2 puppies-3 problems

[Kirene]

Hello, I have two boxer babies that are 9 weeks old. We've had them for 3 weeks. We adopted them from the Tulsa Boxer Rescue.

Problem 1: How long does it take for them to learn their name? I know it's only been 3 weeks, but in all my experience my dogs always knew their names within a week. We try not to call them by their names when they are together so they don't get confused, rather we call them by their name when we have one on one time.

Problem 2: They don't come when called. I have tried to sweet talk them, bribe them, use the come in command, they don't even look my way. When I try to physically go get them, they run from me. How do I get them to come when called?

Problem 3:One of our pups does not pee in the crate, and rarely has accidents in the house, the other one pees in the crate and has accidents all day long. Why is one pup getting it and the other isn't?

My 2 year old Toy Poodle was only 90% housetrained when we got the pups, since the pups came to live with us he is 100% housetrained. No accidents at all. I have no idea what that is about but I am definitely happy about it.

Anyone have suggestions?

Thanks,

Kirene

 

[Maniago]

These babies are only nine weeks old you have quite alot of work and time before they come to you when called.

 

[Cami]

I don't know how much this will help you as my girl is 17 months old and thinks that the word "come" means to stare down mom and make her crazy.

Anyhow, in theory you might consider teaching the come command on a leash, that way when they don't respond you can offer a slight tug, get their attention and offer a treat, when they get to you offer much praise as well as the treat. Definatly don't chase after them, get them to chase you. Make yourself their top priority by squeaking a favorite toy and using a fun high-pitched voice make them want to see what you have or what you are doing. Remember to praise like crazy when they respond.

I have had to change "come" to "do you want a biscuit"....which of course is a great motivator for my girl.

As far as the potty training, that is extremely young to not expect accidents. The fact that one is getting it and the other is not is just related to the fact that no two dogs are the same. What sex are they? It seems that females are prone to getting it a little quicker than males but it isn't always the case.

Just with everything else, learning names just takes patience. When they do respond to their name, praise like crazy, it will happen.

Kudo's to you for taking on 2 pups at the same time. I wouldn't have been able to do that knowing what I know now. I would quite certainly have ended up with gray hair.

Just have patience and be very persistant.

 

[Kirene]

They are both females from the same litter. Their mom gave birth while in foster care.

I thought taking on two boxers was going to be a nightmare, but it isn't as bad as I thought it would be. 2 weeks ago we had to put down our 13 year boxer Claire because she was severely dysplastic. It was heart breaking. We had only had the pups for 1 week at that time.

The pups are doing better than I thought they would. We try preventative measures rather than damage control after the fact. We keep all the doors closed and the only rooms they roam in are the kitchen living room and den (the den is where their crate is and the door to the backyard). We use a spray to deter them from chewing on furniture (which has worked great by the way). We take them out every 15 to 20 minutes for potty breaks using the commands. One is getting it, the other isn't. I'm sure it's just a matter of them needing more time and me having more patience.

I left my bedroom door open this morning while I was getting ready in the bathroom and my favorite pair of shoes (that I patiently bid on a won off ebay) bit the dust. Ironically it was the same dog that were having problems with. I should have kept the door shut! That will teach me.

The "poop" problem in the house is something I just have to deal with for now. When we adopted the pups they were both sick and we were told they would be fine, no problem. Well the vomiting ended but the watery poop didn't. Accidents all over the place. When we realized that they weren't getting better we took them to the vet and found out that they had Coccidia which would explain most of their lack of bowel control. They have been on medication for only 4 days and I'm hoping as soon as they get through the medication that their pooping won't be so urgent.

They are wonderful wonderful pups. They can be so sweet and cuddly one minute and playful and rowdy the next. We call them our little velocarapters because they gang up on our poor little toy poodle. LOL

I think it has been a good experience to have 2 pups at once. We just have to remember to spend one on one time with they can bond with us individually and not rely on each other.


Kirene

 

[frankied]

They are only 9 weeks which is just about the time they would be coming home from a litter in the first place so just continue to be patient with them Good luck with your babies!

 

[Tulsa-Dan]

In my obedience classes the first thing I teach is Name Recognition. It is vitally important that a dog know its name and look at your when that name is called. We then work exercises which get the dog to look at you when called amid minor distractions and then the "Watch Me" command which is to capture and HOLD your dog's attention. An obedience class should be able to help you with this.

As for the housebreaking issue, it takes time, patience and consistency. I also have tricks up my sleeve that can help this situation.

I think perhaps some of the problems may be and will surely arise later between littermates is that they will (if they aren't already) vying for hierarchy within the pack. One must establish in a language the dogs understand that only BIPEDS are leaders and quadrapeds are followers. Then once that is established, hierarchy can be established between two or more dogs in the pack. Hierarchy has to do with privilege and of course, privileges are EARNED.

Additionally, recall, to me (the "come" command) is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN TEACH YOUR DOG. It will save its life. But if you can't get the dog's attention, you can't teach recall. There are many excellent ways to get a dog to come when called, but again, it takes time, patience and consistency.

Also, working two dogs together is not a good idea. One dog is a MAJOR distraction to the other while trying to teach them the things they need to know. It is important to know how to work them separately, then together using group commands. But that comes later. First things first, slow and easy and then working your way up to the more difficult behaviors/commands.

I suggest a really good trainer who has experience with Boxers. If you would like some names, please use the PRIVATE MESSAGE feature here and email me via Boxerworld and I can give you more info on my services and I do know another excellent trainer who has 8 boxers of her own and is an excellent basic obedience trainer.

Best of luck.

 

[binxsmom]

Kirene,
I don't know if this will help but I vaguely remember when my puppy was really young he had coccidia also. He was put on medication and if I remember correctly it was an antibiotic but also had some steroid in it. Anyhow after many searches here I found that some medications (especially ones with steroids) can make some dogs urinate more frequently and have less control.
Then it was a matter of first things first...get them healthy and keep washing their bedding and then worry about the housebreaking. We also had to limit his water intake towards the end of the day...no water after 6 p.m. and then we would increase it in half hour increments as he got older.
Good luck...sounds like a fun (but busy!) household!

 

[Marley's Mom]

I also have two from the same litter, a brother and sister. They are now 17 weeks old. We got them at 8 weeks. They didn't get their names down until about 10-11 weeks. I understand you've had yours longer, but I bet it's just their young age. Having two has been absolutely amazing for us. They are able to play together (wear themselves out) as well as always have a companion. The negative part though is when one is naughty, the other is naughty. They didn't begin to grow out of this until they were about 3 1/2 months old! One would pee in the house, the other would be on top of the first one's pee! Eventually though, we were able to develop different relationships with each of them and view them as Marley and Irie and not "the pups". This was when they started being individuals. I like to relate it to work (I'm a sales manager) that you can't manage everyone the same, and how one method of training, motivating, etc, won't always work for the other. The first couple months though was a struggle with basic commands. Don't be frustrated quite yet. Just remember how young they are, not how long you've had them. The problems you've mentioned are problems that many are still having at the ages of 3-7 months! Just be consistant and as they mature they will finally get it. Good luck!
Shawny