puppy troubles

[goodbyebluemonday]

hello all!!!!

i recently.. "acquired" a siberian husky puppy. i have named him ricky and will refer to him as such.

ricky is having a lot of problems going to the bathroom. i take him to the park in attempts to train him, but it grows very tiresome and i end up letting him run around with his leash on while i play snake on my cell phone (new high score last week ). sometimes he will do his business, but i usually don't know since he is a couple hundred feet away. i have been squirting his face with a spray bottle when he does something bad. when he does good i give him a "high five", because he knows how to shake.
still i feel like i am not doing everything i could to ensure ricky has a positive puppyhood and grows into an attractive siberian. any advice would be greatly appreciated!!!!

 

[bubbatd]

Would help if we knew the age , how long you've had him etc . These aren't funtimes for you or for him . It's serious training . Not going to bash you until I hear more !!! LOL !!! You really need help !

 

[MafiaPrincess]

You need to be with the dog, not playing games while potty training. If you can't catch the act to praise it, he'll never figure out what it is you do want. You also can't anticipate the next need to go to the bathroom if you don't know if he went or not...

 

[Saintgirl]

Congrats on your new puppy! First and foremost, PUT DOWN YOUR CELLPHONE WHILE YOU ARE TRAINING!!! Pups can be difficult and nearly drive a person mad, but it takes patience and consistency!

 

[Maxy24]

Welcome to the forum! First off like others have said stay with the dog and walk. no playing until he goes to the bathroom. Secondly don't spray him with the bottle for everything, I don't like the idea of spraying ever but some people want to and that's their decision but sometimes other methods are MUCH better. Never punish the dog for going to the bathroom in the wrong spot since that is always your fault for not watching him. Also make sure the water does not get in his ears or he could get an ear infection. He may not listen to you if you don't have the water bottle, which is another reason I don't like them. Anyway when he goes to the bathroom outside I don't think a high five is nearly good enough of a reward. For a two year old human being potty trained a high five and encouraging words work well, but dogs don't know what a high five means it's just another command you've taught them. What you need to do is reward him for peeing outside every time by either giving a treat and praise or immediately playing with him. For when he does something bad...if you need help on what to do to fix it then post it in a new thread and we will help you with a different way to stop the behavior. It's just very important you keep a very close eye on a puppy when he's being potty trained. Good Luck!!

 

[Chaoslillith]

Ok so here is step by step what you do.

You do not let him run around until after he has pottied.
You make sure you take him out frequently even if he is older to catch that potty urge.
You stand like a statue until he goes potty because what is happening is he is getting distracted and forgetting why he is out there. When he potties you praise him like crazy and then let him play.

It sounds like you really did not want the pup as you said "acquired". Huskies can be very independent and will take charge if you do not set down rules. THey are very intelligent so will figure out you are uninterested rather quickly and will use that to get away with things they are not supposed too.

Make sure you are feeding him on a schedule so you can start timing those poop breaks and for now take him outside every 1.5 hours or so so you can catch that potty time.

Also try umbilibcal cording him to you in the house so you can catch him before he pees.
Tie the leash around your waist and attach it to him. Watch his body language for when he has to pee or poop and take him out right away.

These are the most recommended ways of potty training.

Chaos

 

[Herschel]

You stand like a statue until he goes potty because what is happening is he is getting distracted and forgetting why he is out there. When he potties you praise him like crazy and then let him play.

Stand like a statue?

The dog needs to be walked on a leash (4 feet is plenty for a puppy) until he goes to the bathroom. As soon as he goes, praise him/reward him/let him play.

If you stand still, the puppy will either:
1) Sit down and stare at you.
2) Decide to entertain himself by eating grass, playing with sticks, etc.

Walking induces excretion.

 

[lizzybeth727]

You stand like a statue until he goes potty because what is happening is he is getting distracted and forgetting why he is out there. When he potties you praise him like crazy and then let him play.

I agree with Chaos (we must've read the same book ). Many puppies do get too distracted in walking around (more sticks to eat!), and if your puppy needs to go potty, walking around isn't going to make him need to go more.

That said, many times if your puppy isn't pooping when you know he needs to, a walk will help make him poop. And, if it's an older dog (who is less distracted), a walk might be a good idea for potty training in general.

I just know that I don't want to go on a 10 minute walk every time my dog needs to potty, so I've taught her to go quickly in the area I choose.

 

[bubbatd]

Boy am I glad that I never had these issues !!! Go back to potty training 101 !