Housebreaking a puppy.
03-06-2011, 08:42 AM
#61
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Knot Merrill, Southern Indiana
Posts: 5,781
Originally Posted by diane647
Is anyone out there training a new puppy?. I need some tried and true tips. Thanks I really appreciate any advise. I have a 9 week old American Eskimo. He is pretty smart. I may be expecting too much too soon.
the first key is knowing when they go. After meals, after waking, after play. Be prepared for those key moments, take puppy outside, put him in the place you want him to go and give command - "potty". As soon as he squats PRAISE a lot! Make sure you use the command in your praise. "Good Potty!" Say it over and over until he's done.
The next important part is to make sure that if he has an accident - YOU catch him in the act and make the reprimand memorable. By catch him in the act I mean as soon as he squats and not a second after he's done. A sharp very loud NO should make him stop in the process. Immediately take him out to his area and repeat first paragraph.
Last, you need to make sure that you are ready to be certain that you are able to catch him in the act. Crate training is perfect for this but remember 9 week olds dont' have large bladers so keep the crate time to a minimum to start.
03-07-2011, 05:32 AM
#63
Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Clarence, Iowa
Posts: 37
get yourself a small cow bell, tie it near the door you are going to use to take the puppy out on a string low enough they can reach it with their paw or nose, everytime you take the pup out you ring the bell and say the same cue< "we are going outside to pottie", then do this every 2 hours, you'd be surprised how soon they will be ringing the bell themselves. and it is so cute. Our pup would get really loud with it if we didn't hear it the first time or come fast enough. good luck!
03-07-2011, 05:47 AM
#65
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Crossville TN
Posts: 182
Oh my goodness I need to apologize for my last post on this thread. I didn't mean to come across as a smart aleck. Just really trying to say this does indeed work or at least has for me a few times with different dogs. Sorry....
03-09-2011, 10:18 AM
#67
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: England
Posts: 2,365
immediately they wake up, and if you've got a place where others have been even better. I have always slept with babies in my arms wrapped in a soft towel and then know if they move etc.
had the greatest difficulty with a 3yr old blind pug who had been in a cage for 23 1/2 hrs daily and only peed once daily- v unusual for boys who usually pee for England!! had to take him on lead as he didn't know where he was, a lng haul and eventually got it BUT then would come in and job on the inddian carpet----------he is perfect now.
had the greatest difficulty with a 3yr old blind pug who had been in a cage for 23 1/2 hrs daily and only peed once daily- v unusual for boys who usually pee for England!! had to take him on lead as he didn't know where he was, a lng haul and eventually got it BUT then would come in and job on the inddian carpet----------he is perfect now.
03-09-2011, 10:17 PM
#68
Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 132
Congrats. I absolutely love Eskies. We had one until she passed at the ripe old age of 17.5 yrs. Since then, I've been taking in rescue eskies and fostering them until they find a home of their own. After 13+ yrs of rescue work, here's our game plan that works for us.
Housebreaking Rules
1) For the next few MONTHS, your dog is not allowed to "roam" freely in your home unless they have recently gone potty outside (recently being the last 30-40 minutes). When your dog has not properly used the outdoor facilities you can keep a leash on them and keep them tethered to you throughout the day (what a pain, but it works as you will be able to catch them in "mid-stream" and correct them) or keep them in a kennel. Once you catch the dog having an accident once or twice you've likely gotten to the heart of the problem and will see quick improvement for your hard work.
2) Everyone in the home uses the same phrase to cue the dog to go outside. Eventually that phrase will condition the dog to go on command. When you get ready to take the dog outside to do his business, use that phrase in an upbeat, high-pitched voice as you head out the door "go potty!" (grab some scooby snacks for successes). Write down your “phrase” and tape it to the back door so that it is a handy reminder to all in the house. Ignore the dog outside until they do their business. When your dog successfully makes their “deposit”, praise in a high-pitched voice "good dog, good potty" or something that includes similar verbiage to your first phrase (if you want your phrase to be "go outside" then the praise is "good Rover, good outside!"). Act like a raving lunatic who just won the lottery. This is key. Put some effort into it and be consistent about it for the next 2 weeks. Give Rover a treat as well as lots of praise, cuddles, and ear scratches. Then lots of play and some well deserved house freedom.
