jeffandmagda
Boxer Pal
Wow, we must have been REALLY lucky with Bruno. The vet did say to expect accidents for a while, but these feel more like "on purposes",
.Housebreaking: WHAT am I doing wrong??? PLEASE help!!!
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Wow, we must have been REALLY lucky with Bruno. The vet did say to expect accidents for a while, but these feel more like "on purposes",
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larrygs
Super Boxer
More thoughts to add to all the good advice:
You mentioned he eats at his own choosing. I suggest you get him on a very disciplined schedule, eg breakfast early morning, perhaps lunch, and early dinner. Pick up his bowl about 15 minutes after he stops eating. Seems like peeing is the main issue, but this could help establish a rhythm. It also has training ramifications. There is much on the subject elsewhere.
I suggest having crate time for naps scheduled as well, even when you are there. When he is older this strict structure will not be neccessary, but for now I think it will help. It will also help you keep a very close eye on him.
Not sure how he lets you know he needs to go out. We use only one door for going out and have recently trained Layla to ring bells hanging on that door. Otherwise she would just sit there quietly, ... until she peed. There is an unintended consequence to using bells. Every blowing leaf and squirrel seem to be justification to ring the bells to go outside to chase.
Puppies are sometimes angels, sometimes clowns, sometime terrorists, ya got to love it!
You mentioned he eats at his own choosing. I suggest you get him on a very disciplined schedule, eg breakfast early morning, perhaps lunch, and early dinner. Pick up his bowl about 15 minutes after he stops eating. Seems like peeing is the main issue, but this could help establish a rhythm. It also has training ramifications. There is much on the subject elsewhere.
I suggest having crate time for naps scheduled as well, even when you are there. When he is older this strict structure will not be neccessary, but for now I think it will help. It will also help you keep a very close eye on him.
Not sure how he lets you know he needs to go out. We use only one door for going out and have recently trained Layla to ring bells hanging on that door. Otherwise she would just sit there quietly, ... until she peed. There is an unintended consequence to using bells. Every blowing leaf and squirrel seem to be justification to ring the bells to go outside to chase.
Puppies are sometimes angels, sometimes clowns, sometime terrorists, ya got to love it!
jeffandmagda
Boxer Pal
No, he is not drinking a large amount. We freshen up his water bowl a few times a day so we would notice if he were. He has access to it & is allowed to drink has much as he pleases. I have never thought he was going overboard. How long would you suggest to crate him after an accident?
Thank you.
jeffandmagda
Boxer Pal
What would you suggest for a nap schedule? Two a day (a couple of hours a piece) sandwiched between the three meals? Would that be enough? Love the bells, we have them on the front door & on the baby gate (since that is a barrier between the living area & front door). Bruno used bells to let us know. The most consistent Hannibal has been about letting us know he needs to go out is circling by the front door. He is starting to paw at the bells, but hasn't seemed to put it together yet. Bruno figured it out on his own, to our surprise. With H I have been ringing the bells when he doesn't ring them himself & telling him "outside". I also use them to summon him to the door to go out in hopes that he will get the idea that ringing bells = going outside.
I have always sworn that there is nothing naughtier than a Boxer puppy!
Thank you.
ehayes21
Boxer Insane
Wow, we must have been REALLY lucky with Bruno. The vet did say to expect accidents for a while, but these feel more like "on purposes",
Sometimes you do luck out. But for the most part pups usually don't get the whole scope of potty training until they hit about 6 months old. Yes, many have been accident free, but certainly not housebroken.
And dog's don't do things to get back at their humans - revenge is a human trait not a dog trait. They just don't think like we do.
LucNesbitt
Super Boxer
You've been given some great advice but the one thing I haven't seen anyone mention that worked wonders for us was bell training. We literally had Moab housebroken in a month doing this and most accidents he had were when he rang the bell and we simply didn't get there fast enough to let him out. We may have been extremely lucky, but if all else fails, you could always try this.
