Fri, 23 Oct 1998 19:54:01 -0400 (EDT) - from Petie

<<Cheryl sent a very good post on Potty Training awhile back, maybe she will post it again for you.
Wendy>>

I saved it....so here it is.
Petie

<<I think the biggest problem u have here is that the dog is confused. Based on what I have just read in your post it would appear that somehow he believes that in the house IS where he should go! It is not uncommon for first time puppy owners to give the wrong message to the pup. YOU understand what u want the pup to do and where, but u must remember that what may seem VERY easy for u to understand may be like a foreign language for a pup sometimes. Dogs think and respond differently than people do. I see soooo many times a new owner try & try to do everything that seems to be just right and what they end up doing is totally confusing the pup! One thing that is VERY important is that u do not set your puppy up to fail! Don't feed him 10 minutes before u have to leave for work or just before bedtime. Don't free feed either, usually a dog will have a bowel movement shortly after a meal, if u have food down all the time you will not know when to expect the event! <> Then do not go walking when u have a good idea he needs to relieve himself.....If he has just finished eating go to where u want him to do his business and just stand there & wait......NO PLAYING......NO WALKING ...Just the word for what u expect of the pup, something like "Potty" so he understands that this is time for business. If u walk or play with him, again he is confused, he believes outside is for walking and playing, he was not born into this world knowing that u want him to use outside for doing "Potty" So then once u get back inside he remembers he has to go so he does. <>Are u punishing him for going in the house? Once again this is confusing for your puppy......Your puppy cannot understand WHY he is in trouble for something that is a natural bodily function???? He MUST relieve himself, he knows that, he does not know why u are mad ....Only that u are mad....HE DOES NOT UNDERSTAND that u are mad for WHERE he did the deed not that the deed was done! You should start from scratch and not punish or show anger that your pup has gone potty, he must go potty just as we must......It is your job to let him know that it is OK to go potty and HERE (wherever that might be) is where we would like you to go potty! Then praise him when he does go where u want him to big time! Try using a "key word" like "potty" as u see the pup go, get all excited and lavish him with goodies, pats and whatever! These guys love to please!! A couple times like this and he won't be able to get to that "spot" in the yard to show u potty fast enough! If after the potty event you want to go for a walk or play it is best to take him back into the house for a few minutes and then using another "key word" like walk or play then go out and do so. Again this is so you will not confuse him about what u were out there for. Try to use short, one word names for things (your pup will learn & understand their meanings). "Outside" is NOT a good choice as there are too many things that can go with it, and be consistent in their use......"PLAY" "WALK" "POTTY" all work well. And be sure u don't ask him if he wants to "PLAY" if there is a chance it could be close to time to go "POTTY" , again this goes back to not confusing the puppy. <> This is not a good sign....well the 3 yr old is kind of out of this for a while anyway I would think.... I have used this with several "impossible" to housebreak dogs and it does work but u must be consistent & all family members should be involved with the plan. Without unity and consistancy your puppy will continue to be confused by you! I hope u will find some of this useful and good luck! BTW one dog I used this on was brought into the animal hosp where I worked...the local shelter was not accepting ANY dogs due to the Parvo epedemic so they brought him in for euthanasia rather than dump him off out in the country, he was only 12 weeks old (Beagle), I placed him about a month later where he STILL is today! Gotta be about 18 years or so now and NEVER had an accident in the house! At least not one they know about LOL.....

Cheryl>>

Wed, 28 Oct 1998 13:17:52 EST - from Terry

<<Another question for everyone regarding Min Pin puppies:
I visited a breeder last night, and I was comfortable with her ethics and all that. I looked at 3 male puppies, all were very pretty dogs, all extremely clean. The mother was very friendly. However, they were all pretty mellow. They are about 9 weeks old, eating hard food. They are tiny, and the breeder pretty much held them the whole time I was there, so I didn't get to see them play. It was dark out, so maybe they were sleeping before I came. Is there anything I should look into or ask to make sure they are healthy, playful dogs? As you can tell, I'm a newcomer to the Min Pin world, and any advice before I buy a puppy would be greatly appreciated!>>

Thom,

Call the breeder and ask if you can visit her again this weekend (during the day). When you get there ask to see the puppies together either running loose or in an exercise pen. If they're running loose the one that immediately runs the other way to explore is the one I'd pick if I were buying a pet. I love that sense of adventure in a dog but that's my personal preferance.

