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Sun Mar 04, 2007 5:02 pm  |
I've had a few pups in my life. So far I failed at housebreaking them. The last one was 80% successful. He'll go potty in a box covered with newspapers, but if I let him in to the hardwood floor part of the house, he'll immediately pee on the floor without going back to pee in his box in the kitchen.
I got a brand new puppy, and I would really really like her to know to never pee in the house, except in the box covered with newspapers.
I need some foolproof method that will work. So far, I tried the "Go-Go-Go" command when I put her in the box, and she just sat there and looked at me blankly. Then she'd climb out of the box, and pee on the floor right next to it. I also covered this area with papers, so I let her pee there. Is that wrong? Should I have stopped her, and put her back in the box? I tried to do that when she pooped b/c that took longer for her, and I had time to scoop her. But with pee, it happens so fast, and by the time I put her in the box, she's all done. (Because she's so tiny, she won't make a lot of pee.)
Today at the pet shop, the owner told me to take her outside and say "Let's go potty". So I tried that. She just looked at me with such a clueless look.
Am I being impatient? Is she ever going to be housebroken? I've seen her pee on her own blanket, and the part of the kitchen floor that's not covered by papers. She doesn't seem to have any idea where it's ok to pee.
Sorry I'm venting, but it's more b/c I lack confidence when it comes to housebreaking a dog. It was much easier to potty-train my kids!
TIA!! |
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Sun Mar 04, 2007 6:53 pm |
| What about Wee Wee Pads? They're treated with a scent that attracts dogs to pee on them and they're quite absorbent. |
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Sun Mar 04, 2007 7:30 pm |
| dollbird wrote: |
| What about Wee Wee Pads? They're treated with a scent that attracts dogs to pee on them and they're quite absorbent. |
Hi Dollbird,
I tried this, and for some reasons, neither of the dogs (Maltese) did not take to them. I practically had to shove it under their behind as they were circling around anywhere but inside the wee wee pads. They seemed to like the newspapers much better.
Thank you. |
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Sun Mar 04, 2007 8:05 pm |
Hi bkkgirl,
I don't know if there is a foolproof method to housebreak puppies but I can tell you what worked for me in training my two little monsters.
Firstly it's easiest when they are little to keep them confined to one section of the house rather than letting them roam around. That way you can keep an eye on them and hopefully prevent any little accidents.
It sounds like you have picked a place for your pup to do her business which is great. Keep an eye on her and whenever she starts to look agitated like she needs to go take her to the area and give a command, for instance "go potty" but it can be whatever you are comfortable using. Give her 2-3 minutes to do her thing. If she goes praise, praise, praise! Make a big fuss so she knows she has done something good. It won't take her long to make the connection. If she doesn't go just take her back to the confinement area and try a bit later.
If you do catch her peeing on the floor in the rest of the house you can tell her "ah ah" in a cross voice and take her to the toilet area (even if it means picking her up half way through!). If she's already finished it's too late to do anything, just ignore it and clean up.
I hope this helps  |
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Sun Mar 04, 2007 9:28 pm |
| lorisu wrote: |
Hi bkkgirl,
I don't know if there is a foolproof method to housebreak puppies but I can tell you what worked for me in training my two little monsters.
Firstly it's easiest when they are little to keep them confined to one section of the house rather than letting them roam around. That way you can keep an eye on them and hopefully prevent any little accidents.
It sounds like you have picked a place for your pup to do her business which is great. Keep an eye on her and whenever she starts to look agitated like she needs to go take her to the area and give a command, for instance "go potty" but it can be whatever you are comfortable using. Give her 2-3 minutes to do her thing. If she goes praise, praise, praise! Make a big fuss so she knows she has done something good. It won't take her long to make the connection. If she doesn't go just take her back to the confinement area and try a bit later.
If you do catch her peeing on the floor in the rest of the house you can tell her "ah ah" in a cross voice and take her to the toilet area (even if it means picking her up half way through!). If she's already finished it's too late to do anything, just ignore it and clean up.
I hope this helps |
Hi Lorisu,
Thank you. I pretty much put newspapers on half of the kitchen floor, and take her there every time she wakes up from her nap, and after she finishes eating. I made a box for her, too, filled with newspapers, but for some reasons she doesn't like to stay in the box. She always climbs out and promptly pees outside of it. It is still on the papers, so I'm not sure whether to pick her up and take her to the box, or just let her finish her business. I tried picking her up and put her in the box, and she stopped going. I think she's just stubborn.
When I leave her in the kitchen (blocked by a baby gate), she won't always go on the papers. So it seems she has not yet associated papers with bathroom. I have her in a crate all night and wake up to take her to the bathroom (my bathroom) where I line the floor with newspapers. I am not sure if this is confusing to her, but it would take too long to walk all the way to the kitchen. She's still getting used to the crate, too. She hates it and cries herself to sleep in it. I wonder how long the crying will last.
