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Old March 23rd, 2006, 01:42 PM
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LianneCatherine LianneCatherine is offline
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Question Advice on New Puppy Housetraining System

Hello! My 5 month old teacup yorkie has been with me since January, and since then we have been struggling with the housebreaking. I have her going on puppy pads now because the weather has been too cold for training outside. She stays in a playpen when no one is around to watch her, and is at my neighbor's house while I am at work. When I am at home, I let her out of the playpen and try to keep an eye on her. However, she slips off when I am not looking and goes to the bathroom next to the kitchen floor and behind my dining room table. These are her 2 favorite spots, despite the fact that I have cleaned those areas with Nature's Miracle to the point of drenching the carpet with it to mask her scent. When I catch her in the act I scold her, and put her on the puppy pad. When she goes on the puppy pad by herself, I praise her thoroughly. I am getting frustrated that these tactics are still not working.

Now that Spring is coming, I'd like to transition her to going outside on my deck (I live in a condo) on a designated puppy spot. I put wire "fencing" around the deck's rails so that she can't fall off (I am on the second floor), and plan to install a kitty door since she's so small. The question is, how do I transition her to going outside, especially when I work during the day and can't consistently train her to do so?

If I moved her puppy pad outside, and showed her where it was, and praised her when I could for going out there, would she eventually get the idea? I would take the pad out of the equation in due time of course. Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated!
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Old March 23rd, 2006, 02:25 PM
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i'm confused, you live in a condo, and want her to be able to go on the deck, but want to stop using pads? where will she "go"? on the deck? she's such a small dog, you could just use the pads - my friend has a teeny dog (well, under 10lbs) and he uses pads in the house - she has them in a frame so they don't move around, and just changes the pads whenever soiled. works great for her.

also, do you rent? if so, are you sure you can install a cat door? you may want to check on that.
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Old March 23rd, 2006, 02:32 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LianneCatherine
When I am at home, I let her out of the playpen and try to keep an eye on her. However, she slips off when I am not looking and goes to the bathroom next to the kitchen floor and behind my dining room table.
When I was training Toby someone suggested (I think it may have been tenderfoot) that he be on leash and attached to me at all times when he was in the house and out of his designated area (in your case the playpen). That way there was less of a chance for him to go since he didn't normally go in front of me and if he did, I could catch him in the act and bring him outside right away. It made training go much quicker!


good luck!
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Old March 23rd, 2006, 02:36 PM
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Good suggestion

I`d like to know what does she do at your neighbor`s house while you`re at work?
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Old March 23rd, 2006, 04:14 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jessi76
i'm confused, you live in a condo, and want her to be able to go on the deck, but want to stop using pads? where will she "go"? on the deck? she's such a small dog, you could just use the pads - my friend has a teeny dog (well, under 10lbs) and he uses pads in the house - she has them in a frame so they don't move around, and just changes the pads whenever soiled. works great for her.

also, do you rent? if so, are you sure you can install a cat door? you may want to check on that.
I want her to stop going IN THE HOUSE, basically. I have a designated pad/area out on the deck for her to go on. I'd really rather not use the pads in the house because for 1) they smell and are a pain to clean up several times a day, and 2) she tears them up and then goes on the floor next to where it was. I tape them to the floor (very time consuming) so she can't pull them up, but she's very determined! hehe

I own my condo, so I intend to install whatever is necessary to get the poo out of my house!
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Old March 23rd, 2006, 04:15 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rainbow
Good suggestion

I`d like to know what does she do at your neighbor`s house while you`re at work?
If you mean, where does she go to the bathroom - my neighbor uses the puppy pads in her home as well. In terms of what they do to entertain themselves, I'm sure they think of all kinds of things!
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Old March 23rd, 2006, 04:17 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by toby's tracy
When I was training Toby someone suggested (I think it may have been tenderfoot) that he be on leash and attached to me at all times when he was in the house and out of his designated area (in your case the playpen). That way there was less of a chance for him to go since he didn't normally go in front of me and if he did, I could catch him in the act and bring him outside right away. It made training go much quicker!


good luck!

That is a REALLY good idea, thank you so much!!!
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Old March 23rd, 2006, 05:00 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LianneCatherine
I own my condo, so I intend to install whatever is necessary to get the poo out of my house!
lol.... I don't blame you one bit! sounds like a good idea to me - having a designated area on the deck.

I believe there are frames available for those pads - so they stay in one place. Just an idea so you don't have to tape it to the floor.

good luck to you & your little one
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Old March 23rd, 2006, 05:20 PM
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Hunter still makes a mess occasionally at home but I found that what made the process easier was crate training. You can look into this on the web and get detaisl on how to do this.

