A few miscellaneous questions...very random.

[CamillaH]

Hi,

We just picked up our new baby today (Neo Suki) and she is sleeping like the dead. I have several really stupid questions that I can't seem to find great answers to related to Great Danes.

1. How long should I let her sleep? I can't wake her up for anything and she's been sleeping for almost five hours without going potty. She's only peed once since before we picked her up at 10 am this morning and hasn't eaten or had anything to eat since 6 am. It's 8:30 pm here. I'm not worried about today, I understand that what happens in one day is nothing to necessarily worry about, but is this normal behavior or just the actions of a first-day wipe-out?

2. I read in a dog training book to feed all puppy food moistened in a Kong to keep them busy and active in their crate. I tried this when she first came home and she showed no interest. I get that she is nervous and it is her first day home so she probably won't eat anyway, but is this a good idea? It was in a Dr. Ian Dunbar book. I'm worried she won't get the calories she needs this way, even if I measure out her food.

3. We have a giant Great Dane crate the size of a stadium with a little crate inside that fits her now. We have a bowl of water, several Kongs, and a plastic potty place she's used once with chux underneath inside the large crate for her in her "safe space." Is this indoor potty a good idea? Again, something I read in a book. I'm just not sure. I'm still planning on taking her out very frequently if I can ever wake her up!

4. And last, but not least, the petty question. How can I improve our human-dog bond? She's meant to be "my" dog. I really want her to look to me for leadership and such. I'm doing all her training, but in these early days, how do I get her to bond closely with me? I'm the only one home today, til 11:30 pm, anyway. Then tomorrow my husband will only be home for a few hours before going to work and I have her to myself again. I'd work on training, but she's dead asleep. I keep petting her and talking to her, getting her used to my touch and voice at least while she sleeps.

Thanks in advance for any help anyone can offer. I know I'm asking weird questions! I know not everything will go perfectly, but I'm trying to make things as best as I can for my new baby and my current babies so everyone is happy and healthy.

[Charlene]

there are NO stupid questions!!!!

1. let her sleep as long as she wants/needs to. when she wakes up, scoop her up IMMEDIATELY and take her outside. pick a spot where you would like for her to potty (makes cleaning up poop easier) and set her down there. chances are she will pee very quickly. praise the heck out of her, praise praise praise!!! i once had a trainer tell me that if your neighbors don't think you've gone completely off the deep end, you aren't praising enough, lol! having said that, it's a bit unusual that she would sleep so soundly for such an extended period of time. it *could* be that she is simply exhausted and today will be very different. you may WISH she'd sleep for several hours so YOU can get some rest but that isn't likely. haha! did she wake up hungry this morning?

2. i love ian dunbar and for the most part, his advise is excellent. however, in this case, i would put your puppy on a very strict feeding schedule (no free feeding) so that you can monitor her food intake and also it will make potty training easier. if you want to give her a kong with moistened kibble during the day, it won't hurt a bit. just don't give too much at a time since you want her hungry when it's mealtime.

3. potty pads aren't something i'd do. it can make it convenient for you but you will have to go through the extra step of weaning her off of the puppy pads to going outside. might as well skip that step and train her immediately to potty outside. potty accidents, especially in very young puppies, are pretty much the fault of the owner. you will have to keep your eyes on her every moment she's awake so that you can be sure to take her out every 30 minutes or so or when you see her sniffing around as if looking for a place to potty. if you check the forums here, you'll find a thread about teaching her to ring a bell when she needs to go out. "jingle bell potty trick", i know lots of people who have had a lot of success with this method. you just will need to be very consistent!

4. you probably won't have to work at getting her to bond with you since you are doing the training, feeding, playing, etc. there's nothing necessarily wrong with her bonding to you but to be fair to the other members of your family (unless she is meant to be a service dog), she should have time with everyone in the house. even a service dog should be allowed to interact with other family members to become a well-rounded dog.

[kahluadanes]

The first day is very hard on a puppy.. some puppies handle it a bit better then others.. If you had to drive a fair distance with her it probably wore the poor baby out.. She should see your vet within the first 48 -72 hours anyway regardless of the breeder.. Do NOT feed all food in a king plus be careful some foods are preserved with citric acid which may or may not be labeled on the bag.. it is important not ot soak food since if it does it can increase the risk of bloat. The kibble, treats in a Kong are meant for times when you are away or they need to be confined not as a way to feed them. It is important to make sure you feed correct amounts of food, know when your puppy eats and how much. Also be careful of the calcium/phosphorous levels. Do NOT use potty pads of any kind for a Dane puppy.. Take out on a regular schedule , before and after eating, before/after play time, after naps.. As far as bonding unfortunately you can't Force a dog to bond with you.. but regular training together, feeding, etc wil lhelp.

[Charlene]

http://www.danesonline.com/forums/fo...ll-potty-trick

[CamillaH]

You guys are the BEST! Thank you. Going to take up the potty in her crate now and put something else there, a bed.

The hardest part was that she'd never been outside before (it's been terrible in Wisconsin this winter, let me tell you!) so her trip home yesterday was a lot of "firsts" for her. The first car ride, first time outside, first time with us, first collar, first harness, first seatbelt, it is no wonder she was a tired puppy! She still is sleepy today. She's seeing the vet on Monday, which I'm glad about. I'm hoping with her sniffing what our other dogs do outside she'll take the hint quickly. And I bought the bells already! YAYAYYAYAY! Going to back and work on the name thing in a bit, too. I'm just still worried because she sleeps an awful lot. We'll see how she's doing come Monday!

