housetraining puppy

[denise04 0]

i brought my shistzu home at 8 weeks old and begin housetraining immediately she learned to use the pad but she want defecate much on it im now trying to take her outside but now shes urinating on the floor instead of pad shes almost 4 months old now any suggestions

[Marlen 5,860]

What method are you using so as to housetrain her? Do you have a specific program you follow? What I would recommend is crate training her. It takes some time and effort but it's quite reliable and works for most dogs, if not all of them. I think that there's a topic in the forum for crate training...browse the forum a bit, and if you still have any more/specific questions, go ahead and ask. We have a lot of experienced members, I'm sure they'll help you. I never had a problem housetraining Misha. He came home and he already knew to use the newspaper( he had learned that way, so I didn't try something different).

[Rteddy 628]

Zeus Uses the puppy pads to pee always, but doesn't like to poo on them. He wil go potty outside, but we have to go out with him. he will not leave the door step if we dont and it often takes him at least a half hour to an houre to go. this is ruff in the morning to have to sit outside that long, but if I wait to take him out, then he ends up going on the floor even if its only been 10-15 minutes from getting up. We tried using all the suggested methods for crate training, but he crys ALL NIGHT LONG no matter what we do and it finally got to the point my husband said let him out or rehome him because I need to get sleep at night. so no more crate. Pooing is the only real problem in the house, although I would like to get him so that he would always pee an poo only outside, not on the pads even, and without us having to sit outside for an hour to wiat for him to do so. I realize its something I must be doing wrong, but I dont know what.

[Marley'sMom 60]

Can you at least crate train him during the day? What about gating off a mudroom or laundry room? Ours learn to hold it even in the mudroom. Then after holding it for a while, they are more ready to go potty when you take them outside. If he doesn't go outside after 10-15 minutes, then back in the crate for a little while.

[Rteddy 628]

Can you at least crate train him during the day? What about gating off a mudroom or laundry room? Ours learn to hold it even in the mudroom. Then after holding it for a while, they are more ready to go potty when you take them outside. If he doesn't go outside after 10-15 minutes, then back in the crate for a little while.

I could keep Zeus contained to the kitchen and try that.

[GMA 981]

Markella has a good idea to crate him during the day so he will learn that it is not punishment and will sleep there during the night. Though Bosco will poop outside most of the time, he sometimes poops on his pad. When you do put him in the crate, make sure try to make sure he doesn't see you for a half hour or so and gradually increase the time each time you put him in there. Also make sure there are a couple of his favorite chew toy or a kong with peanut butter in it to keep him occupied while in there.

[Marlen 5,860]

Crate training is surely for someone with nerves of steel. I wanted to pull my hair with Jolie and it wasn't my fault or her fault. I learned one thing, don't rely on a supposed trainer's advice but on your instinct. Crate training, to be succesful has to be started immediately, I don't mean 1 month old puppies but at 2 months you can keep them for 15 minutes and start adding to that time. If you try crate training a teenager, yeah, prepare for some rough nights and lack of sleep.

[Staria 53]

I used a crate with our big dog but found it not so good my little ones so I ended up getting a playpen(with no floor) setting up with bed and pee pad for when I was not home, otherwise I spent alot of time outside with Chloe, Pepper same thing only he was pad trained for the most part now at 8 months he rarely uses the pads unless I am to slow in getting them out. and he still will poop next to the pad sometimes very strange.

[Rteddy 628]

Crate training is surely for someone with nerves of steel. I wanted to pull my hair with Jolie and it wasn't my fault or her fault. I learned one thing, don't rely on a supposed trainer's advice but on your instinct. Crate training, to be succesful has to be started immediately, I don't mean 1 month old puppies but at 2 months you can keep them for 15 minutes and start adding to that time. If you try crate training a teenager, yeah, prepare for some rough nights and lack of sleep.

Zeus was 10 weeks old when we got him and tried to crate train him. But the previous owner did not put him in crates ever. He didnt even know what a crate was. I might have been able to stick it out a bit longer, although it was driving me crazy to, but the rest of my family could not. My husband has to get up really early as does my daughter for work.

[Marley'sMom 60]

I would still try crate training during the day until he gets more comfortable with the crate being his sanctuary. What do you do with him at night if he's not in the crate?

