Adrienne Farricelli

Hi Jennifer, Was wondering how you have been coping with the excessive peeing, and whether the meds have been helping. I hope the situation has improved as you wait to see the specialist!

Hello and welcome to the forums! Many pups are early risers, but there are things we can do to gradually move their wake-up times to later. How old is your puppy? At what time is he going to bed? Where is your puppy kept at night? Are you training him to go outside to go potty?

I am attaching some threads that discuss puppy biting. You may find tips that may help you:

Good to hear it seems to be working! I am not familiar with this product honesty, as I have mostly used the steel bowls with a bump in the middle or three bumps around it to make eating more of a challenge. However, the concept seems the same. The only flaws I may see is if she learns to move it out of the way or dump the bowl on the floor and if she may eat parts of the bowl if you're still using a plastic bowl. I imagine her face! However, on the plus side she'll be slowing down, and getting a little mental workout too as she works on the challenge.

I think you are referring to those motion-detecting sprinkling systems meant to deter animals from yards? As with the booby traps created by placing empty cans of beer on a countertop to stop a dog from counter-surfing, I can see several problems with that. The main purpose of these automatic sprinklers is to release a water jet upon sensing movement (in general within a range of up to 10 meters), to startle and potentially scare a dog/animal off from a yard, but I think they can be also used for small, targeted areas of the yard. The sprinkler therefore *should* work as a punishment device. Punishment takes place when something perceived as unpleasant or undesirable reduces a behavior. In order to work well, therefore, the dog needs to get startled and dislike the sensation of water. If a dog loves water, he may think the sprinkler is a super fun game and may therefore find it reinforcing to stick around the area and might be around more and more. In general, dogs who startle easily and dislike water, learn rather quickly to avoid the area because they associate it with the sudden jet of water. It may take only one exposure for the dog to learn (single event learning) or more exposures to convince the dog that, every time he is the area, the jet of water will occur. This may sound like a rather innocent correction to condition a dog to say away from an area, but there can be more going on at a deeper level. Generalization refers to the process where a specific response is provoked not only by the object or event that originally provoked it, but also by objects or events. So in the case of the sprinkler, at some point (or even immediately in the case of single event learning) the dog may come to associate anything he sees, hears or smells when in the area he is startled by the water jet. A dog may therefore also start associating trees, bushes, flower beds, the smell of fresh grass or the sight of a car passing by with the water jet and start fearing those or even develop a generalized form of anxiety with being outdoors. This is not unusual. Something similar can happen as well with dogs who are scared of thunder. Initially, the dog may be only scared of the rumbling sound, but his fear may also eventually expand (and therefore generalize) to other contiguous events such as the sight of a flash of lightening or even the grey sky. Interestingly, the sight of a grey sky may even at some point, elicit fear even in the absence of the rumble of thunder. One main advantage of using an automatic sprinkler though should be pointed out: since one is likely not around when the jet of water occurs, unlike using a spray bottle, the dog will be unlikely to associate the jet of water with the owner. On top of the jet of water being associated with other nearby stimuli or situations, another negative repercussion to consider is the potential onset of a deep dislike or fear of water. With time, a dog subjected to squirts or jets of water, may come to dislike, fear or even develop a phobia of water. This can have an impact on the dog to the point of the dog trying to avoid water of all costs. This could therefore lead to dogs who dread being bathed, dogs who refuse to go outside when it's raining and a general dislike of anything associated with water and its tactile sensations (swimming, having ears medicated, having paws wiped etc). I see though that you are mentioning it working if the dog likes water or to lure a dog away from digging. In such a case, it would be used in a more positive way, for re-direction purposes. In that case, I can see its implementation difficult for dogs who are left outdoors as owners should always be in stand-by ready for timely action. However, it can work if an owner has the time and will for that. I just stumbled upon a product that may work for outdoor dogs and can be used in lieu of rocks or buried chicken wire (dogs dislike digging if there's chicken wire). I think it would be a least aversive option, although I have never tried it or seen it reviewed by dog behaviorists. I can see though how it can work. It's based on a dog's natural inclination to not like to walk on certain surfaces and it makes digging rather inconvenient and non productive. I am talking about this product: https://www.amazon.com/Anti-cat-Critters-Climbing-Birdfeeder-19-7inX6-5ft/dp/B07SX3VBX8/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=scat%2Bmat%2Bdog%2Bdigging&qid=1631793508&s=lawn-garden&sr=1-6&th=1 There is a video among the reviews of a cat that doesn't want to put his paws anywhere near the mat, but then there's a video of a raccoon walking over it with ease, he has food though so that may have made walking over it worth the unpleasantness, or maybe racoons have special paws or they're just cute geniuses avoiding the pointy parts 🙂 However with Shiloh having just attained the confidence of jumping in the car, one needs to thread with caution. Like what if he confuses the floor mats of the car with these and goes back several steps of all the progress made? Some floor mats with ridges may look similar to these. While unlikely, it's not impossible, so perhaps something natural looking like rocks like you used with Momo may work better just in case!

