Puppy Development: Stage 4

3 - 6 Months

Stage 4 begins your puppy's introduction to independence, but may also create some possible frustrating situations for you. With her senses more or less fully developed, and her improved physical coordination, the puppy is entering into a phase that is remarkably close to toddlerhood in human beings. Think "terrible twos" on a canine level.

During this stage, the puppy will attempt to determine the social rankings within her new "pack". This may include the same kind of play-fighting that she engaged in with her brothers and sisters, but now directed at you and the rest of her new "littermates." In wild packs, these kinds of dominance games serve a vital function. Puppy is testing her boundaries within her social circle, seeing if she has what it takes to physically challenge her peers and even you, her pack leader. If you don't step in and discourage this kind of dominance-seeking behavior early on - or, worse yet, if you allow your puppy to "win" at dominance games such as wrestling or Tug-of-War - it could set the stage for more serious challenges to your leadership down the road.

Play-biting may also escalate during this stage, and it should be considered vitally important to correct this behavior rather than allow it to continue. Be sure to correct immediately to allow the puppy to connect the behavior with the correction, and be consistent!

Between months 4 and 6, you may find your puppy exhibiting signs of a return to the flight phase that she went through during or around week 8. However, unlike at 8 weeks, when the puppy's flight was fueled by her reaction to the startling new environment, this new phase will be more closely associated with the independent and rebellious stage that she's going through. A collar and leash will provide the crucial physical connection between you that can keep her from bolting when you approach. Do not allow her to roam off leash in any open or highly populated public area until she demonstrates to you that she is willing to accept your commands. And don't forget your most powerful tool: your calm-assertive energy and balanced pack leadership!

Hide your designer shoes! During stage 4, you can expect your puppy to begin teething, which means that unless you provide her with suitable chew toys to occupy herself and relieve her discomfort, she is liable to destroy some of your treasured belongings. Many people take this kind of destructive behavior as a form of "personal" rebellion by the puppy, but think about it. Doesn't it make sense that the puppy would seek out as attractive items that are most saturated with your scent? If your puppy does find and mangle a precious possession of yours, DO NOT react with anger! Remember to maintain balance and provide firm, calm corrections. Once you have corrected your puppy, immediately provide her with an acceptable substitute to make the connection in her mind. Frozen bones may provide pain relief for a dog in great discomfort and also a reward for responding to your corrections with calm-submissive energy.

During this stage, many new owners become concerned by the sight of blood on their new puppy's chew toys. Don't panic. This is a completely natural part of this phase of the puppy's development as she begins to lose her milk teeth. Still, if you have persistent concerns, be sure to discuss the matter with your family veterinarian. Ask about proper dental care - when and how to brush (ideally once a week or more) and which products to use. Certain products such as raw bones may be perfect both for soothing the dog's chewing instincts and for removing plaque and tartar buildup around her teeth and gums.

Finally, this stage will usher in the beginnings of sexual maturation in your puppy, which may lead to some extra frustrations. Marking and scenting can become a problem around the house even if the puppy has been successfully housebroken. The best and safest way to avoid these problems while simultaneously decreasing the chances of many future health risks is to have her sterilized if you haven't already done so. Sterilization is a still debated topic among many dog owners and veterinarians, but most veterinary professionals agree that a safe and optimal time to have the procedure done is when the puppy is about 6 months old.

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Mon, 08/23/2010 - 10:18am — Parkit1

Stage 4 puppy development

I have a female Springer Spaniel puppy that will be 6 months old this week. She is a companion to my 8 year old female Springer, and both dogs stay outside. I let them in occasionally, but for the most part, they stay in our fairly large, stockade fenced back yard. She is a congenial girl who loves people and I have done my best to socialize her. We have the occasional mishaps, such as the period she was in her chewing stage and she decided to unroll my water hose and chew a hole in it, or take down a few of my shrubs. She has gotten past that and is now into a digging stage, which is gradually subsiding. I have one major lingering issue, however, which is her insistence on jumping on me or anyone who goes into the back yard. I have put my hand down as a shield, and ignore her until she stops, which she eventually does, but she repeats the behavior. Is this a stage that will eventually fade out with my persistent correction, or should I try something else?
Thanks, Pam

