Toilet Training 6 Month Toy Poodle

[Charjas]

Hi I have a new addition 6 months old. Have had him since dec 22. He does a wee on the wee pads and sometimes a poo. Other times I find a poo on tiles at front door. He has started going outside to toilet but I have to stand there. If I come back in after waiting ages he does it inside as he follows me. If he sees other poodle wee then he does one. Have tried moving wee pads closer to back door but he then squats in place where it was. Uses wee pads at night in laundry also. My other poodle (3) bangs on screen door to go out. This one a bit slow? Any suggestions.

[LizT]

Hi and welcome to DOL.

Just try treating him as if he were a new puppy and teach him your family routine from the beginning. At least you have the advantage of more bladder control. :) Is he crate trained? He could spend a bit of time in a crate if you are busy and he hasn't emptied his bowels recently.

Can you restrict the area he has access to so he can't get to the front door and always take him out back if that is what is normal for your household.

He'll get there eventually, as you are aware poodles are quick learners. ;)

[Charjas]

Hi and welcome to DOL.

Just try treating him as if he were a new puppy and teach him your family routine from the beginning. At least you have the advantage of more bladder control. :) Is he crate trained? He could spend a bit of time in a crate if you are busy and he hasn't emptied his bowels recently.

Can you restrict the area he has access to so he can't get to the front door and always take him out back if that is what is normal for your household.

He'll get there eventually, as you are aware poodles are quick learners. ;)

Thanks. Yes both sleep in their crates in laundry but with door shut . I don't close door on their crates. Most mornings he has done a poo near door away from wee pads. He only uses them for wee. I have gates to keep them in kitchen area if I'm out. I think because he doesn't like to have me out of sight he hangs on as long as possible and if we are outside he goes but yesterday I left him out for a bit on balcony so he went there. he's not as smart as my other one. Bit of a ruffian actually.

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

How often do you walk your dogs?

What do you feed them?

Answers to the above questions may be helpful. I have a toilet training method that I can share with you but I'd like to know more info.

When the dogs go "out" are they only going onto a balcony? Do they have a doggie door into a garden or yard?

[Charjas]

How often do you walk your dogs?

What do you feed them?

Answers to the above questions may be helpful. I have a toilet training method that I can share with you but I'd like to know more info.

When the dogs go "out" are they only going onto a balcony? Do they have a doggie door into a garden or yard?

Hi. I walk them every afternoon although with the hot weather haven't walked since Friday. He has just started doing a poo on his walk as usually he just lays in the grass. When I got him he was on supermarket crap soft food and I have changed him now to royal canin junior dry food with some canine country white raw food mixed in. Charlie has chicken necks at night but these are too much for jasper even thought i chop them small as he eats too quickly and then brings them back up. They go outside into the yard. balcony leads to stairs and yard. He doesn't use dog door yet but Charlie won't go through unless I prop it open. Charlie is a bit of a woos. Dog door fell down once and touched him. Only made of plastic! I don't leave it propped open now because flies come in. When I go out I leave wee pads on floor Charlie never uses them though he hangs on.

[minimax]

My pup doesn't poo on the pads either, she only wees. I don't mind so much, as long as she poops outside somewhere, but if it bothers you try leaving some poop on the pad to encourage her, and lots of praise and happy noises if/when she actually does poop on the pad.

I know now my pups routine with pooping and take her outside accordingly, so maybe if you notice a pattern (ie: every morning on wake-up, after dinner, before bed) take him out and waitwaitwait until he goes. Take a book, do whatever you have to do, but don't go inside until he does his business. Then lots of praise and treats.

dogmad: I'd love to know more about your toilet training method as I'm struggling with my 14 week old. She's on canine country white mix, chicken necks and fresh fruit & veggies (carrots/pears/cucumber as snacks) as well as some yoghurt sometimes. She's walked once a day, sometimes twice but as the sun comes up later and later it's more like once a day.

She's also started "tantrum toileting" so when she doesn't get her own way, she looks at me and pees on the floor. Or poops outside my door if I've closed her out to get dressed etc. Little brat! lol

However, when I take her out of the crate at night to wee, we go straight outside and she goes on command, she just hardly ever goes outside on her own any other time.

