I need puppy training advice

[DammitJanet]

Okay its been years since I have trained a dog and we have to remember I am somewhat limited in the snatch, grab and run for the door in mid urine stream method of catching a dog, I need some good ideas.

Right now I am feeding them outside and then not bringing them inside until after they have had plenty of time to to their business...at least an hour or two. I cant be out there with them or they just jump around my feet and try to eat my shoes and pant legs.

So far no poopsies in the house but two piddles. I caught Abby today and I couldnt get up fast enough to catch her in the act so I just stuck her nose in it and scolded her and tapped her nose. So far I dont have collars or leashes for them or even have their crate in the house. I need to get their crate inside but that means getting either Tony or Billy to bring it in.

Give me some more ideas.

 

[donna723]

Janet, you will get much better results if you use positive reinforcements instead of punishments with a puppy! You should concentrate on setting up a routine and reward the GOOD behavior with praise and treats rather than punishing the BAD behavior.

This site has some good suggestions.

http://www.wikihow.com/House-Train-a-Puppy

 

[InsaneCdn]

A good time to take them outside is after feeding... by about half an hour. Usually, that's about when they "need" to go. They will definitely do better with a consistent routine and schedule.

If you want to try something different... do NOT "feed" them, at least for one feeding of the day. Instead, make them "work" for every bite of kibble. Play the 'name game' (reward for looking up when you call pup's name). One day, reward every time they sit (no command, just reward sititng nice... they then come to understand that you "like" that behavior). On another day, reward every attempt to come in your direction, or lay down, or go kennel... you aren't teaching the commands, but rather, "telling" them what things please you.

 

[Hound dog]

I have a method that works well. I have no clue if it's what others do or not. I'm not going to tell you that you'll never have an accident, because they're babies and that's just gonna happen once in a while for whatever reason. I don't worry about accidents up to about 18 months........although normally a pup of mine is accident free by 8 wks at the latest. But there are times when you'll miss their signal for whatever reason.......or they'll play too long and need will be so urgent they won't have time to give you the signal or you won't have time to get them out ect.......which is why I don't expect them to be truly accident free until at least 18 months.

I set up a feeding schedule. Usually morning (early) noon and evening (early enough they have plenty of time to poo before bed)

They potty every time they eat and drink. Food and water is not left available while house training. They don't do without, I just control it because they have to potty after. Know what I mean??

After a nap, they potty.

After any length of time in the crate, they potty. (I want them as youngsters to associate coming out of the crate = pottytime)

After a longish play session, often I'll potty them.

Bladders are tiny and can only hold so much. Bowels will usually move after a feeding......and I use this to my advantage. So much so that my dogs still take a dump after eating. lol

Oh, and crate them whenever you can't watch them.

This greatly limits the opportunity for those random accidents. But they will happen once in a while. I've been doing this with Maggie since she got here. So far, she's doing really well with it. Although I knew her previous owner was feeding them when we got there and I saw her eat, but evidently she didn't get to eat much because she would not get happy in her crate.......and because she'd settled down before and all other needs were met, I went ahead and tried feeding her (waaaaay later than I normally would) and she was hungry.

I don't punish for accidents. I don't even scold. I do a puppy just as I would a toddler. I clean it up and try harder to watch for their signal next time. Some puppies catch on faster than others. Some puppies have control sooner than others, just like toddlers.

House training has only been an issue once with all the dogs I've had. We adopted her at 3-4 months and she couldn't get it out of her head that outside was for play and inside was where you potty......and I tried for months. She was rehomed with a wonderful family who had a huge fenced back yard for her. Made me sad......she was actually a brilliant dog, She just couldn't learn not to potty in the house.

 

[hearts and roses]

Ditto EVERYTHING Lisa said! Follow those rules and you'll be all set!

