Diesel

Pup has been with us 3 weeks now. Took only half a day to get him to do it on the paper... Popped home to see him at lunchtime, and whilst my Pot Noodle was soaking messed about with him for 5 mins in the garden, with another few mins of no playing so he could do his business... The second we get in the house he squats and pees in the dining room! Outrageous and he had to have a tiny smack on his bottom as he was caught in the act.

He does most of his business in the garden, has access to it all day, but we still find the odd turd in the hall etc!

How long should it take to housetrain him - he already knows it is SO wrong to do it in the house and legs it if you draw attention to any misdemeanour!

Cheers

stanmo

iTrader: (1)

You're lucky. Our retriever was still crapping in the house regularly after 3-4 months, and peeing everywhere after almost a year. I used to clear up crap in the morning; my (then pregnant) wife had to clear up after I left in the morning and more when she got home at lunchtime.

If it's at night time, try getting a cage at night with just his bed / water. Someone told us to do this, and said it worked with their animal as they tend not to foul their own beds. Ours was too big (30kg) by then.

red_dog104

My dog only did (occasionally still does) poo's and wee's in the house when he wasn't getting the attention he wanted. Been told not to let him see me clean it up and ignore him for a time. No eye contact, turning my back etc. It worked wonders and we haven't had a mess for a while now! (he's a rescue dog of about 8 months old)

Shaolin

First thing.......you DONT draw attention to it, and you definately DONT smack him, otherwise at this young age you could make him wary of you, which could cause problems later on, and none of this old rub his nose in it.......that doesnt work.
I have a lab who is just over a year old, who is now pretty good with his dumps etc, you just have to get on with it, and soon enough everything will be good.
And yes, if you clean it up, the chances are that you have to get down to his level, and the dog will see this as a game, and think "this is fun", so make sure he doesnt see you cleaning it up.
Also, be carefull with what you clean it up with, certain house hold cleaners will contain some ingredients that may actually encourage the dog to go again!!

SWRTWannabe

What a great idea - then they sell more cleaner, so the dog craps inside even more, so you have to buy more cleaner.....

I've not had too much experience of house training dogs, but aren't you supposed to praise them when they do their business in the right place?

If not, there's always Pampers

Groucho Marx

My cross alsation doberman didn`t mess in the house, but was still ripping carpets up, howling, tearing wallpaper when he was 7 YEARS old. People I spoke to said he must have been bored. But what could I do when I was at work all day??

Hope you don`t have any of that kind of bother, I would never have another pet after what I went through with him.

davy1

They mainly keep doing it because they have left thier scent there and feel thats where it should be done,think its called Territorial.
Get some proper sh*t cleaner from the Vets with deodourizer!
Worked with my Alsation.still makes a few mistakes now and then,but all part of the fun of owning a dog

MooseRacer

LOL, hope that was a windup

Chelsie-Bun

Dogs are the hardest to train thats why i always bought female ones,
the cage is a very good idea, my dog got to really like it in the end, yes i hear they dont like peeing in there beds unless there soft and brand new then they like to leave there sent in it.

sorry to say it can take a very long time to train them, plenty of walks then they find they only like to do it out side..

chel xxx

Alas

Must admit thats one thing my psychotic dog has not done since we got him. Apart from one occasion. He never comes upstairs during the night as he's not allowed in any of the upstairs rooms (another way to show who was boss). One night heard him at the bedroom door. Got up as thought he must need out - sure enough he's waiting outside the door and ran downstairs when I appeared. I followed him and stepped off the last step into - you've guessed it. And I was barefoot. Not his fault though as his stomach was upset for the next few days.
Wife was a bit annoyed when I went back upstairs and asked her to check my foot as I thought I had a splinter in it. Slept on the couch for the next 2 nights. Oh well you've got to have some fun.
Alasdair

Mice_Elf

We've got a dog who's now just turned 1.

Never had a problem with wetting or dumping in the house. Neither did we with the last dog. They are not hard gto train at all.

Attention is ione of the main reasons, insecurity another.

Make sure he gets plenty of attention and an area that's "his" to help him settle down.

3 weeks is nothing...

Diesel

I probably forget, but my previous dogs were all houstrained within a couple of weeks which is why I ask, but reading here it looks like I am being a bit impatient!

Unsure of this new age 'ignore it' school of thought. Need more convincing there - how on earth do you become the alpha male if you dont 'bark' at him when he displeases you? 'Barking' at him for jobbies does seem to mildly put him out him for 15", but then he should later come back to please you and do what you want?? Is that not how this pack psychology works? There is a HUGE difference between a short telling off/mini smack and making a dog nervous or 'damaged' - this one is loved to bits and spoilt rotten. His dad won at Crufts, but he's just a naughty mucky mutt deep down

D

Mice_Elf

Basically the "ignoring" thing is making the dog wait on you, rather than you pandering to the dog and thus giving him "authority".

When you come home from work or walk in the house and he runs to greet you, ignore him, doesn't have to be for very long - just time to put your things down, take your coat off, that sort of thing. Then, stand until he quietens and then fuss him. This is saying 2 things... 1) I'm first in this house - you wait and 2) Being noisy and boisterous will not get you anywhere.

Never EVER smack a puppy, their bones are too fragile and they will come to fear you, even to the point of snapping at you in defence. If you really feel you must, one finger TAPPING the bridge of the nose is enough.

In order to assert punishment, think of the dog as a pack animal. You need to become the alpha, so that any command you utter are "law", from the simple Sit and Stay to Down. Making the dog stay on his own is a lot more punishing then smacking them.

DangerousDave

Best thing I've found is to get them into a routine, a run outside first thing in the morning, then in the afternoon/evening and they will learn that they have time to do their business then. When they are young puppies they can't wait that long, so give them somewhere, like section off a bit of floor where there is lino (easy to clean up!) put newspaper down and encourage them to use that. If he sleeps upstairs with you, put newspaper down at the bottom of the stairs etc. He will realise he should use the newspaper. Puppies need to learn a routine and where their boundaries are. Chances are he won't understand why you smacked him because he doesnt understand where he is allowed to go to the toilet if he needs to. Give him one room to get fully aquainted with if you've only had him 3 weeks. He will then learn where in that room he can use the toilet if he has to, and will go there in future until he is old enough to hang on for his morning and evening walks. P.S 3 weeks isnt that long for housetraining..persevere!

Diesel

Double post - dohh, but was going to add a pic but cant get an e-mail (despite 3 requests) from turboloader reminding me of the password

[Edited by Diesel - 2/12/2003 6:26:58 PM]