Advice for a new puppy owner?

I recently adopted a puppy from a family a little over two weeks ago and thought my life would be perfect. Gosh was I ever wrong. I had no idea, no clue really about how much this puppy would change my life. I have wanted a dog for years and have always been very patient, waiting for the right time and place in my life. My husband and I have been married almost a year, we've moved into our house and we feel totally settled. Except for now, we have this puppy that requires all of my time and attention. He's a GREAT little dog, a mini dachshund. He's loving and sweet and playful. I'm the problem. I take things so personally if he doesn't do stuff the way I want him to. For example, his eating is what set me off in the beginning because he refused to eat any sort of food that I gave him. I must have spent close to $50 of food at this point trying to see which kind he liked best. He's only 5 months and I worry that he's not eating enough for his growing body. I'm lucky if he'll eat one cup a day. He's 9 lbs. Also difficult for me is the potty training. He seems to be getting better, but I've been quick to learn that mini doxies are very stubborn! If I'm gone from the house longer than 6 hours, there's a guaranteed little accident waiting for me when I get home. I try to exercise him and walk him up to 3 times a day and make sure he goes potty every time I leave the house. I'm just a new puppy owner and I'm still learning. I've already seriously considered finding this puppy a better home because I feel like I'm the problem. I can't relax when I'm out of the house because I'm thinking worst case scenario when I get home. I don't trust him to walk around my house therefore he's confined to the kitchen and when I cant see him, I am worrying if he's going to have an accident. My main problem is that I'm taking things WAY too personally when it comes to having this puppy and I need to relax. Any advice?Advice for a new puppy owner?
Go to the pet store and buy a flat buckle collar that will fit the dog and a matching six-foot leash, a plastic airline-style crate just big enough for the dog to lie down in, and a large bottle of Nature's Miracle cleaner.





Go home. Put the collar on the dog.





Put the dog into the crate and close the door.





Clean every place where the dog has urinated or defecated with the Nature's Miracle. It takes away residual smell; dogs, especially males, like to go back to the scenes of old crimes.








New Routine:





The dog will be crated any time you can't watch him.





When you are home, he can come out of the crate, but then you will clip the leash onto his collar and fasten the other end to your belt, so he will always be near you and you will be able to see when he starts sniffing around for a place to squat.





Pup must be taken out frequently; you'd rather take him out, on his leash, and do nothing, then find him peeing on your shoe. He must go out every time you open the crate, play with him, feed hm or wake him from a nap.





In order to actually housebreak him, start carrying his favorite treats in your pocket or by the door you take him out. When he does his business outside, say, ';Hurry up, good boy';! When he's finished, tell him, ';Good hurry up!! Good boy!!'; and give him treats. Make a huge fuss over what he just did. Do it every time for at least a full 60 seconds. He'll think you're insane, but he'll take the prize. Trainers call it ';jackpotting'; --you're impressing on him how GREAT it is when he goes outside.





When you catch him making his mistake in the house, IGNORE him. Don't look at him, don't let him interact with you, turn your back if he comes near you. Don't talk to him. Take the leash off your belt and put him in the crate. Then just get the Nature's Miracle and clean it up.





Once the mess is cleaned up, the incident is over. Act as if nothing happened. Treat him as you would if nothing had happened. Put the leash back on your belt, resume your activities.





Keep on taking him out often, on a leash, so you notice when he does his business, so you don't miss a chance to treat and praise him. While you're at the door, you say, ';Want to go hurry up? Do you have to hurry up?'; I prefer the keyword ';hurry up'; to ';go potty'; --it's so much more dignified. :)





Eventually, he'll connect the keyword ';hurry up'; with relieving himself, and he may even go to the door to cue you. The first time he does that, jackpot him while still in the house, and then walk him outside and jackpot him again when he goes.Advice for a new puppy owner?
I walk him three times a day in addition to playing with him for several hours, broken up throughout the day. I'm a teacher so I'm conveniently not working this summer and therefore have a lot of time to work with him.

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TanteL just gave the best most thorough answer I have ever read. Great job! If you do shat she says you will have a perfectly, professionally trained dog with none of the cost and all of the glory!
You really should walk him more --- 3 times a day isn't enough, especially for a puppy. Does he ever go offleash?





