House Training Puppies

I have an 18 week old Shih Tzu puppy that I just got a week ago. He was already 100% potty-pad trained before I took him home. I would like to break that habit by taking him outside the house to potty instead. I've been reading a lot of information on it and I've come to learn that it is best to use a crate during potty training during times when a puppy is unsupervised. My question is if it would be just as effective to leave him confined in a small area (more or less about 3×3 feet) with a baby gate to keep him in instead of a crate? Would that work just as well?

Any suggestions on how to make the transition from pad-training to going outside the house? I would really appreciate any help. A million of thanks in advance.

Crate training is really the best way to go. Many people consider a crate cruel. Dogs are denning animals. A crate makes them feel safer. There is only one entrance for them to protect. Think of it this way…how often have you found your dog laying on the floor in the knee hole of your desk? Or if you lean back in the recliner and put the footrest up - the dog heads for that spot under the footrest every time. Crate training not only helps with potty issues but chewing as well. Not everybody can be with their dog 24/7, and puppies will chew. My dogs were all crate trained. They are older now, they are house-trained and they are past the destructive stage. (This can vary by breed.) But, they panic if I remove their crates. So we still have the crates - just without doors.

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My little chihuahua had puppies a little over two weeks ago. they are scheduled to go the vet in another week, and I will ask all my questions then…. but just to get other people's oppinon, when can I start trying to potty train them to go outside. They all just opened their eyes within the last few days. And they are moving around…but still clumsily. I would just like to know when it is really appropriate to start trying to teach them to go outside.
I know a lot of people use puppy pads… It just seems to me that you have to train them twice when you do that. Once to use the pads, and then to stop using the pads and to go outside?

We start ours around 4-6 weeks. We use puppy pads and it works really well to get them pointed in the right direction. They learn quickly to use them in the house, and we move them closer to the door, and finally they get the idea (it doesn't hurt to have the older dogs point them that way.

My wife and I work with Alaska Dog and Puppy Rescue (emphasis on the Puppy part). We get puppies in the mentioned age category on a regular basis, and work with all the puppies we take in for adoption. We generally have for one to two weeks, and when they leave to their new homes, they have a pretty good start.

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My Scottish Terrier puppy is almost 4 months and we are not making any progress with the potty/house training. We do no smack or rub her nose in it but scold her and put her outside when she has made a mess in the house.
Any advice on how to make her house trained would be welcome.

Dogs work best on schedules. Some of the best times to take her out and create a schedule with are.. Taking her out when she wakes, before you go to bed, after a nap, after play, before you leave when you come home, 20-30mins after water and 30-40 min after eating. You also need to take her out how ever many months old she is in hours, so 4 months odl every 4 hours. You do this to help build up their bladder.

Always praise your dog for going where you want her to go. You can give physical praise like good girl, or you can also give treats. When she goes indoors ignore her, unless you catch her in the act. in this case make a random sound to get her to stop then take her outside right away. Praise her if she finishes outside. You don't want to draw attention to going inside, even negative attention is still attention. It can confuse her into thinking that you want her to go inside.You want to walk around with her outside and not just stand in one spot and stay inside and watch her threw the window. Walking helps to stimulate her to go. It can also help b/c she may want to smell out a spot to go. The reason you want to go outside with her is b/c if you praise her when she gets to the door that is what you are praising her for, going to the door not for going outside.

Some people like to teach their dogs to ring a bell to tell them they have to go. To do this hang a bell by the front door at her level. Ring it every time you take her outside. Some people take their puppies paw and ring the bell.

Use a cleaner with enzymes in it to clean the areas she goes in when she goes inside. I fidn its easier to clean it with a regular cleaner than to use a enzyme cleaner to get the stain and smell out.

Don't get discouraged. Most dogs are not fully house trained until they are 8-10months old. Its very normal for them to have accidents. You just need to be consistence and patience.

Check out veterinarypartner.com and aspca.org for more helpful potty training tips.

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I am in the process of housetraining a four-month-old puppy. Due to heavy rain and mud, we are unable to go into the yard consistently. I do not want to train to a newspaper or puppy pads. Will the puppy understand if I occasionally allow him to potty in the garage?

ya he will when he gets older

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I have two 12 week old Boxer/Husky puppies. So far we have been very lucky and they let us know when they need to go outside. My only issue is when I put the male in his crate he hikes his leg and will pee outside of his cage on the floor. Any suggestions on how to stop this? I don’t think this is a potty training issue but more of a “marking of territory” issue with him. Thanks - Kady
They actually are fixed already. We got them from a Humane Society and that was a requirement.

