Puppy pee schedule

[Jayems]

The fiancee and I got a new puppy. He's a 4 month old Shih-tzy / Lhasa. He's a good puppy, but I can't seem to get him to go pee when I take him out.

He takes a crunch after 20 mins of eating or when he's first let out after someone gets home, but today alone he's pissed on a towel (next to those weird pee pad thingies my fiancee insisted on... yeah... those work well.. )

But when he goes for walks, he won't pee most of the time. So now I sit here wondering when he'll just decided to let fly over something else in the house, and if I should try and take him out every 2 hours or something? Other problem is that we have a goofy schedule so some days he's never alone, some only for a few hours, and others a few more.... so will it confuse the crap out of him?

The breeder said not to give him treats yet, but someone else said that giving a treat every time his takes a whizz is a good way to do it...

Anyway, if there are any puppy aficionados here, how can I make my dog know he has to go pee when I take him out?

Oh... here he is:

[sec304]

just hold him out of your window and squeeze him.... it should solve that!

PS> very cute, especially next to the beatport girl!

[Jayems]

I guess it's important to note that we live in a condo, and it's under construction. We have to take him about 2 blocks away to a path every time... so I can't just let him hang out in a back yard or anything.

[Traditional_Ale]

Originally Posted by Jayems

I guess it's important to note that we live in a condo, and it's under construction. We have to take him about 2 blocks away to a path every time... so I can't just let him hang out in a back yard or anything.

Okay, this makes me wonder about your decision to get the dog to begin with, or at least the timing of? No backyard? Has to be taken two blocks away? Inconsistent times home with owners? These are very important factors to consider. No wonder he's wizzing on everything!

Basically, it sounds to me like you'll have to train him to be like a cat and use some kind of indoor thing. Which is a shame, but thats the boat you've put him in.

Use carrot sticks as treats. Dogs love them and they're super good for them. DO NOT BUY YOUR PET GROCERY STORE MILK-BONES. Might as well give the dog a Mars bar.

[Salt Water Cowboy #10]

judging by the breed of dog, you may look forward to having dog pee and doo doos in your place for a while. Maybe hire the Dog Whisperer. Anyone that I've known with a small breed dog, seems to take longer than other larger breeds. Could be the training though. good luck to you, and try not to get frustrated with the little thing.

[Jayems]

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

Okay, this makes me wonder about your decision to get the dog to begin with, or at least the timing of? No backyard? Has to be taken two blocks away? Inconsistent times home with owners? These are very important factors to consider. No wonder he's wizzing on everything!

Basically, it sounds to me like you'll have to train him to be like a cat and use some kind of indoor thing. Which is a shame, but thats the boat you've put him in.

Use carrot sticks as treats. Dogs love them and they're super good for them. DO NOT BUY YOUR PET GROCERY STORE MILK-BONES. Might as well give the dog a Mars bar.

I see they've actually just put sod in today, so that'll make things easier.

[Traditional_Ale]

Originally Posted by Jayems

I see they've actually just put sod in today, so that'll make things easier.

Thank god, for you and him! Sorry if that last post came off a little harsh, but I love dogs a lot.

[Jayems]

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

Thank god, for you and him! Sorry if that last post came off a little harsh, but I love dogs a lot.

Not at all, we have been holding off for almost a year, and we thought now would be an okay time. Although our schedules are a little wacky, he'll only be alone a few hours a day.

And the brilliant landscapers put dead sod that's been sitting outside for a week on the dirt... this'll go well..

[sclitheroe]

My thoughts:

I used treats to teach my currently 10 month old dog to go on command. He was always highly food motivated, so it was easy.

The key is to really pay attention when the dog is out sniffing around. As soon as he squats, use the word you want as the "go" word, and have the treat ready for him as soon as he's done. Use whatever treats really get him excited, don't worry about nutrition in the begining - if it's hotdog pieces, use hotdog every time.

You want this particular reward to be the highlight one of the day - going potty properly should be a "peak experience" for your dog. Get really excited too, lavish praise, jump up and down for joy, silly puppyish things like that to rev up the dog and make it feel great about what it just did, and make it memorable

Also, a trip out to pee should be only a trip out to pee, nothing else that would confuse the dog as to the task at hand, such as play, learning other commands, or even walking to anywhere other than what will be his spot. When the deed is done, or if its a false alarm, back inside you go. Don't worry about false alarms, they are a sign that the dog is eager to get back out there doing the activity that was so enjoyable last time.

Finally, don't expect 100% perfection, even after the dog seems to have "gotten it". They are growing, and their bladders are unpredictable. Accidents happen, its part of owning a dog.


For any kind of training, I highly recommend the book "Let the Dog Decide". It will totally change your perspective on how to train a dog.

-Scott

[Rhetts_the_Best]

Get him on a strict feeding schedule. Take him outside to pee/poop 20-30 minutes after he eats. Take him out 3 times a day- morning, afternoon, and evening and praise him like crazy when he goes. If he's still going in the house, take him out more often (i.e. every 3 hours). You want to make sure that you give him every opportunity to go outside. Give him a treat as well.

Remove any pee stains in your house with an odor remover so that your dog doesn't constantly pee on the same spot.

