From: ...@hotmail.com>
Subject: first time dog owner enquiries
To: judy@toapayohvets.com
Date: Sunday, June 28, 2009, 5:49 PM
Hi Dr Sing
I read a lot about dog training on your website and they were extremely educational! Thank you for the useful advices.
I am a first time dog owner and is expecting my male golden retriever of 2 months old to arrive in about 2 weeks time. I have done alot of reading up and researchs. I am living in a 2 storey landed property. The playpen is made up of 4 corners in my porch, measuring about 150cm x 150cm. It's poop scoop will also be within the play pen but placed on the opposite side of the sofa bed since puppies love a clean area to sleep at. As it is still a puppy and untrained, i intend to lay the whole playpen area with only newspapers and poop scoop first. until it is toilet trained, i will introduce the sofa bed and replace the newspapers on the floor with rubber mat. IS THE POOP SCOOP A PEE-PAN?
As the following below are based on what i understand, please do correct me if I'm wrong.
1. We will try to make the journey (car ride) back home a pleasant one so as to ease the puppy's stress. Confine him to his play pen to let him familiarise with the new environment and strictly no rough play between 2-3days to prevent stress. Feed him at regular timings(3x/day, last meal and water at 7pm) from the start to estimate his elimination time. Whenever he's going to eliminate, quickly place him on the poo scoop (with toilet training aid sprayed on it) and firmly say 'pee here'. Reward/praise him if he has done so. If not, pat on his back and sternly say 'No'. Repeat this training as often as we can until he can successfully eliminate on the poo scoop himself. Till then, replace those newspapers on the floor with rubber mat. If he accidentally eliminate on wrong areas, use white vinegar and water(1:4) to remove smell.
KEEP TOILET TRAINING IN PLAY PEN SIMPLE.
I ADVISE THAT YOU COVER THE FLOOR AND THE POOP SCOOP (PEE PAN) 100% FOR THE FIRST 1-3 DAYS. SEE WHICH CORNER THE PUPPY ELIMINATES. REDUCE NEWSPAPERS TO THAT 'DIRTY AREA'. KEEP THE SLEEPING AREA VERY CLEAN. CHANGE PAPERS REGULARLY AND AS SOON AS IT IS SOILED.
*Is it okay if I do not clear up his accidental mess (before he is toilet trained) from 12am-8am since it's my sleeping time?
NOT OK BUT THIS IS NOT PRACTICAL ADVICE AS YOU NEED TO SLEEP. IF A PERSON CAN SLEEP NEAR THE PUPPY AND CHANGE THE SOILED PAPERS AT THAT TIME, THE PUPPY CAN BE PAPER-TRAINED SUCCESSFULLY IN <7 DAYS (IN SOME CASES).
Will his health be affected? NO
In what cases will the puppy eat or step on its own poo? How can we prevent this? AT FIRST 7 DAYS, IF YOU GIVE SUFFICIENT SPACE FOR THE PUPPY TO SLEEP, UNLIKELY TO STEP ON POO IN MOST CASES. EATING POO IS A HABIT IN A FEW PUPPIES. YOURS MAY NOT DO IT. PREVENTION IS BY REMOVAL OF POO IMMEDIATELY AND OTHER METHODS ARE NOT SO SUCCESSFUL.
2. After he feels comfortable and secure already(gets excited when he sees me), engage him with obedience trainings and daily walks around the neighbourhood. Call out his name frequently until he can look or respond to me, afterwhich reward him. Keep these trainings to 15mins each time, 3 times a day, since puppies have short concentration.
ROUTINE IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR PUPPIES AND CHILDREN TOO. GET A TIME TABLE TO DO THE FEEDING, EXERCISES AND TRAINING.
*Must we teach him to 'sit' on one day, 'stay' on another day or we can mix them together? Like teaching him how to 'sit' 'stay' 'go' in 1 day? Which is recommended?
MUCH DEPENDS ON THE INTELLIGENCE OF THE PUPPY. ALL 3 COMMANDS CAN BE DONE IN ONE DAY AT DIFFERENT TIMES
3. I dont intend to let the dog into my house. Do I train him similarly like the above? Pat him and say sternly 'No' if he tries to enter and reward him if he stay put? YES
Will he eventually try his luck to enter the house?
NO PUPPY WILL GIVE UP TRYING TO JOIN THE PACK LEADER (YOU) BUT IF YOU ARE FIRM AND HE IS INTELLIGENT, HE WILL NOT DO SO LATER.
Also, I have a 1.2m deep fish pond near the porch. I will use fences to block up the area if i remove him from play pen. Is there a fast and effective way to train him not to enter these areas?
NO QUICKIE METHOD UNFORTUNATELY. PUPPIES TAKES 2-4 WEEKS TO LEARN IF GIVEN LESSONS FREQUENTLY IN SHORT 5-10 MINUTES AND POSITIVE REWARDS (FOOD TREATS BEST).
The pond is quite an issue as I have an arowana which will definitely injure my dog if he falls in.
FENCE UP POND TO PREVENT PUPPY DROWNING
4. I dont intend to put him on leash him since he is still a puppy. I'll start to leash him up when he can jump out of the fence and start to chew on objects. I will also introduce the anti chew spray to minimise the damages on my properties. Until he is properly trained, knowing exactly where it is safe for him to wander about, I will not leash him up.
CRATE HIM AT ALL TIMES WHEN YOU ARE NOT AROUND TO SUPERVISE HIM.
*At what age will he start to chew on things
AS EARLY AS HE CAN CHEW, FROM WEEK 4 ONWARDS
and should be sterilized?
6 MONTHS OR 3 MONTHS AFTER THE FIRST HEAT. THAT IS MY PERSONAL OPINION.
After sterilization, what are the changes in his temperaments, habits and lifestyle?
A MALE WILL BE LESS AGGRESSIVE OR WANTING TO URINE-MARK OR MOUNT OBJECTS. BOTH FEMALE AND MALES WILL BE LESS ACTIVE GENERALLY. IT DEPENDS ON OWNER AND PUPPY INTERACTIONS AND FEEDING. TOO MUCH TO EXPLAIN IN THIS EMAIL.
5. At what age should he start the heartworm prevention program? DEPENDS ON YOUR VET BUT GENERALLY AT BEFORE/AROUND 6 MONTHS.
To avoid ticks and fleas, it's best to avoid dirty and long grassy areas. It is best to comb and rub some powder on him after walks. CHECK PAWS FOR TICKS. DAILY GROOMING TO CHECK FLEAS AND TICKS.
6. Can I feed him with a small bowl of warm milk (the kind that i drink but with min lactose) every night before i go to sleep, which is around 10-11pm?
SOME PUPPIES WILL NOT GET DIARRHOEA WITH MILK BUT SOME DO. DEPENDS ON PUPPY'S STOMACH TOLERANCE TO MILK.
7. Can I feed him supplements (glucosamine750mg and chondroitin300mg, in liquid form) at such a young age? I intend to give him about 4ml a day together with his food.
SOME PREMIUM DOG FEED CLAIMS "COMPLETE DIET" AND NO NEED SUPPLEMENTS. BEST TO CHECK PUPPY FOOD YOU BUY.
8. If I want to change his diet, I can only add increasing amount of the new diet to his old diet each day until the old diet is completely replaced. The puppy might reject the food if i were to change completely. CHANGE SMALL AMOUNT E.G. 20% GRADUALLY OVER 2 WEEKS.
9. Allow the puppy to rest about an hour before taking him for a walk or play with him. DEPENDS ON YOUR ROUTINE/TIME-TABLE AND PUPPY'S HEALTH AND ENERGY AND TIME OF THE DAY.
10. I have a car parked in my porch. Usually, the owner returns at night and the engine sound is louder at night. Will it affect the puppy's hearing in long term? NO
Will he get scared during the first few days in my house? If so, how can I solve this problem? NERVOUS PERSONALITY TYPE WILL BE SCARED. OBSERVE AND SEE. BE AROUND WHEN THE CAR COMES INTO THE HOUSE AND GIVES ASSURANCE.
I will appreciate greatly if i can receive your reply soon. I can't wait for my puppy's arrival, at the same time, providing the best living condition for him at my place.
Hope to hear from you soon.
IN CONCLUSION, KEEP TOILET TRAINING SIMPLE AND GIVE A TIME-TABLE, POSITIVE TRAINING, 5-10 MINUTE OBEDIENCE TRAINING AND SPEND TIME WITH THE YOUNG ONE.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Grate + Pee Pan - Hygiene Problems?
--- On Sun, 11/16/08, wrote:
Subject: House training of puppies
To: judy@toapayohvets.com
Date: Sunday, November 16, 2008, 11:47 PM
Judy,
I read the blog about toilet training of puppies in house, using Crate and Pee Pan, while they sleep and eat on one side, but wee and poo on the other side. Will that generate any hygiene issues as they have to do all business in one small area?
Thanks
Flag this message
Re: House training of puppies
Thursday, November 20, 2008 8:47 PM
From:
"David Sing"
View contact details
To:
alice...@yahoo.com
In a healthy puppy living alone, there is usually be no hygiene problem, from experiences of many owners in Singapore. The soiled pee pan below the grate is washed regularly at least once a day. If the puppy is sick, there will be a need to seek vet treatment.
Subject: House training of puppies
To: judy@toapayohvets.com
Date: Sunday, November 16, 2008, 11:47 PM
Judy,
I read the blog about toilet training of puppies in house, using Crate and Pee Pan, while they sleep and eat on one side, but wee and poo on the other side. Will that generate any hygiene issues as they have to do all business in one small area?
Thanks
Flag this message
Re: House training of puppies
Thursday, November 20, 2008 8:47 PM
From:
"David Sing"
View contact details
To:
alice...@yahoo.com
In a healthy puppy living alone, there is usually be no hygiene problem, from experiences of many owners in Singapore. The soiled pee pan below the grate is washed regularly at least once a day. If the puppy is sick, there will be a need to seek vet treatment.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Too late to toilet-train 6-month-old?
DRAFT
On 10/23/08, ...@gmail.com
Hi Judy,
I read your highly informative article on toilet training for puppies.
I'd just like to know if the methods will still work with a 6 month
old puppy who's been with us and spoiled for nearly 3 months now?
During the 3 months that he was with us, we let him run around the
whole apartment and he gets to sleep in our bed or by the bedside if
he's not clean. We have a wire grill with a tray with a puppy diaper
inside in our bedroom and also another one outside our room. If he's
in the room he's supposed to go to the tray in the room, if he's in
the apartment while we're out at work, he's supposed to go to the
tray outside our room since we close the doors to our room when we
go out. We seemed to be making progress when he regularly goes in
the general area of the two trays. Most of the time he goes NEXT to
the tray rather than ON it but we were thinking that he's learning
slowly and soon he will go ON the tray only. However, recently he's
been going in all different places where he didn't used to go
before! And he still goes NEXT to the tray most of the time.
