I have a Giant mix- mixed with Aussie- but just looks Giant Schnauzer. She is almost 7 mos now. I was wondering just how much she should weigh?
Also, I have an 8 month old Cocker/Border Collie mix. I was wondering how I could let them play together in the house, but this is a male! We have them crate trained, but the Giant still pees in her crate, then drinks it! Ewwwww! Any help? TY
Skye.

"Aussie" what? Australian cattle dog? Kelpie?Shepherd dog? Terrier? Hard to say what size the pup will be , in any case.

They can play together, provided she's not in season !

Peeing in her crate and drinking her own urine? That's a new one to me, but I wouldn't 'crate train'.Youngsters often eat their own faeces, something they learn as pups watching their mother eat theirs.Perhaps yours has extended the practice I expect she'll grow out of it.

Sorry! She is part Australian Shepherd. She has NEVER touched any feces- Thank God. Just slurps her urine at times!
Skye.

Dogs are puppies until around about age 2.

Up until around about age 2 dogs will have weaker bladder and bowel control, will tend to chew and get into 'trouble' putting their nose where it don't belong, etc.

Both of the dogs are of a good age to be fixed.

As for drinking the urine... Who knows. It could be a form of pica http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pica_(disorder) or a mental emotional behavior due to be locked up in a prison or lack of attention or just a puppy being bored.

Crate training should be with doors wide open, usually covering the crate with a blanket to create a dark 'den' that is welcoming to the dog is best. Denning is something dogs will do - they will find a corner or under a table or under the desk where they will lay it provides them that closed in space that makes them feel secure.

If the den turns into a prison where they are not allowed to get out, well how would you feel about your home if you were locked inside by someone else and never let out? Sooner or later you would come to hate the house.

Urinating for both male and female dogs is common for marking territory - it is also common for young dogs to get so excited as to urinate while greeting people (as example).

In worse case scenarios urinating can be the ultimate sign of submission. If a dog lays there and urinates on itself it has either been beaten or so badly mistreated that it is 'humiliating' itself to show it knows that its at the bottom of the back. Ebony (the last dog we had) had been badly beaten by the first owner, she had urinary issued through out her life - any fear, any kicking accidental or otherwise would cause her do so the ultimate symbol of submission. It was actually a terribly sad thing.

As for drinking urine - if its going to sit there as a puddle the puddle must go away.

I would of course see a vet rule out any and all possible physical issues - perhaps the vet can determine if the dog has been a victim of abuse - not by you of course, but by a previous owner or the neighborhood kids or something.

This most likely will be something she grows out of in time. Of course rubbing the nose in it will not help matter and taking to the extreme in training will have negative effects as well.

I assume that since you have two dogs you have a spacious running area especially for the 'little girl' you have (who will grow to ginormous proportions) I would suggest more running about outside as puppies. Once they hit 2 years old they will nearly suddenly take to sleeping most of the time - dog napping is marathon napping compared to cat napping.

With David on that one!

Your pup will certainly not be fully grown until two.She's a 'large/giant breed' in the making, by all accounts.Breeds develop according to size: a toy breed is adult not much after 6 months, but a Great Dane or Irish Wolfhound isn't grown up and fully mature (if it ever is ) until two years or older.

Eating faeces? It may come in time! Pups do that with their own product, as do their dams for them, when they are with the mother because that keeps their home clean and predators won't find it easily.When they are grown they may transfer their interest to the faeces of other animals; horse muck is a particularly favoured 'dietary supplement'; so don't be surprised later

A bitch may be 'fixed' as young as six months,depending on the breed. (British practice is to wait until the bitch has grown to the degree that she is strong enough to avoid urinary problems: there's a risk that she may be incontinent if she's spayed too young.)

'Crate training' is an American practice.Over here, it's seen as faddish. Like child-rearing, dog-rearing is subject to fashions and fads.'Elecric shock collars' are the latest subject of our Kennel Club's disapproval. (One day you'll stop tail-docking and ear-cropping too, but I'm 'not holding my breath' )

We didn't do her tail- she came to us that way! And may I say, WAY to short!!! We won't be doing a thing to her ears, she looks fine as is!
No, I won't hold my breath on her eating feces eventually! Been there b4! Thanks for the info!
Skye

That was good advice! We do let the puppies out to play for long periods of time together, under CLOSE supervision, being male and female!
The Giants crate is wide open, and we do have a sheet over one side, so she has her "privacy", and the male can see us at all times, popping up to say HI when he feels. He feels safe in his "house" and will tell us when he wants to go in. Our Giant was born outside on a farm in Feb, so she is used to "going" when and where she wants. Maybe this is the issue for her right now. I know she doesn't like standing in it. We clean it up immediately and tell her "potty outside" which she knows to do. I have to say, for being outside and being farm-raised, she is doing a wonderful job. Just is kinda frustrating for us! Thanks for the great advice! Oh, and I hadn't realized they grow until 2 yrs old! My, she is about as big as our 115 lb Akita right now- at 7 months old!
Skye