PLEASE HELP with potty training! My mom's threatening to give away my puppy?

Question

My puppy came pee pee pad trained, but it seems he's forgotten. When he's in his room, he (is more likely to) pee on his pad, but once I open the door, he goes around the house. Now, he uses his pad only once every two days (rough estimate). My mom is threatening to find a new home for him, ignoring the fact that it's going to devastate me. I'm looking into puppy potty training classes already, but for the time being .. any ideas? I've tried to put his nose near his mistake, saying a firm no, and then bringing him to his pad, but it doesn't work. I live in apartments so it's quite hard to take him out a lot (he doesn't go outside anyway.. I've tried). I'm thinking about crate training, but would *much rather* PREFER to teach him to go (back?) on the pads instead. Please help..

http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=2yo7s00&s=4

He's a 5 month old, brindle, purebred pomeranian (stubborn breed, I know. I've done research). And not teacup, thank god. He is a healthy 4.8 pounds.

Answer 1

to bad for you

Answer 2

DO NOT put his nose it it! It doesn't work.  Ask your mom to take you to a training class. It is ESSENTIAL for ALL breeds of dogs! (Obedience training, anyway.) If the dog is not responding to potty training, most of the time it is because of the owner, not the dog! I was so frustrated with my dog, until I took a class! There's no single "right" answer, talk to a trainer and find out exactly what you are doing wrong. Really look into crate training, it is great! Even when he is potty trained, it will be a safe place for him.

Answer 3

the pads will only encourage the dog that its okay to go inside the house - get rid of them and teach the dog to go outside.

Unless you catch him in the act, any correction or punishment will not be effective.  Showing him the spot only says he can't go there, but not that he can't go a couple inches away from that spot.

Definitely crate training - it's the most effective way.  When you cannot watch him, confine him to a crate or very small area.  

When you can keep an eye on him, as soon as he even looks like he's got to go, get him outside.  Have a particular spot outside that will be his "potty spot", and don't come in until he has gone in this area.  When he does, a lot of praise and the occasionally treat.

Answer 4

Ok at night put him in a create. As soon as you wake up let him out and him will go on the pad. Then when he pees where he is not supposed to bring him to where he went to the bathroom out his face in it and spank him. It worked for my family. And it will not heart him, and it is not cruel. That's what they do at the pet shealters.

Best of Luck!!!

Answer 5

Get on top of it kiddo!

Keep a very very close eye on him when he is out and about in the house-if you have baby gates, I reccommend putting those up to keep him in the room with you (in whatever room in the house that you are in-to keep an eye on him and not let him roam the house freely) or close doors. Put a pad in almost every room of the house for right now.

In order to punish him for going potty somewhere he shouldn't be pottying-you need to catch him in the MIDDLE of doing it! Even seconds after he is done is too late-he has finished and has moved on. If you punish him after he is done, then you are punishing him for doing whatever he is doing at that exact point in time (such as walking away from his mess, or standing quietly, sniffing something, etc)-dogs have very very short attention spans, so in order to punish it needs to be done at the exact time they are IN THE PROCESS of doing something wrong.

When you DO catch him IN THE MIDDLE of pottying somewhere he shouldn't, give a firm "NO!" pick him up, and say "on your pad! lets go on your pad!" and put him on the pad to finish his business-and reward him once he is done! Make sure you give TONS of praise when he does his business on his pad! Really really encourage him that it's a good thing to go potty on the pad.

Be as consistent as possible! The more consistent and on-top of it you are-the easier it is for him to learn, and the quicker he will catch on to it! Like I said-keep a very very close eye on him when he is out and about in the house. Keep him in rooms with you, with pads, and keep your eyes peeled!

