Housetraining for Ripley

[KShep]

I'm sure there are other posts about housetraining, but after a brief search, I couldn't find what I needed.

Ripley is loyal to her puppy pads, but they do tend to leak and she sometimes misses by a couple of inches. My husband will be fixing up the holes in our fence with chicken wire this weekend, and as she is 12 weeks, the time has come for her to give them up. I just think she will be confused about the whole ordeal.

Should I stake a puppy pad to the ground outside? I've read about restricting access to the house, but we already have a baby gate up and keep her in the kennel when we aren't in the house. Should I be restricting more than that?

What about a designated potty area in the yard? And is it okay if I keep her off a leash in the yard and just watch her in case I need to praise her for doing her business?

[KShep]

What I mean by restricting- should it be kennel, potty, kennel, potty, breakfast, potty, etc?

[janis]

I just took Kirby outside to the same area off leash when he was that little and said go potty outside. We went out frequently - there were however LOTS of dining room accidents! Eventually he got it. Now we walk first thing in the AM, (he is in an outside kennel area during the day if the weather is good. He won't go there unless he just can't hold it) them husband takes him out at lunch and at 4 when he gets home. I take him out on leash again before bed. I have lost 10 #! A bonus.

[2littleterrors]

Number one tip for potty training: hang a bell by the door, ring it every time you take her outside. We would ring the bell and say "go outside, go potty!" in a very excited voice. Monitor her, and when she pees outside, go crazy with praise. And for now, I would keep a few potty pads by the back door just in case.

Other good tips are to keep her directly with you, so you can watch for potty cues.

[DawnandTuk-tuk]

I am using potty pads for the first time. I use them only while gone for work 7+ hrs. We go outside all other times. I am having success in that Surfer goes out when I take her out & she will ask to go out when we are downstairs, and she pees on the pad while I'm away. Not successful in that we still have alot of accidents when I know she can hold it better AND knows where to go and what to do for going outside. Surfer is 13 weeks. If she's not without the potty pad and relatively reliable going outside by 5 months I will say I was not successful using both.

To go outside though, we just go out, I use the 'go potty' command and that's that. But we go out about every half hour when we are active. With Tuk I always treated for going potty, Surfer not being a Cairn food is not required for listening.

[KShep]

To go outside though, we just go out, I use the 'go potty' command and that's that. But we go out about every half hour when we are active. With Tuk I always treated for going potty, Surfer not being a Cairn food is not required for listening.

It's so helpful that Cairns are so treat-driven! Ripley learned "sit and stay" at puppy kindergarten Monday and has already mastered it with the help of Natural Balance Training Tips! She loves those.

It will probably be much easier once the fence is fixed. I've already had to bribe her out of the neighbors yard a couple of times.

[Hawkeye]

My suggestion would be to keep Ripley on a leash while trying to train her to go outside. I found with my boys it is easier to keep them in one area to do their business first, then reward them and then give the the opportunity to go play about the yard. It may take a while at first, but just stand in the same area and give them the command they will eventually go. Good luck!

[pkcrossley]

potty pads can be confusing --they mean going on the potty pad, not going outside, and they mean not training the muscles to learn to hold it, but just being careful to use the potty pad. to overcome the confusion you will have to reward your dog when she goes outside, and gradually start restricting her access to the potty pads when she is inside. it will take a while for her to work through the confusion. she may decide that you just forgot to put the potty pad down, and help herself. to allow her to learn the necessary muscle control, a crate is usually the best method. start with short periods of restriction, and work up as her control develops.

[janis]

Opps, forgot the part about we used the crate. PK is right! They are a lot like a baby, they eat a little while later they poop or pee. Instead of making the poop face my boys made - they start sniffing or try and hide (Kirby like the dining room!). So you use the crate, take them out, feed/water play a while (very little while when very little) then take them out! If he goes have a Potty Party and a treat. Take him back in, play a little and return to the crate. Repeat! There is more to it than that - do a search here and you'll find great tips. But the older he got, the better it got. But, they need your undivided attention! As Kirby got bigger he only goes out on the leash! He may choose to head for other woods otherwise!

[DawnandTuk-tuk]

potty pads can be confusing --they mean going on the potty pad, not going outside, and they mean not training the muscles to learn to hold it, but just being careful to use the potty pad.

I used to think that potty pads would only confuse a pup. Then Sheila spoke about her success using them in conjunction with outdoor potty learning. When we adopted Surfer at such a young age (8 wks) and me working full time, I knew she wouldn't be able to hold it so I figured I would give Sheila's method a try. I'm finding the method so far successful - as far as potty training goes, hehe. I only put down the pads when I'm gone from the house and she is confined to my bathroom with her crate and some toys. One morning I was tired so I put down a pad in my bathroom, left the door open to my bedroom. I closed my bedroom door so she didn't have access to the rest of the house. Surfer did not use the potty pad but the carpet instead! She will not use a potty pad unless I'm gone. And now that she's getting older, if I'm gone for less the 4 hours she is holding it till I get home and going outside. We are not having any confusion with what the potty pad is for so far. Although it is not exactly working like is does for Sheila, who uses potty pads for rain/snow days. I think like most dog training, its all about the consistency. I consistently use the pads when I'm gone. When I'm home, we consistently go outside. We have accidents of course, but that's part of potty learning. Oh and about every two weeks she tears up her potty pad and pees on the floor.