That's great news!
Let's talk Potty Training! What's your experience with your puppy?
- Thread starter MyBuddy
- Start date
Good dogs!
I still haven't left these two uncrated if I actually get in the car and go somewhere. I'm not worried about a potty accident but Olive is a big time escape artist and I could see her doing something like finding the whole stash of bullie sticks. LOL
That said, hubby did leave them out of the crate when he had an appointment and I was on my way home. They were fine but it was probably less than 5 minutes.
That said, hubby did leave them out of the crate when he had an appointment and I was on my way home. They were fine but it was probably less than 5 minutes.
With Katyusha, I began letting her go without her crate at about 5 months if I remember right. She was still confined to a gated area but did well, so I opened up that area to be with the other dogs and she never has really destroyed anything other than a wallet with about $170 and my birth certificate in it. Most of the money had serial numbers intact and the bank said they were good, and replaced them for me. I mean: leather wallet, and I left it where I shouldn't have.... She just really leaves stuff alone and always has.
Zastava got uncrated because she had a recent upset tummy and selfishly I decided it was easier to pick up a pile than to haul the crate out and hose it, and bathe her, repost because the posts got wet in the bath.... But, so far she's doing delightfully with it. I close the kitchen off because treats and cleaning chemicals are in there as well as the trash temptation, so that whole area is a place she can't cause trouble. Also pretty diligent that anything that doesn't need to be plugged into the outlets isn't, but she shows little interest. I see her on the cameras after I leave tossing her tug toy around by herself or trying to get Toby to play, then she just goes upstairs to bed. I'll watch her though as she develops. I may have to go back to confinement if she starts getting destructive. She really is a wonderful puppy and is so fun and smart, It was only the potty training I was getting so. darn. frustrated. with.
I don't envy having a driven escape artist!
How old is Z now?
Yeah at Annie's age I'm more afraid of what she can get into! Left to her own defenses there's a ton of stuff she can get into! So leaving her for a length of time is out of the question without putting her in her crate in the breakfast room.
But I do short intervals of leaving her in an area I was able to block off. We have a fairly open floor plan so putting up gates and stuff was difficult. But what I was able to block off still gives her access to the powder room, the laundry room, the kitchen, the breakfast room and a pantry if I don't close the door !
So its a lot of stuff she can get into if she really wanted to. And puppies always want to! I do short spurts of leaving her in that area like to go to the other parts of the house, going out on the deck to do a few things, go water flowers, Etc. But always a short period of time so that she gets in the habit of knowing that I'm returning. So far she's not showing any real signs of separation anxiety.
And I'm not picking up on any real signs that she's trying to tell me she has to go potty. But I'm also pretty tuned into her schedule and probably get her outside before she even has a chance to tell me.
She is pretty treat driven and she understands the word "potty".So when I know she just woke up from a nap and just needs to pee, I will grab some treats and let her know that I have them, go out with no leash and tell her, let's go potty! She just goes down the stairs and right there in the mulch goes pee, gets her cookie and a 'good girl', and up the stairs we go!
Baby steps.
Yeah at Annie's age I'm more afraid of what she can get into! Left to her own defenses there's a ton of stuff she can get into! So leaving her for a length of time is out of the question without putting her in her crate in the breakfast room.
But I do short intervals of leaving her in an area I was able to block off. We have a fairly open floor plan so putting up gates and stuff was difficult. But what I was able to block off still gives her access to the powder room, the laundry room, the kitchen, the breakfast room and a pantry if I don't close the door !
So its a lot of stuff she can get into if she really wanted to. And puppies always want to! I do short spurts of leaving her in that area like to go to the other parts of the house, going out on the deck to do a few things, go water flowers, Etc. But always a short period of time so that she gets in the habit of knowing that I'm returning. So far she's not showing any real signs of separation anxiety. And I'm not picking up on any real signs that she's trying to tell me she has to go potty. But I'm also pretty tuned into her schedule and probably get her outside before she even has a chance to tell me.
She is pretty treat driven and she understands the word "potty".So when I know she just woke up from a nap and just needs to pee, I will grab some treats and let her know that I have them, go out with no leash and tell her, let's go potty! She just goes down the stairs and right there in the mulch goes pee, gets her cookie and a 'good girl', and up the stairs we go!
