There's a lot of evidence to suggest that punishment for peeing in the wrong place can backfire, it can lead to submissive urination and also, hiding their pee, in other words, peeing in places you don't see. Some dogs eat their poop, because they have been punished for pooping in the wrong place. You can train a dog to pee in the right spot just by using positive reinforcement, reward the success and ignore the mistakes. Personally, I think you were lucky with Daisy, and some say girls are easier to train, don't know if that's true. Most of us use pens, as a convenience, not only to train, but to keep them safe and out of harms way. A nine week puppy has to go about every 5 minutes, so having a pad close by or over the entire surface is a good idea. |