[Dan & Corinne]

Originally Posted by jkat

Don't know how big your place is but any place that is not confined is BIG to our furballs. I had the same problem with mine a month ago (she's not quite four months yet). She'd run around in the house, hide behind the couch when we try to get her to go potty. She thought we were playing a game with her.

I took her to her puppy class and I asked the instructor what to do. She suggested leashing her and "tie" her to your pants or a chair leg. Basically, she's within a foot or two of my reach. If she's squatting, we'd scoop her up immediately and take her to her confined, designated spott for her "business". It's been working very well!

Not only she bonded better with us (now she's more likely to hang out where we hang out instead of running off like a mad woman), we learned her habits as well.

As for getting things out of her mouth, try this. When you have her in your lap or arms and she doesn't have anything in her mouth, just put your fingers in around her gum, her teech. Pry it open, while say, "open". Praise her when she does it. Maybe she'd get more use to your fingers in her mouth.

Note to self - Remember this post when we get new puppy....