We bought a large bird bell at petsmart and hung it from a string on the door where we would be taking him outside to potty. Every time we'd take him to the door when he was little, we'd ring the bell ourselves, then take him outside. After a few days, we started putting a treat on the bell or a bit of peanut butter on it when we'd take him to the door so that he'd ring it himself, then we'd praise the heck out of him and take him outside. If he went potty outside, more praise and treats. It didn't take him long at all to figure out that if he rang the bell he got treats and a trip outside. If he went potty outside, he got even more treats. What we didn't do was let him go outside and play when he rang the bell ... only potty. If he didn't go potty after a minute or so, we simply picked him up and went back inside. Like I said, most of his accidents occurred in front of the door right after he'd rung the bell. We NEVER scolded him for this because he'd done his best to let us know he needed to potty. It was our fault if we didn't get him outside in time.
Moab's now almost 3 years old and we still have the bell on the back door. Its his way of telling us when he needs out any time of the day or night. We went though a period where he'd ring it when he wanted to go out to play as well or just wanted attention but we just had to be disciplned, not give in to that behavior and it stopped.
Best of luck to you and hopefully, you'll have a housebroken puppy very soon!
We bought a large bird bell at petsmart and hung it from a string on the door where we would be taking him outside to potty. Every time we'd take him to the door when he was little, we'd ring the bell ourselves, then take him outside. After a few days, we started putting a treat on the bell or a bit of peanut butter on it when we'd take him to the door so that he'd ring it himself, then we'd praise the heck out of him and take him outside. If he went potty outside, more praise and treats. It didn't take him long at all to figure out that if he rang the bell he got treats and a trip outside. If he went potty outside, he got even more treats. What we didn't do was let him go outside and play when he rang the bell ... only potty. If he didn't go potty after a minute or so, we simply picked him up and went back inside. Like I said, most of his accidents occurred in front of the door right after he'd rung the bell. We NEVER scolded him for this because he'd done his best to let us know he needed to potty. It was our fault if we didn't get him outside in time.
Moab's now almost 3 years old and we still have the bell on the back door. Its his way of telling us when he needs out any time of the day or night. We went though a period where he'd ring it when he wanted to go out to play as well or just wanted attention but we just had to be disciplned, not give in to that behavior and it stopped.
Best of luck to you and hopefully, you'll have a housebroken puppy very soon!
larrygs
Super Boxer
Yes, a nap schedule might help give him a more structured pattern of eat/pee/play/sleep/ etc I think there are many benefits including learning how to control his bladder, at least to some extent.
Our Layla, 7 1/2 mo, was on a pretty strict pattern that we are only now softening some. She would always be in her crate for naps or at night. She is actually happy when nap time comes,.... of course a special treat helps motivate. We only use a certain one for when it is time for her to go to her crate. Just us reaching for it has her running hell bent for the crate.
Early on we had her on a schedule to the minute. Sounds crazy but we were taking advice of others and it really worked. Nap times have become a little more flexible ranging from 2-3 hours when we are there and up to 4 when we are not. BTW, realize she is then fully rested and ready to play. We insure there is plenty of play time and exercise in her schedule. The other nice thing is when she is in her crate napping, we don't have to worry about what she might be getting in to.
She never goes in the crate as punishment or because she had an accident.
She has had very few accidents, (about 10) and every one was because of us. We would move too slow and the little girl just couldn't hold it any longer.
BTW, don't rule out the potential for urinary infection, and I assume he isn't on medication. Both make it much more difficult for a puppy to control.
Good luck!
Our Layla, 7 1/2 mo, was on a pretty strict pattern that we are only now softening some. She would always be in her crate for naps or at night. She is actually happy when nap time comes,.... of course a special treat helps motivate. We only use a certain one for when it is time for her to go to her crate. Just us reaching for it has her running hell bent for the crate.
Early on we had her on a schedule to the minute. Sounds crazy but we were taking advice of others and it really worked. Nap times have become a little more flexible ranging from 2-3 hours when we are there and up to 4 when we are not. BTW, realize she is then fully rested and ready to play. We insure there is plenty of play time and exercise in her schedule. The other nice thing is when she is in her crate napping, we don't have to worry about what she might be getting in to.
She never goes in the crate as punishment or because she had an accident.
She has had very few accidents, (about 10) and every one was because of us. We would move too slow and the little girl just couldn't hold it any longer.
BTW, don't rule out the potential for urinary infection, and I assume he isn't on medication. Both make it much more difficult for a puppy to control.
Good luck!
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