Basically you place the dog in the crate and you feed her her meals there. Then you wait a few minutes (15-30, depending on how long it takes for her to need to go), and take her directly where you want her to go. Then you just stand there and wait, no play time, no praise, until she goes where you want her to. The dogs reward is play time inside outside of the crate.

Of course, you have to get the dog comfortable with being in a crate to begin with, and you can't have the dog crated for a long time (say, all day while you are at work). When you can't supervise her the puppy play pen is fine. The idea is to use the crate when you ARE home and you are supervising her so you have more of a control and more chances of praising her for doing a good job (versus scolding her when she doesn't), and she'll learn faster. I will try to attach a document that I saved from online with the specifics for my younger sister when she was housebreaking her puppy.

It may work different with every dog, but my puppy is 9 weeks and we've had him home for 13 days and he already knows that when we take him outside it's because he needs to pee and pooh out there. We are only outside for 5 minutes at a time. Not to mention the fact that when he is in his play pen or crate he will whine to let us know he has to go. It's the only time whining is acceptable for him.

At first it was hard with the crate training because he was in his crate for the night and he would wake us at 2am or so. I didn't want to encourage the whining through the night for the sake of my neighbors, so I got up specifically to take him outside, then put him back in the crate for the night. It worked WONDERS on many levels. 1) It's kind of chilly outside so if he doesn't need to go, he doesn't whine during the night because he knows that's where he'll be going. 2) It's helping to regulate his bowelmovements to where he goes at 6 or 7am, 11am, 3pm, and 7pm sharp consistantly, leaving less accidents around my carpet.
Attached Files
File Type: doc The Crate Training Process.doc (44.0 KB, 174 views)
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Old March 23rd, 2006, 06:24 PM
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You might also want to restrict meals to specific times, what goes in on a schedule, comes out on a schedule . Keep the dog close to you at all times and it might help to only use the deck to business and keep the playing for somewhere else, that way the dog will know what is expected of it when you go out there.

For the sake of your neighbours, keep the pads on the deck and teach the pup to go there. (You can buy animal door inserts for patio doors at Home Depot by the way). Take the pup out regularly and it will catch on. Once its figured out peeing on the deck is ok, then introduce the pet door.

My boyfriend has a little yorkie who does his business on a very reliable schedule... You can set your watch by his asking to go out...
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Old March 24th, 2006, 09:11 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mhass1129
Hunter still makes a mess occasionally at home but I found that what made the process easier was crate training. You can look into this on the web and get detaisl on how to do this..

Thank you for the document and for your suggestions, I appreciate your time. I will definitely look into it!
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Last edited by LianneCatherine; March 24th, 2006 at 09:29 AM.
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Old March 24th, 2006, 12:53 PM
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By the way, your puppy is sooooooo cute!
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Old March 27th, 2006, 01:34 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mhass1129
By the way, your puppy is sooooooo cute!

Thank You!!!
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Old May 5th, 2006, 02:40 PM
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Angry New System in place - and new problem!

Audrie is now all set up with her play pen by the deck door, and can come in and out all day for potty time. She goes outside via doggy door 100% of the time when she's in the playpen.

HOWEVER - when I take her OUT, and let her roam the house...she goes in the guest room!

She's having trouble differentiating between the pen and the rest of the house. If I encourage her to go outside when she's out of the pen, she will go out and do her business, but ONLY WHEN I ENCOURAGE HER. Otherwise, she goes in the house.

How do I get her to associate the rest of the house as being her "pen?"
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Last edited by LianneCatherine; May 8th, 2006 at 02:35 PM.
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Old May 10th, 2006, 01:43 PM
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Anyone??

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Old May 10th, 2006, 11:10 PM
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Help With Potty Training

I'm having the EXACT same problem with Hunter - only he knows how to climb out of his pen . For some reason when he's roaming free in the house he'll go in the dining room right by the door that leads to the patio deck where we've set up for him to go . However, when he's set up between the pen and the deck, he'll go outside. We don't get it either.

