Puppy Blues !

[Morphine]

Recently a proud owner of an extremely luvable 2 month old mini schaunzer, "Teddy"'s her name (why ? coz she reeaaally looks like one!) BUT along came weeks of poo and pee cleaning, morning before and evening after work Despite the constant depotation act of catching her in the act & bringing her to designated poo tray, Teddy never failed to "surprise", especially in the rush mornings, by pooping in or around her crate vicinity
Any pup owners experiencing / experienced puppy blues, appreciate any advice. *sigh* cant wait till this stage gets over.

[CyclChyk]

your babies are gorgeous!!

Having 4 dogs of my own the only advise I can offer is what has worked for me.

The first 6 months of the dogs life should be spent in a crate at night. This will mean getting up at 4am so she may relieve herself if necessary. This also means that in the morning, first thing, take the puppy out of the crate to do her business. What that meant for me is that sometimes I was struggling to "hold it" while I waited for my puppy to "go potty". This will ease as the 6mo age mark nears, but its so vital that you do no waiver from this. I have done less than 6 months with one of my dogs and it has not been pretty. The others are golden.

I have also found that sticking their noses in the mess is ineffective. 9 times out of 10 it is after the fact where the puppy has no idea what you are scolding them for. My best experiences is to watch my baby like a hawk, more or less walk them every frickin hour, and when they would show behavior of having to go potty (trust me, there are signs) I would take them out BEFORE damage could be done and offer MUCH praise when they did good.

2 of my dogs were paper trained initially. They now are firm believers of relieving themselves outdoors. (and FWIW, I work 20 miles from my home, a full work week and then some. My advantage I believe is that I have a doggie door with a fenced back yard....)

[Dogmama]

A few things I've learned throughout the years:

Take Teddy to her designated area immediately after waking or eating. Wait until something happens. Be patient - it could take 10 minutes or more.
Praise profusely.

If Teddy is soiling the crate, the crate is too big. Get a smaller crate.

I'm assuming that Teddy is inside while you are at work with no way to get outside, correct? If so, invest in puppy pads. They are treated with a smell that will attract a dog to that area to relieve themselves. After Teddy becomes old enough to hold it, you'll slowly move it to the door & then outside, if that is the final destination. Patience.

Watch Teddy when she isn't in the crate. The minute you see the action (sniffing, running in a circle) take her to her area (outside, if that will be the final destination.)

When you find an accident, get a rolled up newspaper and walk to the area. Take the newspaper and repeatedly hit yourself in the head while chanting "Bad owner! Bad owner!" OK, that's a joke. Seriously, don't spank when you find an accident. Clean it up & let it go. The dog doesn't associate the spanking with the action, especially at 8 weeks old.

Clean it with a solution that will eliminate the smell. If you have tile, vinegar works well. If it is carpet, you might look into a commercial cleaner for this task. Check Petsmart or some other pet store.

[TexasMermaid]

If Teddy is soiling the crate, the crate is too big. Get a smaller crate.

To add to what Dogmama said, if the crate is too big but will be the right size when your dog is full grown, you can place a sealed box in the back half of the crate while the pup is small to reduce the available space now. You'll want to get a box that doesn't have tears or flaps that would be attractive for chewing though.

My sister did this with her dog and replaced the box with smaller and smaller boxes as Dixie grew, which slowly alllowed more space for the dog but not more space than she needed. It worked well and saved my sister the cost of buying multiple crates.

[Bad JuJu]

Just agreeing with what everyone else said, and adding, what adorable pups you have!!!

[Hub]

I have a new baby as well - she's 4 months old. I feel your pain with the peeing & pooping. Kasey is partly housebroken- she'll do it outside as long as
we watch closely for the signs. It's helpful to monitor the baby's intake- you'll have a better idea when to expect output!

[Aggie_Ama]

Crate train!! I didn't stick to my guns on it and have had heck to pay for 5 years. I can't wait to get a yard for my little schnauzers.

Your little gal is so cute! Of course I have a soft spot for the little white one, I am assuming Teddy is the brown one?

[lph]

This is why I love cats. I like dogs too, and those puppies were so cute! but I LOVE cats.

We have a 10 week-old kitten. She was wild and terrified when we got her at 8 weeks, so we left her alone for a day or two in the bathroom with a bowl of water, a bowl of food and a cat toilet. When we came in she'd be under the chest of drawers hissing at us, but left alone she ate and drank and used the toilet perfectly.

After two weeks she's now the undisputed queen of the household

[CyclChyk]

ohhh look at the lil' pom!!! What a cutie! you guys are really making me want another dog.....and 4 is plenty!

BTW My mom did the bell thing with her toy poodle. It worked like a charm for her too. Now she has a tiny doggie door installed tho so its no longer needed. (She lives in a condo with a tiny back yard)