What is the best way to house train?

[Discussing Labradoodles & Goldendoodles]

Ok, all of you good breeders and trainers out there. Let's hear you sure fire method of house training. What if you have a stud. How do you keep him inside and not mark his area? Let's hear all of your good ideas.

[Adina P]

I can't answer the stud aspect of house training and I've only house trained one dog but for what it's worth:

1) Crate training is invaluable -- it was great for Rosco.

2) Feed on schedule so your pup develops a pooping and peeing schedule and then you can predict when puppy has to go potty.

3) Watch puppy closely when it is loose in the house--do NOT let it out of your sight.

4) Even if you are watching puppy...take puppy out frequently.

5) Praise puppy for going potty outside--let him know that THAT is correct.

6) Teach puppy to potty on command by saying your potty word or phrase WHILE it is going for 50 or so poops and pees. Then say it right before it goes potty for 50 pees and poops. Praising when it is done.

7) Consider training your pup to ring a bell to let you know when it has to go potty.

8) If you cannot keep both eyes on puppy, then puppy should be in a crate or tethered to you by a leash (even then it might pee/poop near you if it is young enough.

9) Remember puppies are potty machines and they need to go: after naps, after eating, after drinking, after playing, during playing...and probably inbetween.

10) Some dogs need to pee twice before they are empty.

[April Cliber]

I completely agree with Adina and would like to repeat one thing. Bell training is FANTASTIC!!!! I have had MANY families tell me that their pup is ringing the bell every time he/she needs to potty by 9 weeks!

If you can, a doggie door is also wonderful! I can train a 7/8 week old pup in a day or two with a doggie door. Once they have it down they are so proud to use it!

If you raise a stud in the house and train him as a puppy he won't usually mark. But if you get him as an untrained adult, it is extremely hard! I wish I knew....

[bokhud88hc94]

I agree with Adina completely as well! Also, BELL TRAINING is fantastic .. just like April said! I bell trained Bear as a puppy! He picked up on it very quickly .. he's 8 months old and rings the bell EVERY time he has to go out!

Also .. in addition to what Adina said, be certain to use the same route ALL the time. Also, have a POTTY DOOR. Use the same door via the same route at all times when housebreaking. Your establishing a routine. Also, take the dog to the same spot outside. I also agree with a potty word. I use "get busy" for Bear! He will now "get busy" on command! It's important that the dog walks the route. Small dogs should not be carried to the "spot!" Let them walk and it will instill in them what needs to be done and where. I clicker trained Bear in the beginning when I house broke him. Give treats after they go potty if using treats .. not when they come in after going. The dog will then associate the treat with "coming in" and not going potty in the potty spot.

Also, very important again is to keep the puppy in a confined area .. like a kitchen. Any room will do just as long as you can see the puppy at ALL times. Don't allow too much freedom when potty training! Look for cues .. excessive nipping is also a sign that a pup needs to eliminate. "Circling" is another cue! In regard to feeding .. have a schedule. Don't give too many treats between meals .. what goes in MUST go out! Montior water intake after a certain time as well. Consistency is key as with anything else:-))

Take care!

[2vlg3s88gy3f9]

I agree, crate training is great, I tried using the bell, but was unsuccessful. I took Geezer out every chance I could. Ususally every 20-30 minutes. Until I noticed him sitting by the door, I realized that he was now telling me when to go. We did have maybe 4 accidents which is not bad. He still sleeps in his crate at night and when we are out. Routine, routine routine.

[Park Mom]

Thank you for the terrific advice. One question:

You say it's important for a young puppy to walk the route to the pee/poop spot. We live in New York City (residential Brooklyn) and there are so many dogs around that a trainer we checked with said we must be very careful before our puppy has completed vaccinations NOT to let our puppy walk and sniff where other dogs are doing their business. Specifically, she recommended that we train our puppy to do her business at the curb, right on the edge of the street (rather than at sidewalk trees where most dogs are going).

We do have a tiny backyard, but don't want that to be used as a potty long-term so we don't want to start off using that. We are also very close to a huge wonderful park, but that's off-limits too until puppy has completed her vaccines.

So it seems we will have to work without puppy walking the route herself, at least at the start. Any thoughts on whether this will work? Any other comments, especially from any city dwellers who have experience with this?

[Adina P]

Park Mom,

Since this question is so specific to city dwellers, I'd start a new discussion with this in the puppy or regular forum so it doesn't get lost in here. Also there is a NY group and perhaps you can message people in that group (each individually as they may not find the question in the group).

[Park Mom]

Great, I will post this in the puppy forum. Not sure what the regular forum is, I must admit. Regarding the NY forum, I'm sure this would apply in lots of other cities too but maybe I will try that.

Thanks!

[Louise and Toby]

All this is good! I have one thing to add though . . . . . . . . . if you are expecting visitors be sure to take the puppy out just before he gets to greet them because (I have found out from experience) puppies get too excited to "hold it". Since Toby is a male he sprinkled all over the place when greeting if he was not taken out to potty right before.

[KJ]

how long have you been doing the bells? I just would push Paddingtons head over and ring the bells with his nose (i did this the first 2 days) and would praise him, even though i rang the bells. Everytime we went outside we did that! and eventually he would do it on his own.

[Lynn & Sadie in WI]

Due to some remodeling I had going on here when I got Sadie, I wasn't able to use the bells right away but she would look at me and sometimes bark when she wanted out. I got her at 11 weeks old and for the most part she was housebroken in about 3 weeks. Once the remodeling was finished and I had my door back on I started with the bells. When she would come to me and bark I would ask if she had to go potty outside and she would run to the door. I would then say potty outside, ring the bells and out we would go. When I held the bells in front of her she would back off like she was afraid of them, I didn't think she would ever associate the bells with outside or potty but I kept doing it and about 2 weeks later I heard a faint ring. I ran right out and said potty outside? praised her and out we went. She started using them more and more and I always praised her when she did. Now she rings them all the time and she just turned 5 mos old.

I didn't think she would ever get it but she did. Now she rings them to go out even it she doesn't have to go potty, just wants to be outside. I have a fenced yard so that works ok and I can let her out the play too. Just keep it up, they will get it.

[Adina P]

I wrote some instructions on this...click here!

[Butterfly]

I am finding this really quite frustrating, summer gets praise when she goes outside, and yet she often wees on the carpet! She is crate trained, and i do take her out at every oportunity and yet she still goes on the carpet.!