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tamara_18 · Feb 18, 2011, 03:52 PM

Wondergirl · Feb 18, 2011, 03:59 PM

Potty? She's a baby!! (Did you use the potty at 5 weeks?)

Is she still with her mother and siblings?

joypulv · Feb 18, 2011, 04:28 PM

Five weeks was much too soon to be taken from her mother and litter mates. She is scared and lost and lonely, so housebreaking is the least of your concerns for the next 3 weeks. Keep her with you, hold her a lot, let her sleep in a crate next to your bed with a stuffed animal, and take her outside when she doesn't go on a training pad or newspapers in a confined area. Praise her constantly.

Alty · Feb 18, 2011, 04:39 PM

I really want to bang my head up against a wall.

Your puppy is way to young to be away from her litter mates and her mother. It's illegal in many states to sell a dog before they're 8 weeks of age. Congrats, you're supporting the back yard breeders and puppy mills that are responsible for the 5 million plus deaths of dogs each year in the US alone. :(

Potty training at 5 weeks? Are you serious? Do you know anything about dogs? My guess would be no.

Do yourself a favor, return the puppy, then do some research before getting another. You have no business owning a dog. :(

Cat1864 · Feb 18, 2011, 05:21 PM

Please explain what you mean by she 'havent used it'? Do you mean she hasn't pottied at all or you are trying house-break her?
How long have you had her and why did you get her at such a young age?
What is she being fed?
Is she drinking?

Have you taken her to the vet to make certain she is healthy? It should be your first outing with the little one. Even pups from the best places and much older than yours can have hidden health issues. Pups the age of yours are very susceptible to illness and dying almost before you know they are ill.

Understand that we are very concerned about a pup that should be with its mother and litter. Unless there is an extremely good reason such as the dam can't take care of the pup for health reasons (such as she died or is extremely sick or injured), the pup should still be with her. If you ended up with the pup because the previous owner was threatening to destroy it (as sometimes happens) then you need to report the person to your local animal control office.

Lucky098 · Feb 18, 2011, 06:16 PM

At 5 weeks, puppies don't understand the concept of any type of potty training. They go potty and mama picks it up. Since you got this little guy at such a young age, guess what? You get to pick up pee and poo with a smile on your face. You CAN take the puppy outside, but it won't get it. You CAN praise and give lots of love when the puppy goes and pees outside, BUT IT STILL Won't GET IT.

The only thing that puppy understands (provided the mama dog was clean) is to not pee or poo where it sleeps. I agree with the crate and a large stuffed animal. It works wonders and keeps the puppy from using her crate as a litter box. It also comforts the pup and cradles it and makes the pup feel as if she is with her litter.

I hope this puppy is a rescue and not a purchase. If it is a purchase, whoever did this really did a wrong thing for the sake of the dog. Like already stated.. Lots of holding and lots of warmth. Think of this puppy as a brand new human baby. It needs all the love in the world or behaviors you Don't want to see will appear the older the pup gets.

teachnk · Feb 19, 2011, 09:49 AM

My understanding of the OP post is that the dog is not going potty and she is worried. Unfortunately I don't think she is coming back, but hopefully took the pup to a vet to get help. I too worry about these pups that are much too young to be away from their mama (that is if the pup was indeed not with the mother when she posted), however I do believe many first time posters are scared off by harsh comments and that is not in the best interest of the animals. I do not mean to criticize and I certainly appreciate the time many of you spend providing helpful information to pet owners who need it. Just a comment...

Alty · Feb 19, 2011, 02:43 PM

Originally Posted by teachnk

My understanding of the OP post is that the dog is not going potty and she is worried. Unfortunately I don't think she is coming back, but hopefully took the pup to a vet to get help. I too worry about these pups that are much too young to be away from their mama (that is if the pup was indeed not with the mother when she posted), however I do believe many first time posters are scared off by harsh comments and that is not in the best interest of the animals. I do not mean to criticize and I certainly appreciate the time many of you spend providing helpful information to pet owners who need it. Just a comment...

I understand your comment. I also apologize for my harshness. The OP didn't provide much info, definitely not enough to know what's going on. This is why accurate info is so important.

I read it as the OP saying that her pup isn't potty trained. If she had worded her post better there would have been no question.

Sadly we deal with so many people coming here after adopting a 5 week old puppy from a BYB or puppymill, so when I see "5 week old puppy" I see red, because 99% of the time it's a purchase that shouldn't have happened.

Here's the main issue I have. If the puppy was rescued, and not able to potty, then the OP should know enough to go to the vet. If the puppy was from a litter the OP had, and not going potty, the OP should once again know enough to go to the vet. If the OP wants the puppy potty trained at 5 weeks, then the OP definitely doesn't know enough about dogs to own one. No matter what scenario I can think of, this question should never have been asked, because the OP should know what to do if he/she has taken on a 5 week old puppy. That's why I was harsh.

Again, I do apologize, but you can only hear so many stories of people with animals that should know better, before you lose it.