toilet training, house training puppies

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Location: Singapore

A veterinary surgeon at www.toapayohvets.com and founder of a licensed housing agency for expatriate rentals and sales at www.asiahomes.com

Saturday, October 21, 2006

424. A protruding sideways abdomen - 2 pups entangled

PROTRUDING ABDOMEN -- ENTANGLED PUPS IN UTERINE BODY

Singapore breeders want the least veterinary cost. No fanciful ultrasonic scans. In this case, the dam looked as if she had more than 3 pups as the abdomen was stretched sideways and protruding.

"X-rays are not reliable," the breeder had confirmed that the X-rays taken at another vet practice showed 3 pups. For this breeder, X-rays were routinely used.

She phoned for an elective Caesarean as there was long straining by the dam. On the way to the Surgery a small pup was born.

"Do you want a Caesarean?" I asked. This dam sure looked as if she had more than 3 pups because of the protruding abdomen.

On Caesarean, I had great difficulty getting out the pup. I made a bigger than my usual incision in the skin and inner layer --- 1 cm longer --- since the 2 pups were both in the uterine body and it was too difficult to take one out. I saw a water bag with fresh reddish blue blood.

Unusual. I had done nearly a hundred Caesareans and had not encountered this. The umbilical cord had ruptured. There was no time to waste.

The large pup came out with the umbilical cord 3/4 ruptured. So, the bleeding in the water bag was due to the rupture of the cord blood vessels.

Nature always surprise the veterinarian.

"2 pups left. An easy Caesarean," I thought.




It was good that all 3 pups were strong and active. The market value for these high quality Miniature Schnauzers would be around S$2,000 per pup. If the breeder had been complacent or not decisive, only 1 out of 3 pups could be alive. But this is an experienced breeder.

So, the ending was a happy one. A protruding sideways abdomen, without the fanciful ultrasonic scan, would indicate that the 2 pups had entangled and struggling to be forced out. However, the birth canal was not able to let both out at the same time.
The breeder's elective Caesarean saved the 2 pups.

As to the bloody vaginal discharge after the first pup was born, this might be a sign that something was not right with the dam.

In this case, the breeder was happy. The pups were very beautiful and of high quality stock.

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

423. Hand signs for the deaf puppy - Repetitions needed for training.

Toilet Training Your First Puppy in Singapore

For the first 8 - 16 weeks, puppies grow fast and are able to absorb learning without the clutter of distractions that happen for older puppies.

However, the first-time puppy owners have great difficulty understanding and communicating with the puppies.

Hard spanking from the owner in obedience and toilet training are still being practised. Sometimes it is effective. Each puppy is unique. For aggressive male puppies like the Shih Tzus, spanking provokes aggressive biting back the hand that feeds them!

HOW TO SHOW YOUR PUPPY A SIGN
When do you first introduce a sign? It varies with the situation. Sometimes, before, sometimes during and sometimes after an occurrence will help to make the association clearer.

In toilet training, most modern dog training books recommend before the puppy eliminates. Carry the puppy to the toilet area and say "Pee here." Rewards and praises.

Some owners in my research have success after the accident using spanking and scolding. They bring the puppy to the accident spot and say "No".

Each puppy behaves differently, is at different stage of mental development and so there is no fixed guideline.

BARKING past midnight. It may be a means of telling the owner to come and change the soiled newspapers inside the crate.

SCRATCHING on the door of the crate to get out. Some puppies use the crate as a clean sleeping and eating area. Scratching furiously at the door of the crate is to tell the owner he wants to get out and go to the bathroom or designated toilet area. Not inside the cage.

PEEING in front of a closed door. PEEING on the floor mat placed outside the door. Accidents happen here commonly in my survery. This "favoured areas" mean that the puppy has no choice but to eliminate there as the owner is not aware of the signs.

TURNING, SQUATTING, SNIFFING THE FLOOR. Some of the signs that the puppy wants to eliminate. Shouting stops the process sometimes. Carry the puppy quickly to the toilet area. Praise and reward if he responds. Repeat your sign and command. Some puppies learn faster than others. But most learn by 4 weeks if the owner has time to interact and train.

