# Please Help: Housebreaking a puppy in cold weather



## kpdeej (Nov 19, 2010)

Hi everyone,

I live in a condo with my boyfriend and a 17 week old boston terrier that we got from a registered breeder 4 days ago. I'm trying to crate train him. He's got the storage room for him where his crate and other dog things are. It has concrete floors (we haven't picked out flooring for that room). Here's the play by play so far:

[Monday] Day 1: received puppy at 930 pm. After the breeder left, he slept in his crate with the gate open (that was my mistake), but his room was closed.

[Tuesday] Day 2: woke up at 5am. No accidents. He pooped and peed outside successfully. Took him inside, fed him, then walked him for 20 minutes. Then put him in his crate with the gate OPEN (room door closed) and left for work. I came back 6.5 hours later. Poop and pee on the floor outside his crate (expected). Cleaned up with enzyme eater. Took him for another two 30 minute walks, and bathroom 'walks' that day in between being crated. Pooped outside and went to bed with crate door closed. 

[Wednesday] Day 3: woke up at 5 am. No accidents. Took him out. He peed outside, but no poop. Fed him, walked him. Crated him while I went to work with the gate CLOSED. Came home 6.5 hours later. He had peed in his doggy bed. Put it in the laundry and replaced it with a blanket, took him for a walk, fed him. Took him for another big walk (where he pooped outside) and other bathroom 'walks' that day. Crated him for the night. He barked and whined while we were trying to sleep. I took him out once between whines to go to the bathroom, but he never went. Upon advice from the internet, I rapped on his crate and said "NO" to make him stop. He stopped.

[Thursday] Day 4: woke up at 6 am. He pooped in his crate during the night. I took him outside to go to the bathroom. He peed and immediately wanted to go inside because of the cold. I took him back in, fed him, put his blanket in the laundry and put back his dry doggy bed. I got ready for school, then took him for another walk. Again, he wasn't too happy with the cold and we were only outside for 5 minutes. I took him in, crated him, and left for school. I came back 6.5 hours later and he had pooped in his crate! Gave him a bath, washed his crate and all of his things, then fed him. My boyfriend then took him for a walk once he was dry. They were gone for 10 minutes. He did not produce and apparently was unhappy of the cold. I was playing with him outside of his crate and he peed twice. Scolded him and put him on newspaper. Moved his crate to our room. 

*My boyfriend and I decided that he was more likely to go to the bathroom if he wasn't freezing, so we put newspaper down in his room.*

[Today] Day 5: No classes or work today. Woke up 3 times after midnight (at 1,3, and 5) to give him potty breaks on the paper in his "room". He peed once in his crate and another time on the floor before I could take him. He's only peed once on the paper so far. I took a nap with him on the couch for 2 hours (I was really tired). It's even colder out today than yesterday so I made him tired by teaching him to sit. I've also moved the newspaper to the balcony (even though its cold) because I'm hoping it will ease the transition to going outside when its warmer.

Right now, he's in his crate napping. I've been taking him out to the balcony every couple of hours, but he hasn't produced. I put the shirt that I wore yesterday in the crate with him in hopes that my scent will stop him from going pee or poop.

The question: Do you think it's a good idea to paper train him in light of the cold climate and move him to outside training when its warmer? Also, why do you think he's going in his crate when I'm there to take him out (I take full responsibility for him going in his crate while I was at work)? Do you think I've ruined his 'do not pee/poo in den' instinct?

Finally, I need advise as to how to proceed from now on. Thank you very much for reading and any help you can provide.


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

Get him a dog sweater. Do not teach him to go inside.


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## amynrichie (Sep 3, 2008)

I second the sweater or jacket. My Boston is a weenie, and he does much better with his coat on.


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## bklantz (Feb 14, 2010)

it's definitely really tough house training a puppy in winter, I got Ella on Dec 2nd last year so I know what you are going through! It took Ella awhile for her to not go in her crate too....like it literally took her months until she would go through the night without going in her crate, eventually she picked up on the fact that she doesn't wanna sleep in her pee. The only thing I would suggest is making sure to treat and praise EVERY time your pup goes outside, not sure if you are doing that now but I think that helps a ton! It also means always having treats by the door or in your jacket so you don't miss it, I think that is what really helped Ella pick up on the going outside thing. 

