Picking Max up Tomorrow

[Curt Jr]

We are picking up Max tomorrow. He will be 9 week old tomorrow. We are very excited and the children are even more excited.

My question is I need to house break him asap so what are some tips to start house breaking him once he get home? I bought a 24 inch crate so it will be big enough for him to sleep only in. I'm sure it will take a some time for him to get use to the new home. Any tips would be appreciated.

 

[dbetz]

I would return that crate for a bigger one - if you plan for your puppy to remain using it for more than a month! They grow very fast. I have 2 7 month old littermates and they shared 1 big crate (43 inch) for about a month before they needed their own. At 7 months the 43 inch crate is barely big enough for just one of them (our male now weighs 55 lbs).

We got ours at 8 weeks and we were vigilant about taking them outside every 2 hours to the place we wanted them to go and kept repeating "go potty" and then praised when they went. We also made certain to take them out shortly after each meal. We had no problems - we haven't had an accident in months.

Good luck with your puppy - they are so much fun!

 

[Curt Jr]

How long did it take before they started becoming consistent at letting you know "hey I need to go potty" ?

 

[ehayes21]

My question is I need to house break him asap so what are some tips to start house breaking him once he get home?

Got about 6 months?? LOL House breaking is not something that happens, ASAP.
I agree with getting a bigger crate, one that has a divider you can adjust the space as he grows. Some tips I can give you are; take him out immediately after drinking, eating, playing, sleeping or any other activity and in between about every hour. A nine week old puppy will only be able to hold it's bladder for about 1-2 hours max, so you are going to need to be dilligent in keeping an eye on him. This also means setting your alarm a few times during the night to wake him for potty breaks. I would also not allow him to roam freely until he's more reliable in the potty department. I tethered Rowdy to me with a leash, that way he couldn't sneak off and I was right there in case we needed to rush outside.
One thing that speeds the process along is in the beginning give him tons of prays and treats when he successfully eliminates outdoors, so this means you need to accompany him and be RIGHT there when he finishes for him to make the connection.
Is someone going to be home with him during the day?

 

[ehayes21]

How long did it take before they started becoming consistent at letting you know "hey I need to go potty" ?

It really depends on the dog. Rowdy didn't start letting me know until he hit about 1.5 years old, but regardless, it's up to you to be aware of their bathroom needs, not the other way around.

 

[Curt Jr]

Got about 6 months?? LOL House breaking is not something that happens, ASAP.
I agree with getting a bigger crate, one that has a divider you can adjust the space as he grows. Some tips I can give you are; take him out immediately after drinking, eating, playing, sleeping or any other activity and in between about every hour. A nine week old puppy will only be able to hold it's bladder for about 1-2 hours max, so you are going to need to be dilligent in keeping an eye on him. This also means setting your alarm a few times during the night to wake him for potty breaks. I would also not allow him to roam freely until he's more reliable in the potty department. I tethered Rowdy to me with a leash, that way he couldn't sneak off and I was right there in case we needed to rush outside.
One thing that speeds the process along is in the beginning give him tons of prays and treats when he successfully eliminates outdoors, so this means you need to accompany him and be RIGHT there when he finishes for him to make the connection.
Is someone going to be home with him during the day?

I understand it will take time, I was meaning it is first and priorty on the to do list for him.

My wife does not work so she will take over once I leave for work. Is giving him treat a good thing to start or just praising him good enough?

 

[ehayes21]

You could start by just praising (and praising him like he just won the lottery), in the months to come it's always good to have something extra special for him to really bring the point home. So you could wait on the treats until he needs that extra incentive.
He's a cutie! Good luck with your new pup!

 

[bayleighmom]

Bayleigh was probably a year old before I considered her fully potty trained! She knew that she was supposed to let us know, but would sometimes forget!

I highly recommend tethering your new pup to you for a while. Then you don't have to worry about him wandering out of your sight. I also recommend bell training. Do a search on the forums and you will find a ton of info on it.

I agree about returning your crate(if possible) and buying a larger one. Most of them have a crate divider to allow you to give your pup more room as they grow.

Where will he sleep at night? If in his crate, try leaving an old tshirt in there with your scent on it. You will have to get up a couple of times a night for potty breaks. Bayleigh started out the first night in her crate and ended up in our bed in the morning! I couldn't stand to listen to her cry and I gave in. In our bed, she would only wake up once a night for me to take her out to potty. Of course, she is now almost 3 years old and still in our bed!!

Most of all, be patient and consistent and PRAISE, PRAISE, PRAISE!!! It's not going to happen overnight but he will eventually get it!

 

[zomo]

Get yourself a good alarm clock and some warm clothes Wish I had of been on this site when I got our first Zoe.

 

[Curt Jr]

the bell is a good idea. I'll have to research that.

I bought the crate knowing I'll be buying a bigger one shortly. I just wanted to give a enough room to sleep only.