12 week old puppies do not mark territory.

He’s most likely doing it out of anger - a rebellious act from being put in the crate.

Get a “Cargo” style plastic crate for him - He won’t be able to lift his leg high enough to pee through the air vents at the top. If he tries to pee, it will run back into the crate and he won’t like it and will stop doing it.

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Housebreaking a puppy is probably the number one reason people donâ??t enter into dog ownership. There is no doubt that this is the hardest part of owning a puppy, but if the process is started immediately and taken seriously your puppy will be trained in no time.

Kennel Training

First and foremost, buy a kennel. This is as important as the toys the leash and the food dish. Kennel training is the easiest and most effective way to housebreak your puppy. Not to mention it will save you hundreds in cleaning bills and damage to your personal property. Forget all you that you have heard that kenneling a puppy is cruel. By providing a kennel for your puppy you are actually catering to his natural instinct as a den animal. Depending on your puppyâ??s breed, choose a kennel that can accommodate the puppy as a full grown dog. You will be surprised how much your mature dog will utilize their kennel as a place of refuge or just as a place to hang out years down the road. Whatever you do donâ??t use the kennel as a place to punish your pup. Make the kennel a fun and safe place your puppy will want to be.

Start the process immediately

After you pick up your cute fuzz ball at the breeder make the first stop the backyard or the outside area you plan to take your pup to do his business everyday. Get him acquainted with a spot. Dogs are creatures of habit that crave a schedule and familiarity.

Put together a schedule the entire household will follow on how to of care for your puppy. When everyone is on the same page it will be easy to housebreak your puppy. Puppies on average eat three times a day and sleep about 18 hours a day. After every feeding take him out to his spot and go with him. http://www.dogbreedadvice.com/ Yes, even when itâ??s below freezing and snowing. Take this into consideration when youâ??re deciding what time of year to bring your puppy home. You need to make sure he takes his outside trips seriously. Eventually you will be able to open the door and let him out, but not at first.

Newspaper training is a waste of time when housebreaking a puppy. Youâ??re just making more work for yourself. You will end up training your puppy twice, and time is of the essence in the house breaking process. You can never take your puppy out too much. They must go out first thing in the morning and right before you go to bed. If you are accustomed to staying out till 3 am and sleeping till 10, then maybe you arenâ??t ready to have a puppy.

Now back to the kennel. As I mentioned before, puppies sleep a lot! So after a meal, a trip outside to do his business and some playtime, put him in his kennel. Repeat this and it will become habit. Start out leaving your puppy in the crate for short periods of time when you are home. Gradually extend the stay and take him outside after each time. Dogs in general will not mess where they sleep. If the housebreaking process is done correctly there will be minimal accidents. Donâ??t leave a puppy to run free when you are not home. You are just asking for a mess.

Bedtime

Right before you go to bed throw on your slippers and head out one last time with your puppy. When you come back in, give your puppy a treat and tuck him into his kennel for the night. All night! Donâ??t cave to the sad cries of a home sick puppy that would rather snuggle under your down comforter. Before you invite your puppy into your bed remember, cute 10lb puppies grew into 80lb adults! To ease the loneliness you can put a radio near the kennel or a leave on a night light. After a night or two, when your puppy realizes the crying gets him nowhere, he will stop. Itâ??s so important to remain consistent in this house breaking process or it just wonâ??t work. There is no such thing as a partially house trained dog. They either get it or they donâ??t.

Praise, Praise, Praise

Last but not least dogs crave praise. After every outside trip make a big deal. Scratch under his chin and give him a treat. Donâ??t scold your puppy for accidents unless you catch them in the act. Puppyâ??s memory capacity is small. He will have no idea why he is being punished after the fact. If you do catch him in the act, grab him by the scruff of his neck, as his mother would do in the den, and give him a firm NO! Then immediately clean the area with an odor eliminating cleaner.

So thatâ??s it in a nut shell. Puppy training sounds a lot harder than it is. With a little patience and a kennel, you are on the path to puppy training success