What are you feeding him?
I would take a deep breath. All puppies are very time consuming and they take awhile to be potty trained. It's natural. First, as far as food goes, 1 cup is the max a small dog like yours should have. Dauschands are proned to get overweight and because of their built, it's a very bad idea. It can cause their stomachs to drag when they walk which will cause cuts and infections. Plus, they have bad backs when they get older. The less weight you put on him the better so please, no more than a cup a day. Another thing with the food, lay the food down for 15 minutes. If he doesn't eat within those 15 minutes, take the food away and feed him again in the evening. It might take a day or two but once he gets hungry he WILL eat and will eat what you put down when you put it down. You have to be the boss not the puppy.


Second, with the potty training, He could possibly be urinating as a seperation thing. You can try crate training him. Dogs seem to do well with crate training plus that is their safe haven. I'd try taking out the dog maybe an hour after he eats and drinks and when he does go outside, praise him to no end. It takes time to potty train them but it can be done.





Just take one day at a time. If owning a dog was always so stressful I'm sure there would be far less dog owners. He will learn soon enough just try your best to be patient with him. Good luck!
First of all--Congratulations! Raising a pup is alot more work than most of us realize.


I went through the same thing, almost 9 yrs ago with my rescued chihuahua mix. I crate trained him, and it made all the difference in the world. Pups come into the world knowing nothing--and they have to be taught what is expected of them.


Six hours is a long time for many dogs to 'hold it'. I live in an apartment on the top floor and use piddle pads for those times I can't get my little guy outside quickly enough.


It is good that you have him in one room when you're gone--they have to start out in a small area. As they get older, and potty-trained, you can give him more room. Don't give him run of the house yet!


You need to take some deep breaths--and have faith in the process. It takes patience. Potty training is probably the hardest thing about having a puppy.


Here is a link to mini dachshunds. the average weight in below 11 pounds.


How old is your new li'l one?


Pups need to be gradually introduced to a new food change.


Normally it is best to mix the old with a little of the new, and gradually increase the amount of the new food, til you phase the old food out.


Hope that makes sense.


best wishes to you and your new furbaby.
puppies for dummies book is a life saver haha i have a Australian Shepard puppy omigosh it takes so much energy we have been training her alot so it really good when she is annoying to just tell her to sit and she will do it:)


potty training is very difficult ,when he goes potty outside give him treats and love, if he goes inside as soon as he has done it dont say a word and take him outside, even though he does not need to go anymore...he will associate outside with potty time.


good luck it will all be worth it,....trust me!
Just like having a baby, be patient and buy lots of antibacterial wipes. Subscribe to the newspaper, buy a super play yard, make a circle out of it and lay down lots of paper, a bowl of water and a small bowl of puppy food. Insert puppy and go shopping or out to dinner.


PS: puppies need to go potty a gazillion times a day (just kidding) but they do go when they wake up, after they eat before they go to bed. Watch him, he does have a schedule. time it from the time he eats to when he goes, when he gets up to when he goes (mine go as soon as they wake up). Enjoy, it's not you - it's trying to read his mind that's frustrating.
If he only weighs 9#s a cup a day will be enough, dogs will not let themselves starve.Go buy yourself a small crate, then you won't have to stress about what he is doing while you are away. he will be safe and sound in his crate.(and so will your house).Confining him to your kitchen when you are busy is ok just make sure you spend enough time with him.Dogs will have accidents occasionally, just clean it up and go on.


Puppies are great practice for motherhood..:)OH yeah I almost forgot 6-8 hours is a long time for these small dogs even if they are fully housebroke and completely grown, but the crate should help with that.
First one cup of food is enough for a 20# dog if this is a premium food. You don't want your mini dachshund to get fat. A 9# dog only needs 1/2 cup of good quality food a day. Once you get the feeding down, some of your house training problems may get better too. You might want to buy a good book of general puppy care. Puppies for Dummies is a god place to start.


Confinement isn''t a bad thing either.
you need to get a kennel when you leave the house put the dog in the kennel when you come home take it out immediately. how old is the dog? it may just be that he's young and is still growing into his body and being able to hold it for long periods of time. when you do take it out and it uses the bathroom outside give it a treat or play with it's favorite toy. also, when you leave the house pick up the food and don't put it back down until you come home and can watch the dog.