at my wits end with new puppy

[anita]

Can anyone help please?

I have a 12 - 13 week old lhasa apso puppy and I am at my wits end with her.

I am trying to crate train her and am not having any luck. When I try to get her to go out and pee she runs from me and it takes sme about 5 mins to catch her and by that time, she goes on the carpet. She pees outside but as soon as I let her back in the house after about 5-10 mins she pees on the carpet again. I keep her out for a good 5-10 mins. She is ruining my house. Can anyone please help here? Should I keep her in her crate all the time, only to let her out for a few mins at a time to go pee?

:eek:

[domarloc]

I am no professional trainer but what I did when my puppy was peeing everywhere was take her every half an hour so she didn't have the chance to pee inside. If she did not go when I had her out I would up it to every 10 - 15 minutes until she went and then went back to every half an hour or so. Of course there was still accidents inside but not too many. Another trick is if you see her squatting to pee or even in the middle of going pee in the house, in a loud stern voice say NO and usually scares them into stopping and you can rush them outside to hopefully finish. Remember praise, prasie, prasie her when she does go outside. Also make sure that whatever you are using to clean up her messes does not have ammonia in it. Pee has ammonia in it and even though you clean it up they can still smell the ammonia in the cleaner and probably will pee in the same spot again. The only thing I could find with no ammonia in it was regular Mr Clean and I watered it down and kept it in a spray bottle. In my opinion she should only be put in the crate when you are not able to tend to her. I remember all too well how frustrating it is but it will get better. Be Patient. Hope this was helpful.

[care1978]

i agree.... also a good idea would be that everytime she is finished eating take her right outside, and also as soon as she wakes up take her immediately outside, these are the things i did with my little pup and he seemed to catch on after a couple of weeks. good luck!:o

[tish]

Just a thought but could you put a leash on her before you take her out of cage...that way you have control over her right from the get go???

[anita]

Thanks everyone for the wealth of information. I forgot to mention that I have an elderly 16 year old dog that has accidents in the house the odd time. I really don't want to have my carpets shampooed until I get the pup trained. I am having such a hard time with her though. When I open the door for her to go out she takes off the other way and goes elsewhere. she knows what the wor pee means though, cause as soon as I put her out and tell her pee, she goes. I just wish I could get her to stop going in the house.

Maybe I can get some Mr. Clean and try to go over as much of the carpet as I can with it.

[care1978]

your puppy is probably peeing on the carpet because of your other dog, understandable really, the puppy thinks it must be allowed.... you might have a hard time training her until your other dog passes on... sadly.... best of luck!

[marriedchickie]

My mom and dad's dog used to pee on the floor quite a bit when she was a puppy. They took her outside after meal times, and just when she woke up. They took her to the vet to see if there was anything really wrong, and come to find out, it was because of our work, school schedules, even with the training, she was lonely. She was getting "bad" attention so she would continue. My father got put out of work on a medical absence, and poof!....she never peed in the house again. Although, when my dad would go out to dr's appointments, she would climb right up on his bed and sleep on his pillow cuz she missed him. So, in my opinion, it's an attention grabber.

[anita]

your puppy is probably peeing on the carpet because of your other dog, understandable really, the puppy thinks it must be allowed.... you might have a hard time training her until your other dog passes on... sadly.... best of luck!


I hope this isn't the case. What if my dog lasts another 2-3 years. I'm not wishing her to die but I'm sure other people have been in the same situation and have had more than 1 dog in the house.

Also, what can I do when I tell her to come here and she takes off on me and I have to go chasing her all over the house?

Also, I am home with the puppy all the time, so I don't think it's loneliness, and my 4 year old plays with her as well.

Thanks for your thoughts ;)

[Trish]

You could try hiding on her, make her really panic for a few minutes then call her and let her find you. After a couple of these times, she will want to stick with you. She won't want to lose you.

Use vinegar product to cut the urine smell that the dog can smell. They don't like it either. I didn't even use it full strength and it worked well.

[domarloc]

I don't think it is case of your older dog passing on before you can train your new pup. As long as you go ahead and clean up the messes with the proper cleaner and maybe consider shampooing your rug where the older has messed before I think you will be fine. You can also buy a product called Natures Little Miracles at the Pet Corral on the west side that help eliminate previous pet odours I am sure that would probably help too.

[anita]

I don't think it is case of your older dog passing on before you can train your new pup. As long as you go ahead and clean up the messes with the proper cleaner and maybe consider shampooing your rug where the older has messed before I think you will be fine. You can also buy a product called Natures Little Miracles at the Pet Corral on the west side that help eliminate previous pet odours I am sure that would probably help too.


