Maybe Getting New Puppy Soon

[Watson's Mom]

I found that as much as Blueberry barks at home she’s really one of my quietest away from home! At the show 3 weeks ago she didn’t even bark even amongst the other Shelties! At home she barks when she wants something or when I come home. When I first got her it was January and bitter cold so we didn’t start the house breaking for a good couple weeks. She was litter box trained so peed on pee pads so I gave her way way too much freedom. After 1 week she would bark at me if I said no to her and she was way too much for my other 2! Then I re read The Art of Raising a Puppy and I started keeping her in her puppy pen for play with short time out of it for play with the other two (she’s such a confident girl and was running me ragged lol)...she was house broken by 3 1/2 months and has turned into a very good girl. I recommend that book to anyone who has a new pup!
She’s now 10 1/2 months and still uses the puppy pen (it’s an Iris pen...absolutely love it) when I work ...she’s in it for 4 hours (my 93 year old mom lives with me and gets Homecare) and then I come home for a break and she has freedom on the main floor with the other 2 for 3 hours. I have lots of baby gates! She’s finally getting out of her chewing phase but loves cardboard lol!

Another thing I found skulking around the forums

I was afraid to leave her in it for too long but apparently once she’ in it, she settles, if I ignore the demands. I’m not running ragged. Roxy isn’t running ragged. I can do other things around the house.

I build vivariums and I do most of my work in the basement so her play pen is down here. I might order another for upstairs in the living room and move her crate.

She’s doing pretty well with house training. Rather, I am. I have alarms set on my phone but if I get distracted I might not see her sniffing around and my other half is certainly no help with that. He reaps the rewards of the work I put in with them.

She did bark once a few days ago to let me know what she was doing. Unfortunately it was about 2.7 seconds before she squatted to poop. I wonder if the play pen will help her learn to let me know she needs to go out… I suspect I’ve been letting her have too much freedom. Roxy was 8 months before she was 100% house trained. We had one last accident right around that point that was definitely on me. We were having a terrible lightening storm that was moving through fast; I underestimated how badly she had to go and thought we could wait until the storm passed and not chance a lightening strike. I did not have a play pen for her so I’m thinking that could be a big reason why it took her so long. She also refused to poop outside for the longest time. Even now she will hold it as long as she can if her choices aren’t up to snuff.

 

[Bailey's Mom]

I found that as much as Blueberry barks at home she’s really one of my quietest away from home! At the show 3 weeks ago she didn’t even bark even amongst the other Shelties! At home she barks when she wants something or when I come home. When I first got her it was January and bitter cold so we didn’t start the house breaking for a good couple weeks. She was litter box trained so peed on pee pads so I gave her way way too much freedom. After 1 week she would bark at me if I said no to her and she was way too much for my other 2! Then I re read The Art of Raising a Puppy and I started keeping her in her puppy pen for play with short time out of it for play with the other two (she’s such a confident girl and was running me ragged lol)...she was house broken by 3 1/2 months and has turned into a very good girl. I recommend that book to anyone who has a new pup!
She’s now 10 1/2 months and still uses the puppy pen (it’s an Iris pen...absolutely love it) when I work ...she’s in it for 4 hours (my 93 year old mom lives with me and gets Homecare) and then I come home for a break and she has freedom on the main floor with the other 2 for 3 hours. I have lots of baby gates! She’s finally getting out of her chewing phase but loves cardboard lol!

All three of ours take vows of silence when they are away from home. I don't include the neighborhood because that can be iffy sometimes they think of that as their territory. Bailey wasn't a huge barker when alive but the girls love to bark at home. However, put them in a car and go some place and they rarely bark unless something seriously startles them.

I've had more people tell me wow your dogs are so quite I always thought Shelties were barkers. Oh they bark but there is something about being away from home that keeps them silent.

I love the idea of the play pen. I had seen some outdoor versions for people who didn't have fencing or wanted more restrictive fencing for potty training but I'd never seen something for indoors. It is a great idea. The phone alarms are also a great help in remembering to get the dogs out.

