs ( I talk from experience here). Extra calories, too many grains (think arthritis issues…..). Pugs tend to get chunky so you have to help her maintain a healthy weight.
Keep the crate and fence (love the fence idea) up for at least one year, that is, until you are sure she is over the chewing/potty issues all youngsters have. Your intuition will tell you when it is the right time.
Lucy is a lucky little girl…..the chickens will come around!
Tina says
We have bells for our dog as well, but it was completely by “accident”. Annie was a Christmas present for our boys. I had sleigh bells hanging on the back doorknob. Annie bumped them with her nose to see what they were – the bells jingled and we let her out. It didn’t take much more training after that.
Naomi says
Congrats on the new puppy! We have a 6 1/2 month old puppy we adopted about two months ago, and are having a blast. I had an old bell used as a Christmas decoration that I hung from the front door. Every time anybody took him out, we would say “Want to go potty?” and ring the bell. Just when I thought HE had trained US to ring the bell, he started ringing it to go out! It’s a pretty awesome.
We’ve also decided to keep crating him at night as when we’re gone because he is a chewer when he gets bored. He goes right in, no problem, and seems to enjoy it.
I am completely jealous that you all are outside in your garden! We still have about a foot of snow mixed with mud on the ground, and the best I’ve done for the garden is to plan for Spring!
Good luck with the puppy, oh, and one last tip….for chewies, we are giving Winston Bully Sticks. It’s made from a bull (Google it), and every dog just loves them!!!
Naomi
Samantha M. says
If you are planning on crating her, as in locking her in her crate when you got out, I’d maybe suggest switching up the bed and food ends. While the food encourages her to go in now she’s not bothered by going in and out of the crate, having the bed there will help her think of it as her “den” or her private space. Which is handy for a dog to have to retreat to when things get busy.. Maybe throwing a blanket over the cage part a bit too might help that feeling too. It’s not a big deal either way and really depends on how you want her to think of her crate and if you are going to lock her in there when you go out or not when she is older and toilet trained.
Debby says
I agree with Samnatha, on switching out the food and bedding area. A time will come that the fenced in area is in the way and not needed for Lucy. I would put the bedding in the crate She will use the crate to sleep or you may use it to confine her when you are out for a while. The fenced in area is nice but it defeats the purpose of the crate the way you have it set up. When our pups were new, they were in the crate except for potty and play. As they got older, they got trials for short times, usually to allow the pup to follow us around or sit with us. When the little kids were around, the pups would hurry to the crate as soon at they needed a break from the kids. I does become their sanctuary.
The fenced area seems to have it’s good points too, allowing her more space and allowing some exercise. One challenge, if the bedding is in the crate and you try to coax her out, she may just decide to stay. That is when you have to remove the fence in order to reach in for her. This will happen when she is napping and you need to let her out because you know you will be gone too long not to give her this outside time.
Marla says
Use small dog treats for training only. She doesn’t need to have biscuits. The treats are very small and tender and come in a small carton like container. She may be too young for obedience training though.
I would keep the set-up for awhile. She can stay occupied with chews, then that’s good. If you give her rawhides, may sure they are pressed. The other ones can choke her. Ask your pet store for age appropriate chews. Chewing is the second most important thing besides potty training. Looks like you have a good plan. We have a beagle and golden retreiver. The Golden chewed for 3 yrs….even gnawed on our cedar shakes – yikes! Keep your little one worn out and occupied, then you are set! Good luck!
Shari says
Our pup is 2 years old and she still LOVES her crate. She sleeps in there every night and if we forget to shut the crate door she comes looking for us to close it.
Lisa says
Ha Ha Shari, my dog is the same way. If we forget to shut and latch her door, she will push it open with her nose until we do. And if we are not in the room when she pushes the door open, she will come get us to shut the door! I love dogs 🙂
KC says
From my experience, the sooner you introduce other areas of your home to your dog, the better. Generally, domestic animals do not use the bathroom where they sleep, hence, introducing them to other areas of the house. We have a full beagle who gets into everything if left unattended, so he must be crated when we are not home. (Our golden retriever has free reign of the house.) He freely goes in there when told to “go to work” and will use the crate during the day for a nap. We don’t feed in the crate, he only sleeps in there, and one of his beds stays in the crate. He prefers round beds so he can curl up. You will very quickly find Lucy’s favorites!
