Housetraining 101 - Please Read this Thread in its Entirety

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

While I am a bit late to this thread, I think one of the most important factors is that the pup is only 2 months old! That is 8 weeks, 9 if using calendar months. Pups of that age have no concept of holding it, or controlling their bladders.

As Kian said, go back and read this thread in its entirety as stated in the subject line.

Expectations need to be kept realistic and at the age of 8 weeks, it is the humans who require the training, not the pups.

[gre8t1]

While I am a bit late to this thread, I think one of the most important factors is that the pup is only 2 months old! That is 8 weeks, 9 if using calendar months. Pups of that age have no concept of holding it, or controlling their bladders.

As Kian said, go back and read this thread in its entirety as stated in the subject line.

Expectations need to be kept realistic and at the age of 8 weeks, it is the humans who require the training, not the pups.

i understand. but here is what gets me Peyton is pretty smart it seems. I walk her and to give her time to do what she needs to do. Its like she's holds it until she gets back in the house and destroys my carpet. Plus she's extra hyper. Tomorrow i will read the entire first page of this thread to get more insight. I know this has probably been answered on the pages i will read tomorrow. But what good does create training actually do with helping potty train a pup who refuses to use outside as her restroom?

Thanx for all the great help.

[sly85]

i understand. but here is what gets me Peyton is pretty smart it seems. I walk her and to give her time to do what she needs to do. Its like she's holds it until she gets back in the house and destroys my carpet.

She's not holding it, she's just distracted by everything else going on outside to do her business. And she's not doing it on purpose to destroy your carpet, she's a puppy! You're not giving her enough time outside. What may seem like an eternity to you is obviously not enough time for her.

Have you tried giving her treats and praise when she does go outside? She doesn't understand that she's supposed to be going outside yet. Stay out there long enough for her to finally go, and then treat and praise like crazy. She'll make that connection after a few times.

[lynners]

Dogs don't necessarily learn that it's "wrong" to go inside the house and "good" to go outside - they develop a personal preference. That's why it's so important to avoid as many possible inside accidents as you can. You don't want your pup to prefer going to the bathroom on the soft carpet, just because that's where she's always been going. You can assist in creating their preference for outside through the use of positive reinforcement. I hope you do go back and read through the entire thread - this has all been said before in here.

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

It all comes back to realistic expectations. It is up to the HUMAN to learn when the pup needs to go, and make sure they do their utmost to make sure that happens outside, then praise, praise, praise.

None of us wish to take the time to retype what we've already added to this thread many times over, so again, it's up to the OP (human) to do the work and learn!

After you have tried every single suggestion in this thread, and are still having issues, then come back and ask specific questions, at which time we will be only too happy to help. This thread is a condensed version of the very basics of Housetraining. It is FREE and only requires that it be read, in its entirety, not just the first page, or first few pages.

Your pup deserves the time investment on your part which is minimal in the grand scheme of things. By the way, do not expect any dog to be "fully housetrained" until they are at least 1 year of age. By six months of age, they should do well at home, but if you take them to other places, you'll have to be on guard.

Invest time in your puppy as it is the least you can do. You are laying the foundation for the rest of this dog's life, so a couple of hours, if that, of reading really is not a lot to ask.

[kimboley]

If he is still screaming now, get off the net and go lay by him.

I know this is an old post and that there are several more pages I have not read yet. I just wanted to share my personal feelings. I feel that since an infant and a puppy have not yet learned how to manipulate, they cry when they need something. They are either hungry, cold, scared, wet, lonely.. I could never let my child or my pet cry and cry for any amount of time. They need something. Take some time and develop the bond more, perhaps the pup needs to be comforted and more time to develop a sense of security when alone. I would only leave the pup alone for short amounts of time, return to the crate often to reassure him that you are near.
I never used a crate for my dogs. Yes, I had a few shoes, cell phones, bed post, leather jacket, silver necklace.. chewed. But it did not take long and my dogs have a bed in the corner of my office. They follow me everywhere. When Thora was a puppy, she would lay in the corner, on her bed and watch me. (kind of creepy, dog always staring at me)
Remember that dogs are very observant to things we do not even realize. Take the time to let them learn they can trust you.

Training is important, it is critical. But personally, I could never stay in the other room while a baby cries for an hour.

[kian]

I vaguely remember that post, I do remember feeling frustrated for the puppy.

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Kimboley, that is an excellent post whether it is in response to an older post or not. I totally concur with your sentiments, although I was raised in the day where parents were told to "let their babies cry it out". Like you, I always felt that taught a child to not trust the adult to return and created separation anxiety, rather than fixing the real issue of fear and abandonment.

I never allowed my human babies to just cry for hours, and I've walked the floor many, many nights. The result has been two boys who would happily say goodbye to me at Kindergarten, or when staying with Grandma and Grandpa because they always knew I would return.

