We had made it through our first week. We were beginning to sleep appx 3 hours at a time during the night! We had a feeding routine. We had a bathroom routine. I had learned to keep a little Supply Caddy of all the necessary supplies close by because you never knew when you needed them at moment's notice. In my Supply Caddy were:
1. Paper towels
2. Bathroom tissue
3. Sanitary wipes
4. A chew toy
5. Diluted white vinegar
RULE #7 - Keep a "Supply Caddy" within a few feet at all times!
Terrible Two's #1
Things were looking bright. The only problem was that this little puppy didn't understand that her teeth were like sharp little needles. She didn't realize that when she was playing with me, she was hurting me. She had actually drawn blood three times and my arm was riddled with puncture marks and bruises. I looked like a heroin addict and was embarrassed to leave the house without long sleeves.
I turned to the internet for answers. According to the experts, it is important to not use negative responses like pinning the dog down, holding its snout, spanking the dog, yelling at the dog, etc. Apparently, those tiny razor sharp teeth were intended by nature to allow these little demons to tear up their first meat when their mothers weaned them from milk and introduced hard food. Unfortunately, Harleigh's first taste of flesh was my arms and hands.
When the puppy gets too rough:
Step 1: Firmly say "No biting". Move your hand away. Put your hand back (like waving a red cape in front of a mad bull). When the puppy licks you, shower them with love and positive comments. If there is a bite, make a loud "Ow!" sound and say "No Biting". Make sure the tones of your voice are distinguishable between positive comments and negative scolding. They shouldn't be able to misinterpret your meaning.
Step 2: Have something else that is appropriate to chew on and hold that for them to chew and bite. (I keep a little blue rubber teething bone.) Praise the puppy when they chew the correct item. Go back to Step 1 if they prefer the taste of your skin and blood.
Step 3: When this fails, stop handling the puppy and remove yourself from the situation. Puppies want that interaction. They want to be with you and they want your attention. In a litter, if a puppy is hurt during play, they stop playing and go somewhere else and lay down away from the aggressor. It trains the puppy to understand what is unacceptable behavior.
It is important to distract you puppy from negative behavior. I have enough toys to always have something within reach. She has four different chew toys now.
My problem with Harleigh seems to be that she gets overstimulated. When she plays, she is wide open. She gets overexcited and doesn't realize what she is doing. Things were going very well and then she got to playing very hard. When I picked her up, she bit my face below my lip drawing blood. I reacted the opposite to everything the internet suggested and one little, white, furry bottom got tore up. She hasn't bit my face since. Even though I knew better, I reacted from pain and anger.
BUT did I ever feel remorse and regret! As the old saying goes, "It hurt me much more than it hurt her."
Terrible Two's #2
Harleigh's behavior was becoming a concern. She was just playing too hard. I was afraid she was becoming too aggressive. I am so glad I have good internet speed!
Apparently, it is important to establish yourself as the alpha in your pack. I just assumed that went without saying since I outweighed this little thing by almost 50 to 1.
But it seems that I was making some mistakes. Here are some strange but true guidance rules for establishing your dominance.
1. You should always enter through any door first. The alpha always goes first.
2. You eat before the puppy. Not at the same time. First. The puppy has to see you eat and finish before he/she gets fed. The alpha always eats first and what is leftover goes to the rest of pack.
3. You determine when it is playtime, when it is bedtime.
4. The puppy has to get used to your absence. You cannot come running every time she whimpers, whines, or barks. You do not let her out of the crate for this behavior unless it is to go to the potty. You are available to her on your schedule.
Rule #8: Establish yourself as the alpha in your pack!
Terrible Two's #3
My husband and I made some rookie mistakes when we got Harleigh home. We had allowed some behaviors that we thought were cute at the time, but those behaviors got old very quickly. One of them was that she liked to bite and pull on pants legs.
Another was chewing on shoestrings and untying them. We thought she was a little Houdini.
Both of these behaviors became difficult habits to break. Again, we had to use the four strategies above. She is slowly showing improvement.
Terrible Two's #4
This one will make you cringe. I caught Harleigh eating her own poop. Now, what's up with that!?
According to the internet, this isn't that uncommon. They even make products that you can sprinkle on her food or chew tablets that will make her poop very bitter and undesirable.
Puppies will eat their poop for various reasons. Mother dogs eat their puppies' poop to clean up after them and keep them safe. (GROSS!) They will eat their poop to hide their scents from predators. The food may be so rich in minerals and proteins that some of it can remain in the waste and be desirable for consumption.
I spoke directly to my vet about this one. She said it was extremely important to no scold her. She would misinterpret that for making a bowel movement being a bad thing. You can't make using the bathroom a negative experience. That is why you should never scold a puppy for mistakes or "rub their nose" in their mess.
The most important thing is to stay calm. Watch your bet carefully when he/she is sniffing around or whimpering (signs of going to the bathroom). When the puppy goes #2, you praise it. You have tissue handy and distract them with a toy while you dispose of the waste.
This actually worked beautifully! I got an extra sock that I carried around in my pocket with some tissue. When she goes poopy, I praise her, take out the sock and drag it into the kitchen while she chases it, throw the sock down, go back to the scene of the crime and quickly dispose of the evidence.
Harleigh is very smart though. She was curious and wanted to see what I do with this. I let her follow me into the bathroom where I threw the mess in the toiled and flushed it. Then I got her a treat.
Since the first time I caught her doing this, I've been very consistent with how I handle it. She has responded so well that she can actually make #2 and will come let me know, so I can dispose of it and give her a snack. No powders, pills, or chemicals were necessary.
Terrible Two's #5
Out of sight, out of mind needs to be your daily mantra. When Harleigh realized she wouldn't be biting pants, shoestrings, shoes, arms, hands, legs, and faces, she needed to take her teething pain out on something else. She started chewing the window sills and cabinet corners. EVEN WITH AN ABUNDANCE OF CHEW TOYS!
We had to put boxes and gates around all the windows. She finally gave up. She even tries to chew chair legs. I'm afraid to use deterrents for fear it may give her diarrhea.
Terrible Two's #6
I have become worried about the number of times Harleigh tinkles every day. I know she is just a puppy, but I am finding her going more often than I think is healthy. BUT she also drinks a lot of water.
She plays very hard. She jumps, runs, rolls, tackles. Then she drinks water. Then she tinkles. If it were a real problem, I would think she couldn't last three hours during a naptime without going, right?
According to the internet, a puppy should consume as much as 1/2 - 1.5 ounces of water per pound of body weight. I started monitoring her water consumption. During her 9 week vet visit for her shots, she had gained almost 11 ounces in one week and was up to 4 lbs. She easily consumes 8 ounces of water each day.
It is on my list for my next Vet visit. As helpful as the internet can be, it can also cause an owner to worry.
I have fondly said that I have a West Highland White Terror living with me. But she is a sweet little girl. We just need to get through these tough times.
Miss Harleigh sleeps about as hard as she plays!
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