# Seek Advice on Possible Conflicting Housetraining Methods



## cjones2989 (Dec 20, 2010)

Hello. My English Bulldog puppy comes home with me at the beginning of next year and I had a housetraining question.

I am planning on taking the dog out when I/he wakes up and soon after I feed him. Only problem is, I have to go to work and have nobody to take him out midday. 

I was planning on having his crate (open) in the bathroom and using a baby gate to confine him with plenty of space to move around. I also plan on having 'Wee Pads' in the room out of necessity while I am gone. Then after I come home, I will take him outside and after a meal/playtime as usual. That is the schedule but I would take good suggestions for tweaking.

I was wondering, is there a way to train a puppy to go outside and on pads successfully? I don't want to confuse him too much but not sure if he can handle the multitasking. My primary goal is to crate train him when he can hold his bladder a full duration and take him outside before and after work. This would be my temporary solution until that time.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

There really isn't a good way to train a pup to use pee pads and go outside. It confuses them. But the way you're describing isn't really training the pup to use pee pads. . .they're just used to sop up the inevitable accidents. I think that's the most common method used by working dog owners, so it should be just fine!


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

An 8 week puppy has to go about every 2 - 3 hours. Make sure that he is 'confined' within a relatively small area that will be easy to clean, such as a few square yards in the kitchen. He will try to go as far as he can from his food, water, and bedding. Later, he will try to go to the most bathroom-smelling place far from his living areas.


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## cjones2989 (Dec 20, 2010)

Well I think you understand what I'm trying to do Willowy. I don't want to actively train him on them but then again, if he hits them when he goes, even better. This is a month or two temporary thing. After this, crate training will be inforced during the day as he will be receiving it at nighttime (with frequent outside trips I'm sure). I didn't want to use newspaper because I heard they will release on two receipts laying next to each other.  Of course I want to sanction his messes but I don't want to confuse him with pads. But has anyone actually accomplished this together and got it to work coheasively?


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## lisaj1354 (Feb 23, 2008)

Pepper will use pee pads when he absolutely has to, but prefers going out to do his business. So yes - a dog can use both with no problem.


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## phifedawg (Apr 25, 2011)

Hello! My girfriend and I are first time owners. We bought two puggles who are now 9 weeks old. We've had them for one week.

The breeder advised that we use one crate to train them. They enjoy snuggling with each other at bed time and they also have each other to play with when we're not at home to supervise. After the first night, one of them pooped in the crate. Same thing happened the next day when we had to be away from the house. Perhaps this is common at the beginning of the training process, but we wanted to try leaving them in the kitchen instead.

For the better part of one week we've kept them in our small, fenced-in kitchen during times we can not supervise. The crate is in the kitchen with them and the door is open. They still like to sleep in their bed in the crate. Of course, we can't prevent every accident and they are still going on the kitchen floor when we're not at home. We try to take them out every hour we're at home, every three hours during bedtime, and of course before and after every meal. We know to give them great praise when they go outside.

At first, we quickly learned that we underestimated how often young pups have to go potty. To help with the accidents we purchased a puppy "littler box" with wee pads. We would take them to the box when they appeared ready to eliminate and praise them afterwards. We discussed this practice and thought it might conflict with training the dogs to pee outside. Going forward, we are making a point to exclusively carry them outside when attempting to prevent an accident. We used to allow them to use the weepad which I'm now realizing is a horrible idea. They should be trained to never use any area of the house to eliminate. The good news is we've been picking them up when they're about to pee or poop anywhere else on the kitchen floor.

So here is our dilemma...while we're not at home, they frequently (not always) use the weepad to pee. For poop, they just go on the kitchen floor. At this age, they are pooping almost every time we're not at home. I understand that this is normal, but our concern is they are not being trained properly since they may feel it is OK to use the kitchen. My questions are:

1) Can we effectively housetrain them using our small kitchen?
2) Should we go back to crate training them and remove the litter box immediately? Will they feel they're being punished?
3) How much worse did we make things and is it still possible to get them on the right track?

I should note they have coccidia and will be taking medicine for about one more week. One of the side effects is diarrhea. 

I'll be happy to answer any questions and I would greatly appreciate the feedback. Thanks!


