# Housebreaking my new puppy



## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

My first suggestion... don't lock him out on the balcony. He's a baby that is doing what comes natural and needs to learn where to toilet.

Have your mom take him to the selected area every 15 or 20 minutes as well as after eating, playing or sleeping. Lots of praise and a treat will speed up training. No yelling or hitting if he makes a mistake.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Do not lock him on the balcony. I agree with Willow, put him in a schedule to be taken outside to potty every 15 to 20 minutes when he is awake. He probably needs to be taken out to potty at least once during the night too. 

Do you have a crate? If not please get one and read up on crate training puppies. It will be his "house" inside your house, where he will sleep, eat, and where you can put him when you can't keep your eyes on him. If not a crate then put a baby gate in the doorway of a bathroom or laundry room.

House training a puppy is constant vigilance, if puppy is not confined to the crate you have to keep your eyes on him all the time so you can pick him up and take him out when he needs to potty.


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## Bassioni (Mar 27, 2012)

Thanks willy for your reply.

The problem is that my mom can't be around him that much and it would be very hard for her to take him out every 15 min. 

Can i ask why not lock him out in the balcony? I mean as i see it if he's locked out in the balcony he would be doing his business where he's supposed to and everyone will be happy and whenever she has time she can go out with him to the balcony maybe play with him a little bit and only comes in the house for eating. I think it can be the same as crate training but in a bigger area.

Please give me your advise about this.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Leaving him out on the balcony seperates him from his family = sad dog, and not getting to interact with his people, and people not enjoying the puppy

He would not be learning to potty where he should, he would still just be going potty wherever he is. Being inside and then taken out to potty teaches him "not in here", the right place is "outside".

A puppy takes a lot of time and committment, and a very regular schedule for training.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

Also being left outside exposes him to the weather, other animals, or even people could have access to him and he could get hurt or stolen. Depending on the structure and railing on your balcony, could he fall off?


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## Bassioni (Mar 27, 2012)

No he can never fall, my apartment is on the fourth floor so he can't be stolen and the rail is very high he cannot fall from it. My only problem is that my mom can't be all morning with him so she won't be able to take care of him all day when he wakes up and i'm scared that he continues doing it inside and the housebreaking elongates. I'm really confused on what to do.


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## my4goldens (Jan 21, 2009)

Oh my. Please don't lock him out on the balcony. I have a 15 week old puppy, and the thought of him locked out on a fourth floor balcony at 10 weeks of age is just so sad. At that age or any age my pup would be just plain frightened and I can only imagine your pup would be the same. If you can't arrange for someone to take him out at regular intervals during the day for potty breaks in order to house train him, to me it would be better just to confine him either to a small area in your home with either an x-pen or a small room using potty training pads. Please try to find another alternative than the balcony, your poor baby shouldn't be locked out there.


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## toliva (Nov 24, 2011)

Locking him in the balcony will not help your housebreaking at all. He will not make the connection that it means he is to only potty on the balcony. He will not see the difference between your balcony and your kitchen floor - he will understand that he is to potty where he is at. Your mom should crate him when she cannot watch, and let him out at frequent intervals. The crate is different because it is a much smaller area - just enough for him to turn around in - and small enough to discourage pottying in it since dogs don't usually potty where they sleep.


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

Bassioni said:


> No he can never fall, my apartment is on the fourth floor so he can't be stolen and the rail is very high he cannot fall from it.* My only problem is that my mom can't be all morning with him so she won't be able to take care of him all day when he wakes up and i'm scared that he continues doing it inside and the housebreaking elongates. I'm really confused on what to do*.


I don't want to come off sounding judgemental, but, why didn't you think of this _before _getting a puppy? 

As mentioned upthread, having him sequestered on the balcony isn't teaching him that he must 'hold it' until the appropriate time and place.

A crate would help, most puppies won't toilet where they sleep. When your mom is busy or out he would be crated and would 'hold it' until your mom took him to the toilet area.


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## beatrixkiddo (Mar 6, 2012)

I totally agree the others who have suggested crating. You need to get the size right, it should have enough room to sit & turn, but not too big that it can toilet in a corner & curl up in another. This way it will develop its bladder control.

Our Chloe is 3 months and she is well on her way to being house broken. We crate her at night but in our bedroom. The first 2 weeks we had to make frequent trips in the middle of the night when she whines (it didn't take us long to differentiate an attention seeking whine & a potty whine) & we made it serious business. Leash her & lead her to her potty area. "Go potty", a quiet "good girl" & back to bed. No funny business or games - not past bedtime at least & in the morning 1st thing is leash her & lead her to her potty area but this time praise with gusto & treat! After 2 days, it will be down to a clockwork & now she can sleep throughout the night without needing to go till dawn.

Although some owners also crate during the day, we do not. Instead we put her in a play pen, that has access to her crate & potty area. By not crating her during the day may also mean she may not have bladder control as fast. But for us the important thing is that she is making progress & that's all that matters 

To each his own I believe, as long as the method works.


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## MikaTallulah (Jul 19, 2006)

Goldens especially puppies are very social, indoor dogs. They are not made to be happy living outdoors and only coming into eat.


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## Bassioni (Mar 27, 2012)

Thank you all for your inputs. My puppy is at last house-trained. I would really like to thank you all for your inputs, they all were great help to me.


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