jetaime Posted December 9, 2009 Report Share Posted December 9, 2009 Hello everyone!! I just bought my very first dog and Siberian Husky. His name is Beowulf and is only about 5 weeks old. He is the most adorable puppy and such a good one at that (besides the potty accidents and chewing on daddy's favorite socks)! Today, we're going to buy him a crate and tomorrow, we're taking him to the vet for his very first check-up and round of shots. I'm so thankful for finding this forum, it has been a blessing and so helpful. I do have a few questions. Yesterday, I took Beowulf outside to use the potty. However, he was shivering from the cold (I live in Texas so it's not as cold as other states). I was wondering if maybe there's a certain age where you can start potty training him or even taking him outside. Since he's so young, I thought that maybe he wasn't ready to go outside. If so, what do you all usually do during these few weeks to help house train a puppy? Is there a general timeline that to help me know what to expect or what I can teach at certain points in the puppy's life (specifically for Siberian Husky). Sorry if this question sounds ridiculous. Thank you so much. Any help would be greatly appreciated and I'm so excited to meet everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valkyries Posted December 9, 2009 Report Share Posted December 9, 2009 hi and welcome to the site Beowulf looks lovely, how long have you had him as 5 weeks is very young to leave his mum ???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetaime Posted December 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2009 I've only had him for a day and night. Beowulf's previous owners told me that his mom had stopped weening him after two weeks for some reason so he's been eating puppy food ever since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BingBlaze n Skyla Posted December 9, 2009 Report Share Posted December 9, 2009 hi welcome to the site beowolf i gorgeous we got blaze at 7 weeks n he was fine outside at 5 weeks he shud still b with him mum and siblings 2 learn the 'rules' like bite inhibation or however u spell it (im sure sum1 will correct me) is he used 2 being inside Blaze was used 2 goin outside in the garden b4 we got him if ur pup was never let outside he wont b used 2 it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chewbacca_&_me Posted December 9, 2009 Report Share Posted December 9, 2009 Ohhhh. How cute! Beowulf is really young but really adorable. What kind of stuff/ arrangements do you have for the puppy already? I think you can start to take him outside to potty but id take him out on a leash and keep him in a clean spot of the yard. You can start by buying a spray for puppies that smells like pherimones and urine and spraying some in that area you chose everyday. Keep him in an area close to the house that stays mowed and bring him back in right after he goes potty. Since he's so young take him out about 10-15 minutes after he eats, wakes up, or plays actively. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunc Posted December 9, 2009 Report Share Posted December 9, 2009 Noooooooooo WTF sorry nooo 1st you should not even have the puppy there are more reasons for being with mum than the fact they have been weened off her they need a minimum of 7-8 weeks and in some cases longer it depends on how they are coming along interaction with mum for this period is very important. 2nd you are asking and saying you put Beowulf outside NOOO pups should not go outside at all until they have had there injections which they should not have till there 10 weeks old 3rd he is to young to pottie train but they never to young to start, paper training is usually best at the start. Crate trains at such a early age is a good idea but be peppered for sleep less night ( put up with it in the long run its worth it ) for both you and the pup. The above is just me and there will be loads on here with more and in some cases better advice listen to them and plz read up on the breed. Welcome on board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetaime Posted December 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2009 hi welcome to the site beowolf i gorgeous we got blaze at 7 weeks n he was fine outside at 5 weeks he shud still b with him mum and siblings 2 learn the 'rules' like bite inhibation or however u spell it (im sure sum1 will correct me) is he used 2 being inside Blaze was used 2 goin outside in the garden b4 we got him if ur pup was never let outside he wont b used 2 it He is used to being inside! Yeah, I was worried he would miss some fundamental lessons from his mommy. He hasn't been bad about biting at all so far, so that's a good sign right? Ohhhh. How cute! Beowulf is really young but really adorable. What kind of stuff/ arrangements do you have for the puppy already? I think you can start to take him outside to potty but id take him out on a leash and keep him in a clean spot of the yard. You can start by buying a spray for puppies that smells like pherimones and urine and spraying some in that area you chose everyday. Keep him in an area close to the house that stays mowed and bring him back in right after he goes potty. Since he's so young take him out about 10-15 minutes after he eats, wakes up, or plays actively. Right now, we have him sleeping in a doggy bed right next to our sofa. We're still trying to get him used to his crate. There are some newspapers on the other side of the room which he's been pretty good about peeing and pooing on. Thank you so much for the advice! I will look into that spray. Noooooooooo WTF sorry nooo 1st you should not even have the puppy there are more reasons for being with mum than the fact they have been weened off her they need a minimum of 7-8 weeks and in some cases longer it depends on how they are coming along interaction with mum for this period is very important. 