You just brought puppy home? You need to get him to YOUR vet for a wellness visit, within the first week of bringing puppy home. 8 weeks is the legal minimum for puppies to leave littermates in Maryland. If this is the beginning of mange, demodex is on every dog – it will cause rashes and skin irritations in dogs with suppressed immune systems. Seriously, get your puppy to your vet and bring this up with them. 🙂

As for the food, I would throw out Blue Buffalo entirely. There have been issues recently with lead poisoning, and in the past with melamine. I would also ask the vet about food options.

I agree with Dr. M – she needs to be TIRED when she goes in. Also make sure she’s empty before you put her in…and maybe get her checked for a UTI. My bitch puppy peed in the crate only once, and it was due to a UTI.

So, I’m reading this as she’s biting down once and causing serious damage to the bone. To be quite honest, if she’s causing that kind of damage with just one chomp, I don’t know that there’s anything truly safe to give her. If she’s gnawing on it and causing this sort of damage over time, there are MUCH better options to give her.

I would not buy Nylabones, as they are not edible and the plastic should not be ingested. I would, instead, look for more natural options. Antlers, marrow bones are both decent options, just be vigilant in checking teeth for cracks or splinters. I would also look into softer (but hard to break) options, like West Paw Zogoflex toys.

Have you talked with the trainer about things you can do to curb the anxiety? Because you have a herding breed, your dog needs daily mental work…this means more than just basic obedience. I would seriously consider looking into a sport of some sort. Sports and higher level obedience will actually calm your dog and help build confidence.

Editing to add…I’m told Goughnuts are a good option for power chewers. http://shop.goughnuts.com/product.sc;jsessionid=F9EC4BDBFB4633B0976DB7A914B6E1C6.m1plqscsfapp04?productId=10&categoryId=1

I agree with Sarah. Start with dirt in the box – that seems to attract cats. Slowly transition to a more normal litter.

When our Dobe was a pup, we kept her quiet for an hour before and an hour after all meals. I would stick to that…and maybe, instead of playing, use puppy’s meal as a training opportunity, since mental work trumps physical work for wearing out a dog of any age. Use the meal as training treats instead of actual treats. 🙂

I would worry that something else is wrong. Could this be allergies? Could she be getting into something outside? Have you considered keeping her inside due to her age? You *may* be able to better contain her vomiting if you can control the environment more closely.

What has your vet done so far for diagnostics?

Spray the wires with Bitter Apple.
Keep her out of the rooms where wires are.

Other than removing the plant or keeping the cats indoors, I cannot think of anything that would make him friendlier.

If you feel she is sick, take her to the vet.