At my wit’s end! HELP!!

adcinhae

Novitiate
Hello! Not only am I new here but my first post is asking for help.

We acquired a Doberman puppy. The situation was weird but it wasn’t a typical buy from a trusted breeder. And this isn’t our first dobie. We had one that we unexpectedly lost at the beginning of the year to seizures and brain damage at the age of 3.5 years.

This pup we have now, we were told he was 8 weeks old when we got him. However, we believe he may have been 6 weeks. We’ve had him for 2 weeks which NOW makes him 8 weeks.

Here’s the situation. HE’S SO STUBBORN!!! We have made NO headway on potty training, crate training, or any other command for that matter. We are experienced with training dogs, but we have NEVER had an experience like this. This puppy is relentlessly stubborn. I’m not kidding when I say we have made NO progress in 2 weeks. The last Doberman we had, we got at 4 months old so training was by far easier.

We are dog people and have trained many dogs and even dogs of our friends. I just don’t feel there is any training this dog. He pulls, he whines, he barks, he howls, he doesn’t stop moving (even after long play sessions to wear him out), and he just potties everywhere. He doesn’t sniff a spot out. He will just potty. If he is just sitting, looking around (which is rare) he is known to just potty in his sitting position which means he’s peeing all over his legs and sitting in his puddle.

Does anybody else experience this or know what the heck is going on? We kind of suspect mom and dad are brother and sister.
 
Welcome! Sorry to hear of this difficult situation.

First, remember the pup is very young! Just eight weeks now? Don't expect too much.

It has the feeling, to me, of a pup that was not from a very good environment. It's possible he was separated from his littermates too soon. We know he was separated from his mother too soon (if you got him at six weeks). These formative weeks teach a puppy important things and he may have missed out on them.

If he just pees (and poops?) wherever he is and doesn't seem to even hardly notice it, I wonder if he was kept in an environment that was not kept cleaned up.

Do not expect much at all in terms of being able to train a puppy at eight weeks! This is true of even pups that came from the best possible environment! Please keep this in mind!

Just provide him the best, most consistent and patient environment and training you can. It will not be easy, but I bet he will start to come around fairly soon. You are an experienced dog trainer, so he is in good hands.
 
Does that mean this is your second BYB Dobe? Or did you rescue the first one? Regardless, don't panic.

Though it is best for pup to stay with their mom, you are dealing with the present and dogs are so adaptable. I'm going to tag @Brioddy here because she got a pup at 4 weeks old and he's proven himself to be a wonderful boy.
 
Crate train him. He really is too young to understand what you want or expect of him yet. Make sure play time is outside and when he pees and poos outside praise and treat. If he does it inside do not yell or scold him. Just pick him up and take him outside to his designated potty area.
Learn to read his body language and make sure you take him out a lot. I would also have him checked out by your vet, make sure he doesn’t have worms or a UTI. His little bladder will fill quickly so he hasn’t learned how to hold it or let you know he needs to go.
He is a Doberman so he is going to be an energy filled super ball. When he finishes eating take him out, when he has had water, take him out. After 10 minutes of play or waking up from a nap, take him out. Praise and treat when he potty’s outside. He will get it soon enough but he really must be crate trained so he has his special place to rest and relax. Puppies need lots of naps because the more he plays without a nap the more uncontrollable he will become.
You have to gently show him correct behavior since he was separated from his littermates and mom way too soon.
Give lots of love and reassurances because he needs this being in an entirely new environment.
 
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Hello and welcome! I picked up my GSD Doberman mix boy at not yet five weeks outside a gas station in Georgia. He was one of thirteen and the lady who "bred" them did not want to pay to feed the newly weaned pups. I have a soft heart particularly for dogs and I am only sorry I couldn't help all of them.

Brinks was tiny and full of worms. He weighed less than four pounds and had to go through multiple treatments for the worms... it was disgusting, and incredibly sad. More worms than poop came out of him some as long as his body. Potty training came quickly but with very due diligence, he slept next to me and I never got to sleep more than two hours at a time. Every time he so as much stirred, I'd feel it and immediately jump up and take him outside. Always directly after a nap or dinner, within minutes after drinking. Make a huge happy fuss when they go outside and perhaps even a little treat. If they do make an accident inside try to catch it, always keep an eye on them and give a firm NO meanwhile pick them up and rush them outside. I was a very exhausted dog mom but he picked it up quickly and as a result had very few incidents even from an early age.

