# potty training



## mikeb (Mar 11, 2009)

trying to train george to go on pan. Working with poop but not pee.


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## RikiDaisyDixie (Apr 15, 2008)

*house training...*

How To Housebreak
by
Gloria S. Dittmann (c)

This article is meant as a companion piece to my article 
HOW TO CRATE TRAIN. The assumption is that those who
are reading this article are crate training their puppies, 
as the crate is an integral part of proper housetraining.

When housebreaking your puppy, two facts must be kept in 
mind. The first that that although the need to keep the den 
clean is instinctive, the puppy has no idea that your entire
house is now his den. It is your responsibility to show 
puppy that the entire house is now the puppy's den and the 
puppy is expected to keep the den clean.

The next fact is that puppies, when it comes to bladder and 
bowel control, are not much different from human infants. Puppies have 
small bladders and bowels at first and virtually NO muscle 
control. While a puppy may intellectually understand the 
housebreaking philosophy within 2-3 weeks, his body takes a 
lot longer to mature to the point where puppy has the 
physical control needed to be clean in the house under all 
conditions. Do not ask, nor expect, a puppy to 'hold it' 
longer than is physically possible for that puppy.

A 3 month old puppy is virtually incapable of going for 
6-8 hours at a time without eliminating even once. If you 
have a full-time job that will keep you out and the puppy crated for 
prolonged periods of time (longer than 3-4 hours), you 
should make arrangements for someone to come in mid-day to 
let puppy out for some exercise and to be able to eliminate.
If this is not possible, you can use an exercise pen (a 
free-standing playpen for dogs) attached to the crate or you 
may place the crate inside the playpen. This 
way, the puppy can sleep in the crate and then exit into the
exercise pen to get some exercise and to eliminate. Be sure 
to place the pen and crate away from walls or 
draperies...puppies LOVE to chew on moldings, plaster and 
drapery fabric!

Now, when puppy first comes home, remember 
that puppies MUST eliminate within 15 minutes after eating, 
immediately after drinking water, immediately upon waking, 
when excited (when company comes, for example or puppy is 
startled by a sudden, loud noise) and during and after play sessions. 
Be sure to take puppy out at these times until you learn 
your puppy's individual needs and schedule. Also keep in 
mind that it takes approximately 2-3 hours for a puppy to 
digest a meal. If you feed your puppy breakfast at 7am and 
then crate it, it is going to have to eliminate by 11am or 
noon at the latest. Keep this in mind when planning your 
crating sessions.

Now, until puppy begins to understand what
is expected of him in terms of housebreaking, it is up to 
the human family members to keep a very close eye on puppy. 
Be sure puppy is always with you except when puppy is 
crated. Puppies will usually give a signal to indicate they 
have to eliminate. They will walk with their noses to the 
ground while sniffing for a likely spot; walk in a circle; 
get 'that look' in their eyes that tells you what is coming.
Close observation of your puppy will soon let you know what 
your pup's individual signal is. When you see it...get puppy
outside as quickly as possible! Take puppy to the same spot 
in the yard each time you take him out, and use a key word 
command such as "DUTY! Do your DUTY!" or whatever word you 
choose to use each time puppy goes. This way, he will begin 
to associate the word with the action and before long, he 
will eliminate on command.

When puppy eliminates, praise him! LOTS of praise! 
Never let puppy out alone to eliminate!
He needs you there to keep him company and to praise him as 
soon as he performs properly. Sometimes it may take puppy a 
while to sniff around and explore before he goes. BE 
PATIENT! Too often people give up after about 15 minutes, 
come in and whammo! Puppy immediately goes on the floor or 
carpeting! You are just not giving puppy enough time 
outside. Puppies have virtually no attention span at this 
age and their memory spans are non-existent as well. They 
need some gentle encouragement to keep their minds on what 
they should be doing. Try not to make this time playtime as 
this will also distract puppy. If you know puppy has to go but
puppy is fooling around and you run out of patience, come back 
inside and place puppy in the crate for 10-15 minutes. Then carry
puppy back outside to the usual spot and wait again. Chances are,
puppy will do his business this time, however if he fails to eliminate
once again, put him back in the crate for another 10-15 minutes and 
then take him back outside and try again.

