House Training

[Bull dog]

Hi! I just got a new puppy who is 9 weeks old. It is to cold outside to take him outside. I started puppy pad training him but wasnt sure what type of house training to do? Either just put down news papers? Use only puppy pads? and I was also thinking the potty pad I think its called which is a grass looking pad that resembles grass. I started him on puppy pad but what has worked for you if you raised a puppy. I just want to use the best and easiest method. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

[TheRedQueen]

How cold is it where you are? My recent litter of rescue pups was 6 weeks old and pottying outside in below freezing weather, on snow and ice. I prefer to get them outside for the most part, in the early stages!

I did use potty pads for when I was gone for long periods of time, but they were in a bigger area, with separate sleeping, eating and eliminating spaces. As they've gotten older (they're now 12 weeks old), they're confined to crates with no potty area given...and they only go outside for elimination.

[plebayo]

Unless it is so freezing that YOU as a person are completely housebound and you will freeze if you walk outside... it isn't too cold for your dog.

As far as house training I've never used pee pads or newspaper and I would just take my puppy out every 2-3 hours during the day for a potty break. I crate trained my pup so overnight we didn't have accident issues because she was sleeping in her crate. As she got older I had to take her out less frequently.

[furever_pit]

I'd take them outside.
In my experience, puppy pads and the like just confuse the dog. Better to make it black and white.
Go ahead and start attaching a command to the exercise (go potty, do business, avocado, whatever you want) and it will help.
And, don't forget to throw a party when your pup does go outside. Go ahead, make a fool of yourself. I know I do.

[mnp13]

I have to agree with everyone else - take the dog out. When you allow them to go in the house you create a very bad precedent for the puppy and will likely end up with a big headache down the line.

[Bull dog]

Thank you for all of your replies. I will start taking my pup outside. I was just told when I adopted him not to that it was to cold for him because of his short fur. I live in Upstate New York and today it was 40 degrees out.

[mnp13]

40??? That is PLENTY warm enough to take a puppy out! Where is the puppy from, down south somewhere?

I don't think he should be out very long, but unless it's in the single digits, I doubt a few minutes will harm him

[Bull dog]

I am crate training him right now and his cage is in our sleeping quarters. When I crate trained my 14 year old staffie her crate was out in the living room. Is it ok to have the pups crate in our sleeping quarters? Also what do you suggest to buy to clean up urine and feces stain? Seems like everything I buy doesnt work all that great. One last question he tends to grab ahold of my pants and sometimes my hands and ankles. My kids are 2 and 5 years old and I fear that when they are playing with the puppy that he will bite them to hard even though he is playing. The puppy's bite hurts and sometimes he doesnt want to let go. Do I not let my young kids play with him? How do I get him to let go? I havent owned a puppy in 14 years so its like I am relearning everything all over again. My puppy is a silver grey blue color...and I hear that they have temperamental problems when they get older because people breed them for there color since everyone wants that color. Do I have to worry now of having a out of control pit bull because I have a silver blue APBT? One more question...Does anyone know of a good puppy brand that is cheaper then I AMs puppy chow but just as good? My puppy seems to have a sensitive stomach.

[TinaMartin]

Odo-ban is good at getting the smell out of just about everything. you can get a gallon of the concentrate for about $10. Check out the posts here on dog foods it will help with food questions.

[amalie79]

We use Out! and Nature's Miracle Advanced For Cats-- I know it's for cats, but cat urine tends to be so much worse, that I keep it around for the really bad stuff (plus, I have cats, too, so this meets both needs). When I wash things that have been urinated on, I spray it with Out or NM, and let it soak. Then I wash it with a prewash setting, and use white vinegar in the prewash. We have a geriatric incontinent dog, so I do a lot of wash that's been peed on.

As for the cold, it was 5º with a foot of snow on the ground here in Arkansas, and all our guys went out for potty breaks without coats. My dogs are older, so when it's cold, they go out and do business and come right back; there's no dilly dallying. But with a puppy, there's more wandering around waiting for it to pee, so I'd be careful when it's single-digit cold. But 40º is practically balmy. I wouldn't worry about that.

