# Questions on puppy training



## arthurmberger (May 11, 2019)

Hi, my puppy Fritz is 9 weeks old. He is doing very well - he has started to ask to go outside to do his business (on the deck, not in the streets since he doesn't have all his shots yet). There are two issues that concern me and any comments would be appreciated.

First - Fritz seems to be having a hard time getting used to his crate. He is generally loose while we're up (my wife & I supervise him in a restricted, uncarpeted area) but I put him in a crate for the night, and keep the crate next to the bed. Fritz cries for quite a while (very sad to listen to) and will wake up during the night and flop around, and frequently start crying again, usually around 2:30 am. Is there something I can do to help him acclimate? He has toys in his crate, and when he cries I talk to him and put my hand at the front of the crate, but that doesn't seem to help him much.

Second - he chews on everything, including my toes, fingers, furniture and whatever else he can grab - even loose bricks on the deck. Not sure how to train him off this, I don't impress him when I say no... Is there something I can do? If I yell ouch he will ease off on me, but only for a short time. Is this typical for mini poodles? Will he outgrow this when he gets his adult teeth?

Again, thanks for any help you can offer.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

For your first question put him in his crate during the day for short periods of time with something appropriate to play with/chew on. Do it calmly without a lot of dialogue. the short periods of time could be just a few seconds at first, but make sure you do open the door or take him out while he is *NOT* crying or complaining. I would ask him to sit right after you take him out and give him a treat for good calm behavior. This is a tough love thing as there will be times as you work on extending his duration in the crate he is likely to have periods of protest that you must wait out.


For your second question you should work on teaching him the meaning of leave it as an order that will get him to stop what he is doing that is inappropriate. Early in this process it is best to have an appropriate diversion like a toy he can chew on.


Also as an all around great way to teach impulse control look up its yer choice which also helps any dog to redirect its attention to its person at times where they might not be sure what to do.


Don't give this pup too much freedom even if you think he is doing well in his training. Failures come from people giving too many chances for puppies to make mistakes. Remember puppies are like infant humans.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

I think Catherine has a typo. I’m sure she meant to say “remove him from the crate when he’s *NOT* crying or complaining. You want to train him that the way to get out of the crate is calm behavior not behaving badly. Timing is tricky but important to get it right so he learns quickly. 

You can play Susan Garrett’s crate games with him during the day. Do you have an expen to keep him in while you’re distracted doing chores etc? You can attach it to the crate to give him more play space when he’s not in the crate as part of toilet training. 

My dog was almost a year old when I got her, but still mouthy when excited. I quickly learned to carry pizzle sticks or chew toys with me so I could give them to her when she was mouthy. Right now you’re in the puppy shark phase.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Skylar said:


> _I think Catherine has a typo. I’m sure she meant to say “remove him from the crate when he’s *NOT* crying or complaining. You want to train him that the way to get out of the crate is calm behavior not behaving badly. Timing is tricky but important to get it right so he learns quickly. _
> 
> You can play Susan Garrett’s crate games with him during the day. Do you have an expen to keep him in while you’re distracted doing chores etc? You can attach it to the crate to give him more play space when he’s not in the crate as part of toilet training.
> 
> My dog was almost a year old when I got her, but still mouthy when excited. I quickly learned to carry pizzle sticks or chew toys with me so I could give them to her when she was mouthy. Right now you’re in the puppy shark phase.



Thanks Skylar, yes for sure only take him out when _*NOT*_ crying.


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## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

To stop the puppy from biting things like chair legs, wires and bricks, mix together two parts water, one part Sriracha sauce, one part dish soap. Lightly paint anything you want to own. I have yet to have a pet chew anything that tasted like that. 

Puppies chew because they are teething, and poodles are extremely mouthy youngsters. Get bully sticks at the pet store and offer the puppy a chew stick before you even say hi. If the puppy wants toes or fingers, don't scold. Just remove yourself for 20 seconds. Dog bites, you exit silently. Remove what the dog wants most, your presence. Let the puppy puzzle out what happened. One nip, you exit. Yes, you might be leaving every four seconds. Return, offer a chew stick. Bite? Leave. Choose chew stick, stay. I think everyone who met Noelle was given a chew stick for a few weeks when she was little. We all had them in our pockets.

Everything Catherine told you about crates is spot on. Use it during the day. I'll add feed meals in the back of the crate. Put a lick mat in the crate and close the door. The lick mat gives your dog something to do that's rewarding, helping make the crate feel safe and cozy.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PLGXX5...&pd_rd_r=ad16d077-8567-11e9-b0f3-5fc5494b71c2 

Good luck. If you need more help, ask.


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

I just want to mention that Fritz might be waking up at 2:30 am because he needs to go potty....... at 9 weeks old his bladder is very immature and usually at that age a middle of the night potty trip is normal! Much like an infant with diaper changes Hahaha!!