Hi Cheryl, welcome back! So glad to hear Shiloh is now a pro in getting into the car! Digging.... there are various forms of digging, and therefore, to get to the root of the problem, you'll need to take an investigative look at what exactly drives Shiloh's behavior. You can find several pointers here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/behavior-training/digging/ I can go more in depth on possible causes and some potential solutions. If there have been moles in the past, most likely they are around again. Consider that moles are more active during the late spring, early summer, and fall. If Shiloh sniffs, then starts digging, then pauses, listens, sniffs and then resumes digging, most likely he is relying on his senses to learn more about the whereabouts of these underground critters. In particular, dogs may be attracted to freshly dug earth, for the simple fact that it's a sign suggestive that some ground-dwelling critters might be living underground. For dogs who hunt critters, your best option is to employ an exterminator who uses pet-friendly pest control methods. It can also help to put large landscaping rocks around the commonly dug areas. If it's by the stairs, placing some bulky rocks in these areas may help reduce the digging. If Shiloh has a digging pit, make sure to rotate the toys you hide there to keep his in them interest alive. When you catch him digging in the wrong spot, tell him to "leave it" and then call him and redirect to the proper spot (his digging pit) as you shovel your feet around, praising him then for digging there. Many dogs dig holes to cool down. Suspect this if it's very hot and your dog lies in them. If it's hot, consider a doghouse or a wading pool or try inviting him indoors so he can spend his day in a nice, cool area without worrying about overheating. Provide more mental stimulation. I am sure you saw this coming. When dogs spend time outdoors, it's extra tempting for them to do something we don't like. It's not like they can just sit and do crossword puzzles or play a game of Sudoku on the deck when they feel bored. The dirt is there, it smells so good and the cool feel on the paws is nice. Add to that unearthing interesting stuff (like dead bugs or some animal dung) or just playing tug with plant roots. You can try providing him with more outdoor enrichment under the form of treasure hunts, long-lasting edible chews, food puzzles and since he's part shepherd dog, he may enjoy those large herding balls to push around (always supervise when he has access to bones/toys). You will basically need to create a "new drive" for engaging in these activities, to outrank the allure of digging in the inappropriate areas. Indoors, do brain games, more training, keep that brain busy too other than physically providing games of fetch or swimming. You may find it most helpful using a multi-faceted approach, like placing large rocks by the commonly dug areas, having an exterminator check your land, offering a sand box filled with toys offered on a rotation basis, offer outdoor enrichment, brain games and reminding him to 'leave it" when you catch him digging in other spots. I hope this helps!

Hello, and welcome to the forums! Side note: Jennifer, I love your Mentos treat dispenser idea! Yelping and walking away can help with some mellow pups, but some pups get more aroused when we yelp and walk away. The reason for this is that pups are attracted to movement and the yelping makes us sound like a hurt animal (sort of why dogs love squeaky toys!) and if it's followed by us moving away, it will become a cue that we are moving away and the pup can attach to our feet/legs as we move away for a fun ride. Now, we aren't just toys that squeak, but we have transformed into tug toys too!