[Rteddy 628]

I would still try crate training during the day until he gets more comfortable with the crate being his sanctuary. What do you do with him at night if he's not in the crate?

im not sure if your talking to me or Denise. If your talking to me, I don't crate him at all. I will however contain him to one room. AT night he is contained to the living room and kitchen. the way my house is set up I can block off the hallway that leads to the bathroom and bedrooms. I do this more for safety to him so he doesn't get stepped on when my husband when he gets up ion the middle of the night. I tend to sleep on the couch because I don't sleep good, so Zeus sleeps with me on the couch. I never wake up to any messes in the morning. He holds it all night. Honestly I dont like the ideal of crating him during the day as I am home all day and he likes being with us and playing. I just feel like its being mean and I couldn't do it. I dont mean to imply I think crating is cruel at all. But I see it as something that should be done for safety reasons or at night when your sleeping or when your not home. I personally could not keep him crated when were awake and at home. I can however keep him contained to one room. This is especially true since its not something he is use to. Now if we had been crating him ever since we got him it would be one thing. But to go three/ almost four months without ever crating him, then all the sudden start locking him up in a small box for no reason ( to his eyes), when im home and awake would be too much like a punishment to him I think.

Edited July 9, 2013 by Rteddy

[Marley'sMom 60]

im not sure if your talking to me or Denise. If your talking to me, I don't crate him at all. I will however contain him to one room. AT night he is contained to the living room and kitchen. the way my house is set up I can block off the hallway that leads to the bathroom and bedrooms. I do this more for safety to him so he doesn't get stepped on when my husband when he gets up ion the middle of the night. I tend to sleep on the couch because I don't sleep good, so Zeus sleeps with me on the couch. I never wake up to any messes in the morning. He holds it all night. Honestly I dont like the ideal of crating him during the day as I am home all day and he likes being with us and playing. I just feel like its being mean and I couldn't do it. I dont mean to imply I think crating is cruel at all. But I see it as something that should be done for safety reasons or at night when your sleeping or when your not home. I personally could not keep him crated when were awake and at home. I can however keep him contained to one room. This is especially true since its not something he is use to. Now if we had been crating him ever since we got him it would be one thing. But to go three/ almost four months without ever crating him, then all the sudden start locking him up in a small box for no reason ( to his eyes), when im home and awake would be too much like a punishment to him I think.

Oh sorry! In going back and re-reading, I'm not sure who I was addressing either! I think I read too quickly and thought you were both the same person - Oops! I was wondering if the puppy is crying at night in the crate, and you can't do that because of others in the house, then what do you do with the puppy at night. But Zeus is not the same age as Denise's puppy. I thought your post was hers. In re-reading, it sounds like your only issue is sometimes having accidents in the house when he doesn't want to go outside?

We crate-trained at night in the beginning but he never cried at all, held it well and quickly earned the right to sleep on our bed. He had an accident or two and then it was back to the crate for a few nights. He's been good ever since unless he was sick. Now that he's older, we don't put him in the crate during the day, but did put him in the mudroom with a bed, toys and water and his pee pad. However, since Italy and the puppies are now in the mudroom, he has had more free reign of the house (limited but with access to carpet ). We have pee pads out for him in the kitchen but I know he is having accidents on the carpet when we are gone. We just don't have a better solution until the puppies go to their homes and the mudroom is freed-up again. I think he will quickly learn to go in the mudroom again. He would be playing in the family room and then run to the mudroom to pee on the pad. Italy, on the other hand, will only go outside, but if the weather is bad, she will hold it and then find a place inside when we are not looking. I wish she would use the pad, because we get a lot of rain here.

Edited July 9, 2013 by Marley'sMom

[Rteddy 628]

Oh sorry! In going back and re-reading, I'm not sure who I was addressing either! I think I read too quickly and thought you were both the same person - Oops! I was wondering if the puppy is crying at night in the crate, and you can't do that because of others in the house, then what do you do with the puppy at night. But Zeus is not the same age as Denise's puppy. I thought your post was hers. In re-reading, it sounds like your only issue is sometimes having accidents in the house when he doesn't want to go outside?

We crate-trained at night in the beginning but he never cried at all, held it well and quickly earned the right to sleep on our bed. He had an accident or two and then it was back to the crate for a few nights. He's been good ever since unless he was sick. Now that he's older, we don't put him in the crate during the day, but did put him in the mudroom with a bed, toys and water and his pee pad. However, since Italy and the puppies are now in the mudroom, he has had more free reign of the house (limited but with access to carpet ). We have pee pads out for him in the kitchen but I know he is having accidents on the carpet when we are gone. We just don't have a better solution until the puppies go to their homes and the mudroom is freed-up again. I think he will quickly learn to go in the mudroom again. He would be playing in the family room and then run to the mudroom to pee on the pad. Italy, on the other hand, will only go outside, but if the weather is bad, she will hold it and then find a place inside when we are not looking. I wish she would use the pad, because we get a lot of rain here.

lol thats ok. I can see where it would be very easy to get the post mixed up. Yeah Zeus is older.

