things are soo much better!

thanks everyone so much for your encouragement. bentley has really adjusted so well and we're very happy together! yipee!!

so now my main concern is potty training i'm crate training and that's going well but he's not learned to not go in the house. he just would never bark to be let out (he only barks when he's lonley or scared in the early morning). what's next? how do we get to the next step? how long should i stay at each step?

 

Hi is this toy poodle Bentley?

 

he's a shih tzu. he'll be four months on monday.


is there a schedule or timeline of how long each step should take to make sure the training sticks?

 

That's fantastic to hear...like I always tell people who bring a dog into the home, it just takes time, and as hard as it is to just sit and wait it out, it's so worth it in the end!!!!!!!!

I have to say this again, it just takes time, patience, persistence, consistency, and a positive attitude! Quick review:

-A *small* treat and LOTS of positive, upbeat, verbal praise when he does his business outside.

-Immediate correction when he eliminates indoors.

-No unsupervised roaming around the house.

-Good cleanup after accidents (be SURE to get the smell out).

-Immediately after waking up from a nap or in the morning, after lots of play and/or running around, soon after eating (or lots of water consumption), and after scheduled time intervals (e.g. after an hour of not having been outside), take him out. And be sure to give him some time when you let him out to go, it sometimes takes a little while for a dog to actually go once outside - You don't want to take him in too soon and have an accident b/c you didn't leave him out long enough.

-Watch for those telltale signs that he may need to go!

-Use a certain word for outside (I use "outside" ) each time you let him out.

-Consistency is key in every aspect of housebreaking!

(Everyone, if I am missing any important points, PLEASE add them in! :wink: )

Not all dogs will bark to let you know they need to go out, as a matter of fact, many don't! However, some usually display some sort of indicator that they need to go out (i.e. whining, staring at you or the door, pacing, etc.). But don't rely on your pup to necessarily do that each and every time he needs to go, if you do, you're going to have lots of accidents. Usually with time and observation, you'll notice that your dog behaves in a certain way when he needs to go out, but like I said before, such is not a case for every dog.

Gradually give him more and more access to rooms of your home (SUPERVISED for now), and if he doesn't seem to need to go out every hour, you can wait just a *little* over an hour to let him out. ONLY expand the time if he's 100% capable and okay with waiting a little longer!!!

Has he proven time and time again that he can be trusted at the current "level" he is at? Until there is significant proof (accident free for some time), don't move on! Once you feel confident that he's ready to take the next step, go ahead and do so, but if he starts to have problems at the next level/step, go back to step one.

Hope I sufficiently answered your questions, if not, let me know! Best wishes in housebreaking Bentley!!!

 

thanks for the advice!

he can hold it for about nine hrs in his kennel but once i give him the kitchen he messes on the floor. so im not sure how to transition to the kitchen during the day while im at work.

 

Nine hours is a *very* long time for a 4 month old puppy to be holding it in. Is this over night or is it during work? If its over night, I guess thats not bad. If its during the day, you might think about asking someone else to help you out and walk him. Would that also mean that during the 9 hrs (if we assume its during work time) he gets NO water or food? Puppies are suppose to eat three times a day because they're growing so fast. I really think you should get help or let him have the kitchen (with food, water and elimination paper) even though he 'messes' it up.

Have you heard of the 'formula' about puppies holding it in? I think it's their age in months + 1 hr. So your pup should hold it in for 5 hrs, at most.

My puppy, casper, is three months and in his kennel he holds it in for 3-4 hours ok (I've never put him in longer so I don't know what his maximum is - except 8 hrs overnight as I sleep). I guess you're 'lucky' that yours can hold it in for 9 hrs but - from my own point of view - you should help or just let him roam and train him when you get home. It'll take longer, but at least he'll have access to food, drink and elimination paper.

Just my 2cents tho.