Memo to the trainer at PetSmart
[This is what happened on Friday... read on at your own risk.]
Thank you for the flyer you gave me when I was standing in line on Friday. But no thank you for the advice. See, you told me to give away my puppy since we'd had him a week and he wasn't potty trained. But how much did you really find out in our 2 minute conversation? Certainly not how much I love him. Certainly not how determined I am to make this work. Instead, you jumped on my insecurities about being a first time puppy owner and scared me. I went out to my truck and cried. And then I called Gina and cried again. And went home and talked to my husband and cried more.
Then I talked to some other friends who have dogs and got advice. I bought a leash and we started keeping Peri in his cage most of the time. We started taking him outside to potty instead of always letting him use the training pads.
Guess what? He's gotten the idea about peeing outside. And he likes going for a little walk around the yard. I think this will work out yet.
And to the people who talked to me Friday, thanks for being understanding. I promise to ask you questions before I start making plans to send Peri off to a new home.
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Lisa, give me that guy's name. I'm coming out there to "influence" his future choices in what he says. How dare he.
And keeping puppies in the cage is wonderful for potty training them. You're a wonderful mommy to Peri, don't ever question that.
Oh. My. God. You've GOT to be kidding me!! She said that?!?! Give me a break!!! Can I slap her please?! As I said in my last comment here, it took us awhile to train our dog. We tried all sorts of stuff... he eventually got the hang of it. A week and she's telling you to give up??? Grrrr.... I would almost say complain to the store, but maybe she's not worth any more stress!
(I assumed the trainer was a she... probably because the trainer we had at petsmart was a she...) woops!
Actually, it was a guy. I had Brad take me to a diff store this weekend to pick up more Peri-stuff.
a week to potty train? geez, hope he never has kids, he'll be giving them away left and right.
Lisa your doing a good job with Peri. It's the love that counts not where he pee's. I'd go back to that store and kick the guy in the balls and see where he pees.
I have a friend that has a standard poodle, Chloe. She knew to go outside to pee but when new people came into the house she got all excited and went right where she was. She was about a year old before she broke that habit. She also had thing thing about going through the laundry and stewing underware everywhere too. Quite funny actually, they even have it on video. Anyway, my friend would never of though of getting rid of her. She is a great dog and alot of fun, just a bit hyper at times. Now shes almost 3 and shes really mellowed out alot but I can still get her all riled up. heh heh
It sounds to me like that trainer was a jerk. You don't give away a child just because he/she has a hard time learning to use the toilet, so why would you do that to your puppy after just a week of trying? From all I've read here about your love for your animals, I'm sure that Peri is one lucky puppy, and he'll get the hang of it.
obviously the management at PetSmart picked up that guy off the street. he knows nothing about trying to raise a pet! if he had a child and it took more than a week to potty train the child, would he think about giving him/her away? hell no! pets are just like children in that they need to be trained in the potty-sense. they can't learn on their own. omigod! that guy should be fired and i'm really offended that he even said that to you. it took me about two months to potty train my dog and on top of that, she had mange... but despite all the complaining that i had, i would never give her away or even listen to anyone suggest that to me. i would write to their management and have that person reprimanded. that is unacceptible. i'm sorry you had to go through that.
Unreal!!! I'm with Annessa. Bring 'em on!
Ridiculous! What a jerk. Great idea on the cage, I agree wholeheartedly. Good for you! And Peri!
Aww you will get there..
It can take time.. But he'll do it..
Ignore what anyone else said.. he is yours and you love him that is all that matters.. everything else will follow
What a jerk he was. I know lots of people who potty train their dogs using a cage...and they make them sleep in them at night...like a bedroom because they need to leave them there during the day while at work. It is a great tool. A week is just not enough time for the little fella to have adjusted to his new home!
I have a friend whose puppy, Koko, learned to "control herself" so well that when she was getting too excited she'd go in her cage/crate to calm herself down (and thus wouldn't pee all over the place.)
It's going to be OK, Lisa, for all of you!
It takes a year for an animal to be completely house trained. A year. Around 6 months even the best house broken pet can seem to "forget" everything they've ever learned and if that happens to Peri (like it did with Roxy) you just go back to crating and regular training.