If puppy does have an 
accident in the house and you do not catch him in the act, do 
NOT punish him! Even if you come in 30 seconds later, let it go. As previously 
stated, puppies have little or no memory span at this age. A
puppy will not associate a scolding or spanking (and it is 
NEVER necessary to spank a puppy for having an accident or for any other reason!)with what happened 30 seconds or 30 minutes ago. Oh, he will
act guilty and contrite, but that is only because he is 
reacting to your body language. Dogs are masters at reading 
the most subtle body language signals we give off almost 
subconsciously. This is how dogs communicate with each 
other, so it is not surprising that they use this talent to 
'read' us as well!

Rubbing a puppy's nose in his mess is an 
old wives tale which does NOT work. All this does is 
confuse the puppy and possibly cause him to resent you for 
what he thinks of as your unreasonable behavior. If you do 
catch the puppy about to have an accident or having one, 
immediately growl "NO! BAD PUPPY!!", pick him UP and rush 
him outside to a spot he is used to going. Now, he is going 
to be very startled by this unexpected development and will
temporarily stop what he was doing or about to do. Just be 
there with him and quietly, in a friendly tone of voice, 
give the word command you are using. Once he does settle 
down and finish what he started, praise him lavishly! Then 
clean the area he soiled inside with a good enzyme 
deodorizer/cleaner.

These products use enzymes to literally 
eat the odor-causing molecules found in all organic matter. 
Conventional cleaners such as Lysol, etc. use perfumes to 
cover up the old urine scent...but only to human noses! 
Canine schnozzes have no trouble at all detecting old urine 
sites. Use of an enzyme product stops this cyclical behavior
(going back to the old site to eliminate) by completely 
eliminating the old scents.

By closely following this program, your puppy should have 
the basics of housebreaking down within a few weeks, although 
each puppy is an individual and will progress according to his own internal 
body schedule. If your puppy is having trouble with VERY 
frequent urination or frequent, loose stool, check with your
vet. Any time a dog's bladder and/or bowel habits change 
suddenly and radically and stay that way for longer than 
about 24 hours, you should check with your vet as well.

And please remember that your puppy is really not much different
from a human infant. Like a baby, a puppy has to be mature 
enough, mentally and physically, in order to completely 
control itself in the house. Be patient with that new 
pup...he has a lot of learning and growing to do in a very 
short period of time! Love and lots of patience will have 
that pup turning into the best dog you've ever owned in no 
time at all!

(c) Copyright 1995 - 2008 Gloria S. Dittmann. All Rights
Reserved. Any reproduction, in whole or in 
part, in any medium without the express permission of the 
author is strictly prohibited. For reprint information and 
permission, please contact the author via e-mail at [email protected]


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## RikiDaisyDixie (Apr 15, 2008)

*crate training...the second half*

HOW TO CRATE TRAIN YOUR PUPPY
BY: GLORIA S. DITTMAN (Havanese owner and dog lover extraordinaire)

New puppy owners often worry about the best way to housebreak the puppy or how to keep the puppy from damaging the household furnishings or how to keep the puppy safe when they are out of the house and puppy is left alone. All of these problems can be eliminated with the use of a crate.

Using a crate is NOT cruel. It is viewed as by the dog as a den, which dogs in their wild state slept in for hundreds of thousands of years. Modern dog maintains the "den instinct" which is why use of a crate is so effective in housebreaking. A dog will NOT soil where it sleeps. This is a throwback to the days when dogs were predators in the wild and needed safe places to sleep and rear their young. If they eliminated in the den, other predators would seek them out through the scent and prey upon the young and infirm. Thus, dogs will not soil their sleeping quarters IF they can possibly avoid doing so.