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## lisak_87 (Mar 23, 2011)

Congrats on the new puppies 
The good thing about puppies is that it is difficult to entirely screw them up  Your wee pad training may mean some extra work in the potty training department, but you have hardly screwed up! I would recommend leaving wee pads out ONLY when you are not home and never ever reinforcing them or anything. That'll just help you clean up without reinforcing the behavior. When you ARE home you must do everything you can to catch them each and every time they need to potty. Even if they've already started to go, grab 'em and cart 'em outside where they will hopefully finish. Don't ever yell and try not to react when you see them beginning to go. I generally do a soft, friendly "ah" and cart Brady outside where he gets a wonderful treat and praise for going there.

On that note, it would be good to pick an extra special treat JUST for potty time... chicken is a good one! Make sure you REALLY lavish on the praise and give chicken every single time they potty outside! (There's a really great thread either in here or the training forum that is a stickie about house training).

As for using the kitchen as your containment area, I would highly recommend crate training HOWEVER, I would make a couple of adjustments:

1.) I wouldn't crate them together unless you intend to let them be crated together for the rest of their lives. I would get 2 separate crates now.
2.) I wouldn't crate them for super long lengths of time since they seem to have a problem pottying in there.
3.) I would double-check the size of the crate you are using. Make sure it is not too big! It should be big enough for them to stand up, turn around, lay down in a bit of a sprawl, but not the size of a room!

Oh hey I just realized this was posted into a very old thread.  Probably should've created a brand new thread!


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

Lots of people confuse crate training and potty training....crate training is to help them be comfortable in their crate, so they can think of it as their "den", and so you can crate them when you need to leave. 
HOWEVER, a crate can be used as a TOOL to help potty train, because, in general, puppies don't want to soil where they sleep. However, your puppies have broken that generalization by pooping in the crate!  Maybe, because they HAD to go and couldn't hold it. Every puppy is different.

As far as confining in the kitchen, vs confining in the crate (for when you leave), it's personal preference. AND, it depends how long you have to be away for. 

Using the kitchen to confine them isn't really potty training them, if you only confine them in the kitchen when you're gone, because you aren't really "training" them when you're gone.....what you're doing is keeping their accidents limited to one spot. (Because, they WILL have accidents when you're gone, they're just too young....)

I don't think you should use the pads at all. I did with my first puppy, because we were in an apartment and where quite far from the outside potty area. But, I regretted it, because it made them think it was ok to go on anything remotely pad-like: door mats, throw rugs, bath mats, etc....

Basically, my best advice on potty training:
- take them out more often than you think you should. Even if they don't actually HAVE to go at that moment, you are still laying the foundation and teaching them where to go.
- be consistent with praise and treats the instant they go!
- clean accidents with an enzymatic cleaner.
- watch, watch, watch! 
If you are always watching, and take them out often, hopefully they won't even have the CHANCE to have an accident, unless you're gone!


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## Cogan (Aug 31, 2012)

Hi!

*I'm a new owner of a darling nine week old cockapoo puppy. I got him a week ago.* At his vet visit on Monday, he weighed in at 3.39 lbs. And he is sweet, cute, energetic and an all around good little guy. But I have read several books and gotten conflicting advice on housetraining him. (He's not my first dog, but my previous dog was a rescue who came to me as a full grown, potty trained adult.) So I'm in new territory here. And I'd love any advice from any of the other dog owners who've been through the potty training process.

*Background:*
*I am trying to crate train him.* Have been since I brought him home from the breeder. He went right in his crate the first night (in my bedroom) and barely cried. He's been very good at night. And he's been able to hold it 90 minutes to 120 minutes at night. Which is GREAT. But during the day he has been unpredictable (probably due to my mistakes and the fact that out lives have been very hectic since he first came home).

As I said, I've read several books. And gotten all sorts of advice. I will admit to being at a loss. We had a lot of accidents in the house two days ago. So I tried the advice of a new book for yesterday with the idea of confine your dog to his crate most of the time, take him out once an hour on the hour, bring him in and play or train, then back into his crate with kong/treats. Repeat each hour. Here's how we did yesterday.

