Help! Need advice on puppy......

[Laurajean1014]

I am trying very hard to house break my puppy, but it is not working out.

A week after I got my dog, a job offer came in. My husband and son are useless in helping housebreak the dog.

We crate him when we are not around, but when he is uncrated, he needs to go out every 1/2 hour, or he pees on the floor. I was told that a housebroken puppy is a puppy that has water available and goes every two hours when taken outside.

Well, although Tucker is a great dog, he is no where near that close to being trained. I think I am a bad influence. I'm trying everything, but it is getting to me. I go through rolls and rolls of paper every week/day and my house is going to smell with the warm weather approaching.

I love him very much, and I am trying to be patient, but there's just so much I can take.

We got Tucker at 13 weeks and he is now 17 weeks. I am not complaining. I believe that he is not progressing because I am not doing the right thing.

Should he be taken out every 15 minutes when he is free from crate? Is that teaching him to hold it? He is excellent when crated, but not when inside the house. He even goes to the door when he needs to relieve himself.

He's a great dog, but I'm failing him...... Help. Anything that I can do for him, I will!

 

[Laurajean1014]

I think Tucker knows I'm upset with him. As I am typing, he is chasing his tail and biting it. Oh, now he just spun around and hit his head on the furniture!

He's a doll, with a bladder issue!

 

[jamsmom]

I wish I knew what to say. I have never had to potty train a puppy. The kitties were failry easy for the littler bao, though

 

[Laurajean1014]

 

[Saffron]

I've housebroken about 10 puppies/dogs, so this is what I would say to do:

1.) Take him out of the crate and outside immediately, on a leash. Don't take him back inside until he relieves himself.

2.) Restrict the area in the house where he is allowed to be free. Do not give him free reign in the house. One room is plenty of room until he is housebroken.

3.) After a rough play session, take him out immediately, on a leash.

4.) Set a routine of taking him out, even if it means taking him out every 30 minutes. He's a baby, he needs to train his bladder.

5.) Try not to use outside as his play area until he's housebroken. For now you want him to get the idea that outside is for relieving himself. Once he gets the hang of using the outdoors to go, then you can play with him outside AFTER he goes.

6.) As soon as you see him heading for the door, take him out. Right now he's like a baby. You know when a toddler is being potty trained -- when they say they gotta go, they gotta go?! Same with the puppy.


I hope those tips help.

 

[Saffron]

Oh, I forgot! Praise, praise, praise! The livlier the better! "Good boy! Good boy!" Pat, pat, pat! Let him know outside is wonderful!!!!!!!!!! I know it's embarrassing at first, but he'll love it. Puppies and dogs really do live to please those they love.

 

[MerryPoppins]

I don't know how much this will help you right now, but you might want to start it early.

We were told to hang a bell on a long string from our back door knob. Every time we would put the dogs out to "go" we'd ring the bell. Soon they started ringing the bell to tell us that they needed a bathroom break. Works like a charm for us and people think it's really cute.

 

[bsnyder]

All of Saffron's tips are great! Especially on the praise part! Make sure everyone in the household uses the same phrases to praise him like: Good dog!! Good potty!!. (yes, you do feel silly at first!)

We crate trained our dog. We also used a training log, where we would record every time we fed him and every time anyone took him out. We put the time on each entry, as well as what the results were when he went outside. Also, we recorded any accidents that occured, and in what area of the house. Over time, we were able to see a pattern, of how often he needed to go, and how long after eating. This is really helpful when you have several members in the household working on the training, and coming and going from the home a lot.

 

[RNMOM]

Lots of good advice here. Glad to hear you are crate training. It is nearly impossible otherwise.

One thing that worked for us is to walk the dog in small circles and say "Get busy, get busy". Now when there is reason to hurry, I just tell my elderly fellow to "get busy" and he does. He gets the message that it is not time to roll around in the grass or walk all over the yard looking for that perfect pee spot.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I think your issue might be lack of consistancy with the whole family. Also, what breed is he? Some breeds are more difficult than others. Did you get him from a breeder who keeps pups in the house, or from a pet shop or puppy farm? Sounds like a starnge question, but pet shop puppies are often kept in less clean conditions, and get used to being dirty, so they don't care if they are.

 

[Laurajean1014]

Your advice is wonderful. Please keep it coming....

Some stats on Tucker;

He is:

A pure bred golden retriever
Born January 11, 2003
Purchased from a breeder w/16 yrs. experience
Breeder came highly recommended by people in the area
Vet said he was in excellent condition
Groomer knew off the bat that he was from a breeder and bred well (hair soft, eyes clear, legs strong).
Very good temperment
Laid back, yet loves to play with all types of toys

Has a major feedish for paper......

Oh, and did I mention that he is the cutest thing you ever saw!

My son adores his new best friend and so do I. I just didn't remember how long it took to housebreak. So, I thought I was doing it all wrong.

Keep your good advice coming.... please.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Given those stats, I think he should be easy to train. That is a VERY easy breed. I would make sure everyone in the family is consistantly doing the same thing. The praise is a GOOD thing too. I would also take hin to the vet on the chance that he might have a medical problem.

 

[stamper]

Saffron had great advice....the only thing I would add/change is that I wouldn't wait endlessly outside with him to do his business as it teaches that he can take all the time in the world(not good when you are in a hurry).

This is the way we did it last spring with our pup(also got her at 13 wks).

Took her out as soon as we woke up....if she pee'd, she got "free tiem"(play time) and ate. Back out right after eating, more "business" = more "free time".

If either time she didn't "go" then she went back in the crate for 10-15 min. and then back out. We did this until she went. Helps to train that when you get out of the crate, you go out. Also, we only stayed out maybe a few minutes.

"Free time" was restricted at first to around 20 min. and increased as her success level grew. After the 20 min. we put her in the crate for a while(hour or so) and then start over with the going right out, if she went then she got free time, if not - back in the crate. Free time should happen in an easily cleanable room at first until he is more reliable.

Also agree that a "command" is helpful for later(we use Pee-Pee....the breeder started her on that). Praise is a very good thing....make him think he is the best thing since sliced bread when he gets it right!

Diane is right...it could be a physical thing, you should have it checked to be sure.

Good luck! If yu have more ???? - ask away!

 

[Laurajean1014]

Well, I took Tucker's urine sample to the vet and he is fine. The vet said he's early, but could be starting to territorize the yard.

He has been great since Friday (of course). No accidents and he was out of his crate and in a room with me for over 4 hours. Then I took him out, he did his business and he and I were happy. So, it's starting to work.

Also, someone told me to put him on a leash inside the home. I have a large house with an open floor plan, so the leash gives him less to mess in! It works. Yay!

He's a great dog. We're at the first stage!!!

Keep all the advice coming.... it's working like a charm!