Jump to content
BC Boards

Help!!!


Recommended Posts

When we adopted Travis at 11 weeks old we were so impressed on how quickly he learned to go to the bathroom on the paper...he would go outside as well but when we weren't home he would still go on the paper...now he is 15 weeks old and he will not go on the paper anymore but on the carpet...any suggestions on how to reverse this??? Did we do something wrong?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do you have him crate trained? I would discontinue the papers entirely (never could figure out why people use them) and crate train him. You can't leave him for a long duration in the crate but you can ensure that he doesn't use the carpet! That and he's much safer in a crate when you are not around.

 

Karen

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Do you have him crate trained? I would discontinue the papers entirely (never could figure out why people use them) and crate train him. You can't leave him for a long duration in the crate but you can ensure that he doesn't use the carpet! That and he's much safer in a crate when you are not around.

 

Karen

 

I do not want to leave him in a crate..we use the crate for timeouts if he misbehaves...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do not want to leave him in a crate..we use the crate for timeouts if he misbehaves...

 

Um, you are going about looking at the use of a crate in the wrong manner imo. Crates are not for "bad behavior" only, crates are safety zones for the dogs. If you can't be there to supervise him the crate is a good safe place for him. Wait till he starts chewing on the house, the electrical cords, the walls, the furniture...etc..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Karen is right. A crate must be used as a sanctuary for your pup (both in terms of sleeping and chilling) so that they usually consider it sacred; sacred enough to keep it clean (pee and poop free!)

Give this link a read:

http://www.pets.ca/articles/article-cratetrain.htm

 

ETA:

It gives the right strategy for allowing you and your pup to use the crate properly.

 

BTW, I have found that a rug is similar enough to grass for a young puppy that one is often substituted for the other. To discourage this from continuing, use some Nature's Miracle on the areas where he has peed so he won't be inclined to go there again.

Ailsa

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I understand what you are saying, but he sleeps on his bed in our bedroom all night with no whining, crying or going to the bathroom in the house, he has free access to the whole house accept the basement and has no problems...when we are home he has the same access and goes to the back door and whines when he has to go out (that's where the paper is as well) we take him out firs thing in the morning at 6am then again if he has to go out and one more time at 8:45 am...I don't see why he can't hold it until 3:00pm if he can hold it all night or merely go on the paper by the back door?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Get a different crate, and use the new one to re train your little guy that it's a place of safety and a haven. Or use an xpen, set up one end of it with paper and bedding at the other. If he chews the bedding, leave it out.

 

Overall, I believe you really do need to confine him for his safety while you're gone. He also needs to learn that being confined is a good thing. When you take him to the vet and leave him, for neutering, teeth cleaning, the occasional stitches/wound clean up etc, he'll be more relaxed if he's had good experiences with a crate or the like, rather than just time outs.

 

Good luck,

 

Ruth

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Did we do something wrong?

 

I've never paper trained a puppy, so can't comment on where you may have gone wrong. As far as housebreaking in general, the problem sounds like Travis is being allowed too much freedom before he understands that he is supposed to eliminate only in certain areas. For housebreaking, I use management and frequent trips outside. Management: I'm a big fan of crate training. Also I do not let puppies run around unsupervised which means being able to keep an eye on them and intervene immediately if I think they are likely to potty inside (or do any number of unwanted behaviors). Consequently, a puppy who isn't housetrained is always in the same room with me or else safely in his crate with a nylabone to chew on. If the puppy won't stay in the room with me or return as soon as I call, I will keep the door closed, use gating, or tether the puppy to me.

 

I also take the puppy out often, as in what feels like constantly. When the puppy wakes up, after the puppy eats or drinks, after the puppy has been playing and if the none of those things have just occurred and the puppy is awake, I take him out every hour at first. The pup gets lots of praise for going outside. No punishment for going in the house, but I will interrupt and hurry the pup outside where when he finishes, there is lots of praise for being so brilliant. A predictable schedule of activity, rest, eating, and outside to potty helps immensely with the whole project.

 

It's fairly exhausting and I always find myself thinking that it's a miracle any dog becomes truly housebroken. But they do with persistence, patience, consistency, and management. Remember that like all training, housebreaking as a journey as well as a destination. There may well be some backsliding after you are sure the puppy has it down. Or you may think the puppy understands and has good control before he really does. Some puppies take longer than others. Quinn honestly seemed to understand the concept at 9 weeks and other than needing to be taken out frequently, he was no problem. Most of my puppies were 3 - 4 months before they had the concept down and even then, I had to keep an eye on them and make sure they got outside often enough. My Lhasa was close to a year before I felt comfortable with him being out of my sight and to this day I need to be very responsive to any sign he needs to go out.