I regret not reading your article when we first got our puppy. We
were so taken in by his cuteness I think we spoiled him and couldn't
bear keeping him in a cage. So, after 3 months of being spoiled, can
we still apply these methods and get results? Do we have to modify
the toilet-training techniques in any way? Also, we are out of the
house during office hours, does this affect his toilet training?
I'd appreciate any advice that you could provide.
Thank you very much for your time and kind attention.
Regards,
xxx
REPLY
David Sing wrote:
1. I am Dr Sing from Toa Payoh Vets. Thank you for your email.
2. Are you staying in Singapore?
3. Can you e-mail a picture of the grill + tray?
4. What is the breed and gender of your puppy?
5. The methods of confinement and routine (of food, exercise, sleep) should work for your puppy who is 6 months now.
E-MAIL TO DR SING
On 10/30/08, ....@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi Dr. Sing,
2. Yes, I am staying in Singapore.
3. I've attached the pictures in this email. We will be moving to a new place on November 15th with almost twice the space. Do let us know if we should get a larger play-pen for Nike. I was thinking of getting two more of the long fence links to make the play-pen a square with the long fence links for sides but then I realized that the long fence links will not connect properly with the two existing long fence links. Any suggestions?
4. Nike is a male Shih Tzu at around 6mo old.
E-MAIL TO DR SING
Flag this message
Re: Query regarding toilet training
Friday, October 31, 2008 7:39 AM
From: Dr Sing
To:...@gmail.com>
-----Inline Attachment Follows-----
1. Thank you for your 2 pictures.
2. In reply, increase his confined area every week by 50 - 100% depending on your resources.
3. My suggestion will be to confine your dog inside a bathroom when you move to a new place. Use the existing panels of fences like a "baby-gate". Put the grill and tray at one end (with his own urine smell on the puppy diaper) if you want him to be trained this way. If you do not have a spare bathroom when you are at work, you do need a bigger playpen when the dog is home alone.
4. CLEAN INSTINCT OF DOGS.
The reason he eliminates outside the diaper is that he is a very clean dog (by instinct) and does not want to step onto the grill.
4.1 I presume you don't wash the grill and tray once a day or regularly. Therefore he does not want to step onto it whenever possible. To get the dog to use only the grill and tray method, the grill and tray must be cleaned as often as possible for very clean dogs.
5. As to his eliminating outside his tray, the most likely explanation is that he has matured. The male hormone testosterone has made him want to urine-mark. Some dogs do mark by passing stools here and there too. Neutering him early (around 6 months) will usually stop this habit.
6. NEUTRALISATION OF URINE SMELL IN YOUR APARTMENT. Some owners find that vinegar:water at 1:3 is effective as the dog can't detect those non-approved areas. Your mop must be free of dog's urine smell too.
7. WATCH OUT FOR SIGNS OF ELIMINATION - sniffing, turning. This is difficult as the dog now urine-marks.
I hope I have answered all your questions. Let me know how you progress.
On 10/23/08, ...@gmail.com
Hi Judy,
I read your highly informative article on toilet training for puppies.
I'd just like to know if the methods will still work with a 6 month
old puppy who's been with us and spoiled for nearly 3 months now?
During the 3 months that he was with us, we let him run around the
whole apartment and he gets to sleep in our bed or by the bedside if
he's not clean. We have a wire grill with a tray with a puppy diaper
inside in our bedroom and also another one outside our room. If he's
in the room he's supposed to go to the tray in the room, if he's in
the apartment while we're out at work, he's supposed to go to the
tray outside our room since we close the doors to our room when we
go out. We seemed to be making progress when he regularly goes in
the general area of the two trays. Most of the time he goes NEXT to
the tray rather than ON it but we were thinking that he's learning
slowly and soon he will go ON the tray only. However, recently he's
been going in all different places where he didn't used to go
before! And he still goes NEXT to the tray most of the time.
I regret not reading your article when we first got our puppy. We
were so taken in by his cuteness I think we spoiled him and couldn't
bear keeping him in a cage. So, after 3 months of being spoiled, can
we still apply these methods and get results? Do we have to modify
the toilet-training techniques in any way? Also, we are out of the
house during office hours, does this affect his toilet training?
I'd appreciate any advice that you could provide.
Thank you very much for your time and kind attention.
Regards,
xxx
REPLY
David Sing wrote:
1. I am Dr Sing from Toa Payoh Vets. Thank you for your email.
2. Are you staying in Singapore?
3. Can you e-mail a picture of the grill + tray?
4. What is the breed and gender of your puppy?
5. The methods of confinement and routine (of food, exercise, sleep) should work for your puppy who is 6 months now.
E-MAIL TO DR SING
On 10/30/08, ....@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi Dr. Sing,
2. Yes, I am staying in Singapore.
3. I've attached the pictures in this email. We will be moving to a new place on November 15th with almost twice the space. Do let us know if we should get a larger play-pen for Nike. I was thinking of getting two more of the long fence links to make the play-pen a square with the long fence links for sides but then I realized that the long fence links will not connect properly with the two existing long fence links. Any suggestions?
4. Nike is a male Shih Tzu at around 6mo old.
E-MAIL TO DR SING
Flag this message
Re: Query regarding toilet training
Friday, October 31, 2008 7:39 AM
From: Dr Sing
To:...@gmail.com>
-----Inline Attachment Follows-----
1. Thank you for your 2 pictures.
2. In reply, increase his confined area every week by 50 - 100% depending on your resources.
3. My suggestion will be to confine your dog inside a bathroom when you move to a new place. Use the existing panels of fences like a "baby-gate". Put the grill and tray at one end (with his own urine smell on the puppy diaper) if you want him to be trained this way. If you do not have a spare bathroom when you are at work, you do need a bigger playpen when the dog is home alone.
4. CLEAN INSTINCT OF DOGS.
The reason he eliminates outside the diaper is that he is a very clean dog (by instinct) and does not want to step onto the grill.
4.1 I presume you don't wash the grill and tray once a day or regularly. Therefore he does not want to step onto it whenever possible. To get the dog to use only the grill and tray method, the grill and tray must be cleaned as often as possible for very clean dogs.
5. As to his eliminating outside his tray, the most likely explanation is that he has matured. The male hormone testosterone has made him want to urine-mark. Some dogs do mark by passing stools here and there too. Neutering him early (around 6 months) will usually stop this habit.
6. NEUTRALISATION OF URINE SMELL IN YOUR APARTMENT. Some owners find that vinegar:water at 1:3 is effective as the dog can't detect those non-approved areas. Your mop must be free of dog's urine smell too.
7. WATCH OUT FOR SIGNS OF ELIMINATION - sniffing, turning. This is difficult as the dog now urine-marks.
I hope I have answered all your questions. Let me know how you progress.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
21. Case study - Follow-up on Case 20. Pom toilet training behaviour
On 6/25/08, David Sing wrote:
3 pictures much appreciated. Is the Pom paper-trained 100% now?
--- On Tue, 6/24/08, <....@gmail.com> wrote:
Subject: Re: Paper training a Pom
To: drsing_98@yahoo.com
Date: Tuesday, June 24, 2008, 6:00 AM
--- On Wed, 6/25/08, ...@gmail.com> wrote:
Subject: Re: Paper training a Pom
To: drsing_98@yahoo.com
Date: Wednesday, June 25, 2008, 1:05 AM
Hi Dr Sing,
My pom is still not totally trained. He is quite mischievious. While in the crate, he knows that he need to shit & pee in the newspaper. But he will purposely do it on the tray w/o newspaper. Moreover, if i let him out & he feels like peeing, he will just do it on the floor.
I can see that he can control his bladder really well as once i brought him to a friend's house, he control his bladder for 3 hrs.
He is still the same. I need to bring him to the crate & ask him to pee before he does that. He won't go there on his own.
Still trying to train him.
Regards,
Name of owner
Re: Paper training a Pom
Wednesday, June 25, 2008 9:54 PM
"David Sing"
To:
...@gmail.com>
You are progressing quite well. Remember it takes 2-4 weeks of training. Since you don't train full time, toilet-training may take as long as 12 weeks. But I believe that you should achieve success within 4 weeks. You just can't vary your routine e.g. bringing the puppy to your friend's house as it gets distracted and of course, confused.
You just need to give the puppy a same daily routine. I think it is hard for you but it is just like "focus" to succeed in life. For example, many successful business people/top students focus on their activity. They also work very hard (perseverance).
We see them very wealthy/top in their cohort of students. Behind their wealth/academic excellence, there is much hard work (time spent in learning etc) and focus (no distractions).
If you do not focus, it may take as long as 3 months to get the puppy toilet-trained as from my interviews with some dog owners. If you want fast results, spend time and focus. No other way unless the puppy is very intelligent and knows what it takes to make you very happy.
I thank you for a most beautiful picture of the Pom looking at the camera. That is the best of the 3 pictures. I notice there is a ramp for the Pom to come down from the crate. That is where you make a mistake of buying a high floor crate.
To answer 2 interesting and common complaints of yours (in bold letters):
1. If you were a puppy, will you want to climb a steep ramp to get into the crate to pee and poop when it is so difficult and steep to do it? This is a common complaint of other owners with such a crate. There is no solution except to change to a low floor crate.
2. It is good that I see your puppy's housing from your picture.
Most likely, the puppy considers the newspapers as his bed. Now all puppies want to be clean. Why pee and poo on his own bed inside the crate? So, he does it on the other half of the crate, onto the wire floor and into the tray!
That means your paper-training is very difficult as the puppy now eliminates on the wire flooring. Most likely a grate + pee pan set will be needed. See such cases in my website.
Thank you once again for your pictures.
3 pictures much appreciated. Is the Pom paper-trained 100% now?
--- On Tue, 6/24/08, <....@gmail.com> wrote:
Subject: Re: Paper training a Pom
To: drsing_98@yahoo.com
Date: Tuesday, June 24, 2008, 6:00 AM
--- On Wed, 6/25/08, ...@gmail.com> wrote:
Subject: Re: Paper training a Pom
To: drsing_98@yahoo.com
Date: Wednesday, June 25, 2008, 1:05 AM
Hi Dr Sing,
My pom is still not totally trained. He is quite mischievious. While in the crate, he knows that he need to shit & pee in the newspaper. But he will purposely do it on the tray w/o newspaper. Moreover, if i let him out & he feels like peeing, he will just do it on the floor.
I can see that he can control his bladder really well as once i brought him to a friend's house, he control his bladder for 3 hrs.
He is still the same. I need to bring him to the crate & ask him to pee before he does that. He won't go there on his own.
Still trying to train him.
Regards,
Name of owner
Re: Paper training a Pom
Wednesday, June 25, 2008 9:54 PM
"David Sing"
To:
...@gmail.com>
You are progressing quite well. Remember it takes 2-4 weeks of training. Since you don't train full time, toilet-training may take as long as 12 weeks. But I believe that you should achieve success within 4 weeks. You just can't vary your routine e.g. bringing the puppy to your friend's house as it gets distracted and of course, confused.
