Puppy Potty Training.

[Steel]

Help, please.

DH and I are involved with a local animal shelter here and long story short we ended up care taking and now adopting a baby puppy (lab mix of some sort), about 8 weeks old.

We have had her for just over a week (as the mother had abandoned her pups and they were around much much larger dogs at the shelter - there was concern that they wouldn't survive) and feel frustrated. We didn't want to take her so young but felt we didnt have a choice.

We managed to get her to sleep nights with a cuddly 'donkey' toy, clock and hot water bottle wrapped in a towel. She eats well.

She was kept on old newspaper as her bedding and potty area in the shelter and according to the dog books, this is why she doesn’t want to use paper as her potty now. So we bought potty pads for the floor but she wants to sleep on that and pee on the floor. (Despite having a cosy fleece bed)

We feel terribly frustrated and are sleep deprived. What should we expect from her? Will she go potty everywhere till she is older, should we be doing something now to encourage or reprimand her? What should we do?

Please please please chime in. What did you do, what works?

I don’t have pics at the moment but will take some as a bribe if that helps.

 

[swingirl]

I am no dog expert but 8 weeks is very young to expect a puppy to have any control with his bodily functions. At this age it''s mother would still be doing all the clean up. Everyone I know who has tried using the pee pads has only successed in trained their dog to pee indoors. Don''t know what your permanent potty spot will be but I''d start NOW with where you want your dog to eventually toilet itself. There are a lot of different toileting techniques but I think your puppy is just too young to have the muscle control. Good luck and post a picture of the little pup!

 

[Efe]

I don''t know how big your puppy is but I have had great success with my toy puppies using a playpen. I put a bed, food, water, and a litter box in it. My breeder told me that if you expose them to the litter box when they are young enough (she said 6 weeks) that they take to it naturally. I use litter from Target that is made from wheat. Any other kind of litter just got eatten. You puppy might be too big for a playpen, but I thought I would mention it. Good luck.

 

[Blenheim]

Congrats on your new family member.

House training can be so frustrating. I agree that you can''t expect the pup to have much control over its bodily functions for a little while. Puppies need to go out a lot. When Dylan was younger, we took him out frequently, especially after eating. When he was inside, we kept a close eye on him or crated him if we weren''t able to really watch him. If he started going potty, we''d clap or something to get his attention, say "bad potty", then carry him outside. If he went while he was outside, we praised him like he just did the best thing in the world and petted him quite a bit. Sometimes we''d also give him treats for "good potty". I prefer working with positive reinforcement rather than punishing, especially when the dog''s too young to really have control or to understand that going potty inside is a bad thing. Also, my view was that if he went inside, it was my fault for not taking him out sooner, not his fault that he couldn''t control his bladder. After all, I can control when I take him out.

And I can''t wait to see some pictures!

 

[aljdewey]

Potty training requires some effort and consistency, but she is old enough to begin training.

You didn''t mention where you ultimately want her to go. Is she going to go outside, or are you trying to train her to go in an ''approved'' spot inside (litter box, etc)?

In either case, she''s too young to have free choice with food and water yet. Schedule her feedings so you have an hour after she eats. Once you feed her, watch her closely to see if she begins sniffing for a spot to go. If she hasn''t, at the 15-minute mark, take her to the spot. Tell her to go potty (or whatever you''re comfortable with), and once she does, PRAISE PRAISE PRAISE.

She''s too young to reprimand, and she''s not going to learn that way. She''s going to learn by you having her in the approved spot when she needs to go. Once she makes the connection, she''ll look to go there (either ask to go out near the door or go to the litter box).

Don''t leave water down; she''s too young to hold her bladder yet. If you play with her, give her water and then 10 minutes later, take her to where she''s supposed to potty.

Also, get her a crate that''s big enough for her to stand and turn in, but not much bigger. Dogs don''t like to go where they sleep, so being enclosed in the crate will encourage her to learn to hold it. Remember that she''s a baby, though, and don''t leave her for long periods. She can''t hold it that long yet.

Hope this helps.

