How did you potty train???? - Page 2

Louise501 · #13 1st October 2006, 05:33 PM

Quote:

I used the keep the pup within eyesight. The second they started sniffing around out they went.

I totally agree with Donna, I also used this method, I kept all 3 of my pups within a couple of rooms so that I could keep an eye on them, as soon as they even slightly looked like they were sniffing around for a spot I'd take them outside, really praising them, giving them treats when they went to the toilet outside. It took a lot of time and effort but they picked it up quickly.

I honestly think the method you are using is abusive and cruel, please reconsider your training methods

tianthai · #14 1st October 2006, 06:53 PM

I wish I could find a decent bell for Oscar in Singapore. I stopped the method because I have only the Swiss cow bell (quite big) and when I rang the bell, my pup was so scared that he peed on the spot. Now I am training him to "speak". Shall I use this bell when taking him out, ring the bell and have Oscar pee on command (LOL).
Oscar's mom

MonkeyLove · #15 1st October 2006, 07:23 PM

I have a quick question for you guys that bell trained your pups.

I bought a bell to start training Monkey with, but I made the mistake of letting her get ahold of it in the car on the way home. now she thinks it's a toy and wants to chase it and bang it against the glass door where I want to train her at. After this I stopped because she was going spastic over the bell (kinda funny actually).. but I guess my question is, should I start again or will it confuse her trying something new? (she hasn't gotten the peeing outside thing down yet).

tianthai · #16 1st October 2006, 07:30 PM

I am no expert and not successful in belltraining my puppy. But my puppy has very short memory. I bought about 6 different kinds of toys, I give him 3 toys at a time for a week or 10 days to play with then I rotate the toys, he gets excited every time he sees the rotated toys, as if they were new and he has never seen them before. So I think your pup should be able to forget the bell for a while before you resume your belltraining.

whiteshadow1 · #17 2nd October 2006, 05:05 AM

Well im sorry that i took the wrong advice from a man who wrote what i thought was a compitent book. I do have my pup on a very strict schedule believe me and i do punish myself for the mistakes he makes in the house. He is almost 7 moths and there are very few accidents in the house now. I am also bell training which he is starting to grasp. I am just wondering one thing. If the dog doesnt go in his crate because he is forced to sit with it then why is it so bad for him to think as the whole house as his crate. Now I am not sure if I am doing anything right? I didnt mean to offend anyone.

Donna1969 · #18 2nd October 2006, 05:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whiteshadow1

I am just wondering one thing. If the dog doesnt go in his crate because he is forced to sit with it then why is it so bad for him to think as the whole house as his crate.

They are put in the crate before there is anything in there. Since they don't want to soil where they sleep, they will hold it for as long as possible. thats not to say they won't end up going in the crate if they have held it as long as reasonably possible.

But putting them in a room that is already soiled won't register to them that they are there because the went in the house.

I really don't know how to explain the reasoning of crate/house thing but I do know that confining him in the room he soiled won't work to stop him of the behavoiur.

My best advice is to confine your pup and watch him like a hawk. If you aren't able to keep a eye on him (you're taking a shower, etc) crate him. And take him out at the first sign of him having to go. Keep it up with the bells, I swear by this.

My pups are both 8 months and 8 1/2 months old and I STILL confine them to two rooms of the house because they aren't 100% trustworth (well the female isn't anyway). They both use the bells to alert me that they want to go out but the female waits until she can't wait anymore to alert me, if i'm not there in seconds to let her out..she'll end up peeing in the kitchen whereas the male will alert w/bells as soon as he feels the slightest urge to go. (I must add, they are also confined to the two main rooms the family is in because they have gone on a destructive streak recently and I don't want them eating all the furniture in the house

**gmacleod** · #19 2nd October 2006, 05:27 AM

You're not offending anyone. But the book is not giving you good advice - what we're telling you is to discard it (and wondering which planet the author was on). Do not take criticism of a book (that you asked about) as personal criticism - take it as it is meant, as advice to chuck the book in the trash and adopt a method with a greater chance of success (and that won't ruin your relationship with your pup). Not every book ever written is good just because it is written.

I think you've got the point of the crate a little off also. Crates work as tools to assist housetraining because they provide a disincentive, not a punishment. If a puppy pees in his crate, he should *never* be left to sit in it - that's just inhumane. It is also utterly pointless.