Thanks so much for all this useful information :)

[*~BuDDy*~]

We have a 4 month old lab and he is completely trained. We took him out I think every 20 mins to half an hour and now he goes to the door and cries to go out. He also sleeps in his crate all night, has never messed in there. Just be patient...I know its hard but eventually it will come around :)

[care1978]

:p i realize i kinda made it sound like you arent going to be able to train your pup until your older dog passes... that isnt what i meant though and i apologize because i should have stated what i actually meant,which is... ridding your house of the other animals huron scent,,, it could be a territorial thing, in any case im sure you will get your pup trained eventually, as for her running away on you constantly.... i used to have a dog that would do that, but he thought he was playing a game with me, perhaps this is what your pup thinks, and just so you know i also had a dog one time years ago tha it took me about 6 months before he was completely trained. it sounds like a good idea for you to hide on her and call her to come look for you, tha tmakes sense, no puppy wants to be alone! good luck, hope it works out soon for you!

[anita]

:p i realize i kinda made it sound like you arent going to be able to train your pup until your older dog passes... that isnt what i meant though and i apologize because i should have stated what i actually meant,which is... ridding your house of the other animals huron scent,,, it could be a territorial thing, in any case im sure you will get your pup trained eventually, as for her running away on you constantly.... i used to have a dog that would do that, but he thought he was playing a game with me, perhaps this is what your pup thinks, and just so you know i also had a dog one time years ago tha it took me about 6 months before he was completely trained. it sounds like a good idea for you to hide on her and call her to come look for you, tha tmakes sense, no puppy wants to be alone! good luck, hope it works out soon for you!


No worries, thanks for the info and well wishes....I'm going to need it. Actually she is getting better!!!!

[jdobbs]

I don't understand why it is recommended to crate train. Should it works but at what mental cost to the dog?

Don't put the dog in a crate.

[domarloc]

If you read up on crate training it is in no way cruel. It is a known fact that a dog will not lay in their own filth therefore if they are contained to a small area while they are unattended they will hold it until you are able to take them outside. To most dogs a crate is considered a safe place that is theirs and theirs alone. My dog absolutley loves her crate and will go inside it on her own when she wants to be left alone. If I go out and leave her inside by herself she goes crazy wanting to be put in the crate.

[jdobbs]

Maybe we should start crating children then.

[rubycshells]

Maybe we should start crating children then.

Oh brother...:rolleyes: .

[babydoll101]

Maybe we should start crating children then.


What kind of comment was that? You obviously don't know anything about animals!!! This is a thread about about giving advice with training a puppy not comments like that!!!

[user5624]

I recommend crate training. Go by what the expects say, not what people that don't know what they're talking about say :) It's natural for a dog to live in a den/cave setting. A kennel/crate provides that. My dog is crate trained, she loves it and goes there willingly to sleep. Crate training is a great asset in house training.

[amethyst]

I just got a dog about a month or so ago. It's a 2 year old shih tzu and he LOVES his crate. He never has to be told to go in there...he drags his toys and blanket in there...even when i drag them out lol...It's his bed and i think he'd be lost without it. I used to think crating was cruel...i've since changed my mind. Now..mind you ...if i had started with a puppy and not an already trained dog..i woudn't have bothered with the crate. But the previous owner said i probably should get one so i did and i'm glad i did. It's not cruel. They like them.

[puppyluv]

Crate training is actually recommend ed by many behaviurists etc. It isnt a form of cruelty, it is the animals safety zone.. don't forget, dogs once were wild and lived in caves etc.

Crate training is not a cruel way in the least bit...unless you make it out to be.

[horty]

I think you have to take her out for more than 5-10 minutes. And she might have been peeing on the carpet after you brought her in because she was cold., because she is a tiny breed and she must have been cold this winter. I know our dog, when he was young thought the carpet was grass, not a good thing;.I don't think keeping her in her crate all the time is a good idea either. She will begin to think that she is being punished for having an "accident". Her crate should be a good thing and not a punishment.

[Corky]

I didn't have trouble training my dog, we would take him out with the other dog and he would watch her do what she had to do and he would follow. You could always use papers,and they have little pads that you put onto the floor.Or if she poops inside*i know it sounds gross* but pick it up with paper towel and put it outside, and show her where it is, so when she smells it she knows to go there
Good luck, it will get better

[christine chittick]

if you cannot catch your pup as she comes out of the crate to attach a leash, she is a small breed dog that doesnt weigh much, you can take the crate out to the back yard and let her out that way, and that will avoid the mess in the house. or have the crate close to the door so that when you open it, you can turn the crate around so its door is facing the outside and open it that way. if you teach her to come to you when called, you can also call her to you. do not chase the dog as the dog may interpret as something else such as a game of chase that will never go away unless you don't do it - each and every time she comes out of her crate. i have my dogs sit/stay as they come out of the crate so it makes it quick to attach the leash and out we go...

i also recommend not playing with the pup at all while she is out to use the washroom. Use separate times for pee breaks and play times and this way your dog won't confuse the two. (its ok if the pup does pee/poop during play time!) its most annoying in the wee hours of the morning when you take your pup out and she/he gets the "zoomies" aka running around like mad or in the middle of a rainstorm expecting you to play...

