Blog

Hi! We have a super sweet podenco puppy, around 5–6 months old. We don’t know her exact age because she was found as part of a litter in the mountains.

She started teething about a month ago with the incisors, but now it’s really kicking off: both upper baby canines are gone, the lower ones are about to go and has the adult fangs already next to them, and even molars seem to be coming in. She’s literally losing about one tooth a day, so it feels like we’re right in the middle of the heavy phase.

It definitely affects her. She’s biting a lot more, seems uncomfortable, and even has an upset gut (we suspect from swallowing blood, plus some vet stress). On top of that, she’s showing what feel like early “teenager” traits already, loads of sniffing outside (very sighthound), more stubbornness (i hear you but whatever i want this stick), and she sleeps less deeply and more restlessly. (I reckon because of the pain)

My question:

• How long did this phase last for your pup?

• Did your pups show early teenage behaviour during teething, and did it come in waves?

• Any tips to help her through the teething?

She loves ice cubes, which seem to help a bit 😅

Would love to hear your experience.

Thanks!

I really need help — I feel like our potty training has completely regressed.

Last weekend I posted here and followed the advice I got: I removed the pee pads on Sunday night and blocked the areas where she used to pee. Since then, things have gotten worse instead of better and I feel defeated.

Updates this week:

• Monday night: I found pee in a new spot in the apartment.

• Tuesday morning: we went outside and she peed, but when we came back inside she jumped on the bed, started digging, and then peed on the duvet.

• Work days: I leave from 9am–4pm. Some days I come home and there’s pee, some days there isn’t.

• Wednesday: she didn’t want to pee before bed, and I woke up at 2:40am to find she had already peed the bed.

• Thursday night / Friday morning (today): she refused to pee before bed again, and when I woke up there was pee on the bedroom floor.

I always take her out before bed around 10pm.

Poop is another issue I can’t figure out at all — it feels random and I can’t get her on a schedule or get her to consistently go outside.

About her routine:

She’s a 7-month-old dachshund puppy.

• Wake up: ~6–6:30am

• Breakfast: 7–7:30am (she often doesn’t want to eat right away)

• Potty: 8:30am before I leave for work

• Alone: 9am–4pm

• Potty when I return: ~4pm

• Dinner: 7–8pm

• Last potty: ~10pm before bed

I praise and reward when she pees outside. I removed pads because she was still using them even when I was home and taking her out.

Also — in the last few days there were two days where she didn’t pee inside at all and held it until I got home. Is that a sign of progress, or just random?

Right now I feel like everything regressed after removing the pads and I don’t know what I’m doing wrong — especially with poop timing and the accidents.

Any advice on:

1) Whether removing pads was the right move

2) How to stop peeing inside at random places

3) How to build a reliable poop schedule

4) What I might be missing in her routine

Thank you — I’m trying to do this right but feeling stuck.

Hi, we’ve had our puppy for 1.5 months. She’s a black lab/AmStaff mix but there’s a good chance there’s some pit in there, too.

She has downstairs and overnight potty training down pat. Downstairs she rings a bell to be let out. Overnight we originally had her crated but lately she’s been sleeping in our bed. In the morning she goes straight outside. No accidents.

Here’s the problem: when I’m going about my day if I have to be upstairs I let her out, she goes, then I leash her to me and we go upstairs. And… sometimes within minutes she pees up there!

Do I crate her while upstairs? How do I proceed?

Thank you for your advice!

My beagle is between 1 and 2. She's pretty good about not having accidents under supervision. She can go for a morning walk, sit with me until lunch, go for a walk, etc. However when allowed to free roam she happily will sneak off and pee somewhere. How do I overcome this habit?