Jeez! I feel like a novice, Levi is only 8 and yet I've forgotten a lot of what I learned when I first got him and found the webboard. Then again, Levi was not the pistol this pup is by any means!

So, when a pup barks at you when you give him a command, looking in your face and yapping (seems to be talking back) should I care or is it just being a puppy being vocal or is it a sign of disrespect?

Second, since I'm going to limit the time the pup spends with the older dogs now, if he is not with one of the family members under watchful eyes, what is he doing in the kennel? Actually, what I mean to say is, is he exspected to just be in there doing nothing or do I give him hooves to chew or what?

Lastly, 9 week old puppies pee every two seconds right? No poops in the house but he will walk and pee at the same time (not submissively) just a casual I'm interested in that over there and I'm not going to stop to squat kind of thing. It makes it very hard to tell when he is actually peeing to catch him in the act. When does the bladder get bigger? I'm thinking it's the size of a small walnut right now, whew!

At nine weeks I'm still taking a pup outside every half hour 45 mins. That"s even the ones that caught on really fast.
It's not necessarily that I think they know when they should go out but being proactive makes training sooooo much easier.
Tether the pup to you in the house. He'll be right there with you then so YOU can't make mistakes in watching him.
The tethering will also help the pup learn to chill out when in the house. You sit down to read, etc and he as no other choice but to stay with you.

"So, when a pup barks at you when you give him a command, looking in your face and yapping (seems to be talking back) should I care or is it just being a puppy being vocal or is it a sign of disrespect?"

What command? He may be telling you off, but that should bother you about as much as a 2 year old yelling and screaming.

Just a quick addition to the house training. I know exactly what you mean about walking and peeing. It's very hard to tell when it is going to happen!! My last dog was like that.

I have a friend who house trains her pups by moving her work into the fenced yard as often as possible. Then, praises the pup like crazy when he does his business. Of course, she is not particular which part of the yard he goes in, but it works really fast. The rest of the time, you'll have to keep taking him out OFTEN!!!!

Just another idea??

I do the same as Bob. The more frequently you take them out the faster they learn & the less chance they have to mess the crate. Some dogs will get used to messing in as crate very quickly & it gets hard to reverse that mind set once it takes hold.

I had one pup that I had to grab the second-he woke up,,..as he would wake stand up & go. He went out every 1/2 hour for almost 2 weeks before I could move it up. It was the pits...but it worked. I had taken 2 weeks off from work when I brought him home. After that he slept crated under my desk at work & ran him out to potty every hour..slowly increasing the time over the next week's until he could go on my breaks & lunch times. When he was older & the weather was not too hot or cold...he was crated in my truck under cover outside my office window. I did this until he was 8 months old. My other 2 GSDs were older & able to be home.

If you are going to get a pup you need to figure out ahead of time how you are going to handle potting etc when you need to go to work etc. Waiting until you have the pup home & then scrambling to try to figure out how to meet the needs of the dog is poor planning.

Actually, what I mean to say is, is he exspected to just be in there doing nothing or do I give him hooves to chew or what? At 9 weeks, I'd expect him to do a lot of sleeping. As young as he is, his requirements are anywhere from 16-20 hours a day spent sleeping. The barking at you makes me think, overstimulated, overwhelmed and time for a nap. http://www.adoptafriend.org/articles/Doesyourdogorpuppyneedanap.pdf

Lastly, 9 week old puppies pee every two seconds right?Yes they do. No poops in the house but he will walk and pee at the same time (not submissively) just a casual I'm interested in that over there and I'm not going to stop to squat kind of thing. My guess is; he does not know he is going. Which is why I'm 100% with Bob on more frequent outings which will pretty much take up the hours he's awake .

I'm not sure what commands you are expecting him to follow but I'd concentrate on getting the housebreaking down first which includes more opportunities to relieve himself outside and less freedom to roam the house making mistakes.

To be honest with you Robbin, it has been a REALLY long time since I've raised a puppy, and I was guilty of the overstimulated pup which is why I remember it clearly and will not repeat . Enjoy this puppy; these baby days go too quickly.

 Quote: Kristin Muntz

"So, when a pup barks at you when you give him a command, looking in your face and yapping (seems to be talking back) should I care or is it just being a puppy being vocal or is it a sign of disrespect?"

What command? He may be telling you off, but that should bother you about as much as a 2 year old yelling and screaming.

Ditto!


Also, I hope Bob's comments about tethering the pup to you came through loud and clear (for other folks reading the thread, too), because this is something I wish I had learned decades before I did.

(Of course, it doesn't mean tethering him to furniture or anything stationary.)

Since I learned about tethering a new dog to me, I have done it with every new dog, whether a senior, or any age foster .... just every dog.

Nothing is better for house-training, because the dog can't make a mistake off by himself somewhere if he is attached to you. Also, you learn his body language around potty really fast.

(I don't use tethering to lower the number of trips outside, of course. But a puppy beginning to have an accident can be very quickly - but calmly -- swooped outside, where he is praised and rewarded for good potty when he finishes outside.)

My goal is always having him outside when he needs to be outside; every accident inside creates and then reinforces a habit that it's far better never to let happen at all.


About 4 hours between potty runs, maybe from another thread(?) .... this is a little long for that size bladder. (Nighttime, when the puppy or older small dog is sleeping, is different; they can usually go a bit longer then.) Can you get someone just for a potty run between when you leave and when your husband does a lunchtime run?



PS
Tethering is also a terrific way to increase his family time while still managing him very effectively.

Thanks Carole I need all the training I can get. I've owned dogs my entire life and have always managed to be top dog. This one is strong though and younger than I've every raised so I feel quite the novice. Keep the ideas coming !!!

Thanks for your comments Anne. So awesome to be able to take the baby to work! Also, the chastize! In my defense I did have many months to prepare but the strategy didnt work out as planned. No matter the reason, ultimately my fault. One of the reasons I love this board.