[persephone]

She's also started "tantrum toileting" so when she doesn't get her own way, she looks at me and pees on the floor.

Hmmmm..sounds more like anxiety in a baby like that .

she just hardly ever goes outside on her own any other time.

and this is where you, her teacher, steps in :) she needs to be taken out often ..and also gently taught to enjoy spending time outside alone with bones/sandpit/toys etc.

[minimax]

and this is where you, her teacher, steps in :) she needs to be taken out often ..and also gently taught to enjoy spending time outside alone with bones/sandpit/toys etc.

I do take her out regularly, and she usually pees when I do (she knows the "bathroom" command), but then will do tiny wees in the house randomly, even 15 minutes after being outside.

She likes peeing near my mum, as though she's saying "I peed, aren't you proud of me?" I wonder if it's because she gets lots of praise when she does pee outside, that she thinks she should get praise whenever she pees. She doesn't get anything when she pees in the house, no negative voices, I just silently clean it up.

The only time she will happily be alone outside, or anywhere, is if she has food (ie: bones, or a kong) to focus on. Once the food is finished and she realises she's alone, she cries and barks and whines (loudly!). I leave her, and eventually she might wear herself out and fall asleep (like, an hour or two later).

She's the poster child for a velcro dog ;)

[Archie's mum]

My puppy is exactly the same, gets praised outside does its wee and poo outside then comes in and pees. He has never pooed inside. He also pees on anything I leave on the floor that's material. I'm at my wits end.

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

OK - puppies take a LOT longer to housetrain than an adult dog - please bear this in mind when reading my training method.

All toilet training is assisted by a doggie door or easy access to get outside when they need to go and with puppies, they don't have much of an idea that they need to go until they mature so that's why they have lots of accidents.

A good walking routine is crucial for all dogs, they begin to know what to expect and can hold on eventually - walk every morning and every afternoon with younger dogs. I have old dogs and we go out every morning, they poo every time and yet they've only had a biscuit for breakfast. Most of my dogs do poo more than once a day but recently, I was giving a 15 yr old Supercoat light & mature. Every morning I was getting up to 3 giant poos - didn't know who it was. She only weighs 3 kilos so was the last on my list of suspects. Then the other fosters got rehomed and poop kept appearing - gradually I realised it was HER!! I've now changed to a different brand and get up to no poos - yippee! This old dog can't operate a dog door so does everything inside unfortunately!

With the doggie door, I don't prop mine up due to flies but a friend suggested I get some shower curtain material and cut into strips and stick them above the dog door and it works brilliantly, dogs happy to go through it. You do also need to spend time training dogs to go in and out of dog doors, if it is a clear plastic many dogs won't attempt it - get a square of wrapping paper the size of the flap and stick on the flap - gives dogs a target.

Here's my method which I've used on 100s of dogs now (literally):

HOUSETRAINING TIPS

Ok - first thing to do is decide on the command (I call it “do wees”) you will repeat over and over. You have to really focus on the dog for about 2-3 days to be successful. You have a pocketful of special treats on hand all the time for the first 2-3 days.

Walk the dog several times a day and every time the dog wees, you get very excited and keep saying “Good boy/girl, do wees, do wees” – give the dog treats every time.

First thing in the morning, last thing at night and every time you see the dog eat or drink (both precursors to weeing) whisk the dog into the garden and repeat the command “do wees”. Get very excited and present treats every time dog goes.

The dog’s aim in life is to please you. If the dog should have an accident inside the house – say NOTHING at all. The dog soon gets the idea that when he/she goes outside you are really, really pleased and he/she gets rewarded.

NB: Please note that the smell of urine must be properly removed for any housetraining to be successful. There are products on the market such as “Urine Off” but they are very expensive. A mix of white vinegar and water is a much cheaper alternative and should work for tiles and other surfaces although you should always take care with wood etc. For carpet/rugs, I use either a mixture of Napisan/water or bicarb of soda and water. I completely soak the stain using a dab on technique with a cloth. When it is very wet, I use an old towel to soak up the excess moisture. Again, be careful on any expensive carpet/rug, I have never had any problems but I cannot guarantee any method here.