Something that I ALWAYS do is get down on the floor with the puppies. The closer you are to their level the better you can see and understand what's going through their minds. (Although with a min pin you never QUITE figure that out!)

A lot of issues arise when you are picking a pet. Do you like the little shy guy cause he's so sweet an calm. Do you like the bolsterous one who jumps all over his brothers, bites them on the ears and then comes over to lick you on the face. Or that little crazy guy who's just as happy running around chasing that imaginary tale and could care less if someone else is in the room.

At 9 weeks old you still have a lot of opportunity (kinda) to help create the kind of dog you would like. They're very open to learning what kind of play you would like, eager to please their new kennel buddy (you), and will, with a little effort on your part, become exactly the dog you always wanted to be owned by.

Good luck.

Terry
CallMar Min Pins
El Paso, Texas
Home of Future Champions

Wed, 28 Oct 1998 20:45:06 EST - from Pat

This discussion came up on another list many moons ago and the resident vet came to our rescue with this answer. He encouraged us to save this and I did. There is also a section on onions if anyone is interested.

With the posts about chocolate, thought this would be an appropriate time to send this out. This all came about because Harley ate a 1 lb Hershey Bar (with almonds of course) and I freaked. I called the Poison Control Center and they told me to administer peroxide to make her toss her cookies and the Hershey bar. Needless to say, Harley hated the peroxide, didn't throw up, and I stayed up all night watching her. She was fine, I was not.

<<Chocolate - this is the headache of after hours emergency panic calls during Easter, Valentines Day and other holidays. Most people have the misconception that one bite of chocolate and you can kiss you pup goodbye....NOT! It usually requires a sizable amount of chocolate to initiate signs. The chocolate most likely to cause problems is the unsweetened baking type chocolate due to the concentration. Least likely to cause problems is milk chocolate. The problem is the theobromine in chocolate (the stuff that gives us that really satisfied/addictive feeling and Buzz!) Signs include nervousness, racing heart, fever, excessive urine production, vomiting/diarrhea. Treatment is non-specific and supportive. Half life of theobromine is long in the dog (15 to 20 hours).

Now here are some soft numbers:

The LD50 of theobromine in dogs (that is the dosage that will kill half the dogs given it) is 250 to 500 mg per kg so average let's say between 10 to 20 pounds of theobromine per dog. That equates to eating 6 to 12 pounds of milk chocolate or 1 to 2 pounds of unsweetened baker's chocolate for partial lethal dosages. Less can show signs ofcourse and can be problems in some dogs....but as you can see it's a matter of significant quantities. i still wouldn't recommend feeding chocolate to dogs, but don't freak out if they steal a piece.>>

Thu, 29 Oct 1998 22:41:43 EST - from Pat

Onions have been linked to development of anemia a type called Heinz body anemia due to oxidant damage to hemoglobin or the red blood cell membrane which causes a decrease in the normal life span of the red blood cell and premature clearance from the body. There is a note in my toxicology text that indicates that dogs are very variable in their sensitivity to it's effects.

While I am sure that mine would eat onions, given their druthers, they would all prefer a HUGE Hershey Bars. But I bet chocolate covered onions wouldn't be that bad - I love a baked Vidalia with a little butter and pepper. And chocolate covered garlic is 'interesting'. But to be on the safe side, no chocolate covered onions.

That is the extent of my borrowed veterinary medical knowledge, but I saved it because I knew it would come in handy someday. It was a great benefit having a vet on the list -- he would answer our most insane and mundane questions and spoke at the sharpei specialty on amyloidosis and the ongoing research.

pat