Family Pet Consulting; Puppies; Frequently Asked Questions

Puppies
Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: I live in an apartment with a nine-week-old puppy. Where can I keep it so it can’t trash the place and I can clean up after it quickly and easily?
Question 2: My pup is a very picky eater. What will improve its appetite?
Question 3: What tips can you give us for making the puppy’s life better when it first comes to live with us?
Question 4: My puppy just won’t sleep all night. It’s three months old. What can I do?
Question 5: How do I get a new pup to get up and walk on the leash? It just falls over on its side and won’t move.
Question 6: My new puppy fidgets in its crate at night. It’s keeping us awake.
Question 7: When my dog has done a "sit-stay" and I tell it to "release," it won’t get up.
Question 8: My dog licks hands, feet, etc., constantly. You can’t even pet it because it licks your hand before you can touch the top of its head. How can I stop this?
Question 9: When I’m walking, my puppy walks between my legs and trips me. How can I make it stop this?
Question 10: I want my dog to stop walking on the wrong side of me. I want it on the left side.
Question 11: Why does my puppy cough and gag when I walk it?
Question 12: My dog always wants to carry its leash in its mouth when I’m walking it. Is this bad?
Question 13: How can I keep my puppy from shaking so much when I’m giving it a bath? I get wetter than the dog!
Question 14: Is it good to put an old sock into the dog’s crate to keep it from crying and barking when you’re gone?
Question 15: My puppies play too rough with each other and chew on each other’s necks a lot. I want them to stop.
Question 16: Do we put the puppy in a crate when we don’t want him running around the house?
Question 17: Can a puppy be outside for long periods of time? Unobserved?
Question 18: My pup eats very quickly, just gulps its food down. How can I slow it down?
Question 19: When I play ball with my pup, it won’t let go of the ball after it brings it to me.
Question 20: At what age should a puppy be able to sleep all night?
Question 21: I want my dog to accept my petting without getting hyper and crazy.
Question 22: My dog grabs food out of my hand and sometimes nips me.

Question 1: I live in an apartment with a nine-week-old puppy. Where can I keep it so it can’t trash the place and I can clean up after it quickly and easily?

Question 2: My pup is a very picky eater. What will improve its appetite?
Answer: Just give it a good-quality food. Put it in front of the puppy for an hour, three times daily. At the end of each hour, pick up whatever is left. Given no alternatives, the dog will eventually eat. If we had a child who said, "Listen, you guys, I am not eating any more veggies and drinking my milk or taking my vitamins," we would smile and say, "That’s nice, now eat your veggies, drink your milk, and take your vitamins." Treat your puppy the same way––it must eat what is healthy, not just what it likes best. Be a good parent!

Question 3: What tips can you give us for making the puppy’s life better when it first comes to live with us?

Question 4: My puppy just won’t sleep all night. It’s three months old. What can I do?
Answer: Ask someone with a baby (human) how much sleep they’re getting every night. Some nights are better than others, but babies wake up a lot and no one is surprised. Puppy (baby dog) owners, however, are totally surprised when their baby cries during the night. For the first two weeks, I don’t respond to crying or barking when I have a new pup. I just ignore it completely, and it really does stop eventually.

Question 5: How do I get a new pup to get up and walk on the leash? It just falls over on its side and won’t move.

Question 6: My new puppy fidgets in its crate at night. It’s keeping us awake.
Answer: Your puppy’s normal baby temperature is pretty high and it may just be too warm. We always want to keep babies warm, but it’s not always appropriate for pups. Remove some of its bedding and see if it helps.

Question 7: When my dog has done a "sit-stay" and I tell it to "release," it won’t get up.
Answer: Every time you say "release," just reach in your pocket, get a treat, show it to the dog, and repeat "release." It gets the treat when it stands up out of the "stay" position. Soon you won’t need the treat. Actually, I consider this a good problem. The dog that stays too long is wonderful!

Question 8: My dog licks hands, feet, etc., constantly. You can’t even pet it because it licks your hand before you can touch the top of its head. How can I stop this?

Question 9: When I’m walking, my puppy walks between my legs and trips me. How can I make it stop this?

Question 10: I want my dog to stop walking on the wrong side of me. I want it on the left side.

Question 11: Why does my puppy cough and gag when I walk it?
Answer: First, take it to the vet and make sure it doesn’t have physical problems. If it is healthy, go to a trainer and learn how to make your dog heel properly.

Question 12: My dog always wants to carry its leash in its mouth when I’m walking it. Is this bad?
Answer: It’s only bad if it causes you a problem. If you want it stopped, just spray something on the leash that tastes bad, such as vinegar, bitter apple, or perfume.

Question 13: How can I keep my puppy from shaking so much when I’m giving it a bath? I get wetter than the dog!

Question 14: Is it good to put an old sock into the dog’s crate to keep it from crying and barking when you’re gone?
Answer: It’s a good idea to put an article with your scent on it into the crate with the dog, but I don’t think a sock is a good choice. If the dog happens to eat the sock, it could be deadly, plus it will think that chewing on your socks is OK. Maybe a pillowcase with a lot of your smell on it would be safer.

Question 15: My puppies play too rough with each other and chew on each other’s necks a lot. I want them to stop.

Question 16: Do we put the puppy in a crate when we don’t want him running around the house?
Answer: It’s a good idea, but don’t use the crate as a punishment. You can always put the pet on a little chain leash and hook it to your belt. This keeps the dog with you and calms it down.

Question 17: Can a puppy be outside for long periods of time? Unobserved?
Answer: Only if there is no way for it to escape and nothing that can harm it, such as a swimming pool or any poisonous plants.

Question 18: My pup eats very quickly, just gulps its food down. How can I slow it down?

Question 19: When I play ball with my pup, it won’t let go of the ball after it brings it to me.

Question 20: At what age should a puppy be able to sleep all night?
Answer: I expect it to be in its carrier all night without having accidents by the age of six months. It usually happens much earlier, but for sure by six months.

Question 21: I want my dog to accept my petting without getting hyper and crazy.

Question 22: My dog grabs food out of my hand and sometimes nips me.

Last Updated July 15, 2000
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