Puppy help/rant

[rainbowtrout]

So I'm a houseguest with some 20-ish friends in Rabat. They recently adopted an adorable little 4 week old (I know, the rant is coming) pup named Lucy. Now after they got Lucy most of the people in the house decided she was, duh, way too much work for them. and she's too young to be away from mom anyway!

So the rant first:
They hit her when she goes to the bathroom when she isn't supposed to, but they only take her out twice a day and they don't put newspaper in every room. This besides the fact that she's too young to control it.
They b***ch constantly about how she won't sleep at night and call her a bad dog for wanting to be in their rooms.
They lock her in a cold tile area downstairs when they aren't home
Last night they had a big party and someone fed her chicken bones
They don't know who is taking her when they go back to America
The guys play "catch the puppy" over a hard floor
They haven't taken her to the vet to be dewormed or get her shots
She's fed sporadically
.....and, I jut pried a beer cap out of her mouth. I'm entertaining her right now because everyone else is so hung over they are concked out.

Gahhhhh! I'm sorry, but they aren't even fit to take care of themselves, let alone a helpless puppy!

My question for you knowledggble Dog people on PS is this:

Is there any was for them to newspaper train her at this age? I suggested putting paper in every room, giving her a firm No when she messes and then putting her immediatly on the nearest paper. Of course they *could* take her outside every 2.5 hours like 4 week old puppies need to but I doubt that will happen.

I've told them to stop whapping her but we'll see if they keep it up.

What about her sleeping through the night? She's too young for crate training.

 

[musey]

Who on earth let them adopt a 4 WEEK OLD PUPPY?!?!! The minimum for separation from the mother is supposet to be 10 weeks. Sorry, I know that's not what the post was about, but yeesh!

The treatment this poor puppy is receiving is classified as animal cruelty. At this point in her life she should be in the hands of experienced animal caregivers, if she is for some legitimate reason unable to be with her mother. A puppy that young should not be in taken care of by anyone that can't give her fully attentive care.

And no, puppies that young are not capable of being paper trained. Any puppy younger than 9 weeks (depending on the breed/size) is not capable of the muscle control required to "hold it," and will therefore "go" when they have the urge (although at that stage it's not really active pottying, it's more like leaking).

If it were me, I would volunteer to take her off their hands. If they say no, call the humane society (if there's an equivalent in Rabat). They sound like they are completely incapable of caring for her and have probably already inflicted some SERIOUS psychological damage. The way she is treated now will determine her personality (not to mention trainability) for the rest of her life.

Sorry to add to the rant, but irresponsible pet owners REALLY make me furious!

The thought of my puppy having been mistreated is heartbreaking, and I wouldn't wish that fate on any animal.

 

[rainbowtrout]

There isn't one..there is free veterinary care but no humane societry. Honestly I have had to turn my animal cruelty button at least partly off in Morocco because there is so MUCH here, mixed with so much human misery. Usually the best I can do it try to patronize horse and mule owners who treat their animals well. I don't have a rabies shot so I can't help out at the clinic, or trap animals to get spayed/neutered.

Who let them get her? Some guy selling puppies in the old medina apparently.


If I take her, I would have to take her home, and I don't know if I can do that--and I don't know anyone who wants a dog. Plus, I don't know if they would give her to me. They might though.

I might talk to the Mom about it, see if she might be ok with us taking her...

She finally fell asleep on my lap just now.


Also, do you know what shots she needs right now? I know they usually get dewormed and some prelims before adoption but I don't know what.

 

[Lorelei]

Please try to get that puppy away from those people or I doubt the little thing will live very long. She will need parvovirus, and leptospirosis shots, distemper etc as we do here in the UK, but she is too young for the vaccine now, but you could check with a vet as this is a special circumstance. Properly bred puppies normally get some placental immunity from the Mother, but I doubt it in this case.

 

[musey]

Date: 2/18/2007 3:50:38 AM
Author: rainbowtrout
If I take her, I would have to take her home, and I don''t know if I can do that--and I don''t know anyone who wants a dog. Plus, I don''t know if they would give her to me. They might though.

Where is home for you? Outside Morocco, I assume? If it''s in the US, please just take her with you and surrender her to a humane society if you can''t keep her or find her a home. She would fare better in a pound than with these people.