The trick is to make the sleeping area small enough so modern dog cannot use one end as a bathroom and the other end as a bedroom! A crate should be large enough so the dog can lie down and turn around in a tight circle. If it is big enough to lie down in, it will be big enough to sit in. Crates can cost anywhere from $30 to $200 and up, depending on your budget. If you have a puppy that will grow into a large dog, I suggest buying a full-size crate and using a piece of plywood or other material to block off a section for puppy. This can be expanded as puppy grows.

CRATES MUST NEVER BE USED TO PUNISH! The dog has to look on the crate as his special place where he is safe and happy. Many breeders crate train their puppies from the time they leave the whelping box. If you are purchasing your puppy from a breeder (STRONGLY RECOMMENDED!) ask if the puppy has been introduced to the crate. Before bringing puppy home take a blanket or towel to the breeder and ask to put this item in with the litter at night. The blanket or towel will then be permeated with the litter/mother scent and will make those first few nights we all dread much easier.

When puppy comes home it should take all of its naps in the crate and sleep there at night. The crate should also be used ANY time the humans in the house are too busy to keep an eye on puppy. The remainder of the time, the puppy should be in the company of its' new owners, being cuddled, played with, socialized and generally reassured that it is loved and cared for in its new home.

Keep in mind that puppies MUST relieve themselves BEFORE and within 15 minutes AFTER EATING, IMMEDIATELY UPON DRINKING ANY WATER, and AFTER PLAY AND IMMEDIATELY UPON WAKING. Take pup outside according to the schedule at first. NEVER PUT PUPPY OUT BY HIMSELF! It just doesn't work. Let puppy walk where it wants and as soon as it relieves itself outside PRAISE IT! Bring puppy back in when you are SURE it has finished. Sometimes you know puppy has to go but puppy is fooling around. WAIT! Don't bring puppy in before it has done its business - that is just asking for an accident and puppy will be happy to oblige!

Each time you put puppy in the crate PRAISE IT and give it a treat. NEVER let puppy out of the crate when it is making noise such as whining, crying or barking. Correct it by saying "NO! BAD PUPPY!" And only when it has quieted should you let it out, with a "GOOD PUPPY!" If you let puppy out while it is making noise you are teaching it that making noise will get it attention and companionship, which is what it wants in the first place! This mixed message will be particularly difficult to straighten out in the middle of the night, when YOU want to sleep and puppy wants to PARTY! So be firm right from the start. Let puppy out ONLY if it is quiet and NEVER once you have put it in the crate for the night.

Remember that puppy is going to be missing its Mom and littermates NO MATTER WHERE IT SLEEPS and this includes YOUR bed, which I don't recommend unless you sleep on rubber sheets in a boat! So, keeping in mind that puppy will be upset whether he is in the kitchen, piddling on the floor and chewing the cabinets, or in the crate, PUT HIM IN THE CRATE! At least he will only be making lots of noise and not redecorating your house in Early Destructo style! Many people put the crate in their bedroom where they can reassure puppy during the night. Some people prefer to put the crate, for the first few nights, where they won't hear puppy crying. There is nothing wrong with either plan although if puppy persists in crying if placed in another room, putting the crate next to the bed where puppy can know you are near will most likely soothe the puppy and make crate training easier on you both.

However, once you have put puppy in the crate for the night, do NOT let him out unless you are fairly certain he has to eliminate. If puppy starts to cry shortly after being placed in the crate and you know it has just eliminated, give it a verbal correction at once (NO! BAD PUPPY! QUIET!). Repeat if necessary until puppy settles down. If you let puppy out of the crate every time it cries, it will never learn to accept the crate.

