Need help housebreaking a puppy

[Tiggeroo]

My college son brought home a puppy. (with my permission) He is a Welsh Corgie who he was told was five months old. I kind of wonder if he is a bit older or possibly in a home with another family first. For one thing he was quite a bit handshy when he first got him. It's getting better but he still jumps if you move your hand around him quickly. Also we are trying to housebreak him. (he's been here around 10 days) We've never disciplined him for going in the house but he goes in out of the way corners like he's trying to hide it. Also, no matter how long we walk him he almost never will go outside.
We live in a condo with a large deck. We crate him when we're not home or at night. We try to keep him in one room with us when he's awake.
Lately he's started doing his poop business on the deck which is an improvement but not really a long term solution. I have not housebroke a puppy in over a decade and never without a yard. I need tips. My son thinks you shouldn't reward with treats. He also doesn't think puppy pads are a good idea. Another issue is that he is frequently with different people. So we need to come up with some firm guidelines that whoever is with him can follow. He doesn't seem to give any cues that he has to go. If he is sniiffing and walking in circles and you take him out he doesn't go. But you can walk him for an hour and he'll come in and go in the house. Help.

 

[LindaR]

Well, keep him in his crate. When you let him out (have him on a leash at all times...when he is out of his crate) take him outside immediately. When he DOES potty outside give tons of silly praise!

Keeping him attached to you on a leash does not give him the chance to sneak off and potty somewhere! Also even though you have "cleaned" where he's pottied, they can still smell traces. Do a color test and reclean the spots with white vinegar (kills the enzymes).

Puppies should NOT have free run of the house until they are properly trained.

 

[LindaR]

You might also keep the item that is used to soak up the pee in the house and take it outside to the spot you would like him to potty in so he can smell his pee outside!

My two dogs have certain areas that they were trained to potty in, and they are trained to potty on command. It takes work and patience and lots of praise!

 

[LindaR]

He is still very much a puppy. Within thirty minutes of a meal and immediately upon waking from a nap, he should be taken outside and you stay with him til he potties. No play or other distractions. I cannot emphasize how much you need to love on him, pet him, praise him AFTER he potties outside. You will sound like a goofball, but it works!

 

[bgirldeb]

We have an almost 4 month old Jack Russell Terrier puppy. The breed is not always the easiest to housetrain, but he's doing very well! I agree about putting him in his crate during the day and as soon as he is let out he needs to be taken outside on a leash to potty. We use trainer treats and lots of silly praise. The few accidents he has had are usually when we aren't paying attention to signals. Sometimes he will walk to the front door and whine, And sometimes he will bark, like he is trying to get our attention. The treats are chewy training treats, with very little calories, and we give him half a treat at a time.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Hmm, kind of a tough situation. In fact, it's so complicated, I barely know where to start - but let me see if maybe I can help. I would hate to see problems develop that cost him his home or his life when there is likely a workable solution.

There are many reasons why the dog might be confused: new home, unclear age or history, so far different "training" styles with more to come (? history of hitting if hand shy), different people, different personalities, no yard, not consistently potty trained, and now not completely potty trained at his age, etc. It would be really helpful to know his background, including breeder and first home. In fact, if he came originally from a reputable breeder, that person may be a lot of help to you.

First, like in the dog thread yesterday, the first thing you need to recognize is that you have a dog that is from the Herding group and is therefore a very intelligent and active dog who is bred to work. He is not going to be happy sitting around a condo with nothing to do, and will make work for himself if you don't give him a job. And what the dogs sees as a job and what people see as a job may be two very different things (think of any bad dog behavior that comes to mind and you get the picture). So if you and your son are going to keep this dog, you'll need to commit to giving him daily exercise consistently. This could be ball playing, frisbee (not sure that's the greatest game for him, though, with his long back), agility (which may be fun for you and good exercise as well), soccer, etc. You can read about Corgis and Herding breed dogs online, there's a ton of information available. Herding dogs really need a lot of your time and supervision to make sure their energy is channeled in a good and appropriate way.

I would be very careful about how you (and others, see my post yesterday re Lab on that other thread) approach the dog if he is hand shy. If he feels threatened, in his dog mind his only defense is to growl, and then bite if the offending behavior continues. This will increase as he goes from puppyhood to young adulthood, when learned behaviors become set. Treat this dog only with kindness, but in a firm way. He should have no uncertainty that you are in charge, not him. Having your son involved complicates matters if he doesn't act the same way. (Who will be spending the most time with the dog?) My recommendation would be for you and your son to take the dog together to a group training class where you and your dog could learn a "language" to communicate effectively and you and your son would be on the same page as far as training and consistency go, because this is going to be the key to a happy life with this dog. We've had to do it in our family, too - not only between my DH and I, but with our kids, also. Consistency is extremely important, otherwise you will not get consistent behavior from the dog. Nothing is sweeter than a well behaved dog; and nothing is worse than an ill behaved one. You can have a well behaved one but it takes time and effort.

As for potty training, I can sympathize as my dog is not good about doing her business when she's on a leash, either. But I'm fortunate in that it's never been a necessity since I have a kennel for her right off the back of my house where she goes. (When we travel with her it can be a problem.) What you will need to do is to develop a routine and stick with it. Praise, praise, praise when he does go outside while on the leash - it wouldn't hurt to give him a small, very special treat when he does this. (I don't train with food except in special circumstances like this or at the end of a training session.) It would be helpful, too, if your routine included a consistent spot. I do not use puppy pads but again, my circumstances are different - I have a yard where you currently do not. If I were in your situation I might consider giving them a try, but you have to do it in a way that won't cause more confusion for the dog. The idea is to ultimately get the dog going outside, while on leash. You're probably better off just working toward that than using the pads, seeing the idea is to NOT go in the house. (Thinking out loud here, lol.) Especially where we're headed toward summer, and not in the throes of winter. Positives to taking the dog out are that it gets you out, too, and you may end up meeting some new friends you wouldn't otherwise have met had you not had the dog. You can capitalize on the "time to go" when the dog is crated and wakes up from his nap, take him *directly* outside then and praise when he goes. Do this a hundred times without fail and he should get the idea. You're correct in not giving him the opportunity to roam. He should be under your supervision at all times and you should catch him *before* he starts to go and run him outside. Challenging, I know. But remember, he is smart and wants do to do the right thing, and wants to earn your love and praise. So just stick with it and it should be ok.

You should pick up a copy of Good Owners, Great Dogs by Brian Kilcommons and Sara Wilson also. It is a wonderful resource for all aspects of dog ownership, written in a simple and pleasant way.

Good luck! What's his name, btw, and can we see pictures?