# Training A Puppy??



## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

So, I've had Tucker almost a week, and I dont know why but someone told me that it only takes a couple of days to teach a puppy how to go outside.

This is not the case. He was being so bad this morning, he pooped on the carpet 3 times within a half an hour of when he just pooped outside. He peed on the carpet too. 

And now he's biting people.

I don't understand why he's being so bad when he's been so good the first week.

Is he just comfortable now? Is this normal??

This is my first dog, remember.

Also, he gets the hiccups like once day, is that normal too?


----------



## LaurJen (Aug 10, 2006)

A couple of days to housetrain a puppy? LOL It takes a couple of MONTHS  Around 3 or 4 months is average, I'd say. Augie is 4.5 months and I don't fully trust him not to have any accidents--he hasn't had any, but I still don't feel completely confident. I think you really need to get yourself a good book on puppy behavior, as your sweetie isn't being "bad" at all, and it would be hard to cover every topic in a single post. Yep, they have accidents, yep they bite (a lot), yep they don't listen, yep, they hiccup every day.


----------



## Brandy's Mom (Oct 5, 2005)

I strongly suggest you pick up a copy of Golden Retrievers for Dummies. It's an excellent crash course in owning a golden!


----------



## marshab1 (Aug 28, 2006)

My puppy is my first dog also. when she was around 9 weeks old I went to the store to get a book because something was wrong with my puppy she was so bad. I bought a $6 magazine on Golden retrievers and found out it's not my puppy it is ALL puppies. It had some good advice the best being it's normal so don't panic.


----------



## marshab1 (Aug 28, 2006)

Also there are some puppy classes that will take puppies starting at 10 weeks as long as they are up to date on shots. These classes cover basic commands but also housebreaking, nutrition, socialization things every first time owner needs help with or has questions about.


----------



## VeronicaLovesHerGoldens (May 27, 2005)

Your little sweetheart is definitely right at home now!! My little cuddly Cosmo (10 weeks old) can become the "demon dog" in a heartbeat!!! I have to say he's doing good with the potty issue but thats because I take him outside every 30 minutes or so! He hasn't had an accident in his crate and is making it through the night now! You gotta love em!!


----------



## Princess Bella (Oct 17, 2006)

WOW we have something in common, I've had Bella 3 weeks and we got peeing outside down but she still does #2 in the carpet or kitchen tile... not sure what to do... 

About the biting, I read everywhere its normal... just a phase, so hang in there. Next comes the chewing: furniture, plants, kitchen counters, chairs, carpet, tv, shoes, books, blinds, clothes, bed, sheets... or anything else she can find on the floor... 

I love my dog


----------



## Dixie's Mom (Oct 23, 2006)

Our puppy is about 6 months old. We got her when she was about 4 months. I think the breeder had her outside (with her mother) more than he let on. He said that she was almost housebroken but I think that a dog is either housebroken or it isn't. Dixie only had 2 accidents (peed) in her crate. (Terrified of the dishwasher at first, and the second time something else scared her, I don't remember exactly what) I still don't trust her 100% in the house. She'll let me know if she needs to go out by jumping up on the door or nudging the doorknob. If she ever barks when I'm not in the room I'll come and take her out right away because she probably has to go. 
At first, if she went she would "earn" 30 minutes out of the crate. We would either take her out again after 30 minutes or crate her when the time was up. Once she finally went a week with no accidents she would get 45 minutes out, now she gets an hour. I'll take her outside after about an hour and see if she has to go. If she does, she's earned another hour. If we're going to play or hangout together its ok if she doesn't go, but I see it as my fault if I leave the room and she "goes" while I'm gone. If I have to be doing something and can't watch her, she goes in her crate until I can supervise her again. We haven't had any accidents in the house for awhile, but if she's not supervised she'll still go on the porch. I'm no expert, just sharing where we are at!!


----------



## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

Oh okay, so he is normal then..lol.

