Akitaowner

i thought kangaroo meat was supposed to be good for sensitive doggies?? that could be easier to get than turkey maybe?

i feed twice a day usually they get a small amount of kibble in a toy in the morning and barf in the evening. My boy drops weight really easily and wont eat enough in one sitting. My girl will eat every thing put in front of her but also inhales food so i prefer 2 meals to slow her down! so for different reasons i feed twice a day. Also mine are deep chested so i prefer smaller meals. are you feeding different things morning and night? maybe he just prefers the food your giving in the evening and will wait for it!

also if you let her out at 4.30 dont get up to her again until you are ready or its 8am.... as she gets a bit older you can slowly move the time forward a bit - i was doing about 5 mins a day until she sleeps right thru

yep same as the others - i would be keeping pups inside while still babies - check with the breeders where tey have been sleeping til you pick them up - more often than not they have been outside. I wouldnt be using crates as i dont think they offer much warmth but i dont know you particular set up outside. when we first got 2 baby girls from the same litter i let them sleep in together for the first week or so - to get used to being away from mum and the other 7 in the litter. I then seperated them into 2 crates (they were in the kitchen) side by side so they could see each other, and then put a blanket between so they were on their own. Worked fine. i thought it was important to seperate them, one eventually went back to the breeder (this was the intention all along, to only keep 1) but its important to consider the pack bonding. i didnt want my new pup to be soo reliant on my older boy that i couldnt seperate them for walks or training or vet visits. i would highly recommend keeping them physically apart when you are not home - play pens crates etc. I wanted to be sure that when my boy eventually crosses the bridge (hes 3 atm) my pup (whos 10 months) would be ok and her world would not end... good luck with 2 babies inbound!!!

yep ive used redirection i tend wont play for a few minutes if puppies nip, they soon learn how to get you to play - by being nice Its a basic instinct that sheneeds to learn - i was always under the impression by following nature its quickest - when puppies are together they play and bite if one pup is too much a yelp and no more play...use the same tools keep up with the 'uh uh' in a sharp firm tone and then withdraw for a few minutes i also like to use the term 'gentle/gently' this is very useful if another smaller dog is around or a child (i have big dogs!!) it may take a few weeks to be fully there, my 2 now if i put my hand in their mouth they spit it out!!

i think u said you were shutting him away when the guy came - maybe that accentuated his anxiety as he couldnt see/tell what was going on? just a thought - my 2 have to have access to visitors or kick up a stink - both lay down and go back to sleep within about 60 seconds (ok rogue pesters them with licks )

Rhi sounds like you are doing the right things - but as you said have just skewed the system by moving her.... put her crate in the bathroom/lounge/kitchen (whereever you would like her to sleep when she is trained) and it should be fine also cover crate with a blanket as said above too it does a lot. you can also send pup to bed with a chew/bone to keep them occupied should they wake up. Also not sure if youve read much about crate training - but dont only put here in their when your leaving/going to bed. she wil associate it with being left alone. Give her her dinner in it and occassional time outs during the time your home. (they only need to be short)

maybe just give them 1 feed a day in the morning for a while Setters are not big breeds and willdo fine on 1 meal a day thats bigger. I would also recommend a crate im sure it would take too long to break the habit if he is toilet trained to use a specific spot and not go in the house, he just assumes that thats his toilet.....im 100% sure he could hold all night if he wanted/was made too. My 2 are now almost too reliable - they wont pee on the deck only on grass (we moved several times since we got them) and are shut on the deck during the day - if im late home or am gone over night they do the BIGGEST pees when i let the out!! i have no problem with them going on the deck ??!! but they still hold it

as said above - ensure you/owner are not reinforcing the fear by comforting. Take pup and sit on a park bench somewhere just sit and wait, dont walk about or try to encourage him to investigate things - dont pay too much attention to pup - he will learn in a bit of time that all the normal things are fine and will begin to relax. keep the sessions short to start with, dotn pander to him stressing. Go somewhere quite without offlead dogs or anything running around. maybe just a local bus stop? but just sitting in the same place he can take things in rather than being rushed by everything. Most importantly it must be be a safe area.

to all new pup owners If you want to get a good nights sleep follow the advice in this thread. Also if you wish to toilet train your pup use a crate, and a couple of pit stops in the night. Put the crate somewhere where pup can WALK to the outside, as this will be desirable a bit later. There is no reason why pup cant be crated in the bathroom, read about crate training and if the crate is the correct size and not too big pup will not toilet in it - and therefore you wont have to clean up every morning! I crate trained both my 2 the crate was in the lounge - Mav was only allowed to sleep in my bedroom after he was over 12 months old, and it started because of medical (his) reasons. i would not encourage people to keep baby puppy in their bedroom, its easier to learn the pack and the rules if they learn to sleep on their own. after about a week you should be settled into a routine and they should not cry, have scheduled time stops - a baby pup can hold for no more than 4 hrs so plan the times. To the original poster - it concerns me the bit you mentioned about the steps - if you have open wooden stairs (ie slippery) cani suggest that you either ensure pup stays downstairs or block them in - that sounds a bit like an accident waiting to happen....

nup i use leo - i would have thought malaseb would be too much water? leo is mostly alcohol.....was this for a wound wash or actual ear cleaning?

the foil should work :D its also good for papercutters (any crafty people )

if she pees in a crate its too big one of by baby girls peed i the crate so i made it a bit smaller - she only just had room to crouch down - no more peeing and i made it a bit bigger again after about a week. Alternatively turn her over to me and ill train her *and never see her again* oh ummmm did i say that out loud.... how old is she now?

