[Marian]

Go to the pet store and get some freezable puppy toys. They help a lot.

Also, Nylabone products are good, especially the ones that smell like meat. I also used braided bully sticks. I had no problems with furniture-chewing. The bully stick was huge, but while my sister's lab devoured one in less than an hour, Teddy took about a month to chew his down to nothing.

Good luck, it's a very trying time but it will be over soon.

 

[jonesbv]

Thank you very much.
He has several toys but hasn't found a favorite one yet.

 

[Marian]

If he's chewing on wires, you might want to also pick up a bottle of Bitter Apple or Bitter Yuck. They both taste gross (I tasted them) and deter wire chewing. They both evaporate after a while, so you have to keep spraying, but he should catch on pretty quickly that wires=yuck.

 

[cbrand]

Puppies are like toddlers, they have to be watched constantly. Is this a case of Frankie chewing on the couch right in front of you or doing it while you are trying to make dinner? If you are with him and he will not leave something alone, I find that a squirt bottle does wonders.

Since you can't possibly watch Frankie all the time, what are you doing with him when you are otherwise occupied? Are you tethering Frankie to yourself or confining his space? When I am not directly interacting with a puppy, I like to use baby gates and X-pens and crates to keep a puppy in a certain area. This helps with house training too.

Also, based on your previous posts, I'm very worried about the fact that you are leaving Frankie home alone for 12 hours a day, 5 days a week. A Toy at 9 weeks should be eating AT LEAST 3 TIMES A DAY and probably 4 times. Toys can suffer from hypoglycemia and this can lead to seizures. (Where did this dog come from? Did your breeder not tell you this?)

Have you hired a pet sitter to come in during the day? Frankie may be using piddle pads now, but you are going to have to move to real house training at some point and this means learning bladder control. A puppy can be crated during the day for as many hours as it is months old + 1. So Frankie could be crated at this age for 3 hours at a stretch, but he would need to be taken out 4 times during your work day. Do you have friends and neighbors who could help you with this?

 

[Marian]

I forgot about that part - I didn't have to leave Teddy unattended any time at all because he has gone to work with me every day since I brought him home.

Please don't think I'm being judgmental, because I would never do that, but seriously, puppies that young need socialization, even if it's just being with you. To leave him alone for that many hours every day is going to lead you to more trouble down the line. I have a neighbor who leaves his Maltese puppy home alone for only 4-5 hours at a time 5 days per week, and even that seems to be too long. He barks a lot and seems very insecure. It has to be scary to come from an environment of having your Mom to snuggle up to to being thrown into a strange place with no one else around.

Please check into bringing him to work with you, at least occasionally. I wish you the best of luck, but this is one of the main reasons I waited 20 years to get another dog.

Again, I don't want you to interpret this as me being judgmental--I'm just a little concerned about your puppy.

 

[Olie]

I agree with cbrand on paragraphs 1,2 & 4. I have forgotten or not read previous posts so I cannot elaborate on 3 to much., but I made the same comments to another poodle member about a month ago. The puppy needs you. Some recommendations would be someone to help, dog walker or someone to spend time when you can't.

Although not a big fan of this for long hours but bigger confined crate area would be ok if you can train on potty pads and have food (limited to portions and water available off to another side. Also SAFE toys that cannot be eated for the teething. It's safer and will put you at more ease. I give my dogs ice cubes too they love them.

The water bottle - I lived by for a while on a few behavior issues.
Confined area means safe pup and house!

 

[jonesbv]

Thank you, will do.

 

[jonesbv]

Frankie has been crate trained prior to coming to me according to the lady I bought him from. He has a pen with a crate inside the pen....one area is his living area and the other is for using the potty patch. He is doing quite well, very intelligent. I am going to hire a sitter to come in at noon to play with him and to make sure he's okay. He's special and very lovable. Thanks for your concern

 

[Olie]

Frankie has been crate trained prior to coming to me according to the lady I bought him from. He has a pen with a crate inside the pen....one area is his living area and the other is for using the potty patch. He is doing quite well, very intelligent. I am going to hire a sitter to come in at noon to play with him and to make sure he's okay. He's special and very lovable. Thanks for your concern

Thats a good thing. I'm glad to hear it, patience is a virtue