- The plan I got from Dr. Ian Dunbar's book: All day we went out every hour. And then coming back inside and playing for a bit or training (working on his name, sit, down, etc.) And then going back in his crate with a kong, a nyla bone, and a soft stuffed toy for him to lay on. He likes the kong and the treats at first but then cries. I have been trying to let him cry (which is of course killing me). So he starts getting used to his crate. Now I kept his crate with me all day so he wasn't alone except when I took a shower. He wasable to see me in his crate. He will settle down after a bit but he's not a fan.

- Treats when going potty outside: When going outside, per one of the books, I tell him "go potty" while he is actually peeing/pooping and then give him a very small treat when he finishes. Yesterday was the first day for the treats every time he went potty outside and he seemed to understand he gets one when he finishes peeing or pooping. 

- The Results Yesterday: So all day, we did great. Made it outside regularly. He peed and pooped and got treats. And then about 7:30 PM we went out and he only peed and we waited a few minutes and came in and he pooped in the house. (My fault for not waiting longer than five minutes I suppose.) And then he went back in his crate with some chew toys, etc. He began crying as I was working at my computer about 9:30 and I wasn't fast enough to get him out of his crate. (This is my fault and I know it!) He peed on his blanket. So I pulled his blanket out, tossed it in the washer after strain treating it with Nature's Miracle. Put a fresh blanket in his crate. And let him run around a bit. He was out of his crate, playing in the dining room area. He drank some water and proceeded to have five more peeing accidents after that on the floor (laminate - no carpet). Before I ever got a chance to put him back in his crate. So I'm frustrated and feel like I'm either expecting too much too early or screwing up massively.

So here are my questions as I have read and been told so many things at this point that my head is reeling.

*1) How young can a puppy be crate trained and housebroken?*
I've seen somewhere that a puppy can't be potty trained before 16 weeks. If so I have 7 more weeks to go before he can be potty trained. If not...how soon should I expect progress?

*2) Is limiting water okay?* Some books say it is okay to limit water. Some say never to do that. My sister told me she tried that with her dog and he ran into kidney issues. I do not want to put the puppy at risk. But if he has free access to water he drinks the entire bowl and then pees all the time. Is there a balance to be struck without harming him?

*3) Any suggestions for helping with the crate? And how long should he NOT be in the crate during the day when I have him with me? *The puppy has been crying a lot in his crate during the day. But he did better with the potty training while in his crate. Any tips for this? I don't want the pup to be stuck in his crate all the time, but so many people and books recommend that while training. Example = crate, take out every hour, play/train, repeat. He cries a lot during the day in his crate. With toys and a kong with treats. And the crate is right next to me in full sight. Any suggestions on how to make this easier for him? (I should add that I'm not working right now. I will be going back to work in a few months. But right now I have the time to dedicate to his potty training.)

*4) To leash or not to leash while potty training? *One books says you should definitely leash the dog. Another says carry the dog outside to the potty spot. I've been doing the carrying thing to the same spot in the fenced back yard and standing with him. Is this not appropriate?

*5) Will the dog catch on with the crate training over time?* I feel like after a week of trying to take him outside to pee and poop I must be doing something wrong as we have had a lot of accidents. I don't ever yell or get upset. I just clean them up with Nature's Miracle. And try to get him back outside for the next attempt. And that was why yesterday we tried the crate for the bulk of the day.

*6) Other useful tips?* I want to do the very best for him. And I am not using any kind of punishment. Only positive rewards and praise for doing things right. And I am willing to put in the time. I just want to make sure I'm not making any mistakes. One of the books said that when an owner lets her puppy have multiple accidents in the house the puppy may never learn to be completely housebroken. So what I want to know is what I'm dealing with to be expected from cockapoos? Or puppies in general?

Thank you for ANY help you can provide.

- a very frustrated but loving new cockapoo owner,
Cogan


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## chubby (Aug 18, 2011)

At age 1 year and 3 months Butters is well on her way to be housebroken...finally. And what did it take? Bladder control medication from the vet. Lol. Just saying that sometimes it's not all about the training but the fact that your dog literally may have a tiny bladder. Now, she hasn't had an accident in 2 weeks, and it's been FANTASTIC!!!! 