Have fun with your new puppy!
Herdog says
Love the bells! Beats standing out on the lawn yelling “go potty, go potty”. I’d would put a sheet or blanket over the top of the crate. She might use it more. Dogs love “Caves” so if you make it dark inside, she’ll think its pretty cool. And yes you will be able for her to have free range…after you’re sure potty training is complete. Get yourself Cesar Millan’s the Pack leader book. It’s a good one and if you use 1/10th of the info you’ll have a great pupdog. Congrats on that little cutie.
PS don’t trust the little darling for even a second with “the girls” (hens). With her interest already in them, they’ll be gonners. But you sure can train her to “leave them”. The sooner the better too.
Mia says
1. Since she doesn’t really care about the crate anymore, should I remove it from her area?
I would leave the crate. As she grows, you can put a bed in there and it will likely become a “safe” place for her to go. You should never punish her by putting her in there. One of our dogs is 5 and we still lock her in the crate when we leave because she will eat EVERYTHING. When our 6 year old dog was a baby, I used a crate/pen combo like you, but in my bedroom. I knew he was ready to be left in the bedroom when we were gone when he started jumping over the side of the pen to lay on the bed. He is spoiled!
2. When do I remove the fence? And when will she be able to roam around the house freely while we are home to keep an eye on her?
I would let her roam around with you now. You could always put gates up so she only stays in the room you are in, but I would let her explore!
3. How often should I be giving her those cute little dog biscuits?
Whenever she does something good, so if she potties outside, give her a biscuit. DO NOT give her a biscuit when she rings the bell because then she will associate that with biscuits, not bathroom.
4. How often should we give her a bath {she’s had 1 so far}?
Less is better for dogs. A lot of baths can dry their skin out. If she really gets dirty, give her one, but I would say on average less than 4 a year. A quick rinse is ok if she just has a little dirt on her. We often take our dogs swimming and count it as a “bath”.
5. Is Lucy’s set up missing something?
I would take the food out of the crate. Other than that, she’s got it made!
ay jay says
Well for one, the dog bells are great. I wish i had know about this trick when i was potty training my dog. And i don’t think the crate is necessary. If she sleeps in her bed that’s where she will sleep. My dog sleeps at the foot of the bed on her bed. If you trust her to not pee in the house the fence isn’t necessary. Unless you want to keep her out of things. Example, if i leave her home alone i close all the doors because i know she will climb on the bed! And i don’t like dog hair on my bed! As for showers i just go by feel. If she feels grimmy i was her and that depends if she’s inside or out a lot. So in winter about 1/ month. Summer 1 every 2 weeks. Good luck!!
Jamie says
1. Since she doesn’t really care about the crate anymore, should I remove it from her area?
I would also leave the crate. We have two year and a half old pups and they love their “house”. We rarely crate them, but they have a set of beds in there that they nap on or sometimes just hang out. I agree with the above post that it’s like their ‘den’ and they like it, so we keep it.
2. When do I remove the fence? And when will she be able to roam around the house freely while we are home to keep an eye on her?
You should be able to let he roam the house (maybe keep some rooms shut) but keep a good eye on her. You’d be amazed what puppies find to lick, chew on, etc. I’d keep the fence as well, maybe fold it up while she’s not in her ‘house’.
3. How often should I be giving her those cute little dog biscuits?
Biscuits are a rare treat in our house, but defiently as a reward. When you’re ready for training, I HIGHLY suggest these -Tricky Trainers http://www.cloudstar.com/prodcat/chewy-tricky-trainers.asp
4. How often should we give her a bath {she’s had 1 so far}?
Our Vet told us baths tend to dry our dogs skin. For the most part our girls only get a water only rinse when they’re filthy (beach, mud puddles, etc.) and rarely use dog soap (Maybe 2-3 soap baths in 1.5 years.) Usually just a dog towel them clean-ish and they’re solid. They’re not giant dogs and Lucy will be pretty small so towel cleaning should be fine.
