New to dogs, getting a new puppy

I sent you a Funmail…I’m sorry about your loss…20 years is a LONG life and a long relationship…

One thing about trainers…beware of anybody who tells you that “THIS WAY” is the only way…sometimes you have to combine methods from many trainers to get a good “fit” for your particular dog…

Tiny puppies…9 weeks or so HAVE to get up in the night…their bladders aren’t big enough to wait 8 hours…but that subsides within a week to 10 days…and the last thing you want is for a pup to use his “nest” or crate. Once the instinctive barrier to keep the nest clean is breached, it is literal HELL trying to get it back (not to mention cleaning out a crate every morning gets old REAL fast… :) )

An older pup can hold it…but, put a leash on him (or pick him up) as he comes out of the crate and head straight out the door…don’t let him follow you, or there’ll be puddle or a pile along the path to the door…

Here’s the lecture I usually give for housetraining…I don’t know how old this pup is, but the rules apply to all pups.

HOUSEBREAKING…

The number one ingredient to have a house trained dog is…VIGILANCE. You must make housetraining your ‘mission in life’ for anywhere from 10 days to two weeks. Keep slip-on’s by the back door, and a bathrobe or something quick to get into handy…because for this two weeks…housetraining will be your mission.

Your goal is…to beat the puppy to the punch…You’ll learn his signals just by doing all that vigilance…like they’ll start sniffing, and circling…you pick him up and take him out BEFORE he goes…Rules of thumb are also…For puppies, take him out immediately when he wakes up (do not let him follow you to the door…pick him up and carry out the door)…take out immediately after eating. During play a little puppy should be taken out every 20 minutes or so (aren’t you glad they sleep so much?? )

Crate the pup when EVER you cannot watch it (when you leave, or are ultra busy)…instinct is for them to not dirty their nest…so make sure the crate is only big enough to stand up, turn around, etc…A new puppy will need to get out once during the night…but that only lasts a week or 10 days…You don’t want the puppy having to go so bad he dirties his nest…you do NOT want to break that instinctive barrier…once that’s happened it’s hard to undo.

When you get the pup outside…repeatedly say ‘pee pee’ or “go pee”…then love them up BIG when they go…this will eventually get them to go on command, and save you from having hang out and wait in the future. DO NOT bring him in until he goes…plan on cooling your heels in the beginning.

A pup can learn this by 3 months old.

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Make a promise to yourself and to your pup…there will be no punishment for accidents. If the puppy does pee or poop in the house…roll up a newspaper, and hit YOURSELF in the head, repeating the words…”I didn’t watch my puppy”…