After my hellish year trying to housebreak my Butters, here is what I feel is the best solution.

1. When they are 2-3 months old, you will not be home enough to take them out and they will have to eliminate inside. Put them in an ex-pen with pee pads all around the floor. As they start to take preference urinating in a general area, remove the pee pads except for that one or two spots. Usually if the breeder did it right, they will want to eliminate as far away from where their bed and food is as possible.
2. When they are 4 months old, you should try to come home at lunch to let them out. At this point, they should be crate trained as well. When you leave in the morning, pop them in the crate. Come home and lunch and let them pee. Put them back in the crate. IT's going to be hard for you because confining can be seen as restrictive, but if you did the crate training right, it shouldn't be an issue.
3. When they are 6-8 months old, start pushing the time you go home to let them out. Before, you would come after 4 hours. Now push it to 5, 6,7,8. Eventually you will be able to come home after work without an accident which should happen around 9-12 months of age. Every dog is different and this time is widely varied, so don't expect too much.

Don't let them have accidents in the house when you're home. Ever. Interrupt them mid-pee/mid-poo and rush them outside in your arms and praise exhuberantly for them going outside.

That's all I can say, after many tears of frustration and feelings of absolute hopelessness.


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## chubby (Aug 18, 2011)

*1) How young can a puppy be crate trained and housebroken?*
I've seen somewhere that a puppy can't be potty trained before 16 weeks. If so I have 7 more weeks to go before he can be potty trained. If not...how soon should I expect progress?

If you're introducing the crate gradually and playing tons of crate games, you can have a crate trained dog within a few weeks or maybe even shorter, depending how much they crave their own special place. If you rush into putting them in there too long, you will have some set backs. You really want to be releasing them from the crate before they get agitated, otherwise you progressed too fast. Crate games. All the way. Teach them to "go to bed". Make a game out of it. 

You won't know if they're housebroken until they haven't had an accident for 9 months. So I would say, you will know by the time they are at least 6 months to a year old, depending on whether it's a large breed (with a larger bladder) or just the general stubborness of that particular dog 

*2) Is limiting water okay?* Some books say it is okay to limit water. Some say never to do that. My sister told me she tried that with her dog and he ran into kidney issues. I do not want to put the puppy at risk. But if he has free access to water he drinks the entire bowl and then pees all the time. Is there a balance to be struck without harming him?

Don't give them water as they're in the crate or they will have an accident in it. Basically, their bladder needs to be empty before they're popped in there, and they should have access to water otherwise. So, give them water in the morning, take them for a walk, they will pee. Put them in the crate. Once you take them out, let them pee immediately and then have water available as they're out and about. Pick up the water a couple hours before bedtime so they don't have accidents during sleep. Adult dogs can go quite a while without food or water, but if you start to notice that your dog's skin doesn't pull back immediately when you tug at it, he's probably very dehydrated. For puppies, they should have more frequent access to water than not (ideally). But again, you don't want the water in the crate with them or right before bedtime.

*3) Any suggestions for helping with the crate? And how long should he NOT be in the crate during the day when I have him with me? *The puppy has been crying a lot in his crate during the day. But he did better with the potty training while in his crate. Any tips for this? I don't want the pup to be stuck in his crate all the time, but so many people and books recommend that while training. Example = crate, take out every hour, play/train, repeat. He cries a lot during the day in his crate. With toys and a kong with treats. And the crate is right next to me in full sight. Any suggestions on how to make this easier for him? (I should add that I'm not working right now. I will be going back to work in a few months. But right now I have the time to dedicate to his potty training.)

You're progressing too quickly with the crate training. When you're away, put the crate in an ex-pen for now, and try to make it a comfy place with blankets, toys, chew toys, and feed meals in the crate. There are tons of threads here just on crate training that you can find all the details you need

*4) To leash or not to leash while potty training? *One books says you should definitely leash the dog. Another says carry the dog outside to the potty spot. I've been doing the carrying thing to the same spot in the fenced back yard and standing with him. Is this not appropriate?

Leash it. You want to literally be right next to your dog when he goes so you can immediately treat and praise. If he's running around too he may get distracted and not go. With the leash, just stand very still and say the magic words so he can focus and go. You also want him to go to the same spot every time and if you don't leash him, he may go in several spots, leading to multiple urine damage around your lawn Plus, it's just easier to potty train when you take them to the same spot over and over again.

