Puppy problems need help

[candigirl]

So i've had Lexie for about a week now(10 weeks old) and i can see that my celebration on how quickly she was catching on to potty training was short lived, among other things.

For the last 3 nights she's started peeing in her crate(only at night), i take away food and water at 7pm, she potties before bed and goes to sleep at 9pm. I take her out to pee at 12 then 2 then 4 then 6, at 6 i'm always woken up by crying only to find she peed in her crate, i don't understand. I was initially only taking her out once a night with no problems

At first i thought her crate was too big but she was doing so fine with it so i let it be, also i put a comfier(thicker) blanket in for her to sleep on and she has few chew toys in there.
I don't always have treats on hand when she potties so i just say "good girl" and praise her but i'm wondering if that's enough. I also clean it out each time and spray with enzyme spray.

The other issue is bitting, i have 1 bite mark on my face and 2 on my hands. She bites my feet as i'm walking, and when i go to pet her her mouth automatically opens to bite my hand. She squirms and bites me when i pick her up or try to hold her to settle her down. Saying "no" sternly does nothing she will just bark at me. I've tried yelping like a puppy when she bites me and you know what that does? she starts growling, barking loudly and darting while snapping at my hands and feet trying to fight them . I knew it wasnt gonna be easy but i feel like all the progress we made is gone and that she now hates me cause she's always trying to bite me

[roseylovestosho]

WOW I am going through the SAME exact thing right now! I REALLY hope others reply to this thread because I also had a good couple of days with him and now he's behaving the same way as your dog, nipping at me, I yelp and he runs away and then runs back and does it again...He's also crying in his crate more often

[FlDebra]

Know that you are not alone. I have to admit to smiling a little when I read new owners saying their puppy is already housetrained at such early ages. Breeders even advertise that 8 week old puppies are pad trained. (They are likely kept in an area most covered by pads as mine were and they do go on the pad).

Yorkies are notorious for being difficult to potty train. You just have to be pesistent and patient. My Annie is over 5 months old but she is still having accidents. We have good days and bad -- but I approach them all the same. We are "in progress."

I do believe in having treats for potty time. Break them in tiny pieces as you don't want to spoil their appetite for good food. But they need reward for doing well in addition to your high praise.

You said you are taking her out at 12, 2, 4, and 6 -- does she actually go each time? If so, and then she is still peeing in her crate with nothing to drink after 7 pm .... then I might schedule a vet visit to just be sure she doesn't have a urinary infection. That would be a lot of night time peeing even for a puppy.

Sounds like you are approaching things well. Just be patient. It may take months yet. She is still so young, she would be with her mother for a minimum of two more weeks if she were one of my pups! So, she would be more mature when you started. It is difficult for thes young pups -- they have not physically acquired bladder control yet in many cases. So, as much as they may want to wait, it is simply not doable for many at 10 weeks old.

The biting is another sign of leaving mom & siblings too early. They learn by biting and being bit with their litter and mom. Since you have yours so early, you will have to act as momma dog. I read to use finger and thumb to gently pinch a little skin at the neck simulating momma dog gently biting to scold for biting too hard. Do NOT hurt the pup. Just a little nip as you say a stern NO will do the trick. Not immediately -- it takes time. But over a few weeks time, the puppy will learn.

Don't expect them to learn with just one or two tries. Puppies and human babies take repetition and they need consistency. Same thing every time and they will learn. Hang in there -- she will get it eventually. But stand by, because it usually takes MONTHS to get it all!

[Mardelin]

Let me add to Debra's post.

You never retain food or water from a 10 week old pup. You're asking for trouble; possible hyperglycemia/dehydration.

Even though my pups are piddle pad trained when they go home, they still have to learn the new location of where they are to go in their new home. I tell my new pup owners to not expect miracles with their new pups until approximately 6 months of age. Everything is hurting these little guys, they're growing, teething, etc.

