# Worried if my puppy loves me!



## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

You've only had him for three weeks. Bonding with dogs take time, and especially puppies, since their attention spans are so short and they're so curious about everything in the world around them. They're seeing everything for the first time!

Your puppy is more than likely not aggressive at all, just play biting. You need to stick with one correction method. If he begins to bite you, say "no" or "no bite" and replace your hand/pants/etc with something that is appropriate to chew on. Don't try to pull your hand out of his mouth because then he'll see it as a game. Even if it hurts, try to make your hand the least boring thing in the room. Go limp and try to redirect his attention to an appropriate toy or treat.

Do you have him on a lead when you're taking him out for potty breaks? If not, do so ASAP, even if it's inside of a yard. 10 week old puppies usually don't have 100% reliable recalls and it's always good to have a hand on them even if they're away from you. I got a 30 foot lead for Cooper for the yard and when I take him out in the front I have a normal 6 foot lead. Call him in a happy voice and if he doesn't come on his own, tug (gently) on the lead and pull him to you. He will most likely go along with it and end up running to you.

Also, make sure when you're calling him something good comes out of it. He won't want to come to you if you're calling him to come inside, because then the fun ends for him! When he's outside, call him, and when he comes to you, reward heavily, then let him go play for another minute or two. That way he knows that coming to you won't result in negative things IE "playtime is over!".

Never buy a puppy (or dog) expecting them to love you in such a short amount of time. Same with making friends. You don't make a best friend in less than a month. It takes time and patience.

Good luck!


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## Pkay (May 13, 2016)

Thank You! Your reply took off my frustration!

Tyrion is leashed always when he is outside. Even if I pull him the leash or raise him with his harness most of the time he doesnt move. He stretches and lay flat in the grass. I wait for him for more than 5 minutes and then carry him inside.

Also, Let me know if I make any mistake in crating him. At night his last water is 8PM. He then wakes up and barks at 11PM,2PM and then 5PM. When can we expect him to sleep thro the night? 

In the morning mostly he could hold for less than 2 hours. He barks at 1.50 hrs and If I dont take him outside and wait to see if he can hold his bladder, he pees inside his crate. But, At times he can hold for 2.30 hours. 
Should I attend for his barking to avoid accidents inside crate ? Will that not teach him that barking is to calling me!
He already thinks that if he barks I will come and take him outside. Is this the normal way ?


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## -ALBUS- (May 5, 2016)

Pkay said:


> In the morning mostly he could hold for less than 2 hours. He barks at 1.50 hrs and If I dont take him outside and wait to see if he can hold his bladder, he pees inside his crate. But, At times he can hold for 2.30 hours.
> 
> Should I attend for his barking to avoid accidents inside crate ? Will that not teach him that barking is to calling me!
> He already thinks that if he barks I will come and take him outside. Is this the normal way ?


First of all, let me say that your original post is EXACTLY what we experienced with Albus. We definitely had moments where we were concerned that he didn't like us. He was very brutal with the biting, and we definitely (mistakenly) interpreted it as aggression. It wasn't. I now know it's their way of playing. The barking and growling that come with it? just part of the play.

*The only slight difference is that we got Albus at 8 weeks. Most of the reading I've done says that they learn most of their bite inhibition from their littermates between weeks 7 and 8. Tyrion may have missed out on a little bit of that important stage.*

Either way, right around week 10/11, we started seeing a big change. If my experience is any indicator, I am extremely confident that your little guy will come around, and probably very soon at that. The first few weeks were brutal for us, but now I am thoroughly convinced that Albus feels a bond for us just as strong as the bond we now feel for him. You will have the same experience as long you stay patient and loving.

As for sleeping though the night, though, he should already be doing that, especially if you're cutting off his water at 8:00PM. Albus was sleeping though the night after 5 days of being home, and probably could have been doing it sooner but I was proactively waking him up at 3:00AM for a few nights so he could make it through morning. 

Don't feel bad. I didn't know any of this either. I called his breeder after 3 days of him being home, and she was the one who told me he was ready to sleep through the night. He probably won't have an accident in the crate unless it's a huge emergency, but you'll have to get to a point where he usually sleeps through the night so that when he DOES bark, you'll know it's for real. (The only time Albus has woken us up in the middle of the night was when he was sick with diarrhea and totally needed to go. The beauty of having him consistently sleeping through the night was that when he finally did bark in the middle of the night, I was sure it was a true emergency...)

Anyway, hang in there. Your experience sounds totally normal. I guarantee it will get better.


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## Pkay (May 13, 2016)

-ALBUS- said:


> First of all, let me say that your original post is EXACTLY what we experienced with Albus. We definitely had moments where we were concerned that he didn't like us. He was very brutal with the biting, and we definitely (mistakenly) interpreted it as aggression. It wasn't. I now know it's their way of playing. The barking and growling that come with it? just part of the play.
> 
> *The only slight difference is that we got Albus at 8 weeks. Most of the reading I've done says that they learn most of their bite inhibition from their littermates between weeks 7 and 8. Tyrion may have missed out on a little bit of that important stage.*
> 
> ...


