# How did you housetrain your golden?



## ontariogolden (Oct 24, 2006)

I have done a lot of research about all the training involved with a new puppy but I think it would be really great to hear some first hand experiences of housetraining. I realize there are going to be "accidents" and I'm prepared for that but I'm still confused about the whole process.

Crate Training... I'll be away from about 8 am until 3 Mon. to Fri. I know it will be difficult but I am prepared to give it PLENTY of quality attention and time before and after work and during the weekends. It will be loved so much! 
I plan on taking time off during the first couple of weeks to start the training. When I am away, I'm not leaving it in the crate with the door shut. I'm thinking of closing off the kitchen and having the crate in the kitchen. During the time I'm with the puppy, I will follow each meal by taking the puppy outside and doing the whole routine of if it doesn't go take it out every 10-15 minutes until it does and give lots of praise when that happens. After those two weeks, what should I do? Newspaper? Litter box? Those "puppy training pads" from pet stores? 

Basically, the part after my time off when it will be alone is the part which is confusing to me. What should I do? What steps should I take? 

For YOU, how long was it before you had established a routine that he/she abided by? 

Thank you so much for the help! I know I'm coming off as "green" in this post and frankly in this regard, I am!


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

I have used a crate to housebreak probably 20 plus puppies in the past five years, and had no trouble at all. It works like a charm!! No house time unless they've just performed outside- then they get an hour or so. That's my method until about four months of age, then they get two or three hours at a time before another trip outside... and they become full time free house dogs at six or seven months unless I'm away from home or in some cases at night. It just works! Most of my puppies never have more than one or two accidents in the house. Most are rescues which I place once they're trained. My own current Golden pup has had maybe one accident since I got him.


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## Bogart'sMom (Sep 16, 2005)

I think it's going to be harder to housetrain your pup since you are not home to take it out every opotunity. If you leave the pup in the kitchen it's going to play and sleep on one side and pee and poop on the other. Dogs are very clean animals they don't want to mess where they sleep that's why crate training works so well. I would not put out puppypads it just confuses the pup where it needs to go. If I were in your shoes I would get a young adult that can hold 7 hours no problem. You can keep him in the kitchen during work hours and it will be fine.
I think the pup is not going to get the housetraining concept from staying in the kitchen with all the space available to it.
Bogart was housetrained by 11 or 12 weeks. That mend though I would take him out at least every 3 to 4 hours at night it wasn't a problem either anymore. Bogart never messed in his crate since he was in there for sleeping. He would cry when he needed to go out. He had some accidents in the house but they were all my fault for not taking him out enough times. Good luck with your pup,
Elke, ZsaZsa and Bogart


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## Dog (Sep 26, 2006)

I am glad you understand AQUACLARACANINES! I don't...

Leaving a dog 8am till 3pm in a crate?

Sorry I totally disagree and don't understand this post maybe because I am NOT AN EXPERT and have not "broken" over 20 puppies... 

I am a private owner of ONE DOG. What I read here is just painfull! 

Sorry I would rather have my dog in an appartment 30 floor up and having it peed in the bathroom on nappies than this!!! They are 3 of us here looking after Amber (and it is still hard because 2 adults work and one child at College).

Forgive me ONTARIOGOLDEN but why did you get a dog in a first place? If you have family and friends to help fair enought otherwise give it back please!!


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## ontariogolden (Oct 24, 2006)

I haven't gotten a dog yet. I'm not saying a crate from 8-3. Roam of the kitchen in that time as a puppy, and roam of the house eventually when he's older. I know many people who have done this and still have wonderful dogs. The one breeder I visited seemed to think it was doable. There isn't only one surefire way to do things...


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

I think is VERY doable. Though, I would say you'll want to get him to the point of being able to stay crated. In my opinion, youll be training him to go in the kitchen.From the day we got Samson, he could make it through the night in a crate...I've said it before....whenever we couldn't give Samson 100% of our attention, he was in his crate. I think instead of letting him have the whole kitchen, get a small pen for him to stay in. It won't be long until he can hold it through the day.


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## ontariogolden (Oct 24, 2006)

A pen! I never thought of that before. Thanks Rick... I will look into that. 

That's what the breeder said... the bladder grows so rapidly that they can hold it for that length of time.


