Expectations. What is too much? Questions

Looking for answer specifically from Mal owners because I am finding out just how different this dog is...preferably from people who have had them since they were puppies

I got Willow at 8 weeks and the first couple days were shockingly good. No accidents in the crate and other than the god awful screaming when she was getting used to it, it wasn’t bad. She picked up sit in less than 5 min and has stuck to it since.

I have another thread where I was told that I was basically pushing too hard too fast and to back off!! Done!! Never had this dog before so I did just that. Still taking her out often while crate training and doing nothing but just letting her be a puppy.

I feel like this backfired. She is just about to be 4 months and has reverted. She is up all night long again (whatever she is a puppy) but she is insistent on relieving herself in the crate. Then she just lays in it . Pee or poop, she doesn’t care. We got back from a walk a bit ago where she peed and pooped. Back in the crate so I could shower and get her out and she peed again. BTW, I am not angry when I clean up. At this point I am just so used to it, it doesn’t phase me. But I am ready for it to stop. Accidents are expected. Am I getting her too tired? I didn’t think that was possible with these dogs.

Is this just normal mal puppy behavior? Last week she was holding it for 6 hours at night no issues before needing to go out. Nothing has changed. She is getting more exercise and is out most of the day and night. I would LOVE to give her more freedom, but I am also at that point I don’t want more bad habits coming around (chewing furniture)

Advice would be great. She has been to the vet twice. No UTI

Maybe she is getting too much physical exercise and not enough mental stimulation? I think that @GsdSlave or others can probably help you more than I can but I do know that many pups need mental stimulation more than physical exercise.

i’ve been working on her with that too. I’m starting back with the frisbee a little because it seems to keep her interested the most and see if that makes a difference. We do hide and seek, we go find new obstacles for her to try and conquer etc. i have Kong’s with food, etc. I just don’t get it.

she’s still only 4 months, but I am being told I need to start training her more, but she is not even close to ready for that. She has ZERO desire to work for me, so I know it isn’t time yet. Food is not even a motivator to work for her. She just walks away. Toy works once or twice (I’ve tried a ball, kong (normal), Kong (ring), frisbee, squeaker beer bottle

I’ll keep working on her

@GsdSlave, I’m at a 100% loss. Two walks, one was nice and short, out all day while I was home. We played with frisbees, balls, rope, bottle. She has peed in her crate 7 times today alone. Took her out every hour on the hour while I was home and cleaned the crate with Clorox wipes and vinegar.

From here on out I am going to ration her water. She needs an oz a pound, so I’ll even give her 5oz extra. I go back to work in two weeks. I’ve worked with her for 2 months and she has just gotten worse

No Brian, please do not ration Willow's water. Dogs drink as much as they need to keep hydrated, they do not drink more than that, and water should always be freely available.

Limiting Willow's water is not going to make her pee less, it will just concentrate her urine and make her want to pee lesser amounts but more often.

I hope that someone who knows more than I will see this thread and help you - I am sorry that I cannot give you any more advice other than what I have suggested.

What is her exact daily routine?

and on average, how long is she in the crate in a typical day and how much access does she have to you in the house?

I hardly ever heard of dogs in inside crates in Australia.
I remember seeing it once I can remember , when I hear you talk about peeing and crapping in a crate ,
My first idea is leave the dog in the yard , or put the crate/house outside and make some kind of run .

or a fit a dog door , so the dog can go out into a smaller yard .

I’m sure there’s a reason for the crate , it’s my first idea however

Up around 5am for bathroom, back in crate until 7. I get up take her back out, come in make coffee. She wanders around and we play with the ball, tug, whatever while I wake up. If I have my daughter, I leave around 9. She goes in the crate until around 9:30 - 9:45 until I get back and we go for a 20-30 min walk. It’s short and we take our time, and it’s usually on some cement, grass. We chase leaves and lizards etc. We come back in and I hand feed her. Since I am off work, we either chill in the couch for a bit and she chews on her toys, then between 12-1 I get an hour workout in (she is too young to run with me just yet, but she will), and I take a shower. I usually take her out 1/2 way through my workout because she has just had a ton of water after our walk and play. Back out after my shower and her and I play, depending on her energy, we take a second walk and eat again. If I have my daughter I go pick her up at this point, bring her back and take her out again. She goes straight back in the crate until I finish feeding my kiddo or I eat at this point. Then she comes back out until she gets to rough (she starts getting tired at this point) or it’s time for bed. If she gets too rough, I hold her for a few min, put her in the crate, and then let her back out about 20 min later.

only time this routine varies is if I go to my girlfriends (then she does nothing but play with 3 other dogs for the weekend and is in the crate if we run errands. This happens every other weekend.