 

[rainbowtrout]

home is boston, I''m here on a year long scholarship.


Is it ok for me to let her chew on my hands or will that encourage bad behavior later? she tried to suck on my fingers and sort of chews/sucks my hands

If she were older I woulw know what to do, I''ve taken care of 12 wk old puppy...you just say no and distract them with a chew toy. What about her though? does it cause harm to let her do this?



I just emailed mom to ask what she thinks about taking her when we move to Rabat in a week (we live here together right now.) But yeah, if there were a humane society I would call them.

 

[rainbowtrout]

actually, home for me will be NYC but FI and grandparents in Boston

 

[rainbowtrout]

I''m not sure if THEY will let me have her, even though most of them think getting her wasn''t a great idea. Suggestion for how to ask them?

 

[Lorelei]

I would say something like how you have really fallen in love with this puppy and you can see how she is a huge responsibility to care for, if they change their minds about keeping her, then how you would love to have her, once the seed is planted they might not say yes right away, but the next time the poor little thing has a mishap of some sort, they will probably be begging you to take her. I don't think it is a case of if they keep her but when they decide to get rid of her, so get that seed planted so that they will come to you rather than use other methods to rid themselves of her. What a dreadful situation and thank goodness this baby has you RT to look out for her

Just make it known you are willing to take her on so it makes it easy for these people to do the decent thing, meanwhile keep a close eye on the situation as you are doing.

 

[Efe]

This is so upsetting. I would get a playpen for the dog and set a litter box in it. My dog is litter trained and the breeder told me that they take naturally to it before six weeks old. I don''t know how a four week old puppy can survive away from the mother but I would check on the internet and see what he should be eating and what shots are required. He needs a very small and secure environment to keep him safe. I would also put toys or towels or something that he can snuggle up against like he would his litter mates. Please keep us posted on this poor baby.

 

[WTNLVR]

Crate training works fine. A pup that young needs to be taken outside every hour, given a command of get busy and praised when she does. Paper training doesn''t work nearly as well. As to the other issues, I think it''s all been covered above. She needs to see a vet pronto to get wormed and shots. My pup was very sick with an intestinal bug and needed antibiotics when we got him.

 

[rainbowtrout]

OK, so:

I talked to the girl who technically bought the dog and pointed out that none of her roomates want the puppy, and that it''s a big job for them and they are busy, etc.
I offered to take it when I move to Rabat in a week and a half. In an effort to gross them out I told them most puppies are born with worms and they need to get her dewormed ASAP.
She told me she would think about it and talk to her roomates. I just hope that they (mostly girls) we be upfront with her about what they really think.

No joke, they got the puppy because: they were sitting around talking after they furnished the apt and decided it needed a dog to make it look complete.

I came home from lunch today and everyone was gone, puppy was in a room with no food and water.

 

[firebirdgold]

Those girls should be shot! Or at least locked up in a room with no food and water and then hit whenever they try to do anything! The poor puppy!

I totally second the crate with stuff toys and a litter box. I don''t think it will cause to much harm to let her suck on your hand right now. She probably hasn''t been weaned for very long, and obviously wasn''t weaned gradually.

Good luck! I hope you can take her with you. It''s so hard to watch dogs be abused and ruined!

 

[ImpatientOne]

I''m not much of a pet person anymore, but this just makes me sick - I wanna cry

That poor baby! Some people are just soooo stupid

I hope they come to their senses and let you take the puppy...

 

[Mara]

RT this whole entire story is so disturbing. please try to get that puppy away from them. the sad thing is as you described the state of that area, it doesn''t sound like an isolated incident and can you really find someone who can care for the pup as they should?? are you prepared to possibly have to keep her or find someone in the US (is that possible) to take her?

the rant of things you listed are all horrible. re: the fact that she is only 4 weeks. in a few things i read and what our trainer told us was that most pups don''t have a sense of ''remembering'' until about 8 weeks. so it''s very hard to ''train'' them up until that point...she may not have the mental facilities just yet to really learn to be poddy trained at 4 weeks. poor thing.

so sad....i hope you can help the situation.

