Puppy Training 101 - Housebreaking

[dolmod]

DOL Training Guide for puppies: Housebreaking


No debating which technique is better or worse, just simple step by step guides from members for members.

[astinleigh]

We got beau at 12wks old. We sectioned off the living room from the rest of the house. We kept his leash on him at all times. Took him out after he ate, slept, drank and played.
He had an accident within an hour of coming home but we were right there and picked him up mid pee and took him outside where he finished his business. We crated him at night and for periods throughout the day (still do). We also slept on the couch in the living room for the first month or so. The first week I was up every 2-3 hours taking him out when hed whine.
Our results:
Day one- two accidents; pee, took him outside to finish, poo,took him outside to finish
Night one- pooped in crate
Day two- one accident,poo took him outside to finish
Night two- second and last accident in crate, pooped in crate
Day 8- bad mum award! I cuddled for a couple min after I took him out of the crate and he peed on the way to the door, took him out and finished.
There were a couple incidents of him going on the way to the door/the door mat/the step outside the door but we haven't had an accident since the 3rd week we had him.

He doesn't need to be on leash in the house any more but the living room is still sectioned off. If we can't pay full or nearly full attention to him he's in his crate. He doesn't whine at the door but he will run to it and stare at it. We also have a fairly good idea of when he'll need to go potty throughout the day. I believe the crate training really helped with him learning to hold it in
Not sure if its a Dane thing or just a Beau thing but housebreaking was easy peasy for us hth

[MyDaneBaby]

What has worked with me & my danes beginning when they come home is taking them out (carrying them) immediately after waking up, eating and 15 minutes after the last time. Each few days I increase the amount of time during out of the crate play time between potties. If the puppy does not potty on any of these outting they go back into their crate and after a period of quiet when they squawk I make a big deal about the squawk meaning they have to potty.

I allow no out of sight time, unless crated. I also do not let them nap out of their crate as it is too easy for them to wake up and me not hear them. If at any time we are not visual distance to the door and they start looking around I carry them out.

When they start going to the door themselves, I consider the battle won, though I understand that holding/staying power is not w/in their abilities for a while.

Having an accident or two is helpful so that you can let them know (loud clap and NO potty in the house and rush outside) that outside is not only preferable but required.

[Meatos]

Tethering the dog to you is a HUGE help. Crating when unsupervised is KEY.

It's also important to remember that puppies have a bladder the size of a grape. They need to be taken out every 20-30 minutes when they are out of the crate. Puppies need to potty immediately after eating, drinking, playing, sleeping. Over time, you can slowly increase the intervals between potty breaks.

I agree that having an accident or two is helpful, especially if you can interrupt them, get them outside, and praise them for finishing outside.

I also think it's important to teach a potty command. Scarlett's command is "let's go potties" and she will squat for a pee and/or take a dump right then and there. I taught this by saying "potties!" every time she peed or pooped outside. This was done especially in the mornings when she was just waking up and I knew that she would pee and poop. After a week or two, I just started saying "let's go potties" and she has been great about it ever since. Cuts down on the dawdling.

[daneowned]

We always take the pup outside immediately upon waking, right after eating and will even interrupt play time to run outside for potty break. They are pretty much in sight at all times. About every 20 mins or so they get taken out and it doesn't take long at all for them to catch on. Praise, praise, praise!

Martha

[Lady_of_Mason_Manor]

Accidents, Accidents

We have a 17 week old Dane and 2 chihuahua's. Our female chihuahua, Lucy, has *attention seeking* accidents when she is mad or left alone too long. I think our Dane, Imahna, is picking up this habit! Imahna sleeps in a small room, and though we do let her run around the house, she is usually in sight. Somehow, low and behold, she manages to have accidents anyway. A lot of the time, when we take her outside, she doesn't want to use the bathroom, just run around and play. We have a command, and sometimes it works, but others it doesn't. Any advice is welcome! I read the previous posts and I am going to start trying some of the tips, but the more the merrier!

Thanks!!!!

[Meatos]

Welcome!

I would tether Imanha (beautiful name) to you with a leash at all times. If you can't be supervising her, she should be crated. Tethering her to you will keep her focused on you and you can learn her signals.

Take Imanha out every 30-60 minutes and immediately after eating, drinking, sleeping, playing. Give lots of praise when she potties outside.

And work on getting to the root of your chi's attention-seeking behaviours.

[Lady_of_Mason_Manor]

Welcome!

I would tether Imanha (beautiful name) to you with a leash at all times. If you can't be supervising her, she should be crated. Tethering her to you will keep her focused on you and you can learn her signals.

Take Imanha out every 30-60 minutes and immediately after eating, drinking, sleeping, playing. Give lots of praise when she potties outside.

And work on getting to the root of your chi's attention-seeking behaviours.

Thanks! My husband picked her name, it's modified from the prince on "Coming to America." LOL. It's his favorite movie.