You just need to give the puppy a same daily routine. I think it is hard for you but it is just like "focus" to succeed in life. For example, many successful business people/top students focus on their activity. They also work very hard (perseverance).
We see them very wealthy/top in their cohort of students. Behind their wealth/academic excellence, there is much hard work (time spent in learning etc) and focus (no distractions).
If you do not focus, it may take as long as 3 months to get the puppy toilet-trained as from my interviews with some dog owners. If you want fast results, spend time and focus. No other way unless the puppy is very intelligent and knows what it takes to make you very happy.
I thank you for a most beautiful picture of the Pom looking at the camera. That is the best of the 3 pictures. I notice there is a ramp for the Pom to come down from the crate. That is where you make a mistake of buying a high floor crate.
To answer 2 interesting and common complaints of yours (in bold letters):
1. If you were a puppy, will you want to climb a steep ramp to get into the crate to pee and poop when it is so difficult and steep to do it? This is a common complaint of other owners with such a crate. There is no solution except to change to a low floor crate.
2. It is good that I see your puppy's housing from your picture.
Most likely, the puppy considers the newspapers as his bed. Now all puppies want to be clean. Why pee and poo on his own bed inside the crate? So, he does it on the other half of the crate, onto the wire floor and into the tray!
That means your paper-training is very difficult as the puppy now eliminates on the wire flooring. Most likely a grate + pee pan set will be needed. See such cases in my website.
Thank you once again for your pictures.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
20. Case study - Toilet-training a 3-month-old Pom in Singapore
Thursday, Jun 12, 2008
THIS CASE STUDY ILLUSTRATES THE COMMON SITUATION ENCOUNTERED BY MANY FIRST-TIME SINGAPORE PUPPY OWNERS --- Puppy coughing and peeing and pooing everywhere. With 3 pictures supplied by the owner, it is easier to give advice as each puppy lives in a different environment and housing.
On further examination of the pictures, the crate seems to be of a higher level than the other type and the puppy (if short-legged like Chihuahuas) may not be able to hop back into the crate to pee and poop. Therefore, it will not be possible to get the puppy to eliminate inside the crate. Half of the crate is covered with newspapers and the other half is the sleeping area. The puppy has started to eliminate on the newspapers and should be paper-trained if the owner confines the puppy inside the crate when she is working and let him out when she is at home.
She still has to place some newspapers with the puppy's urine smell outside the crate as the puppy is too smart to get inside (knowing he will be locked up - as usual - as he knows that will be the case in the morning when the owner is going to work). Keeping the crate inside the kitchen is a good idea as the kitchen's tiled floor is easier to clean. Also, confinement to the kitchen is important in toilet-training success. Confinement needs to be for 2-4 weeks till paper-training is successful as this is what the owner intends to do.
In getting the puppy to eliminate inside the crate, no paper must be used on the crate wire flooring. However, the owner needs to clean up the wire flooring promptly and she has to work. The wire flooring permits the puppy's urine to flow onto the floor. If the puppy poops soon after eating, the poo is promptly removed and the flooring cleaned with tissue paper. If the puppy poops many times, it is not easy to use this method unless the puppy's sleeping area is outside the crate. This is done by extending the crate area by using 3 panels of fencing outside the door so that the puppy has a bigger clean area to sleep and play while using the inside of the crate as the "toilet". This is a much more complicated way to train and needs more time and attention.
Some solutions are proposed by Dr Sing Kong Yuen of Toa Payoh Vets.
Flag this message
Paper training a Pom
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 8:13 PM
From:
This sender is DomainKeys verified
"David Sing"
View contact details
To:
"...@gmail.com>
Thank you for your pictures. I don't see the newspapers covering half of his crate. Can you send me the latest pic.
Almost all puppy owners have the same conclusion as you --- the puppy refuses to get back into the crate if let out. This is what the other owners think --- the puppy knows that he will be locked up again.
It is good to confine the Pom inside the kitchen. From your 3 pic that your toilet training and can advise the following:
1. NEWSPAPERS OUTSIDE THE CRATE so that the puppy can run to it to pee and poop. He is not so stupid as to run inside if he knows you are sure to lock him out. There should be some of his urine smell on the newspapers you put outside the crate (2nd piece of soiled newspapers to be put outside the crate. In some pet shops, a water bottle with dual nozzles is sold so that the puppy can drink from outside the crate as well as inside. In your case, I don't know whether you are using water bowls or water bottles. If you use water bowl, place another bowl outside the crate as part of the paper training when you are at home.
2. OPEN THE CRATE DOOR so that the puppy can run into the crate to pee and poop. Some owners are successful in this way and do not need newspapers outside the crate.In such cases, the newspapers must be REPLACED promptly with clean ones. If you are working, your mum or somebody may do it. In this way, the puppy is paper-trained quickly.
3. If the crate has a high level such that the Pom cannot jump into it, then you need to use a ramp. But I see from your picture that your crate is not that high.
Re: Taking jab with a limp
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 1:24 AM
From:
"....@gmail.com>
Add sender to Contacts
To:
drsing_98@yahoo.com
Hi Dr Sing,
Here are 3 pic of my boy..
DRAFT
Anyway, i am still trying to train him to potty. Started to train him on Last Saturday. Placed newspaper covering half of his crate. He knows how to poo on the newspaper while in crate after 2 days. I am trying to train him potty while he is around the house. Confined him in the kitchen only, with his crate nearby. However, he still doesn't seem to know where to potty when he is out.. He is afraid that if he goes into his crAte, i will lock him up, thats what i feel.
Anyway, i am still trying.. teaching him everytime i knock off.. hope he can potty real soon.
XXX
On 6/11/08, David Sing wrote:
Can take vaccination if he is eating well and is normal. Limping is not a problem.
--- On Tue, 6/10/08,
From: ...@gmail.com>
Subject: Taking jab with a limp
To: drsing_98@yahoo.com
Date: Tuesday, June 10, 2008, 1:28 PM
Hi Dr Sing,
Thank for your advice.. YYY has recovered!
Anyway, he hurt his leg... falling from a table.. have a sprain... can he actually take his 3rd vacination with his limp?
Please advise me.
XXX
On Sun, Jun 8, 2008 at 7:40 AM, David Sing wrote:
Kennel cough includes infection of upper respiratory tract ie. nose area. Try and clear his nose. If he does not recover, check with your vet.
--- On Fri, 6/6/08,
From: ....gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Enquiry for new puppy owner
To: drsing_98@yahoo.com
Date: Friday, June 6, 2008, 4:30 AM
Hi Dr Sing,
However, my dog does not cough, he only sneeze like 2 times a day and keep sucking air into his nose in a hard way(like having a nose block) all the time. I thought the symptom for Kennel cough is cough?
He has this symptom for 3weeks already. He has seen a doctor earlier on.. about 10days ago and under medication for 10 days. However, i did not see any improvement from his sneeze & sucking in air.
Is it because i place him in the crate all the while and nv clean the wire grill thoroughly or clear his pee tray as soon as he pees?
I have stop the medication for him. He is still as active as usual & eating very normally.
Please advise me.
XXX
On 6/6/08, David Sing wrote:
Looks like he has not recovered from his kennel cough and viral infections of his breathing system. You need to wait till he recovers fully before vaccination. This may take a few weeks in some cases.
If he has no problems breathing or if the environment is not dusty/too cold, let him recover by himself. If he has problems, see your vet.
--- On Thu, 6/5/08,
From: ...@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Enquiry for new puppy owner
To: drsing_98@yahoo.com
Date: Thursday, June 5, 2008, 2:28 AM
Hi Dr Sing,
I was really busy.. working till the wee hours at work... I will send you the pic by Sunday..
By the way, i have a question for you. My 3mth pomeranian has been sneezing & kind of always forcing air out of his nose. Sometimes his nose is wet.. like have a cold.. I heard this is common for dogs with 1 out of 3 having this symptom. Is it true & is it normal?
With this symptom, can he take his 3rd vaccination where he suppose to take really soon?
Or is it there anything causing my puppy to have allergy? Should i let him wear a shirt?
Hope to hear from you soon.
XXX
On 5/30/08, David Sing wrote:
Thank you for your reply. In Singapore, many Pom are fed 2x per day according to the common recommendations of pet shop/breeder puppy sellers and they seem to do well, in my research. The puppy eats till it feels full and so the exact amount varies with the puppy's behaviour.
In the restricted feeding method, if the puppy eats all in 5 minutes and asks for more, you will have to add another 10 - 50% and see if he is still hungry. If he is, that means you need to give more. Check on its belly. A few puppies eat till they are bloated (swollen abdomen) as they seem to be gluttons and such puppies should not be overfed.
In the free feeding method, the puppy is given the food in the food bowl and it eats whenever it feels like eating. Certain puppies do not gulp down their food at one go as if they are not interested in eating. In such situations, the owner may leave the food throughout the day and observe that the puppy finished the amount at the end of the day. Mini-Malteses, Chihuahuas, Yorkshire Terriers and Pomeranians may be puppies with little appetite. In such breeds, 3 or 4 x feeding per day is advised as they faint or become comatose due to the lack of blood sugar.
Therefore, much depends on your puppy's appetite and energy to know how much to feed. Usually the seller's recommendation and the weight of the puppy is your guide.
If it is OK with you, please e-mail 3 pictures of your puppy inside the crate for my case research.
Best wishes.
--- On Thu, 5/29/08,
From: ...@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Enquiry for new puppy owner
To: drsing_98@yahoo.com
Date: Thursday, May 29, 2008, 7:55 AM
Dear Dr Sing,
Thank you for your prompt & elaborate reply. I will definitely try it out & hopefully everything turns well.
I am actually unsure about how much should i feed my puppy. He is a male pomeranian of 3 mth to day. How to know how much food he needs? Is three times a day enough?
Regards,
XXX
On 5/29/08, David Sing wrote:
Your email has been forwarded to me. I am Dr Sing from Toa Payoh Vets. Please see reply/some advices below.
--- On Wed, 5/28/08,
From: ...@gmail.com>
Subject: Enquiry for new puppy owner
To: judy@toapayohvets.com
Date: Wednesday, May 28, 2008, 3:36 AM
Hi Judy,
I have lots of doubts and burning questions to enquire about my new bought male pomeranian of 3 mth today.
Being a 1st timer in keeping a puppy, i am really at a loss how do i discipline, toilet train etc etc with my puppy. I just got him on 17 May 08 which is last last Sat. What i did is i placed him in a crate/ playpan ever since. He poo, pee, eat, sleep in the crate itself.
I wanted to make him toliet train in the crate where he is supposed to pee/ poo there.
THIS TOILET TRAINING TAKES SOME 2-4 WEEKS OF CONFINEMENT IN THE CRATE. IT WILL NOT HAPPEN OVER A FEW DAYS.
I feed him 3 times a day and his water bottle is always there for him. This crate is like the one in the shops where he steps on a wire grill and the newspaper is below the wire grill. Something like this below.
