Early Toilet Training

[sandgrubber]

I've noticed a few people sell pups that they claim are toilet trained at 8 weeks.

My pups all want to be toilet trained. I put them in a large enclosure (~20 sq metres) with a more sheltered 'nest' area and a few habitats when they are able to walk. They (95%) do their poos on the perimeter, away from the sleeping area. Less discerning with wees.

How does one channel the instinctive desire to keep the nest clean into something that makes it easier for puppy buyers when the pups go to their new homes?

Edited February 16, 2010 by sandgrubber

[Aziah]

Here's my reply in another thread which doubles for here and is the basis for how I begin toilet training. New puppy owners have come back to me to let me know how easy it has been (especially overnight) for the most part...

At just over 2 weeks my most recent babies were escaping the box so we removed that and had a piece of marine carpet in one area with bedding on top and another area with newspaper and the remainder was left as bare lino.

While I was spending time with them and once I started to wean I made sure that everytime I was there and they woke up I moved them to the newspaper (young babies often have a habit of waking up, standing up and just peeing whereever they might be standing at the time, usually on their bedding). As they grew and had time outside, they were fed out on the grass and toileting soon after. If the weather was poor I'd feed them inside, wait a few minutes and doa quick trip out to the grass and they'd all go and we'd race back inside

At 8 weeks of age they were very rarely toileting overnight and if they did it was on the newspaper and first thing in the morning I'd open the pen door and they'd run down the hall and out front and toilet on the grass. Not a bad effort for 8 week old babies.

Edited February 16, 2010 by Aziah

[WreckitWhippet]

Pretty much the same routine as Aziah. I had Audrey clean over night by 8 weeks, she knew that her bed was for sleeping in, her crate was not a toilet and if she had to go , she'd wee on the piece of paper in the corner of her pen.

She was looking for the paper to toilet on at 6 weeks and wouldn't go on the lino.

[SparkyTansy]

It was a long long time ago but my mum did the same thing with our litter from what i remember... at 6 weeks if not earlier (can't remember ) they would eat their meal and then straight outside for toilets. Bitch we kept had the same routine and remained toilet trained. Uncle took on one of the other babies and he was also toilet trained with little effort from them.

[ellz]

My puppies have been paper-trained from when they could first get up to go to the loo. The puppy pen had their bed in one corner and newspaper over the rest of it. They'd eat, play or wake up and toddle onto the paper and use it. And I'm STILL attempting to educate the other hooman household members not to read The Mercury spread out on the floor when the puppers are on the loose or it'll be peed on!!!

Now that they are 12 weeks old though and I only have the 3 Stafford puppies (until the last one goes next week when her parents come home from holidays) and Bad Alice they are pretty much clean and dry all night and they wake me in the morning to be let outside and they head to the door during the day and stand there staring at me if they can't find a bit of newspaper when nature calls.....but only until the urge is overwhelming and then they'll squat where they stand and glare at me as if to say "I TOLD you I needed to go out!"

It must have looked hilarious when they were all tiny, me in my skintight flesh-coloured pjs "leading the charge" out the door from the pen to the great outdoors for loo breaks! Not so bad going, but they were a real pain in the behind to get back inside again. It's amazing how many directions 10 puppies can disappear in when you're not wearing any clothing and don't really want to go looking for them!

[Cockerlover]

As soon as my pups stat to piddle without mums assistance they are shown the newspaper that covers most of thier area (apart from thier bedding )& placed on it as soon as they wake ,After they have eaten & after playtime ,when they r old enouh to go outside,I transfere the *p* paper out there ,until they get the message ,All of my pups r almost toilet trained by the time they leave home

[Dogsfevr]

here the bed is made out into training at 3 weeks.

At 6 weeks the doggy door is introduced whilst running about .

By 8 weeks they are well trained in the ability to hold on & to go outside ,all new owners are told of there routine well in advance to follow through.99% with no issues.

They arent 100% trained but i would say 99% have a good grasp with the owners doing there best