Thanks for the info, being 9 weeks and the behavior being evoked by your toddler sitting quietly is likely a way of asking for interaction, although I would have to see the behavior to be certain. He may be seeking play if the bark/growl it's accompanied by playful body language with the use of metasignals like the "play bow" where the puppy's elbows are lowered and the rump is in the air with the tail moving side-to side. Overstimulation occurs when there is an excess of stimulation for the puppy's brain to process and integrate effectively. When this happens, it leads to sensory overload, with the puppy feeling overwhelmed and possibly living in a perpetual state of hyperarousal, and just general, being on edge and unable to relax. Typically, expect a puppy to be overstimulated when exposed to noises and activities that he struggles to cope with. A puppy may therefore feel cranky or overstimulated when the kids come home from school and start playing rowdy with each other or after spending several hours at daycare or following a walk to the city where he was exposed to a variety of stimuli. Puppies can also get cranky when they are overstimulated and tired and in great need of a nap. To quote dog trainer Nan Arthur, "This can be equated to kids spending all day at an amusement park and then are unable to sleep because they are so wound up and cranky from all the excitement." Overstimulated puppies therefore tend to feel tired and overwhelmed, but they struggle to relax. When exposed to too much stimulation, affected pups require some quiet time in a familiar and calm environment. The signs of overstimulation in puppies therefore tend to appear contingent upon being exposed to certain overstimulating stimuli or situations. Following are several signs to watch for. Nipping Biting Barking Jumping Whining Growling Humping Licking Chewing everything Biting the leash Running around (zoomies) Acting hyperactive Understimulation on the other hand, occurs when pups aren't provided with enough stimulation. If we take a look at most dog breeds 'histories will will notice that they were bred for to carry out some specific tasks. It therefore makes sense that puppies and dogs in general struggle when they're left at home with nothing to do. Dogs are built to be social animals and need something to do to thrive. Lack of stimulation can be damaging, leading to potential mental and physical repercussions. Those puppy brains tend to grow just as other parts of the body and that gray matter development occurs faster during puppyhood than any other time of their lives. It goes without saying that this is a time where early experiences and proper environmental stimulation is crucial for creating millions of connections. Fail to provide sufficient stimulation or raise the puppy in an impoverished environment, and that puppy brain may fail to develop to its full potential. As the saying goes "use it or lose it." It is estimated that 80 percent of a dog's brain is fully formed by 4 months of age, while the remaining 20 percent develops from the age of 4 months to 1 year. Peak development takes place from 4 weeks and 4 months which coincides with the puppy's critical socialization stage. Once the brain has developed past this time, it becomes more challenging to "change the wiring" so to say. Under stimulated puppies are therefore pups who are often left alone during the day or aren't offered enough mental stimulation. Even if one was to be there with a puppy during the day, if one fails to provide mentally stimulating activities, the puppy would be missing out on reaping the benefits of learning to entertain himself and keep the brain busy. Signs of under stimulation, or a need for more interaction, include: Barking when the owners sit down to read, use the computer or watch the TV Excessive paw licking Tail chasing Chewing inappropriate items Scratching doors and many more.... While it's true that puppies need a stimulating and enrichment-based environment, especially during their critical period, it's also true that they also need some quiet time to feel secure and to calm down. On top of this, it helps to provide stimulation in a way that it is not excessive and teaching puppies how to chill. Similar to a thermostat, it feels best when everything is under control and our dogs are neither too overstimulated or under stimulated. In other words, you want to take care of adjusting your pup's levels of stimulation to a "setting" that isn't too overwhelming and neither too boring. The amount of stimulation your puppy needs may vary based on breed and individual temperament. Some pups cope better with stimulating environments compared to others. Let your puppy's behavior guide you and remember that a balanced approach is often best. Tips for Overstimulated Puppies Make sure your puppy sleeps enough. Puppies need a lot of sleep, and often they don't know how to relax enough to easily fall asleep. Such puppies may need to be helped. Simply crate or place your puppy in his crate/ play pen with something to safe to chew on when your puppy starts acting cranky from being too overstimulated. It may take some time to get your puppy to learn how to relax, but it gets better with time. Try your best to stay calm. Talk in a calm tone and move slowly. If you act hyper, angry or frustrated, you puppy will pick on those emotions and become unsettled as well. Staying calm will help your pup calm down too. Reduce the noise and activity. Turn off the radio or TV, turn off the lights and try to play some calming music to help your puppy wind down. Provide games that teach puppies how to quietly entertain themselves and that encourage them to explore their environment at their own pace. This teaches puppies how to occupy themselves and calm themselves down. Some productive ways of keeping the mind stimulated and busy is through food puzzles, brain games, canine nosework training and clicker training. And of course, make sure to safely socialize your puppy, start some basic training, do fun brain games and it's always good to start early to prevent problems such as getting the pup used to being handled, preventing resource guarding, teaching bite inhibition, and gradually getting him used to coping being left alone. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/socializing-your-puppy/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/exercises-to-teach-puppies-to-tolerate-touch/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/the-importance-of-preventing-resource-guarding-in-puppies/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/exercises-to-prevent-separation-anxiety-in-puppies/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/love-the-crate/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/bite-inhibition-games/ https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/train-dog-take-treats-gently/ The Bottom Line Puppies needs the right balance of exercise, mental stimulation and rest. It's important to point out that over-exercising puppies who are under 1-year old can have detrimental effects on their skeletal system (as the soft bones are developing and growth plates haven't closed yet). So jumping, jogging, or running on hard surfaces etc may prove harmful. Puppies need lots of sleep when they are actively growing. It is estimated that young puppies require around eighteen to twenty hours for sleep per day (adult dogs in general need 14-17 hours of rest per 24 hour cycle). This may sound a whole lot, but it makes sense if we think that puppies do most of their growing while sleeping. I hope this helps! Happy training!

