Puppy toilet training advice.
- Thread starter moomoomoo
- Start date
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For toilet training we used fake grass -- astroturf, with a puppy pad underneath. We just had a litter of 7 pups and by week 4 they were all doing their business on the 'grass' -- sure, some of them 'missed' a bit but by the time they were 6 weeks they were bulletproof. After that we told the new owners to just move the piece of fake grass we gave them outside and make sure they had very very regular changes to go there, and all of them reported 100% success.
You need to hose the grass to keep it clean, if the patch is not clean, they WILL find somewhere else. That applies even if you use pads or anything else, if the place is not clean, dogs will want to find a clean spot somewhere else.
Dogs like "texture" for their business, and the fake grass is just really good for that. Once you have that working, you need to do the night training, but that's a different business -- needs to start to wake up at 4am to give them a chance to go out on the patch to do their business, then 4:15, then 4:30 etc etc if you are patient it'll work.
You need to hose the grass to keep it clean, if the patch is not clean, they WILL find somewhere else. That applies even if you use pads or anything else, if the place is not clean, dogs will want to find a clean spot somewhere else.
Dogs like "texture" for their business, and the fake grass is just really good for that. Once you have that working, you need to do the night training, but that's a different business -- needs to start to wake up at 4am to give them a chance to go out on the patch to do their business, then 4:15, then 4:30 etc etc if you are patient it'll work.
I'm 3 weeks into puppy ownership so feel your pain. We also have a 13 year old lab who we rehomed at 18months old so missed out on this stage.
Our pup is a 12 week old lab pointer cross. The potty training is very hit and miss some days she's getting through with no accidents other days she will come in from the garden and then run straight into the dining room and pee!
the first couple of nights we tried to crate her downstairs but she just cried and howled for hours before she would settle. 3rd night we brought the cage into our room and she goes in there with no fuss. When ever she starts napping i put her back in there so hopefully she will start doing that herself. i have made the mistake of letting her fall asleep on my lap and need to stop that really!
Our pup is a 12 week old lab pointer cross. The potty training is very hit and miss some days she's getting through with no accidents other days she will come in from the garden and then run straight into the dining room and pee!
the first couple of nights we tried to crate her downstairs but she just cried and howled for hours before she would settle. 3rd night we brought the cage into our room and she goes in there with no fuss. When ever she starts napping i put her back in there so hopefully she will start doing that herself. i have made the mistake of letting her fall asleep on my lap and need to stop that really!
Few Points, some have already been touched on.
Don't let him into your bed! they will never be able to sleep anywhere else and when you go out and leave them or cannot sleep with them it will become extremely distressing for them. Not everyone agrees with crate training but honestly it has so many benefits. It's a safe space for them to be, it can give you a few minutes to get jobs done that require your full attention, it's really helpful for vet trips or if they get ill as they will get super stressed out if they have been injured and suddenly get stuck in a crate they are not used to. If you do it now it will be doable but it will be harder to do the longer he sleeps with you both.
Secondly I didnt see you mention enzymatic cleaner. Its important to use this anywhere they go to the toilet inside as the scent will persist otherwise and they will continue to go where they have previously been. This may also be the case with the bedding if you dont have a decent biological washing powder. Otherwise peeing in their bed isn't normal and may indicate an issue.
Third of all persistence and consistency is key. take them out regularly and get into a routine, when they are that age they may need taking out twice overnight to go to the toilet, the more times you miss it and they pee/poo inside the more they get used to it and will repeat the behaviour. It will set back training even further.
Having a puppy and doing it properly can be ROCK hard but they do get there if you persist!
Don't let him into your bed! they will never be able to sleep anywhere else and when you go out and leave them or cannot sleep with them it will become extremely distressing for them. Not everyone agrees with crate training but honestly it has so many benefits. It's a safe space for them to be, it can give you a few minutes to get jobs done that require your full attention, it's really helpful for vet trips or if they get ill as they will get super stressed out if they have been injured and suddenly get stuck in a crate they are not used to. If you do it now it will be doable but it will be harder to do the longer he sleeps with you both.
Secondly I didnt see you mention enzymatic cleaner. Its important to use this anywhere they go to the toilet inside as the scent will persist otherwise and they will continue to go where they have previously been. This may also be the case with the bedding if you dont have a decent biological washing powder. Otherwise peeing in their bed isn't normal and may indicate an issue.
Third of all persistence and consistency is key. take them out regularly and get into a routine, when they are that age they may need taking out twice overnight to go to the toilet, the more times you miss it and they pee/poo inside the more they get used to it and will repeat the behaviour. It will set back training even further.
Having a puppy and doing it properly can be ROCK hard but they do get there if you persist!
Soldato
Get a cat
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/thread
Soldato
What so it ***** in other peoples garden 
Soldato
No, the litter tray.What so it ***** in other peoples garden
Soldato
Of course
Permabanned
monster .. why buy a dog to put it in a cage ? do you not see it as family ? my 2 have always had the run of the house ..as it's theres too
Soldato
Have you read up about crate training? Its anything but cruel, mine both jump in at bedtime and stay there. Doors are open they can come and go as they please. Last time I checked the camera they choose to stay in, maybe because they feel safe
Deleted member 651465
D
Deleted member 651465
Don’t use pads. Ever.
