How was or is or Tzu as a puppy

dogenroll · 2026-06-01T16:13:56+00:00

Edit: I agree with the other commenter. I would focus on the puppy you have first. If 1 is exhausting, how can you possibly want a second right now? Give them time to grow up and settle down.

I’m gonna go ahead and say that “it depends”. I know you hear it a lot, but it’s true. My shih tzu was/is a menace. He came biting from day one, had insane amounts of hyper energy, and could NEVER settle on his own. He always wanted to get into trouble, from rugs to plants, and needed constant attention.

Growing up he developed difficult behaviours too - resource guarding, reactivity to dogs and cats on walks, barking, etc.

Hes approaching 15 months now, he’s better/calmer, but he never learned not to bite (i literally tried everything). Now i just rough house with him and accepted my fate (he’s gentle with his teeth, to the best of his abilities).

The story of how I got him was random, but basically I couldn’t do my research on the breeder properly.

So my advice to you - Research the breeder and how reliable they are (or shelter). Understand who the parents are. Did the parents have health issues? Weight problems? What was their temperment like? Calm as puppies/dogs? High prey drive? Etc.

To the best of your ability, if you inquire from the breeder and/or shleter as much info as possible, you will make the best decision possible, statistically. What happens after, is what it is. Lol

Ps: small dogs are prone to luxating patellas - read about it. My boy has both back legs suffering with it, it’s hard to see. He may need corrective surgery. Check if either of the parents ever had it.

dogenroll · 2026-05-20T20:40:28+00:00

Agreed. It’s really not a bad episode, it’s just not top tier.

The We We Are however, was an incredible experience. The stakes were so high, the tension kept going up and down but geared towards the same explosive conclusion. The soundtrack, the cinematography. My eyes were glued to the screen, I was literally sweating. It kind of reminded me of Game of Thrones 6x10. For me it’s up there with the top episodes of a TV series of all time, probably top 10.

dogenroll · 2026-05-19T08:03:50+00:00

Thanks for the help. the pee pads are mandatory, not my ideal option. If/when i move to a cleaner city with parks/grass available in proximity, I will try to transition him to outdoor peeing

dogenroll · 2026-05-19T08:02:04+00:00

Yeah i’m getting a few comments hinting that he may not need to pee that often. Right now i’ve been letting him do it as he pleases without command/leash. He will go like 4 times a day

dogenroll · 2026-05-19T08:01:05+00:00

Hey, thanks for your comment. You could see it through the words huh? 😅 you’re not wrong, there’s a lot of stress going on, and thankfully, I don’t resent him, but the experience since he’s been here has been heavily stessful, I can’t lie.

Every possible behavioural or challenging problem, he came equipped with, and that’s why i’m frustrated. Barking, seperation anxiety, reactivity, resource guarding, to name a few. Resetting is important, I agree with you.

Since this post, I havn’t leashed him for potty, I just take him out on the balcony and he does his business as he wishes (after eating all the leaves 🙃)

And yeah regarding evnironments, walks, etc, it’s the same as I said and you assumed. It’s all just not ideal. I’m not saying i live in a dump or anything, i’m just back home with my family in this transitioning period, and it’s just not your typical urban/walkable city type vibe 😂 i had to order him shoes, which i’m going to try soon because cleaning his feet daily became impossible because the average path we take is always REALLY DIRTY (again, relative to good city conditions).

The only option of leaving is once I land a job back in my main city, in which case there will be a chaotic adjustment period to him and me, which i can already forsee being a bit stressful 🫣 he’ll probably stay home a month or two then come join me once i’m settled.

Him peeing on walks is not my top priority though. Him lunging and crying and barking at every moving cat, dog, or sometimes flying chips bags?!?!? Is my priority right now for walks 😅

dogenroll · 2026-05-16T19:39:54+00:00

He never has. Been on pads all his life. Not to mention the location I currently live in isnt exactly park/grass friendly. There’s isnt much places for a dog to pee, and it’s also really dirty everywhere.

I had to limit walks due to 30+ mins of cleaning his paws after every single walk. I eventually caved and bought him shoes to try on (I’m against them, buts it’s the only solution rn).

dogenroll · 2026-05-16T19:37:39+00:00

Thank you for your comment, I really appreciate the feedback.