When it was really cold and snowy Ella would just go potty on the balcony in the snow, she would be too cold to walk down the stairs. I let her do that and thankfully once the snow melted she didn't want to go on the wood and would walk down the stairs.

I definitely agree with the sweater or jacket too, we always had one on when we went on walks with her.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

If you paper train him, newspaper is forever fair game for peeing and pooping. Instead, I'll third the sweater. Also, if you take him outside and he gets chilled before he pees and poops when you know he has to, take him back inside to warm up for a few minutes (hold him so he can't go on the floor, fortunately he's small enough to carry around), then go back outside and try again. Wash, rinse, repeat until he goes outside.


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## kpdeej (Nov 19, 2010)

Thanks guys! I'm going to get him a sweater. You've been a lot of help!


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## Everyday Miracles (Nov 14, 2010)

Sweaters really helped for the dog that I had growing up. Aren't Bostons particularly susceptible to cold, as well? I know someone who owns one and I thought I had heard that.


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## xxxxdogdragoness (Jul 22, 2010)

I 4th on the sweater or coat, stores like petsmart & petco sell a variety of good sweaters & coats & even blankets (the internet is also a great resource) in adorable fashions lol. My folks JRT bear is a weenie as well, anything under about 50 degrees is too cold for him to go out without clothes on. He is also very protective of his clothes, when my parents other dog yumi was a pup he never would allow her to take hold of his clothes lol. 

Another note, when choosing clothes I go for practicality over asthetics partaining to the clothes, in other words, go for fit & warmth rather then cuteness. Also get a size bigger then he is now so he can grow into it.

I 4th on the sweater or coat, stores like petsmart & petco sell a variety of good sweaters & coats & even blankets (the internet is also a great resource) in adorable fashions lol. My folks JRT bear is a weenie as well, anything under about 50 degrees is too cold for him to go out without clothes on. He is also very protective of his clothes, when my parents other dog yumi was a pup he never would allow her to take hold of his clothes lol. 

Another note, when choosing clothes I go for practicality over asthetics partaining to the clothes, in other words, go for fit & warmth rather then cuteness. Also get a size bigger then he is now so he can grow into it.


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## kpdeej (Nov 19, 2010)

Hey everyone. Got him a jacket, but he still seems to wait until we get inside to go to the bathroom. Yesterday, we stood outside for a good 15 minutes. He just stood between my legs getting warm (he had a jacket). As soon as we go inside, he pees on the carpet.


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## Horseshoe (Nov 10, 2010)

When you bring him back inside, you know he's gonna pee, watch him like a hawk or keep him on the leash...as soon as he thinks about peeing, grab him up and take him right back outside. You've got 15 seconds to get him outside. The breed you have bostons, pugs are notoriously hard to house train. I use to have a pug. Don't give up just be more vigilant.


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

Are you walking him, or just taking him to a spot and standing there? If you aren't walking him, start. It warms him up, and gets the body functions going, plus they will usually smell a spot where they want to go. You can also try giving him a belly rub, before going out, as that can sometimes stimulate them to go.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

kpdeej said:


> As soon as we go inside, he pees on the carpet.


Carry him inside, hold him for 5 minutes or so (so he's not _on_ the carpet), and go back outside. Wash, rinse, repeat until he pees outside.


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## kpdeej (Nov 19, 2010)

Yes, I've been walking him. He doesn't stop to go while we're walking so when he's eager to go back inside, I wait with him outside hoping he'll go. He's never gone. 

We went out for 2 hours today to go grocery shopping. I left him in the crate with the gate closed. When we came back, he had poo'd all inside the crate. I think it may be becoming an attention seeking behaviour since we go in and clean him right after. Also, he seems to bark afterwards, not before he goes (from previous experience). 

I tried the "wash, rinse, repeat" method, but it hasn't worked yet. Has anyone else had this much trouble? Someone tell me it'll get better


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## kpdeej (Nov 19, 2010)

Hello again,

I've realised that my puppy has some separation anxiety. I've read some articles on the internet about this, but do you guys have any specific tips to stop him from being so anxious when we leave? I'm waiting 10 - 15 minutes after I come home so he doesn't think it's such a big deal. I'm also not making a big fuss before I leave.