Active training, rubber mat as toilet location. 10 days successful. Toa Payoh Vets
He don't normally poo after his meal, and it takes like 4-5hrs later before he poo. He does poo also in every morning.
SOME PUPPIES POOP WITHIN 30 MINUTES AFTER MEAL BUT NOT ALL. THERE COULD BE DISTRACTION FROM YOU OR YOUR FAMILY DURING FEEDING TIME. SO THE PUPPY 'FORGETS' TO POOP.
IN MY OPINION, do not pay attention to the puppy during meal time but it is hard for the first-time owner and her family not to do it. Normally, the puppy eats everything fast within 5 minutes. Is that what your puppy does?
The owner should then remove the feed bowl. Or remove the feed bowl after 10 minutes whether the puppy has had eaten or not, but be aware that the puppy has not been sick. This method encourages eating all food at one time and pooping after eating. If the puppy is given food all day long, then expect pooping to be many times.
In your case, the puppy probably is distracted by many admirers and has no "privacy" to poop after meals. Feed him inside a quiet corner if you want success. I know it is not practical advice.
I tried to observe him for signs of going to pee, poo. It is kinda hard since he poo at weird hours. For peeing, i can't see any signs of indication that he is going to pee. He just pee whenever he wants as in there is really no signs of him going to pee..
SIGNS OF PEEING - Many owners complain of quickie pee. They can't see signs of the puppy wanting to pee. When the puppy book says "look for signs of wanting to pee (squatting, sniffing and turning around etc)" and bring the puppy to the newspaper or the CRATE as in your case, it means that the puppy is supervised and monitored in an outside area where the puppy has never peed or pooped BEFORE. If the floor if full of urine smells (which you can't smell but the puppy's nose is very sensitive compared to human noses), then the puppy simply let go her urine. USE WHITE VINEGAR:WATER 1:3 TO WIPE THE FLOOR/ FLOOR GRATE OR GRILL TO NEUTRALISE PUPPY URINE SMELL.).
I intend to let him out, prob sleep in my room after he is toliet trained..ie. he will go back to him crate to pee/ poo when there is an urge. However, how am i going to toliet train him when he actually sleeps and spend most of his time in the crate, only to be let out when i am at home at about 7pm after work?
TOILET TRAINING NEEDS 24-HOUR TRAINING FOR THE FIRST 7 DAYS , ACCORDING TO FEEDBACK FROM MY CLIENTS. Since you are not free, it will take much longer than 4 weeks to toilet train the puppy in the crate.
ONE OPTION IS FOR YOU TO KEEP THE PUPPY IN YOUR BEDROOM WHEN YOU SLEEP. CHANGE SOILED NEWSPAPERS EVERY TIME THE PUPPY PEES. REDUCE THE NEWSPAPER AREA TO THE CORNER (WHERE the puppy usually pees on). This will happen after a few days of observation. Once you reach this stage, then keep changing papers so that the puppy has a new paper.
IF NO NEWSPAPERS ARE PLACED as you want him to pee onto the pee tray, ALWAYS WIPE THE WIRE FLOORING (Vinegar:Water at 1:4) with tissue paper to keep it clean. The puppy will want to be clean too and pee in a corner usually.
In addition, he will run real fast immediately i release him around my hse to every corners, licking every edges and biting shoes, floor rugs... I make real loud noise, he still does it.
EVERY PUPPY DOES THIS. THEY LOVE FREEDOM AND ATTENTION. CHEWING, LICKING. THE BEST IS TO RELEASE THE PUPPY TO AN AREA ENCLOSED BUT WITHIN THE CRATE. In this way, the puppy may or may not go to the crate to pee and poop. Then after 2-4 weeks depending on your progress, release the puppy to a room, then 2 rooms and so on.
Another problem i am facing is... He seems really brave & not afraid of lots of things. He is very hyper and always barks in the morning. Waking my whole family up where they feel really irritated by this. I yelled and scolded "No" to him, beat him with my hand, used rolled newspaper and even hitting the floor really hard to scare him, however, after 5seconds after my action, he will be barking once again.
SHOUTING AND MAKING NOISES OR USING ROLLED NEWSPAPERS ON THE FLOOR JUST SHOW THE PUPPY HE GETS WHAT HE WANTS. He barks for attention. You respond.
THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. One solution is the TIME-OUT. That means the puppy in the crate is put in a place or room where he get NO attention every time he barks. This time out takes around 10-20 minutes. Do not shout or pay attention to him. Put him inside the quiet room. Cover his crate with towels so that he can't see anything for 10-20 minutes. Can you do it? It takes owners with certain forceful personality to do it and the puppy respects this type of owner.
Every time he barks, it is time out for him. So, depending on the intelligence of the 4-legged, he will learn that if he wants company, don't bark.
What should i do? What do you think there is other things like routine stuff, disciplinary things, training that i need to do right now to discipline him?
U NEED TO BORROW SOME BOOKS FROM THE LIBRARY REGARDING OBEDIENCE TRAINING. NOW, THE BEST OBEDIENCE TRAINING IS TO GIVE COMMANDS LIKE "SIT" BEFORE YOU FEED HIM. THIS is the time to do it. But how to do it when this puppy just want to play with so many spectators and family members --- I can't advise you. Usually, a couple with no family members has greater success in obedience training. Sometimes, neighbours will pop in to admire the new puppy. They cause havoc to your obedience training. Something like grandparents "spoiling" the grandchild?
By the way, he just caught a slight cold.. under medication now... and the vet said he got mites in his ears. So i am treatin him... Since he is only slightly sick, he behaves very normally.. still hyper & very active.
HOPE HE WILL RECOVER.
Please advice me on what i should do. Thanks alot.
EVERY PUPPY IS DIFFERENT. IN CONCLUSION, I GUESS YOU HAVE A BIG FAMILY AND IT IS GOING TO BE TOUGH FOR YOU. GIVE THE PUPPY A ROUTINE- FEEDING TIME, PLAY TIME, NIGHT SLEEP TIME, CHANGING NEWSPAPERS/WIPING OFF THE URINE FROM GRATE FLOOR EVERY TIME (IF YOU MUM WILL HELP WHILE YOU WORK) WHEN THE PUPPY PEES. Remove poop promptly.
A 3-month-old puppy pees every 2 hours (N-1) formula where N=age of puppy. Uncountable number of peeing. Pooping is usually 2-3 times for the Singapore puppy if there are no distractions and the feeding is not all day long in the feed bowl.
I HOPE YOU HAVE GOT SOME USEFUL ADVICES. Basically, it is the routine and the time you spend in training. Time out is a very useful tactic but few Singapore owners are aware of it.
Yours sincerely,
XXX
PS: He seems happy in the crate, he will play by himself with the plastic dog bone, balls i have for him in his crate.. He is not afraid of the crate.
THIS CASE STUDY ILLUSTRATES THE COMMON SITUATION ENCOUNTERED BY MANY FIRST-TIME SINGAPORE PUPPY OWNERS --- Puppy coughing and peeing and pooing everywhere. With 3 pictures supplied by the owner, it is easier to give advice as each puppy lives in a different environment and housing.
On further examination of the pictures, the crate seems to be of a higher level than the other type and the puppy (if short-legged like Chihuahuas) may not be able to hop back into the crate to pee and poop. Therefore, it will not be possible to get the puppy to eliminate inside the crate. Half of the crate is covered with newspapers and the other half is the sleeping area. The puppy has started to eliminate on the newspapers and should be paper-trained if the owner confines the puppy inside the crate when she is working and let him out when she is at home.
She still has to place some newspapers with the puppy's urine smell outside the crate as the puppy is too smart to get inside (knowing he will be locked up - as usual - as he knows that will be the case in the morning when the owner is going to work). Keeping the crate inside the kitchen is a good idea as the kitchen's tiled floor is easier to clean. Also, confinement to the kitchen is important in toilet-training success. Confinement needs to be for 2-4 weeks till paper-training is successful as this is what the owner intends to do.
In getting the puppy to eliminate inside the crate, no paper must be used on the crate wire flooring. However, the owner needs to clean up the wire flooring promptly and she has to work. The wire flooring permits the puppy's urine to flow onto the floor. If the puppy poops soon after eating, the poo is promptly removed and the flooring cleaned with tissue paper. If the puppy poops many times, it is not easy to use this method unless the puppy's sleeping area is outside the crate. This is done by extending the crate area by using 3 panels of fencing outside the door so that the puppy has a bigger clean area to sleep and play while using the inside of the crate as the "toilet". This is a much more complicated way to train and needs more time and attention.
Some solutions are proposed by Dr Sing Kong Yuen of Toa Payoh Vets.
Flag this message
Paper training a Pom
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 8:13 PM
From:
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"David Sing"
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"...@gmail.com>
Thank you for your pictures. I don't see the newspapers covering half of his crate. Can you send me the latest pic.
Almost all puppy owners have the same conclusion as you --- the puppy refuses to get back into the crate if let out. This is what the other owners think --- the puppy knows that he will be locked up again.
It is good to confine the Pom inside the kitchen. From your 3 pic that your toilet training and can advise the following:
1. NEWSPAPERS OUTSIDE THE CRATE so that the puppy can run to it to pee and poop. He is not so stupid as to run inside if he knows you are sure to lock him out. There should be some of his urine smell on the newspapers you put outside the crate (2nd piece of soiled newspapers to be put outside the crate. In some pet shops, a water bottle with dual nozzles is sold so that the puppy can drink from outside the crate as well as inside. In your case, I don't know whether you are using water bowls or water bottles. If you use water bowl, place another bowl outside the crate as part of the paper training when you are at home.
2. OPEN THE CRATE DOOR so that the puppy can run into the crate to pee and poop. Some owners are successful in this way and do not need newspapers outside the crate.In such cases, the newspapers must be REPLACED promptly with clean ones. If you are working, your mum or somebody may do it. In this way, the puppy is paper-trained quickly.
3. If the crate has a high level such that the Pom cannot jump into it, then you need to use a ramp. But I see from your picture that your crate is not that high.
Re: Taking jab with a limp
Wednesday, June 11, 2008 1:24 AM
From:
"....@gmail.com>
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To:
drsing_98@yahoo.com
Hi Dr Sing,
Here are 3 pic of my boy..
DRAFT
Anyway, i am still trying to train him to potty. Started to train him on Last Saturday. Placed newspaper covering half of his crate. He knows how to poo on the newspaper while in crate after 2 days. I am trying to train him potty while he is around the house. Confined him in the kitchen only, with his crate nearby. However, he still doesn't seem to know where to potty when he is out.. He is afraid that if he goes into his crAte, i will lock him up, thats what i feel.
Anyway, i am still trying.. teaching him everytime i knock off.. hope he can potty real soon.
XXX
On 6/11/08, David Sing
Can take vaccination if he is eating well and is normal. Limping is not a problem.
