On potty training

I am certainly no expert, but I have been lucky to have seven puppies come stay with me over the last nine months, so I have, by necessity, learned a thing or two about potty training.  I was touched recently to receive my first plea for help!

One of my friends has just adopted two chiweenie puppies now 10-weeks old, and wrote to ask: 

I am struggling with paper training. I have papers for them and direct them to the papers at times they should need to potty and lovingly hold them there for a minute or so and then let them go and they walk off the paper and pee! 

When I am gone I have been putting them in the bath tub and they use the paper in the tub. I recently switched them to a larger space and they used the paper as well.  It is just that when they are not confined they don't use the paper. I know they are young so I have not pushed anything. What do you think? I would love your tips of the trade.

Here are a few thoughts I shared with her:

Note that smaller breed dogs take longer to house-train. This doesn't actually help you, I know, but just so you know it's not just you if they don't get it right away! Be sure to have lots of patience with the little guys.

The main training suggestion I have heard & will share is: lavish praise and reward when they go where you want them to. In general with training, the reinforcement has to happen within about 3-5 seconds of a behavior for them to make an association, but if you can have some treats on the ready, and throw a big Happy Party every time you catch them peeing on the pads, even if you're a little "late" they will start to learn that good things happen when they go there. The timing is hard, granted. If you start the praise too soon, they may get distracted & stop their good deed !   (I would do this any time they do either #1 or #2 in the right place, and you are able to catch them at it.)

There are still people who advocate nose-rubbing if they go where they shouldn't -- again, pretty much right at the time of the act-- (I have a dog-sitter that I otherwise love, that insists on it), but I am not going that route myself.  For one thing, you don't want them to think that going in front of you is bad. (They will likely make the association of the punishment with you, rather than with the location.)

Another thing on that note, often puppies will pee once, but not really be quite done. So, be aware that after they've gone, they may still need to go again in a few minutes.

Do you have an outside space that you want them to go? Or are you, perhaps waiting until their immune systems are stronger?
I haven't spent as much focus on pee-pads w/ my pups, but rather have focused on outdoor training.   I put them down on the lawn, and ignore them (rather than play) until they've gone. After potty-time is play time.
(I have actually been amazed at how the puppies figure out the pee pads w/out my influence -- for 'their' room, anyway. Whatever they put in those things must help.)

I have to wonder if your restraining them is discouraging for going. I mean I'm sure it's no harm... but they probably prefer to go when they have their little bit of freedom.  The other thing about the more confined spaces: it is natural for pups to not want to have their waste where they sleep, eat or play. So it sounds like they are making those differentiations in their 'bedroom'. But your living room... is like a great big world for them!   If I have a puppy loose in the living room (or a section of it), I will put down a pad or two, and put them on it frequently. I've found that even if the puppy knows it's there and has gone on it, they will sometimes pee just a few feet away. I think they are too busy playing, and just stop & drop -- and don't have the foresight to walk a few feet before they go!  (I have the cheapest carpet in the world, and I steam-clean it frequently... so I know it really doesn't bug me as much as it would others. ;)

So, one other idea is to keep their free spaces pretty small. And to place down a couple pads; i.e. cover more space. I have a puppy with me for the last 4 days or so; last night I fenced her in a space in the living room about 2 ft x 4ft (She is very little & quite young). 1/2 the space was covered in a towel & another 1/4 w/ a pad. She peed with her front feet on the pad, and her back feet (and the pee) off!  Ugh... Nice try at least! :D

Also - watch for the indications that they are needing to go. They will sometimes start sniffing the ground, walking in little circles, maybe heading toward a wall or other object, and for #2, some pups will start doing funny things like taking little steps backwards. If you see any of these, pick 'em up and place the puppy on the pads.

Here's one other thing I discovered that has saved me tons of energy!  "Construction Paper". Not the stuff for art class, but what you find at Home Depot or Lowe's; it's what they would use to cover a work area. You can get a big roll for about $10-12.  Your little ones may not need it for their bedroom space as it sounds like they are coming along well.  But I use it to cover my bathroom (i.e. the puppy room) wall-to-wall, and I use some blue painters tape to secure it. If there are accidents and food spills it all ends up on the paper. ("If"!  Ha ha ha!  There are always accidents & spills!)  Depending on the puppy & the mess, I need to pull it up & re-paper every few days or 1x/ week, but man, that has been so much easier than mopping every day or twice a day!  You might see if it works for covering other areas of the house when they are out & about.


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So, that's what I know off-hand about potty training. What have you found that works? Any other suggestions?