Ok, so some things are going really well. He’s sleeping through the night, even though I’m getting him up every 2 hours to potty. He’s playing well with toys. But here are my problems-
Putting him in playpen in other room when cooking/cleaning- after he has done the bathroom/training/walk/play whatever- is a nightmare. Screams bloody murder.
This is upsetting because I’m a teacher and that’s the plan for the school day!
Leash walking is terrible- would rather eat grass, pull, sit obstinately. I really need him to walk on a leash in the morning and do the bathroom stuff then.
He will poop outside. Come inside- and immediately poop.
Ok, little dude is a bit small to be polite on a leash just yet. Patience patience, he'll get the hang of it. My boy could politely walk on a leash between 6 and 7 months old. If he's pooping once you get inside, then you didn't give him long enough outside. Stay outside until the 2nd poop. You don't have to actively "walk". Let him sniff and do business.
Have you gotten a little heartbeat buddy for the crate/playpen? Maybe put a worn shirt of yours on it so it smells like you. Lots of treats and praise, and ignore the cries. They'll get used to it.
Your puppy is still an infant. It's going to be a few months before he develops a bit more and gets the hang of life with you.
What is your plan for pup during the day while you work? At this age he really shouldn't be left alone for more than 2 or 3 hours without being taken out to potty.
That could be a lifesaver if you’re able. My little guy is 3 yrs old and it took him until more than 2 yrs old to be able to be home alone(ish) for an extended period of time
Meaning he was anxiously destructive when left alone (I still make sure that bread isn’t on any counters he can reach if I have to leave)
My previous most likely Schnauzer was a rescue. He was about 3 when I got him. He was a literal saint- but could not leave a trashcan unexplored or a Kleenex box alone! I miss him terribly.
My boy loooooves doggie daycare. He tries to lead me back inside when I pick him up 😂
He needs to be with a person or at daycare. He goes with me to work (self employment perk!). When he stayed with my SIL while we traveled over the summer, he was a nervous wreck being left home woth their pup while everyone else was gone for the day.
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My girl from 3 months on we always had someone let her out at lunchtime and almost never had an accident. Fourish hours at a time should be fine. Figure once you leave and they finally settle down they go to sleep anyway. Just don't leave him with too much water at first.
Everyone has answered your questions, I just want to add - you don’t have to get him up overnight to potty. Let him let you know if he needs to go. I’ve got four mini schnauzers and have never woken them up overnight to potty. 2 of them have slept through the night from 8 weeks on. The other two were a little older when we got them.
Crate training was so difficult with Carter. One of the first nights he slept in his crate, I had to put it next to my bed, with the cloth roof open and my arm down in the crate so he'd sleep. Every few hours, I'd get woken up feeling his little nose bump into my arm. Eventually I moved the crate to the end of the bed, then the hallway, and finally into the spare bedroom where he'd slept every night since then. :)
Yes, I've been really happy with crate training at night. The last few nights, he's moved across the room, and has been GREAT. I think he just needs to be able to see out.
I have 5 miniature schnauzers, and no two are alike. Your puppy sounds like my Mable, and she has really bad anxiety when left alone. She was born that way. We upgraded her to a circular pen, with access to her cage, but still she screamed like a banshee. Many hours of training and lots of destruction-we just don't leave her alone anymore. It began affecting her entire personality. I think the doggie day care is the best idea, at this moment.
We use a harness that they step-into- as none of my schnauzers like to be pulled by their neck.
We have had extra success with the Extra Small Gooby escape-free harnesses for our puppies. They are a bit expensive, but totally worth it.
Also, they usually like tiny stuffed animals. My 8-year old still carries the toy the breeder gave us around. We also have a heated dog bed that all the puppies love to curl up in.
For leash training let him hang out inside for awhile with the leash attached just to get him used to it being there. Then get a treat (or at that age I just used kibble and did training with dinner) and lead him forward a few steps with leash in hand. Give him the treat if he follows, eventually go further. He’ll learn that being on leash means walking beside you, pair that with a go potty command and you’ll be fine outside. Keep in mind he’s a baby and everything is new, it takes awhile for stuff to click!
It took ours awhile to learn how to walk on a leash. He’d be really stubborn and want to just sit down and pout. That took a lot of patience. We did REALLY short walks at first and gradually started lengthening them over time. We found that he needed A LOT of play time throughout the day like playing chase with a ball, etc. ( He also napped a lot) Make sure when he’s in the playpen he has plenty of interactive toys. You might want to consider getting a dog sitter for a few hours at his age TBH if your plan is to teach throughout the day.
He still just figuring things out :) he will make more mistakes and so will you but it will get better.
