What to feed?

[yuckaduck]

I know everybody asks and I'm even more confused now than before. I have a 4 month old german shepherd puppy who we love very much. What do I feed him.Right now he is on Science Diet large breed puppy, but from what I'm reading that is not good [ and I thought it was one of the best ] shows what I know. I'm looking for good quality but affordable as I have two toddlers to look after on one income. I don't want to feed garbage. I was told large breed puppy food, then just plain adult food. AHHH I don't know and the smoke is coming out of my ears. What about Kirkland Signature from Cosco? Ingridients look good but I don't know. Also Presidents Choice Nutrition 1st. The cheapness of them makes me leary. I have behavioural problems as well with this little guy oops big guy he is 40 pounds at 4 months. Going to be a big dog. He has started peeing in his crate and then sleeping in it rather than asking to go out. I have always gotten up happily when he has asked to go out but now he just pees and then sleeps in it. He has seen the vet and had all the tests including blood work to be sure no health problems. He is healthy but still does it. Not every night but at least three times a week. I have to bath him because he is covered in pee so now we are going to run into skin problems. Vicous circle, any help would be appreciated. Thanks. First time puppy owner here so please have patience with me.

 

[Fran27]

For the food, I suggest you have a look at the food forum.

For the pee issue, do you give him water at night? If you do, remove it 2 hours before bed time. Otherwise, I would stop using the crate altogether if he pees in it, and just leave him in a puppy proof room.

 

[YorkieLover]

Excellent suggestions Fran27...

 

[yuckaduck]

he pees

Sorry I don't have a puppy proof room and no ability to get one. Babygates don't work he just knocks them down, I take his water away at 9 pm bed time 11pm. He still does it once in awhile. He normally doesn't pee in the apartment when loose except at night if I leave him loose he destroys everything and pees and poops everywhere. So he needs to be confined I just can't get him to stop this. I did try the bathroom overnight as it is smaller but he still peed and pooped in there plus he chewed the cupboards and now we have to replace them. The rest of the apartment is like one big room, if I bring him in the bedroom with me and tie him on a short lease to the bed he howls and tries to jump on me all night. He's a tough puppy but I certainly appreciate all advice and will continue to try and get this sorted out. I have consulted a behaviouralist here but did not like the answer at all. She said just to leave him in the crate and make him sleep in his pee. Yuck, and no way. He's going to be sick if I do that and he won't learn to not pee if anything he will learn that it is normal to do this. At least that is my humble thoughts, I am not a trainer and don't wish to be but I do thank you for the help.

 

[Barb04]

Question on the crate size; it should only be big enough for the puppy to turn around in and lay down. If it's bigger than that, they will usually pee in an area of the crate since there's enough room to pee in one area and sleep in another.

 

[yuckaduck]

I started with a full size but have snugged him up considerably. He can stand, turn around and to lie down and stretch he needs to put his feet through the bars. He just started this about a week maybe two weeks ago. Now he does it everytime he is in the crate. Usually it is just before I take him out, so I figure excited peeing, so I keep things super calm and non eventful but now he is even peeing in there overnight. He use to ask to go out and I would get up happily and take him out, rewards good boy cookies for going outside. Now he just does it and then curls up in it. He doesn't seem to notice. My husband says he is punishing us for crating him but dogs don't think that way, so that can't be it. Maybe he is just in a phase and will out grow it. I really don't know this is my first puppy ever so I know nothing about there little behaviours. Thanks for trying to help I will try anything at this point, well anything within reason. I'm not hanging him on the clothes line, even though sometimes I feel like it. HEHE

 

[Fran27]

Yes, it's an annoying situation. My guess is he just never learned that he's not supposed to pee in his den (or forgot it if he was in a cage too long). In this case I would make the crate as big as possible to avoid him sleeping in his pee.

I think your best bet is to try to take him out during the night if you can, and to keep praising him when he pees outside. Eventually he should get a better control of his bladder and stop doing it, because peeing outside is just much more rewarding.