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I was thinking the same thing - I would expect a puppy that young to need to toilet at least once during the night. And I would go against the trend and suggest not being too tough about the crate training at this age. I have found very young pups need the comfort and reassurance of company, as babies they are not good at being left alone - after all, they have evolved to stay close to Mum and siblings for safety. It becomes much easier to teach them independent behaviours when they are a little older and more secure. If your puppy is only 9 weeks he is very new to you and your home, and still learning to trust you. I think expecting quiet settling down in a crate, and sitting on release etc is a big ask, perhaps better built up to over the coming weeks with lots of crate games and other fun activities during the day.


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## asuk (Jan 6, 2017)

Ditto everyone else. 9 weeks old is really young to really be reliable for anything. Yes, they will outgrow all these unwanted behaviours with training.


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## arthurmberger (May 11, 2019)

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. Fritz is having some health issues and I’ve started to take him out of his crate overnight to relieve himself and reduce any stress on him. Vomiting with blood necessitated a visit to vet emergency a couple of nights ago. That stopped quickly (he might have swallowed something in spite of continuous monitoring) and now we’re trying to deal with puppy diarrhea. Probably back to the vet today. He is still happy and energetic so I’m optimistic he’ll be back on track soon. The poodleforum community has been really responsive and I appreciate the support. I’ve always lived with dogs but it’s been 40+ years since I raised a puppy and this is my first poodle puppy. I’m looking forward to a long friendship. Thanks again for sharing what you know.


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

Oh dear...I hope he'll be okay. Let us know. It's always scary when something like that happens. I always was a tough love kind of gal with my puppies and let them cry it out in their crates. But over the last few years I have come to feel more the way Fjm is thinking...that 9 weeks is indeed very young, they're insecure and they need to develop quickly that trust in us to give them the security they need to learn independence. And there's time for training along the way... a little ways down the road. Using a crate is very helpful but I would reward when the pup is IN the crate rather than when he comes out of it. Show him that being in the crate is a nice place that has good treats, dinner, special toys, your involvement with some crate games. Coming out of it is okay but going_ in_ it (use a cue) is even better. (just to get him started) But I do see Lily's point in teaching the pup to come out gently/calmly...not that he comes bouncing out like a lunatic...some impulse control. And that can be worked on little by little too. (When my Doberman was a puppy and learning to go into his crate on cue, he'd run down the hall when I said, "go to bed" and he'd go flying into his crate like a lunatic, not that he came out of it all crazy. I could hear the crate knocking around when he went in and turned around to lie down. He'd almost knock the thing over. lol. He was very pleased with his having learned to "go to bed" even if I was in the kitchen...all the way down the hall into my room...everything with great gusto) lol.

As far as biting, nibbling etc...I wouldn't speak or look at him...zero attention for anything but the most gentle mouthing. Get up and walk away and give him another try. Repeat. Don't wait too long to give him another try. Back and forth, attention for very gentle mouthing and removal of fun and attention for anything close to ouchie. No reaction, no talking, no looking at, no hands on the dog. He'll learn what gets him attention and what he's looking for and what doesn't. Give him a chew toy instead to show him what he can bite and chew on...as you walk away. I like to allow some gentle mouthing which can be phased out later...gradually. And that's because it helps him learn bite inhibition...how to regulate his bite pressure in case he needs that some day.

Good luck. Hope he'll be okay.


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## arthurmberger (May 11, 2019)

Thanks for the input. Just to let you know Fritz is 100% recovered from his stomach problems. He is about 80% effective at his house training. We have limited ability to walk away from Fritz when he bites hard because we only have a limited area baby-proofed. Also we are stuck mostly in the house for two more weeks until Fritz gets the last of his shots. In the meantime we apply these suggestions as best we can in our circumstances. Fritz will go into his kennel during the day to play or lie down, but cries when the door gets shut, often for a long time. We’re working on that. He goes into his crate at night (upstairs in the bedroom, right next to the bed) and has gotten quite used to the nighttime routine. He seems glad to go to his sleeping place. He gets restless when he wants out - early in the morning - but he does not raise a ruckus. I take him out during the night if he gets fidgety because that means he has a bio need. So progress is being made. This has been pretty demanding for two old folks but we want the pup to grow up right and we continue to work hard with him. He’s sweet and loves people and I’m sure he will be a wonderful companion. 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Lol, our land shark phase lasted thru most of the teething. I kept a journal and wrote that at almost 16 weeks they were becoming less bitey, and by just over 7 months, they had most or all of their adult teeth in. Mouthing is a strong tendency in poodles, so it's a challenge. Bitter apple spray worked for us, to keep those little mouths off things they didn't belong on. 

My boys went from roly poly puppies to little poodle boys around 16 weeks, so take tons of photos and videos! It seems to take forever and all your sanity to get thru the early puppy months, and then suddenly they become little boys .


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## Poodlebeguiled (May 27, 2013)

I found with my two poodle puppies that they had incredibly soft mouths, even as puppies. So did my Lab. Hunting dogs often do. They mouthed in play but I ignored that, walked away...and in no time they stopped that shenanigans. I'd give them a replacement chew toy instead of my hands. Of course, they had each other to play with and bite so that may have been part of the reason they didn't do too much of that on humans. (one benefit of having two little buddies at the same time)


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