# New puppy, trying to house train it, have a busy work schedule.



## goatsmilk (Aug 30, 2010)

I work 10hrs a day. Got a 2month puppy (bf wanted it).
Trying to teach it to be house trained.
He gets taken out once every two hours when someone is home. 
But he will just mess around outside and not go until he is inside again. Sometimes, right after. 
Is it correct to punish or only reward?
Because we haven't had the opportunity to reward him, he hasn't done it correctly yet. 
How old will it to be when it starts understanding the basics :S?
Should its water/food be controlled, and if so how?
Both of us cannot be there at all times of the day.
He's only successfully gone outside once.
Have not had the opportunity to get a cage yet. Won't be until next week.
Other than that, the dog is very smart for its age and doesn't fuss too much when we try to sleep. Listens to basic commands pretty well. That's saying a lot compared to other pups ive had.

On a side note, he seems to be more obedient towards my bf and not me.  reason? am i doing something i shouldn't be? I never hit it and i'm always holding it like a baby


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## lil_fuzzy (Aug 16, 2010)

Punishment is pointless. The puppy will only learn to not pee in front of you or your bf, not that he shouldn't pee inside at all. When he starts to pee inside, quickly put him outside.

You need to be patient and wait outside until the puppy pees, and then give heaps of praise and rewards. If it's raining or cold, the reward can be to go inside. If it's a nice day, the reward can be to go for a walk (assuming he is old enough and enjoys walking), or a toy, or just his favourite treat.

And you need to crate train the puppy, it makes housetraining a lot easier. The idea is that a puppy will not pee on its own bed. So if he doesn't pee outside, carry him back to the crate and try again 30 minutes to an hour later, and make sure you carry him outside so he can't stop and pee on the floor on the way out.


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

Punishment is, indeed, pointless. The swatting, and rubbing nose in the mess, that's an old, outdated form of training.
As far as house training, here are some tips:
- A puppy your age should be taken out: after waking up (even from naps), after eating, after playing, and after exercising. Other than that, he should go out every 30 minutes, not every 2 hours. Here's why: his body is not developed yet, and doesn't send him "signals" when he has to go. He doesn't know ahead of time, he just goes. So, give him lots of opportunities to go, and even if he doesn't have to, you're teaching him where to go.

- If he doesn't go when you take him out, and you think he should really HAVE to go (because it's first thing in the morning, or because he hasn't gone in a long time) then take him back in, and try again in 5 minutes. If he still doesn't, then go back and try again in another 5 minutes. I know, it's frustrating and time consuming, but if you think he should have to go, but you give up taking him out because he doesn't do it, then he WILL eventually do it in the house. AND, the more accidents he has in the house, the more likely he is to think it's ok.

-It's normal for puppies to get distracted outside, and even forget to go, because, as I said, they don't always get those "I gotta go" signals from their bodies. So, if he gets too distracted, take him out on his leash. That way, you control how much he wanders, and where he goes.

-If you catch him going inside, interrupt him, and take him outside to finish. Then give lots of praise and a treat! 

When he's inside, he should always be completely in your sight. If he's not, he could get into trouble: electrical cords, some plants and cleaners are toxic, he can chew your stuff, and he can pee/poop without you knowing. And, as I said, the more accidents he has, the more he'll think it's ok. So, always keep him in your sight. You can even tether him to you with his leash, if you think you might let him get out of your sight. 

Or, if you can't watch him like a hawk, that's when you crate him. Like, if you need to shower, clean, cook, whatever. However, please get him used to the crate slowly, otherwise, he can learn to hate it and freak out. It should be a comfy, cosy, "den" for him.
And, by the way, you said you work 10 hour days. That's too long for a pup to be crated in one long stretch of time, really. Is it possible for you to come home at lunch to let him out for a break? Or have a friend or neighbor do it?

-Clean all his accidents with an enzymatic cleaner, like Nature's Miracle, or a mix of white vinegar and water. Regular cleaners, even those that say they're for pet stains, don't break down the enzymes, so your puppy's excellent sense of smell will be able to tell where the messes were, even if you can't.

Feeding should be on a schedule, 3 times a day for a puppy that is 8 weeks old, then, when he's older, you can transition to 2 times a day. Pick a good quality food, and read the bag for amounts, it goes by weight and age. I limit water in the evening so that it reduces the risk of a nighttime accident. AND, by the way, some pups need a midnight bathroom break, so setting your alarm for that can be a big help! 

He won't get complete control of his bladder and bowels until about age 6 months, give or take, so be patient. And, as far as him minding boyfriend better, try to make sure that you do the feeding sometimes, so he sees you as a provider, and that you do some of the training. 
Have fun with your pup!


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## goatsmilk (Aug 30, 2010)

Well now he just doesn't go when I take him out. When my bf takes him out, he goes. When he's at work, i can't do anything to get him to go. and he goes right after he comes inside. I caught him peeing on the ground and stopped him, picked him up and took him outside and he held it in until he was inside again. i even control his food and water. I take him out every half hr. So my days off have now consisted of standing outside with a dog for an hour every half hour and the time i do get inside is spent scrubbing floors. What is going on here??