He did something very strange just now though. He laid down to pee....

I would've stopped him if I thought he was going to pee but I've never in my life see a dog do that...

I forget who told me it only took a couple of days to train them...lol I thought it seemed kinda weird. Maybe wishful thinking??

I took him for his first walk on a leash today. He hated it at first, he was rolling around trying to get the harness off, then after 5 minutes he trotted behind me and beside me.


----------



## Samwise (May 15, 2006)

Check his water intake, you may need to closely monitor it at this point. If he's drinking a lot, you'll need to take him out A LOT.


----------



## Katiesmommy (Sep 10, 2006)

I might look for those books at my library. Thanxs guys.


----------



## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

Hey,

Yes he does drink a lot. And I try to get him out as much as possible, but I myself have to take the time to eat and shower and stuff 

Like just now... I was in the shower and he took a MASSSSIIIVEEE poop... I swear it was bigger than him! lol in my brothers room.... so smelly...

So it's kind of hard to watch him 24/7. But I'm doing my best! I also have a full time job. But my mom looks after him too.

Anywho, dinner is served.


----------



## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

I suggest that anytime you can't give him 100% of your attention (showering, etc), he should be in his crate. The crate is the best way to teach him to hold it longer and where you want him to go....

When Samson was that age, he spent more time in his crate than out of it.


----------



## LaurJen (Aug 10, 2006)

GoldenLover84 said:


> Like just now... I was in the shower and he took a MASSSSIIIVEEE poop... I swear it was bigger than him! lol in my brothers room.... so smelly...


Wellllllllllllll, he can't be allowed to wander wherever he wants if no one is watching him. It's not only for the potty reasons, he could also eat something harmful or get hurt in other ways. I agree with Rick, put him in his crate if you need to get things done. I've never done that with Augie, but there has always been a pair of eyes on him at all times! Plus even now he doesn't have full run of the house. You might want to think about only allowing Tucker in certain areas of the house, and baby gate off other areas. Right now if he's wandering all over, pooping and peeing willy-nilly, you'll never get him housebroken.


----------



## pdbrady (Oct 18, 2006)

As far as potty training, Sasha still peed in her crate until she was 4 months old...partly our fault, we work same times a lot of days and she just couldn't get out to potty. She was completly accident free by 6 months old. The obedience classes are a great idea...I think that is what helped us make it through the "bad puppy" times with Sasha. It gave us good advice and gave her and us new things to learn and she really seemed to enjoy that. Also great socialization! And the hiccups...she still gets them frequently!


----------



## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

He doesn't have full run of the house, he's only allowed in 3 rooms in the basement. And at the time of his big glorious poop lol there was 2 people with him. And why they decided to just sit there and watch him do it, is beyond me.


I keep in his crate a lot. He does cry though, and I try hard to ignore it so he'll know he HAS to stay in there... but those lil puppy cries are just so sad sometimes!


----------



## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

The biting will get better as you communicate to him that it hurts. Some people yelp. Some ignore the puppies to try to get the message across. Playbiting is a common problem and you'll see lots of info on it during a search.

Playbiting is a method of learning bite inhibition which is helpful when they are older and some kid steps on the dogs tail. Lucky now has an extremely sensitive mouth and I know its because he was such an incessant biter when he was a young puppy. Many puppies learn "bite inhibition" with little puppy playmates, but if they aren't around, then its us.

I go on and on about it because it was a major issue for me to deal with.

Toilet training in a couple of days? I don't think so. I took Lucky out every twently minutes until I got a crate when he was 13 weeks. I still couldn't catch him. Do your darnedest to get him outside, even if it really messes with your day. The sooner he clicks on where he is supposed to go, the easier it will be for you.

Set up a schedule where you can control things more. Something like this....out of the crate, outside to potty, inside for play, feeding, outside to potty again and in the crate. Then start over. He can spend quite abit of time in his crate. They sleep much.


