Best Way to Housebreak a Pup?

[Caboose]

Our new puppy is 8 weeks old and a crazy ball of energy (of course!). Knowing that he's going to be a big guy, we are anxious to start his training ASAP. Of course, potty rules are tops on the list! The people we got him from said he had a decent grasp of outside=the place to potty but he is really resisting over the last day and a half since he joined our family.

We have been taking him out regularly. At least every hour during the day and as often as every 15 minutes at times when we know he is likely needing to go (after naps or play time, before and after meals) but he will run right back to the door to be let in. This may be in part because it's cold out there as we live in Ontario, Canada. When we open the door to take him out, he backs away as soon as the cold air hits him! Anyway, once he's out, he goes straight back to the door and sits to be let in. Even trying to play outside a little only distracts him for a minute or two. And then he will sometimes pee on the carpet within minutes of coming inside! Talk about frustrating. Even if we catch him as he just starts to dribble and rush him out, he will refuse to finish his pee outside.

Now, he is not our first dog... and our last dog (whom we had to put down last summer) had a lot of issues near the end of his life, bladder control being one of them, so we're not new to puddles! I certainly don't expect Caboose to train in a day. But it almost seems as though he is confused and doesn't realize that outside is where we WANT him to go.

Does anyone have any tips to make this process easier on him and us?

 

[Dogue Lover]

#1 Are you crate training?

 

[Caboose]

Ah, good question! We plan to but we need to get our crate adjusted as it is from our last dog (75lb foxhound) and FAR too big for Caboose right now... though I expect he'll grow into it soon! So I don't think it would be small enough to prevent him from urinating or defecating in one corner and sleeping on the other end. Therefore, he hasn't spent a lot of time in there. Plus, my husband was up with him most of last night taking him out every hour or less, just waiting for an outside pee so he could heap on the praise (good hubby lol) so he was out most of the night, too. However, if I can't find our divider tomorrow to make it smaller, I might buy or borrow a small crate for his puppyhood as crate training is definitely the plan. Is that what you'd recommend?

 

[Dogue Lover]

Crate training is a good way to start any pup and aids in alot of housebreaking bad habits.
It can work very well for some dogs but not all. I have a 7 month old that had crate fear so we didn't use it for her but all of our other dogs yes crates were used till housebroken. We used a canvas playpen for our 7 month old for about 2 weeks till she had potty issues down then alot of doggy gates blocking off areas till she was fully trusted. We also have an older dog and a doggy door so our pup had the potty issue down pretty fast.

Back to the topic of your thread. When you take Caboose out there to do his business make sure you praise him when he goes. You can even give him a treat after he goes. I also suggest you stay out there with him till he goes. Never turn your back on him when your inside because once he gets away with it(potty in the house without getting caught) It's harder to break it. Keep him tethered to you when inside if he doesn't have a place (crate, kennel,playpen) yet. Stay on it at all times and eventually he will get it down. You could also try using those potty pads right at the doorway which he uses to go out. Have it sticking out the other side of the door if possible. Daily make it smaller and smaller from the inside. I personally think they are a joke due to i don't beleive any pee in the house is ok but have a friend that used them this way and it would alert the dog (that the door has to open for him to go potty) and the owner to open the door for him to go out.

Also both you and your hubby should use the same cue words for whatever behavior you are trying to mold the puppy to do.

Best of luck to you and in 2weeks this potty training should be down.

---------- Post added at 09:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:28 PM ----------

Forgot to mention this part. I would try the bigger crate that you have before purchasing another. Have some food and water in there for him and i doubt he will potty or def. in it.

 

[Dogue Lover]

Forgot to mention this part. I would try the bigger crate that you have before purchasing another. Have some food and water in there for him and i doubt he will potty or def. in it.

 

[acoz47]

Do you think its a scent response from your older dog that had bladder problems. Its hard to remove that scent on porous surfaces. I see you have a doggy door so Im sure the little guy will get it soon. This may seem scilly but if your doggy door is like mine for large breed and you can fit through it crawl trough a few times and the pup will follow. This is something another dog works good for showing the little guy the family ropes.

 

[Mickey3696]

I would also add to Dogue Lover that when you take him outside to have him on a leash. That way he can't run back to the door till he goes potty.

 

[Dogue Lover]

How's Caboose doing? Has he mastered it yet?