You’re training a dog to pee/poo on a pad, then you have to train them to go outside. It’s wasted effort and duplication.
Feed them… 20 mins later put them outside
Wake up from a nap… put them outside
Every hour… put them outside
it’s all repetition.
Say the key word “pee” or whatever you want when they do successfully go and eventually they’ll learn that pee = outside.
Ours walk to the door whenever they want to go outside
You’re training a dog to pee/poo on a pad, then you have to train them to go outside. It’s wasted effort and duplication.
Feed them… 20 mins later put them outside
Wake up from a nap… put them outside
Every hour… put them outside
it’s all repetition.
Say the key word “pee” or whatever you want when they do successfully go and eventually they’ll learn that pee = outside.
Ours walk to the door whenever they want to go outside
Associate
We had similar issues with ours took about 10 weeks from getting her home to her figuring it out. How big is the crate? It could be that the crate is too large and gives him space to pee at one end and then sleep elsewhere. We had this issue until our trainer advised on getting a smaller crate. we went from a 3 foot crate to a 2 foot crate (Labrador) and she stopped peeing in the bed as she would sleep on it. She has now moved back to a bigger crate as she is a bigger dog but to start with it was as if she had too much space. Weird i know but our seems to like having a little cave she can crawl into to feel safe. Hence why now she is under the desk as i type. It was just a bit of a slog of constant praise and picking her up and carrying her outside if she started to pee inside. That and we did kind of shift work with her to make sure she always had a chance to go outside every 5 hours. I stayed up late and my wife got up early in the morning. As already said repetition is king and key words are used. The biggest thing with all of it is consistency.
Soldato
Similar to kids, there is no one rule that works for all dogs, so ignore anyone who says "Don't do it x way", because it will have worked for someone else, and their method won't have worked for others.
For us, pads were useful at night when our dog couldn't last the long, but we'd take her outside at night and first thing in the morning, praising her and giving her a treat. After a short while she stopped going on the pads and we never get accidents. We also have a doggy doorbell type button on the back door if she wants to go out in the garden for a pee outside of walks.
For us, pads were useful at night when our dog couldn't last the long, but we'd take her outside at night and first thing in the morning, praising her and giving her a treat. After a short while she stopped going on the pads and we never get accidents. We also have a doggy doorbell type button on the back door if she wants to go out in the garden for a pee outside of walks.
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We have been quite lucky I think.
We have had a cockapoo for 4 weeks, think he is 12 weeks old in total. He has picked up toilet training better than we could have hoped.
We initially started with training pads. One in his crate, and one in the living room. First few days he would wee wherever. But every time he did, we would place him on the pad. He soon started using this.
Once he had had his injections, when he went on the pad, we would quickly pick him up and take him outside.
He now goes to the door when he needs to go. Only time he has an accident is if we (and by that I mean me
) gets him excited during play time.
If he has an accident, we pick him up and take him outside.
I know the crate is not everyone's cup of tea, but he goes in at bedtime, and comes out around 6am. Unless he needs a ****, in which case he barks and whines, normally around 2am
As he gets older, we will abandon the crate, but for now, its working for us.
Great advice. Our key word is "hurry up", sometimes followed by expletives if its raining.
We have had a cockapoo for 4 weeks, think he is 12 weeks old in total. He has picked up toilet training better than we could have hoped.
We initially started with training pads. One in his crate, and one in the living room. First few days he would wee wherever. But every time he did, we would place him on the pad. He soon started using this.
Once he had had his injections, when he went on the pad, we would quickly pick him up and take him outside.
He now goes to the door when he needs to go. Only time he has an accident is if we (and by that I mean me
) gets him excited during play time.If he has an accident, we pick him up and take him outside.
I know the crate is not everyone's cup of tea, but he goes in at bedtime, and comes out around 6am. Unless he needs a ****, in which case he barks and whines, normally around 2am
As he gets older, we will abandon the crate, but for now, its working for us.
Feed them… 20 mins later put them outside
Wake up from a nap… put them outside
Every hour… put them outside
it’s all repetition.
Say the key word “pee” or whatever you want when they do successfully go and eventually they’ll learn that pee = outside.
Ours walk to the door whenever they want to go outside
Great advice. Our key word is "hurry up", sometimes followed by expletives if its raining.
Suggest you research crate training…
I think you misunderstand crating, although some dogs may not like it for (for whatever reason) for many dogs it's just like a dog bed. I have a rescue who is 10 years old now, got him at about a year old and he was terrified of being crated due to mistreatment. Despite a lot of time and effort the result was always the same, he would chew / claw at the cage until he bled out of fear. So I can't crate him but I really wish I could. My mums dogs see their crates as a safe space, they sleep in them sometimes out of choice and regularly nap in them during the day (though they do have the run of the house as well). If she ever needs to keep them out of the way or move them around it's very easy to just put them in there.
People keeping their dog in a cage nearly all hours of the day... sure that's obviously wrong. But that's not what people in this thread are suggesting.