How to house train our new puppy?

Question

We got a new puppy the other night. He is twelve weeks old, half toy poodle and half shiatsu. He is the sweetest puppy in the world, but it seems when it comes to potty training he isn't very smart. I let him out all the time, and he refuses to go potty outside, and then two minutes after I let him back in he goes on the floor. Half the time I have to chase him down to get him to even go outside, and when he does pee out there he does it right on the porch steps. He won't go off of them unless someone accompanies him, and if there is someone out there with him he gets too distracted to go to the bathroom, even if you just stand there and ignore him. It's like he is afraid of the outside, even though the weather isn't extreme and we never have left him out there for more then ten minutes. I am getting really frustrated with having to scrub my carpet every five minutes. Does anyone know a way I can train him?

Answer 1

I know alot of people say putting their nose by it and saying loudly "no" doesn't work, but it did for us. Our puppy went from being pee pad trained to going outside when we moved to a house with a yard. It was tough because it was winter and nasty out. But honestly, you have to keep trying and stay out as long as it takes. Once he goes, freak out in excitement and he'll get the point.  If you put him in a cage at all, the second he's out take him outside.  If you take him out and he doesn't go, but does the second you go inside, point it out Say NO and put him back outside.  Hope it works :)

Answer 2

i have the same breed of dog and he is wonderful we have had him for 4 weeks and he has had an accident twice. I suggest you take out for a walk at least one a day ( i find my dog only takes a poo if he is on a walk) and say he went for a walk and used the "potty" then when we got home I would give him a treat. but you have to be careful b/c even if he goes twice you can only give him one treat or else he will want one even if he doesn't go. (my dog if 14 weeks old! lol weird)

Answer 3

It isn't so much a matter of intelligence as it is a matter of experience.  Just tossing them out the door is not training.  They don't know what you want them to do, and it's unreasonable to expect him to figure it out on his own.

Be patient, and do not punish him for his failures, but keep taking him out to where you want him to go.  It isn't a bad idea to designate a particular area for elimination--for your convenience.  Just make sure that's the only place in your yard you take him, and praise him generously for using "his area."  Also, when he does pee or p**p, associate the word with the action by saying your selected word when he does go.  Do not use treats to reward him for toileting successes, however, as this is behavior he should naturally master.  

The use of training products may help, but here's a little hint.  If he makes an error inside after failing to go while you had him outside, immediately pick him up and return him to his designated area.  Dogs cannot easily pee with their feet off the ground.

Plus, what is your big reluctance to accompany him on his learning trips into the yard?  If he is a bit fearful, or not yet comfortable in his new yard, it's your job as his alpha to keep him company, guard and shore him up while he's getting confident.  And, how can you praise him for his successes when he's outside alone and you're inside?

Yes, it is inconvenient, and tedious, but the more work you put in now, the more successfully your training will go.  And the happier you'll both be.

