Hello everybody!
I have searched the forums here on Yorkietalk as well as numerous other sites and I am utterly confused! I want to potty train my little baby but unsure of how to go about it.
The thing is, in Sweden (where I'm from btw) I've known many people with dogs and they always started taking their puppies out to pee right away. But from what I can read online it seems like a big risk to take your puppy outside before it's had all his shots? Never ever heard anyone mention this while living in Sweden. In fact, when I asked about pee pads on a Swedish forum, people called me an idiot and told me to give back my pup and get a plushie instead...Not very helpful!
I live in France now and I got my puppy Ean two days ago. He's 9 weeks old, the breeder said that she started letting the pups out in her backyard to pee and play at 8 weeks old so, I quote, 'There's no reason not to take him outside for walks and pee/poo'. But she lives in the middle of nowhere! There's literally several kilometers to the nearest neighbor. I however, live in central Paris!
I want Ean to learn do to his business outside, and I've heard that it can be hard to switch from pee pads to going outside. Is it really as dangerous as people say to take your pup outside before it's had all his shots?
Ean has had his first set of shots already, I'm going to the vet on the 9th Dec for his second round, according to the breeder he should have his third and last on the 9th Jan. I don't know if this differs from country to country.
So yeah, basically, what I would like to know is if I can start taking him outside already or if I should focus on pee pad training him and then switch to taking him outside come January? Any and all advice is welcome
This is my current routine (only had him for two days so I'm open to changes and advice on this):
First off, I free feed him. I haven't yet taken him outside, I work from home so I'm with him all the time and he's been pretty good at going in the box (I have a kitty box lined with pee pads for him). He has had a few accidents, usually while playing, and probably my fault for not staying close enough to his box. He wakes up at 4am every morning, wines a bit and I show him to the box where he does his business and then goes back to sleep. Sometimes when I see that he needs to go, I put him just next to the box, if he doesn't enter and instead starts squatting on the floor, I lift him up and put him in. Sometimes this works and he goes and I praise him and all that. But sometimes when I put him in he just start playing and ripping at the pee pads or wining and trying to get out of the box, just to pee on the floor instead...not sure what that is about? Sometimes he also goes in the box and start playing and rough housing in there, I usually take him out of there when he does that because I don't want him to associate the box to playing instead of peeing...
So yeah, please help me out here, I want him to learn to go outside but I won't do anything that could risk his health! Only had him two days and he's already my everything! Very confusing how people in Sweden and France seems to think it's ridiculous to even consider pee pads, while people on numerous sites says it's really dangerous to bring your pup outside...not sure what to think! o.o
Thanks!