I know someone here said they were a trainer or something and I am hoping for some help. We just got two adorable female toy shih tzu puppies on Friday. They are just babies - 10 weeks old. My problem is the night time. They don't sleep through the night and wake us up constantly. I understand they are little and have little bladders and I don't mind getting up once during the night to take them out. However they sleep together in a medium size wire kennel and when one wakes up the other one wakes up and the last 2 nights they were up during the night 4 times. Last night we tried having them sleep seperate, one in each girls room. The smallest one we put in an enclosed pet crate and the other slept in her usual kennel. We thought this way each girl would be responsible for their own dog during the night however the smallest one cried all night for her sister. But putting them together they wake each other up so I don't know what to do. What do I do? How do we handle this? Also just general potty training advice would be great. The smallest has accidents all the time but she also goes outside. The other one has only had a couple accidents. Each time it happens we tell them no and take them directly outside. What else should we be doing? I have a large pointer that is 5 years old and he was potty trained when we got him so this is new to me.
well girl I am no trainer here, but have your try putting a stuff animal in with each of them. That is what we always did with our puppies when we brought them home. The potty thing just take them out every two hours when you are around during the day.. and say what good girls for going potty outside build it up. Then cut back there water at night I don't know what time you all go to bed. But, I would cut back a couple of hours before you go to bed take them to the bathroom one more time... then when you get up in the morning give them water. They will be fine. In a week it all will be fine.
Yes they have a stuffed toy and pillow and soft blanket in each kennel/crate thing they sleep in. I don't know whether to keep them together at night (they wake each other up) or let them sleep apart (and have them cry for each other). The daytime potty training thing I'm not so worried about. I figure if we are consistent with them they will eventually get it. But at night........I can't keep them in my room like I did this weekend when Samantha was in Austin because they wake Dwayne up all night long and he has to get up for work early. So it has to be left up to the girls. I just don't know what is best. They are just too darn sweet and cuddly to get upset with. They look and sound like little squeaky toys! And at least when they do potty in the house it is a tiny puddle.
I....AM....THAT....HERO!!!....er, I mean...TRAINER!!!! (if you don't know Larry Boy, that just got a little awkward :lol: ) Such cuties!!! And I think I have your floors. I'd keep them separated at night in crates just big enough for them to stand up, turn around, and lay down in. Try keeping water from them at least 2 hours before bedtime. Take them out before you go to bed (I'm sure you are already doing this). A puppy should be able to hold their bladder for their age in months + 2. So right now they should be able to comfortably hold it for 4.5 hours. Other things you can do are cover the crate with a blanket and place them in the laundry room or other room away from you. It really won't hurt them to try to hold their bladders a bit longer than the standard formula. Just make sure to take them out early in the morning. As far as accidents during the day, we always kept our pups in the crates unless we could watch them all the time for signs of having to go to the bathroom. Another method is to tether them to your belt loop. This method does a lot in the way of instilling your leadership in their minds from the beginning, as they have to be at your side wherever you go just like they would with the pack leader in the wild.
I would keep them separate, eventually they will stop crying for each other and get used to their sleeping situation. As for housebreaking, make sure to take them outside as soon as they wake up and 30 minutes after they eat. My daughter's shih tzu is about 16 weeks old and he seems to have the hang of going out to potty now, so much easier to break than my Yorkie was! Congratulations, they are adorable!
3angelsmom you give me hope! lol! If yours is 16 weeks and has the hang of it then I know we can do this! Brooke! Yes you are the one! I could not remember who! Sorry! They really are such sweet little girls and they just love to be with each other. That is why I was asking about seperating them at night. It breaks my heart to hear one cry for the other. However if this is best then that is what we will do. I want to do the right thing for the puppies and us. These puppies do NOT hold their bladders that long BUT they don't want to potty in their crates so they try at night not to soil in there. Grace's puppy which is the one on the right in the picture is better about it and can hold it longer and is a bit larger than Samantha's puppy. Thank you for the advice and if you have any more PLEASE tell me!
Just for the heck of it here is a picture of my other baby. My BIG baby boy Gunner. He is a super sweet, super smart, wonderful family dog. He looks huge compared to the little ones.
They, the shih tzus , look like my mil's shih tzu! They are cute!!! Still, there is something in Gunner's eyes that melts my heart!
We got a Dashound about two months ago. I put her outside in the same spot every 30 minutes and said, "Go potty". I cut off food and water at 8pm. She sleeps through the night and has never had any accidents.
Patty - Gunner is my baby! He is such a ham for the camera too. He just has that sweetness in him that show in his eyes. So last night went better. We kept the puppies apart again and they did better. Gracie's dog went all night without accidents and she took her out around 6:45 this morning to potty. Samantha's dog did well too. She took her out once during the night and then again around 7am. After breakfast one of them pooped on the floor but I have no idea which one. I just keep having the girls take them out regularly and take them to the same spot to potty. These little angels just melt my heart! Gunner too!
Cute. Brooke has given good advice....but I would think a 2 month old pup is more likely to go about 3-4 hours tops. Remember they have itty-bitty bladders. What we always suggest is: Pups this age must be brought out when they awake from a long rest, after play, after food, before you go down for the night. Bring them to the same area each time to help reinforce it...and just like potty learning with a child...expect accidents.
If you take them outside every 30 minutes to the same spot and say go potty and praise them when they do, they will get it!
