Hi all. I just got my maltese yesterday, and i just wanna clear some doubts with the pros in this forum. He's 3 months old..and very sticky...always need people's attention... I named him Snowy.

1) I wanted to do paper training but the pet shop owner where i got him from advised me to buy a cage...kinda small..just slightly larger than a normal crate. Snowy lives in my room but i bring the cage to the kitchen and feed him in there. He didnt poo the first day..hahaha..he only pooed today after being fed lunch. The cage has an undertray, which the pet shop owner advised me to just let him poo in the cage then wash it. The pet shop owner also said after doing this frequently he would get used to it then i can leave the door open and he will eliminate there when he wants to. I was wondering if i can housebreak him dat way. If it is wrong, care to advise another method?

2) The first day home he didnt cry or bark at nite..No sound at all. I was so surprised...literally SHOCKED. Even when i left the room he didnt even make a sound. Im sure he noticed me leaving but he didnt even made a noise. Is it normal?

3) Everytime i leave him, he will bark like crazy. Today i tried leaving him for just one hour...and he barked like crazy when i left him. When i came back he was all silent, then saw me then bark like crazy again. I locked him in the cage during that hour. Izzit okay to train him like dat?

4) How fast do they learn their names? Till now, i dont think he knows he's called Snowy. He just want my company dats all.

5) How sticky are your maltese? Mine cant be left for even one second...he doesnt bark when im around (not even once) but the moment im gone all hell breaks lose. Anyway to reduce this "separation anxiety"? Even the pet shop owner says my puppy is especially sticky, since arrive in the shop doesnt even want to be caged, just want to be held. I want to at least train him to be more independent, maybe be alone for 3 to 4 hours max. Should i ignore his barks and pleas, or should i be soft-hearted?

6) I want to train him, sit, stay, come, etc. But when i wanted to buy treats, the pet shop owner says wait till he noes how to differentiate between his staple food and treats. Can i train him using his kibbles? Currently, i soften his kibbles b4 feeding him. Anyway to train him now? or i reli have to get treats?

7) I lock him in the cage when sleeping at nite coz i don wan him to eliminate all over my room..izzit ok he was ok the first nite.

Thanks ahead for all the helpful replies.

This post has been edited by chankingguan: Mar 9 2007, 04:49 PM

How do you all housebreak your puppy?

If im gonna use the cage as a poopy place...might as well just take out the tray and ask him to poop there rite? so i tried that just now..he doesnt even want to poo in there....I caught him in the act of pooing..and i placed him on the tray...but he just walked away..then poo on the floor (at another place)....

I noe housebreak wont be so fast..summore he still young..but y does he hate the tray?? he prefer the floor? I mean at least when i catch him in the act and ask him to poo somewhere suitable...at least that one can rite?? he just want to walk away orh...then go poo somewhere else...pee oso same...

im going to the vet on tuesday...by then i want to CONFIRM the housebreak that i am going to use...maybe discuss it with the vet..

How about every poo/pee time i lock him in the cage? then if he goes i let him out..lidat can ar? Sure he bark like crazy then one...haiz...he so good...just need to learn how to housebreak..not that i no patience..just dat i join so many forum...hear so many opinions...my head hurts...LOL... i want to confirm one EFFECTIVE method then use it forever...

Can someone post the housebreak method that they use? Please state fully all the procedures..like what to do at nite...etc etc...


This post has been edited by chankingguan: Mar 10 2007, 05:15 PM

ooo..thanks digitral...where do you usually keep ur puppy and where do you place his/her potty spot?

This post has been edited by chankingguan: Mar 10 2007, 08:21 PM

ooo...good idea too..i was thinking of dat too...but my puppy only 9 weeks old..

if i wan him to go to toilet...i think not in time..by the time reach there from my room poop alredi finish liao...(its not very far...but still have to open door and stuff)...

just now when i feed him, after fed i placed him in his cage and closed the door...for the first time ever got no complain...then i go wash his food bowl..when come back, he poo and pee liao...AIYO..at dat time i damn proud ler..i even asked him finish or not alredi summore..then i let him out...hahahaha...if everytime can lidat...wah..i most happy maltese owner in the world lor...AAHHAHAHAHHAHAH

---

Added on March 10, 2007, 8:28 pmone more thing...u ask ur lui lui go in, she will go in meh? my one go in then run out again...hahhahaha..don tell me u put her poop in your toilet to train her to go in...then how u use ur toilet liao?

This post has been edited by chankingguan: Mar 10 2007, 08:28 PM

ooo...ur lui lui din bark and whine when locked in toilet ar?

how about accidents (poo outside toilet)? they do happen rite? What do you do then?

How old was lui lui when u got her?

---

Added on March 10, 2007, 8:46 pmmy snowy reli bad...left alone a while alredi bark like crazy...ahahaa

This post has been edited by chankingguan: Mar 10 2007, 08:46 PM

ya...cannot soft hearted...anyways i got class on monday..so poor snowy will have to be alone for 4 hours...

but i'll put him in his cage in the kitchen...then he can watch my mum walk around...probably wont be so lonely then...i hope..hehhehe

---

Added on March 10, 2007, 9:07 pmor shud i put him in my room? not wise rite? then he will poo and pee all over my room...then eat my books...(not that i have books that he can reach though..eheheh)...or get himself in trouble?? ...nolar..still think in cage in kitchen better...

---

Added on March 10, 2007, 9:14 pmtonite i try the revolutionary...let him sleep outside his cage..and i put his tray at his fav pee/poo spot (the door)...lets hope i wake up to pee and poo at my door (literally...eee...so yucky my thoughts...hhahhaha)

This post has been edited by chankingguan: Mar 10 2007, 09:14 PM

last nite snowy no pee poo for 8 hours...can meh? 9 week old puppy can hold dat long???...but once he wake up...walao...pee on the floor...dat one i slow to catch..then when he want poo i ready liao...swoopp...straight away take tray and put under him...can only catch one poo...ask him to stay on tray and poo he don wan...haiz...then he go poo on the door (not my door, other door) somemore...siao...

aiyo..whitepalace..ur maltese so pretty...guy maltese oso got so nice fur if u take care of it ar?

This post has been edited by chankingguan: Mar 11 2007, 07:56 AM

eh..ur lui lui is a shnauzer har?

ooo...very cute..how old liao?

---

Added on March 11, 2007, 9:24 ami got new technique liao...HAHAHAHA...i lock snowy in cage after every meal...then he no bark one..just gwai gwai pee and poo...this morning 2nd time liao...i so happy ar...LOL. Now if i can just get him to pee/poo besides meal time in his cage....i think i wanna try locking him in everytime he starts his poo/pee sniffing style..then if got poo/pee then can come out...hhahaa..hope dat works..

only one last regret...i buy cage to be a normal cage..in the end bcome toilet..hhhaha..but no regret lar..cage only Rm30...if can spend 30 for him to be completely housetrained..wa...RM 300 punya toilet/cage i oso willing...

---

Added on March 11, 2007, 12:02 pmgood news...lunch oso same routine!! yeah!!...so happy...

wad if i want to switch to toilet like wad digitral doing? can kah? or shud i do it later as it will just confuse Snowy?

This post has been edited by chankingguan: Mar 11 2007, 12:02 PM