So Apollo is going to be 10 weeks in a few days. He's getting big and will soon be living in his outside house. The pictures I have are still recent, but he's grown much more. I'll try to get newer ones today.





Health wise he's ok, just a bit of loose stool this morning. I dont know if its because of the treats I used yesterday were a bit old or if its from the Bully Sticks I gave him. Wasn't able to narrow it down... I have noticed that he does love to chew on much harder items... like hard plastic, even trying to mouth the concrete steps..

Training wise, he's good most times. I dont know if he's trying to test me at this young age, but he has been mouthing my hands still. I tried a few dominance exercises and it seems to have worked - for now.

Thanks for all the input and help guys !!

He looks good. At 10 weeks old I wouldn't be doing any "dominance" exercises. If I had a 10 week old that wasn't trying to tear my hands and ankles up I'd be very wary of having the right dog for me.

Dominance is the most overused term in the dogworld. Where in reality it's the dog just stepping up and being a dog because the owner tries faking being the leader, doesn't work, dogs can tell.

Dominance exercises...whatever that is...with a 10 week old puppy? SERIOUSLY?! That's just silly. He's a BABY!

Puppies are mouthty little creatures...it's how they explore their world....just like a baby does.

Redirect him to a toy or rag or something that is OK for him to mouth & chew.

Training...you say that he is good, most times? He is a baby. I think that you expectations are way out of line for a puppy. Let him be a puppy. There is plenty of time to really train him. Enjoy his puppyhood...it won't last very long as it is. Don't rush eveything. Everything should be fun play for him with some happy marker work. Not really training per se. You are looking to create muscle memory for future body positions for commands. Not really train him at this point. Why is everyone in such a rush with puppies.

I'm not even going to go into really addressing a 10 week old puppy LIVING outside.....that is just unsafe on so many levels to me. Spending some time in an outside kennel with supervision to allow the pup to develop the skill of being seperated from the owner to build confidence & comfort level with some freedom is one thing...LIVING out there is a whole other thing to me. Way too many things can happen....none of them good.

 Quote: Webboard User

I have noticed that he does love to chew on much harder items... like hard plastic, even trying to mouth the concrete steps.. .... he has been mouthing my hands still.

What do you have to give him to chew on?

When he mouths your hands, don't you redirect?


He is not "dominant" or "testing" you. He is a baby doing what they do: chewing on everything they can get into their little mouths.

Was the poop just slightly soft? No water-poop, right?



eta
Anne was posting while I was typing. Giant dittos to all.

I'm not discussing the outdoor living for a puppy like this either; we've said all that can be said about it, and this covers it pretty well: " .....that is just unsafe on so many levels to me. Spending some time in an outside kennel with supervision to allow the pup to develop the skill of being seperated from the owner to build confidence & comfort level with some freedom is one thing...LIVING out there is a whole other thing to me. Way too many things can happen....none of them good."

But letting him be a baby while he is a baby -- why would you want to lose this? Everything should be upbeat, play, maybe some focus marker-fun.





Edited by Connie Sutherland (12/17/2011 11:59 AM)
Edit reason: eta

wow. my bad. AGAIN. I never said I was trying to rush him to do anything. I said he'll be living outside "soon"... I didn't say tomorrow.

LoL, it seems every time I post something about how I raise my Apollo, I must not be clearly stating my case. I guess I'll have to cut down on the vague descriptions. smh, I guess I'll never get it right for the leerburg forums.. sorry !!

 Quote: Webboard User

wow. my bad. AGAIN. I never said I was trying to rush him to do anything. I said he'll be living outside "soon"... I didn't say tomorrow.

LoL, it seems every time I post something about how I raise my Apollo, I must not be clearly stating my case. I guess I'll have to cut down on the vague descriptions. smh, I guess I'll never get it right for the leerburg forums.. sorry !!

"I never said I was trying to rush him to do anything"

What does this mean, in that case:

"Training wise, he's good most times. I dont know if he's trying to test me at this young age, but he has been mouthing my hands still. I tried a few dominance exercises and it seems to have worked - for now."

Here's the thing: a not-even-ten-week-old puppy isn't really "training graded" by many owners here as "good most times." If you mean something very different, you really do have to be less vague.

And "dominance exercises" also have zero to do with a puppy like this. He should be mouthing, and you should be redirecting.

If you don't want to hear opinions about having a young puppy live outside, stop bringing it up. You really are not going to hear anything radically different just by bringing it up again.

I'm not trying to be confrontational, Colin. I do get the feeling, though, that you are inviting confrontation sometimes.


About the poop .... not watery, right? Just slightly soft?

 Quote: Al Curbow

He looks good. ....

He sure does.

 Quote: Webboard User

I guess I'll never get it right for the leerburg forums.. sorry !!

It is not about what is right for the leerburg forum, it is about what is right for the pup. JMHO.

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

 Quote: Webboard User

wow. my bad. AGAIN. I never said I was trying to rush him to do anything. I said he'll be living outside "soon"... I didn't say tomorrow.

LoL, it seems every time I post something about how I raise my Apollo, I must not be clearly stating my case. I guess I'll have to cut down on the vague descriptions. smh, I guess I'll never get it right for the leerburg forums.. sorry !!

"I never said I was trying to rush him to do anything"

What does this mean, in that case:

"Training wise, he's good most times. I dont know if he's trying to test me at this young age, but he has been mouthing my hands still. I tried a few dominance exercises and it seems to have worked - for now."

Here's the thing: a not-even-ten-week-old puppy isn't really "training graded" by many owners here as "good most times." If you mean something very different, you really do have to be less vague.

And "dominance exercises" also have zero to do with a puppy like this. He should be mouthing, and you should be redirecting.

If you don't want to hear opinions about having a young puppy live outside, stop bringing it up. You really are not going to hear anything radically different just by bringing it up again.

I'm not trying to be confrontational, Colin. I do get the feeling, though, that you are inviting confrontation sometimes.


About the poop .... not watery, right? Just slightly soft?

Got it. Forget I even posted here. Once again, I apologize for not being clear.

"Got it. Forget I even posted here."


Instead of stomping off, if you think we are misunderstanding, you might try actually being clear.

Come on. It's your puppy we care about. Cowboy up.