Housetraining 101 - Please Read this Thread in its Entirety

[Calee]

Here's the update on little Dozer. I have been consistent with taking him out and treats and praise for using the bathroom outside. He usually goes pee (practically every outing as he drinks a lot of water) with no problems but he doesn't poop very often. I take him out every 10-15 minutes all day and from the morning when he wakes up till later at night no poop. He does go in the morning before his breakfast and once in a great while in the afternoon closer to dinner. So off to bed in the crate for him at night after the last walk around the yard and set my alarm for 2 hours to take him out. After 10 minutes of his constant howling and crying, i go check on him and he's pooped all over his crate. No punishment here...just out of the crate for a bath then outside for a walk and then sits next to me while i clean his crate. Back in his crate again and same scenario.

Let me give a bit more information on the crate situation. For the first few nights I had the crate right outside my bedroom door with my door open. I would put him in the crate and then sit next to him for a bit till he laid down. I would then get in bed and he would be fine. Every time he would cry for a bit at night I would go outside and sit by him for a couple of minutes and he would be fine. No poop all night in the crate and no constant crying or howling for hours. I changed it up the last couple of nights because I couldn't handle sleeping with him on the floor every time he decided to cry. Plus I thought he needed get accustomed to being in the crate without me comforting him every time he needed it because I'm going back to work and he'll be by himself for a couple of hours till the pet sitter comes. So now his crate is downstairs because he howls and cries when he's in it and I'm close by.

Any suggestions on things? I think he gets so upset when I'm not close by while he's in the crate so he loses the little control he does have. I'm not sure how to fix this. I would rather he go in his crate at night on "empty" to help with this but he doesn't go before bed time.

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Kian often suggests putting the crate right beside you in bed, so all you have to do is reach out your fingers and that relaxes them. I think you made have moved his crate too soon.

Most dogs bowel movements are in direct relation to their food intake. However, a nervous tummy changes things. I don't blame you for not wanting to sleep on the floor. Try the crate by your bedside and see how that works.

The other thing I would suggest is NOT putting him to bed until he has had that last, final BM, which you know is coming. It might mean late nights, and more walks that you anticipated, but he's only been with you for such a short while.

Plan for success!

You know he is more comforted with you near, so why be in such a hurry to make him more independent, especially at night? You also know that he has one more BM left, as he had done this twice, but not while he has been able to have your comfort. Go back to Square One, and start over. He needs weeks of consistency, not days!

I hope this is helpful and that Kian corrects any remarks I may have made on her behalf.

Slow and steady wins the race!

Good luck to you. Keep that fellow close, especially at night as that is when he needs it the most.

[dingus]

Hi all,


Ever since I got my new puppy I've been on this site constantly, so much my boyfriend is starting to wonder what I could be possibly reading on this site for hours... but he soon finds out when I start telling him all the things I've been learning on this site, which is a great tool for new dog owners. My dog and I would be in a very different place now if I hadn't received such great tips and advice on this site.

I honestly did read this entire thread, and many, many, many others on this site (it's kind of addicting reading other people's trials and tribulations with their new pups)... but I still have a question. I've read a lot about barking, in particular barking at things, barking while in the crate because of an accident, and playful barking, and there has been a lot of advice for those specific situations. My dog does none of these things though, in fact, my dog only barks whenever we leave it in its pen in the living room, which means when we go out, when we go to our room to sleep, when the dog wakes (which is usually at 6:30 AM, LOL) and when we return.

I've read a couple of situations like this on the thread, but I'm still unsure what the best course of action is. Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but I feel like sometimes there are conflicting suggestions. I've read somewhere on this site it's best to ignore the dog until it quiets down, but honestly, with this dog it takes HOURS. No joke. One morning we tried waiting patiently for it to stop barking so crazily but 2 hours had passed on and off with its barking. I know you guys suggest putting the dog in the room because it's more comforting for the dog (which equals less barking), but we don't have a pen for our room, and we can't let it roam free because it may pee or poop even if we do take it out at night. If you think this is really important though perhaps my boyfriend and I will buy a crate for the room. Sorry, back on topic, so I've read that while ignoring the pup, if it quiets down for like 5 minutes it's okay to take it out, praise the dog, and give it a treat, but the dog usually is quiet for maybe 1 minute intervals. I feel like if I take the dog out after it's been quiet for like 1 minute it might not be understanding that I'm taking it out because it's being quiet and calm.