 

[DammitJanet]

They are doing really well. Like I said, no poops in the house at all. I just have seen two little piddles. I leave no food in the house. So far I am feeding outside all the time and they are sleeping outside because I dont have the crate inside. I have a feeling they are going to really cry in the crate. They hate being locked up even in a room by themselves together. I tried that so I could sweep the living room floor. Boy they cried and carried on and it was a big room! They do have one area in the house though that the love to settle down and sleep when they are inside and that is where I am going to put their crate. Its right in front of the loveseat in the family room. Might not be the most ideal place but everyone leaves that room at about 9 each night and turns the lights off so they should get the message.

 

[Hound dog]

Think of crying in the crate as you would a baby crying when you put them down into a crib. It helps, and basically it's the same thing. Maggie does cry in her crate, but as long as I know her needs have been met, I ignore her. Draping a sheet over the crate helps, gives it that "den" feeling. They just need to get used to it. Maggie doesn't carrying on too long right now unless she needs something.....like to potty. Now when she's bigger and wants to play more, that will change for a period of time. (usually not too long but it's because they don't want to stop playing to nap like a baby doesn't want to stop playing to nap) By 6 mos mine are always well done with the I cry cuz I wanna play thing. Usually way earlier than that......but I had one that went on that long..........her name was Molly. LOL We just had to make certain she was worn out before putting her into her crate. But she never learned to love it, she only learned to tolerated it, heck I don't think she even liked it that much. Because the girls snuck her into the bunkbeds........she never learned to sleep in it at night, so hers was just when I couldn't watch her or when we had to leave.

Right now Maggie is so very young, she sleeps far more than she's awake.......like she plays 10 mins and konks out for more than an hour. So I've somewhat adjusted the putting her into the crate to sleep thing a bit because I want her to get familiar with being inside and with me and Molly. As long as she's right with me sleeping, I'm not putting her into the crate. I may change that after a few days of settling in. I'm also going to have her use Molly's sleeping towel in her crate. Because it smells like Molly, she's grown fond of it. Molly won't mind........she has her blanket and I can always give her another towel. She's not picky about such things.

 

[witzend]

We did really well with the crate with both Oscar and Mandy. Not so much with Bubba. You have to have a strong resolve for it. Oscar was so easy to train because he was just a little tyke and we'd put him in there with Mandy right from the get-go. He outgrew that in about 3 weeks. But, we got a giant wire crate, and then put them in together a few times while also training him to sit and stay with a special treat that he only got while training. A week or so later, we would get that treat and walk towards the crate and he would run down the hall and push the door open with his nose to get into it. No problemo.

As far as piddling, are they inside much? If they're outside all of the time they just won't know not to pee everywhere. If it's inside and out, you have to make sure that they know that they go outside to potty. So, you make sure that when everyone is calm and settled - when they normally potty - get up and scoop them up or take them out on the lead and say "Potty!" Then say "Potty!" "Potty!" "Potty potty potty potty!" Then when they go potty outside say "YAY! POTTY!" and give them great big loves. You'll know when they know how to do this. Oscar and Bubba (Mandy came to us trained) both knew how to go out to go potty after a week or two, and they both at one point walked to the door and piddled on the rug. With both of them I rubbed their noses in it and scolded and put them out and they never did it again. That only really works when they already have the idea that outside is for potty, though.

Is that a photo of the pup there? He's adorable!

 

[donna723]

I cheated a little with the crate training. When I was still working, I would give them each their breakfast in their crates, then shut their doors so they could each eat in peace and didn't have to worry about somebody else getting their food. They soon got so they would run right in to the crate at breakfast time!

 

[witzend]

I cheated a little with the crate training. When I was still working, I would give them each their breakfast in their crates, then shut their doors so they could each eat in peace and didn't have to worry about somebody else getting their food. They soon got so they would run right in to the crate at breakfast time!

That's not cheating! That's how it's done!

 

[InsaneCdn]

That's not cheating! That's how it's done!

