Hello, First, know that being your shadow is quite normal with puppies this age - you are their safe space. Working on Crate training to build independence can help, teaching Place and working on pup working up to longer periods of time staying on place with a chew toy, and teaching Out - which means move away, are good ways to begin building independence. Stay consistent about insisting pup sleep in the crate at night and when you aren't home, even though pup prefers your feet, to help with potty training, prevent destructive chewing habits, keep pup safe, make future travel and boarding easier, and build independence some to prevent adult separation anxiety. Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O75dyWITP1s Out - which means leave the area: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-the-out-command/ Surprise method - if you need additional crate training help. https://wagwalking.com/training/like-a-crate Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Nov. 28, 2022

Hello, Since you will be going back to leaving home soon and that will be your normal schedule, I would generally keep to training consistent with your regular routine. With that said, you can do a bit of both. You can get an exercise pen and a wire pen and actually connect the pen onto the crate, making the crate like a den attached to the pen, so pup has a sleeping/calm area and is getting used to the crate for future crate use, and have an indoor potty inside the general exercise pen area for pup to come out of the crate and be able to use while still being safely confined without access to the rest of your home. Check out this article I have linked below. You would of course close the second door on the crate that let's pup out into the main area of your home when not supervising pup or home, to keep them inside. The crate and pen setup together and a dog food stuffed chew toy are great ways to set up a puppy's area, especially one who will be staying in it often. Additionally, I personally prefer using grass pads instead of pee pads too, simply because they transition to potty training outside later more easily, and puppies tend to confuse them with carpet and rugs less often, but you can certainly use a pee pad instead if it's currently working well for you. https://fydogtraining.com/training-tips/2018/3/15/5-ideas-to-make-your-puppys-setup-amazing At this age, puppies tend to nap about every forty-five minutes. In an ideal world pup would have either training, playtime, other exercise, affection, meals, or an interactive toy to play with about every hour and a half throughout the day. Most puppies with our schedules realistically don't get that, but the closer you can get to that type of routine the more pup will enjoy it; whatever your schedule allows, just try to make good use of time with pup when you can, keeping that time more interactive with training, toys, play, exercise, or your company and attention, will go a long way toward a happy, well adjusted puppy, even if that means morning, evening and weekends most weeks. Check out the Surprise method from the article I have linked below. You will need to use the playpen for pottying when you are gone for long days, so that will need to be the norm, but when you are home, you can certainly practice the Surprise method in the crate, pen, or both, to help him get used to that time alone confined. Surprise method: https://wagwalking.com/training/like-a-crate Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Oct. 13, 2022

Hello Sam, It sounds like pup needs to be crate trained and crated at night for a few months to build the habit of holding it overnight and prevent accidents along the way. As long as the accidents continue due to pup's unsupervised freedom at night, pup isn't likely to make any progress with potty training at night. The confined space of a properly set up crate utilizes pup's natural instinct to keep a confined space clean, to motivate pup to hold it. At this age I would expect pup to be able to hold it 8 hours. Remove all food and water two hours before bed though. No water overnight. Make sure pup has access to water often during the day instead. In another month or two pup will probably be able to hold it up to 10 hours overnight in the crate. If pup whines to be taken outside after having been outside at least 7 hours earlier, then I would take pup outside to go potty on leash since pup may genuinely need to go after that long, and you don't want accidents in the crate. Keep these potty trips super boring; with pup on leash, little talking, no feeding, and no play, then straight back to the crate to go back to bed if it's not the time you want pup to learn to sleep until in the morning. When you set up the crate, until pup is fully potty trained at night also, don't put anything absorbent in the crate. Instead, you can use something like www.primopads.com or k9ballistics non absorbent crate mats for padding. Size the crate so that its big enough pup can stand up, turn around, and lie down, but not so big pup could go potty in one end and stand in the opposite end to avoid the accident. It needs to be sized to encourage that desire to keep a confined space clean. Have the crate either somewhere where you can hear pup if they ask to go out to go potty in the early morning, or use an audio baby monitor to listen out for pup, to avoid pup having an accident in the crate. In another month or two and once pup is crate trained, pup likely won't need to be let out at all during the night or early morning. You might find that when you remove food and water two hours before bed and pup gets used to holding it for long in the crate, pup might be able to make it through the whole night right now - but that depends on the specific dog. The general rule is pup's age in months plus one, with eight hours being the maximum once pup is awake, and ten if they stay asleep and don't wake early. If she is not already used to a crate expect crying at first. When she cries and you know she doesn't need to go potty yet, ignore the crying. Most dogs will adjust if you are consistent. You can give her a food stuffed hollow chew toy to help her adjust and sprinkle treats into the crate during times of quietness to further encourage quietness. If she continues protesting for long periods of time past three days, you can use a Pet Convincer. Work on teaching "Quiet" but using the Quiet method from the article linked below. Tell her "Quiet" when she barks and cries. If she gets quiet and stays quiet, you can sprinkle a few pieces of dog food into the crate through the wires calmly, then leave again. If she disobeys your command and keep crying or stops but starts again, spray a small puff of air from the Pet convincer at her side through the crate while saying "Ah Ah" calmly, then leave again. If she stays quiet after you leave you can periodically sprinkle treats into the crate to reward her quietness. Quiet method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bark Only use the unscented air from the Pet Convincers - don't use citronella, it's too harsh and lingers for too long so can be confusing. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

March 28, 2022