[Bull dog]

My puppy shivers when I bring him outside to go pee and poop. I feel so bad for him. He just wants to go back inside and then he uses the bathroom on the floor. I love my puppy but I am starting to get over whelmed with everything. Is it natural to feel this way?

[pitbullmamaliz]

Oh yes! My best friend still likes to remind me of the several times I called her crying, saying "when is she going to grow up????"

[amalie79]

My puppy shivers when I bring him outside to go pee and poop. I feel so bad for him. He just wants to go back inside and then he uses the bathroom on the floor. I love my puppy but I am starting to get over whelmed with everything. Is it natural to feel this way?

Could you put a little sweater on him? I've been seeing them on clearance lately, so you wouldn't have to spend a fortune on one that you could only use for a few weeks. We have a $7 clearance Halloween sweater that does the trick at our house. Our local place still has Christmas sweaters they're trying to offload at half price. And a 9/10 week old puppy would wear a little one, which is a lot cheaper. I think I saw them full price at Wal-Mart for ~$9, and that was several weeks ago when winter was in full swing.

Puppies are very cute, but they are definitely a lot of work. On the other hand, you have the opportunity to give your dog good habits before the bad ones develop. Just remember that the more work you put in now means that much less work down the line. It's a lot easier to put in the hours up front than it is to correct problems in adults. It won't be this hard forever.

Just hang in there!!! And ask any questions you need to-- chances are, someone on this forum has been through the same thing at one time or other.

[mnp13]

Oh yes! My best friend still likes to remind me of the several times I called her crying, saying "when is she going to grow up????"

Has she?

[pitbullmamaliz]

Um yes, smart ass. When she turned five that magic switch was flipped. Hence the reason she was able to nail that boy dog with one solid correction instead of completely going postal on him.

[TheRedQueen]

Puppies *are* a lot of work...and they have a natural way of looking completely pathetic. A cut off sweatpant leg, with holes cut out for front legs can be a good "doggy coat" for a growing pup...just put the elastic cuff part on the neck/chest.

If the pup won't go outside, then don't put the pup back in the house to potty...that's just setting you up for anguish. If you really worry, give the pup a potty pad in the house...and take the puppy there when it's potty time. If they don't eliminate on that area, back into the crate. No freedom until they've pottied in an appropriate area.

[amalie79]

Puppies *are* a lot of work...and they have a natural way of looking completely pathetic. A cut off sweatpant leg, with holes cut out for front legs can be a good "doggy coat" for a growing pup...just put the elastic cuff part on the neck/chest.

Genius!

Is it just that your pup is cold, or is he too super excited about running around and sniffing things to take care of business? I mean, I know that the issue is that he's a 9 week old puppy who hasn't learned the drill yet ...but in addition to that? Robin was a year old when we house-trained her (she was a stray), and while she didn't have a ton of accidents, her biggest problem was being so excited to run and run and sniff and run that she forgot to pee. She'd be out there for 45 minutes having the time of her life, then come back in and promptly pee on the floor. Having a party and letting a pinata's worth of treats fall on her when she did business wasn't enough, so I put her on a leash to go out-- her reward for peeing was the leash came off. The second that girl popped a squat, she got freedom. Didn't take all that long for her to get the message. A year later now, and I notice that it's practically the first thing she does most of the time.

[Bull dog]

He usually pees outside and has gone poop outside a couple of times but if hes really cold he wont go poop. I am trying to adjust to all of this since its been a long time since I owned a puppy. I am going to take the advice given on here and look for a sweater for him to wear outside and see if that helps.

[TheRedQueen]

Putting him on a very clear schedule will help too...so you'll know when he really needs to poop, and when it's just a pee moment.

[Bull dog]

Its hard to get him on a schedule because I work 3rd shift. He sleeps at night time and I have someone take him out in the morning when he wakes up and then I get home around 9am and I take him outside and play with him for a couple of hours then I put him back in his kennel. I sleep and when my roomate gets home he feeds him and then takes him outside. When I wake up I do the same. I am doing the best I can with a schedule but alot of times he will just go pee withh out being fed. He is 85 percent paper trained but has accidents. Am I doing things the right way? If not please tell me. Thank you