Ask:
Hello there. I joined a couple of weeks ago and have been reading everything, trying to figure what to say and where to jump in. I do have a question though. We just got puppies, yes two puppies. I wanted an older dog, one older dog, and now we have to puppies. Don't get me wrong, I love them. I've just neve had a puppy before, much less two. Potty training is going to be the death of me. I read all I can on the subject. BUt I just cant get them to go outside. Or even try to go outside. I know they can hold it, because we are kennel training them and they hold it at night. But during the day they make no effort to hold it. Or even let me know they have to go. And the whole watch them til they sniff and walk in circles, they are puppies and we have cats and kids everywhere. They are always sniffing!! There are so many smells in this house, its a dogs dream!
I can handle the biting, the eating everything -gives my kids a reason to pick up
And the training, I just do not know how to get them to go or let me know they need to go outside. (Paper all over the floor, bad idea!! They ate it! so gross!)
Thanks for any help,
I will try to start responding more, now that I am getting the hang of this.
Alizabeth
Answer:
I feel your pain!!! I have a 10 month old puppy....who is the exact same way! What kind of dogs are they? Mine is a JackRat Terrier. She weighs about 5 pounds. I have been told that is why she can't hold it during the day..but like yours, she can go a full 10 hours at night in her kennel, no problem. I have a big house...and it is very difficult to set boundaries for her. I would literally have to put her in a shut bedroom to do so...and then what is the point of having her?? We love her to death...we truly do, but this pooping/peeing in my house thing is for the birds.
Answer:
Potty training is never simple, and even after they are "trained" you can expect to have accidents! The key is consistency. I have a 10 year old pug who has never given any indication that she has to go. We also crate trained her. She just got into a routine - you can somewhat get them on a schedule (I perfer to say help them develop the habit!) of when to eliminate! First thing in the morning, open their crate, and pick them up! Do NOT give them the chance to run around! Carry them straight to the door and put them outside. Then tell them "go potty!" and reward them when they do! If you feed right away in the morning after the first potty break, give them 20-30 minutes, then take them out (the same door as before) and repeat the process. After that, two hour intervals should work, but always use the 20-30 minute after mealtime rule.
Some notes that bear repeating: ALWAYS take them out the same door to the same spot in the yard! NEVER let them run around the house after taking them out of the crate first thing in the morning! ALWAYS let them out within a half hour of eating! BE CONSISTENT!!!
Something else to consider: if you are not feeding a premium food, your puppy/adult dog will need to eliminate more. There are more fillers in non-premium food; that equals more stuff the dog's digestion cannot make use of and must pass. More fillers = more poop! Premium food is just as cost effective as a non-premium food, plus it has the added advantage of making potty training easier! (Not to mention cleaning up the yard!)
My dog to this day follows this schedule, and we have even had to keep her in a crate again in the last few months because she is losing her sight, and it's safer for her to be in it when we are not home. She has no problem with it, and will even go in to take a nap on her own when we are home during the day! She expects me to pick her up and carry her to the door in the morning, too! Very spoiled diva pug!
Answer:
We don't have the problem in the mornings. She knows to go straight to the backdoor, and she knows what "outside" means....that she gets to GO out, not necessarily to use the bathroom!! I agree on the better foods. Not only do they make less poop, but we find that the waste simply turns to dust, for the most part, since most of it got used in her body before being left in my yard!!
What type of food do you use, no8fann?
Answer:
Originally Posted by blessed_with_6
What type of food do you use, no8fann?
We have periodically tried different things, but she has pretty much been on Iams since she was a puppy. Now that you can get it at Wal-Mart, etc. and there are coupons for it, it's even more affordable than before! One eight pound bag lasts over a month!
Answer:
That is what we use, too.
Answer:
This is what i suggest to anyone training a puppy. Use a timer. Set the timer for every 30-45 minutes and take them outside to potty. At the door say you have to go potty??? Go outside? We didn't have a fenced in yard so we put our doggy on a leash and walked him to the area we wanted him to use for potty. Tell the doggy to go potty and then when they do give tons and tons of praise. If they make a mess on the floor give them a firm NO....and take them outside right then and tell them potty outisde.
We also taught our doggy how to scratch the door. When we would take him outside we would sit him in front of the door and take his two front paws and help him scratch on the door as we said outside and potty. After awhile he started scratching on his own when we would say outside...then he started doing it when he had to go outside.
This all takes time and effort but it does work.
Good luck,
Jodie