General training

[lmf331]

My husband and I have a 7 week old chow that I have had for a week. In general, he is pretty well behaved but I am having some issues. I have been taking him out every 2-3 hours but he has had 4 pee accidents in the house. How can I stop this? When I bring him out, I give him a treat and affirmation when he pees and I am only feeding and watering twice a day. I do give him more water when it's hot or when he seems like he needs it and then I take him out a half-hour later. Also, he doesn't seem to eat much at his designated feeding times and will often go over to his dishes. Should I be feeding him more than 2 times a day? I am also having some nipping, barking and whining problems too so I just need some advice on how to properly train him.
Thanks!

[Rio]

I am no expert but we kinda had that for a few weeks with Rio when we first got him, he has his own penned in area where he eats, sleeps and drinks, and has a mountain of toys to chew on. We fed Rio 4 times a day up until about 12 weeks old, he had a couple of accidents on our rug but that was because we weren't fast enough. The nipping I would have to say is quite normal though not always wanted just make sure you firmly tell him no (shouting or raised voice seems to excite more than discipline), we have found that the only time we get even an inkling of a nip is if he is trying to tell us he wants something.Barking and whining is just him asking for re-assurance. Like I said I am no expert and am still learning the way of the Chow, we have only had Rio 6 weeks but in that time he has calmed down so much. Good Luck and stay patient. One other thing we used to take Rio out maybe every 45 minutes, regardless of how much water he had had, just to get him used to going outside to go toilet. We ask him to go toilet and he usually does even if only a marking pee-pee!

[Sarahloo]

I am only feeding and watering twice a day. I do give him more water when it's hot or when he seems like he needs it and then I take him out a half-hour later. Also, he doesn't seem to eat much at his designated feeding times and will often go over to his dishes. Should I be feeding him more than 2 times a day? I am also having some nipping, barking and whining problems too so I just need some advice on how to properly train him.
Thanks!

THIS IS SO WRONG! A DOG NEEDS ACCESS TO WATER ALL DAY LONG! If you're afraid of him ruining your carpets, just cover them up for the first couple of weeks.
Please buy a book on puppy/ dog care! You don't seem to know much about that yet!

At seven weeks, your puppy should still be with his mother! But since you have him, please stop asking too much of him! He is the tiniest of babies at the moment and does not have full control of his bladder yet!
He whines because he misses his momma! Please be kind to him and understanding and treat him with the same loving care that his mother would provide! Puppies nip! Please read up on puppy behaviour! Maybe somebody here can recommend a good basic publication?
Again: he's trying his best, but he is so young! Please be patient with him!

You need to know that having a dog is never going to be a completely clean affair. When he has the runs, he's going to poop in the house, if he has a tick on him and you don't find it, you'll step on it and there's going to be blood on your floors. He's going to shed, he's going to chew on thing, he's going to shake himself dry in the worst places possible, ....! So you better get used to the thought!

[Ursa's daddy]

That young a puppy probably should be fed 4 times a day, and as Sarahloo stated, water should ALWAYS be available. I do not remember with Ursa, but Malachi was about 12 weeks before he was able to control his bladder. If there are sections of the house where you don't want your puppy having an accident, get baby gates or other suitable ways to close of part of the house. You can put down pads in the area where you allow the puppy.
Nipping is something puppies do. They learn about controlling this from their litter mates. This is one reason 8 weeks is considered a minimum for a puppy to stay with the litter. If your puppy nips you, give a high pitched squeal and withdraw. This tells the puppy, in a manner which he can understand, that he has hurt you, and you are not happy. Say NO, so that he learns to associate that word "no" means "do not continue with your current actions". Your puppy know nothing about the world. It is your job to teach him. Chows identify with their human family, more so than a lot of other dogs. You have what can be the best companion and friend you will ever have. The effort you put into training, caring for, and loving this puppy now, will pay off in the long run. The adult dog that you get will be the puppy that you train right now. Read through the forum for additional information. A chow has to be socialized, but a chow is a dog that will try to work with you if you pay attention to the cues that he gives. I have trained lots of dogs and cats, and chows have really impressed me with their close attachment to their human family.

[Cam Atis]

I agree with both Sarahloo and Ursa's Dad.

You might not want to see your puppy dead, from heatstroke. Water availability helps prevent such a tragedy. Feeding 2xaday will make his stomach big. 4xaday is the standard at his age right now. Plus you feed him smaller portions = smaller stools. Pooping is normally done every after meal. Peeing is more unpredictable but that's how it is. Enclose your pup in a tiled area so you can clean it much easier than carpet.
Nipping and biting are just normal puppy behaviour and basically, there's no SWITCH on that that you can flip off. TLC is more like it and a lot of patience. Dont talk when he got an accident. You may talk if you caught him in the process of pooping or peeing. It will let him know it's not allowed. Crating is a great training tool when teaching your puppy proper toilet behaviour. They just dont wanna mess their crate so they'll whine when they have to go. I hope you know how to use crate method. Buy a book like what Sarahloo suggested.

[casey chow]

My husband and I have a 7 week old chow that I have had for a week. In general, he is pretty well behaved but I am having some issues. I have been taking him out every 2-3 hours but he has had 4 pee accidents in the house. How can I stop this? When I bring him out, I give him a treat and affirmation when he pees and I am only feeding and watering twice a day. I do give him more water when it's hot or when he seems like he needs it and then I take him out a half-hour later. Also, he doesn't seem to eat much at his designated feeding times and will often go over to his dishes. Should I be feeding him more than 2 times a day? I am also having some nipping, barking and whining problems too so I just need some advice on how to properly train him.
Thanks!

Really? You have a 7 week old? Yes, he should have stayed with his mom until at least 2 months and he should have water all the time. Show him a lot of love and understanding, he's still the smallest of babies. The fact that he has had only 4 pee accidents tells me that he is really pretty smart little guy. Would you ask a newborn to use the toilet or eat when you wanted him/her to? Really some common sense is needed here. I like the reply, get a dog training book, it should tell you about pups. Please be kind to your little one.

[astonblake]

Really...
There are many methods of dog training and many objectives, from basic obedience training to specialized areas including law enforcement, military, search and rescue, hunting, working with livestock, assistance to people with disabilities, entertainment, dog sports, detection dogs and protecting people or property, like guard dogs.