Toilet Training

[Eldoop]

With Cody I take him outside after he wakes up, eats, and about every hourish, so far he has been good, only had about 3 accidents, but my question is first thing in the morning when I hear him up, I get up to take him out and everytime he has already been, so will he start to let me know, or is it a case of if he's not letting me know now, he never will??? my niece said her dog let her know she wanted out right from the first day she got her, also all our dogs we have had (over the years) never seem to let you know they want out, just sit at the door waiting for someone to come along and open the door, Minx is also like this, never barks just sits at the door ;) and someone said to me its because as puppies I always take them out so now they just sit and wait, so if this is so, how can I teach Cody to bark to let us know he wants out? (I dont want him to turn out the same ) so there are two questions here..sorry.

[sas]

As time goes on and puppy matures, it will be able to hold its' bladder longer and will be able to sit at the door and let you know it needs to go out.

Mine don't make a noise of scratch at the door, they simply sit by it, granted our door is open most of the time.

Dante was about 4.5 months old before he'd sit at the door and wait for me to let him out.

Each dog will let you know in some way, some dogs are talkers and will bark to let you know, others won't.

You can teach you puppy to ring a bell to let you know it needs out if you want: http://www.k9force.net/index.html?row2col2=bell.html

[Poodle wrangler]

Neither of my dogs will bark- they stand by the door.

They sleep outside because I had a similar problem with my older dog who was slow to toilet train (mini poodle). Poodle wool is good insulation ;).

My mini poodle is a dominant dog and in retrospect this slow toilet training had something to do with this + inadequate leadership from me. Check out Triangle of Temptation in the Training forum (pinned to top)- great place to start.

[Eldoop]

As time goes on and puppy matures, it will be able to hold its' bladder longer and will be able to sit at the door and let you know it needs to go out.

Mine don't make a noise of scratch at the door, they simply sit by it, granted our door is open most of the time.

Dante was about 4.5 months old before he'd sit at the door and wait for me to let him out.

Each dog will let you know in some way, some dogs are talkers and will bark to let you know, others won't.

You can teach you puppy to ring a bell to let you know it needs out if you want: http://www.k9force.net/index.html?row2col2=bell.html

Thanks Sas, ring a bell....I'll have a read....

I've been reading about the crate training, currently I have a crate/cage from Bunnings, at night I put it in our walk in robe (only place I can put it without it being in the way) and he can still see and hear me and Minx sleeps beside the crate, but I'm thinking after reading some of the other posts that it might be to big? he has his bed and enough room for some paper next to his bed, but we have had two night were he has done a pee on his bed and not the paper, but he always has a poo every morning on the paper.

Edited September 27, 2007 by kittyhawklee

[Poodle wrangler]

Sorry, just found the other thread so now I know Cody is the very new toy poodle.

He's very young and so needs at least one toilet break overnight.

If you feed his last meal earlier at night, he might poo before bedtime, instead? Then feed the first meal earlier.

[Eldoop]

I'm feeding him 3 meals aday but am thinking for making that 4 meals, I feed him breakfast first thing in the morning, then at lunch time, then about 6 ish at night....what I'm worried about is I'm not getting to him in the mornings as he has already been, so I am concerned he will not ask to go out from over night, or will he grow out of it and start to ask or wait? with Minx when she was a pup, the first night she went on the paper but after that I would hear her wake up and take her outside in the mornings, but with Cody he is quiet and by the time I hear him up, or he starts to cry, its to late ;)

Oh and like I postsed in the other thread...I need help with him waking up to early

Edited September 27, 2007 by kittyhawklee

[Poodle wrangler]

Oh and like I posted in the other thread...I need help with him waking up to early

Can't help you with that :rolleyes: (joys of puppyhood) but maybe set your alarm for an early morning pee/poo stop?

For a pup to cry to go out, they have to be toilet trained already. Pup isn't yet from what I can tell.

So, I think you might be jumping the gun. Only way to avoid the morning poo/pee is to take him out before it happens and wait outside til it's done.

