Training a puppy - crate training - Sheltie male (clean, train, outside)

[Bette]

This is #5 for us. All our others have trained beautifully and within a month.

This little guy seems to "get" it - as soon as we take him out of the cage (he likes it BTW), he goes outside on a leash and he is walking quite well on the leash. My husband is so patient, makes sure he does everything, etc.

He is now 5 1/2 months - we've had him 5 weeks. Fortunately, most of our home is tile or wood floor and we can close off sections so he can be free. He has a playmate, a female Sheltie, and they seem to love each other. They play and wag their tails, seem happy.

We were around a lot this weekend and he was really doing well - almost a week since an accident on the tile (#1). Well, today, both dogs were on the bed playing while my husband was getting ready for work and all of sudden, he piddles on the bedspread. Now, I have never had a dog do that ever - on the floor, yes, never on a bed. My husband caught him right away and said NO and put his nose almost in it. My husband had just taken him out before getting ready for work so it wasn't like it was hours.

Any suggestions? He's such a sweet little guy; we want him to be free and roam the house. (He does not cry when being put in the cage; we just say "go home" or "go to cage" and he goes in.

[k9coach]

He's still learning. Good that your husband caught him in the act, really bad that he reacted the way he did. When you catch an accident in progress you simply want to interrupt in an urgent but not intimidating way (like "woops!!" instead of "no no bad dog!") and rush the pup outside to finish. Praise and reward for finishing outside.

Some dogs take longer to "get it" than others, but the following method of potty training WILL work if the plan is consistently practiced:

- Constant supervision so that all accidents can be caught and interrupted.
- The only opportunity to address an accident is while it is in progress, not after the fact. Simply interrupt and bring dog outside as quickly as possible to finish.
- Bring pup out frequently to potty. Always accompany pup and reward liberally for success. Reward outside, immediately after the potty, not once you've come back in the house.
- Learn your pup's unique "need to potty" signals and respond accordingly. Potty signals can include sniffing, circling, pacing, staring, vocalizations, and taking a break in play. Always bring pup outside right away after he wakes up in the morning or from a nap.
- Confine to a safe zone when direct supervision can not be provided.
- Clean all accidents thoroughly with a specially formulated enzymatic cleaner such as Nature's Miracle, NOT a regular household cleaner.
- Stick to a consistent feeding schedule and learn how soon after eating your pup tends to "go".
- Be mindful of water intake and let out accordingly.

Accidents are normal and to be expected. The responsible party in the potty training arrangement is the owner, so if anyone's nose is to be rubbed in a pee puddle it shouldn't be the pup's nose... if you think shoving your own head into dog pee will help motivate you to do a better job with potty training, by all means feel free. Doing this to a dog only teaches him that his owners are unstable.

Here is another potty training guide with a focus on crating. A daily training schedule is provided.
The Ten Rules to House-Train Your Dog in Ten Days. | DogNostics eLearning & Business Coaching

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Originally Posted by k9coach

Accidents are normal and to be expected. The responsible party in the potty training arrangement is the owner, so if anyone's nose is to be rubbed in a pee puddle it shouldn't be the pup's nose... if you think shoving your own head into dog pee will help motivate you to do a better job with potty training, by all means feel free. Doing this to a dog only teaches him that his owners are unstable.

This ^^^

[steelstress]

rubbing the nose in it will only teach the dog that he doesn't like to rub his nose in it... and to do it when the human isn't around.

[k9coach]

Originally Posted by steelstress

rubbing the nose in it will only teach the dog that he doesn't like to rub his nose in it... and to do it when the human isn't around.

Exactly. This is why it's important to interrupt accidents in a non-intimidating way altogether. The difference between an urgent "woops! let's get you outside to do that!!!" vs. a stern "no no bad dog now I shove your face in pee" is the difference between a potty trained dog vs. a dog who sneaks off to pee in the house when nobody's looking. We want to teach the dog to pee in front of us, outside. Not teach him that peeing in front of us is unacceptable.

Good point there!

[Bette]

We will follow them to the T.

My husband did not hit him but lifted him up and said NO and turned his nose towards it.
(He told me this after I read him what you wrote). I think he feels awful now.

He has been so patient with all our dogs. This little guy is so cute; he's hard to say "no" too already. We do have him on a feeding schedule and he goes out first thing and then he takes him out about 15 minutes after eating/drinking.

We have him confined to the living/dining area - all tiled and I'll make sure we close the doors into the other rooms. He has way enough room to run and play chase with our other dog.

He has signs of being a great dog!

Thanks, y'all!