--- On Tue, 6/10/08,
From: ...@gmail.com>
Subject: Taking jab with a limp
To: drsing_98@yahoo.com
Date: Tuesday, June 10, 2008, 1:28 PM
Hi Dr Sing,
Thank for your advice.. YYY has recovered!
Anyway, he hurt his leg... falling from a table.. have a sprain... can he actually take his 3rd vacination with his limp?
Please advise me.
XXX
On Sun, Jun 8, 2008 at 7:40 AM, David Sing
Kennel cough includes infection of upper respiratory tract ie. nose area. Try and clear his nose. If he does not recover, check with your vet.
--- On Fri, 6/6/08,
From: ....gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Enquiry for new puppy owner
To: drsing_98@yahoo.com
Date: Friday, June 6, 2008, 4:30 AM
Hi Dr Sing,
However, my dog does not cough, he only sneeze like 2 times a day and keep sucking air into his nose in a hard way(like having a nose block) all the time. I thought the symptom for Kennel cough is cough?
He has this symptom for 3weeks already. He has seen a doctor earlier on.. about 10days ago and under medication for 10 days. However, i did not see any improvement from his sneeze & sucking in air.
Is it because i place him in the crate all the while and nv clean the wire grill thoroughly or clear his pee tray as soon as he pees?
I have stop the medication for him. He is still as active as usual & eating very normally.
Please advise me.
XXX
On 6/6/08, David Sing
Looks like he has not recovered from his kennel cough and viral infections of his breathing system. You need to wait till he recovers fully before vaccination. This may take a few weeks in some cases.
If he has no problems breathing or if the environment is not dusty/too cold, let him recover by himself. If he has problems, see your vet.
--- On Thu, 6/5/08,
From: ...@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Enquiry for new puppy owner
To: drsing_98@yahoo.com
Date: Thursday, June 5, 2008, 2:28 AM
Hi Dr Sing,
I was really busy.. working till the wee hours at work... I will send you the pic by Sunday..
By the way, i have a question for you. My 3mth pomeranian has been sneezing & kind of always forcing air out of his nose. Sometimes his nose is wet.. like have a cold.. I heard this is common for dogs with 1 out of 3 having this symptom. Is it true & is it normal?
With this symptom, can he take his 3rd vaccination where he suppose to take really soon?
Or is it there anything causing my puppy to have allergy? Should i let him wear a shirt?
Hope to hear from you soon.
XXX
On 5/30/08, David Sing
Thank you for your reply. In Singapore, many Pom are fed 2x per day according to the common recommendations of pet shop/breeder puppy sellers and they seem to do well, in my research. The puppy eats till it feels full and so the exact amount varies with the puppy's behaviour.
In the restricted feeding method, if the puppy eats all in 5 minutes and asks for more, you will have to add another 10 - 50% and see if he is still hungry. If he is, that means you need to give more. Check on its belly. A few puppies eat till they are bloated (swollen abdomen) as they seem to be gluttons and such puppies should not be overfed.
In the free feeding method, the puppy is given the food in the food bowl and it eats whenever it feels like eating. Certain puppies do not gulp down their food at one go as if they are not interested in eating. In such situations, the owner may leave the food throughout the day and observe that the puppy finished the amount at the end of the day. Mini-Malteses, Chihuahuas, Yorkshire Terriers and Pomeranians may be puppies with little appetite. In such breeds, 3 or 4 x feeding per day is advised as they faint or become comatose due to the lack of blood sugar.
Therefore, much depends on your puppy's appetite and energy to know how much to feed. Usually the seller's recommendation and the weight of the puppy is your guide.
If it is OK with you, please e-mail 3 pictures of your puppy inside the crate for my case research.
Best wishes.
--- On Thu, 5/29/08,
From: ...@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: Enquiry for new puppy owner
To: drsing_98@yahoo.com
Date: Thursday, May 29, 2008, 7:55 AM
Dear Dr Sing,
Thank you for your prompt & elaborate reply. I will definitely try it out & hopefully everything turns well.
I am actually unsure about how much should i feed my puppy. He is a male pomeranian of 3 mth to day. How to know how much food he needs? Is three times a day enough?
Regards,
XXX
On 5/29/08, David Sing
Your email has been forwarded to me. I am Dr Sing from Toa Payoh Vets. Please see reply/some advices below.
--- On Wed, 5/28/08,
From: ...@gmail.com>
Subject: Enquiry for new puppy owner
To: judy@toapayohvets.com
Date: Wednesday, May 28, 2008, 3:36 AM
Hi Judy,
I have lots of doubts and burning questions to enquire about my new bought male pomeranian of 3 mth today.
Being a 1st timer in keeping a puppy, i am really at a loss how do i discipline, toilet train etc etc with my puppy. I just got him on 17 May 08 which is last last Sat. What i did is i placed him in a crate/ playpan ever since. He poo, pee, eat, sleep in the crate itself.
I wanted to make him toliet train in the crate where he is supposed to pee/ poo there.
THIS TOILET TRAINING TAKES SOME 2-4 WEEKS OF CONFINEMENT IN THE CRATE. IT WILL NOT HAPPEN OVER A FEW DAYS.
I feed him 3 times a day and his water bottle is always there for him. This crate is like the one in the shops where he steps on a wire grill and the newspaper is below the wire grill. Something like this below.
Active training, rubber mat as toilet location. 10 days successful. Toa Payoh Vets
He don't normally poo after his meal, and it takes like 4-5hrs later before he poo. He does poo also in every morning.
SOME PUPPIES POOP WITHIN 30 MINUTES AFTER MEAL BUT NOT ALL. THERE COULD BE DISTRACTION FROM YOU OR YOUR FAMILY DURING FEEDING TIME. SO THE PUPPY 'FORGETS' TO POOP.
IN MY OPINION, do not pay attention to the puppy during meal time but it is hard for the first-time owner and her family not to do it. Normally, the puppy eats everything fast within 5 minutes. Is that what your puppy does?
The owner should then remove the feed bowl. Or remove the feed bowl after 10 minutes whether the puppy has had eaten or not, but be aware that the puppy has not been sick. This method encourages eating all food at one time and pooping after eating. If the puppy is given food all day long, then expect pooping to be many times.
In your case, the puppy probably is distracted by many admirers and has no "privacy" to poop after meals. Feed him inside a quiet corner if you want success. I know it is not practical advice.
I tried to observe him for signs of going to pee, poo. It is kinda hard since he poo at weird hours. For peeing, i can't see any signs of indication that he is going to pee. He just pee whenever he wants as in there is really no signs of him going to pee..
SIGNS OF PEEING - Many owners complain of quickie pee. They can't see signs of the puppy wanting to pee. When the puppy book says "look for signs of wanting to pee (squatting, sniffing and turning around etc)" and bring the puppy to the newspaper or the CRATE as in your case, it means that the puppy is supervised and monitored in an outside area where the puppy has never peed or pooped BEFORE. If the floor if full of urine smells (which you can't smell but the puppy's nose is very sensitive compared to human noses), then the puppy simply let go her urine. USE WHITE VINEGAR:WATER 1:3 TO WIPE THE FLOOR/ FLOOR GRATE OR GRILL TO NEUTRALISE PUPPY URINE SMELL.).
I intend to let him out, prob sleep in my room after he is toliet trained..ie. he will go back to him crate to pee/ poo when there is an urge. However, how am i going to toliet train him when he actually sleeps and spend most of his time in the crate, only to be let out when i am at home at about 7pm after work?
TOILET TRAINING NEEDS 24-HOUR TRAINING FOR THE FIRST 7 DAYS , ACCORDING TO FEEDBACK FROM MY CLIENTS. Since you are not free, it will take much longer than 4 weeks to toilet train the puppy in the crate.
ONE OPTION IS FOR YOU TO KEEP THE PUPPY IN YOUR BEDROOM WHEN YOU SLEEP. CHANGE SOILED NEWSPAPERS EVERY TIME THE PUPPY PEES. REDUCE THE NEWSPAPER AREA TO THE CORNER (WHERE the puppy usually pees on). This will happen after a few days of observation. Once you reach this stage, then keep changing papers so that the puppy has a new paper.
IF NO NEWSPAPERS ARE PLACED as you want him to pee onto the pee tray, ALWAYS WIPE THE WIRE FLOORING (Vinegar:Water at 1:4) with tissue paper to keep it clean. The puppy will want to be clean too and pee in a corner usually.
In addition, he will run real fast immediately i release him around my hse to every corners, licking every edges and biting shoes, floor rugs... I make real loud noise, he still does it.
EVERY PUPPY DOES THIS. THEY LOVE FREEDOM AND ATTENTION. CHEWING, LICKING. THE BEST IS TO RELEASE THE PUPPY TO AN AREA ENCLOSED BUT WITHIN THE CRATE. In this way, the puppy may or may not go to the crate to pee and poop. Then after 2-4 weeks depending on your progress, release the puppy to a room, then 2 rooms and so on.
Another problem i am facing is... He seems really brave & not afraid of lots of things. He is very hyper and always barks in the morning. Waking my whole family up where they feel really irritated by this. I yelled and scolded "No" to him, beat him with my hand, used rolled newspaper and even hitting the floor really hard to scare him, however, after 5seconds after my action, he will be barking once again.
SHOUTING AND MAKING NOISES OR USING ROLLED NEWSPAPERS ON THE FLOOR JUST SHOW THE PUPPY HE GETS WHAT HE WANTS. He barks for attention. You respond.
THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. One solution is the TIME-OUT. That means the puppy in the crate is put in a place or room where he get NO attention every time he barks. This time out takes around 10-20 minutes. Do not shout or pay attention to him. Put him inside the quiet room. Cover his crate with towels so that he can't see anything for 10-20 minutes. Can you do it? It takes owners with certain forceful personality to do it and the puppy respects this type of owner.
Every time he barks, it is time out for him. So, depending on the intelligence of the 4-legged, he will learn that if he wants company, don't bark.
What should i do? What do you think there is other things like routine stuff, disciplinary things, training that i need to do right now to discipline him?
U NEED TO BORROW SOME BOOKS FROM THE LIBRARY REGARDING OBEDIENCE TRAINING. NOW, THE BEST OBEDIENCE TRAINING IS TO GIVE COMMANDS LIKE "SIT" BEFORE YOU FEED HIM. THIS is the time to do it. But how to do it when this puppy just want to play with so many spectators and family members --- I can't advise you. Usually, a couple with no family members has greater success in obedience training. Sometimes, neighbours will pop in to admire the new puppy. They cause havoc to your obedience training. Something like grandparents "spoiling" the grandchild?
By the way, he just caught a slight cold.. under medication now... and the vet said he got mites in his ears. So i am treatin him... Since he is only slightly sick, he behaves very normally.. still hyper & very active.
HOPE HE WILL RECOVER.
Please advice me on what i should do. Thanks alot.
