Housetraining a puppy... any tips?

[pam66]

Hi,

We recently added a puppy to our family. (last week!). An adorable 10 week mini schnauzer. She was pee pad trained when we got her and was doing well with it but I realize we need to get her outside.
We live in New England so it's been cold which makes it a little difficult (more for me than for her)

I've been reading the "owner's manual" but I was wondering... any house training tips from experienced puppy owners?

Thanks!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Challenging, for sure. Being used to the pee pad but having to learn to now go outside - in this weather. Good illustration of why it's probably better to just skip the pee pad.

I may not be the best resource here as I don't use them, but the idea will be to move the pee pad outside and eventually wean her off of it. You could just skip it altogether, but I'd think that would be very confusing to the dog if she's used to them and you may be dealing with "accidents" a lot unless you're pretty rigid (in routine) with training.

I will look around to see if I can find you any "how to" resources (as far as weaning from pee pad goes).

Some other basic principles. The dog's bladder right now is about the size of a small walnut, if that. Plus she's still very young, a baby really. So basically she can't hold it very long right now, but she will be able to hold it longer as she gets older. Also, no yelling and scolding, which will only serve to frighten an already confused dog. The idea is to "teach". Always stay calm. If there are accidents, chalk it up to being your own fault right now. Keep her contained in an area that would be ok if she did have an accident, like a kitchen. No rugs at this point, unless you are right there with her, but even then, if she pees on the rug, you've just created another big problem to deal with. She needs to get the idea there are certain places for her to "go", and that other areas are off limits (for "going"). This will take a while. Always set her up for success.

Try this. Are you using a crate? If so, tire her out, put her in crate for nap for a couple of hours, then take her directly outside. Bring along the pad, and get her to go on it. Praise when she does. Repeat. Keep it up every couple to few hours. (Yes, I know it's a LOT, but remember you're teaching and that she's still a baby. It WILL get better!) Make sure the crate isn't too big (where she'll pee in the corner) and make sure she doesn't stay in so long that she can't hold it anymore. Also: DO NOT PUT THE PADS OUT IN THE HOUSE AGAIN. Only bring them outside. After a few days of her going outside, she should begin to get the "idea". Praise, praise, praise. Keep your relationship positive. It's a lot of work (like having a baby initially) but it gets better a lot faster than it does with a human baby, thankfully. But your hard efforts at the beginning will pay off in the long run if you do it right.

Good luck. PS we need pictures!

ETA a couple of things to add. When bringing pee pad outside, bring one that's soiled to start, so she gets the idea. Also, saying a phrase like "Go pee" every time she goes pee outside will be helpful towards getting her to go on command later on.

A couple of articles:

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Dog-Training-3333/wee-wee-pad.htm

http://www.suite101.com/content/how-to-house-train-a-puppy-a285065

 

[mjkacmom]

All I have to say really is good luck! We got a puppy mill minpin puppy, and once you introduce those wee wee pads, it's SO HARD to undo. She did go outside, but she was never fully housebroken. I potty trained 5 kids - IMHO much easier than to housebreak a little dog. Next dog will be an older housebroken dog.

 

[Luv2Roam]

We were always lucky that our dogs were easily housebroken. (Labs just want nothing but their owner's approval and love.)
Puppies are hard to tell, because they give no notice. They just squat.

For housebreaking would take them outside to a specific area so they learned to know that was what that area was for. (Of course once they "got it" they went wherever they wanted in the yard.) Supposedly that helps trigger them to go if you take them out to that area.

And get the best treat you can imagine and give that to the puppy once it has done the deed outside. It can be food or a toy they love.

When we were away, we have a LARGE dog crate that we would back up into a small bathroom. That way they had the create and the room. (We are just not a crate training persons. I know it works for many.)

We have always had multiple pets. So the trainee dog always wanted to be with the rest of the group. Seemed like they figured out quick to be with the others during the day, they had to not go in the house.

I have read where if your puppy goes potty in the house, you roll up a newspaper, and smack yourself for not watching the puppy and let it go potty in the house.
But I have been there -- they squat out of blue and that's that.

 

[bellebud]

I've had many dogs from puppyhood - some trained easier than others. They were all "trained" (meaning absolutely NO accidents at all) by 1 year. Most not before that. Some would only have an accident once a month - so other people might have called them "trained" already - but I was 100% comfortable only after about a year. (this is the same of training kids - some parents call their kids potty trained, but the kid has 'accidents' - to me that isn't really potty trained, to the other parents it was). It's just how you want to look at it.

I'm saying this so you don't stress if after a few months, there are still some accidents - it's not unusual at all.

My bro just got a 3 month old mixed breed, and he was relieved when I told him about my "1 year" thing - because he was really stressing about the 'accidents' happening.