In another place though I read that you can approach the dog, tell it to calm down in a soothing voice (not excite it) until it calms down for like 5 minutes, then proceed to praise the dog, give it a treat, and take it out. I told this to my boyfriend who thinks that we are only giving the puppy what it wants by giving it attention and telling it to calm down when it is barking like a madwoman. Is this true?

Also, if the dog is relatively quiet (a couple of whimpers) but is hyper and jumping up and down on the pen when we come home, should we wait for it to calm down with its body although it may not be barking so much?

And I guess I should assume I won't be getting any interrupted sleep for a long time... or is it okay to teach my puppy to be quiet at 7 AM when it starts barking, take it out to pee, and then put it back in its pen so I can get another hour or two of sleep (my work doesn't start until much later)?

It's particularly troublesome in our situation because we live in our apartment and our new puppy is reaching new octave levels and her barks are becoming quite shrill and desperate....

The dog is doing pretty good with housetraining thanks to the suggestions on this site! It's a pain in the ass, but my boyfriend and I take it out about every 30 minutes even though we live on the top floor of our apartment building... It's worth it though. Things are looking good!

[kian]

Dingus before we proceed, how old is your pup, how long have you had him, what breed or dominant mix?

[Phyrie]

Try rewarding him the SECOND he quiets down. Stand in front of the crate, and the instant he stops barking, even if it's just for a fresh breath to bark some more, say, "Good dog!" and if you want, give him a treat through the bars. If he starts barking again, make a small noise (I find a quiet "uh oh" works fine), and turn your back. You can turn back after a minute to watch him, if you want. The next INSTANT he quiets, turn and say, "Good dog!" You get the picture. After a few times of this, you should hear longer quiets. Once you get a good minute of quiet, I would let him out, with a nice treat and a quiet "Good dog." The reason for the quiet is we don't want to ramp his excitement up any higher than it already is. We are rewarding quiet and calmness. We don't want to get him all worked up again! Give this a try and let us know how you make out.

[dingus]

Kian--

My dog is 7 weeks old and we've had her for about 2 weeks. She's still a baby! I know a puppy shouldn't be separated from a mother and its littermates at such a young age, but she was an orphan and we took her in from a guy selling her for absolutely nothing on the street. I figured we could still give it the love she deserved and probably wouldn't receive if we didn't take her in. She's a local southwestern Chinese breed-- when everyone sees the dog they literally call it "local dog" in Chinese, so I'm at a loss for the specific type of breed it is. I understand you can gain a lot of knowledge from the type of breed a dog is so the fact we don't know what breed it is isn't very helpful, but apparently it's supposed to be a very intelligent breed, another fact we've gathered from talking to many Chinese people who know about this dog or have had this kind of dog.

Phyrie--

I will try this. I've recently bought it some boiled chicken which it absolutely can't get enough of. In fact it will lick my fingers for 5 minutes even after it's eaten the chicken. I will definitely try this when I get home, it sounds like a great idea, and something I didn't think of (another reason why this site is so helpful). Oh, and of course I will let you know how it all goes as soon as possible! Thanks for the tip!

Honestly, pottytraining the dog and getting it to stop biting was a bigger issue than it is now prior reading this site, but after implementing the advice you all have given, I've experienced more successes than failures and although it is still very young I can definitely see progress being made. So thanks again!

[RubyJeansMom]

Dingus, It really was a simple question that Phyrie asked. She was in no way implying you didn't love your dog, just curious is all. I have to say I am too, as I also noticed your reference to "it".

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Before I even delve into the rudeness displayed by the OP to one of our regular members, who asked the very question that was first on my mind, I am going to address your "issues".

The pup is crying in the morning BECAUSE IT NEEDS TO RELIEVE ITSELF!

The pup is crying when you come home BECAUSE IS NEEDS TO RELIEVE ITSELF!

This pup is only 7 weeks old, and you've had it for two weeks. Because we aren't aware of the name or sex of your new puppy, I will continue to use "it" as a pronoun, otherwise I would use the proper gender/name.

Your puppy is a baby who should still be with his/her Mother, and siblings. Trying to teach it independence at this stage is setting the pup up for utter failure. Imagine being alone and afraid as a small baby with no one to comfort you? Of course the puppy cries in the morning and you should be jumping out of bed, no matter how early it is, and how badly you want to sleep to tend to YOUR BABY.

I'm sure you noticed in the threads that no one advocates bringing home a pup under 8 weeks, and some prefer as much as 12. There are so many reasons for that, which I'm sure you've also read. Right now, you are not on the same level as others who post about crate training and house training as you have to do the job that this pup's Mum was meant to do...for the next several weeks.

