House Training

Question: Can anyone give me house training tips?

(Posted by: Temptress on 2010-02-28 10:34:36)

My family is having the hardest time house training our cavachon puppy. We take him out constantly, but for some reason he refuses to relieve himself outside. When he poops or pees inside, we make him look at it and yell "NO! " and then lightly smack him on the nose. This worked for our last dog, but it doesn't seem to be working for this one. Any ideas?

Posted by: thenoseknows on 2010-02-28, 11:00:47

Please don't smack him. This is old school and not the best way to train a dog. Wipe up some pee from inside the house and stake the paper towel outside with a nail so it can't blow away. Put some of his poop there too. When he wakes up from a nap or after eating, take him to the spot so he can sniff it and tell him to "go pee ". Praise lavishly in an excited voice "good pee! " when he does. Tell him to "go poop " and wait for a reasonable time. Whenever he does the right thing outside, give him a treat when you come in. Obviously no treat for going in the house. Between the praise and the treat he'll get the idea that going outside is party time. If he makes a mistake, sternly tell him "no peeing in the house " and take him outside to his spot (even though he probably doesn't have to go after the mistake). You should be crate training him too. When you get up in the morning, take him out of the crate and carry him outside so he doesn't get the chance to make a mistake. You should not let him have the run of the house. Dogs generally will not soil their sleeping area -- the crate. He should be limited to the crate and one room, then two rooms, then three, etc.on a gradual basis so that the area he considers to be kept clean expands slowly. If the area isn't understood to be his "den ", then you get situations where you'll find accidents behind the dining room table or a distant bedroom. Clean up any messes thoroughly and spray with a vinegar/ water solution or Simple Solution/ Oxy Solution to remove any residue that "reminds " them that this was a good place to go. You have to completely neutralize the odour (their noses are about 700 times more sensitive than ours). You can also do yourself a favour by not "free feeding ". Give him 3 meals a day and if he doesn't finish in 15 minutes, take it away. This creates a pattern so you can have some idea of when his bathroom urges might be taking place. I have no idea what you're feeding, hopefully raw food. Do yourself and him a favour by reading the files section at Yahoo Groups Raw Meaty Bones. There is amazing information from this group that will save you a lot of money in medical costs in the long run. One immediate benefit is 60% less to pickup in the yard. With dog food, the volume that goes in one end comes out the other because there's actually very little nutrition in it, contrary to the ads.

Posted by: Twiggy on 2010-02-28, 10:37:30

Don't hit him. Don't yell at him. Those scare the dog, and he probably doesn't even know why your punishing him. Keep a close eye on him and praise him enthusiastically when he goes in the right place.

Posted by: AJ_Elizabeth on 2010-02-28, 10:38:33

It is very important to take your puppy outside to eliminate after he eats, wakes up from a nap, or before you put him in his crate. For my puppy we trained him to ring a bell thats tied to the handle of the door with his nose. It actually helped quite a bit. For your puppy take him out and dont bring him back in until he eliminates, when he does praise him and give him a treat.If nothing works try asking your vet for tips

Posted by: sweetpea on 2010-02-28, 10:40:39

The best info I've ever seen is on leerburg.com.

Posted by: SheSpeaksBark on 2010-02-28, 10:41:46

1. Buy a crate. Keep the puppy in the kennel or crate when he cannot be supervised. Most likely, he's doing it when you're around, but not watching. 2. Use a command for going potty. And say that every time you put him outside. Praise him enthusiastically every time he does go potty. 3. Use oxiclean in your carpet to clean up the mess- it will completely eliminate the odors and lower the chances of him using that spot again. 4. Keep in mind small dogs are going to be harder to potty train, be patient and always consistent and supportive with your new pup.

Posted by: Selena on 2010-02-28, 10:44:01

Your dog will probably respond better to positive praise when he does something right rather than negative punishment when he has done something wrong. He probably doesn't even know why you are mad at him. He really needs to be on a strict feeding and walking schedule. Expect puppies to need to go to the bathroom 20-30 minutes after they eat or have a play session. Most puppies have some signs that they need to go to the bathroom, so find out what these are for your puppy and respond to them immediately by taking him out. aspcabehavior.org/ articles/ 4/ House-Training-Your-Puppy.aspx This site may give you more comprehensive tips.

Posted by: Kristin on 2010-02-28, 10:44:22

Ok try this website..i was researching it because i am about to get a 6 week old puppy so maybe it'll help you out..you have to scroll down near the mddlie of the page and it'll say something about housebreaking tips en.allexperts.com/ q/ Dogs-701/ Terrier-Chihuahuas-mix.htm

Posted by: Geocyn on 2010-02-28, 10:44:33

Your problem is that he's going in the house, THEN you correct him two seconds after he has finished is too late. He doesn't know what he's being corrected for, and showing him his mess is useless....when you are potty training timing is everything You have to catch him literally in the act, say No in a firm voice (not screaming or shouting) pick him up and take him outside to finish Only the proper correction at the proper time and the proper praise at the proper time is going to show him what you want. The problem here is not the dog, it is your training method, or lack of one. The more you allow him to go in the house, the more difficult it's going to be to convince him that he should not go in the house. Watch him or crate him, and time your corrections properly and you will get results.