3) If the dog is playing first thing out the door, then go right back inside and kennel the dog. Wait 15-20 minutes and try again. This is the longest/challenging to do (try on a weekend when you have lots of time and patience). You want to condition the dog that the first thing you do when going outside is to do their "business", then play. If they go out there to play, then they get confined (three reasons: one is to confine the mess, should they really have to go really bad . . . two is that most dogs won't go potty in a kennel that they have to lay/stand in . . . three is to make it boring and they get no attention for not doing what is expected of them).
What to do when you find an accident in the house:
• Caught in the act: Discipline . . . If you are within an arms length of the dog as they are in mid-squat, you should grab them by the collar and head to the door saying "Bad dog" in your deepest voice (with no eye contact). Do the potty routine outside (even if they are completely finished) then put the pup up in a bathroom while you clean the mess. If you see the dog going potty from across the room . . . yelling across the room will not help. Fly across the room to the dog and hope you get their in time (then grab the collar, "bad dog" and head to the door). If you don't get there in time, do not, I REPEAT, DO NOT DISCIPLINE. Dogs live in the moment and you cannot scold for something that happened a few seconds ago (at least, not at this age).
• Whoops, how did this get here: You were not able to “catch them in the act”, but found a soiled spot. First, remove the dog from the area/room without giving the dog eye contact or talking to them. Take them outside or lock them in a bathroom, whatever. Just don't let the dog see you cleaning the mess. This inadvertently sends a message that the potty is something the owner is spending time with (cleaning up) and therefore is a means to get attention (even bad attention is better than no attention at all - kids do it too). When you are done with cleaning, then take them out and do your normal potty routine outside (even if they have nothing left to deposit). When you come back in, act as if the spot never occurred (and this is difficult to do). Do not rub their nose in it, scold them, point out, or even mention the spot on the floor.
Pee Pads: Why do people use pee pads? Most are uneducated about the most effective housetraining methods or too lazy to execute the methods correctly. Many people who use them are stuck with cleaning up pee pads for the dogs’ entire life. This is especially true regarding toy breeds who are especially difficult to potty train (yes, a stereotype, but it's usually the norm and not the exception) where the owner gives up ever truly potty training the pet and just accepts the clean up and expense of pee pads. The main reason they were invented were for elderly/geriatric pets who can no longer hold themselves all day while owners are away or for apartment dwellers. Why don’t I like them? Because a pee pad is sending a mixed message to a dog in potty training that peeing in the house is allowed and even promoted (most pee pads are treated with a pheromone scent that makes the dog want to go on the pad). You will need to decide if you are going to allow your dog to go in the house or not? Make the choice and stick to it. (Consider this similar to using pull-ups on a toddler - if it is there, why should they make the extra effort to avoid using the diaper/pee pad and use the potty/outside if they have been allowed to be lazy in the past?).
Consistency, consistency, consistency!!!!!! Set the expectations and be consistent with the praise and routine. Dogs are more like toddlers than most people think. Treat them accordingly. Loving but firm.
Housebreaking Rules
1) For the next few MONTHS, your dog is not allowed to "roam" freely in your home unless they have recently gone potty outside (recently being the last 30-40 minutes). When your dog has not properly used the outdoor facilities you can keep a leash on them and keep them tethered to you throughout the day (what a pain, but it works as you will be able to catch them in "mid-stream" and correct them) or keep them in a kennel. Once you catch the dog having an accident once or twice you've likely gotten to the heart of the problem and will see quick improvement for your hard work.
2) Everyone in the home uses the same phrase to cue the dog to go outside. Eventually that phrase will condition the dog to go on command. When you get ready to take the dog outside to do his business, use that phrase in an upbeat, high-pitched voice as you head out the door "go potty!" (grab some scooby snacks for successes). Write down your “phrase” and tape it to the back door so that it is a handy reminder to all in the house. Ignore the dog outside until they do their business. When your dog successfully makes their “deposit”, praise in a high-pitched voice "good dog, good potty" or something that includes similar verbiage to your first phrase (if you want your phrase to be "go outside" then the praise is "good Rover, good outside!"). Act like a raving lunatic who just won the lottery. This is key. Put some effort into it and be consistent about it for the next 2 weeks. Give Rover a treat as well as lots of praise, cuddles, and ear scratches. Then lots of play and some well deserved house freedom.