I've raised all of my dogs with the same mindset. While my dogs don't do "tricks" or anything too noteworthy, what they do is not chew things (anymore), not go to the bathroom indoors, anywhere and generally behave the way I ask. They are also very loving, not fearful, not aggressive and a joy to be around. This has worked for me for 30+ years now with a couple of Rescues (Bouvier and a GSD mix), a Golden, a Black Lab, and now 2 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.

It's all about the laying of a foundation as it establishes how well that dog will do for life, even if one adopts a Rescue who is not a pup. Too many people give up far too easily on puppies, or even adult rescues when things don't work within a couple of weeks as they are too worried about their own discomfort (lack of sleep).

[sunnyp43]

Hi, I have a couple questions/concerns about my dog. I have a Labrador Retreiver that is close to 9 months old and I have noticed these habits that raise concerns. Again, I'm not sure if he is too young, or if it is normal for him to do this, so any input out there is much appreciated.

1. My first question is his excitement of other people. Is it normal for him to run up to or wanting to play with people walking by? When I take him to a park and playing fetch or letting him run around, I always have to keep an eye out for anyone walking by because sometime he will run to them wanting to play. Again, I do not not know if this is normal behavior for a dog, but if it is, obviously this is not a problem. Is there anyway to train him against doing this or is this just a dog thing? The same goes for when he is playing with other dogs in the park. It is very difficult to call him back to me because he just continues to play. Is there methods or things I can do to make him come to me when I call when he is playing rather than calling him 10 times before he finally comes?

2. My second question is regarding his toys. He is about 70 pounds so most of the toys I give him are bones and such. HOwever, he gets bored of them very quickly. If I give him a new toy, he'll play with it for a couple days, and then get bored with it and stop playing with it. And he does this to bones, ropes, plush toys anything. I'm at work during the day, so I want to find ways to keep his busy and occupied during the day while I'm at work.

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Sunnyp43 - Please go back and read through this entire thread. Your profile is completely blank, and it would seem that you have not investigated the very minimum, basic behaviours of any breed (or mix) of dog. This must be your first dog, but that is still no excuse not having a clue about normal behaviour. (Read between the lines, I said normal!)

Buy a book, take some basic obedience classes, and read as many threads on here as your time will allow. Your questions are without merit, and do not deserve any more attention than that to which I've already given them.

The only question I would have for you is "What did you expect?" That is rhetorical and therefore does not require a response.



ETA: This is your 6th post in this section and yet your profile still remains blank. Clearly you are not picking up what we are putting down. Obviously you want to do as little as possible when it comes to learning about your dog and just keep posting random questions in this thread. Those days are over!

[kian]

Deb I too see a bridge here Good response!

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Kian, I'm glad it wasn't just me who noticed the Bridge.

[jenn5309]

I have an 18 week old Neo, and he will literally rip his face up trying to chew out of his crate..I have quit putting him in it when I'm gone and have reluctantly put him outside in the yard while I have to leave the house. I really thought he could not grasp the concept of outside is a good place to potty, but this last week, if I leave the door open while I'm home, he will go outside and do his business. YAY for progress. I'm still not sure what to do about the crate thing though. It has taken several weeks for him to not to have accidents, no matter how often I took him outside. But like I said, this week, FINALLY progress. I must admit, I have never had problems with the night time accidents. Once I go to bed, hes out for the count and wont move until I get up in the morning, and tell him, "lets go outside"- So I'm grateful he loves to sleep LOL
For all you frustrated puppy owners, just be patient! They will eventually learn..slowly but surely. My Zeus is an amazing sweet little boy, and I'm glad that it looks as if "the hard times" are slowly becoming a thing of the past

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Perhaps finding an indoor room in your house that is safe for Zeus, as opposed to being left outside (and therefore exposed to all sorts of danger) might be a better idea. I used to use the Laundry room in my home, or even my Foyer in one old house in which I lived. (Bathrooms are not a good idea as there are far too many hidden dangers that only a puppy can find.)

18 weeks is very young to have already caught on to the idea of house training, so that is going very well for you. It's also refreshing to read that you have maintained a positive outlook and keep looking for better ways with which to deal with situations. If your dog is outside though, he is exposed to thieves as well as other predators, not to mention inclement weather from time to time.

Zeus is a clever boy for already sleeping through the night, so well done!

As he matures, and mellows, you will probably find you are able to leave him alone in the house during the day, but that takes a few years sometimes. The crate doesn't work for everyone, but other means of confinement should be investigated.



ETA: I just double checked your profile and realize that Zeus is a Neapolitan Mastiff! "Neo" didn't click for me. I can see why crating him would be a challenge! Your other dog is adorable as well, and clearly this isn't your first "rodeo". Please consider the majority of my post to be for the benefit of others who find themselves in a similar situation to yours, but not with a "Neo".

[kian]

Bumping up this thread!