Positively | Victoria Stilwell | Forum

Thanks everyone, for such quick and helpful advice. Yes, I definitely didn't expect it to be quite so hard! I adopted my older dog when she was about 4 months from a foster home - she was found abandoned a fortnight before I got her. She followed my cat out the cat-flap just minutes after she arrive...

Crate training my 12 week old puppy is going very slowly. My house is open-plan downstairs and I am trying to pen the puppy in the kitchen so my 8 year old son gets some peace from him when I can't supervise (biting, hunting toes, stealing food, climbing up jeans etc). Also, toilet training is hopel...

Hah! I think I'm going to write to him and suggest he put that caveat in his books and on his website. He should at least specify that if you've adopted a dog from a pound or have a pup from a free-ranging farm dog family, you should go VERY SLOWLY. How annoying, misleading, and bloody irresponsible...

I'm so glad it's not just me, but even an expert has this problem too! It's dreadfully misleading when people like Ian Dunbar say that the puppy will be fine, just ignore him. I felt like a failure when Sammy ended up in bed with us after his marathon howl. He had toys and a chewy snack, but he just...

UPDATE: The square of turf right by my bed is working brilliantly at night. I had trouble getting hold of a tiny piece of real turf, but then I read about using fake and got the local store to give me a small piece. Sammy sleeps 3 hours, squeaks, I lean out of bed and put him on his turf, he pees a...

We picked up our little puppy on Wednesday and within an hour he was happily strutting round the house, approaching people, playing and generally being a confident and sociable pup. That first night we didn't try to put him in his crate with the door closed. I slept on a mattress on the floor, put t...

SET YOUR PUPPY UP FOR SUCCESS! and IF HE NEVER HAS TO YELL TO GET TAKEN TO PEE, HE'S LESS LIKELY TO DO IT WHEN OLDER It's totally that behaviour-shaping that I've started reading up about on here. What age do we start clicker training for sit etc? 6 months or something? I'm going to start it with m...

Fabulous, Emmabeth! Thanks! I wonder if it's a good idea to make him a puppy sling so we can have our hands free in the supermarket and places? Snuggly and deep enough so he can't fall out, but very careful to have plenty of air and taking him out to hold frequently? Just so I"m totally clear, ...

I hadn't really thought the turf thing through - of course we'll have to rotate trays and water the turf, (and put it out in the sun), which will wash the pee off so we can't smell it but he can and be encouraged to go there again! I read that a puppy of 8 weeks might need to go every half hour, and...

Thanks Emmabeth. It seemed so outlandish an idea, but for night-time it might be our best option. We really don't want to wait to get a puppy, we're so ready now, so if this doesn't work I'll be going up and down in the night for the cute little guy. I know that the puppy's first nights here will be...

We are collecting our first puppy ever this week. We have a 4 year old dog we adopted when she was 4 months and already house trained. We live in an apartment, and can't imagine going all the way downstairs and out a couple of times a night. I read that Ian Dunbar, vet and dog expert, recommends put...

Thank you so much for such a rapid and helpful reply, Nettle! I'm closing all the doors upstairs, but downstairs is open plan with nowhere to put a babygate. She has a pet-door and comes in and out whenever she wants. Cleaning with white-vinegar makes so much sense now you point it out - what was I ...

My dog Daisy is nearly 4 and was abandoned as a puppy. We got her when she was 4 months old and adore her. I work from home, so she is at my side constantly. She's very highly strung, fearful of men and young children and barks madly at anyone who passes the house. She likes women, and kids who resp...

Aw guys! Don't give me that! I'd rather my Daisy was too friendly than aloof! It helps enormously now I understand why she behaves as she does, and I'm so grateful that she patiently waits at the very end of her leash while I shmooze the dogs in the street. But still... And it aint so mellow, luvmyd...

Thanks for your advice Nettle. I hadn't thought that maybe she's being polite. Hmm. Interesting idea. I also hate people getting in my face and not taking the hint to back off a little when I'm less than warm to their loud and obnoxious pushiness. There are times I'd love to bare my teeth and growl ...