[moogie]

I have a bell on both sides of the door and my puppy is actuallly starting to ring it! both to be let out and back in again!

[sas]

As time goes on and puppy matures, it will be able to hold its' bladder longer and will be able to sit at the door and let you know it needs to go out.

Mine don't make a noise of scratch at the door, they simply sit by it, granted our door is open most of the time.

Dante was about 4.5 months old before he'd sit at the door and wait for me to let him out.

Each dog will let you know in some way, some dogs are talkers and will bark to let you know, others won't.

You can teach you puppy to ring a bell to let you know it needs out if you want: http://www.k9force.net/index.html?row2col2=bell.html

Thanks Sas, ring a bell....I'll have a read....

I've been reading about the crate training, currently I have a crate/cage from Bunnings, at night I put it in our walk in robe (only place I can put it without it being in the way) and he can still see and hear me and Minx sleeps beside the crate, but I'm thinking after reading some of the other posts that it might be to big? he has his bed and enough room for some paper next to his bed, but we have had two night were he has done a pee on his bed and not the paper, but he always has a poo every morning on the paper.

The crate should only be big enough for the dog to stand up and turn around, this aids in toilet training as the puppy won't want to toilet in the area it sleeps. Unfortunately you've started a bad habit now where the dog has toileted on the bed. You need to get up 2-3 times a night to give puppy a toilet break unless it cries to tell you it needs to toilet.

[BenjiMom]

Benji is my toy poodle, and we left him in a pen the first 2 nites..he peed on his bedding also. Anyway, we then let him in the bedroom..but not on the bed, He kept waking me up at 3.30...to go outside. Then someone on DOL here told me, take his water away at nite..earlier. We now take his water away bout 8pm.......and he now lets us sleep til 5.15AM, and yes, think he has an alarm clock hidden somewhere..always the same time..5.15am.!!! He's now almost 5 months old, toilet trained.but never barks to go outside..just comes to us and wont settle..so we know...outside. He sorta grabs our fingers, not biting..just getting attention..he wants out.

I've edited this to add::: We had to stand outside with him while he did his pee or poo. I know we used to stand there for ages sometimes, but we had to do that so we could praise him and make him learn...only outside for toilet. He still wont stay outside though without us, so we still stand there til he does it, least now, he's much quicker. Everytime we go outside..to water plants, hang out washing etc, we take him. Anyway..he would cry at the door if we didnt

Edited September 29, 2007 by Bloss

[Miss Monster]

We got out 8 week old ridgeback and crated him - but he would cry when he needed to go... (and I made the whole crate bed... no paper option) at 8 weeks he would go about 10pm, midnight then 3am then again at about 6 when we got up... we've now put the open crate in the laundry so he can go out when needed as once I was back at work I couldn't handle the up every 3 hours every night... we'll wait till he's a bit older and can hold it again before moving the crate back into the lounge.... when we are up we leave the door open as if he can't get out straight away when he needs to go he'll go on the tiles.. can't quite hold on long enough to sit at the door yet!

[Nargle]

I was reading about somebody who trained her dogs to ring a bell hanging by the door when they were ready to go out. I thought that was pretty neat, and I'm going to try to train my dog to do that! She bred dogs, and even the little 6 week old puppies could ring the bell!!

I guess if you want to try that, you could start out by ringing the bell every time you guys go out for a potty break. And then slowly start making him wait longer and longer to go out, so when he get's impatient he'll ring the bell to kind of start the whole process without you? XD I'm not sure how else to explain it. I'm pretty sure it works on dogs, too, but since I don't have a dog to train I train my conure His favorite trick is to wave at me, and I make him wave or do another trick before I give him a treat. So when he sees something I'm eating that he really wants, he'll sit there and wave frantically untill I give him some I guess that logic should work with dogs, too. If he gets used to the bell sound every time he gets to go outside, it'll probably encourage him to ring it on his own to let you know when it's time to go out!

