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Old May 9th, 2008, 03:57 PM
Emma Colier Emma Colier is offline
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New Puppy

I just purchased a black lab . It's 4 months old and the most bull headed I ever seen. He still hasn't learned where to poo . I rub her nose in it and stick her outside. Nothing. Then he comes in and poo's on the floor. What can I do?

Emma
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Old May 9th, 2008, 04:54 PM
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BeagleMum BeagleMum is offline
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Well, I hate to say it but you are going about it all the wrong way. You should not punish a dog for having an accident because they are soon going to think that it is bad to go at all and that will just lead to more issues.

What we did when our dogs were puppies was put a bird bell hanging on the door and every time we take them out, we ring the bell with their paw. When we go out, if they did their business, it was the biggest deal in the world, we were so excited and showed them that they did good. They got treats for it, but I had special treats that they ONLY got when they went outside. Within a week, Spencer was ringing the bell on his own to go out because he knew if he went outside and "went" he got lots of good stuff.
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Old May 9th, 2008, 04:59 PM
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badger badger is offline
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Positive reinforcement is a better way to go and will be more effective. Pushing his face in it will not help, he's already forgotten, and it will make him fearful of you, which you definitely don't want. Better to take him outside regularly (always after he eats) and also watch for the signs - sniffing in one area, wandering off behind the furniture, etc. - and take him outside right away.
Encourage him to go, using the same words each time, and when he does (#1 or 2), act like he just climbed Everest, oh GOOD BOY, etc.
He may still have accidents in the house - obviously his previous owners didn't take the time to train him - and you shouldn't make a big deal of it because really, it is your fault for not picking up on the signs (sorry Mum). There are special cleaners you can get which get rid of the smell entirely so the odour (which his highly specialized nose can pick up) doesn't trigger him to go in that spot again.
Consistency is the key.
Good luck!
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Old May 9th, 2008, 07:24 PM
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Lissa Lissa is offline
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I'm almost speechless:sad:...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Emma Colier View Post
I just purchased a black lab.It's 4 months old and the most bull headed I ever seen.
You just purchased a puppy... A lab puppy (that is likely to remain a puppy well into her senior years). Almost all puppies are challenging - they are not born knowing how the world works!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Emma Colier View Post
He still hasn't learned where to poo.
It is not his job to know where to eliminate... it is your responsibility to teach him... If he isn't getting it, you are doing something wrong.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Emma Colier View Post
I rub her nose in it and stick her outside. Nothing. Then he comes in and poo's on the floor. What can I do?
Rubbing a puppy's nose in her stool is abuse. I hope you will immediately abandon that practice - especially since its obviously not working.

It's almost impossible to offer advice without knowing more about your situation and lifestyle... But a few thoughts:

- Clean everywhere that she's eliminate with Nature's Miracle so your house no longer smells like a place to potty
- No unsupervised access to any part of the house that isn't puppy-proofed. You need to set puppy up for success so she doesn't even have the opportunity to eliminate indoors. You either need to have her crated, tethered to you or be actively supervising her every move! If you are using newspaper or puppy pads, I would stop.
- Stick to a schedule - puppies do not have a lot of control and need to have the opportunity to relieve themselves every couple of hours (increases with age). They also tend to need to eliminate right after any activity so even if you took your dog for a potty break 15 mins ago and she spent the last 5 minutes zooming around, she likely needs to go again!
- When housebreaking, always take your pup to the same spot - somewhere that is quick and easy to access. If you are letting her eliminate in the backyard, go with her and make sure she does her business (I also wouldn't recommend this method 24/7 because you sometimes get dogs who will not pee/poop onleash)
- In the learning stages, positively reinforce puppy for going in the right spot each and everytime (praise, petting, tidbits of food, a toy etc...)
- Put the behaviour on command
If you follow the above, there should be NO WAY that your puppy has an accident in the house (unless there is a medical reason)... But if it does happen and you feel the urge to punish.......well, punish the two-legged being who is responsible for the puppy (and who understands why she is being punished)

BTW - not sure if your puppy is a him or a her....
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Last edited by Lissa; May 9th, 2008 at 07:27 PM.
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  #5  
Old May 9th, 2008, 07:41 PM
Jim Hall Jim Hall is offline
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well hi Emma congrats on your new puppy i used to own a black lab and yes they are a bull headed lot < The good news is they really want to please thier owners establish a schedule watcn for signs of pooping and scoop him up andbgring him outside where you want him to go then reward him he will get it in no time It might be a good idea to find an obiedence class for you and him too

byw whats his name and you got any pics?
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Old May 9th, 2008, 08:18 PM
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Chaser Chaser is offline
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Lots of good advice above...

Just wanted to add that virtually ALL puppies are bull-headed. It's important to remember that they are not sweet and precious when we bring them home....they are often little devils that are full of energy and instinct, and it is our responsibility to teach and direct them.

Also, chances are a puppy will not be completely reliable with housetraining until it is about 6 months (not saying it doesn't happen, but it's important to avoid having expectations that most pups can't always live up to).
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Old May 9th, 2008, 11:19 PM
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rainbow rainbow is offline
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I agree with everyone about your methods of training your puppy. Please read their suggestions as it is the only way to potty train.

Also, I am a bit confused as you replied in another thread that your system was working....

http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=52192

And, why to you keep referring to your pup as both "he" and "she"?
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