5. Is Lucy’s set up missing something?
I’d put her bed in the crate and food outside. If your yard is fenced in I would consider a doggy door when Lucy is a little older. Our girls started with the bell method and it worked really well. They associated it with ‘go outside’ more than ‘go potty’, which I guess is pretty normal, so it was a I want to play and and I want to potty bell. The girls still get a bell hung when we go visit the beach house or other peoples homes for extended trips. Our dog door is awesome, the girls leave my garden stuff alone, and if Lucy is as smart as she is cute she will too.
Becca says
I’d say treat for good behavior, but those chewy sticks only one every day or two and while you can watch. My pug did great with chew sticks for awhile and then as he got older he started choking on them, now he can’t have them. 🙁 Puggles might not have that problem.
I’d put the dog food elsewhere, not in her crate. I like to keep our pet food (dog and cat) dishes in the kitchen. And keep the crate for now so it can continue to be a safe place for her and a good place for her while you’re out.
Let her roam around with you now, but maybe keep the gates up to keep her in the same room as you.
As for the plastic bowls causing a rash – I think that can be the case if you don’t wash the bowls. We’ve had several plastic ones and never had a mouth rash problem, but I wash them every couple of days. The plastic ones tend to get chewed on though so metal does have it’s other pluses.
Like with kids, everyone has a different way of taking care of their pets. If something sounds silly or too much for you, don’t do it.
Cee says
I want to second Becca’s comment about the chew sticks- Rawhide in particular. I have twice had to remove rawhide from a dog’s throat (big dog, stuck my hand in and pulled it out) and I know a vet tech who strongly recommends against rawhide for that reason (for all sized dogs-it’s harder to help a little dog). If you have a dog who like to chew she recommends the Kong and similar constructed chew toys. Hard bones can break teeth and the rawhides are a choking hazard.
Angela says
Another good chew toy/treat is a Kong toy (a hollow red rubber toy), then mix some of her doog food and a little peanut butter (just enough so it sticks together) and stuff it in the Kong toy, It will keep her busy for a long time. We have a dog that loves to chew and this works fantastic. She’s adorable, keep up the good work.
Colleen says
1. Our puppy was the same way, wasn’t very interested in her crate for a while, but she grew out of it, and now goes in her crate to nap instead of her dog bed. It took a month or two for her to be interested in it again.
2. Start slowly exposing her to more areas of the house. The more new things she experiences now, the better she’ll be with new things when she grows up. After a week or two of confinement, we started on one new room every other day, until she expanded her domain to the rest of the house. I say slowly, so that she can always find her way back to the bells so she doesn’t have “accidents” all over the house when you turn your back.
3. Same as a human diet, moderation is key. So if you end up feeding her a lot of biscuits – cut down on the other food. We try to keep the “good treats” as special as possible for training. So going potty in the right place always gets her a good treat etc.
4. At this point, if she smells or gets supper dirty bath her. Once she gets her full coat in – then about once every month or two. Start playing with her nails, ears, and teeth so she gets used to nail clipping, ear cleaning & teeth brushing early.
4. Lucy’s not missing anything, but your readers are missing videos of Lucy!
Madam Chow says
1. Since she doesn’t really care about the crate anymore, should I remove it from her area?
No. She is not sleeping in it because it is uncomfortable. Would you prefer her little be or just a fleece on a hard floor? Put more padding or the bed in the crate.
2. When do I remove the fence? And when will she be able to roam around the house freely while we are home to keep an eye on her? The fence – maybe when she is a year old. I always let me puppies roam about because I supervise them constantly, so not sure about that one.
3. How often should I be giving her those cute little dog biscuits? Too many carbs/sugars have been linked to canine obesity and diabetes. I don’t give these treats to my dogs, but their treats are things like steamed zucchini, KALE (hah!), and broccoli. Once every couple of weeks, the UPS man gives them a dog cookie!