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## Dog (Sep 26, 2006)

Sorry I presumed your Avatar was your puppy.

8am - 3pm, roam of the kitchen as a puppy? We got our Puppy at 3 months old and it took a good 2 months to POTTY train her (you've only got 2 weeks..)

8am - 3pm, roam of the house eventually when he's older - what age is that exactly?

I would love to hear FACTUAL info from the people who have already done this and from the ONE breeder you visited. If it is doable please let me know how? Whos is going to feed your puppy at lunch time ect..?


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

????? I'm not being rude here, I'm stating that it works... I'm happy to explain how in detail- even over the phone, if it helps a puppy get trained.

Yes, I would leave the puppy in the crate all day if I had a job- I realize most people have to work for a living, and they still have the right to own a dog. Is it ideal? No, but it's reality for most.

My dogs are never crated more than a few hours at a time, b/c I don't work, but if I have to go away for the day, the dogs I do not trust fully yet are crated, yes, and they do just fine. 

Why is this painful?

If somebody is gone eight hours, then the dog should get ample free running and exercise and attention before the owner departs.

There is nothing cruel about this method- most working people must do it. If you are lucky enough to have the money, then pay somebody to take the dog out at noon if you can't come home for lunch.

If not, do your best, and love your dog, and don't worry about what anyone else thinks.


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

Wait, are you suggesting I made this up? LOL

Well let's see... I have whelped a litter of five Saluki puppies, and housebroken *them*

I have raised three APBT rescue puppies and housebroken them.

I have housebroken a coonhound rescue puppy

I have housebroken/raised six Goldens, two were mine- four were rescues.

I have housebroken my own Borzoi puppy, who is now two years old, My own Whippet, who is now nine years old. 

There were the two German Shepherd fosters, Jade and Hope...

Plus all the adult dogs I have fostered and had to housebroke from scratch.

I'm not trying to BRAG. I am simply saying what method has worked, and worked WELL, for me. If your method works with Amber, that's wonderful- more power to you. She sounds like a very happy, loved dog. Mine are, too. They're my whole world.


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

PS I don't own or run a kennel- my dogs are housepets, and my fosters are/were, too. I only foster one or two dogs at a time usually, so I am able to have them all in the house. It's been wonderful experience!


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## ontariogolden (Oct 24, 2006)

Shirley said:


> Sorry I presumed your Avatar was your puppy.
> 8am - 3pm, roam of the kitchen as a puppy? We got our Puppy at 3 months old and it took a good 2 months to POTTY train her (you've only got 2 weeks..)
> 8am - 3pm, roam of the house eventually when he's older - what age is that exactly?
> I would love to hear FACTUAL info from the people who have already done this and from the ONE breeder you visited. If it is doable please let me know how? Whos is going to feed your puppy at lunch time ect..?


Factual info you just got from aqua. And free roam is not until he is of mature age... you didn't think I meant anytime as a puppy did you??


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## ontariogolden (Oct 24, 2006)

Thank you so much aquaclara! Not everyone can stay home and take care of a dog but it doesn't mean it isn't going to be loved. People can stay home and not pay attention to their dog too. It's all in the person. 

Would it be ok if we started pm contact and talked about this aqua?


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

Not a problem! Drop me a line. There are several methods I am familiar with- mine is not the be all and end all by far.


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

BTW It can't be done to perfection in two weeks IMO, but you CAN establish a routine and set the puppy up for success in two weeks. I wouldn't leave my 7 MO GR loose all day and expect no mistakes! All night, yes! He is with me and he has been run hard all day. He sleeps in my bed several nights a week. I rotate bed dogs. There's only so much room in my bed and my permanant bed dog takes up a lot of it. LOL


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## ontariogolden (Oct 24, 2006)

Absolutely. That's what I was hoping to do... start to establish a routine. I'm talking about mature adult dogs having free run of the house, and not anything less than that.


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

Anyone who would leave a baby GR puppy loose in his or her house all day... has my utmost sympathy, as does the person's carpet!!!


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## ontariogolden (Oct 24, 2006)

lol absolutely. Everyone I've known has done the stick to certain parts of the house thing and when they've grown to about a year or more, they start to open it up.


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

Other options, if you're not opposed to a mess, including X pens or gates.