Hello and welcome to the forums! Yup, training your pup to go potty on command will help in the generalization process. If you use it early on, your pup will associate going potty with the cue and that should help with going potty initially in a designated area and then expanding to other places. It's always best to check with the vet to determine how safe/unsafe it would be to use the outdoor potty area (infectious diseases are more endemic in some areas) and what's the best protocol based on that. The vet can also inform you on how long you should avoid certain places and also can help provide options so not to miss the critical window of socialization (which closes around 12 to 16 weeks). However, the fact that you'll need to walk across the street and it's next to a busy road makes it rather inconvenient (on top of potentially unsafe since he's so young). At 8 weeks, puppies may need to be taken out as often as every 15 to 30 minutes when active, and by the time you would put on the collar, leash, open the door, then look both ways before crossing would likely be too late and your pup wouldn't make it on time to get to the designated area. I like the idea of the grass patch, especially considering that the large grass area across the street is going to be long-term potty area once he's better potty trained. The fact that the surface area looks similar helps a lot. I feel though that, if you could, a patch made out of real grass may be the best option. Grass patches made of real grass require that you purchase a customized tray and then routinely replace the grass every 1 to 4 weeks depending on the frequency the pad is being used. While this is likely more costly, the biggest advantage is that dogs are naturally drawn to the smell of natural grass, and on top of this, the real grass does an excellent job in absorbing liquids reducing odors naturally. There is therefore not much need for cleaning or maintenance since the entire unit can be fully disposed of and replaced with a new one on an as-needed basis. Fake grass instead tends to get smelly without daily cleaning, does smell like fresh grass and any waste that is not timely removed can easily stink up a small space. Other tips that come to mind: -Learn to recognize the signs your puppy needs to go potty. As a you recognize them, entice your puppy to go to the grass patch and be ready to praise and reward when he does. -Monitor your puppy carefully, with time, he may start going on the grass pad on their own. Be ready to praise enthusiastically and give several treats in a row when this happens. -If your dog has accidents around the home, use a paper towel to clean it up and transfer some scent of his urine on the grass pad. -Clean all accidents around the home with an odor neutralizer like Nature's Miracle. -Make sure the balcony isn't located in an area with scary sights or sounds as a puppy who gets spooked will feel less safe to use the potty. -Don't give the full run of the house, you need to keep your puppy in a small area of the home where you can always supervise him and he can readily see and access the patch. -Consider that some dogs dislike going potty on the balcony when it's cold out, windy or when it's raining. Hope this helps, Make sure to post pictures of your new Doxie once he joins your family! Best, Adrienne

