Hi - I am a new lab puppy caregiver - I've always had adopted dogs - s0 13-week-old Bodhi is my first puppy. All of the resources on the Lab Site has been a godsend! She is doing very well on training (sit, stay, thank you, leave it, and some coming on command so far). She is sleeping through the night in her crate downstairs, and there's no more screaming! She seemed to have the knack for potty training outside, but the last few days has peed numerous times in the house - the first floor areas she's been allowed in. I have a bell rope on a door and am trying to teach her to use that to alert me - but that is not working consistently. I've followed all of the guides for indicating a spot, praise, treats. I take her out numerous times during the day. Although I've used the enzyme cleaners, she returns to the same location. I will be returning to teaching soon with a new semester, so thought doing potty pads and outside would insure she has a Plan B in her pen when I am in class. I have returned to restricting her to the pen (with toys and treats) except for outside time and play as I don't know what else to do. Am I giving her mixed signals? Does she need to stay in the pen area (with potty pads) when not outside or eating or other supervised activity? I am fine with her being in the crate overnight, but have used the pen effectively to calm her down and reduce the zoomies. Am not eager to have too much time in crate and want the pen to be the more human location when I'm at work. Any suggestions mightily appreciated!
Hi @deniseopeia it has been reported that a dog can smell a drop of blood in a swimming pool. It's very difficult to rid an area of all traces of urine. I don't wish to be impolite but I think you are expecting a bit too much from a 13 week old puppy. I would not have expected a puppy to master ringing a bell to go outside. At this stage keep reinforcing with high value treats when she goes outside to toilet. You can add the bell later. I am not clear about your reference to the pen area. Is that at your home and your work place is elsewhere or is the pen at your workplace?
Is there a reason for not too much time in the crate? I only ask because I’m still learning myself and taking as much information in as I can. At 13 weeks I’m expecting buddy to still be sleeping a fair bit and this is his safe place. We take buddy in the garden quite a bit and if we didn’t, and left him alone in the house I would still be expecting accidents, and as much as he’s learned and as clever as he is, I wouldn’t give too much hope to him ringing a bell at 13 weeks. As Micheal said, perhaps you’re expecting a little too much. Back to basics I suppose? Big fuss and treats when he does and give him every chance to. Hope you get sorted.
If you are going back to work full time, then I agree, you can't leave a puppy crated that entire length of time - it would be unfair and cruel. In those conditions, I would recommend the set up you have, a pen with puppy pads in it. But when you are home (including now), remove those pads! Puppy pads give conflicting messages about where the right place to pee is. Outside is always the right place. Indoors is never the right place. It's then black and white. If you introduce puppy pads, you then are basically encouraging peeing indoors - and the whole toilet training process takes much longer over all (and for some people, is never achieved). I agree that it is expecting way too much to want her to ring a bell when she wants to go out. Most puppies have about 3 seconds of warning that they need to go - no time to ring any bells! Instead, take her outdoors every hour, on leash. Wait in one specific spot with her until she goes. (However long that is.) Give a treat immediately after. If she is empty, she can then have some free range of indoors. If she didn't go, it's back in the crate for another 30 mins - then outdoors again, to try again. Only empty puppies get free range... And you take her out every hour. Smart puppies will start to squeeze out a tiny pee to earn a treat - at which point you can stop the treats, but not before! Clean up accident spots indoors thoroughly using laundry detergent and water (you can buy expensive stuff from the pet shop, but laundry detergent will do as well). Do not allow access to the rest of the house (first floor etc) unless she is completely empty and just went outdoors. Even then, don't allow that access to go on too long until she needs to go again... bring her down again before that. When you go back to work, I would highly recommend finding a pet sitter who can pay a puppy visit morning and afternoon, to take her out to toilet, play with her and spend time with her and break up the day so she isn't alone for an entire working day. HTH
Thanks, Michael. She was already well onto house training from her breeder, so I think you are right - my expectations are off a bit. She does already signal she wants to go - she sits by the door and looks at her leash. I have a pen area in my house in addition to her kennel as when I return to professing, she’ll need a bigger area. Also use that for calming her zombies,and refocusing. Thanks for your help!
Since I also have a cockatoo, the crate works best at night when she can’t see her sister roaming freely. Also, Since I’ll be at my college (a mile away) for 4-6 hours, I think that is too long for her. She already will go and put herself down for a nap in the pen area during the day when I’m at home. And I am also trying to insure that she doesn’t get too bored and there are more activities I can do with the pen. Thanks for the advice!
Thanks, Jo! Helpful ideas - picked up the puppy pads and today was better - I think I was confusing her. She does already notify me at times and I take her out regularly, but need to remember the treats. I think I let my optimism gallop ahead because she had been doing so well earlier than I originally expected. I live near my university and will normally only be gone for 4 hours - and do plan to have a dog walker once she’s through her boosters and starts puppy training.
Good, you seem to have things moving onwards and upwards. Might i suggest you think seriously about environmental enrichment? Four hours is a long time for her to be on her own. Aussiedog has lots of innovative toys. https://aussiedog.com.au. I am in no way associated with the firm. I just know from first-hand experience that the toys are well made and well-conceived.
Ah right, yes you’re probably right, we are fortunate enough not to have to leave buddy so his crate is just for naps really. Hope you get sorted,there’s loads of people that do successfully leave their labs whilst they’re at work etc (luckily I’m able to bring buddy to work, but I know this can’t be the case for the vast majority) so you’ll get plenty of tips. I did mention on another thread that a friend of mine has a camera linked to his mobile phone which was very inexpensive for how convenient it is. That way you could at least monitor what’s going on and what works etc, just a thought.
One idea, is to look into a "puppy visit" which is a service provided by many sitters - they will pop in, take your pup out to toilet, play with her, socialise her (to themselves!), give her some time in the yard - whatever you want them to do with her, for 30 minutes. That would really help break up her 4 hour time by herself, if someone could come in the middle of that time...
I do have some puzzles and enrichment treats for her - plus will be wearing her out with games, training, puzzles so she’ll need the nap time. Thanks for the link - I’ll check out the Aussiedog site. Also, her older sister and she are getting on well, so she won’t be home alone.
I have set up Bodhicam - so I can hear her downstairs at night, and check on her when I’m out - I can also talk to her and Nöel her sister - and have been acclimating them as well as doing trial runs so she is comfortable with me being gone and she is handling that well. Unlike my other dogs, she watches tv with me, esp. animal planet. I’m also 5 minutes away so popping home is doable. She is a happy puppy and look forward to seeing how she becomes her unique self. Thanks for the advice!
