House Training HELPPPPP !!!!!
You may know where I'm coming from if you have ever goggled "puppy housebreaking" and thought maybe this person will tell me something that works for $39.99 or more. (no I have not bought into it  I know the basics but I feel like I am losing the battle here. Aggrrr. Any success stories and maybe something that worked for some of you? |
|
|
| Remember that puppies are like infants and they don't have the kind of bladder or bowel control that we wish they had. Are you using a crate? Crate training seems to make housebreaking 'click' faster as most dogs prefer not to sit in or in close proximity of a mess. Be sure the crate is comfortable but not so large that the pup can go to a corner to potty while remaining high and dry herself. Here's the news you probably don't want to hear: Puppies tend to go outside and sniff around and want to play. They don't yet think about the reason you're putting them out there. SO the only way they're really going to get it is to go out there yourself. In most places that means standing knee-deep in snow and sub-zero temperatures while encouraging the puppy to go potty. Go straight out, encourage her to go and praise her profusely. Be realistic, it's not going to miraculously  happen overnight. Speaking of overnight, you may have to still take her out at least once during the night. A quick trip outside to potty, praise and then back in the crate. It will seem like forever but eventually she'll get it. You can save your carpet by restricting your puppy to an area that is not carpeted. A kitchen or laundry room works well, enclosed with an ex-pen or baby gates. I do feel your pain with the carpeting, though. All through our house. And now senior girl Sassy is having some incontinence issues. It's almost like having a puppy all over again.  |
| 18 weeks is way too early. Some dogs don't fully get the concept until 6 months or later. Bladder control varies from individual dog. Some boys can get close to a year before they fully control the spout. Your angst isn't helping. Your pup feels your frustration, gets nervous and oooops  There is also submissive peeing.....but I don't think you are there. Use the crate, confine to easily cleaned floors, take out until duty is done and if there's a mistake, wipe up, make small unhappy noise, but don't fly off the handle or such. |
| She makes it though the nights very well and understands that when I get up it is time to go outside and do her business. It is during the day while I am at work that my wife has the problems. Puppy-hood (Fun time and frustrating time) My wife is going to have to find her way through this hard time with Ellie and as much as I say what can be done to minimize oops in the house I am not there. I asked my wife to be a part of the forum to read and speak to some of you to get through, not only the potty fun, but have a place to vent when something gets chewed up in the name of teething. Although my wife's Facebook status may say that she has had it with her dog and wants to get rid of her. She is just all talk, and it can be some rough talk. I would rather her vent through FB then take it out on Ellie. With 3 boys her plate is very full and things like tearing up toilet paper in the bathroom although admission price to adult-doggy-hood it throws her whole day off and things go down hill from there. I have been afraid to go to the crate due to I do not want to see Ellie in her crate all the time. We crate her when we leave the house to make sure she is safe and stays out of trouble but that is all right now. She barks sooooo much when in crate. I do not think that I would be able to stay at home if she was in it. (any thoughts on the barking) I don't want to put her in the crate to be lazy and not watch her, but we can't spend every moment right there with her. Although I spend lots... See below... When home on the weekends. This is my day with her: I'm up (potty time) coffee time and breakfast (she plays with Great Dane) both of them go out before there breakfast at 10am (eat it up girls) and of course (potty time) I normally settle down doing something (nap time right next to me or my wife) Lets go outside (you guessed it potty time) Play time with me and the kids (play play play) end with and outside trip (potty time) lunch for the 2 legged people (sleepy nap short but napsie) and you guessed it (potty time I spend alot of time outside on the weekends) throw the Ball for the Great Dane (Ellie running not after the ball but the heels of the Palin [GD] *little ankle biter*.....And the day continues like this until we end the night with a brushing and to bed.... She may find one or two opportunities to get out of eye site and go to living room to pee on the carpet.... Yea but we keep on ticking and unless I see her doing it I try not to even say a word about it. I love my OES and my GD and would love any input from any of you on what you may see that I don't. I like input and would like to have any suggestions on things that you may do to keep your OES busy so he/she does not get into trouble. |
| Bailee was 99% housebroken within 2 weeks of his arrival. He actually took a little longer to train than our prior 2 dogs (Shar Pei and OES) Sometimes I am amazed at how long some folks are saying it is taking them. Training is a comittment that you as the "owner" have to ensure is done to the enth degree. We got Bailee on Nov. 10th of 2008 and with my luck the weather here in New Jersey turned rather cold at that time. We watched him closely, took him out (without exaggeration) twelve to fifteen times a day/night. I got up every 2 hours in the middle of the night and took him out and every effort was rewarded with praise, praise and more praise and of course a small treat. 18 weeks is not too young to be completely house trained. Like I said Bailee was 99% trained by 10 weeks of age. It takes a lot of effort on your part to ensure the training is successful. The reason I used 99% house broken within 2 weeks is because I missed his signal he had to go out once and he had an inside accident. Bailee was walked at least 2 miles a day for the first 5 or 6 months and that was EVERY day, rain, snow, sleet, whatever. By the time he was 6 months we were walking up to 3 1/2 to 4 miles a day and still do. These are actually an intelligent breed, stubborn yes but none the less intelligent and EXCEPTIONALLY determined to please their humans. They are not going to train themselves. You as a responsible owner must put in the extra hours now while your pup is still young and it will pay off within a short time. Remember, PRAISE and lots of it and TREATS, over and over and over. |
| I was just thinking the same thing about signals..... others have mentioned about keeping their baby close so that they are there to pick up the signals the pup is sending and then out to potty. Maybe if he was on a very structured program....out every hour and attached to you via a leash so that you can keep an eagle eye on him to look for the signals. Even though Bella is 3 I have only had her a year and still make a fuss when I take her out. There I am standing in the snow saying "potty Bella lets do a good potty" and then shouting like a fool when she does. It does make her go quicker which is good with all this snow. |
| We were very structured with Mady when we first got her (she is 13 months old now). For the first week, our lives revolved around her peeing, I think! We took her outside after she woke up from any nap or sleep, after she had had a rambunctious play session, after she had eaten, which meant that we were outside alot. The second she looked like she was going to pee, we would scoop her up and go outside. And we went out with her each time (we are talking January in Ottawa, the coldest capital city in the world!). After she would pee or poop, we would just love her up with praise. It meant nothing else got done that week. The house was a mess. We ate canned soup for supper. No laundry got done. But Mady got trained. I don't know how old your boys are, but could you make training your puppy a family project and get them helping Mum in other ways so that Mum can focus on the potty training? It seems like a crazy investment of time, but it will pay off in that you won't have to clean so much. And please encourage her to join the forums. Even if someone doesn't have any advice, sometimes it is just nice to hear that someone else has been there too. |
Didn't find exactly what you're looking for? Search again here:
Custom Search
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|