*5) Will the dog catch on with the crate training over time?* I feel like after a week of trying to take him outside to pee and poop I must be doing something wrong as we have had a lot of accidents. I don't ever yell or get upset. I just clean them up with Nature's Miracle. And try to get him back outside for the next attempt. And that was why yesterday we tried the crate for the bulk of the day.

Crate training is not about leaving the dog in there for longer periods of time so they get used to it. It's about introducing it gradually. If he's eliminating in the crate, he wasn't empty when you put him in there in the first place. Before placing in the crate he MUST have peed and pooed. If he didn't, expect an accident. Also, feed him the same time everyday so you can start to see a pattern of when he tends to eliminate #2. Then you can better predict if he's truly 'empty'. Likewise, he should be getting walks the same time everyday. Normally a dog will poo during a walk because it stimulates the bowels. in that case, you should walk your dog early in the morning so he will poo, and then he'll be empty for the crate while you're away.

*6) Other useful tips?* I want to do the very best for him. And I am not using any kind of punishment. Only positive rewards and praise for doing things right. And I am willing to put in the time. I just want to make sure I'm not making any mistakes. One of the books said that when an owner lets her puppy have multiple accidents in the house the puppy may never learn to be completely housebroken. So what I want to know is what I'm dealing with to be expected from cockapoos? Or puppies in general?

SUPER close supervision. If he's having accidents it means you weren't paying attention. Even one second out of your eye sight can lead to an accident. Don't let him have accidents. Most of all, be patient, consistent and understanding in that every dog has different timelines of being housebroken and crate trained.

Some signs your dog may need to go: sniffing, walking around in circles while sniffing or not, whining/staring/barking at you, standing by the door, standing very still.


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

Cogan said:


> Hi!
> 
> *I'm a new owner of a darling nine week old cockapoo puppy. I got him a week ago.* At his vet visit on Monday, he weighed in at 3.39 lbs. And he is sweet, cute, energetic and an all around good little guy. But I have read several books and gotten conflicting advice on housetraining him. (He's not my first dog, but my previous dog was a rescue who came to me as a full grown, potty trained adult.) So I'm in new territory here. And I'd love any advice from any of the other dog owners who've been through the potty training process.
> 
> ...


My personal opinion is that potty training is more about what you do than what the puppy does. You can set him up for success by preventing accidents at all costs, getting him out on time, and enough, and watching him like a hawk, so he doesn't have the chance to have an accident. It doesn't last forever!


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

doxiemommy said:


> My personal opinion is that potty training is more about what you do than what the puppy does. You can set him up for success by preventing accidents at all costs, getting him out on time, and enough, and watching him like a hawk, so he doesn't have the chance to have an accident. It doesn't last forever!



This, this, and this. Kylie is 14 weeks old. She has NEEEEVER had an accident in the house, and we got her at a month old - seriously. This is not because she is super!dog, but because that dog has not had ONE SECOND of unsupervised time, outside her crate. I am not exaggarating. I am not counting 'being in the room with her, but doing something else'. I am not counting 'I'll just go pee real fast'. That dog has been watched like a HAWK. At this point, we're easing up a little, because she reliably takes herself out the door (which is open, still) to do her business. But easing up means I might wash some dishes while she's in the same room as the door. Or talk on the phone while I watch her. 

It's exhausting as hell, but. It's working.


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## Cogan (Aug 31, 2012)

Thank you, Chubby, doxiemommy, and CptJack for your advice and input.

I want to do the very best for Oliver. I will admit to being overwhelmed with all kinds of different advice and feeling like a bit of a failure because he has had accidents in the house. He is catching on to the treats when he does his business outside. He looks at me while he's doing his business and then is so excited to get his treat and lots of praise.

It's just me. I live alone. So I'm the one fully responsible for his training. And I accept that responsibility (and the mistakes I've made). I can definitely tell when he has to poop but because he is so little (3.39 lbs) he doesn't give the same tells when he has to pee. He sniffs frantically before needing to poop. But does not do so before peeing. He just stops and pees. He doesn't really squat as he is so low. So I can miss that. I've been able to rush him outside if it looks like he has to poop. But not while he's peeing. 