 

[Ellen]

I can''t believe they''re playing "catch" with her, besides everything else.

I really hope they decide to let you have her.

 

[rainbowtrout]

Good question Mara....Most of the animal cruelty I see every day is mules, birds, and donkeys. Not many people have dogs since it is a Muslin country and they don''t usually like them. BUT, this is a rich, urban area of the country,and when I DO see people who own dogs they look well taken care of. Yesterday I saw a man walking two handsome Rotties. But the two popular breeds are Rotties and German Sheps....so

I doubt I can have a dog in a New York apartment, espcially a dorm. I would have to try to find her a home or leave her in shelter that will put her up. Best I could do is train her very well so someone would want her.


Also, we just put my dog down today which is really ironic. My dad just called me to tell me. I remember when she was the size of this puppy. She was a great dog.

 

[WTNLVR]

If you bring her into the states she''ll need shots and may need to be quarantined for up to a month. You need to look into that if you are thinking of taking her to the US.

 

[Gypsy]

Cross the importation bridge when you come to it. Please get that puppy now. It''s okay if you bring her up right and she''s adoptable. I can''t express how upset I am at this. Thank god you are there for that little baby.

 

[mrssalvo]

Date: 2/18/2007 4:06:08 PM
Author: Gypsy
Cross the importation bridge when you come to it. Please get that puppy now. It''s okay if you bring her up right and she''s adoptable. I can''t express how upset I am at this. Thank god you are there for that little baby.

ditto gypsy. this whole thing just breaks my heart

 

[rainbowtrout]

OK, so I wrote up a detailed "how to take care of puppy" list for the girl who actually wants the puppy since she asked for it, and I reiterated that I would be happy to take her if she can''t handle it.

She seems to be genuinely interested in doing a better job but she''s one person out of 8. So I''ll leave her with the information and when I come back to move her in 2 wks I will check in and press her harder if the puppy is still not getting better care. Unfort if I press the issue too hard too soon I will have no chance at getting the puppy.

 

[divergrrl]

Poor puppy! I can''t even begin to tell you what I think....puppies are hard hard work, four legged versions of newborns. (As a mom, I think newborns are easier personally, diapers are a snap to deal with)

You are very kind for caring, perhaps you can encourage them to surrender the dog to a no-kill shelter where a loving family will take it. That poor baby.

Jeannine aka diver

 

[monarch64]

Oh this just makes me SICK. Rainbow, I''m sorry you have to deal with this, and even sorrier for that poor puppy. Good for you for trying to at least encourage these girls to give it the proper care, even if they have started out completely on the wrong foot.

At 4 weeks old, a puppy hasn''t even been weaned away from its mother...when she sucks/chews on your fingers it''s most likely she''s trying to nurse still. There''s a difference between suckling and play biting, you''ll figure it out soon enough. And honestly, puppies need to be paid attention to round the clock, especially when they''re THAT young, not just let out every 2.5 hours. In order to even begin to potty train, you need to supervise and put her on paper or take her out 1. as soon as she wakes, 2. right after she eats or drinks, and 3. before she goes back to sleep, and basically in between all those things!

And NO HITTING--that discourages puppies from even going potty because they think they''ve done something really bad by just relieving themselves. What you want to do is reinforce good behavior (pottying) by saying a firm "no" when she does it in the "wrong" place, then quickly place her outside or on the paper where you want her to go. This is why it''s key to pay close attention and try to anticipate when she will need to go, so you can catch her in the act, or get her where you want her to go before it happens. And ALWAYS praise her calmly when she goes in the "right" place. Even at 4 weeks though I don''t know how successful you''ll be what with the muscle control issue and all.

I hope you can get her to the vet and get her the health care she needs, first and foremost. Then get her away from these selfish and poor excuses for human beings. Good luck.

 

[diamondfan]

I would get that dog to a good home. It is a disgrace and frankly beyond cruel (more like a sick torture) that they are doing this to a pup, who should be still weeks away from leaving mom. How awful and sad. They should at least put a nice blanket and a ticking clock in a carton for the puppy, so at night she can try to be happy when she goes to bed...You could always just take her and say she must have run away, the way they treat her it is plausible that she would want to get away from them!