Originally Posted by lemonlauren  I think there are a handful, not many, of people on here who have trained their pups in no time flat, lol. I was dumb and overconfident enough that I thought I could be one of those people too since my DH and I could basically tag-team and be constantly watching him like a hawk, praising him, taking him out, treats for potties, and so on. Unfortunately it wasn't as "easy" as I'd hoped, but still, we're not planning on being one of the horror stories either. :-) Nikko will be 6 months old at the end of February (we've had him since he was 3mo old), and right now we are one day away from two whole weeks without any accidents... and we are VERY VERY cautiously happy about it. I've heard that you can only consider your dog potty trained after he's gone for a whole month without a single accident, so one month is our goal.
Nikko is my first dog, so I'd never potty trained a pup before now... here are a few things I learned that I hope might be helpful to others.
1. It will take longer than you expect. Try not to be mad or sad, just continue being diligent. Even with other and larger breeds of dogs, many experts will tell you that a dog isn't completely in control of his bladder until about 6 months.
2. Enlist help whenever you possibly can. It can be overwhelming at times, and you will really really appreciate someone taking over sometimes, whether it's for you to take a nap or just to have a little calm alone time.
3. If you possibly can, designate one door for pottying and a different door for everything else (going for walks, going for car rides, seeing other people come in and out of the house, etc.) Literally one door ONLY for pottying, and preferably that door leads directly to the potty zone.
4. Make the treat for pottying outside a treat you never give any other time, and make sure it's the most awesome treat in the world. We have tried a couple different treats, and had the best success with peanut butter baking chips that we break into thirds.
5. Every accident is your fault, not the dog's. And the only way to make an accident a learning experience for the dog is for him to be caught in the middle of them, stopped, and allowed to finish and be treated outside. That's part of why it's so important to watch him constantly.
6. Potty train with a leash, even if you have a fenced in backyard. You need to watch their every move... Once these smart little guys catch on that they get a treat after they pee, they can start "fake" peeing! If you don't catch these fake-outs, you won't know when your pup actually does have an empty bladder. You can also use the leash to help redirect if your pup gets distracted (and btw, EVERYTHING is a distraction, lol).
7. Praise & treat immediately after the good deed. If you wait until you both walk back inside or back to the doorway, the dog will think he's being rewarded for walking back to the door instead of for peeing outside. So every time you take him out, carry two treats with you in your hand. One in case he pees, one in case he poops too. Put them back in the bag (or wherever) if he doesn't do any business on that trip outdoors.
8. Crate training really does help. But try to tire your pup out before he has to go in his crate - he'll nap in there easier that way, and whine/bark/cry/growl much less. It's really hard on us moms to listen to the let-me-out cry. :-( The best-behaved puppy is the one that's asleep, so exercise him as often as you can. :-) This'll also help him to sleep through the night.
9. Expand his area gradually... start with someplace tiled (like the kitchen, or a part of the kitchen) so accidents are easier to clean up. If you can watch him, he's gotta be in his area. If you can't watch him, he's gotta be in his crate or in your arms. Don't expand his area too quickly, don't give freedom too quickly, and never take your eyes off him unless he's in your arms or in his crate. Easier said than done, but try. :-)
Hope that helps a little... it's just some of the stuff that worked for me. Other people have different methods, or will give some different tips. Take your favorites from everyone, and good luck! Just remember to not get too frustrated at first... it really isn't easy, but it's worth it. I'm sure you'll be fine!
Lauren & Nikko |