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Author
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Topic: Help Please !!! Housebreaking my puppy on his First Day at home
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rdyeung
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posted May 14, 2004 08:45 AM
Hi All,
I am writing from Down Under in Perth, Western Australia. I just brought my Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy home today and when I pick her up from the breeder today, I realise the breeder was crating her with newspaper in one corner of the crate for her to relieve herself on, meaning that she has been relieving herself in the crate she is sleeping in which I was shocked to learnt, if I knew that the breeder does this with her puppies I would think twice before getting the puppy from her.
Anyway, since I brought her home thios afternoon, she does not want to relieve herself outside, I took her several time before and after her dinner, the moment I left her on her own confine to the laundry, she relieve herself just next to the newspaper I put down for her in the laundry, this was about 30 - 60 mins after her dinner.
This evening, I saw her sniffing, so i took her out and again she would not do it outside, the moment I put her in her crate, she did it in her crate, I did not put any newspaper in her crate, she has some towel in there and she did it in her crate....which I was very disappointed since I want to housebreak her outside and avoid using newspaper...
Any advice how I could get her to do it outside and break the habbit she might have develop from the breeder. I have block off a rather large crate she is in so that she has only enough space to sleep in.
I work during the day, so I was going to use newspaper during the day while she is confine to the laundry and I was going to crate her and take her outside when I am at home.
Thank you all for your advice and comments
Robert Young
Posts: 16 | Registered: Apr 2004
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BreeZy/sheltiepups
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posted May 14, 2004 09:11 AM
Did you try putting the newspaper outside? I'm not sure how you paper train a puppy so maybe I'm way out of line, I think it's weird that the breeder would have put the paper in the crate, also I wouldn't leave anything in the crate with her, towels, newspaper... Nothing until she knows that she’s not supposes to go in her crate. Good luck and post pictures~!
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this is your life, is it everything you dreamed that it would be
when the world was younger and you had everything to lose
Posts: 147 | From: PA | Registered: Oct 2003
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NicoleLJ
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posted May 14, 2004 10:39 AM
First I would block off the amount of space she has in her crate. She should only have enough room to stand up and curl up to sleep. No more room then that because then she can go in the crate and still have room to curl up in a ball and be away from it. So first I would do that.
Next I would not paper train regaurdless of what the breeder did. I would go strictly to house training. It is so much easier. Also since you can't be with her all the time for what ever reason what I would do is get a large box. cut the sides down so that the pup can easily step in and out. THen place dirt and grass in the box, kind of like a litter box but for the puppy. This will teach her to go on dirt. I have done this before with wild pups and it has worked. It might take her a few days to figure it out but when you come home if you find any surprises what you should do is pick them up and place them in the box so that next time you are gone her scent is there. Only have this down though when you are not home. For when you are home I would do this.
Make sure the leash and collar is on so that you are in control the whole time. Have a Nice sized ball bell tied to a rope and tied to the door. Take her paw and get her to hit the bell so it makes a sound. Only do this when you are taking her to go potty. In doing this she will later learn to hit the bell to let you know she needs to go outside to relieve herself. Now open the door and take her to the potty pen. Give the command for going potty every 30 seconds for five minutes. If the puppy goes then click the clicker and praise and give her a piece of kibble. If not put the puppy back in it’s crate for 10 minutes. Then try again. Keep this up till the puppy goes. No punishment and lots of praise to help the puppy gain confidence. Do this each and every time.
Sheena, my pup, is now 5 months old and will go no where else. She will stop playing in the yard to run into the potty pen and go then leave it to go play. I have used this technique on all my foster dogs and puppies and it has yet to not work. Some dogs take a lot longer than others but they all learn. You just need to be consistent.
Good luck in what ever way you decide to do it.
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Lets teach the public to spay and neuter pets and leave breeding up to the experts, to help decrease the thousands of animals destroyed monthly in shelters and pounds around the world.
Posts: 82 | From: Raymond. Alberta | Registered: Oct 2003
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rdyeung
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posted May 14, 2004 07:24 PM
Thank you all for your advice
The evening I brought her home, I was shocked to find that she peed in her crate which I have blocked so that it is small enough just for her, still she peed on the towel she was sleeping on,I know that this is one of the worst thing a puppy will do, I know I am in big toruble but what can I do, I bought the puppy home now...
