Toilet training a puppy - help needed

Missus_Hyde

Bellisima wrote: »

...........There is only one way to house train a pup and that is to take it out in the garden every hour, stay with it until it goes, and then reward with little food treats and verbal praising.

The same thing applies at the opposite end of the dog's life; our elderly spaniel is becoming a little incontinent (a bit like us, really! ) and we take him out regularly into the garden and stay with him until he performs, then praise him, as we did when he was a puppy.

We do still get the odd accident, but bless him, he does try to be clean.

SensibleSarah

Puppy pads must be very confusing to pups! Yes you can 'go' in the house, but actually don't 'go' in the house

I'd definitely bypass that whole thing and go for the 'outside every hour-ish, after waking and after meals' thing. Teach a command for going, treat or reward when they do and certainly don't punish when they get it wrong.

Misslayed

I agree with all the above. We bought a little bell (the kind you used to see on a hotel reception desk), and every time we took our pup out we dinged it. Now she dings it when she wants to go out! She also dings when our friend's dog is here and HE wants to go out!

Lamont_Cyrus

thanks friends. a lot of new and useful information.

elsien

For future reference, if any of the people who've been telling you to punish him for going indoors mention being the alpha/top dog/Cesar Milan, please also completely ignore that as well. Also outdated and disproved.

marlot

I also agree that punishing the puppy is cruel.

Puppy pads are a waste of time. You need to teach the pup to go outdoors.

I took mine out every 40 minutes for the first week or two. When she went, I would say the command 'toilet', and give her lots of praise. And 2-3 times during the night (puppy in crate).

We had a carpet shampoo machine on standby for the accidents that occur.

A huge benefit of teaching the 'toilet' command is that our (now 2-year old) dog now goes on command - such as if we're going out for the evening, or going somewhere in the car.

marlot

Tuesday's Dogs behaving very badly included toilet training https://www.channel5.com/show/dogs-behaving-very-badly/

Just to lighten the mood... I got my dog in February. We'd just about mastered toilet on command when it snowed. The poor puppy went out first thing and freaked out. Straight back into the house and an accident. I had to clear a path through the snow, and expose a piece of grass to get us back on track.

adviceforall

Bellisima wrote: »

There is a well known saying in the dog training world:

“if your puppy pees indoors, roll up a newspaper, and then hit yourself over the head with it for not noticing puppy needs to go out!”

Rubbing puppy’s nose in it is abhorrent and cruel. Would you do that to a baby who soils itself? Punishment will make puppy scared of you and will ruin your relationship. Just horrible.


It is unlikely he was toilet trained in his last home. I assume he was part of a litter? Housetraining a litter of pups is nigh impossible, but the mum does a lot of clearing up herself. So don’t beat yourself up.

I worked at a dog rescue shelter a few years ago and have several friends who are trainers. One of them is a brilliant behaviourist. There is only one way to house train a pup and that is to take it out in the garden every hour, stay with it until it goes, and then reward with little food treats and verbal praising. Those pads are pointless - you are just encouraging puppy to pee on them indoors, the opposite of what you actually want. Give it time, you will get there. Good luck.

I agree with everything said above...I always quote that saying as well ( I even had to check the name of who had written the post in case it was an old one of mine lol)

Plasticfreemama

Having same issue. We are bringing her out every time we catch her doing it indoors, saying "NO" and bringing them out. Whenever she does it outside, lots of praises and treats. Hopefully it will work soon!

Huskydays

Ditto on the going out frequently and just cleaning up with no punishment. In addition; we found it useful to also go out every time she sat near the door so she would learn that was how to "ask" to go out and while she was doing business we would say "toilet" which has been useful later down the line as a prompt for her to go if she's in a new place and isn't sure (e.g. on a new surface like sand at the beach, etc).