Children, and even more toddlers really, do tend to ramp dogs up. A few months ago I worked with a beagle whose owners noticed how calm he was when the child was at daycare and then would get extra hyper and change totally when the child would come home. Some pups may get overly stimulated and even stressed by the quick movements, high-pitched voices. It sounds like he is mostly acting playful, although there may be chances he may be initially confused and uncertain at times. We expect good breeders to usually get their puppies used to being around children when in their care, but this doesn't always happen. So your puppy may be a tad bit overwhelmed or confused if this is a totally new exposure. It could also be of course that the growling and barking is just play and he is waiting for a reaction from her. Puppies in general perceive children as great playmates, but they can get rather rough and too overstimulated. In any case, it may be best to introduce the child and pup gradually, like when the child is acting hyper keeping them separated at first behind a baby may be helpful and when the child is in presence of the puppy she should be encouraged to act calm (also because acting hyper around the dog will trigger nipping). It also helps to train your puppy a solid response to a smacking sound so that you can redirect him at a moment's notice. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/the-airplane-game/the-smacking-sound/ Here are some general pointers for puppy/child interactions. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/socializing-puppy-children/ How old is your cane corso puppy? Have you noticed a pattern of what exact behaviors of your toddler seem to evoke the growling and barking?

That sure is interesting! Brings me back some old sweet memories. 1) Petra as a puppy, growling at me the first time when given a bone. Worked on instilling trust with lots of drop its using valuable treats, starting with low value things then building up to things she would find on the ground outdoors and indoors. One day, I dropped a pen and didn't notice. Normally she would snatch it and go lie down to chew on it, and that one day instead she grabbed it, brought it to me and dropped it on my lap looking at me with anticipation for a treat. Priceless! 2) I moved to this rental home where the previous tenant was a smoker. Lots of cigarette butts in the yard which can be toxic eaten by dogs in certain amounts. So I am out in the yard with Einstein picking them up. Einstein watches me and then starts picking up cigarette butts and I tell him to drop it in fear he'll eat them. At some point, I am taking a break, sitting with the trash bag open and Einstein approaches and stands in front of the bag and drops a cigarette butt in the bag! Priceless! Take Gertie's action as a sign of deep trust towards you! Not all dogs would voluntarily relinquish something new found on the ground that is interesting. I am not sure if dogs can think along the lines of "I will take this away from Esther because it's "bad" for her", (yet who can prove that until the day dogs can talk!) but maybe I can see it happen more along the lines of " I will bring this to my owner who is happy when I drop stuff we find".

Oh wow, glad to hear she is doing fine! That must have been scary. There are slow feeders made out of steel if she's prone to eating plastic stuff. If she started even eating your other dog's plastic bowls, it may be best to switch them all to stainless steel bowls.