If food and water being spilled (and therefore wasted, and leaving the dog without) are a concern, purchase metal buckets with clips, and hook them at dog face level to the side of the crate or X pen, thus solving that problem and keeping things cleaner.

If the dog is in an X pen, one could provide newspaper or pee pads for the puppy to pee on during the day. This, in fact, may be the best idea for a tiny baby puppy over a LONG stretch. One does NOT want to set the puppy up to fail and pee in the crate, and lie in it. Not only is this gross/unfair, it also can lead to a "dirty" dog and spoil the effectiveness of crate training. 

These methods can be combined, changed, played with, until they suit YOUR puppy. Routine is key!


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## Dog (Sep 26, 2006)

Sorry about the confusion.

AQUACLARACANINES – I understand you are an expert who IS AT HOME AND NOT WORKING.

ONTARIOGOLDEN talked about a NEW PUPPY and taking a "couple of weeks off" for training (feeding, potty, crate, recall, socialization etc…) 

I heard little about feeding. In the UK NEW PUPPIES have to be fed 4 times a day (difficult if they are locked up in a crate from 8am – 3pm). 

Good luck!


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## ontariogolden (Oct 24, 2006)

Everything I've read says 3 times a day 6 hours apart. Here is what an experienced breeder said to me: right before you leave @8 am, when you get back at 3 and again at 8.


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

It is common practice here to feed a puppy three times per day. This COULD prove difficult, but one option is free feeding the puppy if needed.

Personally, I wean pups to two meals per day pretty fast, usually by three to four months of age. This makes their bowel movements far more regular, predictable, and more infrequent, speeding up housebreaking. I then feed the dogs twice a day for their lifespan.

One option would be to feed the puppy at, say, 5 AM... let him play for an hour or so, then crate him for 15 minutes, and take your shower... then take him back out... play play some more, potty, house time, then feed a light snack, take out once more, then crate at 8 AM... go to work... if POSSIBLE, come home for lunch, let pup out, feed a light snack... play play play... go back to work... come home at 5 PM, and feed the pup. If lunch is not possible, pup will be fine- they go 8 hours at night without a meal, and dogs sleep all day when you're gone, believe me. I have taped mine.


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

I see you are in the UK with Amber. The views there ARE different. I have lived in UK and USA. I LOVE the way UK dog owners treat their dogs. UK dogs get off leash long walks every day in the countryside. They usually have somebody home all day. UK is dog paradise- it really is! But the USA way can work, too  It's just different. We have dog parks here to make up for the lack of off leash walking space, and doggy daycares for dogs whose owners work really long shifts. Both places have their definite great points when it comes to doggy stuff.


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## ontariogolden (Oct 24, 2006)

I would love to be home all day but that's just not reality. I would also love to have a dog, and I would also love to love a dog. I didn't know it is different in UK and I think that's great but other ways DO work. I've seen the products of them, and they are great dogs. It's all in the quality of the training.


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

Yes. Many UK people do not believe in crating, and that's okay. Many do not alter- that's okay too! Diff strokes for diff folks. I am very blessed to have lived both places and learned so much. I was very close midned when I moved to England, and shocked at the differences. I opened my mind and learned a LOT! One of my UK dog trainer friends turned me onto some of the best things I ever read or learned about dogs. 

You are absolutely right- there are MANY ways to raise a happy dog (or child, or whatever). We can all share a lot with eachother.


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## Dog (Sep 26, 2006)

HOME ALL DAY?
Our routine is as follows Monday to Friday: 

1st shift my daughter - 6:40am out of crate, pees & poos in the garden, little play and feed 7:00am than Amber stays with her while she has her breakfast.

2nd shift my husband - 7:30am 20mins walk

3rd shift me – 8am she is with me in the kitchen while I get ready for work, plays around (house/garden) and before I leave for work I crate her at 8:55am

4th shift me – 12pm I run home at lunch time, take her out of the crate, she pees in the garden, I feed her than crate her again at 1pm and I run back to work. 

5th shift 3:30pm I come home, she pees in the garden and I cuddle her lots

6th shift 4:00pm my daughter comes home, little walk, 5pm feed then brush teeth and groom (training if time etc.)

7th shift 6pm Amber does whatever she wants and go potty in the garden by herself when needed and has a little nap in our tiny hall.