In fact, there is no way to confine him short of locking him in a room, and even then, he'd probably figure out how to open the window and jump out . His cage is the only thing he can't escape but even then that's not an all day solution! since I've been home longer he has been around me a lot but still... he figured out how to move the fencing my husband had set up to keep him from running downstairs from the patio deck into the grass and open field of the base. So he'll run down there and bring back "treasures", and all I see is that the fence is just a little out of place. He figured that one out today.
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Old May 16th, 2006, 01:04 PM
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Exclamation

Hopefully someone can help us both. Does anyone have any feedback???
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Old May 16th, 2006, 01:50 PM
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Hi LianneCatherine! I'd suggest gradually increasing her "pen" area if you can, and keeping some doors closed, particularly your guest room. If Audrie is still having accidents you need to watch her like a hawk, just as you did when you first brought her home and she wasn't house trained at all. You could also offer a VERY SPECIAL treat for when she does use her doggy door & pad when you're home - for example, use a super special tasty treat that she ONLY gets for that reason.

Even now that my dog is over a year old and most definately 100% housebroken, I still keep a gate closed so he cannot get upstairs without being supervised.
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Old May 16th, 2006, 02:03 PM
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Hello! Thank you for your post. Funny thing, I actually made her pen SMALLER yesterday because there was too much carpet exposed in there. I have a plastic sheet that isn't large enough for the whole pen the way it had been situated, and I wanted to make sure that if she decided to potty in the pen it stayed on the plastic. It's still pretty big in there.

I think you're right, I just need to watch her more carefully and keep that guest door closed. This morning I had the door closed, and the pooed by the kitchen. I want her to have some free time before I leave for work, but I can't get ready and watch her at the same time. Sighhhh! I definitely need some new treats. I keep buying more and more, and she only likes about half of them.

She's making progress but still seems to be confused about potty time. Time for some new treats! Thanks again!
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Old May 16th, 2006, 02:14 PM
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just a tip, if you seem to be wasting $ on treats she doesn't like... people food. Obviously use common sense and keep the treats really TEENY TINY. Dog treats can get very expensive, so I use things like: mozarella cheese - I buy the cheese sticks, my bf eats most of them, and I cut a couple up into very small pieces for dog treats, turkey hot-dogs, white meat chicken (after I make a whole chicken for MY dinner, I'll boil the carcass to get the good meat off the bones, take out all bones, fat, etc.. and just save the good white meat pieces for treats). This way, if Audrie hates the treat, YOU can eat it. less wasted $$.
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Old May 17th, 2006, 01:04 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jessi76
just a tip, if you seem to be wasting $ on treats she doesn't like... people food.
Jessi - Did I ever tell you that you're a genius?

I just remembered that I have 2 packs of frozen hot dogs that always stare at me when I open the freezer door. Now I can finally put them to use! I've tried the mozzerela sticks before and gave her just teeny pieces, but I think it gave her poopy problems. Hopefully the hot dogs will be okay.

Excellent advice, thank you!!!!

PS. No accidents yesterday!
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Old May 17th, 2006, 01:28 PM
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LOL... I'm no genius, I just can't afford to waste money.

VERY GLAD to hear there were no accidents yesterday! yayyyy Audrie!
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Old May 18th, 2006, 11:46 AM
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Angry

Sighh...we've had a meltdown. She started to pee on the floor in my bedroom last night (after I had just taken her out!!!), and then pooped twice this morning in the house! I literally got up and went to the bathroom-no time for correction or prevention. Ugh! I guess I just need to put her in the pen and leave her there in the morning. bah!!!!!

Will it ever end????
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Old May 20th, 2006, 04:14 PM
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Hunter update

He seems to be getting better only he will go outside when he can get your attention. I know it seems weird, but I'll be in the kitchen and he'll motion for me to follow him and he'll show me, wagging his tail all the while, how he's going on the patio deck, and I'll praise him like crazy, and he loves it! But when I'm napping, or when we're out, he goes in the dinning room area. At least it's in the dinning room infront of the open door that leads to the outside versus on the carpet behind some furniture though. But we've let him roam a little free-er since he's been more responsible altogether, specially when I'm home.
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Old May 22nd, 2006, 12:42 PM
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We seem to have good days and bad. Yesterday she pooped in the house 3-4 times, and again this morning. She tricks me by going potty outside and then "finishing" inside!!

UGHHHH I am so frustrated. I don't want to take her out of the pen ever!!!!
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Old May 22nd, 2006, 02:54 PM
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It sounds like you're giving her too much space too fast. If she's using rooms she isn't usually in to do her business then she at least has the basics of keeping 'her space' clean. Your problem is that you haven't really taught her that the whole place needs to be kept clean... Don't go from confining her to a pen and patio to giving her free range of the whole place, do it one room at a time, stick to rooms you spend lots of time in at first and keep an eye on her.

You might also want to consider a potty cue word, we use 'do your business' and 'do more business' as well as say, Outside on our way out.
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