New Puppy Next Weekend

[Mark0078]

First post here and looking for some advice with our new guy coming next Saturday.

Winston will be 9 weeks when we pick him up on Saturday and we're pretty excited. The last dog I had was a Pit/Lab mix and passed away early '08. However, I got him at 1.5 years old so having a new puppy (as an adult) is a new experience for me.

I'm wondering how long it took to housebreak your Cairn's?

I have the crazy idea that (since I'm taking PTO the entire next week) I can find a lot of success early on. I think I'm pretty good with dog training and understanding their thinking and all, but wonder how that works during their early development.

Also, what type of food do you recommend? (picked up a small bag of IAM's small breed puppy, my pit loved the adult larger version)

Background on the environment, just me, my wife, our 16 month old daughter and a 9 year old declawed, well behaved cat (she's in for a surprise....thought she was free for the last year!) Would like to housebreak in the large, fenced-in, partially wooded backyard.

What do you think about the housebreaking time and food? (pic is from our 5 week visit)

Thanks,

Mark

[jennilando]

I don't know much about IAMs food, but I swear by Purina One. My vet told me to watch out for dogfood that is mostly fillers. As for housebreaking, I honestly don't remember because it was ten years ago! But cairns are really really smart so by giving him your undivided attention during your time off, you'll probably be able to get a really good start.

Winston looks like a cutie! Congratulations.

[The Cairn Farm]

Chloe came to us already worked with as far as the potty training goes and had it down 100% after 3 weeks. Probably would have had it sooner, but it never failed as soon as I got in the shower, but 2 year old would let her out and then come and tell me she peed. UGH! Oh well! As far as the food goes, Chloe started out on Purina Pro Plan and I finally figured out she was allergic to it. We use Eagle Pack Hollistic and even though its more expensive, she eats alot less of it. So I think it evens itself out. Cairn can struggle with allergies so from what I have learned the less grains you have the better.

[Dixieandme]

Our puppy is 5 mo............and we feed her Wellness puppy and she loves it( it is wheat and grain free) also use puppy treats that are grain free...

[jimnconnie]

CAIRNGRATULATIONS, on your new puppy! You're in for a lot of fun & some frustration in the days ahead for sure. For house-training, I'd suggest you use the "search" function at the bottom of this page, and look for "crate training". Crates are a Godsend for puppy owners. You'll also need lots of patience, and you'll have to be consistent in your methods (outside for potty first thing in the AM, after meals, after waking from naps, after play-sessions, just before bedtime). When you take Winston out for potty, always take him to the same spot. He will recognize the odors from his previous trips and understand this is where he is to do his business. Always praise & give him a treat after he is successful in going potty outdoors. If you see him sniffing, circling, or looking for a place to go in the house, scoop him up and take him outside. If he has an accident in the house that you didn't witness, don't scold, or punish him, just clean it up with a good enzyme cleaner to eliminate any odor. As for food, try to find a puppy food that is free of corn, beet pulp, chicken-by-products. These are fillers that provide little, if any, nutritional value. Rice & oatmeal are a couple of acceptable grains. Wheat and other grains are suspected of causing allergies, and Cairns are known to be susceptible to allergies. You've got a lot of work ahead of you, but the rewards are worth it. You & Winston have a lot of happy years in you future. Good Luck !!

Jim

[Hawkeye]

Welcome to the forum...you will find plenty of reading material on this site that can help you. Congratulations on acquiring your Cairn (next week). What a cutie! House breaking a cairn can be a challenge, but with time it will all work out. I found it can take 6 to 9 months until they are completely trained. I got Bailey when he was 8 months old and thought he was trained, but found he still needed some more work. I feed our dogs California Natural and like the others said this food doesn't contain a lot grain and by products so they end up needing less food in the long run.

Good luck.

[i_love_my_puppy]

I'm so excited for you, i remember the day we got him i could hardly sleep the night before!! Winston is adorable. For what its worth, i too thought i was good with dogs having handled laerger breeds and showing dobermans etc then along came Flynn ...the smallest dog i've ever had with the biggest personality Whilst Cairns are very fiesty and strong willed (be prepared to have several bite marks and scars on your hands in the coming weeks) I have learned very quickly that they are incredibly sensitive wee dogs so a very calm and quiet approach has yielded the best results for me. When he jumps my arm to play fight (which he has done since day 1 and has caused me more frustration than anything on earth because he HURTS ) I now simply say "no" VERY quietly and he stops immediately...oh the joy of it!!!!!! If i raise my voice and say "NO" he comes back at me harder than before. I'm giving you the benefit of my hellish experience because i know you will come to a point where you think "what have i done" lol...we've all been there. You have got yourself the best wee pal in the world and he will be worth all the pain and frustration over the puppy months. There's lots of support on this forum which i why i joined recently. It;s always good to know you are not alone with these little gremlins!! Enjoy every second of your new pup!

[cairnsby3]

Hopefully the breeder will give you some of the food that he has been eating, most do. I second the crate training. Years ago no one used them, thought they were cages, but they are really good things for keeping puppy out of trouble. If they are used to them as puppies, even if you don't use them often, they come in handy in later life, safety in the car, staying in motels, visiting friends when the puppy/dog needs to be out of the way for awhile, vet stays, etc.

[Mark0078]

Thanks for all the feedback! It sounds like there are a lot of food options out there, so I guess I'll see how he does after I adjust him to the IAM's and go from there with some high quality grub.

I did pick up a Midwest 24x18 crate with the divider panel for when he's a puppy + a small bed liner (which I'm already prepared not to last long!) I will use the search function and read on about the crate training, also have a few books that are decent too. My pit used to go into his crate without much of an issue but never seemed super excited about it. I'm looking forward to see if I can work with Winston to actually enjoy going in at night and while I'm away.

Set up his first vet visit for next Monday, so I'm sure I'll have some updates after that.

Thanks!

[pkcrossley]

fantastic advice from all. i think the consensus here is that crate training is the shortest route. ilmp's advice is priceless: be calm, talk quietly, and train yourself do deal with all manner of surprises and frustrations without getting yourself lathered up. a cairn, even a tiny puppy, who realizes he or she can get you fussed, worried, angry and impatient is going to feel that you can be pushed around. stay calm, and remember it takes a long time to raise a cairn.

on food: it is probably worth researching the best quality food that appeals to your dog. iams/eukanuba is not in the best category. a very high quality food will save you a pile of money and worry, and will save your puppy unnecessary discomforts or worse.

[jimnconnie]

I did pick up a Midwest 24x18 crate with the divider panel for when he's a puppy + a small bed liner (which I'm already prepared not to last long!)

If this is the first time you have used a crate for a puppy, make sure to use the divider. Leave your boy only enough room to stand up, turn around, & lie down in the crate. If you give him too much room he will use one end of the crate for a bathroom, and the other end to lie down in. Normally, a dog will not soil his sleeping place if he has a choice, and will hold it until he can get out of the crate. If the bed liner you have is too large you can use a folded up towel or blanket temporarily.

Jim