Anyway, back to the puppy, she kept us up the whole night and I took her out a few times during the night and she will do nothing outside and after I fed her this morning, i took her out again and stayed there for a gd hour and still nothing. I brought her inside and put her in her crate for a while and watch her for any sign of sniffing and when she started too, I took her out and still nothing. I knew the moment, I turn my back on her and stop watching her , she will do it and she did on the newspaper... I put her in her crate and I will take her out in 2 hours to try again. It seems she does not like us to watch her while she relieve herself. She likes to be held and follow us everywhere we go when she is not in her crate
What should I do?
I am very frustarted and disappointed that I got a puppy like this, she is 9 weeks old.
Thank you
Rob
Posts: 16 | Registered: Apr 2004
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DaxAriel's toy
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posted May 14, 2004 07:41 PM
Don't be frustrated. We all go thru this. I have yet to own a dog that came fully trained. My breeder had Ariel in a big laundry room covered in newspaper. Yet it only took a couple of weeks before her crate was dry day & nite. And she howled the first week like someone was cutting her to pieces. This is all normal. Don't expect too much of your little one just yet.
Posts: 748 | From: Edmonton AB Canada | Registered: Mar 2004
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rdyeung
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posted May 15, 2004 08:07 AM
Hi again,
Wow, I got heaps of advice from you guys and I appreciate it very much, thank you. I finally manage to get her to relieve herself outside. I put the newspaper she relieved herself on outside, that did not work also but this afternoon after feeding her, her second meal, she started sniffing and I immediately took her out where she did a big one. This evening she did a small one and then again at about 9 - 10. I tried putting her on the lead but she will bite the lead and start playing, so I did not put her on the lead anymore.
Then to my disappointment, she did a big one in the laundry where she is confined, worst she did not do it on the newspaper which covers half of the laundry, she did it on the tiles....
She did not want to have her evening meal, she has been eating well and heaps since I brought her home yesterday evening, I do not know why she did not want her evening meal, she dranks heaps though....
Do you guys think, she is getting better? personally I was thrilled that she relieved herself outside 3 times today but then she kinda lost it again when she did a big one outside the newspaper...
I am trying not to get rid of the newspaper all together because I work during the day and I am not home for about 6 hours, during this time I am not able to find somebody to take her out, so I thought of using the newspaper while I am not at home and taker her out when I am at home...is that feasible?
Thanks for your future advice
Cheers,
Rob
Posts: 16 | Registered: Apr 2004
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DaxAriel's toy
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posted May 15, 2004 09:52 AM
For 20 years, I used newspaper and a small room to housebreak puppies. It made cleanup much easier. It's not a NO NO. Just remember during the first year not to leave a paper down in the living room by mistake or she can end up leaving you a present. They will all learn if given the opportunity.
Posts: 748 | From: Edmonton AB Canada | Registered: Mar 2004
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rdyeung
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posted May 18, 2004 06:47 AM
Hi Guys,
Thank you so much for all your advice. My puppy is making some progress and I am being more patience and less demanding on her, she relieve herself 95% of the time when I take her out when I am at home.
One of the problem I have now is that she does little wee and she fiddle around before she relieves herself, she does little and short wee. Is that normal?
Also she drinks so much water when I feed her is that normal? I am giving her what the breeder told me to feed her. Am I right that I should not have water available for her permanently? I've heard that control feeding (i.e take the food and water when she has enough) is the way to go?
Gee, it is hard work, when I am at home, I take her out every 30 - 45 mins, I am so scared that she does something inside, am I being too harsh on myself....
Your comments please?
Thanks
Regards,
Rob
Posts: 16 | Registered: Apr 2004
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DaxAriel's toy
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posted May 18, 2004 07:03 AM
More is better when it is going outside to pee. Very normal to have multiple pees in a short period of time. The water intake is normal too. I think its a combination of thirst & stress. It is stressful on her too.
It will take about a two weeks before YOU are trained to recognize her signals when she has to go. Just relax and enjoy this time - it is very hectic. Although I have raised at least a dozen dogs in my life, even I forgot how much work they are when they are 8 weeks old. After the first month it isn't that bad anymore.
Posts: 748 | From: Edmonton AB Canada | Registered: Mar 2004
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