Re-Housebreaking Pup
Question:
I hope you don't mind the PM but I am one of those in search of the impossible flawless way to housetrain my 16 weeker, Melo...My biggest problem is that he will NOT GO POTTY when outside...he waits until we're back home to go...I think the biggest problem is that, we've had him since 7 weeks but he couldn't go outside bc of lack of vaccinations, so he was therefore trained on wee-wee pads in the house...Now that he is allowed outside, he will not eliminate outdoors....AT ALL!! And bc we constatnly stop him mid-stream when he is trying to go in the house and run him outside to go, he is starting to hide when he's going in the house...not even on the pads...do you have any suggestions for this??
Thanks so much and sorry if i'm bugging you...
By the way, u're dogs are AMAZING looking...they are BEAUTIFUL!!!!!
Signed, Jennifer - Izzy35
Answer:
First, a huge thanks for the awesome comment about the Lab Brats. Of course, I am always bias to their beauty so it is wonderful to "hear" other people feel the same. *smile* Now onto answering your question...
This is definitely a tricky one because I am not sure why you wouldn’t be able to bring your pup outside when it is young. There are really no restrictions to bringing a young puppy outside in your own yard unless you have some things (plants, livestock, etc.) that may cause health concerns. Either way, you are now at the stage that you need to curb Melo back into a normal dog potty routine.
First, you need to clean every area of your house that Melo could have possibly gone potty on or near (even if there was a pad on top of that area) with a product called Nature's Miracle Stain & Odor Remover. This product will help neutralize any scents of urination or defecation that may lead Melo to believing that it is fine to go potty in that area.
Next, you will need to establish a routine schedule. It is time to go back to square one with housebreaking. In order to help housebreaking pups, I have written an article titled Housebreaking Your Labrador Retriever. This article will lead you through What is housebreaking?, Importance of Schedules and Training to go Potty. It is written specifically for the Labrador Retriever dog breed but can be applied to any other dog or mixed-breed.
Lastly, please don't get discouraged as it will take time to get Melo on a schedule and housebreak him. The important thing is that the house is neutralized of any "doggy bathroom" scent. And remember that each dog is different. For us, Dakota was housebroken by the time she was 12 weeks old... on the other hand... Cheyenne wasn’t housebroken until she was 24 weeks (6 months) old. Just remain consistent and persistent in your training efforts and Melo will finally start to catch on.
Good luck and let us know how it goes!
Labels: Lab Advice, Lab Training
posted by Shannon at
6:08 AM
1 Comments:
Housebreaking your dog is seemingly the first test of your patience as a dog owner.
Perhaps you're experiencing the following scenario:
You take him outside multiple times a day and every time, he refuses to make. You assume he just doesn't have to go, so you bring him back inside and moments later he soils the rug.
Or...
You take him outside and he goes, you praise him with "Good boy" and after bringing him back in, moments later he goes again.
It's a frustrating cycle not only for you, but for your dog as well. You just can't seem to make him understand what he's supposed to do.
Your dog simply doesn't understand the rules yet. That's why it's important to take your dog outside to make at scheduled times of the day.
It will take approximately 14 consecutive days of going outside, watching your dog make and praising him for it before he starts to get it.
During that period, every accident that happens in the house is counted as negative two days. Remember, you'll want 14 consecutive days of proper housebroken behavior before you can relax a bit.
After he goes outside, you'll want to supervise him closely for the next ten minutes he is inside the house. At the first sign of going the the bathroom, take him outside.
If he does have an accident, only use the "No" command if you catch him in the act. Otherwise, it's useless and will only confuse your dog.
The amount of time that you should take your dog outside to make will vary depending on the breed, size and type of puppy.
It's generally recommended that you take your dog out every 2-3 hours during the day for the first three weeks. Obviously you won't be taking your puppy out every 2-3 hours at night before bed. So use the following strategy.
Take away your dog's water bowl two hours before bed. During that window of time, walk your dog at least twice. If accidents occur in the middle of the night, you may need to get up once in the night to walk your puppy.
As your dog gets older, his bladder size will increase and the nightly accidents will disappear.
After the first month, begin to space out the amount of time you take your dog outside to make. You'll want to do this until your dog only needs to go out only 3-4 times a day.
In summary, the trick to all of this is using the follwing tactics:
Set a schedule to take your dog outside
Praise your dog with the "Good boy" command when he makes
In case of an accident, only use the "No" command if you catch your dog in the act
Take away your dog's water two hours before bedtime
Walk your puppy twice before bed
Always supervise your dog when he is inside AFTER making outside
For the Step-by-Step method of housebreaking your dog within just a few weeks, you'll want to check out:
http://www.Dog-Training-Works.com
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