Try to get a puppy shampoo, or sensitive skin one, and to rince him for 10 minutes everytime. The good thing I guess is that when he's 70 lbs he should get used to baths and it shouldn't be too hard to give him one...

Good luck, sorry I don't have better advice for you

 

[yuckaduck]

Thank you he was stuck in a very tiny crate with five other puppies when I bought him. He had issues with the crate at first but seemed to clam down until this started. I will set my alarm and take him out around 2 am and see what happens. True he will know all about baths, I just worry about his skin but I am using sensitive skin tearless puppy shampoo well diluted right now. He gets a bath a day almost but I can't have him rolling around in the apartment covered in pee for the toddlers to play in. Then they'll be sick. He is good about the bath now, use to be real nasty but he just sits there now and waits till we are done.
I make a hugh deal out of peeing outside like he just gave me a million dollars. So hopefully you are right and he will get the hint. Everyone says he is real smart, yeah ok if you say so. I feel like I have Homer Simpson here sometimes. I will just keep trying and see what we get. I'll keep you posted, thanks again you have great ideas.

 

[avenlee]

I know its frustrating and sometimes the dog will do what it does no matter what. Just hold on (it gets bumpy ) until he hits a point when he's old enough to control his blatter. They do eventually. Nora my 1 1/2 yr. old Westie was stubborn as on ox when it came to not peeing in the house and I still think she does very occasionally. As to the water, I pick up my dog's water dish at 7:30 and they usually conk out around 10:00. I take them out for one last hip hoorah (lol) around 9:00. Some dogs are more stubburn than others. I betcha he'll get it eventually.

All the advice given from everyone else was great.

 

[yuckaduck]

Thank you, I will try to hang in there. Will take water away abit sooner as well. Can't hurt! Thanks again.

 

[sparks19]

I don't know. A lot of people say that dogs do not do things because they are angry with them but wow I disagree lol. Teddy did that VERY often when he was a puppy. Peeing was his way of saying up yours lol. If he wanted to play and you said no he would pee. Even if he was outside 5 minutes prior to that.

maybe you should make the crate a fun place to go With teddy we always gave him lots of treats and usually a kong with something special inside. Also do you use a command to get him into his crate at night? that might help but these are just things that worked for my puppy

 

[yuckaduck]

He is told bedtime when we crate him even if it is daytime. He has a kong stuffed with peanut butter, a chilly bone, a rawhide[which we monitor closely], a rope, a ball, and a tug teething chew toy. We always put a handful of cookies in before he goes in as well. He does this in phases. He's fine for three or four days then he does it for three or four days and that is his routine. Right now I'm frustrated, I keep threatening to just leave him in the crate but of course I don't. It just seems he gets so mad when we crate him, he won't even look at us. He does this even if he is in the crate for 5 mins and was just out. If I just crate him so I can take a shower he pees in there. He is from strong working lines and he gets loads of exercise I think, 1 1/2 -2 hour walk in morning, 30 mins at least off leash in the field at noon, and 1 1/2-2 hour walk at night. He goes out in between but just to do his jobs and come back in. He only does this when locked up whether it be in crate or in the bathroom. When he is loose with us there are no problems he'll do 5 hours consistently without peeing on the floor. I'm at a loss but will continue to listen to what others say and hope eventually an idea will work. You never know until you try and I'm willing to try anything.
Thank you!