Mon, 08/09/2010 - 1:18pm — bailey-pup

Biting and snapping

Hey, We have a beautiful Staffordshire Bullterrier at the age of 4 months, over the last month or so he has become snappy (snapping his jaw) constant biting and urinating everywhere when he is fully house trained. I have followed a few tips on your website to which i think i may be doing something wrong as he does not seem to respond in a positive way. He recently recovered from Parvo virus so has been at the Vets for sometime so we are currently getting into a new routine for him. The constant biting and barking are wearing down me and my partners patience and feel we are failing at being the best and loving parents for our puppy. Please can you give any further advice on how to help with this. Many thanks

Mon, 07/26/2010 - 2:15am — nicolajrobinson

Biting

I have a border collie who is now 4 months old. She keeps snarling and biting me for no reason. I have tried everything to make her stop but she still carries on! How can I stop her from doing this?
Please help!

Thanks

Wed, 07/21/2010 - 7:36am — caroline_macdon...

Housebroken but now peeing inside.

I have a 4 month old beagle/lab she has been housebroken for weeks. We have been very impressed. She runs and rings the bells at the front door to go out. All of a sudden in the last couple of days she is peeing in the house and not ring the bells. What happened? Should I be concerned with infection being the problem? Is this normal for puppies to laps? Help!

Tue, 07/13/2010 - 12:31am — Danbel

I have a 4 month beagle

hi :P im new at this puppy phase and stuff.. i have a beagle named Thor that is actually very intelligent but im having big problems with him. First, i live in an apartment so its kinda difficult to get him some space, wich is why i keep him in my room or in the kitchen and i do this cause my beagle always try to get on my bed and when he does it he pee all over my bed and of course i say to him (very strong) "NO Thor NO!" but he battles me and start to bite me. i know its bad to hit dogs but i only hit him very softly in the nose so he can know that he is doing something bad. Second, he never EVER pee or poo outside the apartment and i dont know how to make him :P i usually take long walks with him so he can pee in a pole or something but he manahe to hold it till we get to the apartment and he pee ( this is another problem im having) in a spot that is not where the newspaper is. I want that he do his needs outside but i dont know how and i dont know how to teach him to do pee or poo in the newspaper, mmh im always alert with him cause every time i see his going to do something i take him to the newspaper and sometimes i manage to achieve that he makes pee in the right place but most of the times he pee all over the apartment :( please i really really need help cause my parents are kinda tired of this situation and i dont wanna loose my dog :) i love him so much

Sat, 07/31/2010 - 7:07pm — la_gata

Help with Thor

Hey! Congrats on your puppy for starters!

To solve the bed peeing/biting-
If you DO decide to let Thor on the bed, make sure it's on your terms - and as soon as he misbehaves, say your correction and put him on the ground, so it sinks in to Thor.. 'if i misbehave, i lose this privelage'
A handy tip if he bites you is to yelp like his littermates would if he went too far (this gets his attention and he should stop straight away), and once again, reinforce that he goes back to the floor if he misbehaves.. Lack of attention is just as effective in punishing dogs without having to hit them..

To housebreak him -
Its important to learn your dog's bathroom patterns.. some puppies pee/poo after a meal (like men! hehe) and most go after a nap - early in the morning, before bedtime and after naps inbetween) Its usually about every 30mins- 45 mins for pees, and about 2-3 times a day for poos

If you say a word like "Pee Pee" when you take him out, and give him treats and lots of love when he DOES pee/poo outide, he will associate bathroom outside with good times!

*** Dont watch him when he goes the loo - puppies appreciate privacy too..its a vulnerable state to be in and the more comfortable he feels, the easier it is to get him to go!!

Good luck!

Sun, 07/11/2010 - 9:33pm — GracieML

Border Collie Biting

Hi, so i just got a puppy, a pure bred Border Collie. She is now 13 weeks old and no matter what i do i can not get her to stop biting. It is getting worse. I take her for Long walks and play alot with her throughout the day in the backyard and in the house. I try to keep her occupied so she wont bite but even when she plays it is all she wants to do. I have tried to be calm but stern all she does is snap back at me or try to swat me. I keep on top of her until she gives up but then she just goes to sleep. I want her to learn that biting is not ok not to sleep. Please lend me advise so i can properly rise my female Border Collie. Thank you so much...
Grace

Thu, 07/22/2010 - 9:06pm — SmartGirlNYC

Try combined hand and voice signals.