3) If the dog is playing first thing out the door, then go right back inside and kennel the dog. Wait 15-20 minutes and try again. This is the longest/challenging to do (try on a weekend when you have lots of time and patience). You want to condition the dog that the first thing you do when going outside is to do their "business", then play. If they go out there to play, then they get confined (three reasons: one is to confine the mess, should they really have to go really bad . . . two is that most dogs won't go potty in a kennel that they have to lay/stand in . . . three is to make it boring and they get no attention for not doing what is expected of them).
What to do when you find an accident in the house:
• Caught in the act: Discipline . . . If you are within an arms length of the dog as they are in mid-squat, you should grab them by the collar and head to the door saying "Bad dog" in your deepest voice (with no eye contact). Do the potty routine outside (even if they are completely finished) then put the pup up in a bathroom while you clean the mess. If you see the dog going potty from across the room . . . yelling across the room will not help. Fly across the room to the dog and hope you get their in time (then grab the collar, "bad dog" and head to the door). If you don't get there in time, do not, I REPEAT, DO NOT DISCIPLINE. Dogs live in the moment and you cannot scold for something that happened a few seconds ago (at least, not at this age).
• Whoops, how did this get here: You were not able to “catch them in the act”, but found a soiled spot. First, remove the dog from the area/room without giving the dog eye contact or talking to them. Take them outside or lock them in a bathroom, whatever. Just don't let the dog see you cleaning the mess. This inadvertently sends a message that the potty is something the owner is spending time with (cleaning up) and therefore is a means to get attention (even bad attention is better than no attention at all - kids do it too). When you are done with cleaning, then take them out and do your normal potty routine outside (even if they have nothing left to deposit). When you come back in, act as if the spot never occurred (and this is difficult to do). Do not rub their nose in it, scold them, point out, or even mention the spot on the floor.
Pee Pads: Why do people use pee pads? Most are uneducated about the most effective housetraining methods or too lazy to execute the methods correctly. Many people who use them are stuck with cleaning up pee pads for the dogs’ entire life. This is especially true regarding toy breeds who are especially difficult to potty train (yes, a stereotype, but it's usually the norm and not the exception) where the owner gives up ever truly potty training the pet and just accepts the clean up and expense of pee pads. The main reason they were invented were for elderly/geriatric pets who can no longer hold themselves all day while owners are away or for apartment dwellers. Why don’t I like them? Because a pee pad is sending a mixed message to a dog in potty training that peeing in the house is allowed and even promoted (most pee pads are treated with a pheromone scent that makes the dog want to go on the pad). You will need to decide if you are going to allow your dog to go in the house or not? Make the choice and stick to it. (Consider this similar to using pull-ups on a toddler - if it is there, why should they make the extra effort to avoid using the diaper/pee pad and use the potty/outside if they have been allowed to be lazy in the past?).
Consistency, consistency, consistency!!!!!! Set the expectations and be consistent with the praise and routine. Dogs are more like toddlers than most people think. Treat them accordingly. Loving but firm.
03-09-2011, 10:35 PM
#69
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Vancouver, WA
Posts: 1,029
Originally Posted by lillybeck
I have 2 dogs that I am retraining and am so frustrated I could pull my hair out. If they were not such a comfort to my husband they would be gone. We had them trained and then we had them fixed and ever since it is back to ground zero and this has been a year and a half ago. It is starting to get better now but good grief, I have always had cats and dogs inside and never had such a problem. The vet said that the surgery could not have traumiotized them being males but what happened?
Belly bands can be a good short term solution while retraining male dogs, have you tried them? A wet belly band followed up with a nice cold bath over their privates can often help with teh incentive to stay clean indoors.
03-09-2011, 10:46 PM
#70
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Vancouver, WA
Posts: 1,029
Originally Posted by Angelmerritt
• Caught in the act: Discipline . . . If you are within an arms length of the dog as they are in mid-squat, you should grab them by the collar and head to the door saying "Bad dog" in your deepest voice (with no eye contact). Do the potty routine outside (even if they are completely finished) then put the pup up in a bathroom while you clean the mess.
I advocate quietly interrupting and taking the puppy outside where you want him to go, and then praise when he goes out.
You'd be surprised what you "inadvertently train." I had a hard time house training my male Papillon when I adopted him, he pooped in the house a lot. Over time, it got better. Then, we visited my dad and stepmom, and their giant Lab pooped in the house. My Papillon saw the poop, and immediately started acting like he was in trouble. Yes, I had taught him that when I see poop in the house, I go nuts. He clearly didn't understand that it was him pooping in the house.
Good luck!
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