My only dog out of 7 that was truly trained before a year was my sheltie (passed on now), who I got at 4 months old and he had been living in the breeders house. She was an "expert" and had him and all her dogs fully trained early. I'm not an "expert", and I definitely know I was lazy sometimes about the whole training process (life can get in the way of your best intentions to get that dog outside every hour or so). And we didn't crate as much as the breeder probably did, because my kids (and I) wanted the dog out with us, then in the middle of playing, they'd pee. oh well. it's life with a puppy to me.

good luck - and yes, where are the pictures???? isn't there a rule on the Dis that you can't post about a new puppy w/out posting pics????!!!

 

[bellebud]

When we were away, we have a LARGE dog crate that we would back up into a small bathroom. That way they had the create and the room. (We are just not a crate training persons. I know it works for many.)

I have read where if your puppy goes potty in the house, you roll up a newspaper, and smack yourself for not watching the puppy and let it go potty in the house.

we did similar - we had those circular baby gates, and we'd have it set up in the diningroom (tile floor), w/ pads or newspaper on one side, and a comfy crate/toys on the other side. Especially for nighttime - I could sleep, the dog could pee and sleep comfortably too. worked for us.

about the smacking yourself w/ a newspaper!! love it!!! and so true!

 

[sjs314]

I think puppies are just like kids each one unique and will train at their own speed. I am no expert by any means and have only had the pleasure of training 3 pups but all were in the fall/winter, one I got in Oct and the other two in Dec. The sheltie hated the wind, cold , rain and snow, but also trained the easiest, I forget now but it was less than 3 months, my lab and golden both loved the outdoors, wind , cold, rain or snow did not bother them in the least in fact they could stay outside forever long after was ready to get back into the house, the lab trained in about in about 4 months but unlike the sheltie he spent most of his days outside as opposed to being and indoor dog. My golden took a year she loves the wind, cold, rain and snow, but continued to have accidents(pee) for a long time, I blame moving when she was 5 months and just about trained.

I tried wee wee pads with the golden she did not or would not use them

I do agree about having "trigger" words to train your pup, I learned to use them with my last and current golden, she goes on command, she knows pee and poopy and quick like a bunny, DH thought I was nutty but they work, in fact my DS took her out once and I said just try the words and he did and was amazed his two dogs will walk his legs off and go when they are ready.

Good luck with the training , it will happen and one day you will hardly rememeber all the days spent cleaning up after him/her

 

[Luv2Roam]

I had a co worker who had trained their dog (a cocker) to ring a bell when it needed out! (Like one of those desk ringers you hit with the palm of your hand at a register.) She always left the bell on the floor by the back door, and the dog hit the top of the bell with her paw to let them know when she needed out.
They tried it with their next dog. But that dog never caught on and they gave up.
But this is a cleaver idea for those who can accomplish it.

 

[Agri]

If its a small dog, I wouldn't freak out too much about getting her off the pads. Especially when there's likely to be bad weather coming and she might not be able to get outside.

Outside of all that, its just a matter of knowing your dog's schedule and making sure they are outside when the need hits. And praising the pants off of them whenever they do what you want.

My first sheltie was paper-trained (before they had all these fancy-schmancy pee pads), which was a godsend in bad weather. We didn't have to wait for the storm to pass, risk taking him out in the eye, worry about going in the middle of a blizzard, etc. My current sheltie doesn't care for the pads and won't go unless she's outside (or sick). We had a nasty storm come through and I couldn't get her outside for hours and she finally went in the house (on my mom's carpet) because she couldn't hold it any longer. That was an uncomfortable time for both of us - her for not being able to go, and me concerned because I knew she wasn't going to go.

They also make pans and litter designed for small dogs.

I, personally, would hold off on the serious "go in the grass" training until the weather is better. When its nice weather, you'll be able to take her on walks and she will want to leave calling cards and/or will eventually need to go and won't have that pee pad there to go.

 

[bellebud]

I do agree about having "trigger" words to train your pup, I learned to use them with my last and current golden, she goes on command, she knows pee and poopy and quick like a bunny, DH thought I was nutty but they work, in fact my DS took her out once and I said just try the words and he did and was amazed his two dogs will walk his legs off and go when they are ready.

ah yes, the words! we say "potty", and both of mine (german shephard and goldendoodle) know to go, pee or poopie. My shephard gets distracted easily (will chase butterflies, bark at the wind, etc) and literally forget to go, come back in the house, and get an overextended bladder (then pee is trickling out - it's a nightmare when it happens). I have to tell him "potty" while he's chasing butterflies, and he looks at me like "oh yea, I do have to go, thanks mom!"