I also recommend crate training him. Dogs have a natural tendency to NOT soil where they sleep. Make sure the crate is small enough so that he has just enough room to turn around and lay down comfortably. Get him used to the crate by putting a blanket, treats, and toys inside and let him walk freely in and out as he pleases in the beginning. Take him outside right after you take him out of the crate and praise/treat when he goes. As a general rule of thumb, the maximum number of hours you should crate a dog is his age (in months) plus one hour. For example, a 2 month old dog should be in a crate for a maximum of 3 hours. An adult dog should not be in a crate for more than 8-9 hours total.

If you start to see that he's sniffing around and if he looks like he's about to pee, take him outside (just pick him up and carry him out immediately) and praise him when he goes outside.

Hope this help's

[redforever]

Originally Posted by Rhetts_the_Best

Get him on a strict feeding schedule. Take him outside to pee/poop 20-30 minutes after he eats. Take him out 3 times a day- morning, afternoon, and evening and praise him like crazy when he goes. If he's still going in the house, take him out more often (i.e. every 3 hours). You want to make sure that you give him every opportunity to go outside. Give him a treat as well.

Remove any pee stains in your house with an odor remover so that your dog doesn't constantly pee on the same spot.

I also recommend crate training him. Dogs have a natural tendency to NOT soil where they sleep. Make sure the crate is small enough so that he has just enough room to turn around and lay down comfortably. Get him used to the crate by putting a blanket, treats, and toys inside and let him walk freely in and out as he pleases in the beginning. Take him outside right after you take him out of the crate and praise/treat when he goes. As a general rule of thumb, the maximum number of hours you should crate a dog is his age (in months) plus one hour. For example, a 2 month old dog should be in a crate for a maximum of 3 hours. An adult dog should not be in a crate for more than 8-9 hours total.

If you start to see that he's sniffing around and if he looks like he's about to pee, take him outside (just pick him up and carry him out immediately) and praise him when he goes outside.

Hope this help's

Removal of pee odor is very important. I also highly recommend the kennel training routine. We have used that with all of our dogs and it is still their preferred place to sleep. They are not locked up anymore as adults of course. But their kennels are their places of refuge.

And in the evening, I always cut off water 2 hours or so prior to bedtime.

[Ice]

Crate training is the best. It sounded mean when it was explained to me, but I can tell you it works like a charm. I found house training my Shih Tzu and Lhasa Apso was a piece of cake using the crate method. Crate training has made life for me and my dogs so easy. I'm so glad didn't resist the crate training. I can tell you, dogs don't mind it, they'll resist at wimper at first, but soon, they'll just sleep when in their crates.

When my dogs were puppies, they were in the crate unless someone was with them. They weren't in the crate for hours on end, but they didn't have any free run of my house until I knew they were trained. My vet told me the dogs would be at least 16 weeks old before they could be fully housebroken.

We took them straight from the crate to the backyard and told them "go pee." If they didn't pee, they went back in the crate and we'd try again in 30-60 minutes. We made a big deal out of them peeing outside, lots of praise, lots of attention when they finally did it. My Shih Tzu will actually pee on command now. If I tell her to go pee, she will. It may not be a lot, but she knows she's not coming inside until she pees so she'll do it.

One other tip my vet gave me was to make the dog walk to the door you want it to exit, even if you're dragging or pushing the dog. This way they'll eventually be trained to go sit at the door when they need to go out. The theory is carrying them hinders the process of them knowing where to go to signal their need to go outside.

[Jayems]

He tends to pee in little squirts when he gets excited... is that indicative of his bladder being full or just being an excited puppy? Every time he's done it, we've taken him out right away.... but he never goes..

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

It does take longer to potty-train smaller dogs, but it's definitely possible. The crate-training suggestion is a very good one. The only thing I would add is that puppies tend to have to go pee very soon after they eat, because their full stomach presses on their bladder.

[First Lady]

Originally Posted by Jayems

He tends to pee in little squirts when he gets excited... is that indicative of his bladder being full or just being an excited puppy? Every time he's done it, we've taken him out right away.... but he never goes..

There is an excellent summary here:

http://www.peteducation.com/article....&articleid=157

We have had our little Stewie since March 6th.

http://janemorgan.blogspot.com/2008/...ng-stewie.html

We used a combination mostly the last method and a couple nights in crate. He has not had an for several weeks now.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by Jayems

He tends to pee in little squirts when he gets excited... is that indicative of his bladder being full or just being an excited puppy? Every time he's done it, we've taken him out right away.... but he never goes..

That's most likely just excited puppy. As long as he isn't cowering or acting overly submissive, which is another issue, but one I don't know much about.

[redforever]

Originally Posted by Jayems

He tends to pee in little squirts when he gets excited... is that indicative of his bladder being full or just being an excited puppy? Every time he's done it, we've taken him out right away.... but he never goes..

That is an indication of puppy excitement. And depending on the breed of dog, that can go on for two years.

[Reggie Dunlop]

My little pooch. She's a 16 week old Labradoodle (the deal for the Golden Retriever didn't pan out).

Pretty good about going outside by now.

Read any and all books by Stanley Coren. He is THE dog whisperer! "How to Speak dog" gave me great insight into doggie body language.

[Jayems]

Since this new patch of grass has been installed a mere 1 foot from our back door, it's been really easy to take him out..

Now if I could only get him to go...