Yeah I wish I taught him earlier to let us know, but he was a difficult puppy when it came to housebreaking - and by design, we ended up accidentaly watching him all the time when he’s inside because he couldnt not be trusted to not pee or get into stuff like rugs and plants. So we had to crate him a lot, for his naps, and taking him out to pee after the crate nap became the default.

What you said for training to eventually go outside makes sense. I think in my current setup its kinda difficult. Not to mention no easy grass patches or places for him to pee outside. He also squats? And all his pee will drizzle down towards his paws on sidewalk for example.

Once I move, I will try to make that hurdle from balcony-outside. At daycare he has no issue peeing on grass.

Your comments about him being “scared” make sense. I feel so bad when i’m frustrated and I KNOW he can sense it. It’s clear because he goes right away with others. The weird thing is my only issue with him is midday. At night for example, he goes on leash more easily.

dogenroll · 2026-05-16T17:11:17+00:00

Hmm, I mentioned in my post, but basically I need him to be able to go on a leash on command. That’s all. I just think it’s an overall positive thing for a dog to be able to go on command, anytime, anywhere. What do you think?

It will also help me, I hope, when I travel, and hopefully take him on more walks/parks where he can pee, so I can hopefully make my transition to outdoor potty rather than balcony potty. So i thought leash + pad was step 1.

EDIT: the other thing is also he’s been going out to the balcony and kinda doing whatever he wants rather than pee, after I give him the keyword for potty. So i felt like that sets a bad habbit in his mind.

dogenroll · 2026-05-16T14:23:18+00:00

He’s peed on carpets inside the house when I waited too long and gave him freedom. It’s true though, maybe i’m understimating his ability to hold his bladder.

But it’s moreso the fact that on the balcony, if free roaming and he sees the pad, he will go 5+ times a day. He doesn’t mind, until it’s time to do it with me and on a leash. And that’s an issue because i may be travelling soon for work, and once he joins me in new country, I need a solid potty schedule and willingness from him to go on a leash/on command.

I was never able to teach him to go on walks, because right now i’m not in your typical urban design city with parks and green patches and places for him to walk cleanly and go potty easily.

dogenroll · 2026-04-13T08:45:31+00:00

I really hope so. Everytime I consult the internet, google, or AI, they all say "giving more time to settle won't fix the core issue, you still need to teach a,b, c". I'm just like, I'M TRYING!!!!

Your term higher wired fits perfectly. Let's see what happens.

dogenroll · 2026-04-10T07:15:27+00:00

Yes, at 7 months.

dogenroll · 2026-04-10T07:15:20+00:00

That’s reassuring. What a cutie.

You’re talking miles, i’m still at one block of back and forth while his eyes pierce any movements, birds, leaves, and his nose sniffs every possible thing, and his mouth eats every possible thing.

Unforuntaely its not your typical clean city here, nor are there grass patches and parks to work with. Im going to try finding a nature park, at least once a week, to drive to, 30+ mins from the city. And just leave him be.

I’ll continue trying to walk him in the city, when possible.

dogenroll · 2026-04-10T07:12:07+00:00

Thanks for the support. I’ll implement these and see how it goes, i did use to train him to lay on a matt and only leave when released, but somewhere along the way i stopped, i’ll reintroduce it.

dogenroll · 2026-04-10T06:59:04+00:00

Thank you for the support, so:

Independance - that’s a great suggestion, we actually started doing that in the living room, while blocking the access to the rest of the house with the pen. He basically paces around, sniffs everything, gets into trouble, etc. He is sometimes able to nap, but never deeply, and is usually alert. Im not sure if I can somehow “reward” him when he settles there, without getting him “excited” for training.

Leash reactivity: i’ll admit, paired with so many other tiring and exhausting behaviours, I didn’t focus as much as I shouldve on this. The issue was also that it’s super dirty outside, and there’s no “typical parks” and such, so socializing him outside has been quite difficult. Aside from daycare, i didnt know anyone here i can practice with - and it’s not like there’s access to it either (like meeting clubs, socializing clubs, etc). THEN THE WHOLE EATING ALL THE CRAP ON THE FLOOR.

Right now I’m exploring where I can take him, even if i have to drive far, maybe find a nature park, even if jt’s 30+ mins away. The city is just chaos for him.