Housetraining needs to be based on provision of the correct number of potty stops for the puppy's needs, combined with massive praise when he does the correct thing. As already mentioned, that is the only way you have of communicating to the puppy that he did something good.

The second part of housetraining is removing the opportunities for the puppy to get things wrong. That means making sure that you DO provide potty stops as often as he needs them. It also means keeping an absolute eagle eye on him in between - because until he manages to figure out that outside is the right place to potty, he isn't going to tell about his needs, or ask to go out. That comes much later. In the meantime, avoiding accidents is entirely OUR responsibility - and if the pup potties inside, it is US that failed to provide.

But there isn't any one of us that can manage to watch our pups every single moment. We've got to do things like make our dinner, or go to the bathroom ourselves. If we leave our pups playing and go off to do those things, the risk is high that there will be an accident during that time. We can't punish the pup afterward - he'll have no idea why, which makes it at least pointless and often counterproductive. So what to do? Well, you can take the pup to the bathroom with you. Or you can wait until he's asleep (and hope he doesn't wake up). OR you can utilise a crate for those short periods of time.

The crate is not a punishment. It doesn't "show" the dog he shouldn't have pee'd. All it does is provide the pup with a disincentive to pee right this moment - because he hasn't got enough space to get away from it. Therefore, the risk that he's going to potty in the 10 minutes you were in the bathroom yourself is greatly reduced. And the first thing you'll do when you come back is take him out - in case he needed it. THAT is the purpose of a crate. It's not about locking him in with his waste - it's about giving him an incentive to hold onto his waste for a few minutes more, so he can instead potty outside correctly.

It also is not an "essential" tool. You can easily housetrain a dog without one. It's just that you've got to do it without a "safe" place to park him for a few moments when you can't watch - which then means you've got to be even more vigilent about watching.

It does go a little further - for those who have no other option but to leave their pups for longer periods during the day. But the length of time they're left *needs* to be limited to the reasonable bladder-holding ability of the pup in question. If it isn't, then that's actually abuse of the tool. Can't tell you that nobody ever does that - but I can tell you that they shouldn't.

whiteshadow1 · #20 2nd October 2006, 05:51 AM

So basically to house train a pup you should just take him out alot and praise him when he goes outside like it is going out of style? That is it then that is the best way to do it?

tianthai · #21 2nd October 2006, 06:00 AM

Dear gmacleod,

As usual your answer is always very informative and useful. I wish you would give out a book on how to train a Boxer. I am really your fan because all methods you gave me until now have worked on my pup.

If you think about writing a book, please let me know, OK

Greetings from Singapore

Biff · #22 2nd October 2006, 06:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whiteshadow1

So basically to house train a pup you should just take him out alot and praise him when he goes outside like it is going out of style? That is it then that is the best way to do it?

Yip -- that's it!

AND keep an eye on him - if you see him start to squat as if to pee, then quickly left him outside,(without scolding him).... wait while he finishes his pee there and act like he has just won you the lottery

But honestly, get a little bell, and try that method - We only had to show Biff once, and he realised immediately - "Bell rings=Door opens"

Biff · #23 2nd October 2006, 06:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tianthai

I stopped the method because I have only the Swiss cow bell (quite big) and when I rang the bell, my pup was so scared that he peed on the spot. Oscar's mom

Poor Baby!

Quote:

Originally Posted by tianthai

I wish I could find a decent bell for Oscar in Singapore.Oscar's mom

Try ebay - I got a small cow bell for 50p

Quote:

Originally Posted by tianthai

Now I am training him to "speak".
Oscar's mom

Biff doesn't bark a whole lot, and quite honestly I like it that way

I'm not keen on teaching them to "Speak" - Unless you can also teach them to "Shut up!"

tianthai · #24 2nd October 2006, 06:44 AM

Hi Sas'parilla,

I am doing the same with my puppy Oscar. My day sort of starts quite early (around 5.30) and ends around 10pm. I keep very tight schedule with feeding and going out.
I cannot wait for him to be adult and I hope that he will live to become 20 so I can enjoy his adulthood (after all the work!)

Enjoy!
Oscar's mom