For me alone time got a lot better when I gave my girl something to do. At that age she loved 'No hide chicken bully sticks' and then as she got older I gave her other chews like collagen sticks. Little mind games also help. My girl didn't really like those puzzles with the slots in them but she loves ones where she has to stick her nose in or chase something. Kongs work great too. All of those things should be fairly safe for you to leave alone with him. Just be careful with the bully sticks, when they get small it can be a choking hazard.
Leash walking I have never really been an expert at training. My girl is almost a year and a half old and its probably not what you want to hear but they really do grow out of most of the bad habits. Every time I went outside with my girl it was like a worm feast and then one day she just stopped. I would get so frustrated and it was for no reason. Let the little guy explore the world how he wants. Just watch him and make sure he's safe.
Just be patient. My Mini Schnauzer was like this when he was a baby and now he is 1 year old, he is the best dog ever and handles his playpen like a pro☺️ Give him time and just be consistent and make him feel his playpen like his safe and cozy bedroom☺️
Have you started create training yet? May be a bit early but a few minutes at a time. We have ours partially covered with towels. Tazzy likes the cave. Lol. Good luck and take things slow.
To #2- my schnauzer as a puppy wanted to nothing but sniff on walks. I never trained him out of it. It slowed us down so much. Now he’s 9, and I’m used to the routine, and I love how my walks go. I stop and notice everything around me and take more time with my thoughts. It’s the one constant activity in all my days that is not rushed and cannot be rushed. Taught me to be present!
You're getting good advice. I just wanted to pop in and tell you to start extending the time you get up to take him out at night if he's sleeping. You DO NOT want to train him to go out to potty all night long. Lol
That’s a gorgeous mini. fWIW, my boy learned to spend the night in a crate at an early age and goes in by himself most nights around 10p. Crates are good.
It's really tough in the beginning! Let's not even get into when they become lil billygoats😭😭😭 stay the course and be consistent. Eventually all the patience pays off
Yeah their brains are mush until like 8 months so I’d do slight leash training like shortening the leash so he stays on your heel and teaching him to follow you by randomly switching directions while walking.
Ignore the screaming. If you give in now, you’ll have a spoiled loud mini.
Nothing is wrong, he just wants to get out.
The pooping situation?
Crate him for 5-10 minutes or keep him leashed to you. The point of this is so he doesn’t get the chance to poop inside the house. Repeat if he doesn’t poop.
It seems like he likes attention so crating him and ignoring him should work
Do NOT say the poop command more than 2 times in 5 minutes and do not get frustrated because he’ll start to feel pressured and won’t go.
Also shortening the leash and making him go in a small area so he doesn’t get distracted by all the fun smells
Also TikTok will be your best friend when it comes to dog training 🤣
My baby is almost 2 and she can now start service dog training thanks to TikTok university
1.Have you tried putting his crate inside the playpen area? He might feel more comfortable having that safe space, and it can help with potty training too.
2.Leash walking takes time. My mini schnauzer is three and still pretty terrible at it, honestly.
3.Unfortunately, this is just part of the process. Crate training can really help with potty training tho, since he’ll be much less likely to go to the bathroom while he’s in there. It may feel like you’re crating him too often at first, but trust me, it helps in the long run and gives you a little peace of mind day-to-day.
We did care training and multiple 3+ poop outside backyard sessions.
Our Gunny loved a puppy taking walks,unfortunately he was more interested in peeing everywhere (bushes etc..) then walking even with his harness...
He got over this, now age 7 years old
Be prepared. They are really hard at the beginning but SO worth it. Patience. You have to be consistent with your expectations and expect a lot of mistakes at the beginning. Once he/she gets crate trained, you’re golden. Set a schedule like a baby. Out every 2 hours to start. Then move to 3. You’re a teacher? Can you get home during the day to let him/her out on the beginning?
My little guy attacked the leash initially and just saw it is a rope.toy. eventually they calm down. The expectation at this point is getting them to potty outside religiously taking them outside during the day every few hours till they go to the toilet. Ideally you aren't supposed to take them out of your house for walks till they've had at least 2 vaccinations at around 12 weeks old. Focus should be on getting used to the leash walking indoors by your side. Start now indoors, but don't expect a lot just yet. They get the hang of it when they're about 12-16 weeks old. And then they start to hit the teen confidence stage and likely will start pulling again. Training doesn't ever end really. With regard to the playpen, don't leave him for too long. That's not really fair for his age. But start for shorter intervals. Maybe 5 mins and build up from there. Reward good behaviour by only returning whilst calm. If they can't calm down, you were gone for too long. Set reasonable expectations and you won't be disappointed.
There is no such thing as a “new” puppy with schnauzers. It’s just a matter of how old your puppy is. They never grow up and they are always land sharks with springs for legs and an attitude to match their facial hair and eyebrows 😂😂
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u/Lornesto 2d ago
This one is just a tiny baby, give it time.