kitine
February 2016
Posts: 776
@nds421
- It's okay to start off with a potty pad when they are really young. It's better to use a pad in the house vs having accidents in the house. It teaches them pad = pee so after they're used to it, it's easier to transition the pad outside where they then associate it with going outside. Then you can get rid of the pad altogether. Each puppy is different, some are easier to potty train than others so it depends on how he adjusts when you get him.
With a pup so young, some people advise against bringing them outside since they don't have all their shots yet, but for me personally, it's more important that they go out and experience the outside world as soon as they can. I think 2 hours is fine with an 8 week old pup, optimally after emptying out or after tiring him out. I'm a big fan of crate training myself and only used an X-pen after my girl was potty trained. It taught her to like the crate and made training much much easier. The more space a puppy has, the chances of having accidents is higher and you risk going backwards in training.
Justifiedgaines
February 2016
Posts: 175
a longer confinement would be on the order of more than 2 hours. If for some reason neither you nor your partner can let your puppy out, give them a bigger space to roam in (expen) and make sure they have a place to potty because at that age they will need somewhere to go.
For me, I just planned my time accordingly so I could let Ham out every two hours, but I know that not everyone has a schedule as flexible as mine. But there is a good chance that you'll confuse your puppy about where to go if you rely on using potty pads.
imBLASIAN
February 2016
Posts: 412
Ditto what everyone else said.
For the first couple of months she was crated in one of those Midwestern crates with a moveable middle section so that we could slowly expand it as she grew. After about 2 months, we then bought an ex-pen that attaches to the crate, so she can hang out and play with her toys, or go to sleep in her crate (which we cover with blankets to keep the sunlight out).
In the crate, we put the potty pads underneath a towel, so that it would be easy to clean up, and also so she doesn't shred them.
nds421
February 2016
Posts: 19
@justifiedgaines
, if we put him in the expen while we're gone, what should we put as a place for him to go to the bathroom?
Also, what's the difference between "making sure they have a place to potty" and using potty pads?
Thanks for your help!!!
dougfoo
April 2016
Posts: 41
I just got my pup
@9
.5 weeks old
I was sold on the Dunbar method, but the breakdown I found is...
-My pup doesn't respond to treats. My trainer said she the 1% that doesn't like liver
-Also doesn't play w/ chewtoys (dont care about treats in Kong!!)
-She did great peeing on pad first 2 times using the 1-2 hr system (in crate/out/in)
but
then started lying down on the pad like it is her home.. and if we believe the theory.. she won't pee in her home anymore..
-Sure enough she started not wanting to pee on the pad, but held it till I gave up on the pad and let her out a little or peed half way out of the playpen! (my mistake i know!)
She never had an accident in her crate/home, but in playpen yep and outside the pen yepo.
My trainer said ditch the 1-2 hr strict program and just leave her in the playpen w/ unlimited water and be happy if she learns to pee off her bed/crate, but in the pen area anywhere. Trainer feels we can encourage her to use the pad -- and soon enough she'll learn & also be walking outside to pee anyways??
The execution of Dunbar is difficult I felt because...
1) every 1-2hr in/out is a tough schedule (even every 2 hr)
2) when she doesn't pee, Dunbar rule is take her back in and put her to create/sleep again (difficult to wake the pup, stand her on the pad then no-pee, back! -- feels sad)
3) my situation of non snacking pup
I will try what the trainer says... though I wonder if I should doubt the Dunbar system...
Thoughts? Otherwise pup is lovely.
sunyata
April 2016
Posts: 8408
@dougfoo
- Ditch your trainer, s/he sounds like an idiot.
Why are you trying to get your dog to potty indoors? That just confuses them in the long run. Properly potty train your pup from the start. There are TONS of great threads on proper potty training techniques. I suggest you start reading through those.
Casey, with Bella and Nola, hanging out in the mountains of Virginia.
I Wander, I Ride
dougfoo
April 2016
Posts: 41
@sunyata
-- as a high-rise apt city dweller no choice until she is vaccinated. It'd take me 5min to get downstairs... so I must indoor train first and regardless must teach her about either holding her pee or peeing on a pad.
Lilikoi
April 2016
Posts: 1066
Do you have a balcony that you could put a patch of grass on (like fresh patch or doggie lawn)?? I think the pads are just adding an extra step in potty training and don't help anything. From my point of view, if you're planning on training your dog to potty outside, the sooner the better. You're able to take advantage of baby bladder's need to pee often, and really reinforce that outside is the place to go. Even if it took me 5 minutes to get to a patch of grass outside, I'd choose that over complicating things by trying to indoor train. If you think it's hard to potty train now, just wait until you have to transition it to outside and aren't able to take advantage of the almost constant need to pee that a young puppy has lol. When she gets older, I totally recommend having a bell by the door that she can learn to ring to tell you that she needs to go out.
:)
sunyata
April 2016
Posts: 8408
The five minutes it takes to get outside is totally worth it.
Transitioning from a dog that has learned to pee inside whenever she wants to a potty trained dog (knows to hold it until she is outside) is REALLY tough. I really suggest just doing the traditional potty training routine instead of trying to teach her to pee inside.
Casey, with Bella and Nola, hanging out in the mountains of Virginia.
I Wander, I Ride
Juni
April 2016
Posts: 1249
The idea of having a schedule is so you take the puppy out before he/she desperately needs to go. So if you do it immediately after a nap, a meal or playtime the five minutes it takes shouldn't be a concern most of the time. If a freak accident happens in the elevator, just clean it up.
Nikkitine
April 2016
Posts: 776
@dougfoo
You do have a choice and honestly, it's more important to get her out there earlier than later if not for potty training, then for exposure to the outside world. Shibas can be notoriously picky about where to eliminate and puppies pick up a preference to where they like to pee early on. The more you use pads now, the harder it will be to transition to grass later. If you are truly worried about her contracting anything, pick her up and hold her until you get outside and onto a patch of grass that's in a more secluded area. Use that same patch of grass everytime. Or if you have a small balcony or patio, use one if those fake grass potty patches so she gets accustomed to going outdoors and the feel of grass at her feet. Use a trigger word right when she eliminates.
It's definitely worth the time and you'll appreciate teaching her earlier than later when she grows up and decides she ONLY wants to go indoors and you'll have a much harder time changing it up.
imBLASIAN
April 2016
Posts: 412
@dougfoo
- I live in a condo as well and I attempted to train Ponyo on some real grass turf we got from HomeDepot, but she refused, so we ended up having to take her outside and scoop her up the instant she was done.
pylea
April 2016
Posts: 235
@dougfoo
: I'm also an apartment-dweller in the city and have taken Pylea out for potty since day one. Sure there was a slight risk, but socialization and desensitization were more important. I only allowed her on the sidewalk of our immediate block and did not allow her to step in mud or grass. She mostly did her business in a neighbor's flowerbed (they said it was OK). I also washed her paws every time we got back inside. The times she started to pee indoors, I would interrupt her and pick her up to go outside to finish. She