I received a Pit Bull puppy exactly 5 weeks and 4 days old. She is very healthy, urinates 4-5 times a day, and "poops" 1-2 times a day. The reason I took her so early is because for about 6 days now the mom weened all the pups, because they started eating regular puppy chow and maintained healthy eating, etc.
So I decided no harm done. She is doing fine as far as I know, but I'd like to now of any signs I should be on the lookout for to know if there is anything wrong with her. Thanks.
By Nelson from IN
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I would be sure to feed her a high quality puppy food, ask vet for recommendations and if not started vaccinations, especially Parvo are essential.
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I just got a 6 week old puppy. He is 3/4 German Shepherd and 1/4 Husky. I'm trying to potty train him, it's hard. He seems lonely because I took him from his mom. Any tips from anyone about a 6 week old puppy? Thank you.
Taylor from Oklahoma City, OK
How Cute! Take him out every hour. Keep track of the times when he goes potty. Always take him out after he has ate, or woke from a nap. Keeping track of the time he goes and how many times he goes will help you keep him on a schedule.
Puppies are just like babies. They need a schedule. After 3 or 4 days you should have a good idea of when he should be taken out. Also if you have carpet, don't give him free run of the house until he is house broken. Large dogs are a lot easier to house train than small dogs. Good luck. Give him lots of love and attention. (11/26/2008)
By Danialle
Your six week old is very young and training may have to be paper training for a start. Please don't reprimand him. He is way too young. He shouldn't have been taken from his mom until he was eight weeks old. Stay at it. Stay calm and compliment him all the time. Puppy pee doesn't stain or smell.
By Dorie Crews
I don't have any advice, I just wanted to tell you how adorable he looks. Don't you just love puppy smell! Best of luck. (12/01/2008)
By
I trained my golden retriever puppy in five days. Not an accident since.
First, get a crate. Buy a big one with a divider so that it can grow with him. The crate goes next to your bed.
Second, some rules of thumb.
- Puppies can hold it approx. as many hours as they are months old. (Your puppy is a 1 1/2 mos. he can hold it realistically 1 1/2 hrs.).
- Make a schedule! Feed him three times a day and regulate water.
Take him outside to potty immediately after a meal or a big drink. He should pee and poop. Go out with him on a leash even if you have a fenced yard.
Very important- At this point he goes outside to potty, not to play. Once he goes, spend a few minutes playing and go inside. The play is his reward.
- Puppies will have to go potty after a meal or big drink, after a nap, after a play session.
Crating when you're away. The puppy stays in the crate when you have to leave the house. He only gets enough room to stretch out on his side, stand up, and turn a little circle. I always say no blankies or at least thin ones. People think I'm mean but if he does wet himself, a super absorbent blanket will keep him dry. We want him to have to sleep in it if he wets. He won't like it!
If you can't be there to let him out, find someone who can be there enough until his threshold for holding it increases.
At night, Puppy is in the crate. Another option if the puppy is in the crate all day while you're away and you feel bad is to buy a playpen or pack and play and put that beside the bed. Make sure he gets out right before bedtime and then every two hours until his threshold increases. If he fusses between potties hush him with a "Quiet" when you know he's gone potty.
Big one! Puppy does not roam the house, he is in the same room in sight of you at all times until he is reliable or you get really good.
The idea is to prevent mistakes, not punish them when they happen. You have to get good at watching for tell tale signs that he is ready to go but more than that, you just have to be consistent, taking him out every two hours. I've house trained many dogs and this is the way to go. Just like a dog who was only ever asked to sit on concrete has to be taught to sit on grass, a puppy that has only ever had the chance to pee outside will grow up thinking it's the only place to go.
About six weeks of age, I just read a new study stating that 7 weeks is the new ideal age to bring a puppy home. The researchers took five years testing and determining the best age to remove a puppy from the litter and this was it. These dogs were the most well adjusted.
The main concerns for puppies taken at after 5 weeks but before 7 weeks was their ability to develop bite inhibition so you need to be careful to teach your puppy that nips hurt. You can do this by yipping and walking away from the puppy when he bites too hard. This is what his litter mates and mother would've taught him during the extra week or two. You especially need to work on this because Huskies tend to be mouthy and German Shepherds tend to be stronger personalities. With a 3/4 and 1/4 breeding you're not going to see any real breed reliability. He's going to have some behaviors of the German Shepherd and some of the Husky but not a real blend of the behaviors or natural tendencies.
Good luck! (08/30/2010)
By VetGal
