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OK, I know that a lot of people on this forum are right into using crates, but please Poodle Wrangler, reconsider! Given your name, you're probably familiar with poodles, so you'd know the brain power your puppy will have. With very little effort on your part he will be toilet trained in a few days (even if his breeder hasn't done any training with him). Remember, he absolutely cannot hold on - when he wakes up from a nap, after dinner, during playtime - if he has to go, put him outside immediately and praise him for being good. Tell him what he can and cannot play with, work on basic obedience for a few minutes a few times a day, give him a safe, comfortable bed near you, and you'll have no problems. Puppies do need to be watched when they're babies (just like human babies!) but he will not be happy crated. In fact, how can he learn right from wrong if he is locked away from any possible mistakes? A far better option would be to set up a small pen in the corner of whatever room you're most in, where he can move around, have a bed, drink and toy, and leave some paper for a toilet. This way, he's safe & comfortable, and once he's a little older, simply do away with the pen. And before the comments about teaching pups to toilet on paper - poodles learn very, very quickly about where and when they can go to the toilet. I've had litters at 6 weeks old asking to go outside. Paper is for emergencies, since you can't use the floor. If you put the time into your pup in the first few weeks you have him, he'll settle in with absolutely no trouble. Our house full of huge poodles are never confined. They don't damage anything, mess in the house, destroy the garden, fight, argue. They have all been raised the same way and they're all good girls.

Sky, it's highly unlikely to be hypoglycaemia. The symptoms just don't fit. When they say seizures, think lying on his side and fitting. Sudden weakness is just that - unable to walk or even move much. It sounds more like he is in pain, from a bite, maybe he pinched a nerve, twisted something. As someone else said, try another vet for a second opinion. Actually, reading your first post again, it sounds like a stroke or similar, particularly with the tilting head and right side weakness.

Ha - NOTHING!! The last thing destroyed by a puppy was the top of a leather top boot, 11 years ago. She has never touched another shoe! My dogs and pups have strict rules about rough playing. Even though they are always carrying around toys and clothing - socks, undies, bras are a favourite - they never, ever damage them. Teddies usually last for years, blankies just wear out. It probably helps that they are very gentle with whatever goes in their mouths. They can even carry around a feather for days. And we're talking 31 pups in the last few years and 5 were-pups-now-grown-up big dogs. AND they all live inside! And the garden is intact and thriving! Beat that!!

Hi Poodle Wrangler. Imagine my suprise to flip through this thread and find a picture of my ex-puppy Lilli! Yes, the gorgeous girl with the gorgeous white friend. Of course, the perfect long coat on the friend quickly disappeared once someone started dragging him around by the hair. Lillli is now a gorgeous big girl with a fabulous clip and a rhinestone collar.

I discovered a sure-fire treatment for a similar problem a few years ago. Ask your vet for a referral to a specialist allergy/skin clinic and have allergy testing done. Once you know what, if anything, your dog is allergic to you can undergo 'desensitising' treatment. This involves a course of weekly injections which will gradually reduce the dogs reaction to the allergin. My girl was allergic to just about everything - fleas, dust mites, grass etc etc - not good for a farm dog! Her first treatment cost about $1000 but fixed her up. About 2 years later she started scratching again, so had a short course if injections (less than $200). No problems since. Now at 10 years old her eyes weep when the spring grass comes through, but that's all.

The only thing to worry about with raw meat is how fresh it is. Chicken especially goes off very quickly - it may smell fine but have nasty bacteria, as we discovered with a mob of sick puppies! Make sure the meat goes straight from the butcher to a cool bag to the fridge. Boiling the meat will kill any nasties, and they usually love it cooked.