Housetraining 101 - Please Read this Thread in its Entirety

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

HI again Julie

As long as you are giving him a puppy formula, of course your vet is right.

I switched Sumo's dog food the day we got him, the breeder was feeding him Royal Canin and I switched to Orijen. His poops are normal but he eats a bit less than he used to with Orijen, I called the Vet and told me it was normal since Orijen is a really good quality therefore doesn't need to eat as much since he gets full faster.

I think you meant to say "...but he eats a bit less than he used to with Royal Canin,..."

There is more information regarding nutrition and feeding in the Health Section. Have a look there, as raw feeding is also discussed.

Don't worry so much. It sounds like you are handling things well.

[SumosMum]

Sorry I am a french speaker therefore I am make lots of typos!!

I just want to get him the best we can give him and thanks I would certainly go see there!! Now about crate training, Sumo is not interested in any toys we purchased so far including Kongs, ropes, squeaky toys even plushy. He would just stare at me and just go into his crate and once he is inside, he would literally take all his toys that was in there and kick them out and sleep! Once he is done with his nap he would just take them back inside of his crate and will either play with my son or nap again on my own slippers, he doesn't chew on them though! He doesn't whine nor chew inside of his crate and he goes on his own at night, I just wonder how to make it more fun for him?

He rather play with empty plastic bowls, very old slippers we got roaming around the apartment which we don't mind if he chews on them. I would also put kibbles inside an empty bottle of water and let him figure out how to get them outside of it. But the little guy thinks he is too smart and royalty for toys!

Also we can't bring him outside yet until he had at least his second set of shots , it was my vets order! My town his very dog friendly and just in the apartment building which I live in most of the people here own at least 2 dogs and all kinds of them! So we have made him get used to the newspapers until we can bring him outside, we also use an old rug my mom used to own to potty on the balcony as well. He loves sleeping there as well, it's kinda cold here but he just loves this kind of weather.

Sorry for the long post guys!

Julie, Sumo's Mom.

[kian]

Hi Julie, I have been MIA for a few days and haven't a chance to catch up yet. I will see your intro thread as soon as I can.

Yes it's true that dogs will eat less of a Premium food because of the nutrients and not the fillers. I too feed Grain Feed and love it for my dogs. While Premium may seem more money, it's actually cheaper and better for your dog. I always switch slowly and then stay with it if your happy.

He is still young, you do have to teach him how to use the Kong. What are you putting in it?

If there are lots of dogs in your complex, perhaps your Vet is playing it on the safe side. Parvo does seem to run rampant this time of the year. You just have a extra step to train out of him, It isn't impossible just going to be harder for you.
Chows do need lots of socialization to remain dog friendly and people friendly, the sooner you can do that the better.

Don't worry about the typo's, your explanation is a valid one!

[SumosMum]

Hi Kian!

At some point I do want to feed get him into a raw diet but I just can't right now, I want to do it the right way and I didn't make enough research on that yet so I decided to get him Orijen since it had great reviews and he does seems to like it

As for the Kong, I have tried peanut butter, nature yogurt with a a bit of Kibbles, low fat cottage cheese with kibbles and I have been freezing them before I give it to him. I try to make it a fun game while giving him the Kong before putting it into his crate but he would just stare at me and kick the Kong out of his crate and he would lay down in it and sigh it's quite adorable actually.. Just sad that he just doesn't seem interested in toys.

So far we went to the pet store and our local mall though he had to be carried and he met approximately 125 people. I also scheduled him for puppy classes that starts in January since then he will have got all his shots. Apparently where I live Parvo seems to be really high and I just don't want to take the risk of getting Sumo really sick. Though he goes outside every week-end at my mother's house since she have huge fenced yard though he is always supervised and he never had accident at her house either and he loves the 4-5 hours drives! I just hope in the end it won't be too late to train him to go outside once he got his second shots..

Also my OH had an idea but before doing it, I wanted you guys opinion. Would it be a good idea to get a piece of grass that I could buy at Home Depot and install it on our balcony, would this make it easier or wouldn't make any difference?

[sly85]

Hi Julie. I don't really have any housetraining advise, but I did want to say not to worry too much about Sumo not liking his toys. My dog goes back and forth all the time on whether or not she likes her toys. Right now, her favorite "toys" are empty water bottles, sheets of paper, and her leash. About month ago, her favorites were her rope and squeaky toys. I'm not sure what she'll be into next month. You and Sumo will eventually figure out what he likes. Good luck!

[SumosMum]

Thanks Sly!

I just felt like I got all the wrong toys.. But it makes me feel better knowing I am not the only one

[sarahrizzi]

I posted in this thread a while back about how Amelia always had accidents when we were visiting other people. We took her to stay at my parents house with us for 2 days for Thanksgiving, and during our stay we had a lot of family and friends to visit since we only make it home every couple of months. Overall, she was in six different houses. And guess what! She didn't have a SINGLE accident the entire time! We're so proud of her. She's growing up to be such a wonderful, well mannered dog. Just thought I'd share!!

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

That is terrific news!!!! We love to hear the success stories.

Amelia is growing up, and you are the proof that tenacity, consistency, love and patience all pay off. For Amelia to be in such unfamiliar surroundings, with so many new people and not have ONE accident speaks not only to her ability but to yours as well. I'm sure you kept many of the tips mentioned previously forefront in your mind, and made sure she didn't have an opportunity to have an accident. WELL DONE!!!

[sarahrizzi]

Thank you!

The advice I have gotten here has been absolutely invaluable. So really, thank you to everyone on the DP who has been so helpful and patient! I really think that being a puppy mom for the first time on my own would've been much more difficult had I not come across you all.

[kian]

Julie to answer your question about the grass turf, I think a Potty Patch would work much better and it's easier to keep clean. Sumo is young enough to learn how to use one, they are great for a situation like yours.

YAY for Amelia!!! I love a good success story.

[SumosMum]

Thanks Kian I'll do that instead

[gre8t1]

HI, I'm new here and i really need some advise more like help. I have a 2 month old female puppy she's a maltese mix. My main concern his training her not to eliminate in the house. My girl friend just got her from a co worker. So for now I want her to use the potty in the house. No matter what i do or say to her she won't pee or poop on the pads we got here. A few times by luck i think she has used them. What can i do to change this? I've seen her go to the pads and sniff like she will use it to only go a few inches past it then pee or poop. SIGH! Her name is Peyton by the way. There are other things i want to accomplish but this is the most important one to me.

[kian]

Go back to the first pages of this thread and read from there. Why are using potty pads when the goal is to go outside? There are some where the potty pads are needed, that is why we ask. If it is the weather, bundle up and get out there. Pups have to be taught how to use the pads, as with any behaviour.

[gre8t1]

Go back to the first pages of this thread and read from there. Why are using potty pads when the goal is to go outside? There are some where the potty pads are needed, that is why we ask. If it is the weather, bundle up and get out there. Pups have to be taught how to use the pads, as with any behaviour.

i see what you saying my lady took Peyton outside today for at least 30 min. and we go nothing out of it. the moment we got back in the house peyton went on the floor

[kian]

It also addresses that problem on the first page.