# Please help me train 3 yr havanese to use UgoDog



## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

Henry is pee-pad trained right now.

And I bought the UgoDog because I thought it might be cleaner overall for the household. 

I need help getting him interested in it to use for pee-pee's.
I removed his pee-pad and left this in it's place and Henry pee'd next to it on the fbathroom floor.

In the past, if there is not a pee-pad down Henry will go on the bathmat, so he is clearly accustomed to something on the floor that he can go on.

Any suggestions on how I get get Henry to use the new device?

PS; I even rubbed some of his pee-pee's from the pee-pad on the to grates of the UgoDog so he would smell it and get the hint.


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## mintchip (Apr 19, 2007)

When you go for walks--how is Henry in regards to grates? My friend's hav will *NEVER* walk on a grate.They could put his favorite treat in the world on one but he won't walk on it to get the treat.
They use a litter box for that reason.


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## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

Interesting thought. i can not really think of any instance where he has come across grates or grills on the ground.

I did try to have "Fun" with the UgoDog.: I moved it into my bedroom, put a favorite toy on top of it, and told him to get the toy.
After some coaxing he did retrieve the item, with a yummy treat to follow.

I only did this one day - do not want to get him thinking the item is a toy with a treat, but just to get him to get near the thing.


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

mintchip said:


> When you go for walks--how is Henry in regards to grates? My friend's hav will *NEVER* walk on a grate.They could put his favorite treat in the world on one but he won't walk on it to get the treat.
> They use a litter box for that reason.


Good point! The area I walk my dogs in has tons of weird grates and metal covers in the sidewalk and I play hell trying to get them comfortable going over them!


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## luv3havs (Jul 27, 2007)

My Cali was terrified of grates and I'm sure she'd never use it.

I conditioned her to not be so frightened, but she still avoids them


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## Pixiesmom (Jul 31, 2008)

Why don't you just place the pee pad in the Ugodog under the grates? Don't give up-it may take a while. The grates are really small and soft on it, so I don't think he'd fear them.
I took Pixie on vacation and she used the Ugo inside the house and peed on the grass at the rest stops, so I fully believe these dogs are smart and can make the connection. Good luck!


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## miko (May 28, 2008)

Both our boys use the UgoDogs. We have two of them side by side. In the beginning, we had to watch them carefully and when we sense they need to go, carry them to the UgoDogs really fast and tell them to potty there. We needed to help them associate the grate to restroom area. If they do, we will reward and praise them. 

Now, Milo is great with it. Miko, however, been really bad lately, and he often pees right next to it. It is very frustrating! The weird thing is that when we brought them to a hotel in Toronto, they were both perfect. No accidents at all. But back at home, Miko is hit or miss. He definitely knows he should be going on the grates. Maybe he doesn't want to share with Milo?


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## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

I am currently having a stand-off with Henry.

It is now 2:30 PM here on the east coast. I know for a fact he had not pee'd since this morning.
I have tried to play-him-to-exhaustion so he would pee.
And also tried to let him nap a bit so he would wake up and have to pee.

So, I have him cornered in the living room with me and every 15 minutes I bring him to the UgoDog.
I will add the pee-pad to the under the grid area with some sticking out, so he can at least recognize it.

will let you all know how it goes.


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## Janizona (Oct 17, 2006)

I am raising my second litter using the Ugo and I LOVE it. No more shredded piddle pads like in the past years. I do use piddle pads under the grates to absorb the urine and I just change the pad daily. I've never tried to get an adult to use it tho. 

How about putting the piddle pad in the tray without the grates. Once he's using the pad in the tray, add just one grate (mine has 2 grates) so half is pad and half is grate. Let that go for a week and see how it goes.


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## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

Janizona: Great idea.
I will place the piddle pad in the tray with no grates . . . .
It is now 5:00PM on the east coast, Henry has still not gone since this morning . . . let's see what happens . . . .


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## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

well, around 6PM when I wasn't looking Henry ran into the bathroom and made pee-pee's on the floor.
I will continue to try to train him with this . . .


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## Manhattan Guy (Jul 9, 2009)

gelbergirl said:


> well, around 6PM when I wasn't looking Henry ran into the bathroom and made pee-pee's on the floor.
> I will continue to try to train him with this . . .


Hi. I have a 10 week old who just came home 5 days ago. i am training him to use the Ugodog and experiencing some of the same frustrations you wrote about here Gelbergirl. The last post was 6 weeks ago,. This very patient guy is looking for some encouragement and perhaps some advise , assuming this story has a happy ending. please let me know. Thanks


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## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

hi ManhatGuy, well , a 10 week old has his separate challenges. He's a little baby and learning so much each day, and especially strengthening and developing his bladder muscles.

Some of the folks who responded to me offered some good advice so read through the thread. I eventually gave up with Henry but I am going to try to again in a few weeks . . . .


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## Manhattan Guy (Jul 9, 2009)

I actually forgot he was older than a pup. Sorry - I'm not discouraged. I'm quite determined to have him trained especially since he is doing great with crate and ex pen. Thanks.


