12-week Old Choc Lab--a Few Questions...

[KerryZ]

Hi everyone,

I am a full-time working mother with two young boys and now have a puppy to throw into the mix (crazy? maybe). Rosco seems to be doing really well, we keep him in a pen when he's indoors but he usually spends a lot of time outside during the day. He sleeps next to our bed at night in a crate.

Issues/Questions:

Because he's usually confined in the house, he doesn't think of the indoors as a "no go" zone (i.e. he wees indoors). I've just started letting him have supervised playtimes indoors hoping he'll understand that indoors is our "den" but if I take my eye off of him for one second he is chewing something or pee'ing. Needless to say, with a toddler and a 3-year old, it's hard to stay 100% focused on pup (even when my partner is home). Apart from what I'm doing, does anyone have any other tips?

Secondly, I've often wondered if Rosco has a urinary tract infection or some other abnormality. Although he seems otherwise healthy, he does a LOT of urinating...small amounts, very frequently. Sometimes it looks like he doesn't know he's even doing it. Maybe that's normal for a 12-week old pup? I shoud also add that he sleeps through the night with no mistakes (from 9:00-5:00).

Lastly, I have been considering taking him to a puppy school but have limited time. I live in Yanchep so would need a location in the northern suburbs. Does anyone have any suggestions? Is it worthwhile? Or is it possible to train a pup successfully with the right amount of research, time & effort?

Apologies for sounding like a nit-wit. I did have a puppy about 20 years ago when I had just turned 21 but at that time I didn't think much about training. Now I want to do everything possible to make sure Rosco fits into our family with minimal chaos.

Thanks everyone!

Edited May 20, 2009 by KerryZ

[collie angel]

hi kerryz,

i have a 14wk pup at atm thankfully hubby is home with her, when we are out we lock her i suppose into the bathroom area and put a baby gate up on the door (i have a big 3 way bathroom) when we are home she is outside so she knows that when she is bigger thats where she will be unless its bed time or time to come inside. i never bring her in after she eats, or if she sleeps in her bed/basket in front of the tv at night i put her outside to pee when she wakes up, this seems to be working for me (touch wood) everyone is different.

Also i may be wrong but the peeing your saying he does is that a undesexed male thing??? i know my sisters male maltese pees everywhere but in saying that he is desexed. mmmmmmmm

I would be taking your boy to puppy school it does help and not only that it will socialise your puppy with other dogs.

good luck and lets see some pics

[Miranda]

Also i may be wrong but the peeing your saying he does is that a undesexed male thing??? i know my sisters male maltese pees everywhere but in saying that he is desexed. mmmmmmmm

This puppy isn't marking he's far too young. KerryZ you have to supervise the puppy all the time when he's loose in the house, if you can't watch him confine him to a crate. If he's soiling in the puppy pen it's because it's too large an area and/or you're leaving him in there too long. Puppies are made of pee, take him outside after eating, after playing, after sleeping and about every 3/4 hour in between. Stay with the pup until he goes even if it takes an hour, then lots and lots of praise, don't put him out and leave him on his own, you MUST stay with him to reinforce the good behaviour.

Labs are portrayed as the perfect family dog and they are, but they can also be a handful as puppies and you need to start training them from the moment you get them home. Make sure you put things away if you don't want them chewed because the puppy cannot differentiate between things he's allowed to chew and things that belong to you. He'll start teething soon so make sure he has plenty of things that he can chew on to loosen his teeth. Puppy school and then an obedience club when he's older are very important, labs need plenty of mental and physical stimulation if you want them to be happy and well adjusted adults.

Edited May 20, 2009 by Miranda

[bozthepup]

Hi Kerryz

Labs are the most beautiful pups, we have had one and getting another choc boy in 2 weeks time. He will be a gorgeous friend and huge part of your family in the futur

When you're home, can you put him out to toilet at key times ? Very hard when you already have two other babies I"m sure but pups tend to toilet after they a) wake up, b) eat and c) play. Of course they like to go at other times as well but if you can try to put him outside in a designated area when you are at home and give him a command that he starts to recognise, then lots of praise when he goes. We used 'quick' in a high kind of voice to tell our boy we wanted him to go. This takes some persistence though like everything with pups ! It's a little more difficult if he's outside during the day on his own since he obviously can't be commanded to go.

If he sleeps through the night, you have a very good starting point though.

I would try to take him to pup school. If he isn't getting any other dog socialisation, he really needs it and this age is a crucial time for him to learn how to play nicely with both dogs and humans and experience as much of the outside world as possible once he's had vaccinations etc. I realise 3yo is quite a handful in terms of human babies, but perhaps you could take the 3yo along while OH looks after the baby ??! Our pup school had a number of kids and it's a lovely experience for them to see all the puppies as well. I have no idea of your circumstances but it's just a thought.

[rish]

Rosco has a urinary tract infection or some other abnormality.

leigh used to do that to,but now the pee's are big 1s.LOL

Puppy school,if u dont have the time is great.

I love leigh,she is totally awesom and a total dag.

[rish]

o BTW,Leigh is now trained to go out-side,if we are away along time,both her and MinMin go in the bath-room near the drain or in the shower,i once had a cat that used the loo !!!

U MUST-repeat MUST socialise ur boy,that a key issue.

[Ellie1]

Hi there,

Northern Suburbs dig training in Carine offer puppy classes on a sunday morning, i am going to take my boy to the puppy classes at the vets down the road from me. My pup is going to be 8 weeks on 6 June I only get him then. Would love to see pics, there is a labrador thread under the breed specific threads, the people there are also very helpful.

[Jodi1981]

There is a labrador thread under the breed specific threads, the people there are also very helpful.

Yep, Come by and say HI :D

Jodi

P.S Oh and pics are very muchly welcome too (hint, hint)