My new pug puppy is driving me mad:(

[carlyd]

Hi we have had our pup for 4 weeks now she is 12 weeks and she is driving us insane and im really regretting getting her. we have had other dogs/puppys before but never have i found a pup such hard work. Im so dissapointed as i have wanted a pug for so long but am very dissapointed with how things are going. She dosnt listen to a word i say she pees and poos everywhere but outside she bites all the time no matter how much i say no she still bites she whines all night STILL after a month of having her. Barks all day. Ive really had enough dont know how much more i can take. shes crazy hypo and races arond all day. will things ever get better. I had a shih tzu that was toilet trained in weeks and a lab that was toilet trained in days. they where both so calm and laid back as pups. pugs are said to be lazy calm dont bark much. Mine seems to be the opposite of the breeds charitaristics

[Georgias Bob]

Ah that is what happened to our lil guy Bob. Whenever your pug bites, ignore her. Whenever she poos or pees, say no and take her outside right away. When she wakes up in the night you either ignore her, or take her to the toilet and then back to bed.Pugs are normally known for "non-barkers" but niormally they want to test out there back, and try to show who is boss and you just have to tel her to be quiet.Give her a few toys to help. Mine is the opposite. After about 9 weeks she will be potty trained if you do it correctly. Don't yell at her but tell her off calmly. She will become lazy after 9 long months, like ours. Pugs are known for being wild and crazy when they aare puppies, but as they grow older they stop being so "annoying" but when they are older, you would want them to play. If you need more help, ask. Also when you take her on walks, get her a leash, not harness. You should buy her a harness when she is 10 months old. If not it could mess up her muscles in her body. I hope I helped :)

[Nina_W]

Pugs take their sweet time learning things, especially house training. Many, many people can relate to how you feel.

Take a step back, start again, be patient, give yourself, and your pup, time to understand each other. Consistency and patience. Even if it feels the pug will never get it, keep trying. Which training techniques are you using? A crate? Treats? Perhaps a new strategy might be called for - perhaps try clicker training?

For the hyperactive behaviour, do you take it for walks? What exercise does your puggy get to work off the puppy crazies?

There are times when mine (now going on 15 weeks) is so bitey and annoying I have to leave the room. We can't be barefoot at certain times right now, because she GOES for your toes, and it's frustrating. But I love her, and it will pass. She's just so darn quite while she's being a complete maniac. They grow up, all in all, puppy time is short. It is a lot of work at times, but it is also very rewarding.

[Georgias Bob]

Pugs take their sweet time learning things, especially house training. Many, many people can relate to how you feel.

Take a step back, start again, be patient, give yourself, and your pup, time to understand each other. Consistency and patience. Even if it feels the pug will never get it, keep trying. Which training techniques are you using? A crate? Treats? Perhaps a new strategy might be called for - perhaps try clicker training?

For the hyperactive behaviour, do you take it for walks? What exercise does your puggy get to work off the puppy crazies?

There are times when mine (now going on 15 weeks) is so bitey and annoying I have to leave the room. We can't be barefoot at certain times right now, because she GOES for your toes, and it's frustrating. But I love her, and it will pass. She's just so darn quite while she's being a complete maniac. They grow up, all in all, puppy time is short. It is a lot of work at times, but it is also very rewarding.

Ah toe biting! I remember that.. when my pug was 4 months old we had guests, and how embarrissing.. he was biting my guests toes!! :/

[carlyd]

She has a crate and goes in there hapiily in the day, the door is left open and she goes in and out but at night time wen shes shut in she just whines. she barks alot in day as we dont allow her access to the whole house because of her toileting in doors so shes only aloud in kitchen (which is huge) there is a stairgate at kitchen door. she is allowed in living area when she has my full attenton and in the evenings but when shes in the kitchen and i am not she barks non stop. I know they like to be with u but she cant be with me 24/7!! I am treat training her and he hasnt even got the hang of sit yet! shes just so hyper she wont stop to listen what im trying to get her to do. The biteing we have tried the yelping noise and a firm no but nothing works she just ignores and carrys on biteing she has even jumped up and nipped my face a few times!

[Tinker's mom]

Set a schedule for potty training. Take her for a walk first thing in the am, then take her out after meals, playing & naps. Take another walk before her dinner. You may have to take her out in the night once. When she pees and or poops praise lavishly and treat immediately. If she has accidents inside ignore her and clean up. Every time she bites give her a chewie toy instead of your fingers or toes. Does she sleep in a crate? If so, you might want to put a T-shirt you've worn in her crate to sleep with. She will settle down when older. Stay calm and in charge when you are teaching her. If you become angry walk away from her for awhile. We've all been through it but they are such loving creatures it will be worth it. Vent here whenever you want. You can do it!

