Cisco needs some training. I need some direction.

[thecatalyst]

Hello everyone. I have had Cisco at home for approximately 3 weeks now, he is currently 9 weeks. Crate training is going good, he only had one accident in there the first night at home. He has had a couple of accidents in the house (#1) but that is my fault for not being vigilant enough. He has picked up the commands "Sit" and "Lay Down" fairly quickly and however will only do it with a treat as a bribe. I have not attempted any other training yet.

I work offshore in the oil&gas industry and will be leaving for work in the next few days. My schedule is normally 28 days offshore, and 28 days at home, so Cisco's training will have to take a pause until I get back in four weeks. However, I have some questions that I am confident the good folks here can help me with.

#1. Can you recommend a good puppy obedience class near southwest Houston? I am adamant that Cisco learn the basics, and learns to do them well. I am new at training, and need the guidance and Cisco deserves to get some proper training from someone who knows better then I.

#2. Cisco is currently eating Diamond large breed puppy, 1 cup at 7:30 am and 1/2 cup at 2:20 pm. Is this too much or too little an amount for a 9 week Cane Corso/Pit bull mix? Any comments on the Diamond brand of kibble?

#3. Will I lose pack leader status being away from home for 28 days straight? Will Cisco remember who I am when I return home?

Thank you in advance for any and all information.

Here is a pic of Cisco:

 

[mx5055]

Cisco is precious; I love his coloring. A nine week old pup should be fed 3x a day. How much you feed depends on what food you feed. Personally I would get him off the Diamond and put him on a quality kibble. You don't need a puppy food...an all life stages food is better for slow, sustained growth. Also, mastiffs can have issues with chicken and grains, so I would chose a chicken free/grain free food. There are many good threads on kibbles on the forum; if you put it in a search you will get a lot of info. I don't believe a 9 week old pup has all his puppy shots does he? Without his shots ensuring his protection I would not take him out in public...ie obedience school. He is very young..there will be a better time to take him to obedience school. No, I don't believe he will forget you, and personally, I wouldn't worry about losing your status as pack leader with a 9 week old pup

 

[musicdeb]

Cisco is adorable! Angelbears is in Houston area and as well as a couple of other members. Try posting about trainer in the training section of the forum. Cindy gave great tips on food. I agree, the pup should not forget you but you've only had him for 3 weeks so he may bond with the whomever is going to watch him.

Keep us posted on Cisco.

 

[DennasMom]

Ditto the above.

Where will he stay when you're off shore?
I agree he'll maintain his bond, and remember you just fine, but will probably also grow attached to his care taker when you're not there - which isn't a bad thing.
It would be best if they had the same rules that you want to maintain going forward (on/off furniture, bed, crate training, etc.) so he has some consistency that way.

Wish I was closer, so I could puppy-sit for you!!

Enjoy your baby! He's VERY cute!!

 

[thecatalyst]

I love his coloring too. I have been searching for just the right puppy for a long time and got lucky when I found Cisco. So I should be feeding him three times a day? I am still crate training and felt if he had two meals early in the day, it would help him make it through the night with no issues, but I'm not expert. How do I know when I should start feeding him more? (i.e. amount?) I will most likely transition from Diamond to Blue Buffalo when he starts to run out.

You are correct, he has started his shots, but is not finished yet. I will delay any training or trips away from the backyard until those are complete.

 

[thecatalyst]

Thank you, I will ask around.

 

[thecatalyst]

Ditto the above.

Where will he stay when you're off shore?
I agree he'll maintain his bond, and remember you just fine, but will probably also grow attached to his care taker when you're not there - which isn't a bad thing.
It would be best if they had the same rules that you want to maintain going forward (on/off furniture, bed, crate training, etc.) so he has some consistency that way.

Wish I was closer, so I could puppy-sit for you!!

Enjoy your baby! He's VERY cute!!

Actually, I have a wife and kids, so Cisco will be staying home with them. I just don't think they will be as stern in the training stages as they need to be, so hopefully Cisco will still be a nice obedient puppy when I get home.

 

[thecatalyst]

I'm new to this board, so please accept my apologies on the amount of posts in this thread. For some reason I am not allowed to edit my post after 1 minute which is a royal pain. I meant my last few posts to be in reply to your posts, but as you can see, I got it wrong and wasn't allowed to fix it.

 

[musicdeb]

You're aok thecatalyst. I would feed Cisco whatever the bag says to feed him. Most pups eat 2-3 times a day leaning more towards the 3 times. At 9 weeks old, he should be going potty every 2-3 hours. Anymore than that and he will have accidents.

Good, your wife and kids will be there. Can your wife not start training basic command while you're away? At 9 weeks, he needs to start training. He will be 100 lbs before you know it.