Hi, Grace: Don't give up. I have an Australian Cattle Dog puppy which means that he's a herding dog similar to your Border Collie. When I got my puppy at four months, he was very mouthy. He responded to the command "No" for everything but the nipping.

I use a combination of techniques that have worked and switch things around to get the puppy's attention. First and foremost, I don't play with my puppy's mouth. I ask everyone to do the same so I can teach him that people aren't cows. Second, I don't play tug-of-war with him and never buy rope toys. Third, I use an open hand (like a crossing guard) in front of his nose and firmly say, "No" or "Tssssst!" I don't use his name when I tell him to stop.

I was surprised to see how my puppy immediately understood the combined hand and voice signals to stop. I found that the hand signal works by itself, too. I won't engage with him if he nips and will ignore him. Does your dog actually bite? There's a big difference. My puppy is now seven months and he doesn't use his mouth to get my attention anymore. I'm his leader so he knows that he's not supposed to boss me. Herding dogs are extremely smart so it's a matter of communicating, setting down the rules and exercising him. Mine enjoys affection and wants to please. Are you able to let your puppy run off leash in a safe area after you walk him? Herding dogs need to stretch out.

Sometimes before we go for a walk, my puppy will nip when I bend to put my sneakers on or place his leash around his neck. Sometimes he'll snap his mouth when we're go down the stairs. By now, he knows this kind of conduct creates a big problem because I am the boss and not a cow. I also don't like when he puts his mouth around my wrist. I do not yank my wrist. I say, "No" or "Tsssst!" I use my free hand like a stop signal or I wag my finger like a schoolteacher. Try to be patient and consistent. Your puppy will get it.

Do you use a crate? A crate has kept my puppy out of harm's way. Now, when the puppy is really bad, I ask him if he wants to go to his crate. He usually plops to the floor in submission. If he persists, I put him in his crate for ten minutes. The tone of my voice and my body language make it clear that he's in trouble. I don't recommend yelling nor putting him in the crate as a regular punishment: The threat definitely works.

The first two weeks after I got my Australian Cattle Dog were exhausting and awful and I wanted to give up. It sounds like you're exhausted, too. Why not re-establish your personal space and quiet time? Buy appropriate toys, read everything you can, watch Cesar's program and study his techniques. My puppy and I have lots of fun together. We have a long way to go but we're both learning!

Thu, 06/24/2010 - 3:40pm — aims831

help with the biting

I have a french bulldog who is 3 months old. He has only been living with me for 2 weeks now, but his biting seems to be getting worse. We have tried, the "no," "ouch,", walk away, spray bottle, coins in a can and bitter puppy spray. Nothing seems to be working. We were consistent with each until he became more aggressive and then moved onto the next attempt. I know he is teething, and he is not fixed yet. However, we do not want people to come over and meet him because of the biting. PLEASE help me!!!! I need to make this stop!

Mon, 06/07/2010 - 9:57am — -Stary_Kitten-

Hey Cesar

Hey there Cesar, I have 11week old puppy he is a shitz zu. But he is a good boy, but everytime I leave him alone in my apartment he barks, I have people that come to my door and tell me he is barks way to loud, and that if it don't stop they will call the dog pound on me? do you have any tips on that for me?

Fri, 06/04/2010 - 1:58pm — beckae

I have a 13 week old

I have a 13 week old rottweiler mix. I got him about 3 weeks ago. When I brought him home the first day I fed him Purina Puppy Chow he ate about half a cup and vomitted. I assumed it was his food so I put him on Beneful and and he continued to vomit every time he ate or drank. The only thing that has worked so far is hand feeding him, but I have three other dogs and he hates to be away from them. Is it safe to allow him to eat with the other dogs? Would being with them help him slow down and relax?