Answer 6

aww he's so cute =)

what we did was we kept our dog in a kennel and only let him out when he has to go pee because if you let them run around all over the place they're going to think that it's ok to pee everywhere. whenever your dog slowly starts to use the pad again give him reward so he knows he did a good thing. keeping him in one little room can be a good thing, because you have to set some boundaries for it. i hope this helped a little since it's a bit harder for you. oh and btw make sure you clean the areas where he peed really well becuase he's going to start using the same spot over and over again since he smells his pee. i suggest you use urine b gone Lol it works really well

Answer 7

I agree with the other posters about using a crate, taking him outside and using positive reinforcement.  Another thing you can do when he's not in his crate is to attached a leash to his collar on one endand attach it to your waist on the other end.  This keeps him close to you where you can keep an eye on him and catch him in the act of peeing where he shouldn't so you can grab him quickly and put him where he should or take him outside. It will also help you recognize the signs that he needs to go out.  Each dog is a little different but most will start to sniff around and circle before they go. You will start to recognize the signs and be able to take him out BEFORE he makes a mistake.

Good luck!

Answer 8

You have a very cute dog! Anyways...

If you catch the dog peeing in a place its not supposed to. Say NO! if it is doing it and you see it. If it already did (even a few seconds after its to late!) Clean up the mess. If the dog goes somewhere where its supposed to go. After it goes praise it by petting your dog or giving the puppy a treat. If might take a few days. Tell you mom that it needs to learn it better and keep doing it for a while to get it down. Show her a few answers to this question too.

Good luck!

Answer 9

awww i have a pomeranian too and my dog looks kind of like yours except a little bit lighter! you can't give ur dog away! =) sooo this is what i did to potty train my baby and he got it in one day!

...

As soon as he peed on the carpet I got a paper towel and soaked it up then I put the soaked paper towel where I wanted him to pee. When my dog went over to sniff it where I wanted him to pee (on a doggy potty pad), I praised him and told him good boy. Also when he sniffed the soaked paper towel, I lifted his leg like the motion he does when he pees. He connected the two together and the next time, he went pee on his potty pad. As soon as he went pee where I wanted him to, I gave him lots of praise and a treat. Don't punish him for not doing what you want. He's gonna get confused and sad.

Good luck!

Answer 10

I know you live in an apartment but he needs to start going outside. Take him every 20 minutes and tell him to go potty, when he does you praise him and give him a treat. It takes consistancy and patience but puppies pick up things quickly. Never rub his nose in his mess, they don't know why you are doing that.  

Answer 11

put a bell on the door that leads out side. every time you take him ring the bell. if it is a puppy it needs to relieve itself every hour. before you know it the dog will ring the bell to let you know it needs to go. also if you have a kennel put it in there at night. it will not pee or p**p where it sleeps.

Answer 12

I reckon before allowing a puppy into her house that she needed to know that puppies requite toilet training.....*sigh* It's ok! It's just that many families underestimate the time and responsibility of bringing up a puppy....NEVER EVER rub a dogs nose in their mess! It's cruel and NOT psoitive reinforcement. When the dog DOES do it in the right spot, use POSISTIVE not negative reinforcement by treating them with either a pat or a treat or a simple 'Good boy!" in a loving tone.....also unless it's a toy size dog, they should not live in apartments - they need room to run around and do what comes naturally (lol digging aside) either that or you take them to a dog park everyday if the dog gets along ok with stranger dogs OR walk them for 1 hour each day, preferably twice if you're able to...........next time...do your research =] GOOD LUCK!

Answer 13

I for one am against pee pads.  Even if you live in a 50 story apartment or 5 stories up with no elevator, it's no excuse to not take him outside.  And he needs to be walked.  If you take him for a 20 minute walk in the morning, and one again when you get from school, and then again before bedtime, he should be good.  Pee pads just make them think that they can go anywhere in the house.  Just because he is a small breed does not mean he should not be exercised or go outside.  He doesn't go outside right now because he has not been trained to.  If you grab him when he's about to go inside and take him out he will associate using the bathroom with peeing.

Answer 14

It will be hard as you have no garden, if you dont train him out side he will p**p in doors forever.

All I can suggest that worked for me, is put pepper on the floors in your home. This way when he sniffs around to p**p or wee he gets a nasty shock and  uses his pad.

Also every time he wakes up, eats, drinks, plays put him in the room with the pad and show it to him.