[candigirl]

thanks Debra, yes she pees each time , she drinks a lot of water during the day also.. i took her to the vet for a check up only a few days ago where they even took a stool sample and it came back negative. Do u really believe its a UTI? I'll try the nipping thing and be more diligent with the treats when she potties
Btw i just left to brush my teeth and when i got back she was crying and covered in poop in her crate

Mardelin, it's my understanding that they should be put on a feeding schedule and water removed before bed i thought this was the way to keep them from having accidents

rosey i know its very frustrating i hope for us both we can get past this

[Maximo]

I strongly agree with Mary (Mardelin) about not withholding water or food. She has extensive experience with this breed. Water is crucial for every cell in the body to function correctly, whether you are talking dogs or humans. No matter how much the pup drinks during the day, they can dehydrate quickly.

A lot of trainers advocate withholding water/food to aid in potty training. Most of them have little knowledge of small breed dogs.

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by candigirl

thanks Debra, yes she pees each time , she drinks a lot of water during the day also.. i took her to the vet for a check up only a few days ago where they even took a stool sample and it came back negative. Do u really believe its a UTI? I'll try the nipping thing and be more diligent with the treats when she potties
Btw i just left to brush my teeth and when i got back she was crying and covered in poop in her crate

Mardelin, it's my understanding that they should be put on a feeding schedule and water removed before bed i thought this was the way to keep them from having accidents

rosey i know its very frustrating i hope for us both we can get past this

No, not at this young age. It's water under the bridge, but you obtained your pup a bit young, your pup is still prone to hyperglycemia attacks. Minimum age for leaving a breeder's home is 12 weeks. At that age I still recommend 4 feedings a day and kibbles left down. I've never withheld water, even in the potty training stage. My dogs have water accessible to them 7 x 24.

[roseylovestosho]

My pup has been here for two days...(he's 13 weeks tomorrow) he has not gone in his crate, but he did go a couple of times on the carpet (number one and number two) and that was my fault for not having him tethered to me while in the house. My problem is that he wakes up randomly in the middle of the night crying, which I have assumed to mean that its because he needs to potty, which was true. However, I think that now he is crying just to get out of the crate since when he's cried at night he's been taking out. I think I'm sending mixed signals, what should I do? Also, yesterday I had him running around for a good hour to tire him out, and I play with him after he uses the bathroom for at least half an hour, but today he just started growling...I think at his toy but I am not sure...he's also been nipping at me, which admittedly he has started a little bit more gentle with me but he's being more aggressive with my boyfriend...I was OK with correcting the nipping by "yelping" but I don't know what to do about growling, if its not directed at me? And finally, I'm trying to positively reinforce him, however I have yet to find a treat he likes. I've tried peanut butter in a kong...putting his kibbles in peanut butter (he REALLY loves his kibbles) but he won't even try to dig out the kibbles...I've tried carrots...he knaws on them for a little bit before quitting...and i've tried cheerios (plain) and he doesn't like them either. I have no problem with his regular food (he loves the royal canin for yorkies) but I can't find a treat, which is making the whole putting treats in his crate that he likes thing extremely difficult...I will also like to add that when he's in his crate i'm always around. I put the crate on my nightstand so that he can see me as he falls asleep, I put his crate in the family room otherwise. I say shh for a couple of times and he usually gets quiet eventually, however he does not willingly go into his crate...I'm trying to make it his "den" but I think that since I have yet to find toys that he likes or treats, he kind of doesn't see the benefit behind being in it. Any input would be helpful...megansmomma has given me great advice, but even though she doesn't mind (she reassured me plenty!) I'm a little shy PMing her all the time

[roseylovestosho]

He's been here for three days not two...LOL not a huge difference, but at this stage every single day is hard!

[Tinksmygirl]

My little Tinkerbell just turned 8 months old and I can tell you to have patience it does get better. Reading your post made me remember our first couple of weeks together. The best advice I can give you about potty training is to be consistent. I took Tink out every 2 hours that she was awake for the first 2 months after she came home. She slept in her crate near my bed for the first six weeks and we got up at least 1 time every night usually 1-2 am for a potty break. I got to the point where I knew Tinks bathroom schedule. I can read her very well and I just know when she needs to go. I have never used pads, but I would think the process is the same. I gave lots of treats and praise at first and now Tink rarely has accidents, but if she does it is usually my fault.