So that's my dilemma. Maybe I just have to grit my teeth and keep on persevering and hope that one day she'll say Eureka! Box = bathroom!! |
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Sun Mar 04, 2007 9:53 pm |
I have just had a look at your other thread with the photos - your puppy is sooooo cute!
Personally I would choose one area of the house to use for toileting and stick with it (I assume you don't have a yard since you are putting down papers inside?). Is there somewhere like a laundry area that you could use for that? Just thinking that having pee and poop in the kitchen wouldn't be all that hygenic with food around 
Maybe wherever you choose for her to go put down heaps of newspaper so she has more chance of peeing on that, then when she gets the hang of it you could gradually reduce the area of the newspaper. I don't know how much luck I would have had trying to get my golden retriever puppy to go in a box, he was very stubborn too 
In terms of the crate training I think (I might be wrong) that the idea is to make the crate a really pleasant and safe place for the dog to be. Does she have access to the crate during the day or just at night time? You could try getting her used to it by putting some food treats or her favourite toys in there for her. It breaks your heart when they cry like that doesn't it 
Good luck, hopefully she will get the idea real soon! |
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Sun Mar 04, 2007 10:01 pm |
Maybe I missed it - but how old is the new puppy? If she's still very young, you can't expect very much from her...
Small dogs are notoriously hard to housebreak. Females are usually easier than males, but they're still difficult (probably because there is SO little pee, not a lot of time and you often can't tell that they're squatting because they're so little).
The advice to keep the little one confined is a good one - but you also mentioned that she'd peed on her blankets... Usually dogs won't relieve themselves where they sleep - that's the main point behind confining them. If that doesn't matter to her, then confining won't help.
You can also try putting some of the newspaper she's already used in the box that you want her to potty in. Her own scent should draw her back to the same area. And maybe a little piece of doo-doo too (that's what my husband's dog's commands are - make a wee-wee & a doo-doo  - I use "hurry up" with my dogs).
If you're willing to use a crate, there's a book called "How to Housebreak Your Dog in Seven Days" that's very good on explaining a routine using confinement that has the pup "getting" the whole idea in a short time.
Good luck! |
_________________
50, oily & not a lot of wrinkles (yet), melasma and hormonal acne cysts & breakouts |
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Sun Mar 04, 2007 11:12 pm |
Thank you, Lorisu, and Catmcall. My kitchen is combined with the laundry area. The bathroom area is half of this room to the front of the laundry machines. I tried moving the baby gate to behind the fridge to limit the potty area further. Oh my! She hated it. Even though she could see me cooking in the kitchen, but she whined and cried and tried to climb out the whole time. She was too pre-occupied with getting out I thought she forgot to do business, but I saw later that she made a puddle, so I let her join me in the kitchen area. Now she's sleeping behind me on my chair in front of the PC.
Yes, she's a cutie. It's hard to scold at her when she has that Ewok look about her. LOL She's 2 months old, born on 12/26 last year.
Oh I do have a front and backyard. It's much easier to get to the front yard, but there's no fence. The back yard slopes downward, and the gate is heavy. Or I can get to it by going out to the backyard deck, and take the steps down. I had been taking her outside today, but prayed she would not go crazy and run in to the streets. She got distracted by cars coming and going and forgot to do her business.
I'm glad to know that small dogs are harder to housebreak, so it's not that my dog is not smart, right? I hope so! I heard Maltese are stubborn and hard to housebreak. Well, maybe this one will get it one day.
I'll have to look into the book you mentioned. Thank you. |
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Sun Mar 04, 2007 11:12 pm |
The Wee Wee Pads brand pads did not work for my two Cavaliers either --- they would SHRED them into little pieces and scatter them everywhere! However, I tried "Clean Go Pet" brand wee wee pads and they will use those like they are supposed to. Don't know if the scent is different or what, but maybe your puppy would like the Clean Go Pet pads too.
http://www.petedge.com/sdx/139608.jsp |
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Mon Mar 05, 2007 12:09 am |
You're welcome bkkgirl 
I probably wasn't very clear before but the trick is to stand with her while she's in the potty area so you can see when she goes and praise her like mad! That way (fingers crossed!) she'll start to associate peeing in the "potty zone" with getting lots of positive attention.