Posted by: moof on 2010-02-28, 10:46:55

I know it might seem like it works because your last dog eventually caught on, but the method you're using fails more often than it succeeds. Dogs can't reason and use logic the way that we do, you know? When you punish him after the fact, he cannot associate the punishment with the actual act of relieving himself. He associates the punishment with what is *happening,* not with what *happened.* Using this method often results in a dog who is very sneaky in where he eliminates; because he's punished when you find the mess, he associates punishment with you finding the mess, so he begins peeing behind the couch and stuff instead. Instead of focusing on punishing him when he has an accident indoors (which is downright ineffective unless you're catching him literally no more than two seconds after the act), focus on rewarding him when he does the right thing. Make it clear to him that relieving himself outdoors is the BEST thing he could possibly do. Do not skimp on the treats -- give him at least ten treats, each cut into a very tiny piece. Use something tasty like hot dog, chicken or cheese. Praise him, play with him, do whatever he wants. When you take him outdoors, do so when he's likely to have to relieve himself. (By now, you should have an idea of his elimination schedule.) Have the treats with you, and make sure the puppy is on a leash. He is not permitted to go off and play or anything -- until he does his business, he gets no fun. Bring him to an area where he should relieve himself, and just wait. You might want to bring an MP3 player outside with you for this. So, wait and wait and wait. Then, when he finally does go, say a cue you'd like to use as a prompt for him to relieve himself ( "go potty, " "do your business, " whatever) and then reward him like CRAZY. Throw a party! Now he can go offleash and play or go inside or whatever. As he catches on that relieving himself outdoors gets him AWESOME rewards and is the only way to get what he wants, the wait time will be shorter and shorter. I recommend you read this article in full, because it's *full* of great housebreaking advice. Follow it to a tee, and you're bound to be successful. dogstardaily.com/ training/ errorless-housetraining

Posted by: Love♥ Border collies for life on 2010-02-28, 10:47:29

Unless you can monitor your puppy 24 hours a day, don't expect the house training process to be completed until your puppy is at least 6 months old. It's normal for a young puppy to be a little 'input-output' machine. Since puppies are growing and developing rapidly at this stage, they eat more food, burn up more energy and seem to need to eliminate constantly! They also have not yet developed bowel and bladder control, so they can't 'hold it' as long as adult dogs. House Training When You Are NOT Home -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Confine your puppy to a small, 'puppy-proofed' room and paper the entire floor. Put his bed, toys and food/ water bowls there. At first there will be no rhyme or reason to where your pup eliminates. He will go every where and any where. He will also probably play with the papers, chew on them, and drag them around his little den. Most puppies do this and you just have to live with it. Don't get upset; just accept it as life with a young puppy. The important thing is that when you get home, clean up the mess and lay down fresh papers.

Posted by: shortcelticgirl on 2010-02-28, 10:47:31

Do NOT HIT THE DOG! This is a really bad habit to getting into with your pet. Even if you do it lightly its the wrong reinforcement to be using. If he is refusing to go outside then you are going to have to use timing, and wait him out. Puppies usually have to poop/ pee about 20 minutes after eating. So if your puppy is not on an eating schedule then he should be. Most vets will tell you to only feed your dog twice a day, and the amount will depend on the weight of your dog. Dont use the open bowl method, this affects your dog training and will make your dog fat. Once you get on schedule with the feedings you will be able to "time it " and catch your puppy when he/ she needs to go. So start by getting your puppy on an eating schedule, and then "time it ". At first your puppy is still going to fight it, but you will have to be patient and persistent and wait the puppy out. After he eats, wait your 15-20 minutes then take him out. If he doesnt pee/ poop after a while, then okay bring him back in, but watch him close. After about 5-10 more minutes take him out again. You get the picture. Do this until he goes. Once he does go make sure and give LOTS of positive re-reinforcement. At my house everybody treated it like potty training a human baby, as soon as our puppy pooped, anybody that was home came and told him how good he was and gave him pets.

Posted by: Charlie H on 2010-02-28, 10:48:26

Well for starters never yell or hit a dog. your giving them attention. the best thing to do when your dog has an accident is simply clean up there mess and ignore them. This is effective because when you yell at a dog they really dont know emotion so they think your giving them positive attention. You have to realize that dogs dont know better. My dog likes to "mark " his territory ALOT. and what we learned is that when a dog pees in the house they smell it and go there again. the scent of pee gives them a sign that they can go there. so i suggest thoroughly cleaning up their pee. So to sum it up, -Ignore your dog when they make an accident (dont motion anything, dont say ANYTHING) -Be sure to clean up there mess thoroughly -you MUST stay consistent with these techniques! -also whenever it looks like theyre going to go. grab them and bring them outside. -When your dog does go to the bathroom outside, praise him. Baby voice him. Give him a dog treat. Then they get in the habbit of doing there buissness outside.

Posted by: beyondimagination on 2010-02-28, 10:55:21

Okay, first of all, you are going to want to get a crate if you don't already have one. You want this crate to be JUST big enough for the pup to sit and lay down, NO LARGER. If you get a larger crate, your puppy will just go to the bathroom on one side and sleep on the other. Second thing to do is put your puppy in this crate. Every time you put him in, give him a treat. He will learn the crate is not a punishment. Keep the puppy in the crate when you can not supervise him 100% of the time. If he's really young, take him out every 2-3 hours to go to the bathroom. Get a book of those soft matches. You will want to insert a match sulfur side in about 1/ 2 the way. This will cause the dog to at least TRY to go to the bathroom and most of the time it will get them to pee and poop outside. Once he goes then give him another treat and a lot of positive reinforcement. (Don't worry about the match, it won't hurt them! This method has been used for YEARS and was taught to me by my breeder and my vet! It's also used by professional trainers and is known as an old trick.) Continue this for as long as it takes for your dog to get the hint that outside is the right place to be going to the bathroom. When you feed your pup, within 10 minutes you should bring him outside and do this. They will have to go to the bathroom! Also, when you have him inside, make sure you are watching him like a hawk. This will prevent accidents as well as catch them right when they are happening. If you catch it right away you will be at an advantage. dogs who are scolded for going to the bathroom on the floor after a min or so doesn't know what you are scolding them for. Catch them in the act for it to be effective and put them outside!