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## BT1001 (Nov 29, 2012)

Hi Everyone. I just wanted to post our potty training situation since we got our new Boston Terrier puppy. I know they VERY quickly pick up habits, so I wanted some advice to make sure we are on the right path. I think the biggest issue we have is the cold weather. I'll explain below.

First of all:
1.) Age Of Dog/Puppy - 10 weeks
2.) Length Of Ownership - 2 weeks
3.) Method Of House Training - Outside for pee and poop? Not sure what "method" means.
4.) Breed Of Dog/Puppy - Boston Terrier
5.) Where Dog/Puppy Is Kept - As of the 2nd week, in his crate unless being supervised. SEE BELOW.
6.) Where Accidents Occur - kitchen floor, living room floor (wood/tile surface), on the couch (when we are watching TV), in his crate (only twice)
7.) How Long Its Gone On - Only had him for two weeks.
8.) How Long Dog/Puppy Is Alone When It Occurs - SEE BELOW FOR HISTORY
9.) Whom Is The Primary Caregiver - Probably Me as I work close to home and see him first (when we are both out and I return) and spend more time with him
10.) Any Background History That Might Be Relevant - SEE BELOW

Our setup:
We have a crate which is only big enough for him to turn around and have a few toys and blankets. That is located in the corner of a 3'x5' wire mesh pen. Inside the pen we have his Food & Water bowls. This is located on our kitchen floor. It is an open concept kitchen/living area with wood and tile floors. It is approximately 30 feet to the front door. Outside we have steps going down to the driveway which has a 5' by 20' strip of grass alongside it (where we go potty). There is no sidewalk just the road at the end. We pick up the crate and bring it upstairs next to our bed when we sleep.

We did initially put newspaper down around his crate and food/water inside the pen. But he just ended up ripping it to pieces and eating it, so now it's just the tiled floor.

He eats at 7am and 5pm. 

Id say the temp ranges from 10 to -2 with wind outside. So it's cold!

Week 1
Got him on the Friday night. We left the crate door open for him so he could come and go as he pleased in the pen. In fact we kept this up for the 1st week. On Saturday he peed and pooped inside the pen at several times in the day. Never in the crate though. We would take him out every 2 hours (including through the night). It goes like this: Pick him up and walk to the front door repeating "Go outside". Put the leash on him, grab a few treats and carry him to the grass area (steps are too big for him to walk up/down). He would pee and poop in random places. "Go pee-pee" and "go poo-poo" are our key words. Treat and praise when he did either. The 1st day was the only time he has poo'd inside. I think this is because we started to learn the timing after eating (#1, 7:30-8:30am, #2, 5:30-6:30pm #3, 5am). For the 1st week he would pee inside his pen ad hoc. If we let him run around the main floor outside his pen, he would pee right in front of us, even if we had been outside in the past 30 minutes. 

He only peed in his crate once in the 1st week, and that was because we left the crate door closed to go to a movie one night (probably gone for 3-4 hours). Which was totally our mistake, and it was only a little so the poor guy had no choice.

We quickly started to see a pattern: He would go outside and squat for a pee for 2-3 seconds, (enough to get a treat and praise we think - SMART little bugger!  before tugging on the leash and pulling us towards the front door. Let him, in, put him down, and he would ruin around sniffing and then let loose, completely emptying his bladder. We would try to interrupt him mid pee and take him outside (which is hard, because you turn your back for a SECOND and he goes, and often its too late), but then when outside, he would do nothing except tug on the leash to go back inside. I honestly believe it if was 24 degree outside he wouldn't be so anxious to go inside. But what can we do? It's only going to get colder as the winter progresses.

Wednesday was the 1st day we went back to work. I fed him at 7am and took him out to pee/poo at 8am successfully. We left the crate door open and his water bowl out when we went to work. I came home at lunch (so out for 4 hours) and every time there was pee in the pen. He had walked through it and trailed it everywhere. So i would take him outside to pee, and then clean up with an enzyme cleaner. Including his paws. Go back to work. Come home to find the same situation.

Obviously in the evenings/through the night we resumed out bi-hourly visits outside. But he continued to pee whenever he felt like it.

