House breaking a puppy ???'s

[MILK]

When house breaking a pup how much time does the dog have to be in the cage? Hes not 100% house broken yet and I just hate to see him cramped in the cage for so long. While he is the cage he will cry when he needs to go out, handles his business and comes back to his cage and is fine. No problems there. However, the accidents happen when my kids come home from school and they play with him and break the normal cage routine.

Should I just use the cage routine till he is 100% house broken then let him out and around the house then? What do you guys suggest? TIA

The pup is Lab and he is about 11 weeks old(i think)

[Strychnine]

You need to establish a "going out routine"

Hang a bell or something on the door handle. Everytime you take the dog out make sure to stop and ring the bell. Channel your inner Pavlov. Eventually, unless you got a defective pup, he'll start ringing the bell when he needs to go out instead of just whining like an idiot.

You can use treats for a while when he's young to further reinforce the good behavior.


I wouldn't "use the cage routine" and just leave him locked up all the time... you'll just have to be very mindful of him for a while - as in NEVER take your eyes off of him lol


This is coming from a guy whose wife actually litter box trained a 10 lb maltipoo, and whose ridgeback will nose any door handle in the house and then sit silently until we let him out. House shitting is not acceptable.

[0393gt]

I think you just need to be aware of when they need to go.. when they wake up, after eating, and after playing a lot. I don't think keeping them in a cage and having them hold it helps.

[Baron Von Crowder]

they (well, most of the non-tards) wont want to go in the crate, and will try to wait till you let them out to go. When not in the crate, like when you are home, you have to let them outside regularly, and a lot more often than you thing they should. 11 weeks is still really young.

[ram57ta]

When he has an accident in the house try peeing on him. Eventually he won't want to be in the house.

[Chili]

You really should google this. There are a ton of resources online that will walk you through the best training practices.

[FATHERFORD]

Just take them out every 30 min, praise them for doing the business outside.

If they take a drink of water, take outside immediately. When they eat take out side immediately. Only when you can't watch them should they be in a kennel. I looked like a complete dork, but I barked every time I went outside with our newest one as a puppy. Now he will sit by the door and bark when he wants to go outside.

[Strychnine]

and a lot more often than you thing they should. 11 weeks is still really young.

Very very true. It was borderline maddening taking a puppy outside every 30 min for the first few months.

[Chili]

Very very true. It was borderline maddening taking a puppy outside every 30 min for the first few months.

Seriously.. When I got our first dog (lab mix, incidentally) she was 6 weeks old. the first few weeks / months were brutal. It was worse than a newborn baby. The first week or so I was literally getting up about every hour, all night, to let her out. About half the times, even after only an hour, she had messed in her cage.

Cleaning a shit filled kennel 2-3 times a night sucks ass.

[MILK]

they (well, most of the non-tards) wont want to go in the crate, and will try to wait till you let them out to go. When not in the crate, like when you are home, you have to let them outside regularly, and a lot more often than you thing they should. 11 weeks is still really young.

He's a really smart pup, he has not gone in the cage at all since we got him. He cries when he needs to go out. This whole week he has only gone once in the house when my girls took him out. My guess is he was excited and happy to be out of the cage. LOL!!

[motoman]

You're taking a different approach to house training than I. I've always used their age in months as to how often they get taken out. So if you started when you first got the puppy, he should be able to hold it for 3-4 hours before needing to go out again. They're going to have accidents but they'll associate going outside with using the bathroom and it'll teach them to hold their bladder too.

[MILK]

You really should google this. There are a ton of resources online that will walk you through the best training practices.

I have and I have learned a lot. Its just killing me seeing him in the cage for this long period of time and only letting him out when he needs to go.

[Strychnine]

Seriously.. When I got our first dog (lab mix, incidentally) she was 6 weeks old. the first few weeks / months were brutal. It was worse than a newborn baby. The first week or so I was literally getting up about every hour, all night, to let her out. About half the times, even after only an hour, she had messed in her cage.

Cleaning a shit filled kennel 2-3 times a night sucks ass.

We got our ridgeback when he was 7 weeks old... in late October. NEVER get a puppy at the start of winter.

You think you have anger issues now? Wait until you have to take a dog outside at midnight, 2am, 4am, etc when it's 12* outside.

[FATHERFORD]

I have and I have learned a lot. Its just killing me seeing him in the cage for this long period of time and only letting him out when he needs to go.

yeah don't do that... When you are home just take him out every 30 minutes...

only when you can't watch him leave him in the kennel.

[Chili]

He's a really smart pup, he has not gone in the cage at all since we got him. He cries when he needs to go out. This whole week he has only gone once in the house when my girls took him out. My guess is he was excited and happy to be out of the cage. LOL!!

Accidents will happen.. Sounds like you are doing well so far. 2 main things I will mention:

1. Keep up the kenneling routine. Dogs are den animals and believe it or not, that kennel will become their safe place. Our dogs go into theirs to chill. We just leave the doors open.

2. Except when you catch the dog in the act of shitting or pissing inside, do not punish them for it. Even if in the act, don't smack him or rub his nose in it, just make a startling noise (to hopefully stop him) and immediately take the dog outside.

I must have read 10 different training websites over hours / days, but the main thing is to stick with it!