How do you train a puppy?

Question

I recently got an 8 week old Lab-Sheppard mix. She is very good natured and generally calm, and like all puppies completely adorable. The problem I have is I have never had a puppy before, and am somewhat at a loss for how to get her to behave.

She generally whines if she needs to go out but this is only half the time, the other half ends up on the carpet for me to clean. She needs to stop peeing inside altogether.She also chews or bites everything! I know that is fairly normal, but with out being cruel how can I get her to stop? She nips at me even when I try to pet her, and those puppy teeth are sharp! The last thing is that she whines when I put her in the bathroom which is where i must keep her until she's house broken.

Now I realize she is still quite young and she's doing fairly well for her age; and I can't expect too much too soon, but if there are ways the speed up the training process I'd love to know them. Any advice in these areas would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

I strongly recommend crate training. When you take the puppy out of the crate, take her outside to "do her business"-praise her for going in the right place. Then when you bring her back in, make sure she is in the crate when no one is watching her. If you want to use the bathroom as a crate, that can work. we still gate off certain areas of our house from our bassett-lab mix. make sure she has plenty of her toys to keep her happy in the bathroom.
As for the chewing/biting-it is normal make sure she has plenty of things to chew on. We used a book called "Mother Knows Best" by Carol Lee Benjamin. When she bites inappropriately-in a firm voice say:No bite!!!! When she does not, praise her-Good Girl. Puppy classes are great for training dogs. See if you can find one at a comunity center or vet.

Answer 2

Goto your local Petsmart- I am an accredited trainer and their program is great for new pet parents. It will get you the basics in a short time, and give you the skills you need to train your dog for their lifetime.

Just a few highlights- 1. Puppies are not developmentall able to control their bladder until about 4 months of age, so potty training needs to start now, but just understand that it may take a little time before it is consistent.
2. Hitting your puppy can have the opposite effect, so if you find that your pup has become more assertive or aggressive, you need to eliminate the hitting- using positive rewards is actually much more efficient and must more enjoyable for both you and your pup.
3. You cannot housetrain your pup AND keep it crated ALL the time. If you do not socialize your pup to the house, you cannot expect it to feel a part of the "pack". There are a few things you can do- definately take the pup out frequently, watch closely for signs and signals (turning in circles, lots of sniffing, actually squatting or stretching), get "doggie diapers" for girls or "belly bands" for boys so that if your pup has a pee accident while you are playing, it will be caught in the pad, not on your floor. This will allow you to spend some good time together in your home and not need to keep your pup isolated.

That was just a start....but really, if you go to Petsmart, they have a potty training video (and I know in my store, we have a free potty training seminar once a month). But the video is $10 and is REALLY helpful. There is also one on crate training that is great too!

Good Luck!!!

Answer 3

Crate training is wonderful. You should read up on that. My dogs learned all desired behaviors through positive reinforcement, a regular schedule and repetition, repetition, repetition. Puppy will learn in time that teeth are sharp, she's still learning. Make a sharp noise and move away when she bites too hard (if you aren't already). She will learn this hurts you and will eventually understand her social limits. It won't happen overnight. I've never had a lab, but I heard they are quite the chewers so be aware of that.

Repetition is king. Sometimes it takes 20 times, sometimes 100 times. The patience and guidance will have to come from you.

Crate training is the way to go.

Answer 4

LOL! I totally sympathize with you! I have a 3month old puppy who is doing the exact behaviors! All I can say is be consistent with your training. I have to keep an eye on him all the time, because the minute my back is turned a shoe is being chewed, or there's a little puddle left. Every time he nips at me with those dang puppy teeth, I say "NO!" very firmly, then find one of many puppy appropriate chew toys to distract her. I would suggest that you begin crate training early so that if you have to leave, you won't have to worry about the crying pup left behind. Increase your time away from her while being crated on a daily basis 5 minutes at a time. Also get her trained on the leash and take her out for walks for short periods. It works for my puppy, he's totally pooped out and fast asleep, and I can take a breather! It's a lotta work, but it's so well worth it if you train him now.

