Toilet training

butlerjustine

Hi,

I've a 6 month old Pugalier and she was using the paper for a little while but has decided to go to the toilet on floor beside her toilet tray.

She has been staying outside for the last week during the day so we thought she would associate outside with the toilet but she still goes when she comes inside.

Is the only option to put her in a crate at night so she doesn't go to the toilet at night and from that never associates inside with the toilet? Would she revert back to her old ways when we let out of the crate again?

Thanks

paultf

I have a young pup at the moment that I am housetraining. I bring him out to the garden every 15-30 minutes praising him massively when he goes to the toilet. Anytime he is fed I bring him straight out.

Alot of people crate train but you just have to be careful that your pup adjusts to it first. Leave the crate open during the day and let him see that the crate is his new bed. You will probably have to get up during the night.

Even with the crate you will still need to bring the pup in & out the garden at times. Praise is the key.

(Also I wouldn't leave any papers/pads down. If your pup goes to the toilet indoors clean it up quickly.)

andreac

Has she actually been trained and rewarded for going outside?

butlerjustine

Yes, we reward her when she goes outside. She is out the garden alot so she can go outside during the day. The problem I have is during the night time. When I get up in the morning, she has pooped twice and peed on the floor beside the tray which has paper in it. She sometimes uses it but I think she only wants to use it once.

paultf

butlerjustine wrote: »

Yes, we reward her when she goes outside. She is out the garden alot so she can go outside during the day. The problem I have is during the night time. When I get up in the morning, she has pooped twice and peed on the floor beside the tray which has paper in it. She sometimes uses it but I think she only wants to use it once.

Is there anyone around during the day? It is just that the pup needs to be taken from inside the house to the garden, use a phrase to encourage her to go and then praise big time.

I don't think the pup is going to know that been in the garden all day is where she needs to go to the toilet.

6 months is still young. Could you get up during the night and take her out?

andreac

If shes going during the night then i highly recommend crate training.

But as Paultf said, you have to bring the dog out and encourage it to go outside and reward, praise etc. They dont automatically know that outside is where they have to go.

I never suggest using paper to train puppies as it totally confuses them about being allowed to go inside, then all of a sudden you want them to go outside?

Get rid of the tray and the paper. You either want the pup to go inside or outside, it cant be both. Its not fair on them and they think they are allowed to go inside but yet you want them to go outside, its has to be one or the other, not both.

Ms Tootsie

As others have said get rid of the paper! Stop paper training her straight away as you are only confusing her and instilling bad habits. Trust me I have learned the hard way. When we got our guy he was paper trained and we continued this for a few weeks - worst idea ever!

Start with crate training. If she is going in the night you need to get up a few times to let her out and gradually increase the time between the breaks so she learns to hold it. There are tons of threads on here with great advice on crate training. That is where I got all my help. You need to ensure she understands the crate is her space - dogs are unwilling to 'go' in there own space. This will come with patience and training.

Also try and establish a routine when you take her out. For our guy when we would take him and stand him by the door for a few seconds before saying good boy and taking him out to go. Once he went it was heaps of praise and a high value treat. After a while he started going and standing by the door when he wanted let out to go. Something like this only comes from routine.

Reward based training is the only way to get her to understand that outside is good, inside is bad. Use high value treats (we used raw chicken) at the start and after a while move back to normal treats.

Best of luck with the crate training

butlerjustine

Thanks for your help.

I will take the paper and tray away as I understand that its confuses her. She understood sit and stay after a few days so I think she will catch on soon.

Thanks again.

I am pie

Yes, +1 on getting rid of the paper. We did the same, our pup is 8 months now and I cannot remember the last solid accident we had in the house, we´re seemingly past the pee stage as well.

Make sure you take her out late at night and praise then again early in the morning. Make sure not to leave her with too much in the way of water over night for a few weeks...dont leave her thirsty but make sure she hasnt a full bowl, ease the strain on her bladder. Difficult, but if you catch her in the act and give her a firm ´no´then give her an extra special treat next time she goes outside.

Get rid of the paper, I did too (after advice here!) and make sure to get her in a routine for feeding. Does she sleep where she wants? Ours hates the smell of her poop and used to howl like a banshee in the morning if she woke up beside one! We are not crating as the wife didn´t like the idea but we have her sleeping in her own room...a 6X6 room we have near the kitchen. She wont do anything solid in there and if she pees she would have to be absolutely desparate. Maybe 3 or 4 times in the last few months when I havent been in the office and slept in a few hours too long ! Also, make sure you have your accidents cleaned up and leaving no trace. If she smells it she´ll think it´s a good place to poop/pee. I use white vinegar/water mix which seems to work.

Routine is v important.