Dogs aren't mind readers. Real trainers know this. That's why they have jobs. Dogs just don't "learn" what we want from them miraculously one day on their own.
I feel paritcularly bad for you because I know how disconcerting pee-pad training can be. If you don't have to do it (ie, Peri is large enough to walk outside safely - we have steep concrete steps that Fred has only recently mastered) then I'd skip the pee-pads all together except for the longterm confinement area.
You can do this.
You *are* doing this. And Peri is worth it! He's completely irreplaceable - and so are you to him.
Sign me up for the bitch slap the trainer posse.
My goodness. What a freak. I'm sorry that he made you second guess your instincts. FREAK!
if my dad where here, he'd remind you that petsmart sucks. buy from small independant pet stores, like ones that carry US-made pet products. But I don't think you have any stores in your area that carry our products, so I might just have to send you some.
I'm glad that things are looking up. Peri's such a cutie, and I can already tell how much you are in love with him. And *that* is what makes you a wonderful doggy-owner!
Ok, I know you probably don't need any more reassurance, but the MOST INTELLIGENT dog I ever had, my lab/golden retriever mix, took three or four weeks to housebreak. She was used to peeing in a cage, so even crate training didn't work with her! I have had {counting on my fingers} seven dogs in my life. NONE OF THEM were trained in under a week. I'd call that petsmart back and talk to the manager! That woman needs to be smacked. Actually, she just wanted to sell you training classes, so they probably won't chastise her. I actually don't much like petsmart. I stick to little pet stores.
er...man...now that I went back and read the other comments!!
Not a very nice man - nor good advice. You hold onto that peri!
OK, so this answers one of the questions I asked you in that email I sent. LOL
Give him away???? Are you serious? He actually told you that? I'd call up PetSmart and give them a piece of my mind!!!! I'm glad Peri is now getting the idea!
This still bugs me and I keep re-reading it every time I visit your page. I can't help myself it bugs me that much.
The giving him away bit flabberghasts me as well. Does dude know how much a pure bred Maltese costs? Yeah, you're going to make that kind of investment in time (waiting to get him) and money (purchase price, initial vet bills, supplies) just to "give him up" after two weeks.
ERGH. Even if he was already exhibiting behavioral problems or physical problems you wouldn't give him up. I mean we thought Fred was deaf for almost a month and no one ever suggested giving her up. This GUY is so insane.
I definitely agree you should call. He is a menace.
*G* well, Just wanted to say (even though this was days ago) that I'd like to sign up for the
posse' 
Everyone is right, it's going to takes weeks/months/ for poor little peri to really understand. and I'm glad you didn't give up. and even then, he'll probably have little 'accidents' at times. Do like they say, and follow your "instinct". You're to much of a caring person, to go wrong.
As someone who spent months trying to litterbox train a cat (supposedly the easiest thing in the world to do, but I digress), I can't believe that someone would say that to you. I loved Bella so much by then that I would have done anything to make it work. A week is ridiculous. You should report them to their supervisor.
people who think an animal is hopeless before they even give it a chance have no business being pet owners. or parents. or possibly even breathing.
the first vet i took goliath to, the day after i adopted him, told me to give him back because he snapped at her when she took a blood sample. well, he'd been abused and abandoned - of course he was scared and screwed up. that's the point of rescue and adoption. duh. i went back to the office and cried for an hour. then i found a new vet.
Carating dogs is a serious mistreatment of animals and should be punished!
Either you have timve to attend your pets or don't get any!!!
On Behalf of PETsMART, I would like to apologize for your negative experience. I cannot personally speak on behalf of another trainer, nor would I ever attempt to justify why someone would say such a thing to you. Let me assure you that not all PETsMART trainers are created equal. There are some of us out here who work very hard at educating ourselves and take our profession very seriously. We do take the time to listen and really investigate issues and concerns that our clients have and help them solve them in the most positive ways we can. Our curriculum is written by the top positive reinforcement dog trainers in the country. I know it's a band-aid on a wound and I'm sorry that you had such a negative experience.
I'm glad you were able to find a positive solution to your situation without having to resort to re-homing your puppy. I'm also very glad to see an owner who doesn't automatically take any advise a "professional" may offer without at least investigating better alternatives. Congratulations on your new puppy... I hope you have many happy years together.
Laurie - an anonymous PETsMART trainer