Once the pup is about 10 weeks old, perhaps you can start crate training at that time. Buy a crate so the pup can be in your room at night! They aren't that expensive and the pup should be able to lick your fingers in the middle of the night, or have you remove "it" from the crate for a cuddle. This is not a cry for attention sake. This is a cry of loneliness and fragility.

You owe Phyrie a huge apology!

At no time did she say anything to you that was condescending or rude. She asked a question that I'm sure many of us were wondering as that was the first thing I thought when I started reading your post. "Why does this person refer to her dog as an IT" It speaks volumes!

I also know that Phyrie was all set to sit down, do some research on your behalf and try to come up with some solutions for you. Quite frankly, until you apologize for being so rude to Phyrie, I think you ought to find help elsewhere for IT!

Lastly, since you are unable to answer the question of the sex of your puppy, I question your validity in every sense. You felt comfortable enough to wax profound about what you had noticed on this site and yet still didn't answer the question.

Your profile is completely blank.

Before you post in here again, as this thread is meant for everyone's use and therefore I will not lock it, you had better choose your words carefully.

[dingus]

First of all, I am completely appreciative of all the advice you've given me. I don't want to get this discussion sidetracked because of stupid snafu about my dog's gender (which, yes, I do know: the dog is a girl). I didn't think it was important in asking my question about the barking, which I am assuming is correct since you all were able to answer without knowing her gender anyway.

Second of all, I don't think asking about the gender is an invalid question, I never said that. Phyrie asked the question in a way that implied that I don't love my dog (at least as much as she does) because she doesn't refer to her dog as "it" and I do (more on why I called my pup "it" here a little later). I make this statement because the words she used. First she began by saying she was “more than a little disturbed by my continuous use of the pronoun 'it'” which suggests she thinks I perhaps think of my dog as some kind of object, therefore must treat my dog like such, causing a definite need for concern. Then she started saying how ALL dog owners call their pets by their sex and that there is indeed something wrong with the fact I am not like all other dog owners in following suit. Then the last sentence really bothered me because she referred to my dog as a “'hopefully' beloved family member,” insinuating that she doubts my dog is loved and treated as a family member (the key word is HOPEFULLY). By phrasing the question in such a manner, Phyrie was asking a loaded question. I really wouldn't have minded if you simply asked “why do you refer to your dog as 'it'?” I wouldn't have been offended in the least if it was asked like that, but you asked it in a provocative manner. You all might think I'm reading too much into Phyrie's words, but in a forum where communication is READ and understood, words are weighed heavily and perhaps I misunderstood as that often happens in online communication. But I hope you can all now see why I was offended by Phyrie's question; it wasn't the question itself, it was the way she asked and the words she used.

The fact that I call my dog “it” on this forum, and not in real life doesn't speak volumes like you assume, Oliver and Henry's Mum. In fact, it is a childhood habit. I think a lot of people when they were young referred to animals as “it” because they didn't know better, not because they tortured or disliked animals and thought they were objects. I now know better, and am shaking this childhood habit and I slipped while typing online. I feel silly explaining myself like this, but I value the information on this website, and I would like you to understand where I am coming from in feeling the way I do.

I'm not going to explain again why I got the dog at such a young age, but let me tell you this. Last night I ran into the guy who sold Doodle (my dog) to me. He had a small basket of two puppies, one had fallen out of the basket at which point he took the dog, who was definitely around 3 weeks old, held it upside down, and started shaking it for several minutes for absolutely no reason even though the dog was shrieking. I almost bought his puppies on the spot because I couldn't believe my eyes. It would be nice if there was such a thing as animal abuse center here in this province of China, but there's not to my knowledge. Anyway, I made the decision to take my puppy in at perhaps a too-early-age to give her a chance of being loved and treated better. After seeing that guy I knew I made the right decision although I will have a lot of work doing for Doodle what a mom and her littermates would be doing for her.

So I apologize if I sounded defensive and arrogant, but Phyrie you didn't make me feel good in the way you asked me such a question, and it sounded like you were challenging whether or not I treat Doodle well and love her (which I most certainly do, that's why I'm here on this forum in the first place). I love my dog and my calling her “it” by accident online out of a childhood habit doesn't imply anything about my love or care. I hope you can all understand that.

[Phyrie]

First of all, I am completely appreciative of all the advice you've given me. I don't want to get this discussion sidetracked because of stupid snafu about my dog's gender (which, yes, I do know: the dog is a girl). I didn't think it was important in asking my question about the barking, which I am assuming is correct since you all were able to answer without knowing her gender anyway.