Be patient, she's only just a baby still. I'm sure she'll get the hang of it eventually. |
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Mon Mar 05, 2007 12:22 am |
| stellamaris wrote: |
The Wee Wee Pads brand pads did not work for my two Cavaliers either --- they would SHRED them into little pieces and scatter them everywhere! However, I tried "Clean Go Pet" brand wee wee pads and they will use those like they are supposed to. Don't know if the scent is different or what, but maybe your puppy would like the Clean Go Pet pads too.
http://www.petedge.com/sdx/139608.jsp |
Thank you! Wow, they got good prices. I've bookmarked their site! |
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Mon Mar 05, 2007 12:24 am |
| lorisu wrote: |
You're welcome bkkgirl
I probably wasn't very clear before but the trick is to stand with her while she's in the potty area so you can see when she goes and praise her like mad! That way (fingers crossed!) she'll start to associate peeing in the "potty zone" with getting lots of positive attention.
Be patient, she's only just a baby still. I'm sure she'll get the hang of it eventually. |
I think being impatient is probably my worst enemy. That's probably why I have not been able to housebreak my dogs in the past.  I went to a pet shop today and saw they got diapers for puppies. I would have bought some if they had her size. |
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Mon Mar 05, 2007 12:35 am |
| bkkgirl wrote: |
| I went to a pet shop today and saw they got diapers for puppies. I would have bought some if they had her size. |
Can you imagine how cute she would look in puppy diapers though  |
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Mon Mar 05, 2007 2:07 am |
I don't understand why some teach their puppy to go inside? If you want your puppy to go outsiden,it is best to teach the puppy that from day 1. Don't start with newspaper etc inside and then try to teach him something else later. Don't confuse your dog, be consistent in everything you do!
To houstrain is time consuming, boring and need to be done. Every time your puppy wake up from a nap, take her outside to do her buisness, wait until it's done and praise. When the puppy has been eating/drinking, take her outside, let her do her buisness and praise. And otherwise at even intervalls throughout the day. Do it first thing in the morning, and last thing in the night! When she has an accident inside just ignore it, praise when she does it outside. Yes, it is timeconsuming, but I would rather take the time now than run around after the dog to wipe pee and poop for the rest of her life... |
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Live in Switzerland, age 32, dehydrated combination skin, sensitive to climate changes, some food and cosmetic products. Very fair. |
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Mon Mar 05, 2007 6:53 am |
We crate-trained our 2 puppies (3 years ago). We would let them outside for 5-10 minutes when we got home -- that was the first thing. I took 2 pieces of dry food outside with me. Every time they "went" they got a piece of food as a treat. When we were home (on the weekends, night, etc), we would set a kitchen timer to remind us that it was 90 minutes or 2 hours since the last time they were out and they went out again. We hung a bell on a long string on the doorknob to the backyard. When we let them out, we would show them to use a paw or the side of their face to knock the string and ring the bell -- and they learned to ring to go out. We use the word "outside" for going out -- and they will run to the back door when we say it. At night when they were puppies, we crated them. It worked very well to train them to get through the night without accidents. They love their crate even now. We just say "house" and they go in there.
My other little dog was trained to use Wee Wee Pads when we lived in an apartment. It didn't quite get to the point that he used the pads 100% of the time or with consistent accuracy -- he would sometimes make it to the area where the pad was down, but deposit several inches *away from* the pad. |
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Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:38 am |
Hi bkkgirl,
I've had a lot of puppies ... I raise dogs and currently have 12 Jack Russell Terriers ... and one very large crossbred sighthound. Seven of these 13 dogs are in the house ... and all 10 of the 13 were born here.
There are a few "house training rules" that I always tell my puppy people.
1. Crate training is the single best thing you can do for your puppy. I know that when people see dog crates they think it's cruel ... but in point of fact, it's not. The crate isn't for punishment ... and should never be used as such. In the wild a dog will select a small cave or a small hollowed out tree as his/her den. That's where they sleep and feel safe. It's also the area where they don't eliminate their wastes. There's lots of good information about crate training on the web and it's worth its weight in gold in terms of house training.
2. If you control when food and water is given ... you also control when it comes out. In short ... don't "free feed" [leaving food in a dish all day long] and don't leave water down all the time ... at least not until the dog is an adult. Puppies, like children, love routine and need to recognize "meal time". I generally feed puppies three times a day ... until they are about 6 months old. Each breed is different ... but in the early months, when their tummies are smaller, they need smaller, more frequent meals. Put the food down and after 15 minutes pick the bowl up off the floor. That's plenty of time for a puppy to eat and drink all that he/she needs until the next meal.
3. As you get to know your puppy, you'll be able to recognize how long after a meal he/she needs before he/she needs to eliminate ... but bank on 10 to 20 minutes. So ... after he/she has eaten his/her meal ... within that timeframe ... get him/her outside.
4. If you want to help your puppy hold his/her water overnight ... HELP him/her. Don't give him/her any water after 7:30 or 8:00 pm.
