Pigs Ears - Are They Ok For Puppies?

[kenneh]

Hi guys

We have an 11 week old Japanese Spitz puppy that won't stop crying as soon as we leave the house for work in the morning . Our breeder has suggested we give him a pigs ear to keep him occupied during the day. But I've read that this could be a choking hazard to the puppy and give him an upset stomach as well.

What are your experiences with this? Should I get one?

Thanks

[sas]

Sounds like your dog 'could' be showing signs of seperation anxiety, if this is the case your dog probably will not be interested in eating whilst you're not home.

It's up to you if you provide your dog with a pigs/deer/sheeps ear etc. they are 'generally' suitable for dogs who chew their food and don't gulp. You'll want to choose a product that is processed here in Australia and is air dried and not chemically treated.

http://shop.ebay.com.au/tracey6230/m.html

Could I perhaps suggest you speak to a Behaviourist about handling seperation anxiety? There are a few Behaviourists and Trainers form VIC on DOL so someone should be able to assist you.

Cosmolo: http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showuser=5342

Erny: http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showuser=5887

Edited December 22, 2010 by sas

[persephone]

Your puppy is a baby ... and if you have spent a lot of time with it when it first came home... of course it will now cry What else does it have to eat/play with when you leave?

[kenneh]

Your puppy is a baby ... and if you have spent a lot of time with it when it first came home... of course it will now cry What else does it have to eat/play with when you leave?

We just got Hachi last Friday so it has not even been a week yet...so I am assuming it is quite normal for him to cry like that in his first week?

We have Kong toys (stuffed with treats), rope and squeaky toys and a ball in the pen with him.

I just want to make sure he doesn't get seperation anxiety so soon:(

[mrs tornsocks]

Personally I would probably not leave him with a pig's ear or anything else chewy at such a young age. I tend to be a bit paranoid about this stuff owning a gobbly greedy labrador but he's still a baby and isn't really used to chewing different things. Plus, they are a bit fatty. Perhaps a kong with frozen mince or something ? If you can leave things to keep him otherwise occupied like toys etc., that's probably better.

You may already be doing this, but if he's crying when you go, try to 'practice' leaving him along for increasing periods of time while you're actually there. Put him outside for a short period, then praise him for NOT crying, then slowly extend the time that he's on his own. If he starts crying after 30 seconds, start with 20 seconds, then build up to 5, 10 minutes, then 30 minutes then an hour say, over the weekend (assuming you work during the week). If it's all a hive of activity while you're getting ready and then, bang, he's left alone, it's not surprising he's fretting. He is still very young though.

[persephone]

I am assuming it is quite normal for him to cry like that in his first week?

I would think so... he is still feeling everything new ...

[aussielover]

I wouldn't leave a baby puppy with a pigs ear. My puppy couldn't even eat a whole one until about 4 months when she started getting adult teeth. I think treat balls and bob a lots are the safest. I have seen dogs choke on kings and also get their tongue or jaw stuck.

But obviously nothing is 100% safe

[Nushie]

Personally I would probably not leave him with a pig's ear or anything else chewy at such a young age. I tend to be a bit paranoid about this stuff owning a gobbly greedy labrador but he's still a baby and isn't really used to chewing different things. Plus, they are a bit fatty. Perhaps a kong with frozen mince or something ? If you can leave things to keep him otherwise occupied like toys etc., that's probably better.

Agree, I bought some pigs ears for Jager when i first got him and he would be fine for about the first half of one and then he would try and swallow it, then cough it up, swallow again, cough it up. So he hasnt had another one since. Just too risky in my opionion.

Jager cried every time we left him for about the first 6 weeks. I am sure he didnt cry the entire time we left but he did spend ALOT of time crying. Spend some time with him in his pen and praise him for being calm. Then take a step away, go back and praise him for being calm. Continue until you can easily walk away a few step without him getting upset. Then proceed to take a step around a corner or something so that you are out of site for a second or two. Then praise him. Slowly build up the time that you are out of sight for.

Jager gets a frozen kong whenever we go out or on a Saturday morning when i want to sleep in (he is up at 6.30 EVERY day). He knows that if we are putting shoes on and he doesnt have his walking harness on then we are leaving him. He goes and sits outside the kitchen and waits for his kong. He then trots off to eat it and ignores us as we leave.