When preparing puppy for being crated all night it is best not to feed puppy or give anything to drink after about 6-7pm, unless it is very hot outside. It takes about 2-4 hours for a puppy to digest food and water. Exercise puppy LOTS in the evening. Wear the puppy out. Take puppy out as late as possible (11pm works well). Take your time for this last outing of the night. Be absolutely certain puppy is EMPTY before putting it in the crate. Put puppy in the crate with towels, the security blanket and the old stand-bys, a loud ticking clock, or a hot water bottle, or a stuffed animal with eyes, nose, etc. removed first. Praise puppy, say goodnight and go to bed.

As a general rule DO NOT GO BACK TO PUPPY UNTIL ATL EAST 3:30 OR 4AM. By then puppy probably will have to go out for real. Puppy bladders and bowels are just not mature enough to hold it much longer than that. However, some puppies simply cannot go longer then 2-3 hours, even at night, without urinating. If the puppy persists in crying and has been crated for at least 2 hours, assume it has to eliminate and take it outside. Keep these sessions short and quiet. DO NOT socialize with the puppy and once it has eliminated, take it right back inside and crate it again. The early mornings come with puppy territory, like a 2am feedings and babies. By about 5 months (or before) the puppy's bladder should start to mature and puppy will start sleeping later. But for now all you can do is grin and bear it!

When you take puppy out at the uncivilized hour do so with a minimum of conversation. Puppy should know that this is NOT playtime. When he does his business outside PRAISE HIM as usual and bring him right back in, put him back in the crate and go back to bed. Don't go back to him now, either. Puppy should be fine now until you are ready to get up at your regular time. Just remember: Once you have put puppy in the crate don't go back to him for at least 2 hours. If you do, you are teaching him that making lots of noise will get him what he wants - your company. Puppy must learn that nights are for sleeping and his sleeping place is the crate. Once he learns this lesson - and it will only take about 2-4 nights - he will begin to look on the crate as his special place.

Eventually, as he becomes more accustomed to it, he will look on the crate as a refuge where he can get away from running kids, crazy cats, out-of-control vacuum cleaners or whatever inhabits his little bit of the world with him. One day you will look for puppy and find him, curled up in the crate where he went by himself to catch a few zzz's! Once you have used the crate properly - NEVER TO PUNISH! - Your house will be safe from "puppy destructo raids" and your puppy will be safe from the myriad dangers that lie in wait for lonely, bored and curious puppies such as: chicken bones or other inedible "treats" from the garbage; chocolate left in reach of dogs which is a poison to dogs; electric wires that could electrocute a puppy if chewed; cleaning solutions; toilet bowl cleaners; poisonous house plants; small toys or socks that could be swallowed&#8230;. I could go on and on!

So please, use that crate! You will wonder how you ever survived without one and your puppy will have a SAFE place to be when left alone. Please remember that puppies are like babies when it comes to bladder and bowel control. Don't ask puppy to "hold it" longer than is physically comfortable for puppy and try not to leave a dog crated longer than 5-6 hours at a time during the day if you can avoid doing so.

AND PLEASE ALWAYS REMEMBER: PUPPIES AND DOGS ARE NOT DISPOSABLE!

·· Copyright 1989-2004 Gloria S. Dittman All Rights Reserved Any Reproduction, in whole or in part, in any medium whatsoever, without the express permission of the author is strictly prohibited. For reprint information and permission please contact the author via e-mail at [email protected].


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## mikeb (Mar 11, 2009)

Thanks for the info. I read it and printed it. I read it to george too so we should be ok lol.


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## Redorr (Feb 2, 2008)

Mike - not sure if you got this message before or not: Some dogs won't pee and poop in the same place. Lola is one. If I wanted her to use litter or pee pads for both, I'd need two set up. She just won't do double duty!


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## RikiDaisyDixie (Apr 15, 2008)

*Anne, I think it is a girl thing...*

When we went to Eukanuba there are many dog and little places to go "fresh." Riki just went right over another dogs and did his business as well.

I had to walk Daisy for a half a mile until she found a fresh zone to go. Girls are so much more particular! A boy dog is pretty happy to go on command eventually.

Guide dogs are trained to only go on command. How cool is that?


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