[Hellas]

Pug puppies can be a handful, but she will eventually become the laid back pug you were hoping for.

It seems to me as if you need a strategy to deal with your issues, so that they don't overwhelm you.

1. Take a deep breath. Remember that she is not doing any of this to annoy you. She simply doesn't understand yet what you want her to do, and is sometimes too full of childish exuberance to learn. Remember also that you are not a failure for having a few problems. It's all normal and it WILL GET BETTER. I promise you that. It's completely normal to feel tired and overwhelmed for a while.

2. Potty training. The number 1 rule is that they need to be taken out often. Always after eating, napping or playing and a few times in between. Most pug pups will need to be taken out once during the night. Whenever she goes outside, praise lavishly. When you can't monitor your puppy, put her in an enclosed space so that she doesn't get the habit of pooping and peeing everywhere. If you can close off the kitchen with baby gates, that is usually a good idea. Otherwise, build a largish pen for her in a room where you spend a lot of time. Letting a puppy roam the house unsupervised is a recipe for failure. She will probably never be happy to be kept from you. It's a pug thing. I can leave the house and my two don't mind. But if I'm home, they want to be where I am. I can't even go to the bathroom by myself.

3. Sleeping. Where does she sleep? Many pugs will insist on sleeping in the bedroom. They were bred as companions, so this is a very strong urge that has been bred into them over hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of years. When Winston was little, we put his bed next to ours. When he had trouble sleeping or stirred in the night, I put my hand on him and gently caressed him to sleep. Having his favourite teddy bear in bed also helped. Is this something you have tried or would consider trying? You can create a small pen on the floor with her bed in it so she can't roam the house while you're sleeping.

4. Biting. Saying no doesn't work with pugs. She doesn't know what it means and a stern voice will often trigger them more. Instead, do this. Whenever she bites, give a high pitched yelp. Try to emulate a puppy that has been bitten too hard. Many puppies will get the message immediately from this noise. It that's not enough, use what I call "the Statue". This means, that as soon as she bites your hands/trouser legs etc, you stop moving immediately and ignore her. This takes all the fun out of the game. After a while, she will understand that biting leads to no playing. Ultimately, dogs will only do what works for them. If it doesn't work, she will stop. You can also redirect her to something you do want her to play with, such as a toy. So I advice always bringing a toy she likes on walks.

5. Barking. Not a problem I'm used to, but the total of her behaviour sounds to me as if she may be a bit stressed. Make sure you have a daily routine and that you stick to it. Make sure that she gets plenty of naps. Learn some relaxation exercises (google it). Limit the amount of visitors if needed, because constant coming and going and new people can be very overwhelming for a puppy. Try introducing games that make her use her nose and brain instead of triggering her. So perhaps less tug of war and less of fetching toys and more of hiding treats on the ground etc.

6. Sign up to puppy class. That way you get help with how to start working on basic obedience. I warmly recommend reward based training, because it works best with pugs. No Cesar Millan or similar IMO. Clicker training is ideal, and can be used at home to teach tricks, which is a great way to train her mind.

Good luck!

[Estrella_Luna]

Did you research the breed a lot before getting her? She wants to be with you 24/7 because that's what she was bred for. Also, pugs are notoriously hard to potty train and it can take a very long time for them to finally be 100% although some never are. Most puppies I have ever had have been super hyper and bitey so it sounds like you really lucked out with your other two.

Perhaps you should try enrolling in some puppy classes after she has had all of her shots (if she hasn't already). That may help things a bit.

Good luck!

[RubyRose]

Aah, the joy of puggy puppies. All those websites that give the breed characteristics of pugs as being mellow, laid back etc etc, fail to mention that pug puppies can be extremely hyper biting machines for at least a year!

You've had some great advice here which hopefully will help. I just wanted to echo the points made about the velcro aspect of pugs in particular. They generally aren't independent souls and will want to be with you at all times, and that includes (as Hellas rightly mentioned) the bathroom. It's something that takes a bit of getting used to - especially if you're used to other breeds which can settle by themselves and don't feel the need to follow you about.

Try not to compare your puggy with your other/previous dogs, or you'll be setting her up for failure. Try and accept her as she is and go with it. She will be worth tenfold all the hard work you put in at this stage.

[sugarskullz]

Pugs are very stubborn including housebreaking them. Some pugs take months and months to housebreak. My male who is just over 1 yr old will still have the occasional accident in his crate if I don't awaken early enough.