Question:We just recently got a new puppy and she is having som trouble with the potty training. We decided that we would let her out every 4 hours and last night she pooped 2 times and peed 3 times. Does any one have any suggestions as to how to get her started? our problem is she is very shy and we think that she may have had a rough beginning because she tends to scatter when we approach her. Does anyone have any suggestions about ways to get her to trust us?
Answers:
I've outlined 10 tips to use when house training your puppy:
Crate TrainingUse a crate while potty training your puppy. Your puppy should be in the crate while you are at work, sleeping, or anytime you are not able to watch it. Dogs are den animals so being in a crate is natural for them. Puppies will cry and want to be released at first, but be patient, it will get used to being in the crate and come to enjoy it. Make the crate a happy place, not a punishment. Teach your puppy a command when going in the crate, for example, kennel or go to your room, this will make it easier then trying to force or push the dog into the crate later. Also, dogs are pack animals so it's helpful if you keep the crate in the bedroom where the rest of the "pack" is sleeping. This is a tough one in the beginning because the puppy will cry and you will be tempted to let it out. Tough love, if the puppy is loose in the house then it will have opportunity to potty anywhere it pleases, keep the puppy crated at night until it can be trusted in the house. You may have to let the pup outside during the night and during your lunch break during the day. Be prepared to lose some sleep, like I said, it's like having a new baby.
Take the puppy to the same area of the yardEach time your puppy goes outside go with it. Take the puppy on a lead so you can be sure it goes to the same area of the yard each time. This way the puppy can smell itself and know what it's supposed to do. Only give your puppy about 10 minutes to potty, if it doesn't go, then bring it in and put it back in the crate, wait 15 - 30 minutes and take it back outside. Don't let the puppy play until it potties. Playing is a reward, don't reward bad behavior. Puppies are just little kids, they go outside, get excited, and forget why they went outside in the first place. It helps to give a command to potty, that way it learns a little faster what is expected, and later in life, if your running late, you can give the potty command and your dog will potty and be done with it.
Praise for going potty outsideWhen the puppy potties outside - give a treat, play with a favorite toy, say "good boy", whatever, just make sure that the puppy thinks, "Wow! Going potty outside is loads of fun, I'm going to do this again!"
Tether to you while insideWhen you are at home, and the puppy is not in the crate, consider using a long lead to tether the puppy to you. If the puppy is loose in the house it can gain the opportunity to sneak off and use the bathroom. The idea in house training is to avoid accidents, the tether works for that purpose.
Take the puppy outside immediatelyFollowing meals, drinking, playtime or excitement, when you first get home from work, and first thing in the morning. If the puppy gets excited it may have an accident, avoid the trouble by taking the puppy outside.
Take the puppy outside oftenTry to take the puppy outside every hour. If your home, why not take the puppy outside for frequent potty breaks, it'll learn that much quicker and you'll avoid accidents, it probably has to "go" anyway.
Keep a potty journalKeep track of how quickly food moves through the puppy. This will help you gage how quickly to get the little puppy out the door following meals.
Teach the puppy to let you know when it wants to go outsideTeach the puppy to bark, ring a bell, or scratch the door before going outside. This will help you know when he has to "go". The goal is for the puppy to get to a point where it will alert you as to when it's time for a potty break.
Paper trainingUsing potty pads or newspaper is up to you. Some small breed owners swear by them. I personally think they are confusing to the puppy if your ultimate goal is for them to potty outside. It will take longer to house train if you first teach the pup to potty on paper, then turn around and want the pup to potty outside. Some small breed dogs don't like going outside when it is cold or wet so a lot of owners use paper during the winter season.
Invest in a good odor neutralizerMistakes are going to happen so plan for it. If you see your puppy make the mistake act quickly, say NO or use a penny can to startle the puppy, and run it outside to the potty place. If you didn't see the mistake happen, bite your lip, and clean the mistake. Use an odor neutralizer like Nature's Miracle or Simple Solution - these products neutralize odor instead of covering it up. You don't want the puppy going back to the same spot on your carpet.
House training is only the beginning, start thinking about obedience classes. Yes, you can probably teach your puppy to sit, down, and stay, but socialization is good for the puppy. It needs to learn that it is okay for other people, strangers, to touch its paws and ears.
