Toilet Training Pup

[blacklabrador]

I have a ten week old pup here - toilet training going well and he's having very few accidents. When the grass is dry it's his preferred place, but when it's wet he gets all funny about walking on it (little girls blouse!!)

I can put a small tarp over one corner so he can walk off the cement onto dry grass but is this making a rod for my back? It's raining so frequently at the moment and I'm concerned about this upsetting his newly formed habits.

Suggestions appreciated

[VJB]

We had that problem for a while, in the middle of toilet training. Our dog would go on the deck, (wee and poo), when it had been raining. Once all the toilet training was complete, it was in her

head that the grass was the area to go, and we've not had an issue since. The fact that most of the time he goes where he is suppose to, I would not make a rod for your back (you'll regret it)

and hope the problem sorts itself out on its own accord, with age. I have a friend who takes her ridgeback out in the middle of a rainy night with an umbrella etc... now she's just had a baby, and

I don't know what she's gonna do ..... sleep deprived new parent getting constant interruptions from big woos who doesn't want to get his feet wet

[blacklabrador]

He just backed out a steamer on the rug... about five minutes after I wrote that post.

Kids will make damn liars out of you at every opportunity

[Toohey]

He just backed out a steamer on the rug... about five minutes after I wrote that post.

Kids will make damn liars out of you at every opportunity

I have a 12 weeker who I thought was cooking one up just now. Put him outside for a while, thougt he musta done it by now, brought him back in and then found he had already done it in the passageway :rolleyes: He beat me. He is a smart cookie

[Erny]

Blacklabrador .... my RR pup HATES getting wet from the rain. I just body-blocked him from coming back in (yep - meant I got wet too) until he'd gone to the toilet on the grass in the back yard. He soon learnt that the quicker he 'went' the quicker he'd get his treat AND to go back inside where it was dry. He is nearly 6 mo now and WILL go out in the rain to toilet ..... although I notice he 'holds on' for as long as he can .

He always got a food treat (looooooves his food) for 'going' where he should.

During the daytime I can always tell when he's been to the toilet outside, even though I might be at the other end of the house. He comes kathumping in very fast, screeches to a halt and sits up like Jackie waiting for his 'treat' :rolleyes: .

Edited November 25, 2008 by Erny

[blacklabrador]

LOL Erny how do you know he's not lying? :rolleyes:

[Erny]

LOL Erny how do you know he's not lying? :rolleyes:

Funny you should say that, because I know that 'sometimes' he is. But it doesn't matter to me. He's "checking in on me" and that's something for off-lead stuff I want him to do anyway. So all is good, whichever way it goes . Initially, when the focus was on toilet training though, I kept such a close eye on him that I don't think it escaped me what he did (or didn't :wink:) do.

But to answer your OP ..... don't start doing stuff like putting tarp down so he won't get his paws wet. As you've already guessed for yourself, it WILL make a rod for your own back. And even if YOU didn't care about that, what about when you might need someone else to look after him? You gunna give them all the rules about laying tarp down so he'll go to the toilet outside? Nup. Definitely don't go there . Your little boy needs to learn to 'toughen' up and that you just gotta lump some things in life, wet paws just being one of those things. .

ETA: When my boy did his first ever voluntary outside visit for the toilet, even though it was raining, he got 'jackpot' reward .

Edited November 26, 2008 by Erny

[blacklabrador]

LOL Erny how do you know he's not lying?

Funny you should say that, because I know that 'sometimes' he is. But it doesn't matter to me. He's "checking in on me" and that's something for off-lead stuff I want him to do anyway. So all is good, whichever way it goes :D. Initially, when the focus was on toilet training though, I kept such a close eye on him that I don't think it escaped me what he did (or didn't :wink:) do. :D

But to answer your OP ..... don't start doing stuff like putting tarp down so he won't get his paws wet. As you've already guessed for yourself, it WILL make a rod for your own back. And even if YOU didn't care about that, what about when you might need someone else to look after him? You gunna give them all the rules about laying tarp down so he'll go to the toilet outside? Nup. Definitely don't go there :D. Your little boy needs to learn to 'toughen' up and that you just gotta lump some things in life, wet paws just being one of those things. :D.

ETA: When my boy did his first ever voluntary outside visit for the toilet, even though it was raining, he got 'jackpot' reward :D.

I just know that my kids would be running inside every few minutes for a treat.

"Maaarmmm I did another weeee"

But yes okay I will ditch the tarp idea and tell the little bugger to HTFU. He seems happy to have me standing out in the rain while he sits on the edge of the cement watching me. I'd put him on lead but I don't want to create a negative assocation with me clipping on the lead to drag him out to somewhere where he's not happy to be.

Jackpot?? do tell!

[BigBen]

Ben used to hate the rain... Now he loves it, and I wish he didn't...

[Erny]

He seems happy to have me standing out in the rain while he sits on the edge of the cement watching me.

I didn't go too much forward of my pup to get there as he too would sit at the edge of the decking watching me get soaked .... and then dash to go back inside as though he'd convinced himself that getting wet wasn't great. A bit of a nudge/push is better than dragging. I didn't use a lead either. But perhaps my 'set up' was such that it made it easier for me not to. From the decking to the grass area I have a narrow entry/exit way. He was forward of me and I simply body blocked him with my legs to stop him trying to get back inside.

Honestly, if anyone had taken a photo of his body posturing at the time, you'd swear that I must have been murdering him.

Jackpot?? do tell!

Just one treat after another after another after another ..... 'keep the good times rollin' on' type of thing. Beats one treat and then it's over. So the 'jackpot' is for the extra effort times

[Garden Girl]

I have a similar problem - when my boy was a pup he hated getting his feet wet - once he actually stood with his back legs inside and his front legs just far enough outside that his wee was technically 'outside'.

He has pretty much grown out of it - but now the littel girl is the same. When I take her out in the morning she sits on the bricks and looks sadly at me on the lawn as if she couldnt possible get her feet wet. I usually pick her up and move her onto the lawn and then she is fine. Othertimes she sits there happpily in the rain, oblivious...