Before reading this please know the reason I have purchased this puppy even though there are quite a bit of reasons why i shouldn't. 1) In Cambodia the breeders aren't very... ermm.... educated-- or they just dont care. As puppies, dogs here are weened from their mothers at 4 weeks of age (which of course is normal) BUT they are then locked up in a cage until purchase which usually, for most puppies, is either never or within their puppy hours (born till ~1 year). 2) The people who inhabit here treat the dogs like shit (sorry for the bad language) They are fed scraps off the owner's table after theyre finished and are left outside with a few other dogs. (as you read this you will realize that there are a few of those dogs that have wandered to our home) Also the dogs stink and have never been bathed before. They are usually a mass mix of breeds and the result is a black mix which we call here "Cambodian Dogs" 3) As I was driving i noticed that a few purebred german shepard puppies were being sold and they were locked up in cages and the place stank quite a bit. I felt bad and ended up purchasing one of them. At the moment i am attempting to give my new puppy the best home i can possible give it. I realize I'm not really 100% qualified to be a "good" dog owner but I just couldnt bare seeing this puppy taken in by some dog abuser of sort >.<. Now I'm trying my best to do some research on puppy care and whatnot. I have purchased all the basic things for a puppy (dried puppy food w/ extra protein and vitamins and whatnot as i read that puppies need puppy food and shouldn't just be given normal adult dog food. I looked for a vet and got my puppy shots then I found out that she had fleas so i bought some flea shampoo and the fleas seem to be gone. For the next month my life here will be very busy for I am actually on vacation here. (I'm for LA) but in about 6 monthes I will live here permanently and will be able to tend to my dog's every need. At the moment I am trying to gather as much information as possible so I can inform the people that will be helping me take care of my puppy in my absence. Now that you know the situation-- heres some things that i have problems with-- intro: German Shepard puppy purchased at 2 1/2 months old and is currently 3 months old. Need assistance in potty training and habit breaking. Details: My puppy's name is Tatora. She has a lotta bad habits and shes not potty trained. Its really hard for me to potty train her for I am currently living in Cambodia and there are a lot of special conditions that make things hard for me and my puppy. I am only home during the evening for about two hours and in the afternoon for about two hours for i am quite busy. I make the most of my time with my puppy and she gets really excited right when i enter our gate. :p I realize that I need to be there more and whatnot but that's not necessarily possible. Although I am hardly home, we have 5 maids that live at our house and they do whatever we ask of them. What should i tell them to do to ensure that my puppy is potty trained? Also another thing is that I want to break a few of my puppy's habits. One thing is that she always play bites and its getting really annoying. Another is her bathing habits, every time she's given a bath, she gets really scared and starts banging around the bathtub. She begins to hurt herself trying to get out of the bathroom (by slamming into the tiled wall, trying to climb the bathtub, running and tripping on the wet floor, etc) I would like my puppy to be more comfortable with bathes. Also, I think it'd help you guys give a helpful answer if you realize the size/construction of the house. *the inside -tiled floor -8 rooms 2 stories -lots of things to chew on that arent supposed to be chewed on (such as decorations and chairs) *the outside -surounded by concreted land and dirt. -under the construction of a garden -Very open/clear area for the dog to run around -Few "evil" dogs that arent very train and try to bite the puppy's head off at any given chance unless the puppy is accompanied by a human. Oh also one more question: What should i do to remove the urine stench from the tiles so that the dog can't smell its urine/feces anymore. There arent that many available dog supplies other than the basic ones (such as dog shampoo, collars, leashes, dog food, etc) theres no cleaning materials or whatnot. Please help! I'll be forever grateful :]
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1st of all Congrats on the puppy!! Next, I sympathize with your rescuing a puppy in such conditions. I have many times done the same. The best way I have found for housebreaking is a few things. One - crate train your puppy. It will be murder for you to have to listen to her scream to let her out but hold fast. Start her our in small incriments at a time, only an hour or two the first few times then work it up. I would never recommend leaving an animal in a crate longer than necessary!! It will be worth it in the long run. Dogs are naturally den animals in the wild and very clean as well. They will do every thing they can to avoid messing in their den. The trick is to make them understand that the entire house is the den. Second- ROUTINE!!!!! Before you put her in the crate, take her for a walk. As soon as she comes out of the crate, take her for a walk. She'll catch on quick. If you take her for a walk every few hours she won't mess in the house near as often. Finally - MOST IMPORTANTLY NEVER NEVER NEVER USE THE CRATE AS PUNISHMENT!!!!!!!! If this happens you will blow the entire system and you'll never get her into the crate again. As far as the smell is concerned, i would use lemon juice or pinesol with a small capful of bleach or bleach alternative. It may take a couple cleanings to really get the smell out but as long as its tile it shouldn't be much of a problem. For bathing, well, good luck. My 3 year old German Shepard has never taken to the idea no matter what I've done to help. They make rub-on shampoos that seem to help and its not nearly as traumatic. For the biting, end it now. If she bites stop immediately and scold her. She needs to learn now that she can't bite or it will be a big problem later on. She's still teething and this can be a problem. I would recommend buying a "Kong" from a pet store and putting it in the freezer so she can chew on it when its cold. Its a hard rubber toy that can be found in most pet stores. Just always remember that with any dog you need to be the dominant pack leader. If your maids are the ones that are training her she will not associate you as the pack leader. You need to be as consistant as possible, a good trick is to reward the good behavior with treats or a special toy, and ignore the bad. Good Luck! and check out the site for Cesar Millan, he is an amazing dog trainer.
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