[Eldoop]

Hi All...well the last two mornings I've got up around 5 am and taken him out for his morning toilet, so no accidents in his crate, but today for the very first time he did a poo in the front room of the house I have paper on the floor in the living room where we spend most of the time and if he needs to go before I take him, or I'm busy etc, he goes on the paper, which doesn't happen very much as I'm normally on the ball with him...he goes out after a sleep, after a feed, and around every hourish, also when its a nice day I put him outside with Minx (shes a great baby sitter) for half an hour as I can see him from the sliding door and can watch him from inside aswell, and thismorning he did a wee right at the door where since day one I've taken him to the same spot in the yard and he normally goes over to that area when he is outside, so I'm wondering what going on with him today

[Crisovar]

He is a baby and cannot be expected to be spot on just yet, he will have accidents, and it is only to be expected, during these early weeks.

There are so many exciting things for puppies to do just exploring their world that yes they will have accidents because they just have to go right there and then.

You have to be watching them all the time to catch them before it happens and stay outside with them until you see them go.

[BenjiMom]

He's doing ok for his age. He will have accidents for awhile yet. Just praise him when he goes where u want...and growl at him when he does it where u dont want..be his mother lol

[Cazz]

How old do they have to be before toilet training?

I take Mish out and stand with him for 1/2 an hour roughly, nothing happens. Within ten mins of being let back in, I find a doggy deposit or two on my bathroom floor (I can't close the door, if I do that whole end of the hallway loses it's light source and I have no wish to flatten my baby in the dark!)

I'm worried he'll un litter train the cats, and I don't need or want to pick up 4 little individual's poop!

What do you think I should use on the bottom of the crate? He seems to do little widdles all the time, but when I take him out it all stops...what am I doing wrong? All the other dogs I've had came as adults, pre-toilet trained...I think I'm losing my marbles...my marble bag's empty already!! ;)

[tramissa]

I'd say your biggest problem is, by having toilet stops in the crate and in the house (on paper), you are still encouraging him to go inside.

Reduce the room in the crate - crate is for sleeping, not toileting. Set your alarm to get up once during the night, particularly if you want to sleep longer. Or get up at 5 as you have been, outside till he goes - no talking, no fun. Praise, inside and in the crate and back to bed.

This is the time you have to be REALLY consistent. He will get there soon

[Cazz]

How do you do this? I have Mish in a large cat travel cage (it's big enough as he grows) but he just doesn't get it. I look in once every 30 mins to take him out to the loo, but he just rolls over and continues to sleep. I had to pick up 3 secret poops this morning. I took him to his toilet spot, he piddled, then took off in the open back door and pooped in 3 spots.

Next time the door's gonna be shut, but getting up to take him out is no fun, and I'm normally kicking my brain into gear at that time...

[Poodle wrangler]

I'd limit his access in the house, so that you can always watch him if he's inside. If you can't watch him, put him in his crate or outside. THere must be no opportunity for "secret" poops . The more accidents you allow inside, the longer it will take.

When do you take him outside? Should be after a sleep, after food/ drink, hourly, or if he starts to sniff and circle.

Set an hourly alarm, if necessary (not overnight, of course).

Sometimes a walk around can help 'get things moving'. I used to walk our pup around the front, up the driveway, then say, "wee- wee" and treat and praise when he did it. Leave him on a long leash. HAve a treat ready for when he performs, name it (e.g. "go toilet" (happy voice - hard at 5AM_ as he's going). Give treat and praise or "Yes" asap. If he doesn't go while you're outside, wait, then walk, then wait some more and pretend to be interested in the grass.

"Naming it"- pick any word ("wee-wee" is daft, but the first thing I thought of) makes it much quicker as he starts to learn. THe half hour toilet stops will be shorter once he knows what's expected e.g. I take our dog to his normal toileting spot before going out in the car, say "wee-wee" and he does it!

[Cazz]

I use "Go Toilet"

His trips outside are becoming more fun. The weather's warm, so we go out every half hour, and we spend 90-120mins out there because I'm talking to chooks or reading and slurping coffee or doing something else.

The walks are fun, because it doesn't matter how long the leash is, he lags behind because of his foot, it's like walking a rocking horse.