Sun, 05/23/2010 - 2:21pm — lior

German Shephard Puppy

Hi, we thought we do everything right and got the Cesar videos right away when we got our new puppy. Unfortunately the puppy was very ill we discovered and he had to be hospitalized for 10 days with a respiratory infection. He is much better now. The dog is now 4 month old and we experience some bad behaviors. His biting in more intense and we try to corrct it with Cesar's advice, but it just makes hm more aggressive. I have to admit we are also getting more frustrated with time. We love the puppy and we would like to get this habit out of him. These issues are not always, but daily at certain hours or when he's coming back fro along walk. I don't understand why he has these issues and we would like to learn how to prevent or deal with it.
Another lighter problem is when we walk he does not like to follow... he would sniff and stand etc. After patient slow walk he finally follows... he is very good when going back home though. I walk him in the morning for 45 min and eventing 45 min. My wife thinks he needs a play partner... Can you help us to fix these issues? Thank you. Best. Sven

Tue, 08/24/2010 - 12:32pm — bridgetpharris

german shephard biting

I have a six month old german shephard that went through the same thing. We got him at 7 weeks and it started that very day. We literally got to the point where we thought he would never change. So many people told me it's normal and he would stop when he got older, and I have to say I wasn't sure. I read somewhere that GSDs do very well with structured play and strong/calm discipline. Ever since I changed "play" to "work" he has turned into a new dog. I would definately say that between 4 and 6 months was the hardest most trying period. He was as big as every other dog, but was still very much a puppy! I really never thought he would take to the training like he has. I realized PATIENCE is what he had to learn, so everyday before we would play with his ball I would put his leash on him and MAKE him "sit" right beside me for 10-20 minutes, just literally sit there and do absolutely nothing else. Don't talk to him, pet him, look at him, NOTHING. Don't give him a choice! He has to! Just this simple excersice has cured many of his bad habits, like biting, not coming when called, or dropping something he's not supposed to have. Use this excersice after you throw the ball as well,make him WAIT till you tell him to retrieve it. Also when eating,make him sit and stay. You WILL see a change. The biting WILL stop, because his RESPECT for you will increase tremendously. Honestly, that is all I have changed, really nothing else. Also, my GSD doesn't follow me on walks either, I taught him not to pull and as long as he walks close enough to my side so the leash is loose he does very well. Good luck!

Fri, 05/21/2010 - 2:50pm — dutchee

Housebreaking

I have an 11 week old maltipoo puppy. She is darling and quite small. We have had her home now for two weeks and seem to not be making any headway on the housetraining. She has wet on my husband twice while sitting on his lap. We are either actively playing with her (in the house) or she is in her crate or outdoors. We take her out about every 45 minutes. She (if we catch her at the right time outdoors) will potty but usually on the patio. If I take her out in the yard on the lead, she is so intent on ME that she will not potty.
Is she just a little young to be expecting more, or are we headed in the wrong direction.
dutchee

Thu, 06/10/2010 - 7:51pm — audwolf7

Housebreaking

I have a newly adopted 7-8 month shelter dog who is an Akita mix. I don't know his prior training because he was found as a stray but I know he was taken care of at some time. He is doing the same thing with pottytraining. He gets long walks and has a yard but has somehow decided that inside is the bathroom! I'm getting very frustrated and trying hard not to be angry.
audwolf7

Tue, 05/18/2010 - 7:10pm — iugal22

hyper boxer puppy

Hello Cesar!

I have a almost 4 month old boxer. I knew having a boxer that they would be hyper but not like this one. she is nuts! We have been watching your shows and trying to learn from them. we have been using the bite technique with her but she finds it to be a game or it seems like it doesnt have any effect on her. I have also taken her to the trainer recently and they tried it and got the same reaction. i just dont know how to show her when she is doing bad things.
Id love your help.

donna

Mon, 05/24/2010 - 9:19pm — gerdie102

boxer puppy

Hi Donna,

I am a new boxer puppy owner. We have the issue of the nipping. I have 3 small children and it is getting out of control with the nipping. Did you find anything that is working with your boxer? Thanks for any advice you can give.

