# New Puppy Training - How does this sound?



## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

Newbie working through all the posts. My last dog was very difficult to outside train as she was from a puppy mill, and I didn't use the crate method at all. I just paper trained her, and she stayed that way for a long time. I didn't understand then how training a puppy with a routine benefits both mom and puppy. I really really want to do it right this time! 

Forgive me if this question has already been answered somewhere on the forums. I've been trying to read as much as possible.

I work at home, and my potty training plan for my future puppy is something like this: I live in a small apartment. I want to have 2 confinement areas, a "daytime" crate that will hold puppy, food/water and toys, and a (smaller) "nighttime" travel carrier with a soft pee proof liner pad.

Routine: Wake up, take puppy out to potty. Say "go potty" over and over. Praise he when she goes. Go back inside, leave her out free for a little while, maybe on my lap to cuddle. Then feed puppy breakfast, and take her out again. Praise her if she pottys. If she doesn't potty, when I bring her in I put her in the crate. But if she pottys, I leave her outside crate and play, cuddle, etc., while watching for signs of imminent loss of bladder control. 

At night, put her in the smaller travel carrier in bed right next to me, so she learns to sleep in a smaller space close by, hoping to prevent a lot of nighttime accidents. How long can a 3 month old puppy usually "hold it" if they are not fed or watered after a certain time, and if they are taken out right before bed? 

I'm assuming that the puppy will eventually understand that when she "goes" outside, she will spend more time outside of her crate? Is this true? 

Does all this sound right to you experts out there? Thanks so much in advance.

SJR, East 83rd


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

Sounds like you are doing well with your plan. Just a few thoughts for you...

Free time shouldn't really mean free. The only time she should be out wandering is when you are actively watching her. If you aren't, then crate time. If you know she just went and you have a puppy proof room (like a kitchen), you could gate her in there with you. Don't let her have too much space. 

The rule of thumb for crate time is they can hold their bladders for 1 hour more than their age in months. So, a 3 month old pup could go for 4 hours overnight. That's usually one night time potty break for us.


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## Liberty (Feb 19, 2008)

I'm in the process of training our puppy and I'm no expert. Luckily I have been helped by people on this board. The toughest part for me was night-time. It seems to have taken me a week but this has taken me getting to know the puppy myself. What I have found is that my own puppy can hold a pee for up to about 4 hours. This means that if she does a pee at 12, then I need take her out at 4am. Although, last night we took her out at 10.30 and and she was still dry and clean at 4am when hubby took her out. So, it seems she can hold herself for 5.5 hours. I have been taking her out every 3 hours through the night for 6 days initially.

Something that has helped alot is giving her a treat as soon as she pee's or poops in the right place. Literally as she is peeing I tell her good girl! very positively and give her half of a tiny dog treat. This is something she quickly picked up on. Now she rushes out and goes pee as soon as she's outside then runs to me asking for a treat. 

I'm still in the process of training but am on my 3rd day with no accidents. The initial part of going out to pee at night is the worst, especially going outside every 3 hours through the night. It is tough, but if you can stick to it for just a few days it could really pay off. I hope others can advise you better than I can and wish you lots of luck with potty training.


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

Thanks for all of your great advice! I've revised my ideas and now have decided on using a crate and an x-pen. I'll carry the crate to the bedroom at night and put it next to our bed. 

Another question: I'm a bit confused about this: the breeder I might use paper/pad trains the puppies. How do I handle this after I get my new pup home? Do I continue to use paper/pee pads, or do I go right into the outside training? I had a major problem with my Bichon on this. She was paper trained so well, it took me forever to outside train her. 

Can you help me with this confusion? Thanks!


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

> Thanks for all of your great advice! I've revised my ideas and now have decided on using a crate and an x-pen. I'll carry the crate to the bedroom at night and put it next to our bed.
> 
> Another question: I'm a bit confused about this: the breeder I might use paper/pad trains the puppies. How do I handle this after I get my new pup home? Do I continue to use paper/pee pads, or do I go right into the outside training? I had a major problem with my Bichon on this. She was paper trained so well, it took me forever to outside train her.
> 
> Can you help me with this confusion? Thanks! [/B]



Pick the method you want and stick with it from day 1.


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

> > index.php?act=findpost&pid=536076
> 
> 
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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

Hi, it's me, the newbie again.