Thank you Albus ! Feeling Positive 

When will your puppy go to bed at night?
I put him to bed at 8PM after his dinner at 6 PM and then some playtime. Is that too early ?


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## CedarFurbaby (Jun 6, 2016)

Pkay said:


> Thank You! Your reply took off my frustration!
> 
> Tyrion is leashed always when he is outside. Even if I pull him the leash or raise him with his harness most of the time he doesnt move. He stretches and lay flat in the grass. I wait for him for more than 5 minutes and then carry him inside.
> 
> ...


I wouldn't give in to his stubborn will not move, but I would bribe him. Say 'come' in an excited voice and then feed treats. I sometimes call him, 'Commmee! Puppy puppy!! Commeee!'

My puppy (13 weeks) also gets too excited when I take him outside to potty, but I'm trying to establish a routine for outside potty. So I say outside potty, then I lead him straight to a spot, when he does it, I say pee pee or whatever cue word, then it's 'come' with bribes all the way back in. When he sort of got it, I reduced the bribe, and only treat when he followed me all the way back without trying to head off to sniff stuff. If he doesn't do it, then its straight back with treats as well, back into crate. 

I really wouldn't mind if my puppy barked to let me know he wants to go. He currently just whines, or worse, just sits at the door and looks at me and looks at the door. How would I know!? He often sits and looks at me and at other things when he doesn't want to go!


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## Krissi2197 (Apr 23, 2016)

Pkay said:


> Thank You! Your reply took off my frustration!
> 
> Tyrion is leashed always when he is outside. Even if I pull him the leash or raise him with his harness most of the time he doesnt move. He stretches and lay flat in the grass. I wait for him for more than 5 minutes and then carry him inside.
> 
> ...


I think you mentioned in another post on the thread that he goes to sleep at 8 PM. If that's the case, you should probably take his water away 2-3 hours before he goes in for the night, so at maybe 5 or 6 pm. Give him ice cubes if you think he's thirsty, or if he has a lot of exercise between 5-6 and bedtime.

Also, if he's being crated at 8 pm, expect him to be ready to start his day at 4:30 - 5 am no matter how late you take him out for his last bathroom break. 9 hours is a long time to be crated/sleeping, even for a puppy.

As for sleeping through the night, he should be able to at this point, but all dogs are different. Cooper began sleeping through the night at 9 weeks (we got him at 8 weeks) and before that he got up twice a night to go potty. 

If he's having accidents inside of his crate, it just means he doesn't know how to "hold it" yet. If he's barking, do this:

Don't talk to him. Don't pet him. Pick him up. Take him RIGHT outside to his potty spot. Wait 2-5 minutes. If he goes, great. Praise him (gently) and then put him right back into his crate without another word. If he doesn't go, then pick him up and bring him back to his crate without praise. Teach him that yes, barking will get him out if he has to go potty, but it's strictly potty time, not play time, not feeding time, just potty time. Eventually he will stop barking because he'll realize that all he'll be doing is going outside to go to the bathroom.

Then, throughout the next couple of weeks, make the potty breaks throughout the night a bit longer. Let's say he gets up at 1 AM to go potty. One day take him outside at 1:10 AM instead. Then 1:20. Then 1:30. Then continue until he can go through the entire hour without waking up having to go potty. Do this for every single bathroom break throughout the night to train him to "hold it" a little longer at a time, without forcing him to hold it for too long all at once.


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## GoldenFocus (Feb 28, 2016)

My experience is in agreement with Cooper's Mom. My Sonja is 12 weeks old now and is "crate trained" to use the small downstairs bathroom as a crate like environment. She actually asks to go to bed at 9 to 9:30 and wakes up at about 5am. Out we go to potty and no accidents in the bathroom. This is the third golden pup I have raised this way and have had excellent results. During the day she naps in there after breakfast.


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## -ALBUS- (May 5, 2016)

Pkay said:


> When will your puppy go to bed at night?
> I put him to bed at 8PM after his dinner at 6 PM and then some playtime. Is that too early ?


To answer your question, when he was around Tyrion's age, I'd usually put him to bed sometime around 8:00, just because by that time he was usually tired from playtime and a walk after supper, so I saw no benefit in keeping him awake while he was fatigued and irritable. (Albus is now 17 weeks old so now it's closer to 9:00 - 9:30 that I put him to sleep.)

BUT...

One of the keys for success for me has been that every night I've woken him up before I've gone to bed myself, somewhere between 10:30 and 11:30, and taken him back out for one more chance to empty his bladder.