Wed, 04/28/2010 - 11:56am — carbuck

Riley

Hi, I have a 3 month old boxer shepherd mix and she is doing very well. Except when we play it does feel like shes testing us. We will be playing outside in a fenced in area and all of a sudden she runs away. Should we control her more or have her in a smaller area? We think it's good to just get her energy out but we don't want to make this a bad habit. Also she likes to bite at our feet and the bottom of our jeans, how do we stop her from doing this. We say no really loud and she just keeps doing it. What to do?
Thank you.

Thu, 05/20/2010 - 5:45am — Samileus

Riley

Good Day
Its really important that your dog have something energetic to do. Exausting that energy through exercise can be...well...exausting. It is good to center this around a structured game like fetch, jogging, or bike riding. To keep her from running off and learning this habit try keeping her on a retractable leash and playing a game so that you can give correction during the game and mantain leadership. As for the feet and cloths biting; make your stand assertivly, she is testing to see who and what she can get away with. In her mind she is not being dominate...yet. She will soon learn though, that she can do what she wants and thats not good. Use the bite technique like Ceaser or try to redirect with a treat...be careful with the treat though. Make sure she is in a sit position and is in a calm submissive state (state of mind being more important than state of body-if she doesnt sit thats ok as long as she is calm submissive, if she does learn to sit when she wants something that is a great habit to learn) so that she doesnt get confused and think she is rewarded for bad behavior.

Tue, 04/27/2010 - 7:19am — mandy07

german shepherd x pyrenean mountain dog

hi cesar i have a 5mth old male gsd x pyrenean mountain dog that constently jumps up and bits i have tried all sorts of techniques but i am at the end of my tether as to what to do although he doesnt do this to me he does it to my teenage boys and i am now worried he will hurt my 2 year old son please any tips would be appreciated ty mandy

Mon, 04/26/2010 - 9:07am — Gomez7

Golden Retriever

Hello Tila is a Golden Retriever. She has 2 months and 2 weeks of birth,
and she's a problem.

i have a 3year-old brother and tila loves to bite things, and im scare tila could bite my little brother. How do I teach tila not to bite things/me?

2 problem is that

Tila poops and pees everywhere in the house. How do I teach tila to poop/pee in a single place?

Thanks!

Tue, 04/13/2010 - 11:07am — daniellebyford

My Labradoodle Lily

Lily is a 6 month old labradoodle and has started testing us by running around us barking as jumping up at us when we try to pu her lead on, i had tried ot be calm and assertive although she seems to only listen to my mum which is difficult when i walk her in the mornings.
Lily is very smart and i no it's not her thats doing things wrong it's me.
Any tips thanks
Danielle
x

Mon, 04/12/2010 - 12:36pm — pinkchic19

New Puppy

I just got a 13 week old puppy yesterday and he won't walk down the stairs or walk on the leash very well any tips how to train him properly for that?

Thank You

Tue, 05/04/2010 - 7:56am — GeorgiasMom

Going Down The Stairs

Hi There,

We have an 11 week old pup who was scared as well. What we did was my husband was at the bottom of the stairs w/her and I was at the top of the stairs calling her. He would gently push on her bottom for her to move forward up the stairs..after about 2 steps, she slowly moved up the rest of the stairs. To make sure she would continue, we did this procedure a few times. Now she kinda whines and wimpers a little, but when she realizes I am not carrying her up the stairs, she follows me slowly.

For the leash...put it on your puppy and gently pull the leash a little little. Do not tug on it as you may hurt their neck. But keep a slight pull on it until they move a little with it. It will take patience, but your puppy will realize to move w/the leash. As they move w/the leash, give lots of love and praise.

Hope this helps :)

Georgia's Mom

Sun, 04/11/2010 - 2:54pm — gimmiefire

12 week old Puppy

I have a 12 week old American Bulldog, Rottweiler, Bloodhound mix puppy named Nikko. He's normally a good puppy, but he has a nasty habit of nipping at heels and hands. He also terrorizes my kids when they go down on the floor. For the most part he'll stop (if for just a second or two) if I stand up, but then he goes right back at it. Also when I walk him he runs out in front of me and dang near trips me.

I live in an apartment complex and he's normally really good at sticking close to me and not running off... yet. I have also noticed a protecting or guarding behavior I'm not sure which. But when we are outside at night to let him do his business, and he sees an individual, he begins to growl and/or bark. Is this normal?

