OT: How do I house-train a puppy?

[Oxford]

Thanks folks for the great advice!!

ox
…getting prepared

[sdrealtor]

OX
I recommend crate training. It sounds a bit uncivil but is best for dog and owner. Many dogs end up loving the crate as a safe place. Get a bigger crate than you need but make it smaller by putting some boxes in it. The dog wont want to sh%t where it sleeps. You need to take the dog out every 2 hours and take it outside immnediately. Always praise postive behavior! In a week or less it will learn that it goes outside if you stick to it. When you take it out to play the first week it must be 100% supervised and as soon as it tries to go inside you say NO and take it outside. Dont leave the dog outside during training as it wont get the discipline part.

Here’s one last tip: When we got our cocker spaniel we hung a bell on a string from our front door. We found a dog shaped leather thingee with 2 jingle bells on it fittingly enough. Every time we took her out during the training period we took were paw and rang the bell with it. Within 2 weeks she associated going out with ringing the bell. Not only was she completely house trained but she would ring the bell anytime she wanted to go out. People who came to our house were amazed by this stupid pet trick. It was very easy to do.

As you probably remember, I had to put her down about a year and 1/2 ago. I think I may still have the bell. If you are interested, I’ll see if I can find it.

[sdrealtor]

OX
I recommend crate training. It sounds a bit uncivil but is best for dog and owner. Many dogs end up loving the crate as a safe place. Get a bigger crate than you need but make it smaller by putting some boxes in it. The dog wont want to sh%t where it sleeps. You need to take the dog out every 2 hours and take it outside immnediately. Always praise postive behavior! In a week or less it will learn that it goes outside if you stick to it. When you take it out to play the first week it must be 100% supervised and as soon as it tries to go inside you say NO and take it outside. Dont leave the dog outside during training as it wont get the discipline part.

Here’s one last tip: When we got our cocker spaniel we hung a bell on a string from our front door. We found a dog shaped leather thingee with 2 jingle bells on it fittingly enough. Every time we took her out during the training period we took were paw and rang the bell with it. Within 2 weeks she associated going out with ringing the bell. Not only was she completely house trained but she would ring the bell anytime she wanted to go out. People who came to our house were amazed by this stupid pet trick. It was very easy to do.

As you probably remember, I had to put her down about a year and 1/2 ago. I think I may still have the bell. If you are interested, I’ll see if I can find it.

[sdrealtor]

OX
I recommend crate training. It sounds a bit uncivil but is best for dog and owner. Many dogs end up loving the crate as a safe place. Get a bigger crate than you need but make it smaller by putting some boxes in it. The dog wont want to sh%t where it sleeps. You need to take the dog out every 2 hours and take it outside immnediately. Always praise postive behavior! In a week or less it will learn that it goes outside if you stick to it. When you take it out to play the first week it must be 100% supervised and as soon as it tries to go inside you say NO and take it outside. Dont leave the dog outside during training as it wont get the discipline part.

Here’s one last tip: When we got our cocker spaniel we hung a bell on a string from our front door. We found a dog shaped leather thingee with 2 jingle bells on it fittingly enough. Every time we took her out during the training period we took were paw and rang the bell with it. Within 2 weeks she associated going out with ringing the bell. Not only was she completely house trained but she would ring the bell anytime she wanted to go out. People who came to our house were amazed by this stupid pet trick. It was very easy to do.

As you probably remember, I had to put her down about a year and 1/2 ago. I think I may still have the bell. If you are interested, I’ll see if I can find it.

[sdrealtor]

OX
I recommend crate training. It sounds a bit uncivil but is best for dog and owner. Many dogs end up loving the crate as a safe place. Get a bigger crate than you need but make it smaller by putting some boxes in it. The dog wont want to sh%t where it sleeps. You need to take the dog out every 2 hours and take it outside immnediately. Always praise postive behavior! In a week or less it will learn that it goes outside if you stick to it. When you take it out to play the first week it must be 100% supervised and as soon as it tries to go inside you say NO and take it outside. Dont leave the dog outside during training as it wont get the discipline part.

Here’s one last tip: When we got our cocker spaniel we hung a bell on a string from our front door. We found a dog shaped leather thingee with 2 jingle bells on it fittingly enough. Every time we took her out during the training period we took were paw and rang the bell with it. Within 2 weeks she associated going out with ringing the bell. Not only was she completely house trained but she would ring the bell anytime she wanted to go out. People who came to our house were amazed by this stupid pet trick. It was very easy to do.

As you probably remember, I had to put her down about a year and 1/2 ago. I think I may still have the bell. If you are interested, I’ll see if I can find it.

