Am I dumb...I got a puppy?!

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-30-2003
Am I dumb...I got a puppy?!
5
Wed, 03-24-2004 - 10:46pm
Hello coming from lurkdom. Ok my situation is that I'm a SAHM of a 20 month old DS, my DH works swing 12 hour shifts, and we just got a puppy (from the local humane society). This little pup is 12 weeks old and sweet tempered. We're having a bit a trouble with housetraining. Neither DH or I have ever really trained a dog before. HELP! Any advice would be great!!

Tara, Brent (DH), & Trevor (DS)

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-13-2003
Thu, 03-25-2004 - 2:05am
Been there...best of luck!!!!

It does get better. I have a jack russell terrier who is almost 6 years. My dd is almost 10 months. I got our dog when he was 7 weeks. I have always said he was much harder than our daughter.

The main key is pee time. Remember when your babe was a newborn and you had to wake every 2 hours to feed? Do that for the puppy, but don't feed, take it outside.

Invest in a doggy door, then it can let itself out (unless it sleeps in a crate)

Have fun, they are great!!!!

Lesley

Photobucket

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-20-2004
Thu, 03-25-2004 - 7:07am
I have a Pug that is 3 1/2 years old. I got him when he was just a pup and it took me 6months to get him housetrained.

At first I tried putting him in my kitchen with papers down and blocked the gait with a baby gate. It didn't work at all. He pee'd all over and when he got big enough he jumped the gate. (at the time I worked between 8 to 12 hour shifts as a nurse) My ex-boyfriend at the time lived next door to me and would come over and let him out at lunch and after work - he had his own business and had more flexible hours. Anyway, the point is it DIDN'T work!

Then I got a crate. At the time I thought it was cruel, but I had to try something. They say an animal will not go to the bathroom where he eats or sleeeps, but mine did. AT first, everyday when I got home I would have to (or my ex-boyfriend) give Mikey (my Pug) a bath and hose out the cage. EVentually though he learned and quit doing this.

When I was home I would take him out about every hour or two, especially 15 min after he ate. I would have dog treats in my pocket and when he went to the bathroom outside I would give him a treat RIGHT AWAY. This is what helped the most.

Good luck,

TAnya

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-29-2003
Thu, 03-25-2004 - 8:34am
you have to start with the crate training instantly... the other dog probably did that in his crate cuz he was older when started..... and was used to peeing and pooping in it's sleep area.......if you start now, it will work great..... i know tons of people who have trained that way and it works......remember, smaller dogs train slower.... some can take up to a year before you can totally trust them..just make sure the crate isnt huge, cuz if they can get in a corner far enough away from where they lay, they will do it anyway..... dont get one with a bottom that they can pee thru and not effect their area..that defeats the purpose... what i did was. the pup woke up in the am.....we instantly went out..... made sure she did everything. then.. we would play..... for about 30 minutes... then it was back to the carrier...pup would sleep a bit and would wake up and out she went again.. then play time again... on like that all day.... there was no time at all that the dog was left alone outside the carrier.....remember.. the pup wont like it at first... you might get a whiney night or two, but it will work out for the best in the long run.i also had a smaller area like 4x4 foot, that the pup could play in outside the cage...... that worked some, but i still didnt leave her there for long alone. that was more toward the time she was getting the hang of the training, the i slowly expanded her area.... now i can leave her in the house for 18 hrs with no problems and no pee... infact, we were snowed in, in st. louis one weekend, no one could get to my house to care for her, and she wasin here from saturday afternoon, til monday afternooon.and she only peeded on the floor once.... poooooor dog....but hey....strong bladder.... i trained her after she got the hang of doing it, to only go out2 maybe 3x a day...... good luck
Avatar for kerry88
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-22-2003
Thu, 03-25-2004 - 9:51pm
we trained our collie in less than 10 days - the key? learn his cues. first off, take him out directly after he eats and say a command when he eliminates (hurry up, etc.) also, get a good rug cleaner and get all scent of his urine out of the house - he will go back to the spot he smells it in. third, if you catch him trying to go in the house, get a shake can (empty soda can with some pennies in it) and once he tries to go, shake it behind your back to startle with sound and say "no - outside" and bring him outside - make sure to praise and command outside.

hope this helps!

fellow lurker

Kerry with Campbell Elizabeth 11.03.06 and Benjamin Brady 12.10.03
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2004
Thu, 03-25-2004 - 10:50pm
Hey! I am new to this site. I have 2 boys, 2years & 10mths. We bought a puppy when my youngest son was 3mths. old. We crate trained the puppy. I am not sure if you know what this is. You would have to buy a crate. The puppy would have to spend most of his time in there, for about 4 days. Only coming out to eat, pee and play for a short time and then back in the crate. I know that this sounds mean. I felt so bad, but after about 4 days the puppy went right to the back door when he needed out. After those 4 hard days he never made a mess in the house again! The pet store told us that it would work, and it did. Hope that this helps you out!

Tara