He's still not quite fully potty trained, but we are working on it too. Please give me some suggestions I can use on him to stop his nipping and his walking in front of us.

Thank you Cesar,
Jen

Thu, 04/08/2010 - 5:33am — Juanknot0914

Hi cesar, i have a dog an he

Hi cesar, i have a dog an he is 6 months old, and i don´t know how to handle his anxiety and agression with unknown people.

nobody can get in my house because my dog attact them inmediatly, what can i do ?, i try everyday some of your technics but i don`t know wath i`m doing wrong.

Please, i need help!!

Fri, 04/02/2010 - 6:37pm — ebonysgirl

3 monthes old

Hi Cesar,
I am 13 years old and got a 3 month old Dachshund puppy for Valentine's Day. We have a 5 year old Poodle and everytime she tries to get off the sofa, there goes Rosie, the Dachshund, running after Bonita, the poodle's, tail! Rosie is still not potty-trained and is biting everything in sight. We have no idea whether this is normal for a Dachshund her age.

We also have a cat and everytime the cat tries to eat, Rosie runs to the food and gobbles it up. What should we do?? Please help us Cesar!

Tue, 03/30/2010 - 9:34am — carolk

jumping, nipping

Hi Cesar. We have a beautiful 7 month old German Shephard male. He is overall a very good puppy when we are able to get him the exercise that he needs, which is almost everyday but regardless of exerice or not, we can not stop him from jumping up on us or nipping at our hands. We have tried the knee, we have tried laying him on his side until he calms down, we have tried picking him up by the face and staring at him in the eyes and telling him no, but nothing seems to be working. He already weighs 75 lbs. so I know that we will have a big dog, so we desperately need some of your great advice on what we are doing or not doing correctly. I will tell you that we do stay calm the first 3 times we have to tell him down or no, etc. but then not so calm if we have to discipline him again. I can feel myself getting angry and we don't want to feel that way at all. Please help us Ceasar. Thank you, Carol

Wed, 05/19/2010 - 6:49am — sstrackbein

RE: jumping, nipping

I too am having the same issue. I picked up my new puppy 4 days ago.
He is now 4 months old, 23lbs. I have tried the "no" in a firm voice with no luck. I have tried to put him in a room by himself for a few minutes and then come back in to see if he calms down. That kinda works for a little while. I have also put him on his back and held his jaw closed to make him submissive. He still tends to fight back.

The jumping has just kinda started with the play biting. I have seen him 2 times now jump up to grab my hand to try and play bite me.

So I hope Ceasar has a solution for this behavior. I know he is trying to see if he is the alpha dog or not. But I have to end this ASAP before it gets worse.

Mon, 06/07/2010 - 9:51am — dottymo

jumping,nipping

I am having the same problem. I have a 5 month old, 60lb Mountain Mastiff, he listens to my husband but he gives me a really hard time I hold his mouth shut grab his scruff and lay on him till he calms down as soon as I leave him up he is ok for a few minutes and then he is back to nipping and biting me. I have put in his crate for a puppy time out. "No" doesn't work. I really need help before he gets bigger and I become lunch, currently I am the resident chew toy!!

Mon, 07/26/2010 - 3:12pm — Team Onyx

Nipping and Biting

I am having the same problem. Onyx is a 6 month old lab/pitbull mix. We found her abandoned when she was about 8 weeks old. Generally she is a good dog, however over about the past month, things have been getting out of hand. She has NO respect for human flesh. She will nip and snap when corrected for getting on the sofa, grabbing things, etc. I have tried the coins in a jar, the spray bottle, the "alpha" roll, the can of compressed air, and the time out. None of this has worked. I do not trust this dog around my family, especially after she catapulted my 71 year old mother. We have taken 8 weeks of dog training, but the problems we have are not addressed in that class. I am really starting to get discouraged. I love her very much, but I cannot have a dangerous dog. I really do need some suggestions. My fear is that Onyx will end up being surrendered to a shelter. And that would break my heart. :-(

