Sportschick,
I've had bandit for three weeks now and he's at eleven weeks old. He is learning very well to go on the pads in his pen in the kitchen.
I had the same questions as you. I am single and am in the military so the hours are kind of crazy at times. I definitely did not want to confine my small puppy to a crate for 9-13 hours at a time until I am able to get home to take care of him. So I just left his crate in the kitchen and baby-gated off the kitchen. At first I left out only one pad and it was a lot of hit or miss - mostly misses. I started to figure out that he had a particular spot that he would go to to poop. So I started laying out two pads and it has worked out a lot better. He mostly poops on his second pad and pees on his first pad I taught him to go on. After three weeks, he knows to go poop on the pads and goes to pee on the pads most of the time when I am not around.
It is very difficult to try to potty train your puppy when you're single and not home, but your opportunity to train him is on your time off. Bandit is very good when I am home. I let him play on the couch with me. I lay out a hand towel and put all his toys on one side and I sit in the middle. Every hour or so I would take him to his pads and tell him to go potty, which he does very well. He would even go pee when he doesn't have to pee. He will just take a few swigs of water and muster out a tiny bit. He just knows to do it. Your time off is your most crucial time to train him. If you're patient and persistent, your puppy will learn.
I was also in the same situation as you whether to train him indoors before taking him outdoors. I think I made the right decisions. I am training him to go on the pads right now until he gets all his shots so I can start training him outside. I just figured if he learns to go on the pads and I am away for an extended amount of time after he's trained to go outside, he can always relieve himself on the pads. It seems to be a win win situation. They are, after all, a small dog. I believe training bandit outside will be much easier now that he knows to go on command on the pads. Every time he goes, i praise him loudly and say the command words "go potty" and now he understands.
I also never let him out of my sight throughout this potty training period when he's out of his pen. He's had a few accidents on the couch but that was expected. Just be real diligent and take him to his pad every hour or so.
Hope that helps. I am still in the learning process of potty training my pup, too =). |