----------



## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

GoldenLover84 said:


> ...I keep in his crate a lot. He does cry though, and I try hard to ignore it so he'll know he HAS to stay in there... but those lil puppy cries are just so sad sometimes!


Just like human babies....you're going to have to let them cry. Though I couldn't really do it with my human ones very well.....

They'll wimper until they get used to it. And if you let them out when they cry...uh oh....they will cry harder next time.

When Lucky was barricaded in the kitchen, before we got the crate...he cried until it became home. So it isnt' really a "crate" issue but a newness issue.


----------



## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

Lucky's mom said:


> ...he cried until it became home.


Eventually, he'll get to like his crate, as they'll look at it like it's their own little bedroom.

One thing we did to get Samson more comfortable was spending time sitting in front of his crate while he was in it.....so he knew we were "right there."


----------



## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

Yeah, everyday I find he's getting better and better with the crate (ie spending less time crying in it )

Most times now he goes in and lies right down. But occasionally he cries when he feels like he doesn't wanna be in there.

It's a lot of hard work, but I know we'll get through it 

I couldn't imagine my life now without him


----------



## Chloe Baby (Oct 3, 2006)

RickGibbs said:


> Eventually, he'll get to like his crate, as they'll look at it like it's their own little bedroom.
> One thing we did to get Samson more comfortable was spending time sitting in front of his crate while he was in it.....so he knew we were "right there."


We tried EVERYTHING with Chloe to get her used to her crate.As long as the door is open she's fine.Close it and she has an anxiety attack.She's fine being gated and leashed but in a small confined area she hyperventilates.She sleeps in our room at the foot of the bed and has never had an accident.During the day she's gated in the kitchen while we work and has been accident free for a few weeks.My son tries to come over to let her out at lunch everyday.I'm trying to teach her to jingle the bells I have hanging on the doorknob to let us know when it's time for a walk.When I'm not working we're inseparable.Literally. She jumped in the shower with me last night!:no:


----------



## Rastadog (Oct 24, 2006)

*relax and set your puppy up to be right*

I understand how you feel. I felt the same way 11 years ago. My first golden was mouthy and showed her teeth. I called the breeder thinking something was wrong. I didn't have a clue, she turned out to be a great dog and continued to mouth my hand till just before she died.. My first dog didn't have an accident after her first week at my house. When I brought my next puppy home 10 years later I was sure it would be the same,. It wasn't. It took a couple of months using the same method. I would try and be very consistant in the begining. Puppy out of crate straight outside to bathroom. When the puppy goes, PRAISE and then a cookie. One of the hardest things to learn as a new dog owner is timing of both praise and corrections. Show your puppy how happy you are when bathroom happens outside. You may want to teach a bathroom command now too. I use hurry up. When the puppy starts to pee or poop say hurryup, hurryup hurryup. When they are done PRAISE and reward,food or petting or play. Don't give your puppy the chance to be wrong. Limit inside play time the first few weeks till you sense the pup has the idea. Gradually more freedom. Help teach your snubberhead by setting them up to be right. Good luck


----------



## PJD001 (Jul 28, 2006)

Don't forget to praise him or give him a treat when he does go outside! Take him out regularly and stay with him til he does it. I did that with Sam even on the freezing cold nights, and I hated waiting in the cold! Had to be done though!
remember lots of praise! Good luck with it all.


----------



## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

I've been taking him out every hour. I praise him lots too. 

Its so cute because he'll come running back to me as fast as he can after he went. I give him lots of pets and kisses


----------



## MikaTallulah (Jul 19, 2006)

Puppies take time to get used to new surroundings and a routine. Lucky was housebroken in 3 wks. because someone was around at all times or he was confined. Also I got him at 6 wks. so he was easily to mold plus I had an older dog at the time that Lucky could copy. Take a deep breath and relax. You can not definately trust any dog until they are 2 years old to be accident free.:crossfing


----------