And to CptnJack, that is fantastic! 14 weeks and no accidents ever!!! I am used to multitasking and was able to do so with my previous dog (an adult who passed away not too long ago). Obviously I need to get out of that train of thought. (Right now he's napping in his crate while I'm on the laptop.) Can I ask - do you take your pup out on a schedule? I've been trying to do that. Or do you just know her signs and when she has to go so you hustle her outside? I'd love to figure out what I can do better. 

Another leash question. Among all the books and advice I've read/received, I saw that you shouldn't let the puppy sleep in his collar in his crate. Well, I take him out several times per night so he can do his business. How have people handled this? I feel like stopping to put on a collar and a leash will set us up for accidents. Suggestions are so welcome!!

I know this is about me not the pup. I know puppies aren't born understanding the human house rules. And I appreciate the advice and guidance.

Thank you!


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

When Kylie first came here, she was all of 4 weeks old (we weren't sure - but way too young) and tiny. Even telling she was squatting was a bit hard at first, since she had no legs to speak of.









What worked/has worked for us, is that we have a routine - it's not time dependent, though. When she was that tiny it was that she would wake up, go straight outside. She has 10 minutes to go to the bathroom. If she did, she got some playtime. If she did not, she went back into her crate for another 10 minutes. Rinse and repeat until she DID go to the bathroom. Once she did, she got to play. She got all of about 10 minutes of play before she was taken outside. If she went - fantastic, more play. If not - back in the crate. Eventually, she hit the point where she'd nap again, and then we would start over. Those time periods, though, were based on a four week old puppy with effectively NO bladder control or capacity. At this point it's more like 'we take her out after she wakes up, plays hard, eats, or every hour'. They stretched out pretty gradually, as she got the idea that to play? She'd better be making with the potty.

Oh, and re: collar: 

Look for a show leash. No collar, just slips over their head. If he's a lunging/fish out of water/flopper on a leash - pick him up to take him out and get the collar on, on the way. One of those nylon safety collars with the snaps are pretty fast and easy. He'll probably keep holding it until his feet his the ground. Unless, of course, he REALLY has to go. (That's the other thing - straight out of the crate, Kylie STILL doesn't get to walk to the door. She's little enough to carry, and the walk involves going through a few rooms and just - no way, no how, would she make it.


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## aznVampire (Jul 20, 2010)

> 1) How young can a puppy be crate trained and housebroken?


Though it's not common for most puppies, it is possible. Louie is 16 weeks old, and he's been potty trained since he was 13 weeks old. Potty trained, as in I do not have to watch him like a hawk anymore, and he has full run of the house. He can be in another room, and I won't worry. I taught him how to ring a bell if he wanted to go potty, but he started understanding before I taught him (he used to sit by the door). 



> 2) Is limiting water okay?


I only limit water before he sleeps to minimize midnight potty outings. I didn't during the day, because I was afraid he'd get dehydrated if I forgot to give him water again or something.



> 3) Any suggestions for helping with the crate?


Like doxiemommy, I preferred to have him not be in his crate during the day. It required a lot more work, since I had to watch him all the time, but I found that it helped him gain confidence as he explored the house (he was (and still is) a very shy puppy).



> 4) To leash or not to leash while potty training?


I, personally, prefer to not leash Louie. I did not leash my older dog when she was learning either, but mainly because she preferred to sniff around before she went potty, and I found that it took her longer to go potty if she was leashed. As for Louie, when I open his crate door, he automatically walks with me to the door and pees in the same spot, but this required A LOT of repetition. 



> 6) Other useful tips? So what I want to know is what I'm dealing with to be expected from cockapoos? Or puppies in general?


What you're dealing with is perfectly normal for puppies. There was day when Louie would pee outside and then pee inside 5 minutes later. It is frustrating when they have accidents, but supervising and repetition helps a ton.


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## Hambonez (Mar 17, 2012)

My answers are based on my experience with my now 8.5 m/o dachshund mix who we adopted from the shelter when he was just under 8 wks old. 