Hello, and welcome to the forums, This may require some investigation to find out what may be causing him to get anxious when the car ride ends. Sometimes, this can be due to the fact that they find jumping out of the car a bit intimidating (pain? fear?) or they dislike the unsteady sensation when we use the breaks or there may be some excessive desire of getting out of the car quickly to head back home. I feel it may be more the latter, otherwise you would see this behavior when he goes anywhere. There's just that something about exiting quickly the car, maybe in fear of being left alone/left behind. Or maybe the dog is thirsty, had enough of being outdoors, is tired, has to pee, and is eager to return to a state of "homeotasis" with all the reassuring routines and perks exclusively associated with the home. Some dogs whine, pace as soon as they feel the car slowing down and using the breaks, others readily recognize the road going home and start getting anxious to be let out. Our Rottweiler would also get a bit antsy as we arrived near our home. We would tell him "wanna go home?" and he would tilt his head and start whining and pacing in the car back and forth eager to go back home. Luckily, the behavior was very brief and mostly contingent upon us telling him that. It was just one of those "cute things' he would do. In your case, we can try several things to lower the built-up anticipation, but likely you will need to take a multifaceted approach tackling the anxiety from various angles. -One method could be providing him with something tasty to enjoy in the car to keep busy, preferably just *before* he has a chance to whine. If you know the area where the behavior starts, have a family member or a helper hand him something long-lasting to enjoy (like a stuffed Kong, Toppl, etc) that will last at least for that stretch back home. A busy mouth, is a quiet mouth. -Now, not all dogs will enjoy something edible and long lasting if they are too anxious. Not wanting to eat indeed is often (although not always!) a sign of a dog being over threshold. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/ In such a case, a different approach would be needed. -Keeping a dog crated often is enough to calm dogs down in the car. I don't know how large your car is or how well your dog is crate trained, but in general dogs crated in cars tend to be calmer (and it also prevents the dog from rehearsing anxious behavior such as whining/pacing back and forth) and as a plus it's also safer for us. -The Calming Cap made by Thundershirt may help calm down dogs during car rides considering that it reduces visual stimulation. This may be a temporary fix as you work on reducing the anxiety. Since it happens only on the ride home, it can be worn only on the way back. -I would recommend training some impulse control games so to reward calmer behaviors and apply these in various settings including training him to to sit before jumping in and out of the car on cue. https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/impulse-control-frustration-tolerance/ -I initially would practice training him to to sit before jumping in and out of the car on cue with the car not going anywhere and aim for a calm response. Then one can practice going for a very little ride and then back, repeating several times, gradually driving a bit farther and trying to reduce the chances for whining. Praising and having a helper feed treats when he goes 10 seconds with no whining can help reinforce calmer behaviors. In other words, the goal would be keeping as much under threshold as possible so not to induce whining. The more the whining takes place, the more it puts roots and establishes. -Having a helper sit back with him and feeding treats to keep that mouth busy may help establish a new routine, from " we are going home, I gotta get out of this car quickly" to "how fun! I get lots of treats on the way home!" The whining would therefore be replaced by the anticipation of getting treats. -Anxiety supplements or calming aids (Adaptil collars, DAP pheromone sprays) along with behavior modification (desensitization and counterconditioning) may help in the case there is some low level anxiety with going to places or on car rides, In your GSD it may be that it culminates mostly getting home because home is perceived as "the safe haven." For sake of example, I went through a phase of being terrified of going on planes. I had a bad experience once with super bad turbulence (people getting air sick calling for help pushing the flight attendant button but flight attendants were asked by the cabin to not get up as it was too unsafe, dust in the cabin, roller coaster style dips and odd side-to-side shifts, and worst of all, me looking out and seeing the wings flap up and down like a duck, I didn't know airplane wings could do that so it freaked me out!). If you looked at me, I looked pretty much chill. Inside, I was in sheer terror and when that cabin door finally opened, boy I couldn't wait to get out and would have even kissed the ground! This to say that sometimes, dogs are good at hiding their emotions. For example, a dog who pants in the car may not be hot but anxious, a dog who drools in the car may be car sick, a dog who yawns in the car may be stressed not tired, a dog who lips his licks may be nauseous not hungry, a dog who paces back and forth may be anxious and not excited about the ride. More about this here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/signs-fear-stress-dogs/ So it would be important spotting whether there may some subtle signs of anxiety that just happen to be culminating on the way back home. I hope this helps, let me know how things go and post if you have any questions! Best, Adrienne

Thanks for the updates, I was wondering how it all turned out. Ectopic ureter and stones, I would imagine would have shown on the ultrasound/ x-rays, however, maybe they want you to see a specialist as they may be more skilled in reading images and may have better ultrasound machine. From what I know, in ectopic ureters, instead of being attached to the bladder, the ureters bypass the bladder and attach themselves elsewhere. In females, they tend to attach to the uterus or ***ina. Since none of these organs are designed for storing urine, leakage or urinary incontinence is most likely to occur. It's pretty rare, so the vets tend to leave it out and consider it only after crossing off the list more frequent causes- in other words, the "When you hear hoofbeats, think horses and not zebras" mentality. I hope that the medication helps keep her peeing more under control. It must be really draining for you!