4. How often should we give her a bath {she’s had 1 so far}? Every couple of weeks, or when she is stinky and has manged to roll in something, like . . . oh . . . chicken poo. My Doberman used to love to roll in horse and cow manure.
4. Is Lucy’s set up missing something? That crate looks really uncomfortable. It needs to be a lot cozier.
Madam Chow says
The bell is a terrific idea. When you travel with her, all you have to do is take the bell along and set it up. She will understand, even though she is in a new environment.
Eileen says
I am not by any means an expert about dogs, but you might try putting a blanket over the crate to make it dark inside. My dog has a crate with her bed in it and she seems to like it more with the blanket over it. I guess dogs like cave like things to hang out in.
Eileen says
Also (this is not a reply…) we take our dog crate with us when we go places for a long time or when we are going to a new place our dog has a little place of her own, it can be a safe place for them when they are someplace new/scary/hectic and so if you want to use it for that then she is going to need it in her everyday life too
Madam Chow says
We do the same thing and it keeps them very calm.
zakity says
We have a cat who reacts to plastic. His whole lower jaw swells up and the poor guy is just miserable. He is the only one out of four cats who has an issue with plastic. We use either stainless steel or ceramic for the cat dishes now.
Sakura says
All these ideas are fantastic. I would remove he food from the crate. Some trainers say to only put food out at feeding time but we just fill the bowl when it’s empty. The bells are cute. I have a Shiba Inu, chihuahua and a boxer and they just learned outside and go potty. If they want to go out to come in they bark at the door. One thing you might want to do is if your puppy is having accidents in the kennel make it smaller by placing something in the back of it to take up space. When they haven’t had an accident in a while then take it out. The other training that’s important is clicker training in my opinion. If your dog learns to come immediately at the sound of a clicker you can avoid some possible accidents. Just load the clicker first with treats, click it when they come drop a treat on the floor. Do this over and over until there’s o hesitation. After a few days replace the treats with love!
Crystal says
While training a good solid recall is certainly important, what you are referring to as “clicker training” is not a generally followed practice for training a recall, and is not what most people mean if they use the term “clicker training”. Generally, the term is used to mean positive reinforcement training, in which the trainer uses a “clicker” to make a specific noise that alerts the dog they did the correct thing or action. The click is always followed by a reward that is placed in a way to reinforce the behavior. You can use a clicker to train a recall, but generally, you use it to indicate correct behavior, not to teach the dog to come back at the sound of the click (the click is way, way too quiet to be a useful recall in places like a park or a noisy building).
Ellen says
You might start talking to your vet about how to start getting her nails trimmed. It’s easier to start as a puppy, for a number of reasons.
Courtney says
Mavis,
You are awesome. I wanted to start a garden, I looked at your examples. I wanted to raise chickens, I read your adventures. Now, when my husband has finally talked me into a puppy, here I am reading intently about your latest adventure. I LOVE your blog and I LOVE the commenters and the advice that I’ve gotten from this site. Thanks!
Chelsea says
I suggest you start giving her fruit and veggies for little treats. My little pugs love beans and carrots. I wouldn’t give up on the crate training as it will help when they go through their adolescent stubborn phase. I think she can roam around the house with you but with a lot of supervision! Puppys like to chew
Megs says
Like so many before here I would say leave the crate. When my dog, Archer was a puppy he hated his crate. Didn’t want to sleep in it or be in it at all. He is VERY social and want to be with everyone. Now that he is older he is only in the crate when it is super cold or hot out and he has to been home alone. He is spoiled and has two dog beds in the house. One in the living room and one in my room where he sleeps at night. He was sleeping in my room all night with no issues at just over six months old. This is where I wanted him to sleep and be so it just depends where you want her to finally be sleeping at night and be durning the day when you are gone. It will also depend on the dog. Archer DOES NOT like to be left out of anything. He is very dramatic if he is not with everyone so he has to be right there in the middle of it all. Lucy might not be that demanding and want to be left alone in quite place.