Cogan said:


> *1) How young can a puppy be crate trained and housebroken?*
> 
> Hamilton has been housebroken from just under 5 months old. We didn't lock him into his crate until we were sure he was not going during the time he needed to be crated. We had his crate open in an expen, and when he stopped having accidents, we shrunk the expen til he was just in his crate.
> 
> ...


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## Cogan (Aug 31, 2012)

Again, thank you all or your tips/advice/suggestions as well as sharing your experiences. It really does help!


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## chubby (Aug 18, 2011)

Cogan said:


> Thank you, Chubby, doxiemommy, and CptJack for your advice and input.
> 
> I want to do the very best for Oliver. I will admit to being overwhelmed with all kinds of different advice and feeling like a bit of a failure because he has had accidents in the house. He is catching on to the treats when he does his business outside. He looks at me while he's doing his business and then is so excited to get his treat and lots of praise.
> 
> ...


Get a flat collar with a snap buckle. Attach the collar to the leash. When you remove it, just unsnap it, don't remove the leash from the collar. Easy!


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## Cogan (Aug 31, 2012)

Yet another question: how do you all handle a puppy who REFUSES to go potty in the rain. We've had some downpours for the past few days And I take him out every ten minutes and tell him to go potty but he wants no part of it. I hold an umbrella over him to keep him dry. Even that doesn't work. He sits between my feet and will not do his business.

Any advice?


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## Hambonez (Mar 17, 2012)

Cogan said:


> Yet another question: how do you all handle a puppy who REFUSES to go potty in the rain. We've had some downpours for the past few days And I take him out every ten minutes and tell him to go potty but he wants no part of it. I hold an umbrella over him to keep him dry. Even that doesn't work. He sits between my feet and will not do his business.
> 
> Any advice?


Mine prefers standing under a tree or staying on the sidewalk/driveway -- but if he's gotta go, we don't go back in until he does! He gets his potty command so he knows why we're there, and the longer he dawdles the longer we stand out in the rain!


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## TribalPhoenix (Dec 18, 2012)

Hello all! First post here.

My girlfriend and I have had Griffin, our currently 13 week old Havanese, home for a month. We initially tried pee pads, but he destroyed them with enthusiasm. His breeder had him and his littermates going on towels, so he was just going on soft surfaces like carpets, etc. To try and counteract this, we got a "Potty Patch", basically a large tray with a slab of astro turf to simulate being outside. 

We have had him home for 4 weeks, and this is the tool we've used - I've been very reluctant to take him outside as he only had his first set of shots, and I know there are a lot of dogs and squirrels around our condo (we're on the 9th floor). 

The issues we've had are the following :

- He started using the potty patch quickly, but then learned he only would put his front two paws on the patch, and then pee.... meaning a nice big puddle on the floor. We've tried to change this, but we both work during the day and can't supervise him. During the day, we have a play pen where I lash his crate to it with bungee cords so he can step out of his crate into his play area with the potty pad. When we see him go on it, we praise him like crazy, though just last week found treats he liked. 

- We just got his second set of shots last week, which covers him for almost everything except leptosporosis. Since then, we've been trying to get him outside more and more, though he's scared of the cars quite a bit. He's so small it's hard to see when he pees, and he's yet to poop outside. 

I've taken away the potty patch while we're at home, and we take him out every hour or two, but he doesn't want to go and tries to pull towards the door to go back inside. I can't put him in his crate all day as his little bladder won't hold until one of us is home, though I've thought about maybe keeping him in his crate while we're home and ONLY letting him out when we take him outside, though I feel this may hurt him as he'd be so confined all day. 

I'm afraid he's now conditioned to only go inside on his potty patch, but I made the decision just to keep him safe (I've seen what lepto and parvo can do to a pup, and it still breaks my heart thinking about it). If anyone can offer some advice, we'd be so appreciative - he's such an amazing boy and a great pup!


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

I would not keep him in the crate when you're home, and only take him out to potty. When you are home, keep him in the same room with you, with your eyes on him, at all times. That way, you will start to learn his "signs" of needing to potty, like sniffing around more than normal, circling one spot over and over, being a little more agitated, etc. Then, you rush him out. 