[Marlen 5,860]

Well, I should also say that I don't have an actual crate. I just have a kind of 'puppy pen' that I use for Jolie but she's crated in there. she's crated when we're at home and when we're out and during the night. Now, if the dog doesn't have accidents I'm all for letting them freely roam. However, I insist on crate training her because of one thing. I understand how my dogs are different. I showed Misha how it was okay if we left, we'd get back. However, he's more laid back and doesn't care. Sure, he'll wag his tail and want to kiss us when we get back but otherwise, he doesn't care that we leave the house, it's natural for him. The fact that he was rehomed and from a pet shop also helped in this attitude. However Jolie has grown up with people around her and she wants to be near us all the time. She doesn't have any accidents so I could let her roam the rooms. If I did that though, she'd get used to always having us around and separation anxiety is something I absolutely want to prevent. In short, I crate her as much as possible with long breaks for play and she only whines/cries when she can't hold her pee anymore. Misha is free to do whatever he wants and sleep whenever he wants. Even when he was 5 months old and sleeping on my bed, he'd get down from my bed to pee on the pad.

Robin, at 10 weeks, Zeus was not old for crate training but it would take a lot of time since he wasn't familiar with it plus he was used to roaming around right? When we got Jolie she had never been crated alone and she didn't know where to eliminate, she'd just go anywhere. Her breeder said that she was the only puppy so she didn't mind cleaning after her messes All I can say is that there's never a single way that's right but always what's working for the owner. Hm, how is he doing with separation anxiety? or is it that he's never left alone?

[Rteddy 628]

Well, I should also say that I don't have an actual crate. I just have a kind of 'puppy pen' that I use for Jolie but she's crated in there. she's crated when we're at home and when we're out and during the night. Now, if the dog doesn't have accidents I'm all for letting them freely roam. However, I insist on crate training her because of one thing. I understand how my dogs are different. I showed Misha how it was okay if we left, we'd get back. However, he's more laid back and doesn't care. Sure, he'll wag his tail and want to kiss us when we get back but otherwise, he doesn't care that we leave the house, it's natural for him. The fact that he was rehomed and from a pet shop also helped in this attitude. However Jolie has grown up with people around her and she wants to be near us all the time. She doesn't have any accidents so I could let her roam the rooms. If I did that though, she'd get used to always having us around and separation anxiety is something I absolutely want to prevent. In short, I crate her as much as possible with long breaks for play and she only whines/cries when she can't hold her pee anymore. Misha is free to do whatever he wants and sleep whenever he wants. Even when he was 5 months old and sleeping on my bed, he'd get down from my bed to pee on the pad.

Robin, at 10 weeks, Zeus was not old for crate training but it would take a lot of time since he wasn't familiar with it plus he was used to roaming around right? When we got Jolie she had never been crated alone and she didn't know where to eliminate, she'd just go anywhere. Her breeder said that she was the only puppy so she didn't mind cleaning after her messes All I can say is that there's never a single way that's right but always what's working for the owner. Hm, how is he doing with separation anxiety? or is it that he's never left alone?

Oh I know he wasnt too old at 10 weeks. It just didnt work for us because no matter what we did he cried all night and after at least a week of this,my husband would not have it anymore. Zeus was fine with the crate when going in on his own as long as the door was open. He would even sleep in there. but the second you shut the door....He cried and cried and cried and this just was not working for our family. his previous owner kept Zeus and his brother contained to one room, the laundry room. It was a real big room, but certainly bigger then a crate. Zeus is fine with separation. We have never had an issue there. From what I can tell he usually just lays down and goes to sleep when we leave, perhaps plays with a few toys we have available for him. He doesn't get left home alone A LOT, and never has he been for a real longer period of time. I think the longest has been perhaps 3 hours. but certainly he has been left home often enough and long enough that if there was a problem with separation anxiety I think we would know it. He is almost 8 months old now.

Edited July 10, 2013 by Rteddy

[Marlen 5,860]

That's why I said 'Whatever works in each case' apparently your guy is pretty much like mine. He'll also lie down and sleep. So, no, I don't think there's going to be a problem with separation anxiety. All is good then! I was about to give up with crating Jolie but she got used to it after maybe 2 weeks or so. It was certainly stressful for all of us and we only had 2 to 3 hours of sleep and then start babying Jolie so as to calm her down lol