[kenneh]

Personally I would probably not leave him with a pig's ear or anything else chewy at such a young age. I tend to be a bit paranoid about this stuff owning a gobbly greedy labrador but he's still a baby and isn't really used to chewing different things. Plus, they are a bit fatty. Perhaps a kong with frozen mince or something ? If you can leave things to keep him otherwise occupied like toys etc., that's probably better.

Agree, I bought some pigs ears for Jager when i first got him and he would be fine for about the first half of one and then he would try and swallow it, then cough it up, swallow again, cough it up. So he hasnt had another one since. Just too risky in my opionion.

Jager cried every time we left him for about the first 6 weeks. I am sure he didnt cry the entire time we left but he did spend ALOT of time crying. Spend some time with him in his pen and praise him for being calm. Then take a step away, go back and praise him for being calm. Continue until you can easily walk away a few step without him getting upset. Then proceed to take a step around a corner or something so that you are out of site for a second or two. Then praise him. Slowly build up the time that you are out of sight for.

Jager gets a frozen kong whenever we go out or on a Saturday morning when i want to sleep in (he is up at 6.30 EVERY day). He knows that if we are putting shoes on and he doesnt have his walking harness on then we are leaving him. He goes and sits outside the kitchen and waits for his kong. He then trots off to eat it and ignores us as we leave.

Thank you Yes I was extremely worried that he would choke on it so decided not to go ahead with the pigs ear!

Hachi doesn't cry at all at night...he whines a little when it is bed time when we put him in the pen but he is quiet all through the night. Then he wakes up at 6am (every day!)..and he starts crying for attention. Then it's more crying and whining when he knows we are about to leave for work...same when we get back from work. I'm just a bit worried that he might develop seperation anxiety too young.

I'll try the frozen peanut butter in the Kong toy tonight and see if he likes it:)

[Nahla + Teddy's Mum]

My puppies love pigs ears but they only get them when someone is home to supervise because of all the horror stories I've heard, I dont want to take any chances! Kongs are much safer and you can put different tasty treats in them and mine take a couple of hours to get through it all.

It's so hard leaving them at first but it will get easier for you and puppy, try rotating toys every couple of days so he doesnt get too bored with the same ones. Nahla wasn't on her own for very long until we got Ted so the bordom and crying issue was solved right away!

Enjoy your new puppy

[W Sibs]

Aww.. Hachi will cry for the first few weeks. It takes a while for a puppy to get use to new surroundings and he hasn't settled into a new routine yet either. Once it gets use to a routine, then it will settle and whinging shouldn't be so bad or it stops.

I supervise puppies eating new treats for the first time, watch how they eat and stuff. I don't supervise my 2 on eating treats now, because they take their time on eating their treats and takes them forever to finish a pig ear... (Charlie takes about 6 months to finish one pig ear and it takes Emmy about 2 months).

[Max#1]

Hi. Our puppy also cried a lot at first when we left him alone. Our neighbour let us know when she came to check we weren't actually a puppy-torturing factory.... Its nice to have neighbours that care actually. I think the thing that helped the most in our case was routine. We left and came home at the same time every day. But he is a routine-focused dog it seems, do anything twice in a row, and he'll be looking for it the third time too! And we always leave him with the same treat when we go (a kong).

[kenneh]

Hi. Our puppy also cried a lot at first when we left him alone. Our neighbour let us know when she came to check we weren't actually a puppy-torturing factory.... Its nice to have neighbours that care actually. I think the thing that helped the most in our case was routine. We left and came home at the same time every day. But he is a routine-focused dog it seems, do anything twice in a row, and he'll be looking for it the third time too! And we always leave him with the same treat when we go (a kong).

That's what I am worried about...that the neighbours would complain that we are torturing the puppy!

Hopefully Hachi settles in quick and stops crying. We're scared that we are not training him properly, that's why he is crying in the morning ;)

We gave him a bath yesterday and OMG... Are we meant to soothe and praise him when he is all panicking in the water and crying? Or just keep going with the bath as if nothing is happening? We don't want him to think that crying during bathtime is rewarding!

[persephone]

Are we meant to soothe and praise him when he is all panicking in the water and crying?

No.

Make sure though, that things are as comfortable as possible ...

a non wobbly bath.

Very shallow water .

a towel/mat in the bottom so there is no slipping

water poured/sprayed gently..and always start at the feet .... until your pup learns you mean no harm.

Have pup on lead, too.

