good and bad at house breaking housebreaking

[puppy go luckii]

hey guys.. I got chase (3 1/2 month old min pin) at 8 weeks.. weve been trying to pad train him since we got him.. recently hes been doing alot better.. but only with peeing.. and he'll only go on tha pad when hes down stairs.. where his pads are.. if hes upstairs he'll jus go where ever.. and even when hes down stairs he doesnt poop on tha pads.. this is because as he poops he moves around.. i find this kinda weird lol.. but does ne one have a suggestion er somethin to help me with this perdicament??.. thnx

 

[stbernard]

MY saint bernard pup would not poop on her puppy paper only urinate. I have been working on the crate training and have made more progress with the crate than using the paper.

 

[Sakasha]

I agree with stbernard, have you thought of trying a crate with Chase? Paper or Pad training can be hard for some puppies, especially in a home. We use it at the shelter simply because the nights are far to long for a puppy to hold it in a crate (they do however always have open crates in their runs just to get them used to it).

A young puppy can not "hold it" for very long, so if the paper/pads are not readily available to them at all times, they will go wherever they see fit. And once they have gone on the floor, they are more apt to do it again - even when the paper is available. It sounds like Chase may think of the pads as an "option", not a nessecity.

By using a crate, you take away the "option" of going wherever he wants. Naturally, no dog wants to go to the bathroom where they eat and sleep, and will therefore learn to "hold it" until they are let out of the crate. This makes housebreaking 100 x easier. Crate Chase whenever you can not supervise him. Then, as soon as you take him out, bring him straight outside (or wherever his "bathroom" is going to be) and give him time to do his business. When he goes, praise him like crazy! He will soon figure out that when he goes in the proper place, he is lavished with attention (a puppy's favorite thing), but when he goes in the wrong place, he is ignored. Make sure you always bring Chase to the same spot, so that he associates that spot with relieving himself. At first, playtime should always take place inside, far away from his "bathroom" spot so that he can tell the difference, know what is expected from him where, and react accordingly.

Do everything you can to avoid Chase having to mess in his crate, as one accident is a big step backwards. As I said, keeping the crate clean should be a nessecity, not an option.

Also, make sure the crate is a "good" place in Chase's eyes. Feed him in it, give him toys and small treats. Make sure there is a comfortable blanket for him to lay on. Most importantly, never use the crate as punishment. If used correctly, Chase will actually enjoy spending time in his crate (so there's no reason for you to feel bad about using one).

Sorry this was so long. Good luck!

 

[Doberluv]

Why are you using pads instead of teaching the dog to go outdoors? I would imagine that it would be very difficult to teach the dog to distinguish between going on something that's on the floor and going on the floor. Inside/outside is a real difference and is usually easier to learn. Going in the house is still going in the house. I know some people do use litter boxes and such but I guess it's personal preference. I suppose if I lived in a high rise apartment, it would be extremely difficult to get the dog outside fast enough.

 

[puppy go luckii]

i do have a crate.. but since i have skool i def. dont want him crated for 6 hours.. so i leave him in tha basement.. which is pretty large (havent been able to get a gate thing yet).. and thats why he poops in other places..

and to doberluv i do not live in a high rise.. i live in michigan in a house.. but there is jus far too much snow for him to walk through (higher then him now and has been for almost 2 wks) and hes 6 lbs therefore hates the cold.. and its been cold here since i got him.. so for no i figured pad training him is a better option..

do you guys think litter training him is a better choice.. or no?? why or why not??

 

[smkie]

I cleaned kennels for 20 years....I can make one statment that I found true for almost every dog. They go about 20 minutes or there about after they eat. If you feed twice a day like I do, you will know almost exactly when they are going to need to pass there bowels. Watch them after they eat..set at timer if u must and you won't have a problem. The only time I ever saw a dog do more than that was when he was either getting too much food or the food was causing some stomach distress. I would always do a quick clean after the big clean right after the feeding so the kennel stayed fresher and the flies had nothing to encourage them.

 

[Renee750il]

Smkie's steering you exactly right! 15 - 20 minutes after eating, under any kind of normal circumstances, is when they're going to need to go. I like to encourage mine to take a short nap after eating, then take them out as soon as they wake up when they're pups. As they get older, I let them play for a few - very few - minutes after their nap to stimulate the system.

You don't want your dog to play hard right after a meal; it can be conducive to bloat at the worst, and at the very least, it will inhibit the proper digestion of their food.

 

[Debi]

maybe if you shovelled some snow away from a designated potty area outside? If you time it as mentioned...you won't have to be outside for more than a couple minutes. I got Hammie in Feb., and believe me......he learned immediately to go FAST. When you're home, take him out every couple hours and 'tell' him to go. They really do get the hang of it quickly if you are consistent. Ham is now 13 mos.......and I still have to tell him to go..LOL Otherwise he's just sniffing forever, but once I tell him....he does. My personal opinion...they housebreak easier going outside. More natural maybe.

 

[Renee750il]

Okay, Debi, why oh why do I have this mental picture of Addie looking on disgustedly while Hammie writes his name in the snow with yellow "ink" . . .

 

[Debi]

LOL, Renee......cause we both know that Mz. Addie is constantly rolling her eyes and putting her nose in the air regarding anything that boy does! (unless it's something SHE wants him to do......a true girl) When Ham has to go out, he will almost knock you over to get your attention (like a little child, he waits til the last minute of course) Addie patiently sits at the door...such a lady.