 

[bee*]

I agree with aljdewey-it''s all about positive reinforcement. Every time she eats/drinks, once she''s finished, take her to the spot that you want her to go at and once she does it praise her and give her lots of attention. If you see her walking in circles, that usually means that she wants to go, so once again take her to the spot and again, lots and lots of attention. It does take time but they catch on very fast.

 

[Mara]

steel, i read numerous things when we got our pup that mentioned that up until 10 weeks they have a really hard time with 'memory' so they cannot really LEARN things as well as they could after 10 weeks. so keep that in mind for the next few weeks because it might be that she cannot really learn the consistency you want yet.

my other suggestion is to crate train her. we had problems with our pup and indoor litter box training and we finally just flat out crate trained her (after a few months of hit or miss potty indoor training which was driving me crazy) and it was done in a weekend and she has been amazing since then (3 years now). she just didn't like going inside and was confused. when we started taking her out she was fabulous.

you can read a ton about crate training online and also it has been discussed here on PS a few times (search tool). what we did was like a mix because we basically just spent one whole weekend taking her out to potty once every hour. we didn't play with her or get her excited at all during this wkd since she was the type who would get excited if we coo'd at her and she'd pee.

we just hung out with her, didn't play, didn't talk loudly, and kept our actions very calm. then we'd take her out on the leash to the grass, tell her to go potty. even if she didn't have to go we took her every hour. at night we put her in the crate after she went and then we'd get up early and take her out. she'd go, we put her back in the crate (After rewards and praise) and then wake up a few hours later, take her out again. same thing. during the day we did the once an hour grass thing and at the end of the wkd she would go out and go right away and that was it.

so you might consider doing something like that in a few weeks when she is older. in the meantime, i'd keep her in an area of tile or something where you can easily clean up accidents and just start taking her out to go (if you have a protected non-other-dog area to put her down on) to help get the routine started (as much as for you as for her) and then see if the crate/outside training works. good luck.

 

[musey]

Ours was 10.5 weeks when we got him... I imagine that makes a big difference in control but I am no expert in the early puppyhood stages.

Anyway, we took him out once every 30 minutes and crated him at night. We began following the whole "3 months = 3 hours" guideline for how long he could "hold it." That worked well. His last mistake (that wasn't due to an upset stomach or extreme circumstances) was at 7 months of age.

One important thing we did (don't know if someone else has already mentioned this, and you likely already know) was to not scold him after his mistake. The only appropriate time to scold is during urination or defecation. Otherwise, they learn that the mess is bad, but can't connect it to the action--needless shame and strain on your nurturing relationship. So, certainly give her a quick but firm "no" if you see her mid-act, but if you see the mess after the fact, it's water under the bridge. Always good to let it go within 2-3 minutes, because they certainly forget by then, anyway!

Oh, and it helped me to consider his mistakes MY mistakes. If he goes inside, it's my fault for not catching it or getting him outside sooner. That helps alleviate frustration toward the puppy, and is better motivation to keep tabs on their needs

I think you might be in for a couple weeks of sleep deprivation and accidents. It should get much better very quickly after that

 

[BriBee]

I have potty trained multiple lab puppies, a 2-yr old lab, and maltese puppies, so I've had experience with all kinds of dogs. I also breed labs. After reading your post and the others I have several pieces of advice:

1. 8 weeks is not too young to expect a dog to begin potty training, esp a Lab. The smaller the dogs are (ie: a maltese) the harder it can be because their bladders are so much smaller, but this is not the case with a lab (or lab mix as you say). The mother would not still be cleaning up after the puppies at this stage.

2. I have found that using pee pads can actually be detrimental to the training process, and only encourages the dog to pee in the house. I have found them somewhat useful for small breeds, but not my labs.

3. Thus far, the most effective training method I have found is crate training. This will also be useful to you in the long run as it will help your dog become accustomed to his/her crate or kennel and can come in handy when travelling or taking car rides etc...The main idea behind crate training is that a dog won't mess in the place it lives/sleeps/eats etc... So you make the crate a special comfortable place for the dog to sleep and spend time and they won't mess there.