[luvsdogs]

Here's a great video on how to teach your puppy to like being left alone.

http://www.youtube.com/user/kikopup#p/u/25/LGxhcb-itO4

[Sandra777]

We gave him a bath yesterday and OMG... Are we meant to soothe and praise him when he is all panicking in the water and crying? Or just keep going with the bath as if nothing is happening? We don't want him to think that crying during bathtime is rewarding!

Don't put him in any water - put the water over him and let it drain away. A lot of dogs find standing in even an inch of water very upsetting. If he's on a non-slip surface and not standing in water, just continue as if nothing is happening, but personally I would do a lot of practicing without water first - unless he's a long haired show dog or he's rolled in something gross there's no urgent need to actually bath him until you've taught him that the bath itself is a good place, without water being involved at all. If he smells and is short haired you can rub him down with a wet towel or face washer (depending on his size ) in the meantime, especially if his first bath experience was particuarly bad and you plan on bathing him all the time (for whatever reason :D)

[Nushie]

I'll try the frozen peanut butter in the Kong toy tonight and see if he likes it:)

It took Jager awhile to get the hang of his Kong, he would lick at it, and then get bored. So we used to give him one when we were watching tv or having dinner, so that he could suss it out in his own time. If we gave it to him when we left he would ignore it as he wasnt sure what to do with it.

So after a couple of nights giving him a Kong while we were around and he could take his time and not stress that we were going to leave he slowly got the hang of it and we went from coming home in the afternoon to an untouched Kong to an empty one. Now he doesnt care what we do, whether we are there with him, downstairs, or at work. He loves his Kong. Takes him about an hour to get it all out.

Its cute really cause once he has gotten to the stage where there is a frozen bit left down the end. He picks the Kong up at the little end and drops it on the fat end to try and loosen the meat. He does it over and over again until it falls free.

[kenneh]

I'll try the frozen peanut butter in the Kong toy tonight and see if he likes it:)

It took Jager awhile to get the hang of his Kong, he would lick at it, and then get bored. So we used to give him one when we were watching tv or having dinner, so that he could suss it out in his own time. If we gave it to him when we left he would ignore it as he wasnt sure what to do with it.

So after a couple of nights giving him a Kong while we were around and he could take his time and not stress that we were going to leave he slowly got the hang of it and we went from coming home in the afternoon to an untouched Kong to an empty one. Now he doesnt care what we do, whether we are there with him, downstairs, or at work. He loves his Kong. Takes him about an hour to get it all out.

Its cute really cause once he has gotten to the stage where there is a frozen bit left down the end. He picks the Kong up at the little end and drops it on the fat end to try and loosen the meat. He does it over and over again until it falls free.

Yup Kong does not interest Hachi whatsoever...tried the frozen peanut butter in it...he licked at it once, got bored..the end!

Thanks for the advice Will try it during dinner time and tv time over the next few days and see how we go

[kenneh]

I'll try the frozen peanut butter in the Kong toy tonight and see if he likes it:)

It took Jager awhile to get the hang of his Kong, he would lick at it, and then get bored. So we used to give him one when we were watching tv or having dinner, so that he could suss it out in his own time. If we gave it to him when we left he would ignore it as he wasnt sure what to do with it.

So after a couple of nights giving him a Kong while we were around and he could take his time and not stress that we were going to leave he slowly got the hang of it and we went from coming home in the afternoon to an untouched Kong to an empty one. Now he doesnt care what we do, whether we are there with him, downstairs, or at work. He loves his Kong. Takes him about an hour to get it all out.

Its cute really cause once he has gotten to the stage where there is a frozen bit left down the end. He picks the Kong up at the little end and drops it on the fat end to try and loosen the meat. He does it over and over again until it falls free.

Yup Kong does not interest Hachi whatsoever...tried the frozen peanut butter in it...he licked at it once, got bored..the end!

Thanks for the advice Will try it during dinner time and tv time over the next few days and see how we go

Hooraayyy!! Kong was empty when we got home yesterday..so obviously he played with it while we were at work.

Hachi found a new hobby...Shredding his newspaper and puppy pads This started yesterday and he hasn't stopped since then. I am not looking forward to coming home this afternoon :D

[MissCheevius]

Hi Kenneh, any update on how Hachi is going when alone?

We will be leaving our lil man alone while we go to work for the first time in a few weeks time, and im trying to research so he makes the trasition as easy as possible. So far he is well behaved when we leave him to go to shops, so fingers crossed!

Im very keen to hear how Hachi has progressed, sounds adorable!!!

Hope you didnt work too much during the festive season.