Take your pup out every 30 minutes on the hour (i say on the hour because it makes it easier to remember when you had the pup out last and you are keeping consistency - which is key in teaching anything!) and like someone else said, if the pup doesn't go when you do take her out, take her back inside, wait 10 minutes and take them back out again. Keep doing this until they use the washroom and then go back to the every 30 mins on the hour. Get some small, soft treats (or something special like small cut up pieces of hot dog, chicken, or turkey - something small enough that they don't have to stand there and chew for a few minutes and not something that you give daily as a treat. You can even use a toy of some type...but I find treats work much better.

oh, and one more thing - from experience lol - do not praise the dog til they are completely finished doing their business!! you can teach your dog to quickly do the poop walk (walking while pooping) - and you don't want this. I did this and what a mistake! My female will actually walk down the street and poop without missing a beat and leave a trail behind her and me never know!
Or your pup may actually stop in mid pee to come to you and only finish up in the house...

[devils_angel]

I have a 10 week old sheppard/lab mix puppy I have had her since she was about 6 weeks old , she is crate trained .. she loves her crate.. at 11 o'clock at night she knows that it is her last run out side for the night ... when i bring her in she says night night to nanny and papa by running to them and getting one last word of priase in for the day and the last pat on the head and then she runs to her crate and whines at the door till I let her in ... I have had her whine at the door to open it through the day so she can go in there to sleep.. My friend has 2 dogs that are crate trained and they love it too .. so to say it is cruel to crate train your dog , I do not think so , as for the comment on crate training your children... hell we put them in a crib when they are infants or but them in their own rooms dont we ? well look deaper into it , that is really no different then putting them in a crate ... they too are confined to a small area for the night hours and our children make out just fine :)

[MrsBeasley]

One key point to remember is that puppies can only hold their bladder for one hour more than their age in months. The main ru.es of thumb are:

1. Puppy is in the crate any time it is sleeping. (even if it curls up and falls asleep on the floor somewhere, pick it up and put it into the crate.)

2. Immediately upon removing puppy from the crate, head straight outdoors, it will need to pee.

3. 10-15 minutes after eating a meal, puppy will normally have a bowel movement, so take it outside.

4. Place puppy into the crate whenever you cannot supervise it (i.e. shower, vaccuming).

5. Never use the crate as any form of punishment for bad behaviour, it will learn to resent the kennel.

[adorabull]

Crate training is one of the best training aids on earth!

Now leaving your dog out to swallow or chew through a electrical cord and die of obstruction, now thats my idea of cruel. My dog sleeps in his crate every night for the past 3 years, that way hes safe and sound and free from harm either himslef or something.

remember with crate training/ house breaking only have a crate that is large enough for the dog to stand and turn around in, cause they will pee on poop in the corner of it.

and some dogs are just dirty buggers. hope this helps

[pooljoe]

I hope this isn't the case. What if my dog lasts another 2-3 years. I'm not wishing her to die but I'm sure other people have been in the same situation and have had more than 1 dog in the house.

Also, what can I do when I tell her to come here and she takes off on me and I have to go chasing her all over the house?

Also, I am home with the puppy all the time, so I don't think it's loneliness, and my 4 year old plays with her as well.

Thanks for your thoughts ;)

I dont see it as an allowed or not allowed thing at all, after all the reading i've done on this topic as i have been in the same place with a new pup and allready having a dog in the home. What i found out was the pup peed inside all the time to try and establish its place in the house (territorial) and unfortunatly for my carpets it was a territory battle. I took the advice of my grandfather (RIP) and cleaned the carpets to remove the odors and stains completely and started taking BOTH of em outside frequently and givin treats for going with LOTS of praise...after feedings,waking up, b4 bed etc. and after only about 2 weeks and if i remember only 1 accident it worked and my carpets havent been happier

[Frog]

One of the things that I did when we got our last dog was once she was out of her crate I started clapping and running to the door singing "pee party". It worked. The dog was so excited she ran with me every time. We still had a few accidents in the house but that will disappear in time.