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MyFairLacy · 01-11-2008, 07:51 PM

I would't say Lacy was a bad puppy but she was my first dog and I had to learn with her. I had had dogs as a kid before but they lived outside and my parents took care of them...so Lacy was MY first dog in which I got to make the decisions for her.

At first I would put her in a hard kennel and she would cry and cry and cry and would drool and get herself soaked because she'd get so upset. So then I started leaving her in the bathroom while I was gone. Well, she chewed some baseboards and would tear her potty pad to shreds. She'd also unroll and shred a whole roll of toilet paper and would open the cabinets, drag everything out, and make a huge mess! I even bought "calming" pills which DID NOT work. She even got into them accidentally once and ate several and had diarrhea for days...ugh it was aweful! It took me a while before I decided just leaving her in the bathroom was a bad idea (you'd think once was enough

). So then I put up a childgate and had her in the bathroom and hallway. Well, she learned to jump/climb over it and would pee and poop on the carpet while I was gone. So then I put the childgate on the stairs so she couldn't go upstairs...well she learned to climb over it then too. Obviously, I did NOT know what I was doing when I got her...I think it took me forever to finally figure it out. Finally, I got a wire crate and my gosh, it all got BETTER! I would always put her in her crate when I left the house and she slept in it at night. She finally learned not to whine and the accidents reduced majorly. We finally trained each other. Now she rarely has accidents. She has full run of the house of course now and sleeps in bed with me. I waited until she was a year old before I let her sleep with me, and I waited until she was like 2 before she got to stay out of her crate while I was gone.

I think I had a tough time at first but I knew it was my fault because I didn't know what I was doing. I hadn't ever raised a puppy before. I had only had a cat who was litterbox trained when I got her (if only dogs could be that easy

). But I figured it out and she's such a good girl now most of the time (although she is spoiled rotten). Next time I get a puppy, I'll know where to start and will probably do a much better job than I did with Lacy.

Anyway, just stick with it. It'll get better

01-11-2008, 07:51 PM	#3
MyFairLacy Donating YT 10K Club Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: DFW, Texas Posts: 11,003	I would't say Lacy was a bad puppy but she was my first dog and I had to learn with her. I had had dogs as a kid before but they lived outside and my parents took care of them...so Lacy was MY first dog in which I got to make the decisions for her. At first I would put her in a hard kennel and she would cry and cry and cry and would drool and get herself soaked because she'd get so upset. So then I started leaving her in the bathroom while I was gone. Well, she chewed some baseboards and would tear her potty pad to shreds. She'd also unroll and shred a whole roll of toilet paper and would open the cabinets, drag everything out, and make a huge mess! I even bought "calming" pills which DID NOT work. She even got into them accidentally once and ate several and had diarrhea for days...ugh it was aweful! It took me a while before I decided just leaving her in the bathroom was a bad idea (you'd think once was enough ). So then I put up a childgate and had her in the bathroom and hallway. Well, she learned to jump/climb over it and would pee and poop on the carpet while I was gone. So then I put the childgate on the stairs so she couldn't go upstairs...well she learned to climb over it then too. Obviously, I did NOT know what I was doing when I got her...I think it took me forever to finally figure it out. Finally, I got a wire crate and my gosh, it all got BETTER! I would always put her in her crate when I left the house and she slept in it at night. She finally learned not to whine and the accidents reduced majorly. We finally trained each other. Now she rarely has accidents. She has full run of the house of course now and sleeps in bed with me. I waited until she was a year old before I let her sleep with me, and I waited until she was like 2 before she got to stay out of her crate while I was gone. I think I had a tough time at first but I knew it was my fault because I didn't know what I was doing. I hadn't ever raised a puppy before. I had only had a cat who was litterbox trained when I got her (if only dogs could be that easy ). But I figured it out and she's such a good girl now most of the time (although she is spoiled rotten). Next time I get a puppy, I'll know where to start and will probably do a much better job than I did with Lacy. Anyway, just stick with it. It'll get better __________________ ~Magnifique Yorkies~ Purchasing from backyard breeders, pet shops, and puppymills perpetuates the suffering of other dogs. Educate yourself and buy from reputable breeders or rescue.