Answer 5

Bigger dogs like you have are a LOT easier to house train. I trained my pitbull with puppy pads and when she used the bathroom in the floor I was smack her butt not too hard but hard enough to make them know what they have done and take her to her puppy pad. After about 3 or 4 times she got it right. She is now an outside dog (too big and too agressive around people she doesn't know to keep in the house). I have yorkie/beagle mix that I keep in the house now and he is 7 months old and still have oopsies in the house. Little dogs are much more complicated and not as smart. It should be very easy to train your dog. Just get some puppy pads at wal-mart (they are about $3.99) and let her sniff it and she will do her buisness. As for the biting and chewing my small dog does it but my pitbull chews on bigger things like tires. Just buy her a toy big enough for her size breed and put up everything else she can get ahold of. Hope this helps.

Answer 6

I brought home my wiggly 8 wk old puppy, and w/in days I was calling to see what puppy training class I could get in the soonest. I also read books every night on the subject. I kept mine on the leash til she was housebroken, and put her in her crate when I wasn't willing or able to watch her, which eliminated most accidents. Chewing---yeah, my computer power cord had to be replaced. This is an age for giving them lots of chews--bullies, flips, bones, stuffed Kongs and keep only a few dog toys out, so she learns which are toys, and which aren't. I was so happy when she stopped trying to grab my shoe the minute it left my foot! Nipping happened for awhile. My neighbor and I read that puppies stop nipping people when they get to nip dogs, so we put our nipping puppies together to play and we never got nipped again! Now, as the puppy trainer told us after answering tons of these type questions, "People, enjoy your puppies, it goes so fast and it'll all get so much better, when they turn 2"!!!!! It's sadly true!

Answer 7

You need to get a small crate to train the pup. the pup needs to be able to see his surroundings and putting him in the bathroom at 8 wks old is a scarey large place for the pup. So get a crate that he can see out of and that isnt to big just enough room for him to turn and lay in so he or she doesnt soil it and chew toys LOTS of them and you will see a big difference BUT never put the pup in his crate as a bad puppy his crate should be his safe place. To correct when it has accidents if you see the pup in progress say NO then take him out side and tell him or her to go potty and then when he or she does praise it big time but with a 8 wk old puppy you will have to take him out side like every hr to get him fully trained fast even every 30 min till it gets it through to the pup where its supose to go potty But yes 8wk old pup is doing real good I have some now that are 10 wks and potty training is still going REAL slow as soon as they drink about 15 min later take them out and always say go potty I hope I helped some

Answer 8

Anyone that loves pets will treat their animal as apart of their family, having said that (the pet is an animal) not human.
Just like children they have to learn right from wrong. Hitting an animal is just stupid it only makes them fear anything they do.

Animals have to have a boss (leader) you have to be the leader..
Only ever use the dogs name when she is good NEVER when she is bad. Dogs don't understand English its just blar blar blar.

When training your puppy use a deep authoritative tone and say (barrr) the pup will stop, when she stops praise her with her name and pat her. So when she wets [barrr) and put her outside.
Like a child you have to repeat the process over and over. Same with the nipping. There is no quick fix just patience and be the leader. Good luck...

Answer 9

I have trained several puppies
How I do it is I take a piece of newspaper that is soaked in their pee and also take pieces of poop out there and put it in your yard where you want the dog to go,. I trained my dogs to not go in the grass but on the bark .....
Take the puppy out every 20 minutes or so.
Take them to where you have put the paper and make sure they smell it, then when they go....priase the puppy , you can also give them a puppy treat when they go outside but not inside

Don't keep the puppy pent up too long, he won't learn that it is bad to poo pee inside. If he does make sure you clean up the mess with something that takes the scent out or they will think that is the place to go.

Make eyecontact with the puppy......YOU need to be the alpha puppy in the family. Lots of praise goes a long way.

Answer 10

Don't let her tell you when. YOU tell HER when.. go out every two hours, go after she plays, after she eats and drinks, right before bed, first thing in the morning. Keep her in a crate/cage at night.
Biting: she's teething... find her cold toys that you keep in the freezer for her. My dogs STILL love to eat ice cubes. When she bites you... shove your hand further INTO her mouth... that's what I did to my dog and my cat. The do NOT want to lose control of what they were biting. When they find that their 'game' is not fun anymore.. they'll stop it.
Keep her in her crate until she is housebroken.(not bathroom, that's not where she sleeps.) She will not mess the place she sleeps. Yes, she will whine but it will solve two problems when she is done learning. Best of luck.