EVERY PUPPY IS DIFFERENT. IN CONCLUSION, I GUESS YOU HAVE A BIG FAMILY AND IT IS GOING TO BE TOUGH FOR YOU. GIVE THE PUPPY A ROUTINE- FEEDING TIME, PLAY TIME, NIGHT SLEEP TIME, CHANGING NEWSPAPERS/WIPING OFF THE URINE FROM GRATE FLOOR EVERY TIME (IF YOU MUM WILL HELP WHILE YOU WORK) WHEN THE PUPPY PEES. Remove poop promptly.
A 3-month-old puppy pees every 2 hours (N-1) formula where N=age of puppy. Uncountable number of peeing. Pooping is usually 2-3 times for the Singapore puppy if there are no distractions and the feeding is not all day long in the feed bowl.
I HOPE YOU HAVE GOT SOME USEFUL ADVICES. Basically, it is the routine and the time you spend in training. Time out is a very useful tactic but few Singapore owners are aware of it.
Yours sincerely,
XXX
PS: He seems happy in the crate, he will play by himself with the plastic dog bone, balls i have for him in his crate.. He is not afraid of the crate.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
19. Case study: How to get the adult dog to go to the appropriate toilet location?
Jun 1, 2008
Dog: Shih Tzu X Maltese
Male neutered, 2 years
PROBLEMS: Pees and poops in the living room. So smelly. Despite scolding and warnings to go to the bathroom, he still did it. So the owner took him outdoors and now he seldom eliminates inside the apartment. Unfortunately, he became infested with ticks despite the use of Frontline.
"The Frontline cannot prevent ticks," the couple in their mid 30s asserted. "My dog is full of ticks, his room is full of ticks and we don't know what to do?"
"Some ticks are said to be resistant after several uses of Frontline" I said. "There is the Frontline Plus and other brands and you can make your dog wear booties when he goes outdoors so that ticks will not attach themselves into his paws. Check his paws when you go home from the daily outdoor exercise to eliminate...."
"We just want your groomer to clip our dog bald and get the anti-tick injection," the couple was fed up with the ticks. "We want our dog to stay inside the apartment so that he will never be infested with ticks! But he just will not go to the bathroom to pee and poo.
"Now, the pet shop owner recommended that we put the ticks inside the hot water. Is there a way to get rid of all the ticks inside the apartment? Especially in the dog's room and under the bed of the maid?"
Small ticks started appearing on my consultation table. I was wondering whether there is a solution to his two problems - ensuring that his dog and his apartment can be tick-free. Is there a solution to every doggy problem?
SOLUTIONS:
1. SOLUTION 1. Getting rid of ticks inside the apartment.
"You can use insecticides to spray onto the corners and areas where the ticks are. But you may poison your dog if he licks the insecticide.
I will recommend that you remove the dog from the apartment, e.g. boarding somewhere after clipping his coat. The ticks will come out of the cracks and hiding places to look for the dog to suck his blood. You will see them on the floor. Get the maid to vacuum all the ticks on the floor and wall. It is easier than catching or sweeping them and putting them into hot water."
"How long must I board the dog?" the man asked.
"2 days but more than 7 days will be better," I said. "It is a matter of costs."
"How long can the ticks survive without the dog to suck blood?" the man asked.
"This is a tough question as the exact number of days is hard to say," I replied. "I expect the small ticks not to survive more than 7 days if they don't have blood to suck, from my observations with other owners. Your dog will be given an anti-tick injection that will last for around 3 weeks. I need to do research on the survival of small ticks without access to the dog."
1. SOLUTION 2. Getting the adult dog to go to the approved toilet area.
"Your adult dog purposely goes to the living area to pee and poop because that area has a strong smell of urine and poo despite your maid's mopping," I said. "He has had been using this area since puppyhood. You need to start toilet-training again, as if he is a puppy."
The wife asked: "How do I do it?"
"Confine the dog to the bathroom for 2-4 weeks. Install a baby-gate so that he can see you but cannot climb out. If you want to use a pee pan and newspapers onto the pee pan, put the pee pan at one corner. Away from his eating and drinking and sleeping area which may be nearer the baby-gate. Over time, you will notice that the dog will eliminate in one corner far away from his eating area."
The couple did not say anything.
"How big is your pee pan?" I asked. "If it is too small, your dog will pee or poop outside the pee pan. Its length should be 2x the length of the dog!" I used my consultation table which is around 3.5 feet long to demonstrate that his long-bodied Shih TzuXMaltese will need this length.
The couple had to think hard.
"Does your dog shred newspapers," I asked. The wife thought so but the husband did not agree.
"If he does not shred newspapers, then put some soiled tissues with his urine and poo smell at the far corner of the pee pan. When he smells it and steps onto the pee pan, his whole body will be inside. If you put the soiled tissues in the centre of the pee pan, his backside may be outside the pee pan and you can't be successful."
So many things to consider just to toilet train a dog to use a pee pan and newspapers.
The couple will try. The dog was boarded for 2 days and I hope he will be tick-free forever. The couple remembered that they have a big crate with pee pan below and will try to toilet train the dog in this crate placed inside the bathroom. This is a more complicated step.
Many Singaporean owners have this idea that their dogs will never get ticks if they don't bring him downstairs. So they keep the dog indoors. This is correct as long as the dog is not brought to a place where there are many dogs, e.g. the groomer or veterinary places.
The use of urine scent is important in toilet-training of the dog. Neutralisation of the dog urine smell with vinegar:water of unapproved places where the dog has had peed is equally important to succeed in toilet training.
Check the paws of the dogs when you go home after visiting such places. It may be difficult in long-haired paws of Shih Tzus but it must be done.
Dog: Shih Tzu X Maltese
Male neutered, 2 years
PROBLEMS: Pees and poops in the living room. So smelly. Despite scolding and warnings to go to the bathroom, he still did it. So the owner took him outdoors and now he seldom eliminates inside the apartment. Unfortunately, he became infested with ticks despite the use of Frontline.
"The Frontline cannot prevent ticks," the couple in their mid 30s asserted. "My dog is full of ticks, his room is full of ticks and we don't know what to do?"
"Some ticks are said to be resistant after several uses of Frontline" I said. "There is the Frontline Plus and other brands and you can make your dog wear booties when he goes outdoors so that ticks will not attach themselves into his paws. Check his paws when you go home from the daily outdoor exercise to eliminate...."
"We just want your groomer to clip our dog bald and get the anti-tick injection," the couple was fed up with the ticks. "We want our dog to stay inside the apartment so that he will never be infested with ticks! But he just will not go to the bathroom to pee and poo.
"Now, the pet shop owner recommended that we put the ticks inside the hot water. Is there a way to get rid of all the ticks inside the apartment? Especially in the dog's room and under the bed of the maid?"
Small ticks started appearing on my consultation table. I was wondering whether there is a solution to his two problems - ensuring that his dog and his apartment can be tick-free. Is there a solution to every doggy problem?
SOLUTIONS:
1. SOLUTION 1. Getting rid of ticks inside the apartment.
"You can use insecticides to spray onto the corners and areas where the ticks are. But you may poison your dog if he licks the insecticide.
I will recommend that you remove the dog from the apartment, e.g. boarding somewhere after clipping his coat. The ticks will come out of the cracks and hiding places to look for the dog to suck his blood. You will see them on the floor. Get the maid to vacuum all the ticks on the floor and wall. It is easier than catching or sweeping them and putting them into hot water."
"How long must I board the dog?" the man asked.
"2 days but more than 7 days will be better," I said. "It is a matter of costs."
"How long can the ticks survive without the dog to suck blood?" the man asked.
"This is a tough question as the exact number of days is hard to say," I replied. "I expect the small ticks not to survive more than 7 days if they don't have blood to suck, from my observations with other owners. Your dog will be given an anti-tick injection that will last for around 3 weeks. I need to do research on the survival of small ticks without access to the dog."
1. SOLUTION 2. Getting the adult dog to go to the approved toilet area.
"Your adult dog purposely goes to the living area to pee and poop because that area has a strong smell of urine and poo despite your maid's mopping," I said. "He has had been using this area since puppyhood. You need to start toilet-training again, as if he is a puppy."
The wife asked: "How do I do it?"
"Confine the dog to the bathroom for 2-4 weeks. Install a baby-gate so that he can see you but cannot climb out. If you want to use a pee pan and newspapers onto the pee pan, put the pee pan at one corner. Away from his eating and drinking and sleeping area which may be nearer the baby-gate. Over time, you will notice that the dog will eliminate in one corner far away from his eating area."
The couple did not say anything.
"How big is your pee pan?" I asked. "If it is too small, your dog will pee or poop outside the pee pan. Its length should be 2x the length of the dog!" I used my consultation table which is around 3.5 feet long to demonstrate that his long-bodied Shih TzuXMaltese will need this length.
The couple had to think hard.
"Does your dog shred newspapers," I asked. The wife thought so but the husband did not agree.
"If he does not shred newspapers, then put some soiled tissues with his urine and poo smell at the far corner of the pee pan. When he smells it and steps onto the pee pan, his whole body will be inside. If you put the soiled tissues in the centre of the pee pan, his backside may be outside the pee pan and you can't be successful."
So many things to consider just to toilet train a dog to use a pee pan and newspapers.
The couple will try. The dog was boarded for 2 days and I hope he will be tick-free forever. The couple remembered that they have a big crate with pee pan below and will try to toilet train the dog in this crate placed inside the bathroom. This is a more complicated step.
Many Singaporean owners have this idea that their dogs will never get ticks if they don't bring him downstairs. So they keep the dog indoors. This is correct as long as the dog is not brought to a place where there are many dogs, e.g. the groomer or veterinary places.
The use of urine scent is important in toilet-training of the dog. Neutralisation of the dog urine smell with vinegar:water of unapproved places where the dog has had peed is equally important to succeed in toilet training.
Check the paws of the dogs when you go home after visiting such places. It may be difficult in long-haired paws of Shih Tzus but it must be done.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Toilet training - adopt basic principles and keep it simple
DRAFT. MAY 31, 2008
Flag this message
Re: New method of toilet training
Friday, May 30, 2008 11:10 PM
To:
"...@gmail.com>
Pl see reply below:
--- On Fri, 5/30/08, ...@gmail.com> wrote:
From: ...@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: New method of toilet training
To: drsing_98@yahoo.com
Date: Friday, May 30, 2008, 6:16 AM
Dear Dr Sing,
Thanks for the advice. Really appreciate your help alot.
I have read through all your blogs & website. They are really very useful. Thank you.
Knowing that you are doing research on puppy, just to share with you how i actually train my pomeranian, milo, to sit in a day!
My milo is really a very hyperactive & attention seeker intially when we bought him home. He is not afraid of rolled newspaper, beating him softly of coz.. and lots of punishment when he barks at the wrong time and bites all the time.
MOST PUPPIES OF FIRST-TIME OWNERS IN SINGAPORE ARE HYPERACTIVE AS THEY EXPLORE THE NEW WORLD AND GET LOTS OF ATTENTION FROM OWNERS.