Wed, 09/01/2010 - 8:27am — BasenjiD19

Nipping and Biting

I'm having the same problem also. My pup. is a Basenji who is about to be five months old. The only difference is that when she does her aggressive growlling is when you try to move her when she is laying down to sleep or is already asleep. She absolutely hates it but, we don't want her to be that way what so ever. So what I do is I keep on messing with her telling her NO so she will begin to understand that what she is doing is wrong. Although, it doesnt even seem to faze her. Here recentely she has gotten to the point to where she is starting to bite. I don't want this to get any worse than it already has so help would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely, Amber

Wed, 03/24/2010 - 5:34pm — jsalas3

my pup

we have a pit bull mix female and she is so aggressive! she turned 3 months today and her biting has escalated. she tries to bite our faces, every time we walk she tries to bite our legs. We have been trying to focus on other things, like her toys, but she continues doing this. She has bitten my 3 yr old daughter, and myself. I don't know what else to do!!!! We have a 6 yr old pit, who is the ideal dog, and I know she has to learn from him, but she isn't. She agitates him and he has thrown bites at her. Nothing serious, just to stop her from annoying him. But we don't know what to do. I try to remember what I did with my 6yr old when he was a pup but it doesn't work with my new pup. Please help!

Mon, 03/22/2010 - 1:18am — Chillibean

Crying at night..

Hi.. we have a new 10 week old labrador puppy.. she has been with us for nearly 2 weeks. We have a crate for her to sleep in but she doesnt like it and spends all night yelping and throwing herself against the bars to get out. We have tried leaving the TV on, put in a hot water bottle wrapped in some of our worn clothing - but she continues. We are taking it in turns to sleep downstairs on the sofa but even this is not working.. Should we just be vigilant and leave her in her crate and put in earplugs?? Help!

Mon, 06/07/2010 - 1:26pm — BUBBA415

Crying at night...

Hi Chillibean,

We are also having the same problem. Granted our puppy is 9 weeks old and has only been with us for 3 days, but I'm wondering if we are doing something wrong by taking our puppy downstairs to get him to stop crying. It works, but I don't want to create bad habits. Once he falls asleep, we put him back in the crate. I also heard the igloo crate may be better for sleeping at night.

Any tips and advice is much appreciated.

Mon, 06/28/2010 - 12:32pm — emma l hackley

Crying at night

We have a 12 week old Patterdale Terrier that we have crate trained. We started off with a cat box as she was so small when we got her at 8 weeks, she cried for just 3 nights and then was fine after that(she slept downstairs on her own from day one). the problem we had was that she grew faster than we thought she would and we have just got her a larger wire dog crate and have seemed to start again she is happy to go in and out of it in the day, and is shut in if we go out but at night she has started to cry again. We just ignore her (which probably sounds harsh but she is safe and just testing us) she has the same rules boundaries and limitations with her new crate as with her old one and she needs to learn that just because the view is different she still needs to behave the same. Just be patient and don't for one second feel sorry and give in to what she wants (attention) as all your hard work will go to waste

Wed, 11/18/2009 - 5:17pm — GWPRescue

puppy stage 4

I had to laugh when I read puppy stage 4. Baldwin is one of 32 puppies seized in a breeder raid this summer in MO. Being licensed Animal care Facility in MO, we were called in to help our Breed-German Wirehaired Pointers. We relied heavily on Cesar's book "A Member of the Family" as I had to be doggie mother to many puppies.

We had them all here in our home, our 32x16' concrete dog room was lined with multiple 4' tall puppy pens. They were socialized early with many volunteers, dog walkers, kids, you name it. We had a glorious time, and I would not have traded this summer for anything! I learned so much...Baldwin and his brother Branson were the 3 week olds, and with the help of our well balanced pack, their brothers and sisters, lots of fun activities, we molded them into "the Perfect puppies".
Baldwin and his brother showed great promise for Dock Diving with the MOKANDockdogs.com as we did many events with the rescue tied into dock diving activities. Both puppies did well, and Baldwin has stayed with our family. We haven't had a puppy in many years, so we enjoy reading tips, and using Cesar's Way as we understand and practice rehabilitation within our home and facility.

Thanks Cesar!
All puppies deserve the very best! Even mill babies taken in the raid. With your methodology, good medical intervention provided by groups such as ours....they will become the Best of the Best!
They are all glorious and happy today!