Help! Puppy thinks crate is a toilet!

That's good. So now, you have to stop him thinking the pen is his toilet, then the kitchen, and so on. So keep trying to make sure he doesn't go in his pen by taking him outside and keeping his nights really short.

 

They will.

'Free feeding' means nothing can be predicted poo wise!


...

 

Thanks JulieT, will start setting the alarm and see if I can catch him before he goes.
Toilet trying has improved in the last few days, he has no problem going out side, where before it was like he would hold it in until he got into his crate.
However today he did have a wee in his pen tho, as soon as I put him in so I could sort the kids out, so he still has no problem doing it in the pen....
Just need to keep going!

 

You'll get there, don't worry. Just keep at it, keep taking him out, and it'll come good.

 

Thanks JulieT,

At the moment I scoop him up and carry him out to the garden, should I be trying to get him out on his own accord? I read somewhere that carring them out in the garden can slow toilet training down?

Also should we treat when he does outside, or just praise? Again have read conflicting things on weather to treat or not....

 

I scoop when tiny, call them when 10 weeks +

Treat is good.

 

Agree with Mags - it doesn't matter if you carry them although they soon get too heavy! What harms toilet training is an open door - because a dog with completely free access to the outside never learns to hold it.

Definitely give treats but wait until they have finished before you say 'good boy' and fish out the treats - I give three bits of kibble and I count them out and make a big deal of it, feeding each bit with great ceremony. My 3.5 year old dog, still hopefully looks for his 3 bits of kibble when he has a wee!

 

I also used to carry Bailey out when he was tiny but he soon got too heavy for me to do this, so if the OH wasn't around I used to call him and use his natural instinct to be close to me to get him outside. I also used to treat, now he just gets lots of praise. He is now nearly 19 weeks old and stares at us when he wants to go outside. Keep going and you will get there.

 

Update:

Ok so after using the small open crate and pen for just under 3 weeks. I closed the door of crate last night, and set my alarm for 6 hours later.

So at 5 this morning I got up to a dry and clean crate.
He went out did a wee and poo , then back into bed until 7:30am without a fuss or wimper, came back downside he went out for a wee.

So after the help of you great people, he now doesn't see his crate as a toilet. And we have had our first clean and dry night.

Thank you

 

Yay!!