Reading about obedience training is very important, i decided to train him to "sit" on command since he seems to be a difficult puppy to deal with.
Training my puppy to sit in a day!
At meal time, after my work, I lead him to the kitchen area from his crate, close the kitchen door leading to the living room. I did not cuddle him or shower him with love. Just gave him my grumpy & angry look. Then i try to make him sit with few pellets of his meal in my hand. Let him smell, entice him & hovering juz above his nose. However, he did not sit as intended but jump up all the time, wanting to bite the food from my hand. After failed attempts, he will walk round the kitchen & try later. He is really naughty. So i was quite pissed and i purposefully chained him up!
Did not allow him to run too far & only near me. Shut at him & push his butt down. If he didn't do that, i will pull abit of the chain upwards, forcing a sitting down position. (Of cause i didn't pull that hard). Keep on saying sit. When his butt is down, i praised & gave him this few pellets. FIRM OWNER'S COMMAND "Sit", PUPPY OBEYS, FOOD TREAT AND PRAISES - THIS IS POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT TRAINING AND SAME PRINCIPLE IS APPLICABLE TO OTHER OBEDIENCE TRAINING.
Did this probably for like 10times in this meal time. Though he seems don't really understand when i ask him to sit, i will force his butt down all the time & say sit continuously b4 giving him pellets by pellets.
ALL PUPPIES NEED REPEATED TRAINING AS THEY CAN'T SPEAK HUMAN LANGUAGE. IT TAKES MANY TIMES AS YOU HAVE DONE SO.
What happen is, the next morning, i did the same thing. But not as fierce or tough with him.
And when my brother fed him lunch where he is in the crate, he called out sit a few times, with loudness increasing everytime he speaks, and soon, he sat down before my brother gave him his meal. To confirm he really understand this command, he lead him to in the living room, my brother try the command, though he needs to say a few times before milo really sits.
BROTHER'S TONE IS DIFFERENT FROM YOURS. EVENTUALLY MILO FIGURES IT OUT. QUITE AN INTELLIGENT PUPPY.
At night, i try the command again and it works! Reallu happy with it. And we are reinforce it everytime now. =)
PUPPY SEEMS TO BE A FAST LEARNER.
Is my feeding amt & timing alright?
I fed him 3 times a day, using the chinese soup spoon, 1 full scoop per meal. He always finished it within like few minutes. And i kinda feel he want somemore as he will step onto his bowl and hoping i will give him more but i didn't give him. Nonetheless, we gave him 3 meals a day. Is it too little? Or do you think i should increase the portion each meal?
INCREASE 50% AS LONG AS THE TUMMY IS NOT BLOATED (SWOLLEN).
Is doggy cologne good for them?
In my previous mail, i was telling you i wanted to crate train him, the crate being his toilet too. However, i found out that my dad can't stand the stench of his smell or rather the smell of his crate. My dad is really sensitive. I can see that he kinda like him but don't really carry him at the moment, probably because he has the doggy smell.. I heard that it comes from his ears. However, everyday, i cleans his ear, as taught by a vet but the smell of doggy still remain in him. May i know what i can do about it?
PUPPY BODY SMELL - EASY FOR YOU TO CONFIRM WHERE THE SMELL COMES FROM. SMELL HIS EARS. SMELL HIS BODY. USUALLY IT IS THE EARS. BODY COULD BE STAINED WITH URINE AND POOP. DOES HE STEP ON HIS POO?
THOROUGHLY BATHE HIM IN WARM WATER. SOAP. DRY HIM WITH CLEAN TOWEL. BRUSH WITH CLEAN BRUSH.
Can i spray those dog cologne on its fur? Is it bad for him?
YOUR PERSONAL DECISION AS TO WHETHER COLOGNE IS GOOD FOR HIM. AFTER ALL, SOME WOMEN AND MEN DO USE PERFUME AND SOME DON'T.
Moreover, he seems to be still sick, sneezing nowadays.. Will it worsen his sickness? Please advice me.
HE IS SUFFERING FROM KENNEL COUGH. NEEDS LOTS OF SLEEP AND REST. THIS DISEASE IS COMMON IN PUPPIES FROM BREEDING KENNELS AND PET SHOPS. MOST PUPPIES DO SURVIVE BUT IT TAKES 2-4 WEEKS OF COUGHING FOR PUPPIES NOT GIVEN COMPLETE REST. I PRESUME YOUR PUPPY HAS A HECTIC LIFE AND SLEEPS LITTLE. IF PUPPY DOES NOT EAT, THEN SEE YOUR VET PROMPTLY.
Toilet training
I am going to start his toilet training from tommorrow onwards since it is weekends. Like i mentioned, i intend to toilet train him in my toilet instead. I was thinking of putting pee tray in the toilet, hoping he will pee in it instead of the tiles of the toilet. I was thinking not to place any newspaper on top as he will tear & mess with the newspaper. MANY PUPPIES SHRED NEWSPAPERS AS THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT.
DECIDE ON ONE METHOD OF TOILET TRAINING.
IF YOU WANT HIM TO PEE ON BATHROOM FLOOR, USE FLOOR OF CONFINED BATHROOM. CONFINE FOR 2 - 4 WEEKS. TAKE OUT FOR HALF AN HOUR. WATCH SIGNS OF WANTING TO PEE AND POO AND TAKE INTO BATHROOM.
PEE TRAY - YOU NEED TO SPRAY HIS URINE SMELL. CONFINE HIM TO PEE TRAY AREA + 50% MORE AREA. NEUTRALISE FLOOR WITH WHITE VINEGAR:WATER 1:3. BEST IS TO CONFINE PUPPY TO SMALL AREA FOR 2-4 WEEKS IF YOU WANT TO SUCCEED. MAYBE 50% OF YOUR TOILET FLOOR AND INCREASE THE AREA OVER NEXT FEW DAYS DEPENDING ON PERFORMANCE.
Do you think this is ok? Or do u suggest putting newspaper on the pee tray?
And will his fur be dirtied with the urine if i don't put newspaper in it?
NEWSPAPERS ON TRAY + URINE SPRAY ONTO NEWSPAPERS WORK FOR SOME OWNERS. I DON'T KNOW WHETHER YOUR PUPPY WILL SHRED THE PAPERS.
Please advice. And also, since my dog is very active & likes to lick around, i am afraid he will lick the toilet corners. Moreover, he is slightly sick. Will his health be affected if i toilet train him now in the toilet with him always licking everywhere?
ENSURE TOILET FLOOR IS WASHED AND RINSED WELL. NO LEFTOVER DETERGENT OR THINGS FOR HIM TO CHEW.
Anyway, i intend to wash my toilet with dettol before toilet training him. Do you think this will help? yes.
Plus the method that i am going to use. Please advice me if this method is ok and any improvement in the method.
IF YOU WANT TO TRAIN HIM IN THE BATHROOM, HE HAS TO STAY THERE FOR 2-4 WEEKS TILL HE KNOWS WHAT YOU WANT. HE CAN'T BE GOING EVERYWHERE IN THE APARTMENT ESP. IF YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO WATCH OUT FOR SIGNS OF PEEING OR POOPING
I intend to allow him to sleep in my room..,Hence, i will prevent him from drinking & eating after 7pm since we sleep at 11pm. Is this ok? YES. WATER RESTRICTION AT NIGHT HELPS THE PUPPY TO CONTROL HIS BLADDER.
I will then put him in a container filled with towels & cloths (for the moment before i get his bed) and allow him to sleep by me. Place him on top of a table having the same height as my bed since he won't dare to jump down from the table. HE MAY NOT JUMP BUT MAY FALL ACCIDENTALLY
The reason i am doing this is because he always wakes up very early in the morning, awaken by my parents, before i am awake & hence, poo instantly in the crate where i won't even have the chance of bringing him to the toilet! Hence, i hope he won't wake up so early, since he won't really be disturbed & i will have the chance of bringing him to the toilet.
I THINK IT WILL NOT WORK. YOU WILL BE STRESSING YOURSELF AND WILL FEEL SLEEPY AT WORK.
Since he is so fidgetive & likes to roam around everywhere, i intend to bring his crate w/ pee tray but without the wire grill where he normally stands on into the toilet where i wants him to go potty. This will restrict him to be only in the small area & until he pee/poo then will i let him out. And i intend to bring him there after all his meal, place him there till he poo/ pee each time.
WHY MAKE LIFE AND TOILET TRAINING SO COMPLICATED?
i also intend to restrict the amount of liquid he consumes as in if he drinks, i will bring him once again to the toilet to the enclosed crate.
I really hope this will help him toilet train as soon as possible as my parents can't really stand him peeing/ pooing all around my hse & also the smell in his crate located in the living room.
BASIC PRINCIPLES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
1. ROUTINE FOR PUPPY. FEEDING TIME 3X PER DAY AND TAKE AWAY FEED BOWL, DRINKING TIME 7 AM TO 7 PM PROBABLY , SLEEPING TIME AT 11 PM? EXERCISE OR PLAYTIME WHEN YOU COME HOME. ALL TIMES FIXED.
2. CONFINE TO SMALL AREA E.G. CAGE OR BATHROOM FOR 2-4 WEEKS. CAN COME OUT TO PLAY HALF AN HOUR PER DAY BUT NOTE FOR SIGNS OF WANTING TO PEE OR POOP - SNIFFING, TURNING ETC.
3. IF YOU USE CAGE, THEN USE CAGE. YOU WILL NOTICE THAT PUPPY WILL PEE AND POOP IN ONE CORNER OF THE CAGE. CLEAN UP THE PEE AREA AND REMOVE POO PROMPTLY.
4. NO VARIATION IN ROUTINE AND NO RUNNING AROUND THE WHOLE APARTMENT. NO SABOTAGE OF ROUTINE BY FAMILY MEMBERS. IN OTHER WORDS, YOU JUST CONFINE HIM TO YOUR BEDROOM/BATHROOM FOR 2-4 WEEKS. AN INTELLIGENT PUPPY MAY BE TOILET-TRAINED IN 2 WEEKS IF THERE IS ONLY ONE COMMANDER (TRAINER).
DO NOT CONFUSE HIM WITH TOO MANY LOCATIONS AND ROUTINES. HE IS AT AN IMPRESSIONABLE AGE AND EASY TO TRAIN. HOPE ABOVE HELPS.
Please advice me. I will update you about my progress. Hopefully he is potty train soon! =)
Sincerely,
Name of owner.
Flag this message
Re: New method of toilet training
Friday, May 30, 2008 11:10 PM
To:
"...@gmail.com>
Pl see reply below:
--- On Fri, 5/30/08, ...@gmail.com> wrote:
From: ...@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: New method of toilet training
To: drsing_98@yahoo.com
Date: Friday, May 30, 2008, 6:16 AM
Dear Dr Sing,
Thanks for the advice. Really appreciate your help alot.
I have read through all your blogs & website. They are really very useful. Thank you.