Thanks again. I appreciate the reassurance and information on bloat with moistened food. She's on Victor Professional (the purple bag) per breeder recommendations. Speaking of which, it's dinner time!

Cam

[kahluadanes]

Check to make sure the calcium/phosphorous levels are correct on the Victor Professional... You will probably need to contact the company since I don't believe it is listed on the bag or on their site.. It should ideally be 1.2 calcium, .08 phosphorous... but definitely not over 1.5 calcium, 1.0 phosphorous...

[kahluadanes]

Check to make sure the calcium/phosphorous levels are correct on the Victor Professional... You will probably need to contact the company since I don't believe it is listed on the bag or on their site.. It should ideally be 1.2 calcium, .08 phosphorous... but definitely not over 1.5 calcium, 1.0 phosphorous...

[Sparrow]

All great advice. I'd like to add about the bonding, that I did all the things for my Rupert (feeding, training, walking) and he is 100% devoted to me over everyone else. It wasn't a specific plan to get him bonded to only me but it was just the way it worked out.The problem is that he is "funny" with others in my house and protective of me. He has never bitten anyone but he barks at people who get to close to me, he barks at people (who live here) when they walk past or come into the bedroom that he sleeps in. It just is not ideal and actually a little annoying, so, be careful what you wish for.

[Charlene]

agree with sparrow! also, bonding to just one person can create separation anxiety which you DO NOT want!

[CamillaH]

Hi,

I found the calcium/phos ratio on Victor's website which is 1.58/1.10. That's high. There are 440 calories per cup. Any thoughts on that? I may just end of switching her Chicken Soup earlier than planned for a good ratio. Therein lies my question. Should I be using the Large Breed Puppy for Chicken Soup? Or Adult Large Breed? I hear so much different information! Even allowing for differences in scales it appears she gained about 1.4 pounds from Thursday to Monday. She's not free-feeding anymore so the vet has me cutting back on the food recommended by the breeder to slow down her growth while still giving her enough calories.

As for bonding, she loves me as her primary so far but loves my husband, too. He's just a dog magnet so I want her to love him but look to me. I know it sounds selfish but I'm the one who wanted the Great Dane so badly, even after we lost our previous one under horrible circumstances in January. We shall see.

I've had her meet many people in the past few days per puppy book recommendations and her vet visit went extremely well. I have a plethora of toys on the way to keep her busy and hopefully not so bitey as recommended by my vet who specializes in dog behaviors. She actually brought in a tub of dog toys and introduced them to Neo to see what she would like and to make recommendations! I adore our vet...she takes as much time as needed in appointments.

And our behavioral trainer was here already to work with Neo and Mayhem (my Weimaraner/Great Dane/Mastiff mix) to ensure minimal jealousy and optimal relationships. Neo is thinking Mayhem is her mom (she was bred before we got her) so Neo keeps trying to nurse on Mayhem, which she absolutely hates. We're keeping them separate except for extremely close supervision. Never a dull moment with pets! Neo starts class training on April 2nd with our trainer as well.

But man, puppies are a lot of work and very different work than a rescue dog who may be older with problems of its own. I am having a blast, though, and she's so cute I can't stand it. Sorry, I'm so long-winded when I talk about my babies!

As always thank you for your advice! Neo and I appreciate it!

[kahluadanes]

The calcium/phosphorous is too high... Chicken Soup is a good choice to switch to.. Switch to either the large breed puppy or regular puppy.. either one is in the safe calcium/phosphorous levels.The idea of feeding adult old school ..Many adult foods including those that use to be fine are too high in both calcium/phosphorous. Do a slow switch over10- 14 days from the Victor to the Chicken Soup puppy (large breed or regular)

[CamillaH]

I will change her over then. As always, thank you for your generous advice!

[Charlene]

just a quick note to address the bonding thing. sometimes when a dog bonds to only 1 person, that dog can become so attached that he could start resource guarding behavior (much like he would guard a bone or his food or water dishes). it's the last thing you want.

think of a food aggressive dog that guards to the point of lunging, snarling, eventually even biting the person or other animal he considers to be a threat to *his* things. it isn't always "things", it can also be "people". i'm sure you've seen the videos of little dogs that growl and snap at daddy when they are in mommy's lap. people think it's cute when it's a chihuahua or toy poodle. it isn't cute, it's a dangerous behavior no matter the size of the dog but think what it would be like with a 150# dane.

your pup is adorable and i'm sure your husband thinks so, too. why not let him enjoy this time? it'll go so fast, you will blink and pup will be 50#. you'll go to the bathroom, come out to the living room 5 minutes later and your pup will be 100#! ok ok, maybe i'm exaggerating but not by much!

[CamillaH]

Charlene,

You are 100% correct on all counts! Even in one week, I can see how much she's grown and changed. And Harry is certainly spending time with her and they get along great. She's certainly bonding with me so I'm going to try not to worry about it. She's cuddled up behind me on the couch as I sit forward working on the computer. I work from home so she does spend the majority of her time with me anyway. Thanks for your sage advice....I'm a good worrier so I go with my strengths!

Have a great day!

[Charlene]

it's been light years since i raised a puppy. my danes have all been adult rescues, some with baggage, some without but each has bonded to me so quickly, you would think they'd been born in my lap! there's just nothing like looking into their eyes and seeing the love and trust they impart.

you need to post more pictures because i live vicariously through those who are raising puppies!