See, right there you are assuming what is important and what isn’t. A lot of things are important when it comes to animal behaviour and training. The more trainers know about the dog they are trying to help the better. Why? Because all kinds of things can make a difference! The age of a dog must be known, in order to make age-specific decisions. The sex of the dog is important, because there can be big differences between a male and female dog behaviours. The country you live in is important, because if you have sociological differences, you need advice specific to your culture.

Second of all, I don't think asking about the gender is an invalid question, I never said that. Phyrie asked the question in a way that implied that I don't love my dog (at least as much as she does) because she doesn't refer to her dog as "it" and I do (more on why I called my pup "it" here a little later). I make this statement because the words she used. First she began by saying she was “more than a little disturbed by my continuous use of the pronoun 'it'” which suggests she thinks I perhaps think of my dog as some kind of object, therefore must treat my dog like such, causing a definite need for concern.

Treating a dog like an object most certainly is a concern, at least for the people in this group. Calling a dog an “it’ objectifies it. Period.

Then she started saying how ALL dog owners call their pets by their sex and that there is indeed something wrong with the fact I am not like all other dog owners in following suit.

Wrong. I said, “Most (I can almost certainly say ALL) of us call our pets by their sex”. See the first word in that sentence. Most. I added an opinion that I’m almost certain all of us here do. I’m pretty sure because I’ve been a member here for many years, and have NEVER, IN ALL THAT TIME heard a member refer to their dog as an “it”. But, hey, maybe one slipped in there. Who knows? But it would be a rare thing, I’ll tell you.

Then the last sentence really bothered me because she referred to my dog as a “'hopefully' beloved family member,” insinuating that she doubts my dog is loved and treated as a family member (the key word is HOPEFULLY).

See, that’s where you go totally wrong. I was hopeful that you were a loving dog owner. Still am. I hope that we all are, to the best of our abilities. How the hell can that be an insult?

By phrasing the question in such a manner, Phyrie was asking a loaded question. I really wouldn't have minded if you simply asked “why do you refer to your dog as 'it'?” I wouldn't have been offended in the least if it was asked like that, but you asked it in a provocative manner.

Really? What was “provocative” about “May I ask why you refer to your beloved family member by "it" all the time?” I left the “hopefully” out of that quote, since it seems to bother you so much. What is wrong with my question? I thought it was very polite. Even more polite than your suggested, “why do you refer to your dog as 'it'?”

You all might think I'm reading too much into Phyrie's words, but in a forum where communication is READ and understood, words are weighed heavily and perhaps I misunderstood as that often happens in online communication. But I hope you can all now see why I was offended by Phyrie's question; it wasn't the question itself, it was the way she asked and the words she used.

Nope, no one can. We can certainly see why I became offended, but you, not so much.

The fact that I call my dog “it” on this forum, and not in real life doesn't speak volumes like you assume, Oliver and Henry's Mum. In fact, it is a childhood habit. I think a lot of people when they were young referred to animals as “it” because they didn't know better, not because they tortured or disliked animals and thought they were objects. I now know better, and am shaking this childhood habit and I slipped while typing online. I feel silly explaining myself like this, but I value the information on this website, and I would like you to understand where I am coming from in feeling the way I do.

“SLIPPED”! In your post, you used “it” or “its” over thirty times in reference to your dog! That’s no slip, that’s a landslide.

I'm not going to explain again why I got the dog at such a young age, but let me tell you this. Last night I ran into the guy who sold Doodle (my dog) to me. He had a small basket of two puppies, one had fallen out of the basket at which point he took the dog, who was definitely around 3 weeks old, held it upside down, and started shaking it for several minutes for absolutely no reason even though the dog was shrieking. I almost bought his puppies on the spot because I couldn't believe my eyes. It would be nice if there was such a thing as animal abuse center here in this province of China, but there's not to my knowledge. Anyway, I made the decision to take my puppy in at perhaps a too-early-age to give her a chance of being loved and treated better. After seeing that guy I knew I made the right decision although I will have a lot of work doing for Doodle what a mom and her littermates would be doing for her.

You would have been much better served to offer this bit of background when you were asking your questions. We aren’t mind readers, and can’t just ask the universe where you got your dog, and how you came to own one so young. Did it not occur to you that these little bits of information might be relevant to your problem? Hmmm?

So I apologize if I sounded defensive and arrogant, but Phyrie you didn't make me feel good in the way you asked me such a question, and it sounded like you were challenging whether or not I treat Doodle well and love her (which I most certainly do, that's why I'm here on this forum in the first place). I love my dog and my calling her “it” by accident online out of a childhood habit doesn't imply anything about my love or care. I hope you can all understand that.