That's how we were "trained"... ours have their food and water in the (day) crate.
They WILL "steal" water from the other, if one of them runs dry, and the other doesn't seem to mind... but... food is off-limits, and they are good about respecting that. (we put their dishes up after meal-time, but sometimes the kids forget to do that)

 

[DammitJanet]

I have got to just keep them inside as of this weekend when I can go get collars and leashes. I have to wait until I can get the money. Im bone dry and I know Tony wont give it to me since he still says we are getting rid of Ziva. I think having them go outside at night to sleep and inside half the day is confusing them. Plus its making them a ton of fleas even after we dipped them and I used one of the flea things on them. I wasnt able to get the frontline one though because they didnt have it in puppy size. They only had it in great big dog sizes. All were over 40 pounds.

Yeah that is Abby...and he is a She...lmao. Oh and Tony has told me NOT to refer to them as anything to do with Pits. They are simply bull dog mixes. We dont want people to come after them for the wrong reasons. There are so many other bull dogs...such as Donna's Bostons.

How old do they have to be to get spayed?

 

[witzend]

You can usually get them spayed at about 6 months. If you call the humane society they will help you find reduced cost services.

 

[donna723]

Janet, some of the shelters do spays and neuters when they're really young. I've always felt better having it done at 4 or 5 months. With female dogs, it's better to have it done before they ever come in to heat the first time at 5 to 6 months old. The old thing about letting them have one litter first is pure bull hockey. They know now that the more times female dogs come in to heat in their lifetime, the higher the risk of breast cancer that they run. And breast cancer can spread very quickly to their lungs and become deadly. It's best to have the spay done before they ever come in to heat that first time.

 

[DammitJanet]

I just wanted to know how many months old. I have to look back on here to see when they were born...lol. I cant remember exactly when their birthday was.

 

[Hound dog]

I spay at 5 months, before the first heat.

Janet, there is a flea medication called Revolution. It's mainly for small dogs and cats. Works great with puppies and it's CHEAP, at least compared to frontline ect. That's what I'm getting for Maggie because she's covered in fleas from being outside at her last home.

 

[DammitJanet]

Okay...they were born on 3/18. They are two and a half months old now. Tiny terrors! Right now they are trying to get into my door by jumping on it...lol.

 

[donna723]

Mine didn't have any fleas at all last year but this year they all started to get a few. I only got so-so results from the different topical flea medications I've used over the years so this year I tried Comfortis, the one that is in chewable tablet form and it really worked well. You give them the tablet with a meal and it starts killing fleas within a half hour! Now nobody is scratching and all is well with my little doggie herd once again! You have to buy it at the vets office and you can use it on dogs and puppies 14 weeks old and up. The price wasn't too bad either - it may vary but I paid $16.50 per dose in the size for dogs 20-40 pounds, less for the size for smaller dogs.

 

[Hound dog]

Donna, how long does it last? Is it a once a month deal? If so, I'll ask about it for Maggie when she's old enough.....I'd rather not do topical. I already bought Molly & Rowdy's for the season.......and I don't do flea medications in cold months.......it's so far never been an issue.

I have realized today I have some major puppy proofing the home to do.

 

[donna723]

Yes, the Comfortis needs to be given once a month. The puppy needs to be at least 14 weeks old before you start it though. The vets office says that a lot of people are using it this year and it works really well. The only possible side effects noted can be vomiting and temporary lethargy but that's supposed to be pretty rare. Mine all did just fine with it and it wasn't long at all before everybody stopped scratching! I don't use flea & tick medications during the winter months either - I hated dumping chemicals on my dogs and I didn't do it if I didn't have to. Since I moved in to town, I've never seen a tick on one of my dogs and last year they never had any fleas either so I didn't get them the medications at all. But this year we barely had a winter at all and so the fleas are out again!

I would be very leery of getting flea medications some place other than the vets office, or the ones that you can buy in the store that say they have the "same ingredients" as the ones from the vet. My friend has two gorgeous big Airedales and they bought some off-brand flea medications at Walmart. The next day they noticed that one of their dogs had big red patches all down his back and shoulders where they had applied the stuff to his skin. Better to get it from the vet where you know what you're getting.