Question:
What is the quickest way to housebreak our 8 week old Jack Russell Terrier puppy? She is constantly supervised, but shows little signs before she squats. Normally, by the time she is moved to the appropriate place, she has already gone a little on the floor and when we get her to the pad she seems to have already lost interest in relieving herself.
We have had a few instances of success, mostly with #2's, but she still seems completely oblivious to what we're asking her to do. She is never reprimanded for having an accident, and praised greatly when she does the right thing. She spends mostly all day either playing with us or sleeping near us. We have begun to crate train her at night and while we are away.
We have tried getting her outside to eliminate, but she just wanders around on the leash, lies down, plays with the grass, etc. We have even tried a potty training spray which claims to "encourage" her to go where applied. We're just looking for some expert opinions on doing this effectively. We have plenty of patience, and just want to make sure we're doing things correctly.
Answer:
Your puppy is showing typical behaviour for her age. It takes weeks to get the "idea" across of what you are asking your new pup to do. Eliminating is a natural thing to do, so you only have to show her "where" you wish her to do it. Keep up rewards and praise when things happen where they are supposed to, but scold her and immediately show her where you want her to potty. Use the same words every time and if she has a piddle accident, soak a bit up on the pad you are using, so that the smell will be there next time she sniffs at it.
I honestly would need a lot more space to cover all the right and wrong approaches to housebreaking, but consistency is the key. Always, immediately after waking up take her to her elimination spot. She can't wait very long and if she starts to run around, she'll mess within seconds. After eating, drinking, or playing for about an hour with no wetting, try taking her again. Time is the key as well. Most puppies seem oblivious to what you are trying to get them to do for some time, when suddenly, all your efforts pay off and it's like a light bulb suddenly goes off in their young heads and they begin to potty where you have been asking them to. Sure, they may have the odd accident after they "get the idea" but keep up the praise and corrections and soon she'll catch on. Usually by about 4 months of age, they are doing quite well at holding it until they reach the correct place to eliminate.
Question:
I have an six-month-old American Spitz puppy. He is adorable, but for the past month or two he has been eliminating in my cat's litter box. It's really disgusting because the cat litter is not made for dog mess, so i have to empty the entire thing out each time, instead of just taking out the yucky stuff. It's also getting really expensive because I have to entirely change my cat's litter almost every day. Can you help me out, please?
Answer:
If your little American Spitz puppy is doing well normally with housebreaking, I would hide the cat litter box from him before he gets much older. Go back to the strict routine of puppy potty training and continue that way. Give him proper heck when and if he has an accident and take him outside so that he knows where you are asking him to go. Hide the litter box from him on a high table where he can't reach it, but the cat can. Don't forget to show the cat where the box's new location is. Good luck.
Question:
I have two dogs, a Yorkie-Maltese and a Shih Tzu-Maltese. My Yorkie-Maltese uses a puppy pad because he has such a small bladder that he needs to go to the bathroom more times than we can take him on a walk. He is very good at using it. My Shih Tzu-Maltese can hold it all day long, but every single morning we wake up and he has peed close to the puppy pad on the floor. He has only been doing this for the past two months or so. I always change the puppy pad before going to bed, so it's clean. Why does he do this?
Answer:
From past experience as a breeder, I find that a dog will mark his territory as a dominance thing. It sounds to me like your Shih Tzu-Maltese is putting his own scent on or near the area where the Yorkie-Maltese is pottying to tell everyone that he has been there last. It's his hormones trying to say that he is the "boss" over the other dog.
I don't know their ages, but as they mature from about a year old until about three years, this dominance act often kicks into gear. It's worse with dogs that are not neutered or spayed, although even fixed pets will do it sometimes. The only thing that I can suggest, since it sounds like they can't be separated, is to put down newspapers around the puppy pad area, hoping that your marking dog will hit those and not any expensive carpeting or other flooring. Good luck with him, as it is difficult to get him to alter what his hormones are telling him to do.
Question:
We have a 9.5 month old Boston Terrier who we got from a kennel situation when he was 7.5 months old. He urinates on command outside and has recently started taking us to the door when he needs to go outside. He needs to go out every 1-2 hours — is this too often?
We've been confining him to our bedroom when we leave and try not to be gone more than an hour or two. This seems to be the only time he pees on the floor. He is a clingy dog and always likes to have company — could this be the problem?
Answer:
I can understand your frustration, but I find that quite often a kennel dog will need to urinate more frequently when first adjusting to a new environment because he has been used to "going" whenever he wanted. Also, at his age and being a small breed, he is maturing quickly and may be marking his spot in his new home. I don't know if you have had him neutered yet, but that may help decrease the urge to mark his territory so frequently.
You are doing well with understanding his desire to potty, but he also may have a bit of separation anxiety due to the adjustment of a new home, new family, etc. This would explain his need to be so close to somebody. He also may feel a bit insecure, due to lack of socialization in his prior kennel situation.
As for your problem leaving him alone in the house, you can try using a comfortable crate for him while you are away. Often a dog won't like to mess in his bed where he has to sleep. Being loose in an entire room, he has plenty of area to pee in one spot and still get away from it to sleep in another part of the room. You can build up the length of time between bathroom breaks by slowly extending the time he is left alone. Start leaving him alone for 1.5 hours, then if he has not messed in his bed, move up to 2 hours, then 2.5 hours, and so on. Gradually build him up to being left alone for a more normal amount of time before having to potty. About 4-6 hours should be the limit at his age. Of course, you'll have to rush him outdoors when you first get home, but it may take time yet for him to settle in better. These are just suggestions, so I hope you can find something that works for him and you.
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