Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Our puppy is 12 weeks old and is a small breed. He rarely has an accident in the house off of his puppy pads so I was wondering about litter training instead of using the puppy pads. Initially I wanted to train him to go outside, but I've tried all the suggestions and he refuses to do anything while out there.
You might still want to train him to use the great outdoors.
You have a very young puppy and you need to take him out about 15 minutes after he's eaten. His bladder is still working on reflex. Believe me - if you stay out long enough he WILL go! And smaller dogs are more challenging to train than larger dogs.
Here's my housetraining post. Follow it TO THE LETTER, including bringing the fabulous treats with you and putting your pup on a leash. EVERYONE in the house needs to be consistent using the techniques described. You'll end up with a trained dog. Not immediately, but eventually.
Here's the post:
Housetraining your dog (puppy or adult!)
The first thing you need to do is to remember that you’re trying to reinforce a new behavior. That means that the rewards for this behavior must be WONDERFUL. NOT crap from the store. Wonderful treats are poached chicken breast/turkey breast, cheese and steak. And you don’t have to use big pieces. Tiny pieces (about 3mm cubes) are just fine! I poach a whole turkey breast every few weeks, cut it into hunks when it’s cool enough to handle, wrap them well and store them in the freezer. When I need some, I’ll thaw a hunk overnight and cut off pieces and dice finely, storing them in a plastic bag in the fridge. One hunk will last about five days. Cheese is also popular, so variety is fine.
I carry these plastic bags in my jacket pockets in the winter and in a fanny pack in warmer weather. You HAVE to have these with you, or this method won’t work, because you need to reward as soon as the dog finishes pooping or peeing. It’s not going to work if the rewards are in the house.
Remember that you’re trying to change a very ingrained behavior. Some dogs like to feel certain things under their feet when they eliminate, like fabric, or newspaper. This is called a ‘substrate preference.’ What you’re trying to do is change this substrate preference, and to do that you have to make the treats SO wonderful that the dog will change this very well-entrenched behavior. Thus the chicken, cheese, steak.
I love clicker training, but this can be done without clickers. You just need a way to ‘mark’ the behavior you want to reinforce. Use the word ‘YESSSSS!!!!’ very enthusiastically – that works for some.
You’re going to need to GO OUTSIDE WITH your dog and the dog needs to be on a leash. Yes, even in winter. If you don’t reward IMMEDIATELY after the event (when dog immediately finishes pooping or peeing) and wait inside, the dog is going to be reinforced for coming inside, not for doing its business. So, leash up your dog. STAND IN ONE PLACE. Be boring. Bring a book or magazine for yourself.
Eventually, the dog will do what you’re waiting for. The NANOSECOND that the dog is finished, HAVE A PARTY – lots of loud, high-pitched praise, treats and running around. You want to make this memorable for your dog! You’ll find that once the first event is achieved, the others will come more quickly. Keep on treating (you don’t have to throw a party except for milestones – a milestone = if he only pooped outside but now peed, too, or something equivalent to that) until he’s good and used to peeing/pooping outside. Before you know it, you have a trained dog.
Regarding accidents in the house: NO SCOLDING. Just clean them up. If you scold you’ll get the dog to think it’s bad to pee or poop and he’ll do it in places you won’t see. Until you step in it. Invest in a big bottle of Nature’s Miracle or Simple Solution and use it liberally on accidents.
With young puppies, remember they have little control of the muscle that holds the bladder closed. This is something they grow into. Just as it’s not expected that a human baby is toilet trained at six months, don’t expect much from a puppy. Patience, patience, patience!!!! The nervous system in a puppy has to mature, and it won’t have much control over the sphincter (closing muscle) at the neck of the bladder until six or seven months. The same goes for the anal sphincter. Until control is achieved, both of these muscles operate on reflex: there are stretch receptors in the bladder wall. When the bladder is full, it sends impulses to the spinal cord and these, in turn, send signals to the sphincter to open and the dog pees.
In the stomach wall, there are also stretch receptors. So when the dog eats and the stomach is stretched, the impulses again go to the spinal cord, but this time the reflex, outgoing, nerve signals are sent to the anal sphincter, so the dog defecates. This operates in people, too – which is why some people rush to the ‘reading room’ after a meal – especially breakfast.
__________________
Thanks, viralmd!! I will absolutely give it a shot, especially the leash and boring. (Of course, he loves to entertain himself by chewing on grass, chasing leaves, etc. LOL) I have tried taking a soiled pad outside, but he ends up playing with it instead. We play with him outside several times a day so I guess that's what he thinks going out is for instead of to pee or poop. He can hold it like I have never seen. When we first brought him home, I was a little worried because he didn't pee or poop for about 6 hours. I know that it sounds strange since he was only 8 weeks old, but I think he was waiting on a puppy pad.
Thanks again.
Puppies need to go out after they've been playing. a few moments after eating. first thing when you get home or before you leave and as soon as you wake up and before you go to bed. Have you considered crate training at night?
Puppies need to go out after they've been playing. a few moments after eating. first thing when you get home or before you leave and as soon as you wake up and before you go to bed. Have you considered crate training at night?
Not a 'few moments' after eating - it takes time for the gastrocolic reflex to kick in: about 15 to 20 minutes is about right.
Puppies need to go out after they've been playing. a few moments after eating. first thing when you get home or before you leave and as soon as you wake up and before you go to bed. Have you considered crate training at night?
He is crate trained at night.
Still waiting for him to go outside so we can party, but so far nothing. This morning we stayed out forever and the minute we came inside he ran to use the puppy pad in the bathroom.
Still waiting for him to go outside so we can party, but so far nothing. This morning we stayed out forever and the minute we came inside he ran to use the puppy pad in the bathroom.
Is this your first puppy? Go with what ViralMD says. Seriously.
I'd take up the puppy pads. Keep a sharp eye on Chewy , when he starts to go, pick him up and take him outside. There'll be a few mistakes, I'm sure, but if you do this you can have your party!!! He'll get the idea and he'll think he's a hero!
Good luck, your fellow Glambertian!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I only have a few hundred or so. LOL
