Is there an easy way to potty train a puppy?

Question

I got my puppy about 2 weeks ago and we have let him go on the pads in the house because he is a chihuahua who is only 3 months and it's cold outside. Now we are try to get him to go outside. He will pee outside but he won't poo. He also still goes in the house on the pads. He'll pee in tiny amounts, just because he can and doesn't have to hold it. I'm worried if we remove the pads from the house he'll just pee on the floor. I'm not sure if it's possible to train him to go outside or if I'll have to get the litter box for dogs thing. And if I try to train him to go out and he has an accident, how am I suppose to punish the little guy?

I do have a crate, and when he gets out we always take him out and he goes. It's more of a problem when he is left out of the crate for long periods of time when we are home. Then he thinks he has free reign.

Answer 1

Housetraining is easy in theory but can be tough in practice.

The theory: reinforce for eliminating in the correct place, prevent elimination in the wrong place.

In practice, the first part is obvious. To prevent accidents you must be watching him or he must be confined. If you are not able to keep an eye on him - and this means when you are cooking, on the phone (unless you can interupt the conversation to run after pup), too tired to follow him around, etc. - he should be in a crate or pen.

I recommend giving the pup ten minutes to eliminate outside. If he doesn't, bring him in and try again in 20 or 30 minutes. The problem with staying outside until he goes is that you could teach him to hold it to prolong his fun outdoors. Unless he llllooooooovvvess coming back into the house, bringing him inside right after eliminating can actually be punishing. Only allow him to stay out for play or walks after he takes care of business. He will learn to pee and poop right away when he goes out. Trust me, you'll be happy you did this when it's two degrees outside and there are 18 inches of snow (if you live in that kind of environment), or even if it's just pouring rain.

Answer 2

Try crate training him. http://www.inch.com/~dogs/cratetraining.html

It's the best and most effective. Keep in mind that it can take a couple of months to completely housebreak him. He's still a baby, and will have a harder time holding it then he will as an older dog so you'll need to take him out as often as possible.

Also, don't punish him if he has an accident. His memory is so short that by the time you realize he's peed or pooed on you carpet, he'll have completely forgotten about it. Punishing him will only confuse him and make him afraid of you. Instead, reward him when he does well--make a big fuss of "good doggy!" and even occasional treats when he goes outside.

Answer 3

Hi, I understand that you are looking for some advice or resources to help fully train your dog or fix behavior problems. If a professional dog trainer is not an option at this time, or if you want to trt training your dog on your own (a great way to bond), I'd suggest you https://bitly.im/aMQFt

A friend recommened it to me a few years ago, and I was amazed how quickly it worked, which is why I recommend it to others. The dog training academy also has as an excellent home training course.

Answer 4

I disagree with a couple of the answers - only because I think it's a generic response to think that dog's memories are short term and that crate training is a universal answer. All dogs (like people) are different and when you get to know your dog, you will then know the technique that works best for him. My suggestion is figure it out for yourself and definitely don't rely on your dog to tell you :-)
They can be smart but not that smart.

Answer 5

You need to take the dog outside every so often, maybe every other hour or so until he gets the hang of it. Stay out side with him and encourage him to go. Once he does praise him for his good deed and give him a treat.

This what worked for my dog and it didn't take more then a week, to get her trained.

Answer 6

If you have a crate - use it. If not, then you should get one. When you take him out of his crate you need to pick him up and bolt out the door - to show him that that is where he goes. He shouldn't go in his crate - it's their home base.

Answer 7

you do not punish the dog just be patient. Move your training pads outside and the pupm will follow,and just keep correcting him when naughty,not punish

Answer 8

if the dog gos on the ground in the house you rub its nose in it and then put the dog outside