I am not a big fan of using crates to potty train, however I do like them to keep the puppy out of trouble and safe when I can't watch him directly. I think if you have the puppy out with you, it's easier to see his "signs" that he needs to go. If he's crated, you may miss the signs, and not get him out in time, and then you have an accident. I also think having him out and about with you helps him learn the rules of the house faster.

When you are working, you do what you have to do, if that means leaving the patch out, or some people use litter boxes. But, when you are home, it's all about supervision, direct supervision. That way, you can see when he needs to go. If you catch him right when he needs to go, and then take him out, you are more likely to get him to potty outside because he simply can't hold it anymore. And, all it takes is a couple times of getting him out at the right time when he really has to go, and then you throwing a huge praise and treat party, for him to learn potty outside gets good stuff.

Lots of people underestimate how much supervision is best. It's not like you can watch tv and watch the puppy (for potty training) because they are so quick that they can have an accident in seconds. So, you really have to be closely watching. Imagine a parent with a baby learning to walk. The parent is basically following around the baby, constantly watching. For now, do the same with your puppy. When you are home, and your puppy is on the move, you should be too.

When he pulls to go inside, keep walking, move around, get him to follow you, even if it's only a few steps. Keep moving. It really takes patience and consistency. Also, is it cold where you live? Maybe you could try a sweater. We have dogs with very short hair and they don't tolerate cold well, so we use sweaters.


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## TribalPhoenix (Dec 18, 2012)

doxiemommy said:


> I would not keep him in the crate when you're home, and only take him out to potty. When you are home, keep him in the same room with you, with your eyes on him, at all times. That way, you will start to learn his "signs" of needing to potty, like sniffing around more than normal, circling one spot over and over, being a little more agitated, etc. Then, you rush him out.
> 
> I am not a big fan of using crates to potty train, however I do like them to keep the puppy out of trouble and safe when I can't watch him directly. I think if you have the puppy out with you, it's easier to see his "signs" that he needs to go. If he's crated, you may miss the signs, and not get him out in time, and then you have an accident. I also think having him out and about with you helps him learn the rules of the house faster.
> 
> ...


Hi there! Thanks for the advice!

Ironically, about 20 minutes after I made my post, he pottied outside for the first time! Since then he hasn't, but at least it's a step in the right direction! He gets so excited when we're around, it's difficult to figure out his "signs" though I think I may be catching on. I'm trying to time it with his feeding - trying to feed him, and take him out 20-30 minutes later. That may take some time though. A big challenge is we're on the 9th floor of a condo, so when he has to go it means getting dressed, leash, shoes, and then wait for an elevator, through a lobby and outside. I think he can hold it, though it does throw a curve ball... especially given that he's so tiny, I'm not even sure if he's peed half the time!

It is cold where we are, but he doesn't seem to be bothered by it. I just hope he learns quick - we taught him to sit pretty quickly, and we're going to do a PetSmart puppy class with him soon, so ideally he'll pick up some good habits. We bring him up on the couch where we can always see him, as he loves being up here and it limits where he can run to given his desire for carpets and what not (we've already had some cushions pooped and peed on, so have had to remove all that), which I hope isn't too bad... we've both decided we're ok with him jumping up on the couch since we like him cuddling up here, and he's not very big (only 5 pounds, and will max out around 14). 

I'm crossing my fingers on this one! Even if i can't figure out the signs, I'm hoping just taking him out every 60-90 minutes will do the trick by default


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## diggityd0g (Mar 11, 2017)

Hi, I have a 5 year old french bulldog. He's house trained, never goes in the house, but I recently started bringing him to work and for some reason has accidents there once or twice a week. My question is, would it be confusing to have a wee wee pad available for him at work and expect him to still know that going inside at home is a no no?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!


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## LittleFr0g (Jun 11, 2007)

diggityd0g said:


> Hi, I have a 5 year old french bulldog. He's house trained, never goes in the house, but I recently started bringing him to work and for some reason has accidents there once or twice a week. My question is, would it be confusing to have a wee wee pad available for him at work and expect him to still know that going inside at home is a no no?
> 
> Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!


Not on,y is this thread 5 years old, but thread hijacking is against forum rules. Please start a new thread to ask your question.


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