In a message dated 1/1/2003 6:13:46 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> 1. Fortunately we got her from the breeder already paper-trained. There > are newspapers placed on the floors in strategic spots, and she was pretty > good for the first three weeks (we got her almost a month ago) but the last > week or so she's been ignoring the paper and going wherever she wants. > We've been trying to catch her doing it but these little guys are a bit too > fast for us. How do we correct this? If you're going to paper train, cover her entire area with papers so he has no choice but to go on them. Then remove the papers from one small area. Slowly expand that uncovered area until it's down to what you want. Personally, unless there's absolutely no alternative (in which case I'd suggest not getting a puppy until circumstances change) I don't favor paper training. It seems to me counterproductive to first teach the puppy to relieve herself in the house and then say no, I don't want you to go in the house, I now want you to hold it and go outside. Seems awfully confusing for a pup... > 2. I'm sure this is a general puppy problem, but when she first sees us in > the morning she gets so excited she pees. I'm guessing this is simply > because she's got a fairly small tank to begin with. This morning however > it posed a problem as the naughty girl got up on the couch. Pee on the > floor is one thing to deal with... She hasn't yet learned anything about where to pee, where not to pee, nor about using her muscles to hold her pee. Add in the pee stimuli of waking and excitement and you can bet money on a pee where ever she is at that point. In addition to the previous about anticipating her needs, etc... it's a good idea to make your greetings low key and matter of fact. That will help to keep down her excitement and help prevent the habit of greeting by peeing from forming. > 3. Boy, does this dog howl. Is this something she'll grow out of? I know > the breed is most happy with human presence but we obviously can't be there > for her 24/7 Howling is a sign of stress. Certainly, neither we nor our dogs can go through life without stress so I believe in slowly building the dog's tolerance to stressful situations. Being alone and apart from her littermates, her breeder, and every smell she's known her whole life if VERY stressful for a baby puppy. I try to be considerate of that and reassure them that there's nothing to fear, without reinforcing the fear by tacitly acknowleding it with 'it's ok, it's ok' baby talk. If my pup wakes up inthe night and wails, I'll go very close to the crate...maybe put my fingers through the grid... and talk to the pup...letting her know by my calm and steady voice that she's not alone and there's nothing to fear. > 4. And about leaving her alone at night - does this breed get unhappy about > staying out at night? As you said, Bernese have a strong need to be with their people. We each work out our own way of meeting that need. One caveat about leaving a Berner outside... They are extremely heat intolerant. I know people in areas of high heat and humidity who own Bernese successfully...BUT, they do what's necessary to keep them comfortable on a day in, day out, basis. It requires a fair amount of management to accomplish. I also know of several berners lost to heat or humidity in areas not known for it. It can happen very quickly. Well, I'm afraid I've probably been more general than specific, but I've found that the general knowledge helps me a great deal in structuring my daily life and that of my dogs in a mutually fulfilling way. Please feel free to continue a dialogue with specific questions, the berner-l has lots of experience to offer. ~ Sherri Venditti