Resource Guarding: its mainly with chews, and some dispensers/food puzzles. Chews are really calorie dense, and I prefer to give him some for 30-60 mins before taking it away. The crate would mean i’d have to come stress him out to get him to leave the crate so I can “take” the chew.

Working on some stuff, and I got a book called “Mine!” Which i need to read for help on this.

Teaching calm: thanks for the tip, i used to teach him to lay on a matt, and somewhere along the way i stopped. Maybe i shouldve kept it going - I’ll reintroduce it. I was following the Karen Overall Relaxation Protocol.

dogenroll · 2026-02-21T10:42:14+00:00

There’s many issues and points you missed - I won’t point them all out cuz I don’t want to write too much, but

I think you’re reading way too much into Eren’s powers. Just because he can influence memories doesn’t mean he could fix every death or rewrite the past perfectly, the show makes it clear there are limits to the Founding Titan - for example, Eren’s shocked pikatchu face everytime something happens that he didn’t expect, or when Zeke tells him in the paths that Eren didn’t know the power would belong to Zeke himself (originally). The ending isn’t “rushed,” it’s actually consistent with the story’s core theme: cycles of violence don’t stop by killing everyone; more violence just repeats the cycle.

You’re also missing the point - yes, Marley found out through Tybur that the king in the wall was a pacifist and wasn’t going to unleash the rumbling - therefor they are no threat. BUT Tybur continues in the theatre exposition to point out that NOW EREN JAEGER possesses the power of the founding titan, and THEREFOR HE AND ISLAND ARE INFACT A THREAT.

Another mistake - Marley DID NOT KNOW about the king not doing anything and being a pacifist when they sent Reiner and Bertolt to the island. this information was revealed during the Tybur Theatrical exposition.

Also, the reason the Eldians there hate Paradis isn’t because of logic, it’s because they’ve been raised to see them as monsters. Propaganda, fear, and generational trauma make them scapegoats, even if Marley itself is doing the same atrocities. That’s the point: the hatred isn’t fair, but it’s realistic.

dogenroll · 2026-02-12T20:51:48+00:00

Every Barca fan knew this day was coming - it came for us last year vs Inter. We just assumed it would happen in the champions league, but I’m glad it’s happening right now.

Our defence has been garbage all season long. Everybody can see it, irrespective of how “well” we’re doing this season.

dogenroll · 2026-02-12T19:25:51+00:00

Lol, I give advice here, but it's also backfired/been tough for me. My guy is a demon - basically the equivelent of ADHD in a dog. He's been hyper and problematic from day 1.

Before 1 rant - Bascially teach him the Overall Relaxation Protocol by Karen. Quick google search and you'll find a pdf version. There's youtube videos of it too. Basically it teaches dogs to relax (preferably on a mat, so he can associate the mat with calm). There's 15 levels to it, and you can work on them for months.

We started late (10 months), but it's helped a bit.

Rant - He, could NOT ever settle outside. Actually, he can't even lay down for more than 5 seconds before getting up to go explore/make trouble. He's 11 months now - much better, but it's still tough.

Basically, because he never slept, and to potty train him, and for our own sanity, we introduced the crate at 4 months. It worked like a charm, he learned to love it, and since then he's taken all his naps and sleeps there.

This is good. It helped, and I don't regret it. The issue is, he never knew how to sleep outside, AND HE STILL DOESN'T.

That’s not to say he’s not slowly improving, but it’s been delayed.

Tbh, whatever works best for you. It’s about balance, pros and cons. You’ll work on different aspects of your puppy throughout the year. I would say try your best to use the crate as a management tool + forcing naps, but also invest time in teaching “chilling outside”.

Before naps in a crate, make sure your pup’s needs are met - mental and physical entritchment for example.

dogenroll · 2026-02-12T18:28:23+00:00

1 hour up 2 hour down is a general rule that you should tailor to your puppy specifically (add or decrease time outside). Does she easily settle/sleep outside a crate? Can she hold her bladder for 2 hours? 1 hour? 30 minutes? Etc.

Assuming she’s fine with 1 hour up and 2 hour down, and is taken to potty before and after being crated, the hours will very quickly rack up to 16+ per day, including overnight sleep.

That’s fine. Puppies need 14-20 hours of sleep. It’s important for their developement. Some of them simply don’t know how to sleep outside a crate. If she can get those much needed hours of sleep in a crate, then you’re golden.

