# Potty training a very small pup, help please



## Sera_Cookies (Dec 17, 2015)

Hello!

This is my first time owning a dog in my life and I've always loved GSDs and chose to have one as my first pup  I just got her three days ago, but she is really young only one month old. I have a dilemma of how to potty train her and where should she sleep. I live in an apartment, so I have considered two options. The pup currently sleeps in a small pen with a doggy bed and training pads next to me in my room but I have heard that training where to potty and sleep must be done as early as possible.

I have a really small patio right behind my room, it has a roof, and really tall walls that surround it, on the other hand it has openings near the roof level to let air flow covered with mosquito nets, we thought of teaching her to sleep there and go potty there as well, but we are afraid that at one month of age she might catch a cold, or that even at 2 or 4 months of age she might get sick. So we aren't sure of when it is adviceable to place her there. This is so far the option we are considering the most, but we are afraid of the puppy getting sick, since there are openings for air.

The other option is to allow her to sleep inside but outside the rooms, we want this option but we are afraid that when she leaves her pen at night she might destroy our living room and furniture since she won't have any supervision. There are also two aggressive cats living in the apartment and she might get scratched if left alone with them at night, the cats have no access to the small patio.

Any advice would be appreciated


----------



## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

What a very sad situation to have her away from the mother way too young. Did the mother die?


----------



## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

You mean she is four weeks old?She needs to go back and stay with her mother for another four weeks.


----------



## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

No where near ready for potty training, may have a hard time digesting food, the cats are a danger, weak control of regulating body temprature - all not good. If any care is not given exactly right - you could lose her to illness. She needs to be with her mother.


----------



## Sera_Cookies (Dec 17, 2015)

I got her from my local vet, they told me that something had happened to the mother and the puppies were left on their own. :C I know that she is too young but I want to know how to proceed once she is around 2 months old.


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Stonevintage said:


> No where near ready for potty training, may have a hard time digesting food, the cats are a danger, weak control of regulating body temprature - all not good. If any care is not given exactly right - you could lose her to illness. She needs to be with her mother.


Puppies at 4 weeks old will naturally go to newspapers or cedar chips to potty if given enough space and encouraged to do so. They will need to potty very often, though, so it will be difficult to do what we like to suggest and not allow pottying in the house at all. If you can get a small kiddie pool and put some wood chips in it, and then put newspapers down in the rest of an area separated from the run of the house, that might work. 

At four weeks, puppies ought to be able to digest food just fine. Some can be totally weaned at this point. Do not give cow's milk as that is not close to bitch's milk. Goats milk is better, or formula for dogs. I would give some yogurt with each meal. A table spoon. Some cooked egg. Maybe a little cheese, and forget about giving any milk at all. By four weeks they can usually take kibble without being softened, but some pups like it better soggy. You can do this with hot water, and then let it get luke warm before offering to the pup.

By three weeks of age, the puppy's temperature will reach it's adult temperature and the puppy can support a fever that will kill off some bugs. They can regulate their body heat at this time. Their immunity to disease is received in the colostrum that they got withing the first 24 hours of birth. But young and old are more susceptible to disease, and baby puppies do not have the layer of fat required to protect them against temperature extremes -- i.e. if she falls into icy water, then she can get hypothermia more readily than an adult dog.

You will be fine. You do not have to be "exactly right." 

Your puppy is young but there is no way around that. So, at this point, you can avoid some pit falls by reading up on things like bite-inhibition, and knowing when to vaccinate your puppy and how many times, etc. Don't leave this to your vet -- they tend to over-do it. If she has had no shots already, I would give the first set at 6 weeks, but I wouldn't take her anywhere with high dog traffic until several days after her second set of shots at 10 weeks old. I usually give them at 7, 11, and 16 weeks, but we aren't sure of the dam and what she was protected from, when her immunity is likely to wear off.

Thank you for helping this baby puppy.


