Need help with potty
by Mary
ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
HELP!!! I just got 8 week old malt "Samantha" last week. She is in a crate and I take her out every hour or two. She did great the first few days but lately she waits till we come back in to go potty. The fleas here are a horrible problem. I have sprayed yard and dog to no avail. I would like to paper train but have two small children that I am afraid would get into the mess. If I do paper train, should I continue to leave the paper in the same place...i.e. bathroom? I teach so I will be home with her a few more weeks. I tried some puppy scent and sprayed it on the paper and only one time did she tee tee there... HELP!! I need some advice.Administrative: Message posted from Host:usrnac-17.inu.net - located in Jasper, TX from Zip:75951 on Mon Jul 13 00:53:15 EDT 1998 user identified as msmith *first time poster*--END Admin message
DISCUSSION:
Mary, be patient. Samanatha is only 8 weeks old, that's pretty young to be housebroken. Give her lots of time to get the routine down. Many of us at MO have been through this, so as you're on your knees wiping and scrubbing, think of us! As far as paper training goes, I definitely think you should leave the paper in the same place all the time. Imagine what it would be like to have to go but you can't find your bathroom! If you're worried about your kids getting into it, why not just outdoor-train Samantha, then you don't have to worry about paper at all. Or else keep a close eye on your kids and really teach them not to go near the paper. I have a friend whose year-old son is very well-behaved except for two things: he likes to get into the dogs' water bowl and their food bowls. My friend has to watch him, but it's not as unsanitary as if he were playing in a doggie bathroom. Just food for thought. Good luck.
Judy
If you want to paper train, you need to leave the paper or wee wee pads on the same place. I bought a puppy john (protects your floor) and put it in my laundry room. I put Alex in it and told him "pee pee" here. But he already knew what pee pee means. He was clean in no time. But he was older. And a lot of people are going to tell you that you got your dog to early. About the fleas, you probably will need to spray your yeard every week for a while before you get rid of them. Be careful not to let the dog out before everything is dry again.
Janine
I strongly suggest you continue with the crate training and using the papers. My biggest and best piece of advice to you is that you invest a few hours of your time and read this web-site from one end to the other - the information is worth it's weight in gold. Frankly it's going to take a bit longer for your pup to get the idea about going potty because she is too young to be away from her mother, you will need to be patient and consistent.
LeslieR
Dear Mary: Congrats on your new Samantha! She is awful little to be away from her mother, no? When my Otto was very small and confused about the potty thing I took something that had his pee on (usually a paper towel I used to clean up his "mistakes") and put it outside - where I wanted him use as a potty in the future. It worked. When I wanted him to pee in his puppyjohn (a tray for newspapers) I put his scented paper there. It worked. Did you read a book about housebreaking? It helped me a lot to read about the process and psychology of training in a book... It takes reinforcement and consistency. and love. lots. I am sure she will do fine. Good luck and Otto sends licks to Samantha!
valan & otto
Congratulations on your new arrival!! Cody was the easiest dog that I've ever trained, partly because I believe that he is one of the smartest dogs I've ever had!! I also tried 3 new approaches with him...at least they were new for me:
1. Like you, I used a crate. I hated the idea at first, but it turned out to be very helpful and he still uses it for naps, etc.
2. I took him outside every 30 minutes for the first couple of weeks and, when he 'complied with my requests', I immediately treated him with something called.....
3. ...NutraCal (sp?) NutraCal is like a sugary paste in a tube. It sounds disgusting but Cody would have done cartwheels for it! I got it from the breeder, but it is also available from the vet. It is supposed to be an energy source for hunting/working dogs which is why I only gave my dog a tiny taste. I'm sure that ANY immediate reward would serve the same purpose. Personally, I don't like the idea of paper training, but I know a lot of people are fine with it. I also teach, so I know how important it is to get EVERYTHING done during the summer because during the school year, our time is not our own!!! Good luck with your new baby and let us know how it's going!
MB & Cody
Mary, Welcome to you & your new baby Samantha. I agree she is very young. I like pups to be 12 weeks or older before leaving mom for a new home. I also agree on leaving her potty in one place. She will learn with lots of love and time-----just be patient. Best Wishes & Good Luck. Please keep us posted on how she does. Judy Forrest--Ju-dee MALTESE
Judy Forrest--Ju-dee MALTESE
Thanks for all of the advice. I am going to look for a puppy john this week when I go to a larger city. We have a lab that is 5 days from whelping so I am keeping her in the ultimate spot for the puppy john. I will use the bathroom until her place becomes vacant. She is doing much better today and even let me sleep about five hours last night. She is a sweetie!! Thank you all again and anymore advice will be appreciated! I am going to try to train her for both for those long and also rainy days. I'll let you know how it is going.
Mary and Sammie
Mary: no need to go to a larger city to get a puppy john - i ordered mine from the banner at the top of the discussion topic page. they are real nice and send it to you by the regular post. Just call them up and order one. that easy.! bye!
valan & otto
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