Knowing that you are doing research on puppy, just to share with you how i actually train my pomeranian, milo, to sit in a day!
My milo is really a very hyperactive & attention seeker intially when we bought him home. He is not afraid of rolled newspaper, beating him softly of coz.. and lots of punishment when he barks at the wrong time and bites all the time.
MOST PUPPIES OF FIRST-TIME OWNERS IN SINGAPORE ARE HYPERACTIVE AS THEY EXPLORE THE NEW WORLD AND GET LOTS OF ATTENTION FROM OWNERS.
Reading about obedience training is very important, i decided to train him to "sit" on command since he seems to be a difficult puppy to deal with.
Training my puppy to sit in a day!
At meal time, after my work, I lead him to the kitchen area from his crate, close the kitchen door leading to the living room. I did not cuddle him or shower him with love. Just gave him my grumpy & angry look. Then i try to make him sit with few pellets of his meal in my hand. Let him smell, entice him & hovering juz above his nose. However, he did not sit as intended but jump up all the time, wanting to bite the food from my hand. After failed attempts, he will walk round the kitchen & try later. He is really naughty. So i was quite pissed and i purposefully chained him up!
Did not allow him to run too far & only near me. Shut at him & push his butt down. If he didn't do that, i will pull abit of the chain upwards, forcing a sitting down position. (Of cause i didn't pull that hard). Keep on saying sit. When his butt is down, i praised & gave him this few pellets. FIRM OWNER'S COMMAND "Sit", PUPPY OBEYS, FOOD TREAT AND PRAISES - THIS IS POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT TRAINING AND SAME PRINCIPLE IS APPLICABLE TO OTHER OBEDIENCE TRAINING.
Did this probably for like 10times in this meal time. Though he seems don't really understand when i ask him to sit, i will force his butt down all the time & say sit continuously b4 giving him pellets by pellets.
ALL PUPPIES NEED REPEATED TRAINING AS THEY CAN'T SPEAK HUMAN LANGUAGE. IT TAKES MANY TIMES AS YOU HAVE DONE SO.
What happen is, the next morning, i did the same thing. But not as fierce or tough with him.
And when my brother fed him lunch where he is in the crate, he called out sit a few times, with loudness increasing everytime he speaks, and soon, he sat down before my brother gave him his meal. To confirm he really understand this command, he lead him to in the living room, my brother try the command, though he needs to say a few times before milo really sits.
BROTHER'S TONE IS DIFFERENT FROM YOURS. EVENTUALLY MILO FIGURES IT OUT. QUITE AN INTELLIGENT PUPPY.
At night, i try the command again and it works! Reallu happy with it. And we are reinforce it everytime now. =)
PUPPY SEEMS TO BE A FAST LEARNER.
Is my feeding amt & timing alright?
I fed him 3 times a day, using the chinese soup spoon, 1 full scoop per meal. He always finished it within like few minutes. And i kinda feel he want somemore as he will step onto his bowl and hoping i will give him more but i didn't give him. Nonetheless, we gave him 3 meals a day. Is it too little? Or do you think i should increase the portion each meal?
INCREASE 50% AS LONG AS THE TUMMY IS NOT BLOATED (SWOLLEN).
Is doggy cologne good for them?
In my previous mail, i was telling you i wanted to crate train him, the crate being his toilet too. However, i found out that my dad can't stand the stench of his smell or rather the smell of his crate. My dad is really sensitive. I can see that he kinda like him but don't really carry him at the moment, probably because he has the doggy smell.. I heard that it comes from his ears. However, everyday, i cleans his ear, as taught by a vet but the smell of doggy still remain in him. May i know what i can do about it?
PUPPY BODY SMELL - EASY FOR YOU TO CONFIRM WHERE THE SMELL COMES FROM. SMELL HIS EARS. SMELL HIS BODY. USUALLY IT IS THE EARS. BODY COULD BE STAINED WITH URINE AND POOP. DOES HE STEP ON HIS POO?
THOROUGHLY BATHE HIM IN WARM WATER. SOAP. DRY HIM WITH CLEAN TOWEL. BRUSH WITH CLEAN BRUSH.
Can i spray those dog cologne on its fur? Is it bad for him?
YOUR PERSONAL DECISION AS TO WHETHER COLOGNE IS GOOD FOR HIM. AFTER ALL, SOME WOMEN AND MEN DO USE PERFUME AND SOME DON'T.
Moreover, he seems to be still sick, sneezing nowadays.. Will it worsen his sickness? Please advice me.
HE IS SUFFERING FROM KENNEL COUGH. NEEDS LOTS OF SLEEP AND REST. THIS DISEASE IS COMMON IN PUPPIES FROM BREEDING KENNELS AND PET SHOPS. MOST PUPPIES DO SURVIVE BUT IT TAKES 2-4 WEEKS OF COUGHING FOR PUPPIES NOT GIVEN COMPLETE REST. I PRESUME YOUR PUPPY HAS A HECTIC LIFE AND SLEEPS LITTLE. IF PUPPY DOES NOT EAT, THEN SEE YOUR VET PROMPTLY.
Toilet training
I am going to start his toilet training from tommorrow onwards since it is weekends. Like i mentioned, i intend to toilet train him in my toilet instead. I was thinking of putting pee tray in the toilet, hoping he will pee in it instead of the tiles of the toilet. I was thinking not to place any newspaper on top as he will tear & mess with the newspaper. MANY PUPPIES SHRED NEWSPAPERS AS THIS IS A COMMON COMPLAINT.
DECIDE ON ONE METHOD OF TOILET TRAINING.
IF YOU WANT HIM TO PEE ON BATHROOM FLOOR, USE FLOOR OF CONFINED BATHROOM. CONFINE FOR 2 - 4 WEEKS. TAKE OUT FOR HALF AN HOUR. WATCH SIGNS OF WANTING TO PEE AND POO AND TAKE INTO BATHROOM.
PEE TRAY - YOU NEED TO SPRAY HIS URINE SMELL. CONFINE HIM TO PEE TRAY AREA + 50% MORE AREA. NEUTRALISE FLOOR WITH WHITE VINEGAR:WATER 1:3. BEST IS TO CONFINE PUPPY TO SMALL AREA FOR 2-4 WEEKS IF YOU WANT TO SUCCEED. MAYBE 50% OF YOUR TOILET FLOOR AND INCREASE THE AREA OVER NEXT FEW DAYS DEPENDING ON PERFORMANCE.
Do you think this is ok? Or do u suggest putting newspaper on the pee tray?
And will his fur be dirtied with the urine if i don't put newspaper in it?
NEWSPAPERS ON TRAY + URINE SPRAY ONTO NEWSPAPERS WORK FOR SOME OWNERS. I DON'T KNOW WHETHER YOUR PUPPY WILL SHRED THE PAPERS.
Please advice. And also, since my dog is very active & likes to lick around, i am afraid he will lick the toilet corners. Moreover, he is slightly sick. Will his health be affected if i toilet train him now in the toilet with him always licking everywhere?
ENSURE TOILET FLOOR IS WASHED AND RINSED WELL. NO LEFTOVER DETERGENT OR THINGS FOR HIM TO CHEW.
Anyway, i intend to wash my toilet with dettol before toilet training him. Do you think this will help? yes.
Plus the method that i am going to use. Please advice me if this method is ok and any improvement in the method.
IF YOU WANT TO TRAIN HIM IN THE BATHROOM, HE HAS TO STAY THERE FOR 2-4 WEEKS TILL HE KNOWS WHAT YOU WANT. HE CAN'T BE GOING EVERYWHERE IN THE APARTMENT ESP. IF YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO WATCH OUT FOR SIGNS OF PEEING OR POOPING
I intend to allow him to sleep in my room..,Hence, i will prevent him from drinking & eating after 7pm since we sleep at 11pm. Is this ok? YES. WATER RESTRICTION AT NIGHT HELPS THE PUPPY TO CONTROL HIS BLADDER.
I will then put him in a container filled with towels & cloths (for the moment before i get his bed) and allow him to sleep by me. Place him on top of a table having the same height as my bed since he won't dare to jump down from the table. HE MAY NOT JUMP BUT MAY FALL ACCIDENTALLY
The reason i am doing this is because he always wakes up very early in the morning, awaken by my parents, before i am awake & hence, poo instantly in the crate where i won't even have the chance of bringing him to the toilet! Hence, i hope he won't wake up so early, since he won't really be disturbed & i will have the chance of bringing him to the toilet.
I THINK IT WILL NOT WORK. YOU WILL BE STRESSING YOURSELF AND WILL FEEL SLEEPY AT WORK.
Since he is so fidgetive & likes to roam around everywhere, i intend to bring his crate w/ pee tray but without the wire grill where he normally stands on into the toilet where i wants him to go potty. This will restrict him to be only in the small area & until he pee/poo then will i let him out. And i intend to bring him there after all his meal, place him there till he poo/ pee each time.
WHY MAKE LIFE AND TOILET TRAINING SO COMPLICATED?
i also intend to restrict the amount of liquid he consumes as in if he drinks, i will bring him once again to the toilet to the enclosed crate.
I really hope this will help him toilet train as soon as possible as my parents can't really stand him peeing/ pooing all around my hse & also the smell in his crate located in the living room.
BASIC PRINCIPLES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
1. ROUTINE FOR PUPPY. FEEDING TIME 3X PER DAY AND TAKE AWAY FEED BOWL, DRINKING TIME 7 AM TO 7 PM PROBABLY , SLEEPING TIME AT 11 PM? EXERCISE OR PLAYTIME WHEN YOU COME HOME. ALL TIMES FIXED.
2. CONFINE TO SMALL AREA E.G. CAGE OR BATHROOM FOR 2-4 WEEKS. CAN COME OUT TO PLAY HALF AN HOUR PER DAY BUT NOTE FOR SIGNS OF WANTING TO PEE OR POOP - SNIFFING, TURNING ETC.
3. IF YOU USE CAGE, THEN USE CAGE. YOU WILL NOTICE THAT PUPPY WILL PEE AND POOP IN ONE CORNER OF THE CAGE. CLEAN UP THE PEE AREA AND REMOVE POO PROMPTLY.
4. NO VARIATION IN ROUTINE AND NO RUNNING AROUND THE WHOLE APARTMENT. NO SABOTAGE OF ROUTINE BY FAMILY MEMBERS. IN OTHER WORDS, YOU JUST CONFINE HIM TO YOUR BEDROOM/BATHROOM FOR 2-4 WEEKS. AN INTELLIGENT PUPPY MAY BE TOILET-TRAINED IN 2 WEEKS IF THERE IS ONLY ONE COMMANDER (TRAINER).
DO NOT CONFUSE HIM WITH TOO MANY LOCATIONS AND ROUTINES. HE IS AT AN IMPRESSIONABLE AGE AND EASY TO TRAIN. HOPE ABOVE HELPS.
Please advice me. I will update you about my progress. Hopefully he is potty train soon! =)
Sincerely,
Name of owner.
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