----------



## Sera_Cookies (Dec 17, 2015)

selzer said:


> Puppies at 4 weeks old will naturally go to newspapers or cedar chips to potty if given enough space and encouraged to do so. They will need to potty very often, though, so it will be difficult to do what we like to suggest and not allow pottying in the house at all. If you can get a small kiddie pool and put some wood chips in it, and then put newspapers down in the rest of an area separated from the run of the house, that might work.
> 
> At four weeks, puppies ought to be able to digest food just fine. Some can be totally weaned at this point. Do not give cow's milk as that is not close to bitch's milk. Goats milk is better, or formula for dogs. I would give some yogurt with each meal. A table spoon. Some cooked egg. Maybe a little cheese, and forget about giving any milk at all. By four weeks they can usually take kibble without being softened, but some pups like it better soggy. You can do this with hot water, and then let it get luke warm before offering to the pup.
> 
> ...


Thank you so much! I know she is really young indeed and I want to do my best, my vet already told me the best type of kibble to feed her and indeed she doesn't have her vaccines yet but will get her first at 6 weeks  I am not so sure of when I can place her at the patio to sleep tho...from what is said here I get that she is not ready yet? I also want to ask my vet


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Can an eagle take out a four week old pup? I mean, they can take a rabbit or a trout. I worry about snakes and eagles. 

It depends where you live. A rat snake might take a tiny puppy. Not too sure about a black snake, but I saw an enormous one in my yard one day. They tend to be quiet and not too much trouble, so...

Birds are another thing though. The big hunting varieties, like hawks and eagles and owls. The pup would have to be very young. 

Coyotes around here will take a small dog and kill it. They would kill puppies. So will possoms. 

Think about this, that pup ought to be with its momma for four more weeks. Beyond that, I would probably still would keep the puppy in a safe area for several more months. A six month old pup is no match for a coyote. A possum might let him be. 

Might.


----------



## Sera_Cookies (Dec 17, 2015)

selzer said:


> Can an eagle take out a four week old pup? I mean, they can take a rabbit or a trout. I worry about snakes and eagles.
> 
> It depends where you live. A rat snake might take a tiny puppy. Not too sure about a black snake, but I saw an enormous one in my yard one day. They tend to be quiet and not too much trouble, so...
> 
> ...


I live in Mexico in an urban area, the biggest thing she might find might be a bug, so no real danger there  The so called patio I want to let her live is completely enclosed too, just with openings for air, but the air enters directly from above so it is colder than inside, and a lot, what concerns me more is the cold, we are having temperatures no lower than 3 C but 3 or 5 C at night might be too much for a puppy.


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Sera_Cookies said:


> I live in Mexico in an urban area, the biggest thing she might find might be a bug, so no real danger there  The so called patio I want to let her live is completely enclosed too, just with openings for air, but the air enters directly from above so it is colder than inside, and a lot, what concerns me more is the cold, we are having temperatures no lower than 3 C but 3 or 5 C at night might be too much for a puppy.


 
0C is 32 degrees F. So 3-5 C is what? about 40 degrees or so? Yes, I would not leave a 4 week out there at those temperatures. 12 week old puppy would be ok, so long as you have a dog house with some form of bedding.


----------



## Sera_Cookies (Dec 17, 2015)

selzer said:


> 0C is 32 degrees F. So 3-5 C is what? about 40 degrees or so? Yes, I would not leave a 4 week out there at those temperatures. 12 week old puppy would be ok, so long as you have a dog house with some form of bedding.


Thanks, I have seen those dog igloos and plastic dog houses, are those enough to keep her warm once she can stay out?


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Sera_Cookies said:


> Thanks, I have seen those dog igloos and plastic dog houses, are those enough to keep her warm once she can stay out?


It depends on how cold it gets where you are. The plastic dog house will be enough at the temps you are talking about, but a wool horse saddle pad in there might be nice while he is not yet full size, and the dog house is bought for an adult dog. Straw can be used, but at those temperatures the dog will pull the straw out and strew it everywhere but in the house.


----------



## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

at 4 weeks old this pup should have been placed with another litter about the same age , for social experience at the least.