 

I don't see why he can't hold it until 3:00pm if he can hold it all night or merely go on the paper by the back door?

 

Because day time awake and filled with energy by himself is different from night time sleeping soundly in his bed, with you nearby. He is more active. There is more to do. He may be feeling insecure. And as a word of warning, as he gets older he may start to engage in destructive or even dangerous chewing while you are gone and he is at loose ends on his own.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't see why he can't hold it until 3:00pm if he can hold it all night or merely go on the paper by the back door?

 

Remember, this little guy is a baby. When you are sleeping so is he. But, when you're gone and he has free roam of the house, he is on the move and bowels and bladder are stimulated.

 

Generall rule of thumb is, for each month the pup is old, that's how many hours he can hold his duty: 3 months = 3 hours.

 

And I agree with using the crate, period. Lewie is 16 months and he's crated at night and on days he isn't in doggie-day care. It keeps him safe and my house safe.

 

Crates are good, crates are dens, crate are a safe haven. Think of it as sending your child to his room. Even though it's a time-out of sorts the child still likes his room. Same concept.

 

I'm done now. :rolleyes:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Puppies can hold their potty for however old they are in months +1 as a general rule. So at 2 months old they can hold it for about 3 hours.

 

And if you think of it, at least for me, I can sleep through the night for 8 hours without going to the bathroom but ask me to do that when I am awake and there is no way I could do it! Your body functions differently when resting than it does when it is awake. (I am not a scientist so someone correct me if I am wrong!) So, I would assume that a dog's does too.

 

Daisy is still confined (at 10 months old) to one bedroom that I have puppy proofed during the day while I am at work. And when she was between 3 and 5 months old (I got her at 3 months old) I did put down a puppy pad in the room with her in case of an accident. And without fail in the event she had an accident, she went on the pad. I never left a pad out when I was home. She was potty trained by the end of her second month with me.

 

Daisy is crated at night. She always has access to it - it is in the puppy room with her during the day. She loves her crate and will retreat to it when I turn off the lights and say "lets go to bed." I chose not to crate her while I was gone at work but still gave her a small space to make her feel like it was "her place" so she still potty trained great.

 

Many, many people crate their dogs and it really is the best way to potty train a pup. Other good things to do is keep repeating the word that you want to be their cue to go outside. When the pup goes outside be sure to praise them and repeat the cue word over and over. "good potty! such a good potty!" You can also reward them with a treat. Once they get the hang of it you can start to reduce the treats, etc. When the pup has an accident, you should not acknowledge it at all. If you catch them in the act you can correct them but otherwise just clean it up and pay no attention to the pup.

 

Also, getting them onto a schedule or in a routine is a big help too!

 

Good luck!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm using a crate for the first time myself, so I am just learning how to use one. I read somewhere that you should not use the crate as punishment, as you don't want the dog/pup to associate the crate as a negetive.

 

I think of that the same way when raising my son...how do you tell them to sleep in their room and play in their room when they misbehaive we tell them to go to their room...make sense?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How long are they to be crated? Until they are full grown or forever?

 

 

I have a 4 yr. old Aussie that I still have to crate at night. She would be "on patrol" all night long if I didn't. :rolleyes:

 

My 2 1/2 yr. girl BC uses her crate during the day as a hide away from the three other dogs when it gets too noisey.

 

It depends on the dog as to how long the require the use of the crate.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You shouldn't be leaving a puppy crated from 8:30 to 3. Can you find someone to come in and let him out at noon? He shouldn't need lunch, but you might want to leave some ice cubes in a steel bowl (won't spill as quickly as water). I was against crates until the time my young aussie ate my new couch when she was left alone for a short while. She had seemed pretty reliable before that time...

barb S

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How long are they to be crated? Until they are full grown or forever?

 

It varies from dog to dog. I've had puppies sleeping at night uncrated at 8 weeks old and others who were closer to 6 or 7 months before they uncrated at night. Quinn was loose in the house all day somewhere around 18 or 20 months old -- working up to it in longer and longer stretches of time. My first Lhasa was loose in the house by 12 months old. The current Lhasa at 6 years old is crated when I'm at work because otherwise he will mark (not sure why and I've given up wondering). Quinn only goes into his crate to shed dirt but both he and the Lhasa will run happily to their crates as soon as me say "go to your crate." I honestly don't know how I'd raise a puppy without a crate.