These were initially 15-20 minute trips because I was always concerned that I needed to wait for him to poop one last time, but once I realized that he virtually *never* poops during last out, these trips now are basically only as long as it takes him to pee, which is usually within a minute or two of me taking him out.

And since he's usually still half asleep when we get back in the house, I often spend a minute or two (or five...) laying on the kitchen floor with him, scratching his chest and rubbing his belly. This is probably not a recommend practice (most people say to put him right back in the crate), but it's one of the few times of days where he's tired/calm enough to actually cuddle with me, so I take advantage of it, haha.

Then it's back to the crate, where he almost always sleeps soundly until between 6:00 - 7:00 the next morning...


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## Amystelter (Jul 31, 2013)

Hang in there, it's just a pup, and he does love you!!!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## kellyguy (Mar 5, 2014)

You will experience a lot of moments of self doubt raising some puppies. Their bodies and brains are growing at an alarming rate during the first six months. We experienced several moments during the first six months of our Duffy's life that caused us to wonder out loud if he was missing a gene or two. It has been ten years since we had brought a new dog into the house, and twenty since bringing up an 8 week old pup.
He's nearly two now and a perfectly velcro shadow. Having a sense of humor during the first year helps a lot though.


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

Totally understand and felt the same way. I've had lots of puppies over the years and lots of golden rescues but this was my 1st golden puppy and it was totally different. I went through lots of bandaids, wore lots of heavy sweatshirts to protect my arms and yes it was hot! The good news is it will get better. They are babies and need time to adjust. Give it a few weeks, spend as much time as you can spare and enjoy this time... they don't stay small long. I kept kibble close at hand and tried to keep her busy with learning to sit, down and whatever you can to interact with them and not get eaten  Before you know it they won't want to leave your side.


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## Pkay (May 13, 2016)

Thank you all for your support!
So from all your inputs, I am planning to do the following changes to my routine.
His last meal of the day - 6PM and last water for the day at 7.30PM.
Bed time at 9.30 PM after pee. No Nap from 6 to 9.30.

Please let me know if I am missing something.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Pkay said:


> Thank You! Your reply took off my frustration!
> 
> Tyrion is leashed always when he is outside. Even if I pull him the leash or raise him with his harness most of the time he doesnt move. He stretches and lay flat in the grass. I wait for him for more than 5 minutes and then carry him inside.
> 
> ...


You need to remember he is a tiny baby, he has only been alive for 84 days. He does not understand anything you say to him, he doesn't speak the human language. You need to give him motivation to come when you call, offer him treats, that is good training, praise and give treats when he comes when you call. Make it the best thing that happens to him when he comes when you call him. 

His bladder is not physically large enough, and does not have the control to hold it and wait longer than 1.5, unless he is sleeping. If he is awake his bladder is being stimulated so he needs to go more often. I was taking puppies his age out to potty every 30 minutes. If he is barking to let you know he needs out, absolutely pay attention and respond to his barking. That's good house training. If he is already letting you know he needs to potty he is a very smart boy.

You have several months to go before his bladder matures enough to hold it overnight. You will need to get up and take him out for quite a long time before he is able to sleep through the night.

Puppies play with their mouths, he is not being aggressive, he thinks he's playing. Put a toy in his mouth and encourage him to play with it when he starts to bite you. He will learn over time to not put teeth on skin. Be patient with him, he is just a baby.


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## Rina (Feb 26, 2016)

As another Game of Thrones fan, I have to make a joke, forgive me. Maybe if you named him Jon Snow, he would be more cuddly? Just joking. Maybe he doesn't like the crate? Does he chews and destroys everything? We never crated Doc(Holliday) (yes, I am a major nerd and proud of it) and after few weeks he never chewed or broke anything. Maybe try having a sleeping bed for Tyrion next to your bed? That way he feels closer to you. I think he will love you, he seems to be associating you with the crate and he seems to hate the crate. I am not an expert, but that is my observation and a suggestion.


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## Pkay (May 13, 2016)

Rina said:


> As another Game of Thrones fan, I have to make a joke, forgive me. Maybe if you named him Jon Snow, he would be more cuddly? Just joking. Maybe he doesn't like the crate? Does he chews and destroys everything? We never crated Doc(Holliday) (yes, I am a major nerd and proud of it) and after few weeks he never chewed or broke anything. Maybe try having a sleeping bed for Tyrion next to your bed? That way he feels closer to you. I think he will love you, he seems to be associating you with the crate and he seems to hate the crate. I am not an expert, but that is my observation and a suggestion.


? Yeah ... Even I say this to my husband.
We should have named him snow!?

He chews well but not a destroyer. He is now 13 weeks old and his biting has been reduced. He is now testing our patience . He never listens to off cue and come cue.
working it out with a trainer. 
According to my trainer he is little dominant!? He gets his way done most of the time and gets frustrated if we don't allow him to get what he wants and starts to bite again.


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