"At four weeks, puppies ought to be able to digest food just fine. Some can be totally weaned at this point"

not really -- not for complete caloric and nutritional needs .

the digestive system and the immune system , linked, are not competent . The gut microbiome needs to be developed. The need for FAT is high . 

milk comparison charts 
Cow
3.9 3.3 0.8 5.0 87
and this is whole full fatted milk , which may vary in fat by breed (Guernsey high) and by processing - to 3.2, 3.5 .

Dog
8.3 9.5 1.1 3.7 79

Cat
10.9 11.1 1 3.4 75

If you can't get a canine milk replacer , a cat version will do just fine. 

At 4 weeks of age the calorie content of the natural nursing mother's milk would have changed to be less - but the pups would still be getting benefit from immune defenses.
You can mix colostrum from cattle or goats which you can get in powder form . Anything to help.
I am recommending this to give this pup a boost . 

Raw and fermented goat milk is an excellent food to move on to Goat Milk For Dogs - Dogs Naturally Magazine .

soak your kibble (if that has to be your option) with goat kefir / goat milk -- whole fat goat yogurt even . 

housing the dog -- WARMTH -- pups have poor internal temperature regulation . Chilling is a stressor and changes the pH of the dog , creating upset , dysbiosis, diarrhea.


----------



## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

Thank you Carmen.


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

carmspack said:


> at 4 weeks old this pup should have been placed with another litter about the same age , for social experience at the least.
> 
> "At four weeks, puppies ought to be able to digest food just fine. Some can be totally weaned at this point"
> 
> ...


When you have a litter of 4 week old puppies, do you bring in other four week old pups, pups whose mother died suddenly (that do not live with you) and put them in with your four week old puppies. Does the dam always take them? Not sure, because I am afraid of disease that a strange pup might bring in. Not all diseases have vaccines, and young and old are more susceptible. 

If the puppy was from one of my other bitches, and for whatever reason needed to be moved, ok, but I don't let outside dogs on the place when I have youngsters and that includes puppies. I will help someone do what they can for it. And how many people have multiple litters of puppies of the same age? 

Should've, would've, could've, in the end we have a four week old puppy that will be just fine if we don't scare the owner into paralysis. 

Regular room temperature will be fine for a four week old pup. They are up to their adult temperature. Leaving it out on the porch all day at slightly over freezing, not ok. We got that. But it is not like a week old pup that will get cold, shut down and die. It has reached its adult temperature and other than not having the layer of fat to protect it from extremes, it will be fine. 

Even at a day old, a pup can feel cold or warm and because his body cannot regulate the heat, the puppy will either pile together with his mates, or will spread out from his mates. He will draw closer to a heat source, or draw away from it. By four weeks old, puppies are pretty good at managing temperature.


----------



## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

Sera_Cookies said:


> I live in Mexico in an urban area, the biggest thing she might find might be a bug, so no real danger there  The so called patio I want to let her live is completely enclosed too, just with openings for air, but the air enters directly from above so it is colder than inside, and a lot, what concerns me more is the cold, we are having temperatures no lower than 3 C but 3 or 5 C at night might be too much for a puppy.


I think it's a great idea to consult with your vet. I had a feeling you might be in Mexico from your original post when you mentioned the high walls and the mosquito netting. Because there are different conditions where you are, your vet should be a better source for certain precautions you should take.

It may be difficult for you to obtain some of the food supplementals that have been mentioned here, or there may be alternatives that your vet knows about. I think the important thing is to make sure the diet is complete and you do not give any human food or treats. Diarrhea is the enemy you want to avoid in a very young pup. It can weaken them and make them more susceptible to some of the things the series of puppy shots will in time, help prevent.

The "Igloo" style dog houses are good. They are insulated where others are not. Check to make sure you get one that is insulated, they cost more but are worth it. Just as important is the type of bedding that you put in it. Something that will help them store their body warmth and absorbs moisture. 

Is that area going to get terribly warm in the summer months? Is the high wall brick or concrete and will absorb heat? It's easier for a dog to stay warm with proper housing and bedding than it is to stay cool in the summer time. My dogs in San Diego and Texas needed lots of water and lots of shade and breezes to stay cool in the summers.