 

I agree with Barb. Someone should come to let your pup out at noon to potty and stretch his legs and have a snack to eat. I'm ok with a quick drink but don't want a puppy to fill up right before putting them back in their crate.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is my dilemma...I can't be there every day to let him out at noon and it could only be for about 15 minutes...seems unfair to let him out for that short of time and then back in? Maybe I can just keep him in the kitchen during the day...he was fine there and going on the paper until he jumped the gate and got into the living room...he was doing so well I figured I would let him in that room as well and that's when this all started

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is there any way to use a taller gate of some sort? Can you get a friend or relative or pay someone to come by to let him out briefly at lunch. Dogs are very adaptable creatures. Of course they would prefer someone stay and play with them for an hour, but I bet your puppy will appreicate the chance to potty and run off a bit of steam. Dogs and puppies settle into routines pretty quickly, I find.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If he must be left alone for that long, then yes, potty pads or newspapers are appropriate. I would get a higher baby gate (or 2 baby gates, one on top of the other) so he cannot jump over into the living room. Having someone come to take the puppy for a walk would be ideal. If you have any neighbor kids who could help, that might be a good "chore" for them. There was a homeschooled neighbor of mine who loved to come and play with Scorchie before we moved away. She was a huge help to me, and she made some extra money.

 

Honestly, your puppy is still so young, I would worry about bad habits developing as he grows and his energy levels increase. He might not be chewing up anything in the house now, but often 6-7 months old is the start of the "teenage phase". It is probably a good idea to have him preemptively confined with appropriate chew toys so that he never develops a "taste" for things like furniture, walls, electrical cords, etc.

 

Also, DEFINITELY make the crate a positive thing. Even if you're not really using it much for confinement at this time, you want him to love it in case you ever have to. Teach him to go in his crate by tossing treats in there and associating a word with it (I use "go to bed" for my pup, "crate" for my older dog). I also feed my dogs their meals in there while they're still getting used to it.

 

Neither of my dogs are crated right now, but Scorch likes to sleep in his with the door open and sometimes Wolfie will pop in there as well. It's a safe den area, so for things like recovery from surgery, traveling, boarding, or vet visits, the crate is not a big deal.

 

Believe me, from working in a vet clinic, I LOVED the dogs who were used to being confined. The ones that weren't were often screamers or would stress themselves out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Phil, reread my original post. Keeping him confined in your kitchen is a great idea, leaving paper for him. You could also start buying turf squares and leaving one or two of those in some sort of plastic box that he can get in and out of easily. That way he's still going on the preferred surface - grass and dirt. One of the problems with paper training is that he might think that the Sunday paper on the floor by the couch is an ok spot for him to urinate.

 

Get another baby gate and stack it on top of the original one. You can find used ones either on Craig's List or Freecycle. Get an enzyme cleaner and use it on the spots he's already hit in the rest of the house.

 

Ruth

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, since you mention children, leaving your pup to run free through the house while you're away is akin to letting your toddler run through the house without diapers on. You wouldn't do the latter, so you probably don't want to do the former. Confining him to the kitchen or bathroom (easily cleaned floors) with all chewable/dangerous objects out of reach is your safest bet. Even when you're home, if you don't keep an eagle eye on him, there will likely be accidents. Pups really do have an urge to go potty after eating, waking up, and playing--and it doesn't take all that much play to get the bladder flowing, so to speak.

 

FWIW, I crate train. Some of my dogs go in crates just to sleep, no prompting from me. One of my dogs will on some nights go to a crate to be put up and on other nights will come into the bedroom to sleep. I crate everyone when I'm gone, but then again I have 10 dogs in the house right now and leaving them all out together would be asking for trouble. When I've had pups, I've been able to take them to work with me, where they would stay in a crate, but I would go out on my two daily 15 minute breaks and my lunch hour and let them out to play and go potty. I have been lucky to have a work situation where I could do that, but of course crate training was important for that because certainly none of my co-workers would have appreciated an upset, screaming puppy in a crate.

 

And I agree with Ruth that a second baby gate stacked on top of the first will stop the jumping, but he might learn to climb them too (just a forewarning).

 

J.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is my dilemma...I can't be there every day to let him out at noon and it could only be for about 15 minutes...seems unfair to let him out for that short of time and then back in? Maybe I can just keep him in the kitchen during the day...he was fine there and going on the paper until he jumped the gate and got into the living room...he was doing so well I figured I would let him in that room as well and that's when this all started

Before I retired, I had a 25 minute lunch hour. I lived 5 minutes from school (10 minutes round trip) so that left 15 minutes to let the puppy out and grab something to eat for myself. All the puppy had to do was go out and relieve itself. If you are keeping the puppy in a room that is puppy-proofed, still be aware that he could chew cupboards, woodwork and even walls.

Barb S

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...