It should get used to going in the car and entering strange buildings and walking properly on a leash now while it's young, that way a year from now you are not stuck with an ill mannered dog. Puppies are a lot of fun but you'll enjoy the dog more if you train properly now. What is cute on a puppy may not be so cute when it's a 75 pound Labrador - plan for the future. A proper foundation is crucial.
Potty Training----u have to take her out ever 1 hour and every time she those go in the house show her the mess, smack her lightly, maybe yell, say bad girl and put her outside
Soclization----If u have family that has dogs take her there and also if u have one a dog park to visit dogs
Socialize... You didn't say what age. But one thing you might try is to sit down with a little dog food, or tiny treats... And ignore her. Wait for her to come to you, and just give her a treat. Then pet her.
If she eats and runs that's ok, she'll come back... Repeat the process, until she gets used to petting.
BTW, don't PAT her. pet her, by rubbing or stroking. Some dogs like their ears scratched, and some like be be scratched under their jaw bone. Most dogs like their belly rubbed, when they are lying down and relaxed.
Some dogs, when they are relaxed and they trust you, like to have their throat rubbed or gentle scratched on the sides. Never scratch their "Adam's apple" because the center of their throat is very sensitive.
House Training:
Don't use ammonia to clean up any messes, because it smells like urine to the dog. Use vinegar or the special pet stain cleaners, instead.
1. Watch her very carefully when you are home and take her outside after she drinks, eats, or sniffs around. Keep her outside for 5 minutes, then come back in. but keep careful watch. Always take her to the exact same spot outside for her toilet, and clean up solid waste every few days.
2. When you can't watch her, put her in a crate. You want to try to let her out about every four hours, but she is old enough that she can handle 8 hours, if you are diligent in walking her before and after meals, and before and after leaving for work/school.
3. If you don't use a crate, then confine her in a room, like the bathroom or kitchen that you can cover with newspaper.
4. Put food, water, toys, and bedding in one corner. When you come back after a few hours, take her outside for a walk. Then clean up soiled newspaper, clean the floor underneath with vinegar, and save a small piece for the smell. Place some clean newspaper in another corner of the room, away from her food, and place the smelly piece of newspaper in the corner. Keep newspaper on the rest of the floor.
5. The next day she should have tried to go to the bathroom close to the smelly corner. Repeat the process from above, clean the floor, use new paper, place a new smelly piece of paper in the corner opposite her food.
You are trying to teach her where her toilet is by placing a large blinking sign that says bathroom. Since your dog can't read, you are using a small piece of paper for the same purpose. Your dog has a good sense of smell, so the smelly paper doesn't have to be very large or disgusting. Just a few inches.
6. Keep doing this for a few days, until your dog goes to the bathroom consistently in the same 5' x 5' area. If you are patient and loving, then she may learn to go in an area less than 2' x 2' in less than 4 days, but don't push it.
7. If things are on track after 5 or 6 days, then remove all of the paper, except a 5' x 5' area in the corner, with a small smelly piece of paper.
8. Advanced: If she is a small dog, then you might slowly reduce the area to about 1' x 1', then you can train her to use a kitty litter box inside... but that may be pushing things.
9. When she is consistent, then remove all the paper, and move the smelly piece of paper to the outside to show her where her bathroom is. She may have a few accidents, so try to understand what happened and why she had the accident.
But this method should work for most puppies and dogs.
10. Things to remember:
A. You can remove the paper when you are home and watching her. You only need the paper during the training period of about two weeks, and only when no one is home to watch her, while she is confined in the kitchen/bathroom.
B. Always clean up the floor under any mess or mistake with lots of vinegar to remove the smell.
C. Remember that the smell to a dog is like a large, red, blinking sign to people.
D. Always get rid of soiled newspaper, except for a tiny piece with smell. Replace the soiled newspaper with clean newspaper for the first few days.
Also, walk her, pet her, and talk to her softly... so that she will learn that she has a loving home.
Follow the guideline of every month of a puppy's age is how often he should be taken outside. A 3 month old puppy should be taken outside every 3 hours. Praise your puppy for doing his "business" outside.
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