Saying “I’m sorry you were such a jerk that you made me behave badly” is not an apology.
Saying “I’m sorry IF I did something wrong, but it was all your fault anyway” isn’t one either.

If you are really trying to stop calling your dog an “it”, you’re failing. You don’t “accidentally” use the same word dozens of times. And if you don’t think there’s anything wrong with calling your dog an “it” why are trying to stop in the first place? You can’t have it both ways.

Your "apology" is not accepted, because you really didn't apologize at all. You just used the words "I'm sorry" to preface another insult.

[RubyJeansMom]

This thread has become somewhat off topic.
As a Mod I am here to keep the peace, so let's please move on, shall we.

[RenegadeSongbird]

Hi Everyone!

I am so sorry I never responded to you all! I thought I would get an email when someone responded to the thread and I never got any sort of notification! Thanks so much for all your great advice! Here's an update....

I thought Kaylee might have a UTI when she started peeing in spurts so I collected some urine (which was quite a process, LOL) and took it with me since we had a vet appointment a few days later. Turns out I was right and we got her set up with antibiotics right away! It took a few more days (poor baby!) but we are currently on day 4 of no accidents in the house! Kaylee is starting to poop "on schedule" and only pees a little when she gets a little too excited in the house. Other than that, she only pees outside! I am so happy I could do a jig! Again, thanks for all your kind thoughts and words regarding house training! : )

[kian]

Dang I missed the fun again, yes time to move on.

That is wonderful about Kaylee!! So glad we could help, give a pat to Kaylee from me.

Dingus it's time to move forward, hence on I refer to your dog as Doodle or her; remember you are among very experienced and very much those who have a passion for dogs. I understand Doodle is 7 weeks, yes very young and I understand the problem is barking in the crate? Are you keeping the crate in a high traffic area so she isn't isolated. Do leave a radio playing and putting in a old shirt you have slept in and not washed? How often are you letting her out of the crate? It will be difficult to teach her a quiet command at this age, her attention span is that of a gnat. All you can do is teach her that the crate is a safe place to be not a scary place. Do you have a puppy Kong, chews, give her ice chips, are you using a soothing voice, not harsh. I work with owners everyday and many really do not understand puppy behavior. Her view of the world is scary right now, she doesn't feel safe and dogs are very social. She needs time, love and patience.

That man needs a slapping! Those puppies are not getting a good start, sadly.

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

I am absolutely delighted to read about Kaylee and how you (RenegadeSongbird) managed to solve that! Well done you! (By the way, there is a box to tick on your profile/dashboard to receive email notifications, as well as a box below each post box that you can select to receive email notification). Send me a PM for more clarification, and I'll do my best which may not help, but I'll try.

Kaylee is a prime example of why we need to trust our own instincts. You did exactly the right thing in having her urine tested, and now she is back on track. Perfect!!!!

Kian, apparently Dingus does not own a crate, and does leave the radio on already as indicated in one of her first posts.

Dingus, I too can understand, and thought that was probably the reason why, you had this pup so young. While moving forward, perhaps you can see by the example of Kaylee's issues why gender is important, as well as age. Perhaps you could find a way to post a picture of Doodle, maybe even make it your avatar, as well as put some information on your profile in the Bio.

Is there no type of Animal Control where you live? I say that knowing that even in the US, people sell pups from a box outside of Supermarkets which is just wrong. I've never encountered that here, nor heard of anyone here who has, but I'm sure in larger Metropolitan areas, it exists. I would want to take each and every pup just to attempt to save them.

I truly hope we are moving forward from here. Let us know how you make out in finding a way to perhaps have the pup in your room at night, even if it is a temporary move lasting long enough for Doodle to feel safe and secure.

[Leanna]

I recently got a lab mix for my birthday. I thought she was 8 weeks old when I got her, but found out after she had been here three days, that she is only six weeks. The problem I'm having is in part potty training and in part she doesn't like being alone. I have a crate that has her favorite toy, her bed, a small water dish, and a stuffed animal (I was told it might work to have a stuffy to help with her being alone.) I am torn between keeping her in her crate at night to help her with house training ( every 2 hours at night we go outside till she goes potty) and dealing with messes in the house to keep her from crying all night and keeping the entire house up. I know it's rough being taken from her family that early, but the owner of the mom sees no reason why Sativa can't just tough it out. Any ideas on what to do would be very, very welcome! I haven't potty trained a puppy in ten years.