[sdrealtor]

OX
I recommend crate training. It sounds a bit uncivil but is best for dog and owner. Many dogs end up loving the crate as a safe place. Get a bigger crate than you need but make it smaller by putting some boxes in it. The dog wont want to sh%t where it sleeps. You need to take the dog out every 2 hours and take it outside immnediately. Always praise postive behavior! In a week or less it will learn that it goes outside if you stick to it. When you take it out to play the first week it must be 100% supervised and as soon as it tries to go inside you say NO and take it outside. Dont leave the dog outside during training as it wont get the discipline part.

Here’s one last tip: When we got our cocker spaniel we hung a bell on a string from our front door. We found a dog shaped leather thingee with 2 jingle bells on it fittingly enough. Every time we took her out during the training period we took were paw and rang the bell with it. Within 2 weeks she associated going out with ringing the bell. Not only was she completely house trained but she would ring the bell anytime she wanted to go out. People who came to our house were amazed by this stupid pet trick. It was very easy to do.

As you probably remember, I had to put her down about a year and 1/2 ago. I think I may still have the bell. If you are interested, I’ll see if I can find it.

[sdduuuude]

[quote=sdrealtor]… she would ring the bell anytime she wanted to go out.[/quote]

The dog obviously read “How to Train Your Human”

[sdduuuude]

[quote=sdrealtor]… she would ring the bell anytime she wanted to go out.[/quote]

The dog obviously read “How to Train Your Human”

[sdduuuude]

[quote=sdrealtor]… she would ring the bell anytime she wanted to go out.[/quote]

The dog obviously read “How to Train Your Human”

[sdduuuude]

[quote=sdrealtor]… she would ring the bell anytime she wanted to go out.[/quote]

The dog obviously read “How to Train Your Human”

[sdduuuude]

[quote=sdrealtor]… she would ring the bell anytime she wanted to go out.[/quote]

The dog obviously read “How to Train Your Human”

[SK in CV]

[quote=martink110] I got my puppy at 5 weeks, no problem with potty training. Some breeds are ‘cleaner’ than others. ([/quote]

I agree completely that some breeds are cleaner than others. My big Akita, as dumb as he is, is like a cat. Festidious about his grooming. Perfers walking on the clean floor inside than on dirt. That’s one of many behavior problems with many terriers, they don’t seem to give a shit where they shit.

On the 5 week thing. Housebreaking is only 1 of the many many possible problems. Generally, 5 weeks is just way too early. Puppies learn NOTHING the first 3 or 4 weeks of life. Half of that, their eyes aren’t even open. They eat, eliminate and sleep. Then learn how to walk, run and that’s about it. All of their socialization learning comes after 4 weeks. They learn to vocalize and what their various vocalizations mean to other dogs. They learn about canine hierarchy. What I call doggy manners. This is a key component in how a dog will relate to you, other members of your household, other people and other dogs. It is stuff that is virtually impossible to teach outside of the litter setting.

Dogs separated at 5 weeks, as compared to those separated at 8 weeks or later, tend to be skittish, very hard to socialize with other dogs or pets, agressive towards strangers, not good with small children, and often inconsistent in learning desired behaviors because they have an incomplete imprinting of hierarchial standards. They also tend to lick incessantly.

It’s not an absolute. There are dogs separated at 5 weeks with none of these behavior problems. And some owners will never notice them as problems. But the likelihood of problems is so much greater, there is simply no good reason to ever take the risk. (As a disclaimer here, I have to admit, my assistant dog was separated at some time before 5 weeks. She was a rescue from the mean streets of Rosarito, where she was abandoned. She is a good dog, but has many of these undesirable traits. I can’t trust her alone with small children. Can’t take her to a dog park. Has no clue where she fits into her pack. If she hadn’t been rescued by the daughter of a former dog trainer, I doubt she would have survived.)

[SK in CV]

[quote=martink110] I got my puppy at 5 weeks, no problem with potty training. Some breeds are ‘cleaner’ than others. ([/quote]

I agree completely that some breeds are cleaner than others. My big Akita, as dumb as he is, is like a cat. Festidious about his grooming. Perfers walking on the clean floor inside than on dirt. That’s one of many behavior problems with many terriers, they don’t seem to give a shit where they shit.

On the 5 week thing. Housebreaking is only 1 of the many many possible problems. Generally, 5 weeks is just way too early. Puppies learn NOTHING the first 3 or 4 weeks of life. Half of that, their eyes aren’t even open. They eat, eliminate and sleep. Then learn how to walk, run and that’s about it. All of their socialization learning comes after 4 weeks. They learn to vocalize and what their various vocalizations mean to other dogs. They learn about canine hierarchy. What I call doggy manners. This is a key component in how a dog will relate to you, other members of your household, other people and other dogs. It is stuff that is virtually impossible to teach outside of the litter setting.