 

[juliefurry]

My puppy was HORRIBLE at going in his crate, in the house, and just ANYWHERE that he wanted to go. We got him at 7 months and he hadn't been housebroken in the least bit. He would go during the night in his cage (and not just pee) he would go in the house on the floor (agian not just pee) he would go like minutes after you took him outside. Just be patient (I know it seems hard to do now) he might possibly get better after being neutered (if you plan on neutering) our dog was still having accidents in the house up until he got neutered and then he never had an accident agian. Some puppies it just takes more time than others. Also, for the food, people here would suggest foods called Innova, Eagle Pack, Canidae. They are more expensive but you feed less of it to your puppy. I know that Eagle Pack and Innova have cheaper products too but I just forgot what they are called (brain fart...sorry). I'm in the same boat as you, we have a toddler and not a lot of extra cash to go around but we can afford that. I think Nutro would be ok to feed as well, although I think people here don't like that food either. It's ok, my dogs ate it for a time and they didn't have any adverse effects. Foods like pedigree, Iams, Science Diet, and Eukanuba are garbage though. So is Ol' Roy. So try to stay away from those brands of food becuase they don't give your dog the nutrition that they need.

 

[Fran27]

Wow that's a stubborn one. I think your best bet for now is to just monitor him very closely when he's free in the house, and really train him hard not to chew or steal stuff, so that you can leave him free eventually. What I did with my puppies is just confine them to one room with me, and get them used to chewing on their toys. I didn't have many problems with Boris once I let him free in the house, and it's not really puppy proof, but I guess he's big enough that he can't get behind furniture etc... And there is really not much he can destroy, but it's because we trained him not to jump on the table (he still steals stuff from the kitchen counter though...).

 

[yuckaduck]

Monster that's what we should have named him. Yukon just doesn't seem to fit. But we will keep trying and eventually I'll have to go to the padded white room or he'll get better either way would be good. Thanks for the advice it is great stuff here.

 

[juliefurry]

how old are your children? How do your children get a long with the puppy? I was just wondering because I have a young toddler myself and probably soon we'll start for one more and I was just wondering how your puppy and children get a long.

 

[yuckaduck]

If I could only figure out how to post a picture. Lily is 3 years old and Megan is 2 years old exactly 13 months and 4 days apart. Purely by accident I assure you but would not send either one back. The kids are pretty good most of the time however, they on occasion like to one sit on his head and the other pull his tail. Of course we instantly stop that because that is just wrong. But they are kids and they don't understand the idea that it hurts puppy. Yukon was a real bad biter and mouther at first, still has his moments but we did the NO LEAVE IT command and he would stop let go and look at us as if to say did you say something? Right away we would GOOD BOY. Now he is pretty good, not perfect but much better. We also provide many chew toys including his favorite the chilly bone. It is a bone shaped thing soaked in water and frozen. Suppose to help with teething and so far so good. Actually I bought a second one just so I could rotate them around and he would always have a cold frozen one. He is just a monster but will hopefully grow up to be a nice dog. Or he'll be CUJO re-encarnated. Sorry the heat and humidity has made my brain stop working so I can no longer spell. Hope it is not to hard to read or follow. Sometimes I forget that I learned to write. Hey that's what a computer is for! It is very trying at times but I enjoy both the kids and the pup and would not give up either, or. Still there are times when I could throw all three of them out the window and say bon voyage. I guess it the same with anyone and anything. We all have our moments. Long winded aren't I? Sorry.

 

[juliefurry]

Monster that's what we should have named him. Yukon just doesn't seem to fit. But we will keep trying and eventually I'll have to go to the padded white room or he'll get better either way would be good. Thanks for the advice it is great stuff here.

that is SO true about the padded white room. For a time all three of my dogs weren't housebroken and I thought for sure that I would end up losing my mind.

 

[yuckaduck]

I can be funny at times HAHA. I think I'm going grey as well. There goes the red streaked brown hair. Oh well that's why they make hair dye.

 

[German_Shepherd_Lover]

Hey, at first my GSD (Also 4 months) had problems going outside but she finally got the idea and now I can oversleep (12 hours or more sometimes) and she won't go in my room at all . But near the end of this long period of time she does get mad and tries to "Punish" me by barking and jumping on me. One I do take her out, (right after breakfast) she lets loss outside and now gets it all done in about 2 min. Which is nice sense we have very bad bugs and pluse I'm not a morning person at all.

It just takes time, some pups need more then others. Hope he get the hang of it.