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## Janizona (Oct 17, 2006)

a 10 week old puppy should have a very small enclosed area with his UGO. At that age my pups have a 4'x4' square with water, bed and UGO and they are 100% with it but I raise them from a young age to use it. Was your puppy raised with a UGO or pads? If he's been raised on pads, remove one grate so he has 1/2 a pad to use. He'll get the idea of the UGO after a while.


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## Manhattan Guy (Jul 9, 2009)

Janizona said:


> a 10 week old puppy should have a very small enclosed area with his UGO. At that age my pups have a 4'x4' square with water, bed and UGO and they are 100% with it but I raise them from a young age to use it. Was your puppy raised with a UGO or pads? If he's been raised on pads, remove one grate so he has 1/2 a pad to use. He'll get the idea of the UGO after a while.


Hi Janet. Let me give you a little more information and let me know if it changes anything you wrote above...

I go back to teaching on Monday and will be gone 8 hours a day. i have been going out daily and increasing the time each day and he seems to be settling down quickly in his ex pen. Today we're up to 5 hours. I have his bed pad, the Ugodog, water and food bowl and toys/chews in there - it is 8 panel and set up at 5x3...... does that size work or make it smaller? He was not trained on a Ugodog by his breeder, just pads. He's getting it right about 405 of the time. He does ALWAYS run into the ex pen to go, just not usually on the Ugodog. I'm not discouraged at all. :gossip:


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

We use a litter box for Kodi rather than the Ugodog, as that is what his breeders, Pam and Tom King, had started him with. But the concept is similar. I found this article:

http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/errorless-housetraining

to be very helpful. We didn't follow it exactly, because Kodi already had a pretty solid grounding on litter box use when we got him. But for the first few weeks, we tried NEVER to take our eyes off him when he wasn't in his crate or ex-pen. He was absolutely reliable in the ex-pen and/or crate from the day we brought him home. We had a couple of (pee only) accidents outside the pen when we were transferring his potty skills from using the litter box to going outdoors when possible, and using the litter box when we couldn't take him out. (he had two boxes in the kitchen, as well as the one in the ex-pen) But even those I have to admit were times where we mis-read his signals, and they have stopped now. (I just counted, and I've been saying he's 18 weeks, but he's actually 17 weeks on Thurs) We still have to watch him pretty carefully when he's not in his pen, but it's because you never know what he'll get into next, not because of potty mistakes!

I think, though, if he's not 100% in his pen, you need to reduce the area that is available so that he has only his bed and the potty spot available. Then after he's really reliable with that set up for a couple of weeks, expand his area a little again and see how he does.

I think Tom King has a series of photos of how they start their puppies on litter box training here on the forum. The concept is the same, whether you're using a litter box or the Ugodog.


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## Janizona (Oct 17, 2006)

I'm not sure if you have typos or I just don't understand. Generally the 8 panel pens are 2' per panel. So either I set it up to a square 4x4 or to a rectangle 2x6. The ugo goes to one end and the bed to the other. If he's in his pen and not hitting the ugo then I'd make it smaller. It could be just that since he hasn't used the ugo before that he doesn't understand what it's for. I still suggest putting potty pads in the UGO and removing one grate so he can see and feel the pad that he is used to in part of the pan. Eventually his feet will get used to the grate on the other side and of course you'll be able to tell when the pad is wet on that half. 

Attached is a picture of the pen I have currently for one of my pups that I still have here. I open one panel when he's out playing so he can get back in to use the potty. Of course his water is right next to it as they go hand in hand!


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## Manhattan Guy (Jul 9, 2009)

I appreciate your help Janet. The typo was that he was "getting it right 40% of the time" My ex pen is no larger than yours. 8 panels of 2' each. I had it rectangular and changed it to a square yesterday (feels smaller even though still 16 square feet). Took out one grate panel on the UGO DOg after your post yesterday. I too keep the gate open when he is not in it so he can get back in to use the UgoDog and get food, water, rest, etc. He does go there to do his business but has not mastered it. But he is only 10 weeks old after all. Again, thanks Janet.


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## Manhattan Guy (Jul 9, 2009)

Well 3 days later and I thought I'd provide this update- mind you Atticus is 10 weeks old. I put the second grate back on the Ugo Dog almost immediately, after speaking with his breeder, as he was not especially diligent about either pads or newspapers. What I did do was decrease the size of the ex pen from a square of 16 square feet to an "L" shape of 12 square feet. This made all the difference in the world for him. His bed and toys were in one wing of the L with his water and food nearby and the Ugo Dog was in the other wing of the L, occupying almost the entire space of that wing. Immediately he got it. With one or two exceptions in 3 days he has consistently pooped and peed on the Ugo Dog - regardless of whether he is locked inside the ex pen or not. If out and about with us, he trots into the ex pen and goes. He is rewarded with a morsel of freeze dried beef liver for his efforts when successful. Today I noticed he pauses when done with his business, if I don't see him go, waiting for the liver. Ha! Smaller space for AF was the key to highly improved success. Thanks for the tips!


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## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

ManhGuy, glad to read it is working out.

I am thinking Henry might be too old to learn this, I can not see penning him into a small area at his age . . . .


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