2nd you are asking and saying you put Beowulf outside NOOO pups should not go outside at all until they have had there injections which they should not have till there 10 weeks old 3rd he is to young to pottie train but they never to young to start, paper training is usually best at the start. Crate trains at such a early age is a good idea but be peppered for sleep less night ( put up with it in the long run its worth it ) for both you and the pup. The above is just me and there will be loads on here with more and in some cases better advice listen to them and plz read up on the breed. Welcome on board. I really appreciate your comment and I hope I don't sound too defensive here, but I realize Beowulf is really young. His mother stopped weaning him around 2 weeks and had to be separated from the puppies for some reason that I'm unaware of. However, even though he's extremely young, there's nothing I can do about it now. I'm not going to return him or or simply give up. A lot of dogs especially shelter dogs are taken away from their parents at a young age. This doesn't make them less lovable and in fact, need human companionship the most because of their circumstances. Sorry, I just don't find your first comment helpful but rather intentionally discouraging. I understand he is young and what I'm trying to figure out is how to help him develop at such a young age (without a mother) to be the best dog he can possibly be. Thank you for letting me know about taking him outside. I wasn't sure whether this was a problem and that's why I asked. I was under the assumption it was okay to take him outside (I do take him out on a lead) as long as his doesn't encounter any other animals. I will be taking him to the veterinarian tomorrow and discussing his vaccination routine with the vet. We've been continuing to paper train him (his previous owner had been paper training him) since his shivering outside yesterday scared us (by the way, is this normal?). I just wanted to know when a good time would be to officially start crate training/house training him? After his shots? Maybe when he's a few weeks older? Sorry again if I sound super defensive. I'm trying my best to research and take care of Beowulf. I won't lie, I will make mistakes every now and then despite how hard I try to avoid it. But I love the little guy and have endured and am prepared to endure many sleepless nights for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cathy Posted December 9, 2009 Report Share Posted December 9, 2009 Welcome! You'll find lots of good advice on here for taking good care of your pup. He's just beautiful, and I look forward to hearing more about your experiences with him as he grows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunc Posted December 9, 2009 Report Share Posted December 9, 2009 What a great reply and yes I was over the top without knowing all the details sorry about that but as a breeder I throw out me concerns a bit quick maybe. You are crate training inside I take it ? as he is so young I alway tell everyone that leaves here this is a good idea maybe a blanket in there with him but thinning that he will eat or might fray although it might look like that when you get it back lol As for taking him outside the biggest fear is parvo and that the reason its a no till at least a fortnight after him injections. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted December 9, 2009 Report Share Posted December 9, 2009 Hi and welcome to the site - he is gorgeous! Everyone makes mistakes - it's a fact of life - but as long as you learn from the mistakes then keep smiling. 5 weeks is too young to be taken from litter mates I won't lie to you, you may encounter some problems like him chewing you or your furniture more than he would have done if left for a few more weeks. This is the crucial time when he should be learning his bite inhibition from his littermates - as he's not with them, you will have to teach him this. A good trick that works is to praise the good and ignore the bad. If he chews your hand or ANYTHING you don't want him to - a firm no, remove the item and replace it with something he is allowed to chew. He is too young to go outside at the moment - even though he won't come in direct contact with other animals he will more than likely come into contact with their feceas / urine. Parvo can be very deadly and for unvaccinated pups it's a death sentance 90% of the time if they do contract it Paper training in the house is the best place to start......make the rules now that you want him to stick to when he grows up, for example - do you want him on your sofa when he's fully grown or full of mud - if the answer is no, don't let him on the sofa from now so he grows up knowing that it's your seat - not his. Get some books on the breed, read up about their traits - high prey drive etc and please for his sake as well as your own, when he's old enough to go outside, please don't let him off the lead, with this breed it's such a no no. I hope some of your questions have been answered.....you will find lots of great information on here and make some great friends, if you want to ask something, plesae post it up. People say things in the interest of the breed / your pup so don't think people are havin a dig at you personally, but i would advise you to take all comments on board. I look forward to seeing you around the forum and to seeing pics of your gorgeous boy as he grows up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetaime Posted December 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2009 What a great reply and yes I was over the top without knowing all the details sorry about that but as a breeder I throw out me concerns a bit quick maybe. You are crate training inside I take it ? as he is so young I alway tell everyone that leaves here this is a good idea maybe a blanket in there with him but thinning that he will eat or might fray although it might look like that when you get it back lol As for taking him outside the biggest fear is parvo and that the reason its a no till at least a fortnight after him injections. Don't worry about it! There's a lot of people out there who really shouldn't have dogs so I understand how it can make you worry or angry (it's just because you love dogs so much!). Thank you for the helpful advice! I'll keep him nice and comfortable inside until the vet says its okay (and it's been two weeks after all his shots). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetaime Posted December 9, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2009 Hi and welcome to the site - he is gorgeous! Everyone makes mistakes - it's a fact of life - but as long as you learn from the mistakes then keep smiling. 5 weeks is too young to be taken from litter mates I won't lie to you, you may encounter some problems like him chewing you or your furniture more than he would have done if left for a few more weeks. This is the crucial time when he should be learning his bite inhibition from his littermates - as he's not with them, you will have to teach him this. A good trick that works is to praise the good and ignore the bad. If he chews your hand or ANYTHING you don't want him to - a firm no, remove the item and replace it with something he is allowed to chew. He is too young to go outside at the moment - even though he won't come in direct contact with other animals he will more than likely come into contact with their feceas / urine. Parvo can be very deadly and for unvaccinated pups it's a death sentance 90% of the time if they do contract it Paper training in the house is the best place to start......make the rules now that you want him to stick to when he grows up, for example - do you want him on your sofa when he's fully grown or full of mud - if the answer is no, don't let him on the sofa from now so he grows up knowing that it's your seat - not his. Get some books on the breed, read up about their traits - high prey drive etc and please for his sake as well as your own, when he's old enough to go outside, please don't let him off the lead, with this breed it's such a no no. I hope some of your questions have been answered.....you will find lots of great information on here and make some great friends, if you want to ask something, plesae post it up. People say things in the interest of the breed / your pup so don't think people are havin a dig at you personally, but i would advise you to take all comments on board. I look forward to seeing you around the forum and to seeing pics of your gorgeous boy as he grows up Wow! Thank you so much! This is extremely helpful. He has been awfully bite-y lately. I've been trying to assert myself when I say no. So far, he's been learning really quick but I think he gets bored with his toys fast and is less accepting of my chew toy replacements. What do you do usually do to help him get his energy out? Beowulf will only play with one of his toys. I try to play with him as much as I can, but he seems to get bored rather easily. Do you play any games with your dog(s)? Sorry for all the questions! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted December 9, 2009 Report Share Posted December 9, 2009 don't worry about all the questions, that's how people learn I play games with my two and they're full grown lol - fetch - teaching him to sit, stay etc He will have a very short attention span so keep it short and sweet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunc Posted December 9, 2009 Report Share Posted December 9, 2009 great reply saz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val (Zebedee) Posted December 9, 2009 Report Share Posted December 9, 2009 Hiya, Audrey, welcome to the pack Great introduction post & I'm glad you've found us too! Beowulf sounds adorable! The best book most members have found useful is Siberian Huskies for dummies, tells it to you straight! So if you're looking for a book to give little pointers, this may help. While he is so young (& I'm not going to go over the points already raised) keep it short & simple with his training, lots of games (not tug-of-war type, though, just yet) & getting him used to puppy pads or paper, whatever you want to use till he's had his shots. In the meantime, just enjoy having the pup & take loads of pics & post them for us to go "aaawwwwwwwww!!!" Look forward to hearing about Beowulf growing up & anything you want to know, ask away! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikkj2001 Posted December 15, 2009 Report Share Posted December 15, 2009 Just some information on parvo. Parvo can be spread by contact with a person, feces or urine for up to 6 months after contact. This means if you have come on contact with a dog that may have had parvo or if an animal with parvo releaved themselves in your yard or where ever you take him he can get it from that person or spot for up to 6 months. Whats worse is that with humans washing yourself from head to toe will not get rid of it. so be careful that you dont let people who you arent 100% sure of come in contact with him. Parvo is extremely dangerous to Puppies. As far as you puppy. He is soooooo cute. My sugestion is contact a animal behaviorist or vet and find out what he would be learning from his littermates at this age and ask them what you can do to facilitate the learning since he has been seperated. You should also be prepared for seperation issues. Puppies that have been removed that early tend to become extremely stressed when they cannot see you or the person they consider mommy now and this can carry through to adult hood. As always MORE PICTURES PLEASE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siberian_wolf Posted December 28, 2009 Report Share Posted December 28, 2009 Hello Belated Welcome to the pack Beowulf is adorable great photo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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