From a young age, I get my dogs comfortable with sleeping and spending time in a crate. I make it very cozy and comfortable and consider it like their bedroom. If you have a larger breed dog, you can start out with a smaller crate and buy bigger ones along the way, or you can buy one for it's adult size and block the back half with some cardboard or something similar to make it smaller at first. The idea behind this is so that the dog will not mess in the back corner of the crate and then sleep in the front. The puppy will most likely whine or cry when they are first locked up, but you must not give into the cries as it will only encourage the behavior. Eventually the dog will get used to the crate and will begin to enjoy it and learn that it's their space.
Basically, when you are unable to be focusing 100% attention on the dog, you put him/her in the crate, consider it like nap time. After some time has lapsed (30 min to an hour) you can take the puppy out and IMMEDIATELY take him outside to go potty. You must stand there and wait for a potty before letting the puppy inside. I also stand there and say "Potty" over and over. Eventually the dog will know exactly what "Potty" means and this process will be much easier as he/she will pee on command. Once the dog has done their business you can let him/her play and have some free time to run around, but I would still keep an eye on them. Then it's time to go back into the crate. Give the dog a toy or treat for going in so it will be a positive experience. You then repeat the process and eventually the dog will get on a regular schedule. Also, dogs are smart and the puppy will eventually learn how to tell you when he needs to go, and also how to "hold it" longer. The dog will also be able to spend less and less time in the crate and more time running around with less supervision. My dogs love their crates so much that I just keep them in the house with the gates open and they put themselves to sleep there. They also get very excited to go to the crates when they know it means they get to come in the car with mommy or daddy.
Sorry this was sooooo long! But I hope it helped

ETA: I also am a big advocate of positive reinforcement with lots of praise and healthy treats. And if the dog doesn't do his potty, he goes back to the crate for another 30-60 minutes. If the dog seems content for a while and all of a sudden wakes up or begins to cry, he might be letting you know it's time to go. Don't leave the dog in the crate for more than 60-90 minutes at a time when they're training. They need to go out a lot!

 

[Steel]

Thank you so very much for your supportive and informative words.

We have decided to crate her. We will buy one at the weekend, a full size one and block the end for the moment as kindly suggested by BriBee.

Unfortunately, as with dogs when I was younger, Tabitha does not display any signs of wanting to go toilet she waddles rather than walks and often just plops down on her rear, 1 times out of 10 she goes potty. No sniffing, no circling. Any help here?

We have read a lot about what to do and not to do. We don’t scold her for going loo in an inappropriate place. We do pick her up and bring her to the appropriate place but (yet again, unlike any dog I ever trained before) she stops, doesn’t continue what ever function she was doing. I have tried gently rubbing her tummy to encourage her but no luck. Then back to watching her like a hawk plopping on her furry bottom and hoping that it wasn’t to go toilet again.

DH and I are moving this weekend. Ideally Tabitha will use the loo outside, but we do not have outside space here. We will by next week. Even still, she will have to use paper or potty pads while inside (in case of accidents).

Question- How to stop Tabitha going potty in her crate. Unlike other dogs (perhaps because she is so young) she doesn’t mind relieving herself in her bedding. I have put down paper and potty pads on 30% of the floor to increase her chances of hitting the correct area. I went down just now and she peed in her bed. She could have just walked out to the pad. It had been about 45-55 mins but not an hour since I went down last. I know, my fault not hers and she didnt get told off but why pee in her bed? Can she not control it?

What worked for the first time last night was to talk to the pee/poo and pick it up saying ''bad potty'' to the pee/poo, then brining her along, putting it on the potty pad/newspaper saying ''good potty''. Following this she was happy to walk to the pad and pee, then later when placed on the pad and asked to go potty she did a puppy poo. We offer lots of crazy praise when she gets it right but no treats. Mainly because we haven’t found a treat she likes yet. She liked a bit of roast beef cut up after dinner but it too so much chewing it was really a meal.

I have pics but DH has gone to work and I can''t find the wire thingy to connect to the pc. Will post pics on the weekend. She looks very chic at the moment in her pink polka dot collar.

Wish me luck and if you have any advice please share.