Tink used to love chasing bare feet..LOL.. You just need to continue to be firm and say NO and give your puppy a more appropriate chew toy. Tink loves bully sticks and they saved my toes. Tink was already 13 weeks old when I brought her home so she had learned from her mom and littermates a lot about how hard to bite. This is really important. You will have to teah this as the other posters have commented. One thing I did also was to start walking Tink around the block. The walk really helps establish a relationship and is a great bonding tool. I have walked Tink almost everyday since I brought her home and I think it was a big help. Just be sure and keep your puppy away from areas where unvaccinated dogs might be running free. I have a good neighborhood for this so there was no concern on my part. Most importantly find ways to bond with your puppy. Once that bond is firmly in place I think the training comes around better. Tink is my first yorkie so this is just what has worked well for us. I am definitely not an expert, but just wanted to help with a little advice. Good Luck.

[roseylovestosho]

What can you do about growling? I feel as if everytime I try to correct the biting he's gone from nipping lightly to doing it harder, and now he's growling!

[candigirl]

Mardelin- thanks didn't know this so i've been leaving water out for her overnight and i've caught her drinking some so i'll continue to do that

TinksMygirl-ty i've been giving her treats now at every potty break and she seems to be responding better, also i leave her crate door open at night and she comes out and pees/poops when she wants then goes back into her crate. The problem with that is figuring out her schedule, so i guess i'll have to start keeping track and writing down the times she goes. Also as soon as she has all her shots i'll be taking her for regular walks, hopefully that will help center her as well so shes not such a wild child

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by candigirl

Mardelin- thanks didn't know this so i've been leaving water out for her overnight and i've caught her drinking some so i'll continue to do that

TinksMygirl-ty i've been giving her treats now at every potty break and she seems to be responding better, also i leave her crate door open at night and she comes out and pees/poops when she wants then goes back into her crate. The problem with that is figuring out her schedule, so i guess i'll have to start keeping track and writing down the times she goes. Also as soon as she has all her shots i'll be taking her for regular walks, hopefully that will help center her as well so shes not such a wild child

She's an infant. Think about it and compare to a new born baby. Their tummies, bladders and bowels are tiny......they really aren't large enough to control them... For your own sanity, don't expect miracles until about 6 months of age. Everytime you begin to lose patience, roll up a newspaper and hit yourself over the head. The wild child thing will calm down as time goes on. You got your little one a bit too young; the age between 8 and 12 weeks, mother's do so much training. Oh and don't give her too much freedom; pups are like children, they have to learn their boundaries, and gain the priveledge of the house and that's done little by little. So, when you can't monitor her, put her in a safe area (x-pen) with a pee pad, food, bed and toys.

[candigirl]

Originally Posted by Mardelin

She's an infant. Think about it and compare to a new born baby. Their tummies, bladders and bowels are tiny......they really aren't large enough to control them... For your own sanity, don't expect miracles until about 6 months of age. Everytime you begin to lose patience, roll up a newspaper and hit yourself over the head. The wild child thing will calm down as time goes on. You got your little one a bit too young; the age between 8 and 12 weeks, mother's do so much training. Oh and don't give her too much freedom; pups are like children, they have to learn their boundaries, and gain the priveledge of the house and that's done little by little. So, when you can't monitor her, put her in a safe area (x-pen) with a pee pad, food, bed and toys.

Yea i see that now with the water, there's just so much conflicting information out there(most of which i heard before finding YT). I bought an xpen a few days ago and she stays in it whenever i'm not around to supervise her. When i do let her out to play she runs freely through my kitchen, living and dining room which she really enjoys but i do watch her like a hawk. The potty training is frustrating but tolerable, whats harder is the biting and aggression issues

[candigirl]

btw I'll be taking her to the vet because I think Debra may be right about the UTI, I'm starting to notice something might be off