House breaking my puppy..help!!

[sherrydawe]

Hi, my name is Sherry from Labrador City, NL
I just recently,2 weeks,got a new puppy Female Labrador/Shepherd mix, we got her from the SPCA. She seems to really adapted to the house and my kids and our cat. But the house breaking not going so good. I giver her her food 3 times a day 7am, 12pm, and 5pm, same times my kids get feed. I let her out every hour or two and treat her most times that she goes out and does her thing.
But she would rather do it in the house, i have to put her off the bridge about 5 times before she goes, she wants to come in and do it. When she does do her pee in the house and i catch her doing it, she runs aunder the sofa cause she knows shes done wrong. And now the past two days, the mini pull out sofa that she sleeps on and the kids share with her, she pees on it.
Im not giving up on her, i know that she's only 7 weeks old and this stuff takes time..but someone please give me advice.

Help me please
Sherry

[LavenderRott]

I really hope that she was 7 weeks old when you got her and she is nine weeks old now. Leaving the pups with mom and the litter until 8 to 10 weeks is best. While 7 weeks is not so bad, leaving mom and the litter at 5 weeks can lead to some behavioural problems later on. If you did get your pup at 5 weeks, you may want to see about finding a good trainer and getting your pup into a puppy class as soon as all of his shots are completed. (This is something I would recommend anyway but more important for those who left mom too young.)

Anyway - housebreaking.

First off, if you don't have a dog crate, you need to get one.Your best bet would be a large crate - big enough to hold your dog when it is full grown - with a divider so that you can make it smaller for a young puppy. The crate is where your puppy should be anytime that you can not keep a close eye on it.

Your pup should go outside immediately after coming out of the crate. You need to go outside with your pup and the minute she goes potty - THROW A PARTY!!! Tell her what a fabulous girl she is with great enthusiasm! And don't forget that treat! (When training my pup I kept a couple of those little cat treats in my pocket for potty treats.)

You need to learn to read her body language. Most dogs have a slight hump to their back if they have to poo. Peeing is usually (but not always) preceeded by sniffing. When you see the signs - you need to stop everything and get her outside.

Accidents in the house at this age, should just be cleaned up with no yelling. After all, you missed the signs and your 7 week old pup really doesn't know better yet. With consistency and patience (it took all summer for my pup to be mostly accident free!) you should be well on your way to having a great, housebroken puppy.

[sherrydawe]

Her and her sister came from a near death situation, and was rescued by the SPCA at 4 weeks old (THey think), and put into a foster home till 6 weeks. Thats when we got her, so she's 7 weeks now.

Here in Labrador City we dont have any dog trainers. We barely have a pet shop. so all the help i can get is through the internet and awsome people like you that respond back helping.

[sherrydawe]

With the crate, would it be the same to have her in a fairly large porch, closed off by a baby gate, with her bed in it and toys? We put her in there when we leave the house..so she doesnt pee everywhere, but she still pee in there..
and how do you get the dog used to a crate?

[JessXx]

You need to have the crate comfortable... we never had any issues with Shyla and crate training, she just got used to it and it was very easy.
Keep the crate where the dog will be, put toys or blankets in there- keep it nice and comfortable, try not to lock your dog in there...
Hopefully its not too hard.

[phoenix]

Hi Sherry,
I want you to understand that you really have your work cut out for you! I really commend you for taking in this little pup, but it is going to be a lot of work. Between 4 and 8 weeks of age, puppies learn a lot from their moms, and you'll have to take the mom's place.
How long do you have to leave her for at a time? The porch sounds like a reasonable solution if you are working during the day (is it locked to keep her safe?) Puppies can climb gates very early on in their lives, so is the gate safe enough to keep her in?
My lab/boxer cross was only 6 weeks when we got him. He was very challenging as a puppy, had no bite inhibition, etc. However he did housetrain fairly quickly... I mean, it took him about 4 or 5 months. I never crate trained him. he was great when we were home but of course couldn't hold it during the day when we were at work..
Take a little journal book and start jotting notes to yourself about your pup's schedule. You said that she eats 3x a day at particular times, that is great- it will make it easier for you. Write down every time she eats, poops and pees. You'll find there is more or less a pattern (maybe, 20 minutes after eating, right after eating, or right after playing... definitely right after sleeping). Then, once you have learned her schedule, start taking her outside a little before those times, and encourage her to go. Keep her on the leash, no playing. Once she goes, give lots of praise, maybe a treat, and let her play. Set your alarm and make sure that you go out with her in the night as well, maybe 2x... wake her up and take her outside. If she is sleeping with you/beside you, maybe she will wake you up.
The idea of the crate is that puppies usually** don't like to soil their sleeping place. So, the crate needs to become their safe sleeping area. As Jessxx said, at first keep the crate open and comfortable, give treats everytime she goes in, encourage her to lie down in there. After a while, close the door for short periods of time, only let her out when she is NOT crying. They become acclimated to it. Now, you can use the crate to start training her to hold it until she goes out. I do not believe in keeping dogs crated for long periods of time- I like your porch idea better as long as she is safe there (she can't get out, people can't get in..) But crates can be useful when a) you can't watch the puppy and need her out of the way for her safety or your sanity (vacuuming, etc) OR b) to help your puppy hold it until you go outside.

Good luck with everything, there is a lot of info on here to help and we'll all help when we can! I have had 2 lab/shep crosses and my lab/boxer that I have now... all three were terribly mouthy and very playful/mischievious as youngsters, so one of the things you might want to look up now is bite inhibition and start working on it early!... All three were smart and lovely dogs too. Post pics if you can!

[sherrydawe]

im an at home mom, so she's never left more then 2 hours. she use to sleep on my bed till she thought my hair was a pull toy..not fun..lol
so she sleeps on my floor, and does her thing on my carpet at night.

the porch is one that we dont use, it for our front yard and is always locked.

[sherrydawe]

:queen: This is our puppy princess. Lab/Shepherd

[sherrydawe]

This is our dog Princess. She's Lab/Shephered

[Lump of Kohl]

I'd let her "do her thing" on my carpet too!! She is adorable! Listen to them about the crate it will save your life and the carpet's. I know it sometimes feels mean but most dogs feel comfortable in it. My guy even loves his pet carrier. He literally dives in it as soon as he sees it! Also from what I understand about puppies being able to hold it is that you add an hour to however many months they are and that is how long you can expect them to hold it. So maybe she is not just wanting to "go" inside she just might not be able to wait? I have a neighbor who taught his dog to ring a bell when she needed to go potty. Maybe try that? Put a little bellman bell on the floor by the door you use to take her out and take her paw and ring it when you are about to take her out to do her thing. She will eventually pick it up on her own. Its great when they all of a sudden get it! My boy is litterbox trained and I was so proud when I discovered he used it all by himself, without me sending him to use it! Just remember that you now have another child to potty train and I am assuming you have already gotten the two legged ones on the right track! The same methods apply. You have to praise, praise, PRAISE. Reward with something extra tasty and give it a name, go potty, potty-time, etc.

Good luck!