It also changes if I have errands to run or have my PT, but all of this happens early afternoon and she is never in the crate more than a couple hours

In two weeks, I expect some rebellion. I go back to work for 8 hours a day. My girlfriend will swing by and take her for a walk during lunch, but it is no longer all about her, so we shall see how this goes

she is in the crate when I am doing something and can’t keep an eye on her or when we sleep. For a 24 hour period it probably ends up being about 1/2 that includes sleeping

I try and have her out at much as possible. Like today, my girlfriend and I are going to Julian (mountains) so she gets to come with us.

I live in an apartment for now, but I am very active. And honestly with what this dog is capable of doing as an adult, I probably will leave in her in a crate anyway when I am not home (but will probably use a full kennel (10ft x 10ft x 6ft). My girlfriend lives in a house and has a yard. Although, Willow is more keen on being around humans. If we let her play with the dogs too much, she wines too come in and then she just follows her everywhere. I am definitely the one she bonded to. Even when I go to the bathroom, she lays by the door and waits for me to come out.

I’ve just heard too many people having issues with full grown, well worked dogs that still like to destroy.

goal is too move into a house in the next year or so after I finish the police academy.

the goal is to have her come with me everywhere when I am not working. She is intimidating enough, that I can leave her in the truck while it is running (for AC) and not have to worry about someone trying to take it. I’m going to put a remote start on the truck so it will run while locked

Ov

over here what you call a truck we call a Ute ‘utility’. They are very very common.

a lot of people have roofed dog cages on the back in Queensland especially with the heat. Some add shade cloth.

Also a lot make a roof , between the rear rack and the rack behind the cab. That’s what I have.

I even paint their chains white , so the sun doesn’t make them too hot.

while I’m at it , if the dog is going to be jumping on and off the back of the ‘Ute’ or truck ,

You never want to see a dog get it’s foot stuck jumping out , between the tailgate.(take my word for it and learn from others mistakes where possible).

I have a piece of black poly pipe screwed in the gaps now , so it will never happen .

Personally I’ve never used crates except for travelling
It could be that the crate is stressing her, hence she keeps messing in it.
Rather than every hour I would cut it to every half hour gradually working time up.

Have you tried feeding her in the crate, as most dogs won’t mess where they eat.
You could also try covering crate at night with a blanket which might help.

It may take some time to build drive/confidence and get her interested in toys, you need to become very exciting and make the toy and yourself more exciting then anything else around.

Practice recalls, watch me, sits, downs ect: short sessions (not all at once) and make it fun with lots of praise when she gets it right.

@GsdSlave ONE!!! Count them!! ONE accident today!!! Fantastic day!!! Fewer walks, more time playing with me and I have the cuts on my arm to prove it from my maligator

@Malka SHE DID DOWN!!!! I mean GOT IT in 5 min. Just like I mentioned above, my hands are JACKED, but it’s totally worth it! Down. She whines like crazy, gives up, and lays down!! She may be worth it after all. Don’t judge me.

I’m on cloud nine right now. I also showed my daughter the trick of sticking something in willow’s mouth when she bites. Willow jumps up, and grabs her hand, I flinch and want to help, but instead, I go, “what do you do!?” Kiddo grabs a pillow from the couch and shoves it in her mouth!!!!!!!

proud daddy tonight!!! With both of my girls. Huge hurdle conquered.

Looks like Willow is getting there and of course she is worth it! Slowly slowly, she will learn what she can and what she cannot do - well done to you and to your daughter. The most important thing is that your daughter trusts you therefore she will know to trust Willow as well, and know what to do when Willow gets mouthy.

As for learning "down" - the only down that Tikva knows is to get down from the couch or the bed if I am trying to straighten it! She obeys all the commands that are necessary for both of us, but not things like "give me a paw" or other tricks.

Your arms will heal. Tikva has always been mouthy but in her case it seems to be a weird way of showing love - she has never mouthed anyone else, only me, and when I get down to open her crate in the mornings she rushes out and leaps up on the bed waiting for a hand to put her jaws round. But not bite. Same when we are playing and have mock boxing fights - she knows when I say "no teefs", "mind your teefs" or "put your teefs away" it means exactly that.

Sure, when her baby teeth came through and then when she was teething as her adult teeth started to appear she did break my skin more than once. But she soon learned to be gentle when mouthing. I know she is a different breed and at 7.5-8kg much smaller than Willow will be, but she is half Dachshund and believe me, Doxie's have incredibly strong jaws for their size.

Willow will learn, Brian. She is already showing you that - and I am very happy to hear your latest news!

Glad things are working out .