CLICKER METHOD. Sound and signs and praises. Effective in many cases.

DEAF PUPPIES. Hand signs are the means of communication with them. They associate an action with your hand sign. Get rewards and praises. Motivated to learn.

WHEN TO START HAND SIGNALS?

On the first day you bring the puppy home. The puppy will be around 8 - 12 weeks.
All puppies observe the owner's face for signs.

Daily activities like eating,drinking, changing soiled newspapers or the puppy wanting attention and going out for exercise.

WHICH SIGNS TO START?
Hand signal to "Sit" before giving the puppy food in his food bowl. The hand sign may be pointing your index finger towards the floor before giving the food. When the puppy sits, you say "Good dog" and give the food.

Most owners waste this opportunity as they are not aware that before giving the food is the best time to teach obedience training.

You can use signs to satisfy the puppy's needs and desires. Young puppies have basic needs of food, water, clean area to sleep and love. How do you do use hand signals to communicate with the puppy?

If the puppy can connect the experience to your sign and gets rewarded with the response he wants, he will be motivated to learn more signs. However, you need to repeat many times over several days to be successsful.

Repeat your sign every time you give a command. Hug the puppy or reward if he responds.

REPETITION is the key to success for most puppies. You need to spend time to interact with your puppy for the first 2 weeks. No time means a messy puppy. Training needs to be short and fun. Most effective obedience training such as "SIT" is done before feeding as puppy focus full attention on the owner.

NOTES

* In general, the more your puppies see a sign, the faster they will learn it.
* Be patient. All puppies are different in mental development.
* Have fun in teaching. Read more dog training books.
* Many puppies learn fast with SIT signs as their first sign.
* Puppies cannot sign back like babies. But they can bark to tell you it is dinner time.
* Make signs when the puppy has eye-to-eye contact with you.
* Repeating and reinforcing your signs. Be patient and consistent. Don't show frustration as training is meant to be fun for you and your puppies. Look for situations where you can use a sign. During meal times, give half as much food. When the puppy finishes and ask for more by looking at you, use your hand signal to command "SIT" before giving more food.
* Speak in short sentences as the puppy cannot understand too many words. Good English may not be practical for puppies. E.g. Point your index finger to the newspapers, say "Pee pee" rather than "Please go to the newspapers to pee."

Monday, October 16, 2006

422. Night-time Control of Bladder & Bowel

Toilet Training Your First Puppy in Singapore

Not easy task to ask the puppy to masterthe involuntary muscles when they are asleep. Esp. if puppy has just mastered daytime control.

1. Will take time to develop control.This varies.
2. Restrict water intake, esp before bedtime.
3. Encourage more drinking during daytime.
4. Use the toilet before sleeping. Repeat again before lights out.
5. Night-lights from bed to the bathroom.
6. Just pee pan plus paper near the crate.
7. Change soiled Newspapers before sleeping and wake up at 4 am to change soiled papers if puppy barks.
8. Puppy diapers if you cannot get up to changing soiled newspapers in the middle of the night.
9. Alarm clock to wake you up?

Sunday, October 15, 2006

421. Problems encountered in toilet training

Toilet Training Your First Puppy in Singapore

1. Purposely not pooping on newspapers but will pee on them.
Suggestion--Don't scold or yell at the puppy. Too much pressure on the puppy.
Observe, tell him to "poop" on newspapers.
Change soiled newspapers
Do not distract him within one hour after eating so he can poop.

2. Puppy wants to play with his faeces.
Rare cases, eat the stools too.
Too unsanitary, worms infestation.
Careful supervision during and after pooping.

3. When the puppy regresses.Not ready or stressed.
Stressed by new puppy.
Change of new environment. Moving apartment.

4. When the puppy refuse to use the toilet.
Too much pressure--puppy need to assert some kind of control

Owners need to remove the pressure and let the puppy go to the toilet.

5. Puppy use newspapers at home but not at a friend's place or outdoors.
Not comfortable to use the toilet. Anyone is nearby, Hold it until he gets home.