5. Take the puppy outside last thing before you yourself go to bed.
6. Note: This is not an "overnight" thing. Most pups are completely and reliably house trained by the age of 6 months. However, during teething, some puppies regress a bit. Teething happens between 4 and 7 months ... and during that time, depending upon how upset his/her system is by the process, house training may become hit and miss for a while.
7. Under no circumstances rub your puppy's nose in his/her urine or feces. Besides being a barbaric behaviour on the owner's part ... it does absolutely no good. Puppies have a very short memory so that if you don't catch the pup "in the act" ... showing him/her the place where he/she has eliminated won't register. All getting angry about a "found" spot will accomplish is to confuse your pup. He/she will only understand that you're angry ... and that the result of your anger is a urine-soaked nose.
8. If you catch your puppy "in the act" say a firm "NO!" and immediately take the dog outside.
9. If your puppy has an accident in the house, it's your fault ... not the pup's. You'll learn to read his/her body language ... and you have to supervise your pup any time he/she is out of his/her crate. Take your puppy outside at regular intervals during the day when he/she has been playing. Take your puppy ouside as soon as he/she wakes up from a nap. [If the pup is small enough, carrying them outside is a good idea at least at first.] Puppies need to learn to recognize their own body's signals in order to know when they need to eliminate ... and it's up to you to help them learn this.
Hopefully this helps you ... I know these rules helped us with house training ... and I know they helped our puppy people with their own puppies.
Mary |
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Over 50, combo, OCM. Originator of Pearl Paste ... www.silkenpearl.com |
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Mon Mar 05, 2007 9:29 am |
Wow, Mary - GREAT advice!!!
I only have 4 dogs now (down from 6) - but they're all bigger dogs (smallest weighs 45+ lbs) and herding dogs, so housebreaking was fairly easy, although two of the males (neutered) sometimes forgot that marking was included in that whole "housebreaking" thing.
I think crate training is one of the best things you can do for your dog too. All of mine are crate trained (even the cat has learned to deal with it). It makes it so much easier when you have situations to deal with - like hiding out in the basement during a tornado warning with 2 male dogs that don't get along. Or a visit to the vet where they have to hang out all day. Or guests that don't care for dogs. Or having a house up for sale & you never know when someone's coming by to look at it...
I could go on forever... But most of all - my dogs regard their crates as their houses and frequently choose to snooze in them or hide in them (I have 2 that don't like storms). If you look at it as their own house, instead of a "cage"... When I say "everyone in their house" all my dogs run into their respective crates and wait for the goodies they know are coming. I always make getting into the crate a happy thing, almost always with a cookie as a reward. It makes me comfortable knowing that if I ever had to evacuate, or live in a temporary situation, I wouldn't have problems because my dogs could hang out in their houses wherever they are. |
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50, oily & not a lot of wrinkles (yet), melasma and hormonal acne cysts & breakouts |
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Mon Mar 05, 2007 10:41 am |
Hi catmcall,
It's great that your dogs treat their crates like that. Mine do as well.
In fact, before we had a kennel building, we had 18 dogs in the house ... and one entire room had, basically "crate condos" in it ... the smaller crates were stacked 3 high.
All I had to do was say "Treat Time" and the whole herd would head for the crates ... and those on the "bottom" and "second" floors would rush into their respective crates and wait for their biscuit! It was very funny.
I used to feed them in their crates ... and there was one time one of my pregnant girls went in, as usual for her dinner ... and when we let them out later ... she didn't look so pregnant anymore! I rushed into the crate room ... and sure enough ... there were 5 puppies she'd delivered ... without a peep ... while all the other dogs were eating dinner!
I, of course, moved the pups into a whelping crate ... and when their mother came back in ... it took me quite a while to convince her that I really had managed to get all of the puppies moved! She kept going back to her crate to check on things!
And you're so right on the safety of them as well. Te use and safety of crates was never more important than the day we had the house fire.
We live in the country ... and the fire started in the wall of the attic ... but a neighbour happened to be driving by at the time. He was a friend of my son's ... so he knew about the dogs and where the crate room was. Once he was sure that the fire wasn't on the main floor ... he was able to get all the dogs out and away from the house ... because they were in crates! There was only one dog who was loose ... and Mike had the worst time getting him out and into a crate ... because like children, dogs hide in a fire. Mike had to get Woodruff out from under the couch!
So ... the dogs' lives were definitely saved by their crates that day!
Mary |
_________________
Over 50, combo, OCM. Originator of Pearl Paste ... www.silkenpearl.com |
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Mon Mar 05, 2007 12:15 pm |
| Thank you, Mary. I'll print out the rules and try them. Crate-training might not seem so bad. My puppy slept in it all night, and she didn't cry b/c I put the crate next to me in bed, so she could smell me and knew I was near her. |
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