my 12 wk old puppy behind in training

[IndyTulip]

this is only my first week w/ our new puppy full time...in a basement apartment.
i have kept a diary of everything that has happened...
the first 2 days good...went potty about 12-14 times and napped through out the day..
after the first 2 days....he is getting a bit more timid and less enthusiastic over his food.....
he is not on a leash, we gave him a bath...lil timid of kitchen sink now but i put him in there again just to let him eat a treat..breeder said he likes hair dryers...umm...no he did not......we tried exposing him to leash...gave up for now...
we gave him different and more treats than the breeder did ..she gave 2 milkbones at noon..i give natural peanut butter training treats, nutrident biscuits, a toro nylabone rawhide and a baked treat from petco
he sleeps at 10 wakes at 5..but now 6..
he sits and eats grass too much
he had ran into the front lawn and used it as his spot but now i fenced it off so he can't get there...
is he confused....now that we've taken some things away and tried to introduce him to new sounds and fears w/ treats?
he doesn't seem to respond to most of the commands i tried to treat him with..
we have succeeded in other areas though..he loves me and he loves his crate, loves to play, and usually goes in his spots.. and he knows where to go and where not to go inside. but he can't be controlled outdoors.

i'm trying to go back to square one with him and go back to his previous routine.....but is it too late? we are having a trainer come over tomorrow.

also is looking my whole face a bad habit..im' just tryting to show he is loved...

[Karlin]

I am not sure I understand what you are trying to say in some of your post (the small fragments of sentences make it a little confusing for me to understand maybe explain in more detail? )-- are you saying he goes outisde, but you don't have him on a lead, and he doesn't go where you want him to go? He needs to be on a lead and taken to where you want him to go, and over many weeks -- it takes time to train! He's also just a baby -- barely three months old, the equivalent of a toddler! -- he can only learn a few basic commands at this age and won't always remember what to do, just like a very small child.

Sounds like too many treats; really training treats should be tiny and be cautious with rawhides which can be dangerous. Too many treats willcause bowel problems like the runs (think of eating loads of stuff for small kids...).

Also: he is just a baby and way too young to be adept at housetraining or any other aspect of training. I really don't think you need to have a trainer in unless you feel very uncerrtain of how best to train (generally: NO punishment and scolding, instead focus on rewards for the desired behaviour and realise a tiny pup takes weeks to months to learn big concepts like housetraining ).

I'd really recommend downloading After You Get Your Puppy (free online copy of a wonderful, much praised book!) at www.dogstardaily.com, here:

http://www.dogstardaily.com/files/AF...ur%20Puppy.pdf

There's a lot of great advice on that site that will help you to understand the best ways to work with a pup and what kinds of expectations you might have as you patiently train your new addition. It's im[ortant to have a comprehensive guide such as this book for reference as it will truly answer most questions you have and help you get the adult dog you want. There are many important things that need to be done with puppies, at the right ages, so a guide is indespensible.

[chloe92us]

Sounds like he's less enthusiastic about his food because he's getting too many treats! Buy the super tiny training (liver or chicken) treats OR use his food as treats instead.

He's only 12 weeks old, so you really should not expect him to catch on to everything in ONE WEEK. When you take a pup to training class (which I HIGHLY suggest you do for training, socializing, and bonding reasons!) it takes 6 weeks or more for them to learn! Don't be too hard on him or yourself. Relax, take a deep breath, and enjoy him.

[Karlin]

Just rereading all that stuff you are giving him -- definitely WAAAAAAAY too much food. Stick with his scheduled meals, and some tiny treats for training that you subract from his overall amount of daily food or you will end up with an obese dog. The reason he is likely less enthusiastic about food is he is getting far more than he needs -- all in treats!! (no no no! like feeding kids on candy alone). Puppies are good at eating just what they need -- and he;'s likely getting all he needs in junk food at the moment. Get him on to a good quality kibble and healthy treats.

NB another approach a la the book I recommended is to use his meals as a way of treating for training -- rather than giving actual meals or extra types of food as treats. Whatever approach -- rein in the treats and focus on regular foods.

[Mindysmom]

At 10 months old Max mainly gets pieces of his kibble for treats. He's happy with it. I count it as part of his daily ration. Once in awhile I'll give a higher value treat to mix things up.

[IndyTulip]

thanks!
Didn't realize you are supposed to cut down on the reg. food then...
doesn't matter ..he doesn't eat it all anyway.
he doesn't seem to like to go potty in the sectioned off side lawn now..he wants to run free like he used to...so much for that take him out after 15 minutes after eats and drinks rule...it does not apply to this pup now.
maybe he'll see that w/ the scary leash he gets to go out front.

also beginning to think his crate is getting too small. he can turn around in it.. but his paws and tail stick out sometimes..he uses his plush toys as pillows ..he may be a bit cramped when sleeping..but he sleeps.

[IndyTulip]

oops, he threw up today...
i guess i saw this coming..he did a little dry heave i think the last 2 days
(the stomach was thumping)
then the trainer came over last night and he got lots of reward treats.
i will cut back a bit of food for a while even though we are only giving him nibbles or slices of the treats now