puppy training (biting and potty training)

[daisy girl]

My girl Daisy is 8 weeks old today and I have had her almost two weeks. She is extremely mouthy and I try to consistently tell her "No" when she bites (hands, face, hair, feet) and redirect her to play with her "toys". This I figure is just a by-product of teething and will take some time for her to understand what to play with and what not to play with. We are having a difficult time potty training her however. We try to grab her up as soon as she wakes from naps and at times she cries and we take her out giving her treats and praise when she goes outside, but sometime she is in midstride and then decides to squat and pee. She is somewhat better at not pooping in the house, but even this seems to depend on her mood. I would appreciate any and all tips for training this girl. It seems that she is a bit head-strong, but essentially a very sweet dog. I should add that this is our first dog and we aren't sure what we are doing, but we know we don't want to be harsh and teach her aggression. Thank you for all of your help!:)

[ladawn]

Do you have a crate?

[daisy girl]

We don't have a crate, and I don't really know anything about crate training. We are interested in finding out about different types of training. Could you suggest any good books on crate training and the benefits? Thank you.

[Judi W]

Look for a book titled "how to raise a puppy you can live with". You might need to locate it at Barnes and Noble.

Mick wrote an excellent post with step by step for housebreaking on this forum as well.

[moondog]

Hi daisy girl :)

When my dog was a puppy and very mouthy, I used a stuffed toy for self-defense :D ! Those little needle teeth hurt! I always kept one with me and every time she tried to chew on me or my clothes, she found herself with a mouthful of stuffed toy and a "This is what you chew on.........yes, you are a good girl"! Didn't take long for her to learn that the toy was for chewing, I was not!

Here's a link to Mick's post on potty training:

http://www.rottweiler.net/forums/sho...oilet+training

[daisy girl]

Thank you for the tips. I usually do replace my arm with a stuffed toy, so it is good to know that the strategy has been used before. I will get that book. :)