Just bought a pug puppy (pic)

my sister is obsessed with pugs, but mom refuses to let her have one. Its funny to watch her beg.

 

My brother has a 3 legged little dog named Gizmo as well. Cute pug.

 

I have always heard dogs should not be left in their crate for more than 4-5 hours a day...

I got a puppy a few weeks back. I bring her in to work with me where I have a metal-wire playpen area set up next to my desk. I often travel back and forth between the shop and office and I let her run around the shop (if she goes potty there its no big deal since its concrete epoxied floors). I put her in her crate when she is being bad for a time out or when I need to take a shower, etc. The trick is to make the crate a place where they feel safe and dont mind going. Put some treats in there when they go in, etc. But as much as people talk about crates I never saw a dog who likes going in there.

I still think 8+ hours in a crate is a bit much. Maybe get a pen and put it in a room she can't destroy things?

 

Agreed, 8 hours is cruel and unusual punishment for anybody esp somebody with the attention span of a puppy.

 

hi jeff....pugs are:

extremely intelligent.
very loving (i.e they will lick you to death)
wonderful with children (see attached)
good guard dogs (bark loud but rarely bite)
can and will over-eat if allow.
susceptable to allergies (specialty foods from petsmart)
needs occasional baths (can be smelly)
adverse to cold climate (could result in death if stays outside too long)
here is a bonus kicker....."they love cook carrots".
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Hey, Mike, can i suggest something...? Maybe have two crates and use just one specifically for time outs... Maybe make it slightly smaller or put it on the corner or don't put any toys in there... If she drops a deuce on your carpet and you put her in the same crate that you put her in when you just need to take a shower, it'll send her mixed messages... Just a pavlovian suggestion...

 

I agree with this 100%. Also, go talk to the people at your local PetSmart. They'll be able to steer you in the right direction. Just remember although it is an animal it does have feelings and some good reasoning skills. Treat it with as much kindness and humanity as you would a small child. Whenever you're training it always try to ask yourself, "would I do this to a two year old?" If the answer is "probably not" then start to look for another solution.

Another excellent idea!

 

Your dog came with a DVD? It's really helpful to anticipate when the dog will have to go to the bathroom. Since puppies are small, so are their bladders. Take him outside immediately after you take him out of his crate. Wait for him to pee and praise the hell out of him. It's also really common for them to have to go after playing. Also, monitor his water intake until he gets a little bigger. A lot of times they'll casually walk off and start sniffing. Watch out for that--sounds a lot more obvious than it might actually be. Positive reinforcement is the key. Pugs are great dogs and are eager learners. Our friends trained their Pug to ring a bell when it needs to go out!

 

If you want to get in really good with the g/f, go and buy the following book:

"The Tao of Pug" by Nancy Levine, which is a cute little book about her Pug, Wilson

Book Description: Wilson the Pug is the apotheosis of the breed dog lovers can't get enough of and can't buy enough books about. Irresistible goes without saying-but Wilson is also a descendant of Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu's beloved companion, Pug-tzu, and he has a great deal of wisdom to share as he exemplifies quotations from the Tao Te Ching. In The Tao of Pug his own everyday Taoist lifestyle is captured by Nancy Levine, his owner and a veteran dog photographer, in whimsical word and captivating picture. With his adorably expressive face, comic poses, and trademark yin-yang coat, Wilson's magnetism shows us the big, simple, profoundly spiritual picture through the eyes of a little dog. Pug-tzu, he reminds us, said, "A pug is a pug is a pug. I'm just me, Wilson the Pug. And I'm okay with that."

She has also written a second book, called "Homer for the Holidays", about a little homeless pug called Homer.

Get either or both of the books and I can assure you quality nookie for a while!

Enjoy the pug, they are quite nice dogs!

 

You callin' Gizmo a biatch? That's MR. Gizmo to you!
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

LOL, i was talking to Mike, not Jeffrey...

 

you bought the DVD and the dog came with it? wow what a concept

 

<Mental Note: Must not show this thread to my girlfriend>

 

That is one cute pup


Antony

 

Yeah you have a good point - I realized the mixed message of going there as "I was bad" and going there because I just need time, however I quickly realized she was not going to take to the crate as a place to relax no matter what, so I started putting her in my front lobby of my house which has tile floors and nothing to bite instead of the crate when I need to take a shower, etc. She likes that a WHOLE lot better than being in the crate and now the crate is the "I've been bad" place only

But thanks for looking out for my litlte girls best interests! Lots of people make mistakes with dogs

 

Awww! I love pugs, my grandparents had one. It was so fat though...but so cute

 

Sleep with your pup. Put him in your bed on a beach towel w/ collar & leash so you can tell if he gets up. Take him out whenever (middle of night) while he gets adjusted. Love your new baby. In the end, this dog will give his life for you. Does this only work for big dogs?

 

There you go again......UN-RETIRING!!!!!!!

 

No sweat, dude, i was a kid once too, so i know how dogs feel...

 

In terms of potty training... I've trained 3 dogs using a bell. We bought a small bell at the local Petsmart and hung it by a string to the back doorknob, so that the bell hangs as high as the puppy's head. Everytime you take the puppy outside, make him ring the bell (touch his paw or nose to the bell) before going out. Soon, he should start ringing the bell when he needs to go out. At the very least, the dog will start going to the door when he needs to go out.

The 3 puppies I've used that on have caught on extremely quickly. The Jack Russell Terrier pup took about 3 days. The Boxer took about a week. The Boston Terrier only had one accident.

 

Gizmos got a Gizmo!

 

I also have a pug. He is named Nixon. Crate training as it's called is a good way to go for housebreaking your pug. It's a humane way to cure the little one of his fouling habits but you must have patience with pugs. Due to their stubborn streak they will take longer than 'normal' dogs. After a couple months you might think the little one has this continence thing down, then SURPRISE. All you can do is clean it up and stick with the crate training. They will eventually learn but will still require the occasional toxic waste cleanup.

The crate works out well so long as the pug does not associate it with punishment. If the crate is used as a canine prison for real and imagined crimes you can expect uncooperative behavior. If the crate is used as a budget hotel the pug will voluntarilty enter it. Punishment typically doesn't work for pugs even when you catch them in the act; all you teach them is to fear you.

Pugs are not low maintenance dogs. They shed 24/7/365. Their pushed-in faces accumulate food and drool which together produce 'schmootz'. Daily cleaning needed. 24 hours after washing mine stinks again. "Ah the fresh smell of pug!" Nixon needs walking 3 times a day, a distance of 1.5 miles in the Chicago summer and up to 5 miles in the cooler seasons, quite a lot compared to other pugs. He never goes in the house with this exercise regimen. When no one is at home he lives in his crate; both house and crate remain clean that way. Pug puppies will need shorter and more frequent walks. Letting them 'free range' in the yard sometimes is not enough.

If you live in some semi-tropical region like Florida or Texas you may reconsider owning a pug as hot weather can be lethal for them. They are susceptible to heat stroke. Death may result even if you just throw them in the back yard.

When they are not sleeping they want your company and preferably your attention and involvement. They love to drive but never let them take the wheel. Pugs are terrible drivers. Nixon loves to stand on the center console and take in the sights. But I won't even let him shift gears.