I will try tethering. We have been outside most of the morning and as soon as my husband came home for lunch, she went inside (door was open) and had an 'accident.' Driving me crazy! LOL. Right now, she is down for the count! (She sleeps for really long times, LOL)

As for Lucy and her 'issues', it's a combination of things. She will go outside, she just has no inclination to hold it. She has done this since she was a puppy. She is really timid (she was attacked by a large dog) and she stays hidden most of the time, especially since Imahna always wants to play and she doesn't. She has a mind all her own. She doesn't have the accidents when we are there, they are usually at night or when we have been gone for long periods of time. She is also a 'nervous' pee-er. We have tried giving her treats when she goes outside, encouragement, etc to no avail. All of my babies are very spoiled and I make time for each of them every day to help them not be so jealous of each other but I've had very little luck with Lucy and her 'accidents'! LOL.

Thanks for your help!

[ErinMarie]

im so confused!

we have a 4 month old dane baby - Morgan . She is housebroken - but not crate "broken". She will ring a bell to go outside and will keep ringing if you don't take her out within 1 second - very impatient.

Anyway, we have always used the leash and crate to train her, but she doesn't hold it very long in the crate. (She has never pooped in the crate.) I think it may be from leaving her in there too long when we had to work and couldn't move our schedules on some days.

I know she's only 4 months old and cannot be expected to hold it all day but even a few hours? How long should she hold it?

She does like to pee frequently and she has already been on antibiotics in case it was from an infection - but that hasn't helped much.

How can I get her to stop peeing in her crate? She goes in there willingly and it is not a punishment.

[Keeps]

The crate may be too big for her. If she is more confined that may help. Try sectioning off part of the crate so she has room to turn around but not enough to walk around.

[ErinMarie]

i think that was the problem in the first place, now she is too big to divide the crate. She has no problem laying in her own urine or stepping in poop outside - i don't get it!

[isa aldawolfa]

we have a 4 month old dane baby - Morgan . She is housebroken - but not crate "broken". She will ring a bell to go outside and will keep ringing if you don't take her out within 1 second - very impatient.

Anyway, we have always used the leash and crate to train her, but she doesn't hold it very long in the crate. (She has never pooped in the crate.) I think it may be from leaving her in there too long when we had to work and couldn't move our schedules on some days.

I know she's only 4 months old and cannot be expected to hold it all day but even a few hours? How long should she hold it?

She does like to pee frequently and she has already been on antibiotics in case it was from an infection - but that hasn't helped much.

How can I get her to stop peeing in her crate? She goes in there willingly and it is not a punishment.

what is the longest she has gone without peeing in her crate?

[rbberu]

I am having one heck of a time housetraining Gaby. She just turned 6 months this past week, and I am ready to pull my hair out.

We got her when she was 4 months old. She had only ever been outside at her BYBs home. So, I thought, "hey, she's an outside dog, she will LOVE to pee and poop outside". WRONG. Since we've had her, she has only gone poop outside twice. I've cleaned up more piles of crap then I thought possible. I can walk her for an hour outside first thing in the morning and as soon as we walk in the door, she pees and poops. She will go pee outside first thing, but its like she only pees half of what is in her bladder. Its like she is saving the rest for inside. Needless to say, I will have to replace the carpet inside once this is over.

We've tried crating her, we've tried keeping a leash on her when we are here. I work from home, so its easy for me to take her out frequently. Nothing is working.

She is a sweet dog, but this is becoming a very big issue. I don't know how much more patience my husband has at this point. When our Lab Molly was a pup, we had issues with housetraining, but nothing to this extent.

Any ideas??? She and Molly get really excited when they hear "outside", and she will go running to the door, but she just wont let me know anytime she needs to go. I am use to Molly coming to me and looking like come on lets go! Gaby is a sneaky little devil and we've never caught her in the act.

[teach1rusl]

We got her when she was 4 months old. She had only ever been outside at her BYBs home. So, I thought, "hey, she's an outside dog, she will LOVE to pee and poop outside". WRONG. Since we've had her, she has only gone poop outside twice. I've cleaned up more piles of crap then I thought possible. I can walk her for an hour outside first thing in the morning and as soon as we walk in the door, she pees and poops. She will go pee outside first thing, but its like she only pees half of what is in her bladder. Its like she is saving the rest for inside. Needless to say, I will have to replace the carpet inside once this is over.

Sounds like, even though she's 6 months old and doesn't LOOK like a puppy, you're going to have to train her as if she was 10 weeks old. She's either right there with you on a leash (inside the house), or she's in her crate. After naps, after meals, in the middle of play, take her out to "Go Potty" in an encouraging, exciting tone of voice. Keep good, smelly treats with you at all times, and give her one as soon as she potties outside with a gushing "Good Potty." If she's with you on leash or in her crate, there should be no sneaking. Since she is older, I'll bet she'll learn quickly, although you will have to be sure to be very consistant with her. Really, almost all dog accidents and misbehaviors are OUR fault, not their's, because WE'RE the ones who are inconsistant w/routines and rewards. You can do it, and so can Gaby!

[rk05]

OK, so Ozzy will be 13 weeks this Saturday and is still having accidents in the house(pee only). We have a bell on the door and hit it (he won't do it yet) when we got out. He sometimes will go to the door when he has to poop but has not done it yet to pee. When we are home he is out of his crate unless we can't watch him. While watching him he will stop doing whatever it is he is doing and start peeing! Should we not have him out of his crate as much or just keep taking him outside every 20mins or so?