So I've been bragging to everyone about how my puppy is the best-est puppy ever, because he's so good. He's quiet, he doesn't try to eat all my belongings, and when I don't pay attention to him, he'll just go lay down somewhere. But the truth is... I don't understand him! I've been reading about dogs for years and years, thinking that by the time came, I'd be well prepared. But this guy... is like no puppy I've read about.

I don't know why, but he doesn't let me know when he has to go potty! The first morning he was here, I thought he would wake up and start fussing so I'd know he had to go to the bathroom. Every other dog I've known has always done that. Whine, shift around in the crate, or even bark. But nope, he didn't make much of any noise, past chewing on his toy. The breeder told me to get some belly bands (like doggy diapers), and by the time I got up, he had already peed in there. I used to have him leashed to me, but he's been so good about not chewing on stuff, that I just let him loose in my room (it's not very big at all) and keep an eye on him all the time. But all he does, is just lay around, and sometimes he'll play with his toys. I keep trying to catch him sniffing around, or anything that looks like he has to go pee, but nothing! He is 9 months old, so I know he can hold it longer than younger puppies, but still, he's gotta go sometime, right? Even when I take him outside, because it's been a few hours, he'll walk around, and sniff and sniff and sniff for maybe 5-10 minutes before he finally pees. And he has water there all the time, so it's not like he doesn't have anything to pee out.

And that's just peeing. He's even worse with pooping. The first night he came home, he never pooped. Even after all those hours in the plane, nothing. Well ok, fine. The next day, he did poop, twice, since he gets 2 meals a day. But again, he sniffs around forever, before he decides to finally go. This morning, I fed him, took him out about half an hour later, even though he made absolutely no signs of needing to go, and once again, after sniffing around, he finally pooped. Tonight after I came home, I gave him his dinner, and waited... For a whole hour. Thinking, at SOME point, he's gotta have to go. No. I took him outside anyway, he sniffed around forever. Still didn't go in the end. That was an hour ago. And he's just been laying around, napping. I left the crate door open last night since he's been so good, and he hasn't tried to chew up anything he's not suppose to. But I'm not sure if I should do that tonight, since he hasn't pooped, and I don't want him to poop in my room while I'm sleeping...

His breeder told me that she usually feeds them outside, and let them run around, and they go poop. And she suggested that I just keep him in an x-pen outside after I feed him. But my yard is mostly the pool. The only areas with dirt is off to the side where I wouldn't be able to see if unless i go outside, so I don't really want to do that. I also don't want him to eat any bugs or anything that's in the yard. Plus the x-pen I ordered isn't here yet anyway. So I'm really not sure what to do. :\

I should also mention... It's really weird, but when I try to take him outside, he'll walk out the door, and then he'll plant his feet and refuse to move. But then if I pick him up, and move him past the area outside the door, he'll walk around. And sniff. And sometimes he'll just stand really still. Once in a while he'll sit down. All this, while I'm trying to encourage him to go pee, or go potty. And sometimes when we walk all around the yard and finally make it back to the door to go inside, he'll try to pull me towards the door, like he really wants to go in. And tonight he did this, even though he never went to the bathroom.

I really don't understand this puppy! I would ask the breeder, but our schedules have been really mismatched this past few days that I haven't been able to call her. I'm gonna take him to the vet on Tuesday, just to make sure he's ok. But I'm hoping he gets better about this before then. So please if anyone has any suggestions, I would appreciate any help I can get. Thank you!!