----------



## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

very similar thread http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/general-puppy-stuff/314305-naturally-calm-docile-3.html


----------



## Sera_Cookies (Dec 17, 2015)

Guys, thanks to everyone that has replied and has been so helpful! I know that indeed my puppy is very young, but I will do my best and take your advice and consult my vet frequently to have her properly fed and warm! I will make sure to get a good insulated dog home for her so she stays cool in summer and warm in winter, the puppy sleeps a lot just like the thread carmspack mentioned, what is worrying me a bit is that her poop is not diarrhea, but it is not solid either it is very mushy, what could this be? I am feeding her the kibble the vet reccomended and providing plenty of fresh water, she is still sleeping in my room.


----------



## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

Sera_Cookies said:


> Guys, thanks to everyone that has replied and has been so helpful! I know that indeed my puppy is very young, but I will do my best and take your advice and consult my vet frequently to have her properly fed and warm! I will make sure to get a good insulated dog home for her so she stays cool in summer and warm in winter, the puppy sleeps a lot just like the thread carmspack mentioned, what is worrying me a bit is that her poop is not diarrhea, but it is not solid either it is very mushy, what could this be? I am feeding her the kibble the vet reccomended and providing plenty of fresh water, she is still sleeping in my room.


Sera, if you can just give your vet a quick call on the mushy poop thing tomorrow. Color is important too, describe it as best you can and email a photo to the vet's office if you can. Sorry - but you may become very knowledgeable about poop in the next couple of weeks, but poop is a good indicator if your pup is able to digest the food you are giving properly. The bottom line being - is the nutrition in the food getting absorbed by the puppy or is there something not functioning right and the proper nutrition is not getting through?...... 

as was suggested, you may need a supplemental and your vet should be able to help with a suggestion if the digestive system is not working at 100%. 

I think a lot of assumptions were made about this pup and the separation from it's mother. Do you know when the pup was separated from his mother? Did she die during delivery and the pup was supplementally fed by the vet for the first weeks? Did she ever get first milk or any milk from her mom? Because it's a vet involved, they should be able to share this information with you.") 

In the mean time - I hope you don't mind analyzing puppy poos!


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Puppies are funny. They will eat more than they need, and that can cause a mushy stool. If you suspect this may be the issue, then back off by 1/4-1/2 cup per day, depending on how much you are feeding. Or, you can add a teaspoon of canned pumpkin and a teaspoon of regular (not non-fat) Dannon's yogurt to each meal. Pumpkin can help digestive issues, and the yogurt will replace any good bacteria in the digestive tract. These are often killed off if the pup is given antibiotics. If you got her from a vet, it is possible that they gave the pup some antibiotics. 

You can ask about that. But a small amount of yogurt will not hurt.

Also, the immune system is immature right now, so some pro-biotics might make sense. I am not a nutritionist, and have not dealt with puppies not having their dam at this stage. I usually will put egg, yogurt, and sometimes pumpkin in with the kibble when I give them their food. But when I was discussing pups less than a week old with the reproductive vet (my vet had given me antibiotics for them, I did not give it and called the repro vet), he said that if they were to give antibiotics they would start them on a pro-biotic at the same time. So young puppies, if given an antibiotic, they can be given a pro-biotic, and ordinary vets may not do this as a regular thing.

I am not sure about feeding an orphan like this one. I know that goats' milk is better than cows' milk. Cow's milk can give them diarrhea, but cheese and yogurt generally does not. Usually my pups are still drinking at the milk bar at this stage, but other people sometimes start weaning them at this point.


----------



## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

selzer said:


> I am not a nutritionist, and have not dealt with puppies not having their dam at this stage. I am not sure about feeding an orphan like this one.


But yet, all kinds of feeding suggestions......

Trust your vet Sera and don't be afraid to call too often in the next week or two. That's what he's there for, he has the experience and knows the litter personally


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Ordinary vets are not necessarily bad, it is just that there just aren't that many baby puppies out there for them to have seen everything. Lots of breeders go straight to repro-vets, and most pet people get their animals altered, so ordinary vets often do not have a lot of experience with pups younger than 8 weeks. And most of the people here wouldn't trust their vets with nutrition questions. Whether they would trust them with nutrition for baby-puppies, I don't know. 

