Training 8 Month Old Pug

[Nushie]

Sounds like you are starting to make improvements which is great.

As for toileting, i agree with the others and i would start taking him out on a lead so that he cannot run back and pee in the wrong spot. If there is nothing for him to pee against you can try putting a stake or two in the middle of the lawn to try and encourage him, or i have seen some purpose made ones that usually look like fire hydrants, they are filled with sand to keep them sturdy and they have a scent to them which is supposed to encourage a male dog to pee against it. I havent tried them myself and i have no idea how expensive they are but it might help to get him into the right mind set??

[minimax]

Thank you!!!!

Totally valid about the kids' toys- definitely a problem of our own creating. Although those particular ones on on his lounge, so we realise they are fair game and he isn't disciplined for chewing those.

With the going outside, I imagine that many new puppy owners are probably a bit lazy. But we are not one of those - we stay out there every time, even in bad weather, and for extended periods if that is what it takes. A leash is a great idea - We stopped that once he got the idea of going outside, but the cold weather is new, an it's changed his behaviour. Time to reintroduce it then. He does have things to go up against, but they are on the edge of the yard and Id prefer him to go in the lawn. Maybe I should get a pee post for him. His current favourite place (in good weather) is to taunt the chickens in the coop until they try to peck him and then he pees through the wire at them.

When he pees in the house I've been using urine-off, but I've run out and I've slacked off since then. Plain vinegar (undiluted) is just as good? I can see the light with most of the other behaviours, but I'm just despairing of the toilet training - I am genuinely doubtful that he will ever be reliably housetrained. Do some dogs never get it?

I probably expressed myself badly with the jumping up on cupboards. We never feed him from the benches and he has improved out of sight with that. It is mostly jumping against/up on the dinner table and baby's highchair that is the lingering problem requiring the spray bottle. The kids are messy eaters and the baby can't help but drop stuff on his lap, and the circus pug is getting very good at walking on his hind legs and balancing his head to get the tasty treats of baby's lap - cheeky!!

Lamb shanks sound like a good idea.

Haha yeh baby highchairs can be pretty good places for dogs to hang out. Maybe that's the time he needs to go in his crate with a bone, or have his dinner in another room?

I use diluted vinegar for pee accidents, no set mixture just enough that the vinegar is quite noticeable to smell. Much cheaper than UrineOff!

One day toilet training will just click for him. It may take a while, especially in the rain and cold. My female pug doesn't like going outside in the rain, but she is trained to go inside on pee pads as well as outside, so it's not a drama. But you may just have to stick his leash on and take him out. I taught my guys to pee on command, which makes those times much easier and quicker as well.

[YvonneM]

What an adorable little fellow!

I don't think using a spray bottle is cruel - and in fact it was a method suggested in our puppy preschool class just last week ..... so I used it and I subsequently had a petrified puppy who went and hid until the next morning. I only used it twice and will not use it again - but if it's a method that works for you then I say go for it. It's not like you are physically disciplining your dog.

I have also been using vinegar to clean up after my pup, but he loves the stuff ... he will come and lick the floors after I have wiped them over with straight vinegar! Seriously - what is with that

[moosepup]

I put a mix of about 1/4 vinegar, 3/4 water in a spray bottle and use that to clean up messes. I also use a more diluted mix with boiling water to mop the floors. Moose still pees inside every now and then, always when we aren't home. I don't think it's a case of not getting it as he pees outside 99% of the time, I think it's either a territorial thing or he does it in protest. Not much I can do bar locking him outside all day which isn't going to happen so I just clean it up. At least we don't have any carpet!

[Lonni]

Oh, you guys are the best! Thank you for all your suggestions. I'll save my money and use vinegar from now on - lucky I like the smell of vinegar - Yvonne, I can kinda even understand where your pup is coming from when he licks the floor ;P

I'll leash him when I take him out and I'll put a pee stake in the middle of the lawn.

And Clyde - thanks for your honesty. Forewarned is forearmed, right? Hehe :)

[Nekhbet]

Google belly bands, it's just a wrap of stretchy fabric around the middle when he's inside. If he pees he pees on himself instead of the wall, usually enough of a deterent to show them it's a bad idea.

We have an old pug that was outdoors for years, she too still doesnt want to go outside when it's cold. When we first got her she cocked her leg on everything including laundry drying. We taught her to use a cat litter box so she has an option if she cant make it outside in time.

[DesertDobes]

Sounds like you are on the right track (and very dedicated to getting your pug to settle into the household, not just kicking him outside like a lot of busy families do with a dog once it's past the cute little baby puppy stage)

My boy dobe cocked his leg on the TV when he was about 9 months, this was after an exemplary toileting track record from 3 months to 8 months, and he too decided that when we had a week of rainy weather that he would rather pee on the concrete at our back door than go out in the cold rain!

[raineth]

You sound so dedicated so I'm sure everything will work out in time

One thing you can consider when you are busy and he gets up to mischief (and as he's not fully crate trained yet) is to tether him to you (usually easy if you are wearing a belt). This means he is right there with you and you know exactly what he's doing.

I did this with my Dane puppy and a foster puppy and it worked well with both of them. Stick some treats in your pocket and you can easily take a moment to teach him the behaviour you want.

[RuralPug]

Dedication and consistency is EVERYTHING with pugs...When you are cooking or need dedicated time with the kids, either appoint another dedicated watcher to monitor him or pop him in his play pen. Think about toddler locks on the cupboards. You're doing everything else right!!

I will PM you shortly with more help. :)

[Lonni]

I'm sorry I missed those last replies until now. Thanks so much for your suggestions.

Goliath has improved a great deal with the toileting. In the last 5 days he has only peed in the house when he was put behind a baby gate. He seems to have severe separation anxiety, and pees in response.

We have moved his crate to a small area near the doggy door (surrounded with baby gates) and leave the crate open overnight. About half the time he wakes up in the morning and takes himself out to pee. Very exciting development!

We have our training session with Steve at K9Pro in a week - I'm really excited!

[RuralPug]

Great progress!

Let us know how Goliath gets on.

[Shakti]

Have been following this thread with great interest and really commend you on being so open to suggestions and so committed to Goliath! Not easy juggling kids, a baby AND a Pug - well done! Do let us know how the session with Steve went please!!

[Clyde]

I'm sorry I missed those last replies until now. Thanks so much for your suggestions.

Goliath has improved a great deal with the toileting. In the last 5 days he has only peed in the house when he was put behind a baby gate. He seems to have severe separation anxiety, and pees in response.

Really pleased he's making progress. I'd question that he has severe sep anxiety though, he'd fall apart if this was the case. More likely he's having a sulk and does a pee in response. I've just been away for two weeks and in the few weeks leading up to going away, for the first time ever in my Pugs like he had not pee'd indoors! Im out the door and two hours later I get a text that the little **%&$ had peed on my bed and on the house sitters suit case :laugh: The next day he shot in to my daughters bedroom and peed on her cherished Pug toy! He continued to do stealth pee's inside while I was gone. I got home, he pee'd on my suitcase and bed leg and that's been it (for now).