 

[musey]

Date: 8/24/2007 2:07:38 PM
Author: Steel
What worked for the first time last night was to talk to the pee/poo and pick it up saying ''bad potty'' to the pee/poo, then brining her along, putting it on the potty pad/newspaper saying ''good potty''. Following this she was happy to walk to the pad and pee, then later when placed on the pad and asked to go potty she did a puppy poo. We offer lots of crazy praise when she gets it right but no treats. Mainly because we haven’t found a treat she likes yet. She liked a bit of roast beef cut up after dinner but it too so much chewing it was really a meal.

This is very good! It''s all about finding what your own dog responds to, IMO. I have no experience with training outside of my little guy, so I''d hesitate to give any further advice (because it would just be educated guessing for your breed mix and age). It does sound like things are on the right track, and my guess would be that the problems she''s having will begin to resolve themselves as she gains age and awareness.

Good luck with the little one! Share some pictures with us, if you have the time!

 

[lyra]

There is an excellent forum where you can get great advice: dog forum This question has been answered indepth there and you of course can ask your own questions for more specifics.

Generally speaking, female puppies cannot hold their pee as long as males. Yet males sometimes are lazy at learning things. Your puppy is much to young to be expected to hold it all night. We confined our dogs to a specific area at night while they were very young, with newspaper and/or puppy pads. While we were home, we''d let the puppies out every hour when they were that age and gave high praise if they managed to go potty outside. Praise works wonders. Good luck, she''ll get the hang of it eventually.

 

[door knob solitaire]

You have much great advice here...but I specifically agree with aljdewey and Bribee

. Once you allow a dog to go inside...you are opening a messy can of worms.

Patience, consistency, repetitive action, positive encouragement is the way to succeed. You can treat a pup that age with a tasty morsel and tons of special voice praise when you get a potty in the right spot. As with a toddler, when caught doing something bad...it is your reaction and the way you handle the error that will allow a smooth transition to the correct way of doing it.

My sil has a dog that is pathetically left at least 12 hours alone. She leaves the piddle pad out and then when she gets home she expects the dog to know that she is supposed to now use the outdoors instead of the inside. Nutts. People. That is nutts. Consistency. (Oh don''t get me started on the 12 hour alone thing...she should have gotten a cat. If any of you are offended on that one...you should be.) I am not a fan of any form of indoor training.

Bribee advises you to regulate feed and water. Schedule the outdoor trips. The pup will learn an outside trip evident...Lets add the positive fun voice with a treat when successful. This triggers that Pavlov built in training mechanism to make your job go smoother. Take advantage of it!! It is free!!! Take dog back to kennel. And start the procedure all over again. NEVER ALLOW A NON POTTY TRAINED PUP to wonder around your house. It is only out of the kennel for hands on play time, feeding, or potty time. It will eventually stop the messing in the kennel.

Invest in a great scent killing spray. I use Odoban. It has a bacteria that neutralizes and kills the offending scent. You must treat every place this pup has erred. If you don''t you will never get a handle on this situation.

DKS

PS. There are many shelter dogs that have a hard time adjusting to their new home, because their first owner allowed indoor potty and the new rescue owner is at their witts end trying to understand why this dog continues to potty inside. Many are returned back to the shelters...I think piddle pads are a root problem to many of returns. Told you I am not a fan!!

 

[ulualoha]

Hi Steel,

How sweet you are for taking in a little pup. It WILL get better! When I got my dog as a baby I kept him in my bathroom with newspaper everywhere. That way he could just go when he wanted. Eventually I learned the cues from watching him of when he needed to go outside. As soon as I had one inkling he had to go, out the door we went. He got smart and started to hang by the door when he needed to go. Another thing that helped was crating him. If you make their crate like their "den", they won''t want to go potty there. You just have to observe his behavior and try to take cues when he needs to go outside. It''s like being married....you have to learn about one another. Reward him/her for good behavior, especially when going potty outside or on the potty pads on the inside. I promise, it will be better! You are awesome for what you are doing. Just to give you some incentive...I have attached a pic of my baby all grown up....there is a light at the end of the tunnel! Sending you hugs!

ulualoha

 

[ulualoha]

Hi Steel,

I wanted to check up on you...how are things going with the pup? I hope better! I am thinking about you!!

Hugs,
ulualoha