Potty training suggestions?

[Karen G]

Is there anyone out there who didn’t crate train? I’ve got a pup that will be turning 13 weeks on Monday and I’ve been trying to do it without a crate (my previous pup never adapted well to a crate and I think it made potty training more difficult actually). My pup has a rather large playpen area on the linoleum in the kitchen and I’m wondering if it’s just too large because he’s not always holding when I know he can. I think I might have to go to a crate because I know they don’t like to soil in their own den area. Thanks in advance for sharing any helpful experiences!

[Lee K]

Hi, Karen. My pup, Charlie, is almost 6 months and 8#’s – got him from shelter at 3 months where he had been in large cube thing where he peed, pooped and ate in about 3′ sq area…yuck. Anyway I put him in small 18″ kennel when I brought him home (and wasn’t actually playing/handling him) and took him to pee pads every 20-30 minutes…he did really well! after 1st week or so I extended kennel times longer and longer (and ‘out’ paly times longer as well)…he’s had a few accidents, but hardly ever misses. Added benefit, until I am ready to ‘let him loose’ he sleeps and stays in kennel when I leave the house. Point being, he isn’t too old to restart on kennel concept. Good luck.

[Karen G]

Thanks for the encouragement Lee, it came at a great time! I guess I’m going to have to try a crate. He seems to think that it’s OK to go on the linoleum now, which is better than carpet, but I don’t want this to continue. I wonder if I’m just not being patient enough though? I can’t remember how long it took me to potty train my previous pup so it’s hard to gage this. Thanks again!

[Sallynova]

Hello Karen,
Check out this page – if you read the whole thing you’ll not only know what to do – you’ll have a laughter, too!
http://www.dogsfortheearth.com/Behavior_Modification.html

We get all our organic dog food from this website, too.

[Susan]

Hi Karen, when I rescued my boy he was not house trained at the age of 4 yrs old & was at the pound for 3 weeks, so he had to wee & poo in his tiny pound cage… when I brought him home he wee’d everywhere in my house, I started taking him outside every 2 hours like you do with puppies when toilet training, everytime he did a wee or poo outside I’d praise him & gave him a treat within 2 days he learnt if I toilet outside I get a treat.. I also walked him 3-4 times a day the same time everyday..

[Karen G]

Thanks Sue! Did you get him potty trained? Do you remember how long it took?

[Susan]

Hi Karen, oh yes, he caught on straight away within 1-2 days he learnt from the cat as well to sit in front of the front door, I always let the cat out, so Patch would sit in front of the door so he could go out, he’s a bugger, he started to pretend to wee, I thought gee ur weeing alot, so when he lifted his leg I had a look & he wasn’t weeing he just wanted a treat, pretty smart dog…

[Karen G]

LOL! That is a smart dog! Thanks for sharing Sue.

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