I use dog treats for rewards all the time, especially when he was a puppy. And use them as often as you need! Food is a great motivator for dogs!! You just want to make sure that her weight stays were it needs to be for her breed and your vet will tell you that. Vocal praise is great as well. I still tell Archer he is a good dog for going to the bathroom in the backyard and he is over 2 years old. He looks at me like I am a crazy person!!
A dog trainer to check out is Victoria Stilwell of “It’s Me or the Dog”. She is awesome! And it is never to early to teach Lucy to sit, stay and high five!!! They are little sponges and suck all that learning up. (and treats help with this! and LOTS of vocal praise!!) Plus they want to please you and make you happy!
Have fun with your new puppy! Dogs are the best thing!!!!
Patty Miller says
This is all super advice but I love this comment. You do have to get to know each dog as each one is different. Also, you need to let them know what you need and want from them. Lucy is adorable. Give her lots of affection and love and she will want to please you. <3
Patty
Crystal says
First step to having her loose in the house is to go around the house with her tethered to you. Use a 6 foot lightweight leash and just attach her to your belt or your leg. The tether is so that you don’t accidentally forget to watch her- she can’t sneak off to destroy things or pee in the corner if she is tied to you. After a while of using the tether like that, start not having it tied to you, then gradually remove it, but only have her out if you can actually pay attention to her- not when you are doing other things, at least not at first. Do it gradually, as you would rather spend too long on the tethered-to-you stage than have her get into something or have an accident and set her back in her training.
As for the crate, I’d keep it. All dogs should be crate trained. Once you remove the x-pen she is in, you can use the crate to leave her in when you leave the house, so she can’t get into things. If you travel, take her with you or board her, or if she goes to the vet, she will likely need to be in a crate or kennel for periods of time, and it will be less stressful if she is used to it. Also, in times of disaster, most emergency shelters will only take pets that are contained in a crate.
(The rash thing from the plastic is way more common on cats. It causes something on their chin called feline acne that can be pretty scabby and gross, so glass or metal are better choices than plastic or ceramic for that reason. I’ve never seen a dog get that reaction, but many plastics have chemicals in them and pet products are more poorly regulated than human eating products.)
Charla Echlin says
Mavis- Everyone else has great ideas on your questions- my “puppy” turns 1 year old tomorrow and it went by so fast!
I wanted to just tell you of one instance of Samson chewing on an old fallen Rhododendron stick when he was just 8 weeks old. We were in Gig Harbor and I was outside with him planting some flowers… at 11 pm he started throwing up and had diarrhea – by 2 am it was every 10 minutes. It was horrible. I was shocked that the Harbor did not have an emergency vet ( I would’ve had to drive by myself into Tacoma (at 2am- my husband, who was home in Bellingham said no way.)
I got on the phone with the vet and poison control- and they gave me some help to keep him hydrated and at 4:30am I drove back to Bellingham and got him into my vet Pronto! He was okay- but how scary. I constantly had an eagle eye on him in the yard- though I try not to have poisonous perennials- there are A LOT of dangerous plants out there for a little guy and I never would’ve thought that a dried up old Rhody stick would’ve made him sick- even after I took it away so quickly. Just wanted to give you a heads up on that!
susan says
Mavis,
I have to dogs, love them! They have a number of allergies, so the only treat they get is US made chicken jerky, or basically dried chicken breast. Unfortunately, I’m even seeing US produced jerky being recalled (I would NEVER purchase any dog edible item from outside the country…).
You are so talented I was thinking if your ever in the mood to try something new, how about a recipe for a dog jerky? Like how long in an oven to dehydrate? I don’t know the first thing about drying food, and have been following your blog since you left another popular blog, you are so willing to try new things.
Anyway, just a thought. Keep the crate (4 years later our dogs will still go into them), the potty bell and chew toys. I keep rotating them out, the dogs recognize the bag I keep them in, when I bring it out they run over to see what I’m bringing them. So cute!
