Housebreaking Questions

[jnjamison]

I have a puppy that I am going to housebreak. Someone had mentioned to me that you can use puppy pads. He said to put the puppy pads at the door and everytime you catch the puppy using the bathroom always take him to the puppy pad by the door. He said wait until the puppy is well established using the puppy pad. He said he should eventually always go to the puppy pad. Once he uses the puppy pad consistently take it away. He said then you will know that the puppy has to go to the bathroom when he goes to the door. Then you just take the puppy outside everytime he goes to the door and wa-la he's trained. I am not so sure about this technique. Any comments or advice.

Thanks

 

[Edgarsfan]

I am not sure about puppy pads. Edgar was only about 11 weeks old when we started bell training. I actually use wind chimes. They are longer and mucjh easier for him to touch and make noise. Each time we went out, I would touch his paw to the chimes and make noise. When he touched it, I would ask him if he had to go. A treat outside after his business (always on a leash) and back inside. He had it down in no time and rang bells by himself. When he rings for no reason I always took him out and waited 10 minutes outside to do business only. Then back inside.

 

[CrzyBoyLouie]

I'd recommend the bell training as opposed to the pee pad by the door. We had our 9 week old pup bell trained within a week. Grab his paws and ring the bell, treat him for ringing the bell and send him outside. However, bell training wont make him instantly potty trained. We are running into the problem of him ringing the bell for a treat and not wanting to go outside. But every time he cry's wolf we force him outside. He's getting the hang of it now. He also has the occasional accident still, but is doing MUCH better.

 

[Louise501]

Once he uses the puppy pad consistently take it away

So you are effectively having to teach him twice as what would stop him just peeing on the floor by the door if the pads gone? I think I'd definately just teach him to go outside from the off

 

[RolenKisses]

I've read that puppy pads aren't really a first step to getting your puppy to go to the bathroom outside. I would just start with training him to do his business outside and skip the puppy pads

 

[EAO76]

I agree, just teach him to go outside. Growing up all our dogs were paper trained 1st and then we taught them to go outside. With this method we always had a hard time potty training. When I got my own dogs I taught them only to go outside and skipped any paper / pad training. The dogs I have now are completely reliable where as the some of the dogs I had growing up were not. I believe that is because the paper/ pad training is confusing to them. It makes much more sense for them to learn that it’s NEVER acceptable to go inside.

I also second the bell training idea. I bell trained my two littermates at 5 months and I wish I did it much sooner. Once they had a way to “tell” me they needed to go out the potty training was complete.

Here is some (really short) video of my boy Rosco ringing his bell…
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-491005196036085978&pr=goog-sl

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8982687545663744388&pr=goog-sl

 

[Biff]

I wouldn't bother with the pee pads either.

I'd go for the bell training. Biff picked up on this very quickly