 

[Sharon7]

That video was a hoot! Sounds like progress is being made, and some imposed down-time might be part of the answer. It's SO much work right now but you will be amazed how fast she will grow up. Meadow's puppy hood just flew by. She is now 21 months old, still puppyish in her enthusiasms but I can see her maturing as well. Your Piper sounds like a fun dog.

 

[Piper's mom]

Another thing I found skulking around the forums

I was afraid to leave her in it for too long but apparently once she’ in it, she settles, if I ignore the demands. I’m not running ragged. Roxy isn’t running ragged. I can do other things around the house.

I build vivariums and I do most of my work in the basement so her play pen is down here. I might order another for upstairs in the living room and move her crate.

She’s doing pretty well with house training. Rather, I am. I have alarms set on my phone but if I get distracted I might not see her sniffing around and my other half is certainly no help with that. He reaps the rewards of the work I put in with them.

She did bark once a few days ago to let me know what she was doing. Unfortunately it was about 2.7 seconds before she squatted to poop. I wonder if the play pen will help her learn to let me know she needs to go out… I suspect I’ve been letting her have too much freedom. Roxy was 8 months before she was 100% house trained. We had one last accident right around that point that was definitely on me. We were having a terrible lightening storm that was moving through fast; I underestimated how badly she had to go and thought we could wait until the storm passed and not chance a lightening strike. I did not have a play pen for her so I’m thinking that could be a big reason why it took her so long. She also refused to poop outside for the longest time. Even now she will hold it as long as she can if her choices aren’t up to snuff.
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Your pen looks almost the same as mine. I bought mine used and it came with 12 panels (essentially 3 pens and there are 3 doors). I also had one outside as it was winter and she wouldn’t come to me so no freedom outside, also helped to reward her quickly. Also one on second floor plus her crate. She did get lots of playtime but my other two were getting overwhelmed with her, she also didn’t know when to stop and got really bratty when she was over tired! I’d keep her in the room with me in her pen or I’d block off the doorway so she couldn’t leave the room.

 

[Piper's mom]

This pen was a godsend. Your pen looks much neater than mine when Blueberry was young! She loves her bed now but then she preferred the floor lol!

 

[Watson's Mom]

Your pen looks almost the same as mine. I bought mine used and it came with 12 panels (essentially 3 pens and there are 3 doors). I also had one outside as it was winter and she wouldn’t come to me so no freedom outside, also helped to reward her quickly. Also one on second floor plus her crate. She did get lots of playtime but my other two were getting overwhelmed with her, she also didn’t know when to stop and got really bratty when she was over tired! I’d keep her in the room with me in her pen or I’d block off the doorway so she couldn’t leave the room.

I ordered a bigger one for outside too but I think I’m going to return it. I don’t mind winter or cold and we get so much snow that I bought a small electric snowblower specifically for their yard. If she wants to play keep away, I’ll just plow the paths back in. Plus she seems to get more excited for attention and pets than she does for the kibbles after she does her business. Except poops. She gets tasty food treats after that. Hopefully that are tastier than turds. So I can grab it up before the world’s grossest game of keep away can commence.

Your inside one is bigger than ours; it’s only four panels and is kind of small but she’s small but it’s fine for it’s purpose.

 

[Piper's mom]

Mine is also 4 panels but I can add to it. I agree though, 4 panels is big enough...I got 12 because that’s what the lady I bought it from was selling. 12 panels would be good for a litter but 4 is enough for one! I use the extra panels now to block off doorways !

 

[Sandy in CT]

I bought a small electric snowblower specifically for their yard.

We blow the boys potty area - hubby does a great job making sure they have no excuses! They LOVE snow, but I don't want to be trekking through huge piles of it!

I have one of those 4 panel gates, but my dogs easy tipped it. Well, Kooper the doxie, would nose under it, I do use it broken up to block off my family room or dining room openings. 2 panels will cover 1 opening and I use chairs, etc. to hold them close.