Hello, welcome to the forums! How exciting! I hope your first nights with your new cane corso puppy have been OK. Fredery Blot (Loki's dad) gave you some great tips! If you don't have any exercise pen, play pen or crate for your puppy, you can temporarily try to close up a section with some large and tall boxes or some other type of bulky items that may block your puppy from wandering around at night trying to play with stuff, chew or soil in some spot. You'll need to sleep lightly though in case he starts chewing on the box or move around needing to go potty. You may also have to find a way to block him off from climbing up and wanting to sleep with you on the sofa, unless you want a puppy who will always want to sleep with you, which is difficult to wean off later on. Making the confinement area snug, offers the advantage of instilling some "den instinct" which is puppies instinctively not soiling in the area they sleep so if he wakes up and moves around take that as a sign to take him out. In general, it is advised to soothe the puppy the first nights as they may feel disoriented and in distress leaving their litter mates and mom. If your puppy whines, you can be both caring and act matter-of-fact by telling your puppy something along the lines of "What's up pup? You're OK, have a good sleep now!" If your puppy is on the floor next to you, dangling your hand towards you pup can help reassure the puppy you are there. You may find yourself repeating this until your puppy realizes that he's safe, not alone and that he'll survive the night. Generally, the first 3-4 nights are the most problematic, with the first night or two being the worse. After that it gets better. Being that he is not crated and you're right next to him though may help him ease in easier, although you want to acclimatize him to being in a crate as it will help with potty training and when you need to confine him for naps and safety (like when you cannot supervise). Here is a basic guide for crate training puppies/adult dogs: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/video-archive/love-the-crate/ The routine of taking a pup out will vary based on age and other factors. How old is your puppy? In general, with an 8-week old large breed pup, 2-3 tips may be enough over 6-8 hours of sleep. I usually do a very last potty trip at midnight, then do a trip at 2 or 3 AM and then another between 5 and 6. I will just get up 6AM the first few weeks and then gradually work my way to getting up at 6:30, then 7 and then finally 8. I know this is tiring (it's like getting up to babies needing diaper changes), but I take advantage and sometimes take some day-time naps to recuperate and coordinate them with when the pups sleep as well. In general, you know you can start experimenting prolonging and then weaning those nighttime/early morning trips when you wake up to take your puppy out, but he's soundly asleep and you can try to extend it more.

Ah..I see... so likely her tendency to drink so much was sort of there, just buried, and happened to come out once she had free access to an "all you can drink buffet"😉 I am thinking based on those last lab tests results and your data recording, you vet should be able to rule out of confirm any possible underlying medical causes and then go from there. If nothing medical comes up, at least you would know that it is safe to start restricting water (under the guidance of your vet) considering that, in dogs with certain medical conditions (like diabetes insipidus) they can dehydrate very quickly with even life threatening consequences. I guess your vet may then give you some guidelines on how to gradually restrict water to "re-train" her kidneys and calm down her "thirst center." Is the water intake on your form in ounces? In one of you last posts you measured 82 ounces (and then you mentioned she drank 32 ounces more?) but I don't see it mentioned in the above the table. August 30th has the most drinking and peeing can you recall anything special happening that day? Was she more hyper than usual? Was it hotter? Did she eat lots of peanut butter or high- sodium foods? I can't recall if you ever mentioned it in the posts, but what diet is she on? Wow so many potty trips! I hope you can get to the bottom of this soon.