How did those of you who have dogs crate train your puppies? I could also use some tips on potty training,I take her outside after eating,drinking,sleeping and playing but we're still having accidents which I know is normal but I could still use some suggestions. As much as I hate to admit this but my husband got her sleeping in our bed :neutral: I'm ok with it I guess since we had had our previous dogs sleep there too,if it wasn't for this ones accidents... I would have posted this in the cat/dog section but figured more people would see it in the discussion one Thanks in advance!
Hehehe... crate training - a wonderful thing... You have to go back to your "human baby days" ... when you knew it was bed/nap time for your child and they cried & carried on, a pup does the same thing - just in doggie voice. Be matter of fact of the ordeal. If you knew sweet lil' thing has eaten, pottied, and all is well then let her be mad - she'll settle. IGNORE her during this time. Only pay attn to her when she's calm in her crate & not being anxious (ie.. laying watching the family, playing with a toy, etc). Then as you walk by her just give her a praise (don't linger to get her worked up tho) and/or throw a treat in for her. She'll learn that being quiet/still = rewards. Also, she must be in this "mode" when you bring her out -- don't get her excited about coming out where she's trying to rush the door open while you unlatch. Also when you crate her, be matter of fact -- don't coddle her with words/kissie lips - just in she goes and you're gone. Some people put blankets over crate to lessen the "vocals of pup" and help them settle. However, do not leave cover if you're not around -- pup can pull in thru the wires and choke, etc. Feeding her in crate is good too - she knows something good will be in there and go in willingly (when you are putting her in - state "crate" or "kennel", "bed", whichever short word you want to associate) ... then over time she'll know that the crate is "her domain & no one else can go in there" Crating aids in potty training too. If feeding in crate & after she's done eating then wait the allotted time (ie 10-20mins), take her out of crate straight outside. You should take her to one consistent potty area (she'll then learn that's where to go and you won't have to poop scoop everywhere). Walk in circles or lines back & forth (whichever), don't instigate any play time until AFTER potty. Also, don't just take her out and stand there to wait for her -- she'll stay right with you & stand/sit to watch the world as well. Make her move (the walking part) around to activate bladder, don't let her dictate where to go sniff or have free reign to do what she wants til after. If you stay out & she never does anything then you should either back in crate for 5-10 mins and try again OR keep her leashed to you inside then wait a few mins and try again. This will become a habit & she'll learn it. For inside you should start to be able to take notice of her habits before going potty .. ie, sniffs more then usual, turns circles more often, etc.... Pups are tons of fun, huh? I don't fault for the sleeping in the human bed either, lol -- I have 3 that do (all total up to about 115lbs plus me). You can still instigate crating for other times tho --its also known as a time to chill place if small kids get her worked up or whatever. Just don't use it as punishment -- make it appealing. 2-4 days of above on crate & all of y'all involved will be an old pro @ it:cheers:
Gosh, I would bring my puppy outside every half hour and tell her to go "pp's". And when she did I would clap and say yeah, good girl and give a small snack. They catch on eventually, and know that is where they are supposed to go.
Thanks for the really great tips you two! I took her to the vet on Thursday where they diagnosed her with Coccidia,did your dogs ever have it and how did you deal with it? I know that they get it by either ingesting or walking in the infected feces. With her still having accidents indoors it tends to complicate the matter. Thanks!
Yep .. I have one that when we go out & I tell her go potty, she goes on command and look @ me then trot off and go on her own decision once again. But time and consistency is the key
My personal dogs not had it. But I use to foster dogs that had it. Poor things... and yep, that'll have some play in her being able to hold it. But the meds will/should clear it all up pretty quickly.
How big a crate are you using? If its a big crate? Honesty...we put our pup in a larger rabbit cage when he was young. From my understanding (and experience with our dog), pups do not like to foul their "nest." However, a large nest give them greater freedom to poop and pee at one end and rest at the other. Take them out regularly to begin with, after eating, right before going to bed and first thing in the morning. I think a lot has to with the dog and a certain amount of luck. However, I think you need to make sure their crate or nest is appropriately sized for the pup and then graduate them into something larger.
Believe it or not, I taught our dog to ring some bells we had strung from the door handle. She has never, ever whined (she does not whine period, I don't think she knows how) to go out and was so subtle with her signals we sometimes missed them. We stopped with that now that she is older, but it REALLY helped when she was a pup. That took a lot of repition as well but was cute too. Like the others said, put 'em on a schedule just like a baby.
I've read more than one place that Bassets are hard to house train, but ours took to it fairly easy. Granted, he made a boo boo a few times, but in many case, we unintentionally ignored the signs that he needed to go. Of course, now I've officially jinxed myself and he'll have an accident tonight since I've bragged on him.
You might be right about that one,hers is about twice the size of her,however she does sleep in our be which is at least 50 times bigger :neutral:
She's always so distracted when outside,sniffing this,chewing that and so on that the last thing on her mind seems to be going potty.
One other thing I did was used the phrase, "do your business" when he was peeing or pooing. It wasn't long before he seemed to recognize it and would dribble if nothing else when we'd go outside on the leash and I'd say it.
My dogs can hold it in until I get the chance to let them out. But if they really have to go, they bang me with their snout and I say "What" " What ya poking me for?" and they move their head to say let go! And yes JCORes. it is funny but my dogs go on command also and look at me then for approval that I saw! Too funny. And I scream out into the yard " good girls" and they trot off.