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## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

goatsmilk said:


> Well now he just doesn't go when I take him out. When my bf takes him out, he goes. When he's at work, i can't do anything to get him to go. and he goes right after he comes inside. I caught him peeing on the ground and stopped him, picked him up and took him outside and he held it in until he was inside again. i even control his food and water. I take him out every half hr. So my days off have now consisted of standing outside with a dog for an hour every half hour and the time i do get inside is spent scrubbing floors. What is going on here??


Where did you get this puppy? Has he seen a vet (just in case), and what are you using to scrub floors? If you don't have a cage, do you have a baby gate where you can limit his access to your house? If you have punished him in the past, he might be holding it while you're around thinking the act of peeing is what gets him punished, not necessarily peeing inside vs. outside.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

I can't add anything to the housetraining advice (See the Sticky, also), however I have some suggestions about the puppy listening to bf.
1. What breed of puppy ?
2. Don't carry him like a baby. Make him walk.
3. What does the bf do differently than you.
4. I recommend watching the boyfriend interact with the puppy and doing the same.


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## InkedMarie (Mar 11, 2009)

This is what worked for our last puppy: take the dog outside on a leash. As you exit your door to the outside, use whatever term you want to use. We use "go potty". Walk dog back & forth, when he goes, praise the heck out of him and treat if you'd like. Utilize a crate. If you cannot supervise (this means one eye on the dog at all times), crate him. Peeing every two hours? Lordy, I remember once when Boone went four times in ten minutes. If he goes in the house and you see it, pick him up, say NO and take him outside, using your term. If you see a mess, nothing you can do except remember it's your fault, since you weren't supervising. 
No offense but I don't care what your boyfriend wants, a puppy with a busy work schedule doesn't usually work well unless you can get someone to come in to walk the dog


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## mad dog tannen (Aug 25, 2010)

The key is to inturrupt him. Keep him well supervised and pay attention for signs that he is getting ready to go (sniffing/circling). Tell him "no" if you catch him (make em pinch it off lol) and immediately put him outside. Wait until he poops/pees and immediately reward him. Remember close supervision.


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## jenjen (Jul 21, 2010)

My puppy likes to go in the same spot every time, and it works much better if we follow the same exact routine every time. I get her leash in my hand then go find her. I say 'Dakota, you gotta go?'. Make her sit, put on the leash. Walk to the door (always the same door, although our house has several). At the threshold, 'Lets go pee!' then out into the yard to her spot. I stand planted like a tree (no moving, no talking) while she sniffs around, plays with leaves, whatever. As soon as she starts to pee, I say 'Go pee!' very enthusiastically the entire time. Then a quick game, or play with a toy, or jog about the yard before we go back in.

If I catch her in the act inside the house, I say one strong NO, then grab her and take her out to the spot and wait until she pees, then 'Go pee!' enthusiastically the entire time. If I find an accident but don't catch it in progress, I quietly clean it up without her seeing.

It's 7 weeks since we got her. She will now stand staring out 'her' door now & again. So I grab a leash, say 'Dakota, you gotta go?' and carry out the routine. And sometimes when I know she should have to go, I take her out and say 'Go pee!' and she will immediately go.

And she still has 100% supervision in the house. When I go to the washroom, either someone else watches her or she goes in her crate for the 2 minutes. Supervise every single second. If you closely observe your dog you'll notice they generally do 'something' before they soil your house. If you can catch that 'something' you can usually get them out in time.

Good luck! Don't lose hope. Dogs in general want to please, and as long as you clearly communicate what pleases you, they will do their best to duplicate that.


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## DJsMom (Jun 6, 2008)

Until she's well house mannered, I would keep her on a leash attached to you when you're at home so that you can keep a constant eye on her. If she starts snooping around for a place to go, or if you see her squat, take her outside on leash & don't let her play & sniff around until she goes. As soon as she squats outdoors, praise her. After she's done her business, have some fun with her outdoors for awhile as a reward. 
The crate will come in very handy so that when you're unable to leash her to you when indoors, she can be in it. Also for the times she just wont do her business outdoors, you can put her into the crate for 5 or 10 mins, then out doors again & repeat until she does go outdoors. 

good luck!


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## xxxxdogdragoness (Jul 22, 2010)

you didnt say how long you stay out there with him (or IF you stay out there) a young puppy needs to have someone out there with him or he'll just be waiting around at the door wondering why hes the only one out there. he doesnt yet know why he is out there & what he's supposed to do out there yet & if you kick him out there & go back inside, he may think he's just being punished & will never learn if you dont show him what 'outside' means. when i take my young pups out, i repetedly say something like 'lets potty' in a cheerful voice until they go, & when they do i make sure they understand what a good job they did & play with them outside for ten min or so.


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