blossom
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- Jul 11, 2017
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hi everyone,
my sister and i just got a 8 week old frenchie 3 days ago and it's been both a struggle and a joy thus far (i'll be honest, we're both experiencing a little post-puppy depression, but neither of us have admitted it to each other). i have a few questions regarding the whole crate/potty/behavior training process, but first, i'll update you on what we've done so far.
the house is an open floor plan so we've situated the crate by the sofa and he has had a play area in front of the crate door as well as a few puppy pads. we started crate training him from day one, but did introduce it a little hastily. while he does cry for < 30 minutes a night, he generally does seem to enjoy the crate, as he tends to hop on in every time he wants a nap. he's only received his first round of vaccines, so we're using puppy pads vs. letting him outside. eventually, we hope he'll be able to use pads and go outside. additionally, we just set up an exercise pen for him indoors, which we plan to start utilizing as early as tomorrow.
so here are my questions:
1. we know zeus can hold his bladder/bowel for a VERY long period of time. last night, i made the mistake of not giving him enough time during the night to pee/poop and urged him back into his crate before he could void himself. in the end, he held it in for probably 8+ hours. my question is: is this normal for puppies as young as him? and how long do you (if you do use crates) let your dogs stay out of the crate before you realize they're just crying for attention?
2. we think zeus has a bit of separation anxiety. he likes his crate and willingly sleeps in it without us forcing him to, but if he can't physically SEE us beside him, he tends to cry. currently, my sister and i are taking turns sleeping on the couch, but this isn't something either of us can see ourselves doing in the long run. putting him in either of our rooms isn't an option at this point. my sister's room is the hottest room in the house and i work nights, so he'd be completely alone. do you think it's an alright option to let him cry it out, check up on him every 3-4 hours to let him void himself, and then crate him again? (it's HARD because his cries are so devastating to listen to, but everyone's telling us to just put earplugs in).
3. he is SUCH a timid boy. he's comfortable in the living room, but if either of us step out of his zone, even to areas where he can definitely see us, he starts whining (not always, but definitely several times a day). that being said, he adjusts SUPER well to new guests, the vet, vet tech, and has traveled surprisingly well in cars. at home, should we ignore his whines and then praise him when he soothes himself? i feel like we almost messed up these few days by being around him TOO often.
4. we haven't left him alone for extended periods of time yet. actually, he's been alone for approximately 30 seconds in a row in total. we're worried because we have a dentist appointment next monday, and we'll likely be away from home for at least 2-3 hours. do any of you have any recommendations for how to gradually get him more comfortable with us not being constantly around?
5. we received nexgard for fleas but read some awful reviews. we have mixed feelings, but there seem to be a fair share of awful reviews for every flea med. have any of your frenchies had any adverse effects from using it?
6. what do you use to remove tear stains? we've been using an unscented baby wipe that doesn't seem like it's doing anything but removing his little eye boogers.
7. we're currently using the nylabone toothpaste/brush, but it hasn't really helped with zeus' breath. furthermore, the product itself smells pretty awful. what are some products that have worked for you all?
8. CHEWING!!! he's been decent about not chewing furniture, but he is now in the habit of chewing his pee pads and the towel we place underneath them. he's got plenty of chew toys and he uses them just fine, but today, it got to the point where we're almost tempted to forgo pee pads and try some other indoor method.
9. is/was your frenchie puppy lazy?? for example, when zeus isn't hyper and wanting to play, he's frequently crawling around, and we noticed he'd rather eat out of a plate than a bowl. we doubt it's a hind leg issue because he's had two check ups and when he's hyper, he runs/hops/prances just fine.
any help would be majorly appreciated. once again, i apologize for the length of this! being a new puppy mom is hard stuff :whew:
my sister and i just got a 8 week old frenchie 3 days ago and it's been both a struggle and a joy thus far (i'll be honest, we're both experiencing a little post-puppy depression, but neither of us have admitted it to each other). i have a few questions regarding the whole crate/potty/behavior training process, but first, i'll update you on what we've done so far.
the house is an open floor plan so we've situated the crate by the sofa and he has had a play area in front of the crate door as well as a few puppy pads. we started crate training him from day one, but did introduce it a little hastily. while he does cry for < 30 minutes a night, he generally does seem to enjoy the crate, as he tends to hop on in every time he wants a nap. he's only received his first round of vaccines, so we're using puppy pads vs. letting him outside. eventually, we hope he'll be able to use pads and go outside. additionally, we just set up an exercise pen for him indoors, which we plan to start utilizing as early as tomorrow.
so here are my questions:
1. we know zeus can hold his bladder/bowel for a VERY long period of time. last night, i made the mistake of not giving him enough time during the night to pee/poop and urged him back into his crate before he could void himself. in the end, he held it in for probably 8+ hours. my question is: is this normal for puppies as young as him? and how long do you (if you do use crates) let your dogs stay out of the crate before you realize they're just crying for attention?
2. we think zeus has a bit of separation anxiety. he likes his crate and willingly sleeps in it without us forcing him to, but if he can't physically SEE us beside him, he tends to cry. currently, my sister and i are taking turns sleeping on the couch, but this isn't something either of us can see ourselves doing in the long run. putting him in either of our rooms isn't an option at this point. my sister's room is the hottest room in the house and i work nights, so he'd be completely alone. do you think it's an alright option to let him cry it out, check up on him every 3-4 hours to let him void himself, and then crate him again? (it's HARD because his cries are so devastating to listen to, but everyone's telling us to just put earplugs in).
3. he is SUCH a timid boy. he's comfortable in the living room, but if either of us step out of his zone, even to areas where he can definitely see us, he starts whining (not always, but definitely several times a day). that being said, he adjusts SUPER well to new guests, the vet, vet tech, and has traveled surprisingly well in cars. at home, should we ignore his whines and then praise him when he soothes himself? i feel like we almost messed up these few days by being around him TOO often.
4. we haven't left him alone for extended periods of time yet. actually, he's been alone for approximately 30 seconds in a row in total. we're worried because we have a dentist appointment next monday, and we'll likely be away from home for at least 2-3 hours. do any of you have any recommendations for how to gradually get him more comfortable with us not being constantly around?
5. we received nexgard for fleas but read some awful reviews. we have mixed feelings, but there seem to be a fair share of awful reviews for every flea med. have any of your frenchies had any adverse effects from using it?
6. what do you use to remove tear stains? we've been using an unscented baby wipe that doesn't seem like it's doing anything but removing his little eye boogers.
7. we're currently using the nylabone toothpaste/brush, but it hasn't really helped with zeus' breath. furthermore, the product itself smells pretty awful. what are some products that have worked for you all?
8. CHEWING!!! he's been decent about not chewing furniture, but he is now in the habit of chewing his pee pads and the towel we place underneath them. he's got plenty of chew toys and he uses them just fine, but today, it got to the point where we're almost tempted to forgo pee pads and try some other indoor method.
9. is/was your frenchie puppy lazy?? for example, when zeus isn't hyper and wanting to play, he's frequently crawling around, and we noticed he'd rather eat out of a plate than a bowl. we doubt it's a hind leg issue because he's had two check ups and when he's hyper, he runs/hops/prances just fine.
any help would be majorly appreciated. once again, i apologize for the length of this! being a new puppy mom is hard stuff :whew:
onder:
