i have a litter of 4 puppies that were being neglected. They are malnourished, and are quite used to living in filth.When i got them, they were covered in dirt and feces. They don't have free run of the house, in fact, they are only out one at a time. They have a crate, with an x-pen "yard". I even put a flat storage bin(under the bed kind) with some dirt and stuff in it for them to potty.
I even take them out to go,all the time, but they would rather wait until they go inside. They have no problem going in their crate, and wallowing all in it.
Their pin has a sleeping area, a pooping area, and a food/play area, but they will go in all of it.
I need to get weight on them, and adopt them out, but not if they still go in the house. They are 8 weeks old, and are all little boys who don't squat, so it's hard to even tell when they go pee......
please help!
Carol Boche Webboard User Reg: 10-30-2005
Posts: 4531
Loc: South Dakota, USA
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I would keep them as clean as possible (bleach all areas where they have gone as well) and start crate training them now. (I see you say they have a crate, Is this individual crates?)
And, when you take them out, do it one at a time and wait them out. This way you can make sure they go and not miss anyone going or not going.
Until The Tale of the Lioness is told, the Story will Always Glorfy the Hunter
Reg: 08-17-2007
Posts: 528
Loc: La Habra, California
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You're in for a tough time. From my understanding, the only option you have is vigilance. If you're there all the time, they can be a full time job for you. Basically, take the water up. Get them on a strict schedule. They need lots of water, but you should be providing it instead of free-watering them. This gives you the ability to develop a schedule for them. I really mean you need to give them water often, figure out how long afterwards they need to go, and rush them outside to do it.
You can't give them the opportunity to pee in the crate. Also, make sure that play outside doesn't happen until after they go potty. And after they go potty make it REALLY fun to be outside. But only after, never before. This may mean that they have to be taken out individually.
They don't have the muscle structure to hold their bladders at this age, and it would be a lot easier on you if you could foster out 2 or 3 of them and just work with one of them...have you considered paper training them, with the paper in their x-pen? It's not optimal, but it might be a step on the road to teaching them that living in feces and urine is not the most fun thing, and peeing on paper is really rewarding.
they are so small, they are sharing a cat carrier, with some room to spare. I know they should have separate crates,but i just don't have extra crates. i am going to get another today, so i will do 2 and 2. All they have had is eachother for the last 5 weeks, they were taken away from mom at 3 weeks, and left outside in a box for 4 weeks, so i hate to split them up right away. I hopefully will be sending maybe 2 to another person to foster, because it is a lot of work(i have my own 8 week puppy to house train, but she is crate trained already...)
If i take them out separately, what to i do when the rest go in their pen while i have the one outside? If they would leave it after they pooped, it would be fine, but then they walk all in it and play...
They are on newspapers, so i don't have as big of a mess.
completely unrelated: HOW are you all getting pics in your signatures? I cannot find where to do that?I am computer retarded, so keep it simple, haha.
Carol Boche Webboard User Reg: 10-30-2005
Posts: 4531
Loc: South Dakota, USA
Offline
Even if you have two crates and can somehow split the X-pen into two separate areas, that will be better for them. And taking them outside will be easier since you will not be getting the others "all amped up" when you take one puppy out.
I know it seems like you are "splitting up" a neglected "family" but in all actuality and reality, it is the best thing for them. Especially at this age.
It is a hard road to travel trying to teach a pup that has allowed to be "dirty" to be "clean". It can be done though.....
(off-topic) I am computer illiterate as well, so I had someone do it for me.......now I just copy and paste......
Until The Tale of the Lioness is told, the Story will Always Glorfy the Hunter
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