How can you train an outside dog as an inside dog?

Question

I have a chow mix puppy who is 5 months now.. I've had him since he was 2 months. He was an outside dog before I he was given to me. I live in an apartment & I try taking him outside as much as possible for him to do his business which he does but then he'll do it again inside. I take him on walks & take him outside for about 20-30 minutes each time. He also knows when he does bad because after he goes pee or poo inside he'll go in his crate on his own w/out me having to tell him anything. What else can I do for him to be trained inside? Thanks for your help in advance!

Answer 1

Housebreaking should be relatively easy as long as you realize it may not be obvious to him that if he just goes and stands at the door, you will let him out to use the area he always has.  I am sure you have noticed where he has his bowel movements.  When you think he needs to go, take him to that area.  He may want to wander off a little to urinate.  In order to make sure I don't miss a detail you need, I am going to paste in the material I give people with a new puppy.

Housebreaking starts before you get home with the new puppy. If you don't have

a crate, buy one. I prefer the more enclosed, den like plastic ones. Skip the

bedding. At first it gets wet, and later it can be chewed into choking

hazards. A wire grid in the bottom will help keep the puppy up out of

accidents at first. They are available with the crates, but expensive and hard to find. A piece of closely spaced wire closet shelving from a home supply place is cheaper. I am now using a plastic vegetable bin with plenty of holes drilled in the bottom. It helps block off part of the crate for the smaller puppy. If you already have a metal crate, covering it may help. Just make sure you use something the puppy can't pull in and chew. Dogs that start out in crates as little puppies, accept them very well. Never leave an unattended puppy loose in the house. If nobody can watch it, put it in the crate. I suggest letting the dog have its crate all its life. A crate needs to be just big enough for a dog to stretch out in.

Choose a command and spot you want it to use. The less accessible to strays,

the less chance of serious disease. If it is a female, choosing a non grassy spot will avoid brown spots later. When you bring it home, take it to the spot and give it the command in a firm, but friendly voice. Keep repeating the command and let the puppy sniff around. If it does anything, praise it. Really let it know what a good dog it is and how much you love it, and maybe a treat. Note, being out there not only means you can praise it, but it also keeps it from being snatched by a hawk. If it doesn't go, take it inside and give it a drink and any meals scheduled. A young puppy will need to go out immediately afterward. Go to the spot and follow the above routine. Praising it if it goes is extremely important. If it doesn't go, take it back inside and put it in its crate and try again soon. Do not let it loose in the house until it does go.

At first it is your responsibility to know and take the puppy out when it

needs to go. It needs to go out the first thing in the morning, after eating,

drinking, and sleeping. If it quits playing, and starts running around

sniffing, it is looking for a place to go. Take it out quickly. You will just

have to be what I call puppy broke until it is a little older. How successful you are depends on how attentive you are.

By the time most dogs are about 3 months old, they have figured out that if

they go to the door and stand, you will let them out. The praise slowly shifts

to going to the door. Some people hang a bell there for the dog to paw. If

your dog doesn't figure this out, try praising it and putting it out if it

even gets near the door. A stern "Bad dog!" is all the punishment that is

effective, and only when you catch it in the act and are sure you didn't miss

it going to the door. Clean up accidents promptly. I mostly keep the little

puppies out of the carpeted rooms. Still I need the can of carpet foam

sometimes. First blot up all the urine you can with a dry towel. Keep moving

it and stepping on it until a fresh area stays dry. A couple big putty knives

work well on bowel movements. Just slide one under it while holding it with

the other. This gets it up with a minimum of pushing it down into the carpet.

This works with even relatively soft ones, vomit, dirt from over turned house

plants, or anything else from solids to thick liquids. Finish up with a good

shot of carpet foam. Note, do not let the puppy l**k up the carpet foam.

Once the dog is reliably housebroken, your carpet may need a good steam cleaning.

Many people strongly strongly push cleaning up all evidence of past accidents. I am slower to suggest that. Dogs will return to the same spot if they can find it. When you see one sniffing the spot, that is your clue to run it out.

The above can be applied to older dogs too. Biggest difference is the longer time after eating or drinking before they are ready to relieve themselves. If a dog has been living where it could keep its living space clean, it should quickly catch on. The important part will be teaching it that if it goes to the door, you will let it out. It will be much more difficult if the dog was forced to live in its filth. You will need to learn to read the dog and learn its schedule, and when it needs to go out. Keep it in sight, closing doors and setting up gates. Some people even leash the dog to themselves. I have used a tie down at my computer de

Answer 2

Just be patient with him, it's a big change going from the outdoors to an apartment, and it will take him awhile to make the adjustment.  Toilet training is lots easier when you never have to worry about going inside, so he's really only about half trained, anyway.  The crate is good, gives him a place to shelter and be his own puppy, as well as a place for you to have him out from under.  It should not, however, be used as a penalty, no matter how tempting it is to yell at him and put him into it.  That should be his haven.

The thing is, at that age, no matter how well he does, his training is still not 100%, and you just have to keep on with the training.  He'll get it.  You might try keeping him outside to play until nature takes its course;  there is a big difference in the level of exercise, which is important to the bowel movement in dogs.  This makes a good lesson, but without the negative of your impatience.  Just keep him outside a little longer, to make sure he's done.  Play or work on a trick or the like, and he'll never know you aren't just enjoying his company.

This could never be a bad thing.

But be sure that he still gets a good walk every day; it's not just about the exercise, it's about learning his world, about the thrill of going somewhere you've never been, and spending time with your alpha.  It's good for his health, his sense of well-being, his confidence, and his bond with you.

Answer 3

It's pretty tricky, but you can do it.

you have to watch him constantly, and when he starts to piddle or poo, pick him up quickly, saying no, no, no, no, bad dog, bad dog.

Rush him outside, put him on the ground and say "go pottie". He will not know what u are talking about until you have done this over and over. Watch them right after they eat, they wake up, they usually go pottie then. and if he wakes at night, you MUST get up and take him outside. Keep consistant, and do this all the time. otherwise he will be confused. It takes about 1 week to 2 weeks.ck out petplace.com