Week 2
It is clear he isn't ready to be left alone on the floor even under supervision 90% of the time. So unless we are playing with him directly and watching him 100% of the time, he is in the crate with the door closed. I decided to come home and let him out at 10am and 3pm (I work a few mins from home), so around the clock he can go out to pee every 2 hours. Only once did he pee in the crate and that was day 1. I stopped this by cutting back his water intake a little. Obviously after a night's sleep he is especially thirsty. But instead of letting him drink as much as he wants before going to work, I took his bowl away after about 15-20 seconds. When ever I come home I give him access to water, and between 5pm and 7:30pm he can drink as much as he likes. Then we take it away for the night. Last couple nights he has only needed to go once during the night which is an improvement. We stopped going out every two hours, only when we were awoken by noise from the crate.

I have also started some loose leash training. I never let him run back inside by pulling the leash in an effort to break the pattern of retreating inside ASAP because its cold. After he pees for a while, I walk him up and down the driveway for 5-10 minutes. Sometimes he pee's again or poops. I stopped giving him the treat after the initial pee (still praise though) to encourage him to stay out longer. This has had some effects: He is squatting for longer when peeing and I assume letting more out (hard to tell because he is so low to the ground). He pee's closer to the front door, and poo's right by the road, so he seems to be establishing "safe zones" for each. He does not pull as hard on the leash, I take treats outside and every time he pulls I encourage him back to my feet, he sits (that training is going well) and gets a treat. We gradually work out way back to the front door. 

He NEVER gets free run of the pen, unless he is eating/drinking, or run of the house unless we are playing with him directly (instead of making dinner, chatting to each other etc). Basically he does not have a chance to pee inside. It's either pee outside, or he goes back in the crate. Like it or not!

Another point, he is starting to associate the leash with the cold weather experience. Usually we carry him to the front door and put the leash on there. This morning I put him down outside his crate, walked to the front door, picked up his collar and he ran away and sat on the step (usually he follows you everywhere if you call him). I had to entice him with a "sit" then treat.

That's it so far. I guess id just like some idea what we are doing right and doing wrong based on the above. 

Is our latest strategy the correct way? 
Shall we continue this way until his bladder gets stronger?
What can we do about the cold weather other than get him a sweater? I dread to think how he will deal with snow...
If we keep this up for a few months and then let him have more freedom, will he pee inside on the floor again, or will he get the idea outside is the only place to go?
He isn't vocal when he needs to go, so how can we encourage him to LET US KNOW when he NEEDS to go?
Should I return to treat and praise lavishly every time he pees? Remember! He caught on quick and only did the minimum to get the treat before.
We are crating him more instead of giving him freedom to run around. That in mind, how much exercise should he be getting per day? 1? 2 hours?
Id like to exercise him outside more so he completely empties his bladder, but our vet advised us to keep socialization in well trodden dog paths until after 16 weeks (parvo viruses etc). Does this sound right?

I'm sure I have more questions. But this is good for now, thank you!


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

I think you are doing ok, BT1001. The thing is, a 10 week old puppy doesn't have complete physical control of their bladder yet, and won't until about 6 months of age. So, it's up to you to get him out when he needs to go, which you seem to be doing. But, also, puppies that young don't always get a lot of warning from their body that they need to potty. They're still learning that "I gotta go" feeling. So, sometimes, they may not even realize they have to pee until it's too late, so they just pee wherever they are.

It's always better, IMO, to take them out too often, rather than not enough. At least when you take them out, you are teaching what you want, reinforcing where to go. If they don't have to, oh well. Just give as many opportunities as you can, because, sometimes it may seem like every 2 hours is often enough, but sometimes (because of learning that control) it may not be.

Supervision, and crating when you can't supervise is right. You can also use a leash to tether him to you, so that you can have him out of the crate, but, keep him right with you so you can rush him out when needed. Imagine he's like a human baby learning to walk or crawl. The parents always follow closely behind or stay right within reach in case the baby needs something. Same thing with potty training. Keep him right there with you so you can interrupt and prevent accidents.

Preventing accidents is important, so as he ages, when you decide to give him more freedom, you will have to watch him carefully to judge if it's working or not. And, gradually introduce that new freedom.