What worked WONDERS for our household was walk-through baby gates! I scoured Facebook marketplace and offer up and got 3 from 2 different sales. 2 of the gates have all sorts of additions so I blocked off the hall downstairs into our powder room and was able to slowly increase that as Deacon became more reliable. Then I blocked off our kitchen and dinette areas which gave him a greater space. We still have one set up in between the kitchen and family room. I like being able to block the boys from their at times - keeps them from standing on the furniture and access the neighborhood from our large picture windows. We live on a hill - they are able to see quite a ways and feel protective of everything as far as they can see. Also came in handy when we did our bathroom reno. I blocked them in so they had access to the kitchen, dinette and dining room and didn't have to worry about someone accidentally letting them out. I told my hubby I was saving them for grandkids, he said oh we'll definitely use them for 'the next one' - Ha! Words from HIS mouth that we will have another! He does want a girl at some point.

 

[Bailey's Mom]

We blow the boys potty area - hubby does a great job making sure they have no excuses! They LOVE snow, but I don't want to be trekking through huge piles of it!

I have one of those 4 panel gates, but my dogs easy tipped it. Well, Kooper the doxie, would nose under it, I do use it broken up to block off my family room or dining room openings. 2 panels will cover 1 opening and I use chairs, etc. to hold them close.

What worked WONDERS for our household was walk-through baby gates! I scoured Facebook marketplace and offer up and got 3 from 2 different sales. 2 of the gates have all sorts of additions so I blocked off the hall downstairs into our powder room and was able to slowly increase that as Deacon became more reliable. Then I blocked off our kitchen and dinette areas which gave him a greater space. We still have one set up in between the kitchen and family room. I like being able to block the boys from their at times - keeps them from standing on the furniture and access the neighborhood from our large picture windows. We live on a hill - they are able to see quite a ways and feel protective of everything as far as they can see. Also came in handy when we did our bathroom reno. I blocked them in so they had access to the kitchen, dinette and dining room and didn't have to worry about someone accidentally letting them out. I told my hubby I was saving them for grandkids, he said oh we'll definitely use them for 'the next one' - Ha! Words from HIS mouth that we will have another! He does want a girl at some point.

DH blows what we call the race track around the inner edges of the yard so they can make a full rectangle trip around the yard. He gets creative and extends it to some of their favorite areas when he has time. Annie especially likes the additional travel areas.

We had the baby gates with the doors when Bailey was a pup. We eventually passed them on to someone with actually children I believe but the doors were so nice as my husband was tall enough that getting over wasn't and issue but I had to constantly move and put them back and it was not on my top 10 list of fun items until I got one of the door ones I believe at a yard sale.

 

[Piper's mom]

We blow the boys potty area - hubby does a great job making sure they have no excuses! They LOVE snow, but I don't want to be trekking through huge piles of it!

I have one of those 4 panel gates, but my dogs easy tipped it. Well, Kooper the doxie, would nose under it, I do use it broken up to block off my family room or dining room openings. 2 panels will cover 1 opening and I use chairs, etc. to hold them close.

What worked WONDERS for our household was walk-through baby gates! I scoured Facebook marketplace and offer up and got 3 from 2 different sales. 2 of the gates have all sorts of additions so I blocked off the hall downstairs into our powder room and was able to slowly increase that as Deacon became more reliable. Then I blocked off our kitchen and dinette areas which gave him a greater space. We still have one set up in between the kitchen and family room. I like being able to block the boys from their at times - keeps them from standing on the furniture and access the neighborhood from our large picture windows. We live on a hill - they are able to see quite a ways and feel protective of everything as far as they can see. Also came in handy when we did our bathroom reno. I blocked them in so they had access to the kitchen, dinette and dining room and didn't have to worry about someone accidentally letting them out. I told my hubby I was saving them for grandkids, he said oh we'll definitely use them for 'the next one' - Ha! Words from HIS mouth that we will have another! He does want a girl at some point.

I have one of the walk through baby gates I’d bought when Piper was a pup. Definitely my favourite...I have it on my bedroom door, the boys are in there from 3-7 when I work (with tv on I might add lol). Finnie gets very anxious with a closed door and it definitely helps.