I had my own adult dog and my moms dog for him to grow up with, so while he did not get the benefits of growing up appropriately with his mama and siblings he did have some sort of canine guidance. Do not give up hope, as demanding as an eight week old pup is an even younger one is much more so.

Brinks is now two and a half and a healthy 90 lbs! He is very sweet and a wonderful guardian, an excellent trail partner and enjoys playing with the neighborhood children. But he has always been needy to some extent - he is always alert and on the go and requires engagement.
 
He is too young to expect so much, wait until he is 4 months and he will be leaving bing much faster. Crate train

I somewhat disagree with you, by 10 weeks my dude was house broken (minus accidents due to giardia) he learned how to open the screen and relieve himself and had basic commands down. Sit, down and shake. So I think it’s possible to get some of the described issues taught and corrected.
 
I somewhat disagree with you, by 10 weeks my dude was house broken (minus accidents due to giardia) he learned how to open the screen and relieve himself and had basic commands down. Sit, down and shake. So I think it’s possible to get some of the described issues taught and corrected.
The point is that there is no comparison to a 4 month old and an 8 week old. At 8 weeks you should be building a bond and showing everything in a positive way to make you the most important thing. This is a crucial time to build the proper fundamentals so things don’t need to be retrained later. Accidents happen at this age and giving s clear picture is important. Expecting to much can be disheartening to the dog and cause the dog to regress. If this dog was truly taken fromjits mother at 6 weeks there are many things it did not learn and now will have to be taught by its humans. This puppy needs love and nurturing. Obedience training will come later, there is no race to the finish line, it takes how long it takes. Patience and understanding is the most important thing for this puppy at this stage.
 
Welcome from Minnesota! I agree that you can't expect so much out of him when he's so young and taken away from mom and siblings too early. He missed a critical socialization stage so it's going to take more time and patience, but it can be done.
I was merely saying what I did and that it worked for me... not necessarily it's the only way.
I'm guessing that was an accidental hit of the disagree button.
 
A vet check for worms and UTI as mentioned is a must! The urinating while sitting in a set spot is concerning to me.
Could very well be a bladder problem and it reminds me of a pup who wasn't raised with it's dam! Pups left alone do not learn "when & where" to go they just go!
Once again you must be two steps ahead of a Dobermann pup when it comes to EVERYTHING!
Don't forget to exercise his eyes and ears too not just running and playing. There is a thread here now about "no bite"
and this is a perfect time to teach that with a tug toy! Here's the toy "take" stop the take with no bite or "drop it"!

Raising a Dobermann pup is a life style. A two year dedication to insure sanity or................insanity if your dedication is weak.

good luck..........
 
We got our pup at 9 weeks and had a lot of work when it came to potty training. Our guy was left with his litter mates in shavings to do their business and then lay in it. We just entered the 5 month mark and still find ourself having accidents some days. We aren't all the way there yet but we are making progress. I do know in the beginning though he went in the crate overnight for easily the first 3 weeks because that was "normal" for him before we got him. I think in the last month he has only had one accident in the crate overnight. I hope your newest addition gets the hang of it soon ❤
 
We have a 14 week old I am ready to take back for similar reasons! She has and does push me at every single corner. We have trained tons of dogs but none have ever tested me on so many levels. It breaks my heart because I don’t think I’ve ever owned a dog this stubborn and this frustrating. I work from home so potty training is about the only thing we aren’t struggling with. I’m not sure what to do at this point. I have to have her on a leash in the house so that I can have some control over her. She pulls so hard I’m afraid she is going to get hurt or I am. She doesn’t even acknowledge me when I give commands or say anything except dinner time. We start puppy boot camp next week, and I’m praying this helps both of us, because I’m at a complete loss and feel like a total dobe mom failure!

Hello! Not only am I new here but my first post is asking for help.