Personally, if you are asking for information on feeding a 4 week old pup, I would call a reproductive vet. They will have seen a lot more orphaned pups than your ordinary vet will have.


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Stonevintage said:


> But yet, all kinds of feeding suggestions......
> 
> Trust your vet Sera and don't be afraid to call too often in the next week or two. That's what he's there for, he has the experience and knows the litter personally


Dude, I know what four week old puppies eat. I have never lost a pup over a week old yet. I have fed about a hundred of them. I have hand-fed and tube fed babies. So I do know a think or two about baby-puppies. 

I have second-guessed my vet and found that they were definitely giving me the wrong information, and heating my pups up to a temperature much higher than they should have been at. The repro-vet helped me to not lose those pups. 

Let's think about this vet-knows-the-litter baloney going on here. The vet gave a 4 week old puppy to someone who is not a breeder, and does not have any experience raising pups this young. A more reasonable answer would be for the vet to take care of the pup until it was at least six weeks old and totally eating regular food. I might like the guy fine, but I wouldn't trust that he was the best choice on what to feed the puppy.


----------



## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

Geez Selzer.... get real! This is not about you showing your knowledge and listing a bunch of possible solutions and a bunch of specialists. This is about a 1st time GSD puppy owner in Mexico.

There is a marked difference between the two countries in respect to health care for both people and pets. It's different.... some is substandard and some is excellent. On the same token, some of our best human doctors and pet vets get their training in Mexico. The University of Guadalajara is outstanding for producing superior medical school graduates as are many others. 

I understand that you believe you know more than veterinarians. Thankfully, this time you put two disclaimers in your suggestions. 

I do have experience with raising a GSD puppy from 18 days and there are special considerations and they carry through past 4 weeks of age. IMO - her vet will be the best help because he has had hands on this litter, and because he is a vet - and maybe a much better educated one than we here in the states have the opportunity to ever see..... 

If the OP is concerned about her vet's recommendations or the quality of care - there should be good quality care available for her and her pup. It really sounds like the OP is very knowledgeable, willing to learn and if she judges her vet not reliable - will find a better one.

Things are different in Mexico, some would not find the ways animals are cared for in some areas there acceptable. This OP however, is on the ball and wanting to do the best - and I think she will get it for her pup.....


----------



## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

selzer said:


> Dude, I know what four week old puppies eat. I have never lost a pup over a week old yet. I have fed about a hundred of them. I have hand-fed and tube fed babies. So I do know a think or two about baby-puppies.
> 
> "I am not a nutritionist, and have not dealt with puppies not having their dam at this stage. I am not sure about feeding an orphan like this one"
> 
> Are there two different people posting under the name selzer???


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Stonevintage said:


> selzer said:
> 
> 
> > Dude, I know what four week old puppies eat. I have never lost a pup over a week old yet. I have fed about a hundred of them. I have hand-fed and tube fed babies. So I do know a think or two about baby-puppies.
> ...


----------



## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

Stonevintage said:


> I think a lot of assumptions were made about this pup and the separation from it's mother. Do you know when the pup was separated from his mother? Did she die during delivery and the pup was supplementally fed by the vet for the first weeks? Did she ever get first milk or any milk from her mom? Because it's a vet involved, they should be able to share this information with you.")/QUOTE]
> 
> IMO - this is a consideration. Also, what has not been mentioned is the probability of worms. If the OP is in the more Tropical portion of Mexico, there are other things as well that just can't be treated for at such a young age that may be causing the soft stools or could be an issue down the line - this, the reason why I think she needs to stay in good communication with the vet. Certain locations, in certain countries need to be considered, even down to regular drinking water. It's different.....


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Pups at this age can be wormed. I would have expected a vet to have wormed the puppy once or twice before giving it to the lady. They would be better at knowing what types of worms are common for the area. But yes, it is worth mentioning/asking about.


