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Comment by Amanda Russ on March 24, 2012 at 9:52am

Thanks so much for the advice, everyone! We have been working on crate training since the moment I posted.  Things are going very well.  We haven't had any accidents in the house and he is chewing on his toys instead of everything else.  He goes into his crate on his own throughout the day and generally naps in the living room.  

We have set up a small garden border fence (30" high) outside our patio so now he has a smaller area for us to work with him.  We've worked with him on and off the leash.  Our son is doing really well with him, too.  He loves to go outside and help guide him to potty.  Mozzie reacts well to a loud sound or when we raise our voices if he is doing something he shouldn't be.  He'll stop what he's doing and lay down.  

His other ear is standing up now.  He is doing really well.  We are transitioning him onto his new food, slowly.  Lots of changes to the household that I need to adjust to, but I'm learning and I think we're doing well.  Thanks again everyone!

Comment by Melissa and Franklin! on March 22, 2012 at 1:02pm

As others have said,  he has too much freedom. You can't let him out of your site for a minute. An ex-pen will help a lot or you can babygate him in an area with no carpet (bathroom/kitchen). As for crate training, there will be crying, and a lot of it. As others have said if you let hiim out when he cries you are just re-inforcing that crying=freedom. Work on the crate training during the day when  your son is not asleep and in the evenings before bedtime. you can put yummy treats in the crate with him so it's more of an enjoyable experience, try a peanut butter filled Kong or something that will keep him busy for a bit. For chewing inappropriate items, make a trade. If he is chewing a shoe tell him "no" and give him a toy instead then praise. You have to teach him rules and boundaries because he has zero at this point. Potty training will pretty much solve itself if you give him less freedom and also with crate training. Take him out for 15 min and he doesn't potty, he comes in and goes in the crate. Ten minutes later, do the same. This process can be repeated until he goes potty outside then TONS of praise and he gets out to play for a bit. New puppies are A TON of work so try to get the whole family involved in the training. Don't let the puppy tell you what HE wants, you have to tell the puppy what YOU want. If he learns this young he can get what he wants by whining or misbehaving you will have a big problem when he is an adult. Also, puppy classes start as young as 8 weeks old so enroll him in a puppy class now. Many of them teach you potty training tips as well as obedience and socialization.

Comment by Jane on March 22, 2012 at 12:44pm

Too much freedom IMO. At this age he should not be out of your sight for even a second. Keep him baby gated in the room you are in, or leash him to your belt loop. He should not be able to sneak off and poop - the second you see him start to squat screech like crazy and take him outside immediately, then praise praise praise if he finishes outside.

 

Crate training is probably going to involve some barking/crying, there is not really a way around it. I'd work on it a lot during the day if you don't want him crying so much at night. Every time you relent and let him out of the crate for being noisy that reinforces the behavior.

Comment by Sandy Stickney on March 22, 2012 at 12:12pm

Crate training will take some effort, but I agree with Jen.  We had 2 older dogs that we did not crate.  We decided to crate train when we got the 2 corgis as puppies.  Crating the corgis while we are gone, when we can't give 100% attention, and at night (they have been given some freedom at night as they have gotten older) has given us peace of mind, and probably saved us some (notice: not all) chewing of inappropriate items, and was helpful in potty training. (Probably would have been more successful w/ potty training if I had been more attentive when they were not in their crates).  There were some difficult nights of crying in the very beginning, but they were very young pups at the time.  Now they run to their crates when they notice the cues that we are leaving, or getting ready for bed.

Comment by Ludi on March 22, 2012 at 12:11pm

Do not give him an ounce of freedom until you're sure he won't soil anything. Keep him attached to you at ALL times; use a 2 metre~ lead tied to your waist and attached to his harness or collar. If you give him any sort of chance to roam around, he WILL use it as an opportunity to relieve himself. And why not? It's comfortable, it's immediate reinforcement, and no one's preventing it.

Some people swear by those repellant sprays (bitter apple, or vinegar) but I just used the time I had Ace attached to me as additional training periods on what to chew and what not to chew. Chewies and toys were okay, my slippers were not. Any time I felt him wriggling towards a new object to put in his mouth, I'd gently restrain him. I'd reward him with a pin-head sized treat of something really smelly and good (hot dog, soft cheese) when he would avoid mouthing/chewing it. This gradually morphed into a "Leave It" and I didn't even have to leave my desk to teach it. :)

Crate training is going to be pretty difficult if you have a young child who can be woken up by the bloodcurdling cries of a puppy not accustomed to being crated. Is there a place you can have him crated where you know your son can't hear it?

Comment by Yuki & Ellie on March 22, 2012 at 11:45am

Crate training will solve a lot of your problems.  Work on him with the crate for as much, and as often, as you can.  Here's a link that gives a good overview on how to crate train.  Once your pup is crate trained, then you can follow these tips from the FAQ to help you get the potty training sorted out.  Please keep in mind, though, that many dogs will not be fully potty trained until they are 1 or 2 years old.  My own puppy is 10 months and will still sometimes poop in the house if I don't see her waiting by the door.

As for the chewing, if you see him chewing on the carpet then you can give a firm "No" and then offer him something that he can chew on (redirecting), such as a toy or bone.  Another option to help is to get a bitter apple spray and coat areas that he is likely to chew.  I've had hit or miss experiences with the spray, myself, so I wouldn't rely on just that to deter him from chewing.

Having a puppy is just like having a teething baby.  You have to watch him constantly any time he is out of his crate or pen.  Plan on treating him this way until he is at least 1 or 2 years old.  Congratulations on your new addition!  :)