Me either gotta love friday afternoons!!! 40mins to go

my neighbour already see me doing lots of weird things in the street with my 2 i am currently doing lots of lead work and walking back and forth and round in circles outside my house i also get them to lie down in the middel of the road (its a quiet street )

just another thought - would he wear a coat - like a drizabone? he might shred it

its fien i dont think you neglect him mine are outside all day and allowed to come into the lounge quietly for a cuddle in the evening before bed in the rumpus room. but i have left them outside all night - if ive been out in the city etc until the morning. make sure he has lots of blankets - mine tend to drag the blankets out during the day - but again this has pretty much stopped now they realise that they get wet out on the deck and that its no fun to then sleep on a wooden floor! if you want to do something i would be making heaps (maybe 5)of little ones that do fit in the microwave maybe A5 sorta size they could be put around the edge of the bed or something? ensure pup can get up off the ground a raise bed is essential for warmth

if the issue is hes outside and acting a loony until he has contact with you - its simple - stand and wait on one side of the door - even if its for hours sit and wait - the penny will eventually drop that it isnt working - he will calm down and try something else - behaviour modification - when he does something desirable open the door and reward - my boy used to bark and carry on when i got home from work - didnt damage anything but i didnt want him being a loony everytime i walked thru the door. My neighbours must have thought i had lost the plot.....i would only appraoch the front door when he was quiet and then stand at the front door with my key the moment he made a noise is took a few steps back away from the door - wait a few seconds and try again until he got the mesage that i wasnt coming in until he was quiet now he sits quietly by the door and waits (almost busting out of his skin but he does wait until im thru the door!)

my baby girl found it fun to pul the flap off the first few times (its removeable anyway) but has chewed it a bit - no real dramas - its about a buck a mt! and i have heaps she has now worked out its more benificial to leave it in place - they have also worked out how to still get in the kennel (was a challenge to start with) my only issue would be possibly a fabulous fungal infection situation - nice warm and wet maybe he will get the idea that he will be cold at night if he stands out in the rain? Rhi i just wondered how you would heat something that size? wont fit in the microwave or oven?!!

it doesnt say whats in it - i dont trust 'bite proof' plastic if you have chewer.... Hey Rhi are you going to heat your pad somehow? or do the grains just insulate?

Collie_lover that sounds like one spoilt pup that isnt even born yet!!! ensure you get a crate big enough for an adult, i used a plastic stack box in the back of mine wheni got my babies so it could grow with them. 10 weeks is fine - all my pups get crate trained as soon as they get home at 8 weeks Basically you cant put a pup in a crate and leave it there nd expect it not the want out - after having the freedom of running aorund all the time. so gradually introduce pup to crate - can be done in a day, put treats etc inside and leave door open pup will soon go and investigate sit next to the crate - positive associations praise pup when he goes inside - sit quitely and still while treating etc close the door for a few sec and open a again - go with how pup reacts. eventually extend the time closing the door still sit with pup - increase to leaving pup in crate while you do some things nearby where they can see you. in between each stage take pup outside for toilet and play. pup in crate and leave room - pup will prob cry a bit, do not return until pup has stopped - even stopped for a second is ok. stand behind a door or somewhere pup cant see you - talk to pup but no visual etc talk calmly smoothly and quietly - maybe at this stage turn a Tv or radio on to confort pup and leave for longer periods make sure you not only putting pup in crate when your leaving....negative association maybe when you have a shower etc feed pup in crate - they soon come to love it and will even put themselves to bed in it if given the opportunity

if he is allowed to get accustomed to the weather as it gradualy gets cooler and has an appropriate kennel - he shouldnt need a heat mat i just use plenty of blankets as they tend to push them around anyway i have also put a flap of clear plastic (table cloth type cover) over the door to stop the drafts

if pup isnt crying yet - prob wont anyway. Once they get the idea that it doesnt get them anywhere and they get used to a new home its easy!!

so how did she go? sounds like she is starting to settle!

i built my kennel recently - as i wanted double bunk accommodation!! all up cost about $150 so a smaller one should be way less. i painted mine - but my 2 arent chewers so no issues there. Important things to consider: Keeping pup off the ground - all kennels should have a raised floor for warmth Size - dont get too big - takesmuch more energy to heat a big space in a kennel. Materials - if you have a chewer ensure the wood is not treated in any way - it could be harmful to pup, id recommend cedar it wouldnt need any maintenance. Cleaning - i cant envisage mine getting particularly dirty - its on the deck and my 2 are fairly clean *most* of the time!! you could hose/scrub out anything once a yr in the summer - im sure that would be fine. Mav with is new house (i have 2 akitas - both 50kgs+ when full grown)