Cold weather, nothing you can do besides get a sweater. I wouldn't recommend using pads inside for wet or cold days, it just sets you back. For snow, clear a place for him to go, and try to keep it cleared. (Obviously hard to do when it's still snowing!)

Not all dogs are vocal, letting their owners know they need to go out. Some people teach their dogs to ring a bell to go out. My dogs would just think it was fun to ring the bell, so I don't do that. I just kind of keep track, if I haven't let them out in 3-5 hours or so (I have small breed adult dogs), I will just let them out. 

YES, keep treating and praising. I know, my dogs did the tiny pee to get a treat, or the squat and pretend to pee to get a treat. But, it's way worth it, and at least you know he's thinking and learning what to do.

I am a big fan of not crating unless you can't watch them. So, you might try the tether idea with the leash. That way, he gets to be out of the crate, but right within reach. But, for exercise, walks are important. I know you can't totally walk him yet, so have some really fun play sessions, and also some training sessions. Training is mental exercise and will help tire him out. Keep your training sessions short, so as to not frustrate the puppy or you. An hour a day of play and training, broken into small chunks throughout the day is probably fine.


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## BT1001 (Nov 29, 2012)

Thank you for the advice.

It makes sense about the "lack of warning" and "learning to control". A good insight.

Id be open to tethering him, but in my mind i think if we can get through 3 months at least, with 0 pee's on the floor, and only peeing outside (other than accidents that WILL happen occasionally) that he will learn that's the place to go and not want to go inside. OR do you think catching him in the act and taking him outside will teach him what is acceptable and not acceptable better?

About being vocal; he is not a vocal dog at all. Never barks unless he is in his crate, but generally that is just moderate whining not a proper bark. So you may be right that he will never "tell" us when he needs to go. I had to laugh at the "playing with the bells" comment, I just know already with his personality that is exactly what he would do.  It's funny how as humans we abide by a certain set of rules and try to impose them on a puppy. In our heads pee pads were a logical choice, went out and bought some and he wasn't having any of it. Just ripped it to pieces.  Another example, when we bought his play pen we assumed it would contain him fine. Until i came home at lunch and found his cheery face greeting me at the front door. Turns out he was climbing on top of his crate, allowing him to reach the top of the pen and jump out! We had to buy the roof for it the next day.  

The play sessions and training is going pretty well. The first day we had him, he successfully climbed the stairs and its been chaos ever since  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnMV80V0kno


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## aiw (Jun 16, 2012)

> I think it may be becoming an attention seeking behaviour since we go in and clean him right after.


Nope. It doesn't work that way for dogs. Within seconds of the action he has forgotten about pooing, he just needed to go so he went.... Definitely not to get attention or spite you. You're just getting a bit frustrated (understandably) and projecting that onto him....

I'm a big believer in tethering. It worked wonders for my very hard to housetrain dog. IMO housetraining is 99% supervision. Its a pain but the initial investment is SOO worth it when you spend 1 month housetraining and its done instead of 5 months kindof housetraining and he's still not reliable.


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## doxiemommy (Dec 18, 2009)

I really, really think tethering is helpful, but not just for "catching him in the act and taking him outside". If he's tethered to you, you can usually see the signs he's about to pee, like being more agitated, and sniffing around more than normal, and you can actually PREVENT it before it starts. If you are either catching him in the act or stopping it before it starts, and then taking him out, you are essentially teaching him, "nope, not here, HERE instead."


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

Make sure he has a warm sweater/coat when it's cold.


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## Pippa's Mom (Nov 17, 2012)

kpdeej said:


> Yes, I've been walking him. He doesn't stop to go while we're walking so when he's eager to go back inside, I wait with him outside hoping he'll go. He's never gone.
> 
> We went out for 2 hours today to go grocery shopping. I left him in the crate with the gate closed. When we came back, he had poo'd all inside the crate. I think it may be becoming an attention seeking behaviour since we go in and clean him right after. Also, he seems to bark afterwards, not before he goes (from previous experience).
> 
> I tried the "wash, rinse, repeat" method, but it hasn't worked yet. Has anyone else had this much trouble? Someone tell me it'll get better


Meee. But then again, my girl is a Pug, 13 weeks old, but then again the major difference here is that she has a UTI atm + crystals. I have been having issues with the cold for sure, and we are trying to get out more but we live in an apartment with no balcony or yard, on the second floor. I'm pretty good at determining when she has to go poop and whisking her to outside for a short jaunt up and down the block to go, she also get's walked when it's not too too cold out. I've read Pugs take forever to house train, but every dog is different. It will get better, it just takes perseverance and remember you've only had him 4 days, he's still getting settled into his new home.