Judy N. says
well I have had dogs all my life, but now I have a year old chihuahua, given to me at 5 weeks old. I got her a crate and immediately started teaching her that was her place to sleep, I put her bed in there and her baby, yes they like babies, but don’t put her food in the crate, that is only for sleeping. This is why she is probably not sleeping in it. She wont sleep where she eats. Also crate training her now is good for when you want to go out. Mine goes into her crate by herself as soon as she sees either me or my hubby putting on our shoes. This was actually a trained response she learned from a puppy. I would put her in the crate and give her a tweet or chew, shut the door, and she would stay till I got back. At first we did short trips but by the time she was 5 months old, she had it down and could stay in the crate for a day trip. She potty trained easily too. I never tethered her to me, she just followed me everyone I went, including my bathroom time. She won’t leave my side now at all. I never have to worry about her running off, I don’t use a leash unless we go travel with her and that’s for her to get out at the rest areas. Lucy will learn fast, just keep her close to you and every time you go out , just say to her, “Lucy lets go potty” and walk her out the door and walk around with her, when she potties, praise her. My dog jumps up and down now when I say lets go outside or lets go potty.
now as far as treats go, No you don’t have to give her treats, they do just fine on their dog food and water, however it can be useful for training, but don’t give her too many in a day, little breeds of dogs get over weight quickly, and you don;t want a Puggy pug.. Just by taking Lucy outside with you and letting her follow you around the house will in no time potty train her and teach her to stick to you. Spending mega time with Lucy will increase your bond with her and is the easiest way to train her.
MaryEllen Beltner says
http://www.petmd.com/news/alerts-recalls/nws_dg_kasel-associated-industries-recall
Please check this out and make sure Lucy isn’t getting any of these!!
Amanda says
A collar with some sort of identification?
Herdog says
And a chip too!
L. OCOnnor says
The plastic/ chin rash thing is a pain to get cleaned up and healed, stick with the metal bowls.
I am actually not with the crowd on the crate or fence, I think dogs do better in the long run without them during the day. I used a crate at night to potty train our little dog, but since I was home during the days I kept track of her the same way I did my son when he was learning to crawl. I did use the crate during the day if I was going to be gone from the house for more than an hour until Momo was a year or so. I discontinued the night time crate when she was 3 because she really didn’t like it. The vet had told me to expect her to use it as her safe place, but not once did she ever go to it willingly. If it wasn’t a place she was going to seek out on her own, and she was Wellll house trained, it felt silly to make her keep using it.
Some one suggested the tether method in an earlier comment, wich can be a really good one. I have only used it with large adult dogs that had gone unhandled for too long, and basically had no training left. It is a great way to train in an attachment to you, when you haven’t been around them as puppies or they have learned that humans aren’t always nice. I have never used it with puppies though.
My brother had a puggle- Loved that dog to distraction! They are a great mix for families.
Susie says
I suggested this before, but I’ll throw it out there again: start early on brushing her teeth! It’s so much easier & less expensive to do it yourself, and a lot less traumatic on your dog. Keep the crate ~ take the food out & put the bed in. Let her start following you around the house now. 🙂
darlene says
My sister has a pug and it did get a weird bumpy rash type infection from eating out of a plastic bowl, so that one is true because she is part pug.
You should ask your vet about the bones/treats, mine says no to the treats because the dogs don’t need the extra calories and 60% of American pets are already overweight =/ My dogs are happy with affection as a reward. I have heard of people using frozen green beans and apple slices for treats that are more healthful than dog bones (they can’t have chocolate, grapes or onions though-and yes I have one that would eat all of those things).
Preppy Pink Crocodile says
Oh the plastic dish thing is legit. I used them for nine years without any issues and last summer, my poor Sadie had a HORRIBLE (in all caps because it was completley wretched) reaction to the plastic on her mouth and nose. And the vet was all like, “how could you possibly use plastic” and I was like “they sell plastic dog dishes, no one has ever mentioned this before now, how was I supposed to know?!” Anyway, good call on no plastic!
And the bells totally work. I didn’t do it with my dog but was just telling my cousin that my next dog will be bell trained. It is just sooo much easier to know when a dog wants attention or to go potty.
Lucy’s face is just adorable!
