Saturday, December 30, 2006

Housebreaking a Puppy - HELP ME!!!



Training is not going so well for us here. Dobby just does not seem to get it. I am not sure what to do at this point since he just misses the concept completely and I am so frustrated with all his piddling and pooping on the carpet. So today I just decided that if he is going to act dumb and pee on the carpet all the time and not even try to make it outside, then he can wear a diaper. Any ideas on housebreaking him would be greatly appreciated. I love him to death but seriously he is the dumbest dog ever. Oh, and that is the funny part, DH wanted a poodle cross because poodles are smart . . . Bwahahahahahaha!



It brings new meaning to "pampered pooch" eh?

14 comments:

Lisa said...

Amanda you are surely resourceful.LOL
It is hard work training a puppy.
You need to take him outside reguarly to the same spot all the time. If he goes give him a little treat right there and praise him.

Is there somewhere you can keep him on linoleum, ie your laundry room or bathroom.

I wish i could help. I am not a big dog person (we have 2) But I would never ever get another. But I seriously love other peoples dogs. :)

Old School Acres said...

Puppy in a diaper is so cute!

Watch him like a hawk. As soon as he starts to sniff say No firmly and then take him outside. Tell him "go potty, Dobby" Keep telling him until he goes. As soon as he starts to go start praising him. It helps, too, if you can take him out once in the middle of the night. Do this routine every time.

We took an obedience course with our puppy and this is what they taught. It took less than a week and he was trained.

Good luck!!

Lynn Mercurio said...

This is too flippin' funny. I totally understand your frustration though. Some pups are harder to house-break than others. I'm sure you know all the tricks...good luck, and I hope you have a good supply of pampers! :)

Danita said...

LOL!!!! Sorry...no tips for ya. But thanks for sharing your dog's humiliation! :)

Marie said...

I found that if I am too busy to keep my eye on our puppy (we've had several over the years) then I put him in his kennel. "Crate" training is a very effective method because a dog prefers not to go potty where it sleeps. A puppy needs to be taken out VERY often, and like another person suggested, given lots of praise and a treat for going. With crate training, when you do have to confine them, the idea is to gradually increase the size of their "bed". This means, you move from say, the kennel, to part of the kitchen, to the whole kitchen, to the kitchen and den, etc. The dog is "supposed" to feel that his "bed" is growing, and consider your house his "bed" and then he won't go there. Some dogs definitely are harder than others. When you get some time, definitely hit a book store and try to find a book on this subject. Really, many methods work, and consistency is the key. Just like a baby, puppies are going to go a lot and at key times. When they wake up, right after they eat, after vigorous play, etc. Hope this helps, and GOOD LUCK!!!!!

Kathy said...

Amanda,
I've always crated my dogs and taken them out on a pretty strict schedule. They don't like to go in their crate and my dogs now regularly go to their crates to chill. They were housebroken relatively quickly. If you give your dog too much room to roam, they'll have lots of room to make a mess and not have to be too close to it.

Sue said...

I echo the crate training system...this does not mean puppy stays in th4e crate all day! LOL
I put mine in hte crate at night...if they cried to come out during the night (when they first start) I took her outside and let her pee...in the same spot if you can...then HUGE praise...like she just won an olympic medal for peeing! Then back into the crate (during the night only)...no questions asked and once you come inside don't focus on her. I kept her kennel near the bed and if she made too much fuss I told her to be quiet, it was "OK", and then nothing more..she soon settled down.
Again...in the morning, soon as she comes out of her crate we went outside to the same spot and repeat the process with huge praise for pees and poo completed.
Let her play a little while, keeping an eye on her, and again later on if she looks like she is going to take a nap she goes into her crate again. Again...as soon as she comes out she has to be taken to her outside spot again.
Where do you live? I got my fur baby in June so I was able to leave the door open so she went out herself when she needed to go.

Don't scream at her if she has an accident...she is a baby and has to learn but you have to teach her. Big praise for the right thing, no negatives apart from NO. Stick with it..if you really follow the crate guidelines you will have her trained in no time!
Remember it takes our human babies a lot longer to learn the system and we don't get mad! :-)
Good luck..keep us updates!
I also used the crate in the car and my dog is very calm i the car now (We don't use a crate any more...she sleeps in our bed, on our sofa, on our laps, feet anywhere she wants LOL but as a baby the crate system is the best. Also the crate is their security...when you leave the house for a little while put her in her crate with her favourite toy, blanket etc. She will settle right down.
Let us know how it goes! They are worth all the effort! :-)
Sue

Dorinda said...

Amanda
these ladies have given you great advice..the puppy isn't dumb. He is just not clear on the pack rules right now. Try Cesar Milans website or books. Crate training is a great way to do things and strict schedule is a must..this will cut into downtime and free time but it will lead to a happier you when the dog is trained.
They will tend to go in the same spots repeatedly too. Get Natures Miracle for cleaning the spots so they are not tempted to go there again and again.

Dorinda said...

http://www.perfectpaws.com/htrp.html

try these tips...always remember with dogs the praise or the scolding needs to happen immediatly if you wait a few seconds they will be confused as to what they are being praised or scolded for

Robin said...

We just got a puppy for Christmas, and are crate training...this is what we have done with our previous dogs and it really works. Per the previous posters, you just have to stick with it and maintain a schedule and consistancy. Although I like the pampered approach! LOL! Good luck

Anonymous said...

Take a cloth rag, and wipe up his mess, take this rag out in the yard, and nail it to the ground.
Lead the puppy to this spot, and he will soon learn that this is his, to pee on.

Work for me.

Leslie said...

I have to agree with crate training. Is is like poty training kids, it is all about consistancy. Much love to you!!!

laurie said...

I feel your pain! I got a puppy last year and she was stubborn. She was the hardest dog I've ever had to housebreak. And yup, crate training was the best for us. I still use a puppy pad by our slider just in case but she prefers outside. Good luck!

Tara said...

I've also used crate training with great success. Another hint I got in a book by Dr. Stanley Coren, was to use a key word as part of the training... ie. every time you go outside so he can do his thing you use the word... when he does his business you give heaps of praise and dancing and celebrating and soon it becomes a conditioned response. My dog's word is Hurry Up. At 16 weeks he was peeing on command to Hurry Up.

Good luck!!!