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## Robbi (Nov 19, 2013)

I'm having a problem with this as well. 

Sonic is in the latest stages of his potty training (that place where you think he is 100% good and then you start noticing accidents since you got complacent). Anyway I am trying to anticipate what to do to best help him with some cold weather we have coming up, and trust me he has a jacket but that is just not going to be an option.

I live in Wisconsin and there is a weather warning in effect that puts temperatures at between -35 and -55(F) from sunday night to tuesday...so even if I technically COULD take sonic out with his jacket on, I'm not going to. To me that just seems cruel, but i don't want his potty training to regress...

Thoughts?


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## Dog Person (Sep 14, 2012)

If your dog is a tiny dog (looks like it is) maybe you can try pads. My niece has a smaller sized Pug and she uses pads all the time. I'm not sure how you would transition the puppy/dog to use them but it is an alternative.

Living in -35 weather ... BRRRR ... I like winter but that's way too cold ... that's Husky weather, I owned one when I was younger and we could never get her to come inside during the winter but in NYC it really never got that cold!

I don't know if it's feasible but is it possible to make an area outside more user friendly when temps get that low? Maybe put a tarp up as a bathroom area. I went outside during Hurricane Sandy and I was just mindful to watch and listen for tree branches that may be breaking and falling.


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## Hambonez (Mar 17, 2012)

We got Hamilton-puppy in the winter 2 years ago. We still went out. I didn't want him to be trained to use paper or whatever because I think it's gross. He's learned two things: 1. Hold it as long as possible when it's cold; 2. When your human decides you're going, go as fast as possible so you can run back into the house! With snow on the ground, he just pees in the snow on the front porch.


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## andi42 (Dec 3, 2013)

Brora is now 13 weeks old... Got her at 10 weeks. She absolutely hates the cold- we got her a nice horsey style waterproof blanket to wear which helps. I live in a fairly mild climate, but we got one day with snow on the ground. She wouldn't go anywhere there was snow (I'm not sure how cold it is where you are, but if there is snow... Shovel a place for him to go!). She quickly learned "hurry up" and also picked up on the idea that the faster she went, the sooner she came inside! We also kept a strict schedule... She went outside every hour to hour and a half before she had the chance to come inside. Right around Christmas (2 weeks into training) it seemed to "click". She has been ringing a bell by the door every time she needs to go since then.. So far no accidents, but we are not leaving her unsupervised


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## briteday (Feb 10, 2007)

Our little pup is only 7 pounds, some sort of JRT mix and 7 months old. She really hates the cold weather and many mornings have been in single digits this year. Over the years of raising and fostering dogs, I've found the most helpful tip is to feed on a schedule 2x per day, offer water freely at mealtimes, limited between meals, and pick up the water bowl 2 hours before bedtime. After a few days you will see a distinct elimination pattern, more difficult the younger the dog is but gets easier. We rescued our current pup at 4 weeks old and she had to go out every 20-30 minutes. And of course at that age she ate more than 2x per day. Once we hit about 12 weeks old and 2 meals per day then we could see a pattern develop. For our dog that means she had/has to potty first thing when she wakes up, and from 6 months old on I can now push the weekends to 9am if I want to sleep in. During the week I have the dogs out by 6:30am. After they go out to potty then they come in and eat. As soon as they are done eating they all go out again before I leave for work. Our older dog will often poop at the first morning outing but the puppy will not poop until after she eats breakfast. I can crate her now up to 8 hours if no one can come home at lunchtime. So if someone comes home at lunch she gets to go outside for business then play for 20 minutes or so. Of course we take them outside as soon as we get home from work at 5:30-6:00. Then it's dinner for them and they go outside while we are eating. The puppy used to require a potty trip around 7pm, but now she is fine until we take them out at 9:30 before we get ourselves ready for bed. Sometimes the puppy goes with my husband to his home office with a chew toy until my husband goes to bed around midnight. 

