Comments on: Help Please? I Need Advice And Opinions!?

By: Lacey

Lacey — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 02:51:41 +0000

I got my dog, Duke (which is a sheltie/beagle mix) when he was 6 wks old (now he’s almost 2 yrs old). Don’t keep your puppy in a crate at night. Buy puppy training pads. They helped me train Duke. The only time I ever put Duke in his crate was when I left. Then as soon, and I do mean as soon as I got home, I didn’t even let his paws hit the floor, I took him directly outside to go potty. When you are home, take him outside every 30 minutes and then gradually every 45 min, then every hour until he’s got the hang of it. Back to the puppy pad thing. What I did, when Duke went to pee outside, i took the puppy pad, very lightly, kinda rub it on the pee…not hard or anything, just to get the scent of the pee on there. And then set the puppy pad inside and that will let Mickey know its ok to go potty on the pads. Hope this helps!

By: Rainbow Child

Rainbow Child — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:41:34 +0000

You have to take Mickey outside to pee and poo every hour during the day and also night time.
He is a baby, he cannot hold his pee and poo. So he poos in his crate because you have not let him out. He needs to go out at night too.
And this is going to be how it is for the first year before he is totally house trained. There is no other way.
When you go to school, who is going to look after him and let him out? Because you cannot lock him in a crate all day. No dog/puppy should be in a crate more than 2-3 hours in total and in that time someone should come in and let him out, if no one is home.
When you are at home don’t crate mickey as he has to be around you. Crate is only meant for bedtime, feeding, napping, relaxing and play or just a chill out place for him.

By: Tom

Tom — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:12:11 +0000

Lol!!!! Start training that thing!!

By: Babygoo8

Babygoo8 — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:20:34 +0000

sorry to say that…but taking care of a puppy is a 24/7 job. i wish all those kids who asked “how can i convince my parents to get me a puppy” will read your post and realized how much work it is to take care of a puppy.
to be honest, if you parents aren’t going to help you out, you then either suck it up or better yet give it back to your neighbour. there’s no way for you to hang out with you friends and taking care of a puppy at the same time. a puppy or even a grown up dog needs a lot of care and love from the owner. and not to mention a greyhound is quite active which require a lot of exercises (for example, walks).
me and my husband indeed took 3 weeks off from work to take care of our puppy when we first got him. we set out alarm clock and woke up every 2 hours in the middle of the night to bring him out to pee. we did our research and started educating ourselves on puppy/dog care 1 yr prior we are getting our puppy. we were well-prepared but still getting frustrated and fed up when the puppy was here; so…not to mention that you do not have any knowledge about dogs….it’s definitely hard.
again, i’d suggest you to give it back to your neighbour and just play with him whenever you have time. or just do dog-sitting whenever needed.

By: Maxi

Maxi — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 08:51:50 +0000

Welcome to the real world of responsible dog ownership!
If you want to keep your dog then you need to organise yourself so your grades don’t fall and you can do all the things you would like to do…………however I have to say your dog has needs that have to come first, like toilet training ( lots of good advise on the internet) however basically aftet eating, waking and playing and possibly every hour or so outside wait quietly until our pup goes and praise, training, lead walking, feeding, grooming etc and millions of people do it and have a social life, go to work or school, so it can be done…………what I can tell you is that if you put the time in now and for the next 6 months then your dog will fit into your life without issues, however you are fed up after 4 days, so maybe your Dad is right!

By: Lucille

Lucille — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 02:28:28 +0000

You should search for house training techniques on line. Once your pup is potty trained, it will leave you with a lot of free time. Also, go on the Dog Whisperer site, he has lots of tips for puppy owners and will help you get started with training. Puppies sleep a lot (like human babies) so you will have time. However, you should probably wake up earlier than usual to allow time to care for your new pet’s needs. Your pup will need play time with you, but don’t get into the habit of putting her into her crate beause you want some free time, it’s not fair to the pup who needs to be socialized and taught manners by you. If this is all too much for you to handle, then you are better off giving her back and letting them find owners who will take the time to train her. Good luck.

By: Pookster

Pookster — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:39:44 +0000

I think you are a very caring and strong person for taking on this responsibility. I understand raising a new puppy is frustrating, but I encourage you to stick with it.
Here’s why:
1. It will be a great experience for you to bond with your dog.
2. So many dogs are losing their homes right now due to the economy & Mickey is very fortunate to have a loving family.
3. If you give Mickey back, your dad might view this as your lack of ability to commit to something – which could jeopardize future opportunities.
4. Puppies grow up and once you get past the house training, he will surely be a great dog for you to grow with.
5. You can even have your friends take Mickey on walks with you or to the park. This way you can double duty hanging out & puppy care!
*Also, check out dog obedience classes at your local pet store or through your vet’s office. Good luck!

By: Messykat

Messykat — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:54:00 +0000

This question should be required reading for every kid wanting to know how to convince his or her parents to get a dog. Where you’re lucky is that the neighbors will take him back, and this is what you do. He’s still a little puppy and they’ll have an easier time finding a home for him.
There are tips about crate training that might help, but the bigger issue here is that your family, and especially you, are not ready for a dog. It’s really in his best interest to go back to your neighbors. This is also on your parents, because the worst time to get a puppy is when school starts.

By: doggy_du

doggy_du — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:23:14 +0000

You are making an understatement when you say caring for a puppy is not easy.
I have personally been raising, owning, training,handling and doing so professionally for nearly forty years now.
Rules to live by:
-housebreak a puppy in less than a week when all members of the family take shifts as in just like any child it needs to go potty whenever it wakes up, finishes eating, done playing, before bed, when it gets scolded, and more….24 hr shifts taking it out to the same place every time and leaving only that bit that was there from the time before so it knows to go in one place as well as being sure to let it walk out with you and you stay with it until it goes as the temperature changes take a minute to adjust to for comfort to go…
Also trust me the pup doesnt want to go in his crate because a dog will not mess where it lives and eats just as you wouldn’t but until he is housebroken he will do so….if family wont help get up every hour and a half to two hours and take him/her out.
By the way…your choice in breed if in fact it is a well bred one is superb and you will have a loyal, loving, devoted and yes they can be highly protective also, canine.
For whatever time it takes now will pay off in many happy years.
Rule: get the animal spayed or nuetered as soon as possible…for health reasons and due to overpopulation. In reality your best and true breeders never breed until the animal is sold…as in sold before concieved.
As far as time with friends… well fine and dandy but this is your best friend in the world you are talking about…and it is your duty to allow it to be so.
Rule: do not walk your puppy from the house for the first four months to one year that you actually begin walking it…..the animal must know only being taken away in a vehicle or carried and then walked back on his own feet so it knows coming home only of its own accord…trust me it works.
Rule: association with anyone outside of the family for four months as in no eye contact with anyone but family for four months will assure a stable canine ready to be socialized at six to seven months……if ya really need to know more have your parents contact me or at least we will make sure they know we are in contact regarding this life experience you have taken on…
Good Luck
rwbrignone@yahoo.com.sg

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 05:53:28 +0000

To be honest – No child of 13 should be left as solely responsible for the life of a little puppy, and if you think he takes all of your social time now, then he will be continuing to do that for the next 10 yrs or so.
Please step back and decide, for the sake of the puppy as to whether you want to do this for the next 10 yrs.
If your parents are not going to be doing a lot to help with this dog then maybe it is better that he goes back to the neighbour and they find him a home where someone can spend time with him.