I've been reading all of the previous posts on puppy potty training, which are very helpful. I thought I'd figured it out, but the more I read, the more confused I got, but that's nothing new with me.  My last doggie was paper trained for years until we moved to the country where she was outside a lot more. Now we live in the city again in a small apt with some decent outside potty areas. I'd like to train my future puppy to go outside on command. 

Maybe someone could help clarify things for me? Here's what I know so far: I'm pretty sure I will get a 12 week old female puppy from a breeder that keeps the puppies in an x-pen with a bed, food and pee pad. I would like this dog to be outside potty trained. I don't work outside the home, and I can be with the puppy most of the time and take her outside as often as necessary. So when I bring her home, do I: 

A.) Use the same setup in my apt as the breeder with the x-pen and the pee pads _while_ I'm doing the outside potty training? Wouldn't this confuse the puppy? 

or

B.) Start the outside training/crate training immediately, leaving crate door open inside x-pen for very short supervised play times (to prevent accidents on carpet and limit mobility) and rest of the time keep puppy crated? 


I am willing to get up several times per night and take the puppy outside at all the appropriate times (after play, after eating, etc.) I had planned to start crate training right away without pee pads, but then I read so many posts where many of you indicated that you had the x-pen with pee pads setup. So now I've gotten myself totally confused. :blush: 

Thanks very much for your help. There is soo much to learn! I plan on reading all the "how to" books, and doing research on my own, but I thought I'd ask for some clarification. It's a good thing I have plenty of time to sort all this stuff out before I get a puppy. :biggrin:


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## CocosMom (May 7, 2007)

> Hi, it's me, the newbie again.
> 
> I've been reading all of the previous posts on puppy potty training, which are very helpful. I thought I'd figured it out, but the more I read, the more confused I got, but that's nothing new with me.  My last doggie was paper trained for years until we moved to the country where she was outside a lot more. Now we live in the city again in a small apt with some decent outside potty areas. I'd like to train my future puppy to go outside on command.
> 
> ...


When I got Coco I had a simliar situation to yours. The breeder had Coco started using pee pads. I wanted Coco trained to go outside. What I did is crate train her. She stayed in her crate if she didn't go potty when I expected her too. I'd take her outside and if she did her potty there she got limited freedom in the house. If she didn't do anything outside, she'd go back in her crate and I'd take her out in 15 minutes to try to go potty again outside. I had an x-pen for her to roam around and play in when I couldn't always supervise her. If it was time to take her to go potty again (remember that with puppies they go potty every 2-3 hours, sometimes more frequently) I'd take her out of her x-pen and bring her outside. You don't need to put a pee pad in the x-pen if you plan to be diligent with your puppy and take her out every few hours. If you are, however, going to leave the house for an extended period of time (longer than the puppy can hold her pee) then I did place her in the x-pen with a pee pad. Be careful though; I found out Coco had a penchant for tearing up the pee pad because sometimes she got bored and thought of the pee pad as a toy


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

If you want her trained outdoors, then I would not bring a pee pad into the situation at all. Crate train her as you want her to be. 

Even when I pee pad train, I don't use a pen like that. I use a crate.


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

Thank you Coco's Mom and JMM. Just what I needed to know!


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## Nikki's Mom (Feb 13, 2008)

The other alternative is to inside piddle pad train. I had a discussion with my husband last night about potty training, and when we started discussing fleas, ticks, dirty paws, aggressive dogs, etc., he asked me to consider this instead of total "outside" potty training, so we that can make the right decision before we get a puppy. I wondered if many Maltese owners take their doggies outside in carriers and purses and strollers only, and let them have their exercise and elimination inside the house or on their deck on a piddle pad. I stayed up late last night and read through almost all the posts in this training forum to get a feel for the best thing to do. I notice that many of you who work outside the home use the piddle pads and that makes great sense. We live in an apt. and have a small covered deck that can be used for this purpose. There are a few grassy areas for the dog to eliminate outside, so that isn't an issue. I work at home so I can walk the dog as often as necessary. We travel often by car and would take the doggie with us, and I was wondering how using a piddle pad on the road works out. 

So if you have had an "inside" dog for a while and he/she goes only on piddle pads or another pad or tray thingy, can you tell me the pros and cons of this method? Thank you!


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