----------



## Sera_Cookies (Dec 17, 2015)

Hello guys! I got updates! I took my pup to the vet and she said everything was in order, she told me to increase the feeding portion and gave her the first vaccine and something to help with parasites. Regarding the mushy stool she told me to give her probiotics in the morning and monitor her stool in the next 15 days, she will get her other vaccines in two weeks if the stool is still mushy then she told me they would give her treatment. The pup currently sleeps in her pen and doggy bed at night, I let her out in my apartment to explore with supervision and take her to go potty, she is catching up in a good pace, she has gone herself a few times. The puppy is a lot more lively now, and she wants to play and bite everything, she has plenty of toys. The vet said we couldn't take her out till she has all of her vaccines, which is in around a month. Thank you heartly to all of your advice and sorry for updating till now, I am still checking for your responses!


----------



## Sera_Cookies (Dec 17, 2015)

Stonevintage said:


> But yet, all kinds of feeding suggestions......
> 
> Trust your vet Sera and don't be afraid to call too often in the next week or two. That's what he's there for, he has the experience and knows the litter personally


Thanks a lot for your tips, I did see my vet! She told me about probiotics, i need to give her some in the morning and keep on feeding her kibble


----------



## Sera_Cookies (Dec 17, 2015)

selzer said:


> Pups at this age can be wormed. I would have expected a vet to have wormed the puppy once or twice before giving it to the lady. They would be better at knowing what types of worms are common for the area. But yes, it is worth mentioning/asking about.


Regarding the worms, the vet told me it could be possible so she gave the puppy something to help with that , thanks for your time, Seizer I saw you gave a lot of opinions and advice as well


----------



## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

Excellent So happy it is going well. Good for you I think everything's going to work out just fine. Please be true to your vet and don't let you pup sniff noses, poop or anything else from another dog until the shot series are done - the shot series is a hit or miss affair - but, by giving them a few weeks apart - if the first shots didn't take for some reason - the next can.

Thanks for getting back with the good news. Post pictures when you can!


----------



## Sera_Cookies (Dec 17, 2015)

Stonevintage said:


> Excellent So happy it is going well. Good for you I think everything's going to work out just fine. Please be true to your vet and don't let you pup sniff noses, poop or anything else from another dog until the shot series are done - the shot series is a hit or miss affair - but, by giving them a few weeks apart - if the first shots didn't take for some reason - the next can.
> 
> Thanks for getting back with the good news. Post pictures when you can!


Thanks to you!  We will keep her inside till she has all of her vaccines and will follow what the vet says. Regarding the pictures here are some! ^^ The vet told me she is a sable, I know sables change colors a lot but she said she would be mostly black, any opinion about how she might look like in the future? I am really excited


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Hard to say at this point, keep posting pictures with updates.

When she is mature, she will be just the right size and just the right coloring. But it is still interesting to see them getting there.


----------



## Sera_Cookies (Dec 17, 2015)

selzer said:


> Hard to say at this point, keep posting pictures with updates.
> 
> When she is mature, she will be just the right size and just the right coloring. But it is still interesting to see them getting there.


Will do!


----------



## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

Sera_Cookies said:


> Hello guys! I got updates! I took my pup to the vet and she said everything was in order, she told me to increase the feeding portion and gave her the first vaccine and something to help with parasites. Regarding the mushy stool she told me to give her probiotics in the morning and monitor her stool in the next 15 days, she will get her other vaccines in two weeks if the stool is still mushy then she told me they would give her treatment. The pup currently sleeps in her pen and doggy bed at night, I let her out in my apartment to explore with supervision and take her to go potty, she is catching up in a good pace, she has gone herself a few times. The puppy is a lot more lively now, and she wants to play and bite everything, she has plenty of toys. The vet said we couldn't take her out till she has all of her vaccines, which is in around a month. Thank you heartly to all of your advice and sorry for updating till now, I am still checking for your responses!


Vaccines at 4 or 5 weeks, in a pup that has been disadvantaged ? I don't know , may be alone on this but I wouldn't do it -- well apparently it has been done but still time to discuss the scheduling of the next vaccination.

Pup looks like a black and tan .