Baby steps.
she's 19 weeks today. Wow, another week will be roughly 5 months!
So her birthday is February 12th. 20 weeks turns out to July first so depends how one counts, I guess. I don't want to admit to myself how fast she's growing up so I'll use July 12th instead of the first for the 5 month mark.
Same here. I do count the weeks but using the day of the month gives me slightly more tome to live up to the month count.
She did great yesterday but today was not a duplicate. Back in the crate you go sweet girl. The loose stools have been solved, so now it's time to re-focus on bladder control. Still happy with her out of crate performance on everything else. Once she gets the potty training I think she will be free to have the run of the house.
Falcon will be 8 months July 10th and we still crate when not home, and at night. He is a very busy boy....poking his nose into everything always. He has not had an accident in the house in a few months; and that was only because he knocked a desk chair over and scared himself 
Crating more for his own protection, and our peace!
Crating more for his own protection, and our peace!
Today felt like a real mark in potty training and mental/physical development. This week I experimented with going to work 3 hours at a time while not crating Zastava. If the house was clean and dry when I got home, she earned another 3 hours without the crate. Today she finally seemed to catch on to this. Came home to a completely clean and dry house all Day! No accidents, with no crate!
Edit to add also no home damage
Edit to add also no home damage
MichiH
Hot Topics Subscriber
Yay you twoToday felt like a real mark in potty training and mental/physical development. This week I experimented with going to work 3 hours at a time while not crating Zastava. If the house was clean and dry when I got home, she earned another 3 hours without the crate. Today she finally seemed to catch on to this. Came home to a completely clean and dry house all Day! No accidents, with no crate!
Edit to add also no home damage
That's awesome!
I was going to bring this thread back up and ask how everybody did with their puppy telling them that they had to go outside. I'm just good at taking her out when I feel it's time. I kind of know her routine and utilize it. But I've yet to see her actually try and tell me.
And I would like for her to do that. I mean eventually they usually do. Buddy would bark at me or do the Doberman whine. 
Kali usually will kind of jump at my leg. My Pomeranians did that too. Must be a little dog thing.
So Annie hasn't pooped in the house in God knows when. But about a week ago, maybe a week and a half ago, she had peed on the carpet by the back door.
And she had just kind of done it when I discovered it and she was just laying down playing with a toy like nobody's business. I'm like, what the hell? It's like she didn't know she did anything wrong. But she did do it by the door. 
So I don't know. I'm just going along with how I do it in our routine. But I'm still not sure if she knows that it's wrong in the house. Of course, there's a parade and a party when she does it outside. So she knows to do it there. In fact, I'm certain she knows what it means when I ask, do you have to go potty? I could take her out and say 'go potty', and she will squat. Almost on command. Kali will too. She knows what that means and it's very helpful when traveling. I'll take her out, tell her to go potty, and she's done! I would just like to see some kind of indication with Annie that she's telling me. You know like go to the door and bark? LOL that would be awesome.
This reminds me of the sleigh bells I have hung on the doorknob of my back door. Thor was really adept at using them. Katyusha and Toby never really touched them, but i heard Zastava ring them this weekend, so I let her out right away, and I am hoping she will use them routinely. I've had them about 12 years, I think I spent 99 cents or $1.99 on them at Walmart back in the day. With Annie having peed by the door, it makes me wonder if such a setup would work for her?But she did do it by the door.
I also don't think Zastava knows it's wrong, but I think she kind of figured out that she knew she didn't want to mess her crate, and now the whole house is her crate, and I really sense she doesn't want to mess it.
I've often heard people using this technique. I would hate it.
we use that door all the time and to have those bells on there would be a royal pain. Sorry that technique is not going to work for me.I remember one Christmas when I put bells on the other door going to the garage and oh dear God. Yeah I had to take them down. AnNOYing!
she's just going to have to learn how to tell me. I Try by asking her, do you have to go outside? Sometimes when I ask her that she actually looks at the door. So I think she knows what 'outside' means too.
can't blame you there!I've often heard people using this technique. I would hate it.
sounds like she has it connected and that's awesome!