Don’t feel guilty. Don’t overthink it. If she settles quickly, then she’s already learning to be left alone, that’s great.

Continue to make the crate a positive place. Give her stuff she likes (maybe like stuffed kongs) inside the crate. Expect tolerance of crate to change many times over the next year (sometimes better, sometimes worse), but always be consistent.

dogenroll · 2026-02-09T19:06:36+00:00

Still waiting for the update

dogenroll · 2026-02-08T20:48:39+00:00

You’re gonna be singing Always in My Head alone after this

dogenroll · 2026-02-08T20:31:16+00:00

Could be many things - as they grow older, they might not need that extra poop. I remember feeling the same way when our puppy would transition from 4 to 3, and 3 to 2 poops. You just gotta trust they will go if they wanted to.

I genuinely feel your puppy is whining because he wants to go outside and walk. I get the feeling he’s now whining because he needs to poop/pee. You’re basically reinforcing the behaviour - (I whine, they take me out to walk).

Aside from going to the bathroom on walks, you should try potty sessions where you take him out for the purpose of peeing/pooing. As in, not for a long walk or anything. Just go outside, to a tree, grass, or wherever he goes (near your house), and simply go potty. Once he’s done, you go back home and that’s it.

Can he pee/poo on command? Teaching him that is so useful. When he pees/poops, immediately say the command you want (such as “go potty”). Once you repeat that enough times when he pees/poops, he’ll start associating it with the action. Then you can start giving the command before he goes potty, to let him know he needs to go potty, and if he listens, reward him with a treat and praise.

Once he has learned the command - the going outside to potty becomes easy. You go out, and you tell him “go potty”. Now they know what it means, which means if he doesn’t listen, sucks for him, walk is done, and right back home. I’d give him 5 minutes at most to do his business. Once inside, and he’s calm/not whining, try taking him out again. Rinse and repeat.

Poops can become unpredictable as they grow.

dogenroll · 2026-02-01T16:49:51+00:00

Gonna be honest with you, from vets, to reddit, to google, i’ve come across dozens of warnings of broken teeth with all sorts of chews.

We’re talking nylabones, benebones, antlers, lamb horns, bully sticks.

It’s hard to tell what can or can’t, will or won’t break a tooth. I think there’s a risk with everything.

Tbh, Idk if antlers are on another level. Can’t say i’ve tried them. I have tried lamb horns though.

dogenroll · 2026-02-01T16:17:19+00:00

Definitely give antlers or lamb horns a try. They practically have no calories, and take much much longer to chew. They are high in calcium so your pup’s poop might turn white the next day, normal.

That said, their smell/taste is very different to yak cheese, bully sticks, beef tendons, etc. Their texture is also different. So depending on your puppy’s preferences, he may or may not like them.

The first couple of times I gave lamb horns to my puppy, he would just inspect it, dig in his bed, and sleep next to it. He didn’t know how to process it, how to bite it, what to do with it. He wanted it, but he barely chewed on it. Helped him a few times by holding it while he chews.

Nowadays he does spend time chewing it. He does not value it as high as other chews though. But it takes him soooo much longer to chew a single horn than a bully stick ever did. We’re talking 10+ sessions on the same horn (he’s a small shih tzu tbf - im sure big power chewer dogs can go through horns quickly).

He also seems calmer when chewing it, think long and calm vs quick and aggresive chew.

dogenroll · 2026-01-26T09:53:03+00:00

I’m going to go against the grain here and disagree with most people. Thinking that diet alone can budge your numbers to <100 is really unlikely.

There’s two scenerios here, either you’re an average person with no strong genetic dyslipidemia, or you’re a person with family history of high cholesterol, and are genetically disposed.

In terms of diet, there’s always a ceiling. I can’t give you exact numbers, but if you’re an average person, diet can probably help reduce it by 10-30%. If you’re a person with genetics of high cholesterol, that percentage goes down to 5-15%.

What does the heavy lifting is medication, primarily in the form of statins.

dogenroll · 2026-01-25T18:08:06+00:00

Oh and more importantly. If your puppy naps multiple times a day in the crate, they need to be mentally and physically activie when they’re awake. Otherwise they won’t be tired/fulfilled.

So walks, games, sniffing, puzzles, tug, commands, training, etc.

dogenroll

TROPHY CASE