Dogs separated at 5 weeks, as compared to those separated at 8 weeks or later, tend to be skittish, very hard to socialize with other dogs or pets, agressive towards strangers, not good with small children, and often inconsistent in learning desired behaviors because they have an incomplete imprinting of hierarchial standards. They also tend to lick incessantly.

It’s not an absolute. There are dogs separated at 5 weeks with none of these behavior problems. And some owners will never notice them as problems. But the likelihood of problems is so much greater, there is simply no good reason to ever take the risk. (As a disclaimer here, I have to admit, my assistant dog was separated at some time before 5 weeks. She was a rescue from the mean streets of Rosarito, where she was abandoned. She is a good dog, but has many of these undesirable traits. I can’t trust her alone with small children. Can’t take her to a dog park. Has no clue where she fits into her pack. If she hadn’t been rescued by the daughter of a former dog trainer, I doubt she would have survived.)

[SK in CV]

[quote=martink110] I got my puppy at 5 weeks, no problem with potty training. Some breeds are ‘cleaner’ than others. ([/quote]

I agree completely that some breeds are cleaner than others. My big Akita, as dumb as he is, is like a cat. Festidious about his grooming. Perfers walking on the clean floor inside than on dirt. That’s one of many behavior problems with many terriers, they don’t seem to give a shit where they shit.

On the 5 week thing. Housebreaking is only 1 of the many many possible problems. Generally, 5 weeks is just way too early. Puppies learn NOTHING the first 3 or 4 weeks of life. Half of that, their eyes aren’t even open. They eat, eliminate and sleep. Then learn how to walk, run and that’s about it. All of their socialization learning comes after 4 weeks. They learn to vocalize and what their various vocalizations mean to other dogs. They learn about canine hierarchy. What I call doggy manners. This is a key component in how a dog will relate to you, other members of your household, other people and other dogs. It is stuff that is virtually impossible to teach outside of the litter setting.

Dogs separated at 5 weeks, as compared to those separated at 8 weeks or later, tend to be skittish, very hard to socialize with other dogs or pets, agressive towards strangers, not good with small children, and often inconsistent in learning desired behaviors because they have an incomplete imprinting of hierarchial standards. They also tend to lick incessantly.

It’s not an absolute. There are dogs separated at 5 weeks with none of these behavior problems. And some owners will never notice them as problems. But the likelihood of problems is so much greater, there is simply no good reason to ever take the risk. (As a disclaimer here, I have to admit, my assistant dog was separated at some time before 5 weeks. She was a rescue from the mean streets of Rosarito, where she was abandoned. She is a good dog, but has many of these undesirable traits. I can’t trust her alone with small children. Can’t take her to a dog park. Has no clue where she fits into her pack. If she hadn’t been rescued by the daughter of a former dog trainer, I doubt she would have survived.)

[SK in CV]

[quote=martink110] I got my puppy at 5 weeks, no problem with potty training. Some breeds are ‘cleaner’ than others. ([/quote]

I agree completely that some breeds are cleaner than others. My big Akita, as dumb as he is, is like a cat. Festidious about his grooming. Perfers walking on the clean floor inside than on dirt. That’s one of many behavior problems with many terriers, they don’t seem to give a shit where they shit.

On the 5 week thing. Housebreaking is only 1 of the many many possible problems. Generally, 5 weeks is just way too early. Puppies learn NOTHING the first 3 or 4 weeks of life. Half of that, their eyes aren’t even open. They eat, eliminate and sleep. Then learn how to walk, run and that’s about it. All of their socialization learning comes after 4 weeks. They learn to vocalize and what their various vocalizations mean to other dogs. They learn about canine hierarchy. What I call doggy manners. This is a key component in how a dog will relate to you, other members of your household, other people and other dogs. It is stuff that is virtually impossible to teach outside of the litter setting.

Dogs separated at 5 weeks, as compared to those separated at 8 weeks or later, tend to be skittish, very hard to socialize with other dogs or pets, agressive towards strangers, not good with small children, and often inconsistent in learning desired behaviors because they have an incomplete imprinting of hierarchial standards. They also tend to lick incessantly.

It’s not an absolute. There are dogs separated at 5 weeks with none of these behavior problems. And some owners will never notice them as problems. But the likelihood of problems is so much greater, there is simply no good reason to ever take the risk. (As a disclaimer here, I have to admit, my assistant dog was separated at some time before 5 weeks. She was a rescue from the mean streets of Rosarito, where she was abandoned. She is a good dog, but has many of these undesirable traits. I can’t trust her alone with small children. Can’t take her to a dog park. Has no clue where she fits into her pack. If she hadn’t been rescued by the daughter of a former dog trainer, I doubt she would have survived.)

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