Question
Chance 10 weeks old
Hi Kim,
Actually I have a couple of issues. First you should know that this is "my" first dog. I am normally a cat person. The lady I care for bought me chance who is supposed to be a mini poodle. She got his brother at the same time. Her's looks more like a mini and mine looks like a toy yet they supposedly came from the same litter and are full breeds. Is this possible?
Chance has potty issues. He will go on the puppy pads but only once then he will find a clean spot "on the floor". When I take him outside he will never go in the same spot twice. I try by taking him to the same spot every time but he just looks at me like I am stupid. He either won't go at all or will wait until I let me walk around and find a new spot.
My friends dog is getting taller and longer whereas Chance remains short and small. He doesn't seem to be growing should I be concerned? Please Help this first time puppy owner :). By the way I am totally won over with Chance and he is a spoiled baby.
AnswerHello Cherie,
If Chance is health and eating fine, he should be alright and will grow according to the way his body was made. At 12 weeks old, you should be feeding him around 1/2-3/4 cup of food twice a day, give or take, and per your Vets orders. Amounts of food can depend on the brand of food you are feeding him and whether you are feeding him puppy food or not.
As to whether he is actually a Toy Poodle or a Miniature Poodle would depend on what dogs his breeder bred together. Some breeders will breed Toys to Miniatures (so that they can raise both types without having to keep a pair of Toys and a pair of Miniatures) with the hopes of getting both Toys and Miniatures out of the litter. This could be the case with Chance, or it could be that he is just maturing slower than his sibilings and will catch up later. I wouldn't be concerned about this just yet. A Toy is anything that stands 10" at the shoulder or under. A Miniature is anything from 11"-up to 15". A Poodle should get their full height by the age of around 7-9 months, so just give him some time.
About his potty problem, some dogs won't urinate or deficate where they have gone before. It is usually just a preference thing, nothing to worry about. As for the pads, you might just have to replace them when he goes on them. When he does go on the carpet, be sure to clean it up with a Pet Approved Cleaning product that contains enzymes that will "eat" the odor out of the floor or carpet. Also, when cleaning the mess (if its an old potty or you didn't see him do it), feel free to "spank" the floor, get mad at "the mess", and tell "it" NO!. Your dog may look at you like you are crazy, but he will also see that the "potty" he did was bad. (of course, if you catch him in the act, go ahead and correct him) Praise him like crazy when he goes potty outside, give him a treat and pet him so he gets the idea that going outside (or wherever he is suppose to go) is very good and makes you happy.
One thing you might try is to take him outside and walk him around for about 3-5 minutes. If he goes, praise him. If not, bring him inside and put him in his crate for about 5 minutes, then take him back outside. Repete until he will potty. You can also have him sit at the door before you take him outside. Praise him for sitting then go ahead and take him out to potty. Only do this when taking him out to potty. The idea is that he will learn that when he needs to go potty that he will come and sit at the door. You could also hang a bell at the door where he goes out to potty and teach him to touch it with his nose, its just personal preference.
If you continue to have growth concerns about him, you might contact your Breeder to find out about his parents. How big they were as puppies, if they are both Miniatures or if one is a Toy, and how long it took for them to reach their full height. You can also talk to your Vet about it. He can check your dogs growth plates in his legs to get an estimate on how big your dog should get.
I hope this helps you some and if you have other questions for me about Chance or other Poodle questions in general, please feel free to ask me.
Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim
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