8th shift 8-9pm last walk by my husband

9th shift freetime with my husband and I (play, lots of love and cuddles) until 
10-11pm crate time (she doesn’t not wake up for potty during the night and goes though until the next morning.

Saturday is big day – PARK TIME with my husband and daughter where Amber runs freely without a leash in a huge park and does a lot of socialization (also training, recall etc…)

Sunday as week days but NO WORK or SCHOOL...


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## ontariogolden (Oct 24, 2006)

I'm glad you have a plan Shirley. I basically can do everything on that list on my own except for lunch. I can make a plan too. I want to stress that getting a dog is MONTHS away and I'm doing my research now. Is that not the first step toward responsible pet ownership?


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

It's a great step. It'll all work out!


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## Katiesmommy (Sep 10, 2006)

I think the kitchen and the crate situation is good. Thats what my husband and I will be doing also. The pee wee pads IMO are a waste of money and just a confusion to the poor little puppy. I would also remove water at 7-8 pm so you wont have "pee" accidents. Those are my thoughts!!!


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## Katiesmommy (Sep 10, 2006)

ontariogolden said:


> I'm glad you have a plan Shirley. I basically can do everything on that list on my own except for lunch. I can make a plan too. I want to stress that getting a dog is MONTHS away and I'm doing my research now. Is that not the first step toward responsible pet ownership?


Your doing a GREAT job learning as much as possiable before you get your puppy. Thats what my husband and I have been doing for the last 4 months. We also went to the library and took out a bunch of books to read at home.


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

I think your plan is great. Ideal, no...probably not. But it's very workable. A lot of working people have puppies.


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## Dog (Sep 26, 2006)

A younger adult would be ideal but not the same as having a puppy.

Could this help with your "lunch time" problem?:
http://www.smarthome.com/62213.html

Sorry if I offended you. 
I have a feeling you won't get much sleep that firts two weeks so all the best.


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## Katiesmommy (Sep 10, 2006)

Shirley said:


> A younger adult would be ideal but not the same as having a puppy.
> Could this help with your "lunch time" problem?:
> http://www.smarthome.com/62213.html
> Sorry if I offended you.
> I have a feeling you won't get much sleep that firts to weeks so all the best.


That is unreal...the things people make these days Lol.


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## Dog (Sep 26, 2006)

Yes, I know!

I've never heard of these things either but I was thinking about this post and I started browsing on google and this one came up too for water. Perfect to prevent mess and keep puppy area clean (food and water) the only thing left to clean up would be the pee/poo.

http://www.edirectory.co.uk/pf/pages/mia.asp?recordid=2599158&cid=880&afid=88888


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## ontariogolden (Oct 24, 2006)

Those are really neat. Thanks Shirley! 

No, you didn't offend me... I realize it will be a challenge but it's one I'm up to.


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## Dog (Sep 26, 2006)

Great, happy to hear that and glad to be of help!

Challenges... Uummmm - How about this one (daughter was worried because Amber couldn't sleep in her room after her neutering - so she decided to challenge me...)










It didn't work but we did compremise... (she slept there all night with her puppy until the morning - Daddy supervised from the settee zzzz - and I was indeed nice and comfy in my King size bed...)










No doubt there will be many more challenges over the years to come...


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

Awww that is adorable!!!! What a sweet sleepy puppy, and your daughter is beautiful


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## ontariogolden (Oct 24, 2006)

Such cute shots! They are both so sweet!


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## MikaTallulah (Jul 19, 2006)

*Crate Training*

I am by no means a professional puppy housebreaker. I use crates/confinement until my dogs are accident free for at least one month and then slowly given them more space. I have never used puppy wee-wee pads and never plan to either. I got my golden retriever at 6 wks of age, I know too early, but he was fine and has been for 8 yrs. He was 100% housebroken by 9 wks. If you are going to be gone from 8 until 3 I would look into a pet walker/pet sitter or see if you can barter with a neighbor to take your puppy out a few times each day while you are gone. I do not personally feel that giving a puppy the run of a kitchen from the start is a good idea. A rule of thumb that I heard is that for every month old your puppy is that is how long they can hold their bladder roughly. 3 months = 3 hrs. but each dog is different. I used a baby playpen for my golden because he would cry in the crate. He never used his playpen/crate as a bathroom facility.


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