We acquired a Doberman puppy. The situation was weird but it wasn’t a typical buy from a trusted breeder. And this isn’t our first dobie. We had one that we unexpectedly lost at the beginning of the year to seizures and brain damage at the age of 3.5 years.

This pup we have now, we were told he was 8 weeks old when we got him. However, we believe he may have been 6 weeks. We’ve had him for 2 weeks which NOW makes him 8 weeks.

Here’s the situation. HE’S SO STUBBORN!!! We have made NO headway on potty training, crate training, or any other command for that matter. We are experienced with training dogs, but we have NEVER had an experience like this. This puppy is relentlessly stubborn. I’m not kidding when I say we have made NO progress in 2 weeks. The last Doberman we had, we got at 4 months old so training was by far easier.

We are dog people and have trained many dogs and even dogs of our friends. I just don’t feel there is any training this dog. He pulls, he whines, he barks, he howls, he doesn’t stop moving (even after long play sessions to wear him out), and he just potties everywhere. He doesn’t sniff a spot out. He will just potty. If he is just sitting, looking around (which is rare) he is known to just potty in his sitting position which means he’s peeing all over his legs and sitting in his puddle.

Does anybody else experience this or know what the heck is going on? We kind of suspect mom and dad are brother and sister.
 
We have a 14 week old I am ready to take back for similar reasons! She has and does push me at every single corner. We have trained tons of dogs but none have ever tested me on so many levels. It breaks my heart because I don’t think I’ve ever owned a dog this stubborn and this frustrating. I work from home so potty training is about the only thing we aren’t struggling with. I’m not sure what to do at this point. I have to have her on a leash in the house so that I can have some control over her. She pulls so hard I’m afraid she is going to get hurt or I am. She doesn’t even acknowledge me when I give commands or say anything except dinner time. We start puppy boot camp next week, and I’m praying this helps both of us, because I’m at a complete loss and feel like a total dobe mom failure!
She is just a puppy and you cannot expect perfection with manners and commands at this age. They require a lot of training, praise and fun as well as firm fair corrections. This behavior is typical of this breed. It requires a lot of patience and work on your part because it’s like having a 1 yr old kid that is into everything.

Raising one from puppyhood is a LOT of work and crate training is a must. After this stage will come the teenage stage and that is a tough one but again it requires a lot of attention and training on your part. They need to see you as the most fun thing in their life and soon they will start learning from you and obeying commands. Sometimes you just have to show them what you want, then reward for the positive behavior and correct the negative behavior without getting upset, angry or yelling. You need to be a firm, calm leader. Soon you will see the changes. When you say puppy boot camp, I hope the trainer will be working with you as well on how to properly train your puppy.
 
Yes I believe my message said “I am praying puppy boot camp helps us both.” I’m not blaming this on her but am beyond frustrated at the moment. What I do know is we both need some help. As I said, this isn’t my first walk in the puppy training park, but is my first Doberman puppy. I am most definitely willing to admit I feel in over my head at the moment.
 
Yes I believe my message said “I am praying puppy boot camp helps us both.” I’m not blaming this on her but am beyond frustrated at the moment. What I do know is we both need some help. As I said, this isn’t my first walk in the puppy training park, but is my first Doberman puppy. I am most definitely willing to admit I feel in over my head at the moment.
Dobermans are the most challenging to raise. I feel your frustration because it is nerve wracking and there were times I wanted to just sit down and cry. I was crazy because I forgot how much insane work goes into raising just one and I bought 2 at the same time. I am lucky to have any hair left from pulling it and thankfully my sanity returned after they got through the teenage phase.
They are still hooligans at home but are very well behaved in public. Lol
 
Also you wonder how something so sweet and innocent looking can be such a holy terror.
You are not the first one to voice; “My God what have I gotten myself into?”

Crate training is a real sanity saver though.
 
Dobermans are the most challenging to raise. I feel your frustration because it is nerve wracking and there were times I wanted to just sit down and cry. I was crazy because I forgot how much insane work goes into raising just one and I bought 2 at the same time. I am lucky to have any hair left from pulling it and thankfully my sanity returned after they got through the teenage phase.
They are still hooligans at home but are very well behaved in public. Lol
 

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