----------



## Sera_Cookies (Dec 17, 2015)

carmspack said:


> Vaccines at 4 or 5 weeks, in a pup that has been disadvantaged ? I don't know , may be alone on this but I wouldn't do it -- well apparently it has been done but still time to discuss the scheduling of the next vaccination.
> 
> Pup looks like a black and tan .


She is 6 weeks now and only got the first one, she gets the other 15 days later and the last one 15 days after that, that is what my vet reccomended. Tan and black sounds beautiful


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I thought black and tan too, but I was wrong on the patterned sable thread. So I wanted to get more pictures to be sure in a week or so to be sure. 

6 weeks is ok, if we don't know what the vaccine history was for the dam. But I would do the subsequent shots at 3-4 week intervals. And I would be very careful where the pup goes between shots 1 and 3.


----------



## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

Thank you for the Pictures! Those last two are calendar quality. Keep those little jackets for memories because in a few weeks you are going to see an amazing pup, probably with the biggest full of life force that you have seen in such a small body. They're amazing!


----------



## Sera_Cookies (Dec 17, 2015)

Stonevintage said:


> Thank you for the Pictures! Those last two are calendar quality. Keep those little jackets for memories because in a few weeks you are going to see an amazing pup, probably with the biggest full of life force that you have seen in such a small body. They're amazing!


Glad you liked them, indeed she is growing really fast I can see her more and more energetic everyday!


----------



## Sera_Cookies (Dec 17, 2015)

*Update!*

I just took her today to her second shot, she has grown a lot and is rather playful and energetic . The trip tired her out a lot since she got very dizzy, the doctor sent her some probiotics to help her digestion even further since the stool is more solid but not as it should be, everything else is just fine. She has grown a lot and her ears are starting to stand up . She currently sleeps inside,and has less accidents, she sometimes goes pee on the area we designated, a lot of work but it is all great. 

Since I am new on this, I am not used to the biting! I know it is normal but she bites our hands a lot, we have tried ignoring her the moment she bites us but she insists, we have also redirected to a chew toy, is that fine? She chases and growls at our pants a lot, and she sometimes gets our legs D: what we do is say a firm NO! and pull her away without making such a fuss, then we ignore her, but she strikes back again! 

Thanks everyone!


----------



## Stonevintage (Aug 26, 2014)

Wonderful! Thanks for the pics - she is so cute So happy things are working out and your vet is helping. So, now - you have a regular German Shepherd Puppy on your hands!

The relentless biting is affectionately (or no so much) as "landsharking" which they are famous for She didn't have the benefit of her mom and siblings to learn about not biting too hard - so you get to

Redirecting to a toy is exactly the right thing to do, though sometimes - it will try your patience over the next couple of months....

If you redirect and she just won't because your hand or leg if more fun to play with, just pick her up and put her in a space for a time out with her toys.

When she gets another month or so older, when you say "NO" and redirect to toys and she does not - give a firm but gentle squeeze with your hand over her muzzle with your thumb and little finger pressing to her upper lips to teeth. Gently, because as you know, those little teeth are sharp and you don't want to cut her lip with their own teeth. 1. they don't like their muzzle held at all when they are in a "nipping frenzy" and 2. the gentle pressure tells them exactly what it is you don't like that they are doing.... 
There are other ways if this does not work - just post here and you will get help. 

hope this helps and congratulations for bringing this treasure through a very hard time! You're awesome


----------



## Sera_Cookies (Dec 17, 2015)

Stonevintage said:


> Wonderful! Thanks for the pics - she is so cute So happy things are working out and your vet is helping. So, now - you have a regular German Shepherd Puppy on your hands!
> 
> The relentless biting is affectionately (or no so much) as "landsharking" which they are famous for She didn't have the benefit of her mom and siblings to learn about not biting too hard - so you get to
> 
> ...


Thanks to you! She is currently 2 months old, I will keep on redirecting then  and at 3 months if she keeps nipping I will do as you say! I will keep you updated, she indeed has me very fatigued but I love her a lot already ^^


----------



## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Sounds like she is doing good. 

Ah yes, you might want to look up bite-inhibition. When they leave the litter young they may need extra help in this area.


----------