KK
Preppy Pink Crocodile says
Oh and a use for your pumpkins and squash is to add a little puree to dog food. Great fiber and dogs love it. Vets claim dogs love carrots too but to date, my dogs have always refused them.
KK
Ashley says
We feed our dog carrots, frozen green beans and orange segments as treats. He loves the healthy snacks, which is good because he’s a little chunkers and doesn’t need the extra calories.
Kongs are also great if/when the destructive chewing phase sets in.
Sara says
I would second the tooth brushing! So much easier to start at that age! I started ScallyWagg as a puppy. We let SW out pretty early as a young pup for certain periods of time, after he had gone to the bathroom. We just watched him like a hawk the whole time. I would keep the crate training though.. maybe swap where her bed and food are? Good luck!
Brigid says
I have had bells on my doors for ever they work!! You will be glad as your puppy ages into senior years. I buy bells at cost plus worldmarket. Your puppy bed and food bowls need to switch around..don’t worry about closing door on the crate..you might also try hanging a blankie over crate for bed time to make a sort of den nest or dark bed for a week or month whatever your puppy needs then viola that’s the preferred bed…no bed will be better than your bed of course…also a designated dog couch will save good furniture they are sneaky! We have an old futon I always consider donating but realize my good furniture is still ok bc doggies have their own. The round bed w sides is also better for snuggling. Also beware of any dog food or treat from china something in processing has been fatal to dogs read labels carefully…
Lori says
You’ve gotten so much advice your head must be spinning!
I would just add that carrots and green beans are great treats. Fiber without lots of calories. We had a Malamute who loved her carrots so much, every time we had to board her we brought a bunch with her to keep her happy.
As for the crate, yes to switching her food and her bed. She will let you know if she continues to need the crate as her “safe place.” Remember to never put her in there as a punishment. She’s a sweetheart!
D'Anna says
2. When do I remove the fence? And when will she be able to roam around the house freely while we are home to keep an eye on her?
She’s like a toddler, if you let her run about the house someone is going to have to keep an eye on her at this age. All the baby proofing you did with your kids you get to do again before she can really have free reign. I have a Jack Russell that I took out like every hour to potty when he was that age, and he still had accidents so you might keep her confined to the non carpeted areas until she starts letting you know she has to go out. Keep everything off the floor that you don’t want her to eat…the chewy stick is great for her teething but I wouldn’t leave my shoes where she can get them at this age.
Lori B says
They sell little mats at TJ Maxx in their pet section for about 3.00 that you can put under her dish so if she spills water it won’t hurt your floor. Plus they look cute. I got one last weekend in Spokane that is shaped like a dog bone.
Basically they are like children potty training. They will get active and wait too long and have an accident because they are having too much fun and they are still learning the signals their body gives. After she has played a while put her outside and of course after she eats or drinks. With my dogs it was/is about 20 minutes or so after eating. Little puppies are likely sooner, I can’t remember!
I think you’re doing great with her!
Grandma PattyB says
Everyone’s puppy is different. Here’s what I did when my Golden, Baxter, was a pup:
Crated him in an exercise pen during the day because I was at work all day. I did come home at noon and let him out to potty and put him back in the pen.
In the evening I played (trained) him until about 9:00 pm when I was wore out! So I put him in his crate that was located in my room and shut the door. He cried like any human baby for about 5-10 minutes and then, not a peep.
I noticed that he would sneak off and pee on the carpet behind the couch or somewhere out of sight, so I put his 6ft leash on him with the handle part around my ankle. He could never get more than 6 ft away from me without me noticing him sniffing. Then out he went to potty.
On weekends, he followed me all around, probably because he was still attached to the leash! Worked like a charm!
Good luck.
Stephanie says
Hey Mavis,
That bone she chewed on for 3 hours straight, they JUST started carrying a big bag of large ones (you can cut them in half with a saw…) for like $20ish bucks at COSTCO!!! Such a bargain as I know at the pet store they are $6 each for little ones (at least in Canada where we pay 40times more for stuff). My dog is obsessed with them and they last her a week easy. It’s perfect to keep them occupied!
Mavis says
I will take a look the next time I am in Costco. Thanks. 🙂