Hi, We have a 16 week old pup and are struggling with toilet training. She came from kennels and had no training. She is happy to go outside, but equally happy to go indoors also. Tried the usual techniques, and going out regularly helps, but still having accidents indoors. Any tips most welcome. thanks
Hi @Chris D 8 I'm not sure what is covered by yoour reference to usual techniques. So I'll suggest a number of things. 1. On lead take puppy to same area in garden 2. When she finishes urinating say yes and give her a treat. 3. Take her out regularly, say every two hours during the day. Yes and treat after each and every urination. 4. Inside she should be in crate whenever you are not monitoring her. 5. You will have to take her outside during thr night. Rough rule: She can hold her bladder for 1 hour for every month of life.
Michael's advice is spot on. Just to add, when you give the treat, be sure to give it immediately after she has toileted - and outside. Don't come back in the house and give a treat there, because the pup will not associate that with toileting outside - she will experience it as being for coming back indoors... Lots of people get this bit wrong.
Thanks very much. We have been basically doing that, but less frequent and off the lead. She has good control and can go for a long time between toileting, so the timing of when to go out has been difficult. Will try on the lead and more frequent intervals. Treats have been given outside and lots of fuss. should we give treat when she toilets on walk ? we have been doing this.
Hi @Chris D 8 The answer to your last question. It all depends. Let me backtrack. When we teach a dog something we attempt to teach a pattern. We take the dog to the same spot in the garden. That is why we need the dog on a lead. When she urinates and we give her a treat, she faces a puzzle. Why did I get the treat? She could have been looking at a bird landing on the fence just as she finished urinating. Although there is some problems in describing her thought processes as follows, let suupose she thinks I am getting a treat for watching the bird. Next time we take her out, we give her a treat. She might be surprised. There is no bird landing on the fence. Well it must be for something else. If we repeat the routine enough, then the dog learns a paatern: everytime I urinate in this part of the garden I get a treat. It's not looking at the bird, or looking to my left, or looking at the worm, etc. Because all these factors were changing--they were not part of the pattern. She forms the association that it must be urination outside in the garden that results in the treat. Good that is where I will urinate in the future. Inside, not good, because there is no treat. So giving her a treat when she urinates in the street may do little in getting toilet training established, because the dog has to form an association between behaviour and consequence. When you are walking in the street lots of things are changing, cars, people walking by, etc. So what pattern between behaviour and consequence can she reasonably deduct if many things are changing? You would definitely treat the dog if you had taught her a cue such as wee at home and were proofing it by asking to urinate on say some new nature strip.
Thanks, good advice. I have now put her on the lead when we go out to ensure she goes to the same area & she is starting to get the idea.