We are lucky to have a fenced dog run and an older dog to show the puppy how things are done. When we first brought the puppy home she was wary of the older dog. But if the older dog peed, the puppy would go investigate and then mark the spot with her own urine, so it starts the process. On the other hand, the older dog was not too thrilled when the puppy wanted her to go out every 30 minutes in the beginning! And in single digit mornings the puppy has learned that the sooner she goes, the sooner she gets to be inside. 

I vote for a sweater too. Our puppy has thin, wiry fur so as a wee pup we cut a tube sock to keep her warm (cut off all but 1"of the ribbing at the top and cut across the toe to open the other end, slice two armholes where the ribbing meets the sock, adjust for size of dog!) and now that it is really cold she has a fleece lined coat. Even in the house she wears one of her socks or a light sweater. If you have extra yummy treats to give as soon as she pees, you should get some pretty quick resolution to being out in the cold too long. My rule of thumb in cold or wet weather is to take them out, wait no longer than 5 minutes. If they pee, great. If not then they go into an ex-pen on a tile floor (no newspapers or potty pads, I would rather they be a bit uncomfortable if they mess their bed than to teach them that it's ok to potty inside), and we try again in 15-20 minutes. It's just the way it is raising a puppy. At night I take puppies out a minimun of every 2 hours until I consistently find them dry. I do not wait for them to whine, I set an alarm. Once they make it for two hours then I start stretching it by 15 minutes. Most puppies we've had can go 4 hours by the time they are 12-16 weeks old. And now, thank goodness they all grow up, our puppy has not needed a night outing since she was 4 months old and has not had a day time mess for 2 months now. 

I would not let the dog urinate on a concrete floor. Unless the floor has some sort of super sealant on it you will be able to smell the dog urine for years every time the floor is damp or the weather is humid. Take away the papers and potty pads. If you can't find someone to let the dog out during the day then you will have to put something down for the puppy to urinate on, but I would do it on a finished hard surface floor that can be cleaned. With a few foster dogs we have gone out and purchased a 10' x 10' vinyl floor remnant to put down under the ex-pen and then I didn't mind throwing away the flooring once the dog was house broken. 

I'm not sure that rapping on the crate is a good idea. I think it depends on the dog's disposition. If I did that with our current pup she would shake and shiver for days as she is very sensitive to sound. Even raising my voice is a bad idea. She really only needs to be re-directed. Just saying, be careful depending on your dog's personality. You are not aiming to scare the puppy, but to change the behavior.


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## briteday (Feb 10, 2007)

Robbi said:


> I'm having a problem with this as well.
> 
> Sonic is in the latest stages of his potty training (that place where you think he is 100% good and then you start noticing accidents since you got complacent). Anyway I am trying to anticipate what to do to best help him with some cold weather we have coming up, and trust me he has a jacket but that is just not going to be an option.
> 
> ...


A pomeranian was bred from spitz-type sled dogs...and the American pom is just a smaller version. We have a pom in in our home and she has quite a thick coat and LOVES to be out in the winter. Now negative temps are a whole 'nother story but I wouldn't be too worried about it. Sonic is very close in age to our pup and maybe even around the same size. I would still take the dog outside, right outside the door if possible. Shovel a spot if you can. If not, I have bought door mats that resemble grass in a pinch. Just be careful of the salt on sidewalks. And put a sweater on her.


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## llillio (Aug 15, 2013)

We had a few days of -17 weather - as cold as -25 - here. So it's no where near as cold as what you're expecting. We had our 13lb guy bundled up and outside for short times for potty. A sweater, jacket, booties - the whole works. Trust me, he didn't waste any time - just out, business, and back. I'm inclined to think that if you bundle him up and be out there with him, he should be ok in short bursts. I would think that if you can stand being out there then the puppy would be able to as well. That being said, yeah if it's WAY too cold for you then it probably is too cold for the puppy.
Also, it's probably crucial that the puppy is bundled up to minimize getting the fur wet as much as possible. The booties are essential as it seemed that the cold feet were bothering our guy more than anything else. Good luck!


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