Answer 4

I use a crate* to potty train with, but only for potty training and then I break it down and store it.  I put blankets and a small food and water dish in the crate.  Dogs don't potty where they eat and sleep.  When they are first little, I only expect them to hold their potty for 4 hours, and then 6 hours, then 8 hours and so on.  So when they are first little, I set a timer or alarm clock to wake myself up at night to take them *out.  I only allow my puppy in the bedroom* or the living room, only one room at a time.  They have to graduate to more space.  If I allow them to have full run of the house, it will overwhelm them.  I take them out the same door each time.  I tie a dinner bell to the door handle.  Do not use a jingle bell as they could get their toe caught in it.  So when they are little, I ring the bell for them, and then open the door to go *outside to potty.  When they get bigger, I take their paw and whack the bell and open the door to go potty.  Eventually getting to the place where the puppy will ring the bell and let me know when they need to go potty.  Dogs want to please you, so it is your job to let them know what behaviors please you and what doesn't.  So when my puppy goes potty, I give her a treat*, and clap, and make a fuss and praise her.  So she learns that going potty outside makes me happy.  If she has an accident, make a disgust sound like “tsst”  and take her out right away.  I never yell* or spank* my puppies.  Take them out when they first wake up, after they eat or drink, before nap, finish romping, when their activities change, or when they are sniffing around. Some puppies go pee right away, but may not go p**p until 10 minutes later, so wait for the p**p.  I have a little play time here, because sometimes I think they are done, and they are not.  Puppies train at their own pace.  While I may have a puppy that hasn't had an accident in several weeks, I don't let my guard down.  I don't expect my puppies to be "fully potty trained" until one-year-old.  If they have a setback, shake it off, and start over.  I only have my puppies in the crate when I am not watching them.  When I am sleeping, cooking, ironing, doing chores, basically when I am not watching her.  All other times, she is out of the crate practicing being a "big girl."  This is the time I train her how to behave in the house.  So we are practicing "no barking", 'no biting", "no jumping", and "don't eat the furniture."  I also have to practice "playing inside" so she doesn't knock over things.  You must keep the puppy in sight when they are little because they don’t know the difference between newspaper and carpet, and you don’t want them sneaking off and getting into trouble.   Some puppies can sleep through the night around 3-months-old, but their bladder is grown around 6-months-old.



REVISIONS:



*I use a crate to train with.  It is the method I prefer, compared to other methods I have tried.  I noticed that if they are in the crate, while I am doing chores, they are o.k., because the crate allows them to see me and be re-assured.  The crate can also be a comfort when stored in the basement for dogs who live in areas where thunderstorms and tornados are an issue. .  However, use the method that works best for you.....a laundry basket, a cardboard box, a woof-woof house, x-pen, child gates, whatever works for you.



*Outside, pee pad, litter box, whichever method you are using.   When the puppy is first little, keep the pee pad, litter box near the food and water dish, so the puppy can eat and drink, and then go potty.  You can move it away as they get older.  The pee pad has a scent that smells and initiates potty.  Sometimes a pee pad makes a sound that scares some puppies, so you might want to use a litter box if that happens.  The pee pad allows a puppy to walk around, but a litter box keeps the puppy in one place.

*Bedrooms, I use the bedroom and living room for training, because it works for me.  Choose rooms that work for you, but watch for rooms that are damp, or drafty.  While my puppies sleep in the bedroom during training, once they are trained, I let them sleep where they want to.  They don't have to sleep in the bedroom forever.

*Treats.  While I use treats for training, you don't have to.  I like Charlee Bears for training (a little cracker for a little mouth,) I use them for training, but once they are trained, I cut back on them.



*Some puppies will go potty in the same spot each time.  Some puppies have to be told to go potty.  A command like "go out" for pee, or "go finish" for p**p, might work for you, keep saying “go finish” until the puppy poops.  This is a good thing to train if you travel with your dogs.  By using commands, the puppy won't get confused when you are visiting someone, on vacation with you, or when you get to a new home.  The command will tell them what you want them to do in an unfamiliar place.  You might also want to use a leash method, so the puppy doe

Answer 5

There, are sprays you can buy to assist him with going potty on puppy pads buy the pads then spray on them then take the puppy over and let him smell the spray, make sure you place them in strategic places where your dog is most likely to use the bathroom. The same sprays can be also sprayed outside also spray the areas outside where you'd like your puppy to go. Good Luck

Answer 6

i have a dog, and if she pees my mom screams at her, and puts her in the cage for 10 minutes,

If you don't have a cage but her in a room,

Answer 7

well first i would suggest paper training him... put the paper by the door and when  he starts sniffing put him on the paper  and when he goes on the paper reward him with a treat  eventually he will get in the habit of waiting by the door to go potty after about a week remove the paper and let him out side when he goes by the door as for him going on the porch that will take time slowly ease him into the grass some puppies don't like the feel of grass so give him time remember to be patient and calm with him that also helps