How do i housetrain my puppy? Especially at night when im sleeping?

Question

I just got a new puppy he is around 3 to 4 months....the person who had her trained her to poop on a paper inside the house....i need to break that habit.....

But i put down paper at night before i went to bed ...and when i woke up she went everywhere but on the paper....should i keep her tied to the leash at night near the paper till she learns??

ok....so keep doing the paper on the floor thing? at night? and btw...my puppy is a pitbull as well:)

i see alot of people telling me to crate train her....can someone tell me exactly how to do that and for how long am i keeping her in the crate?

you guys are so great!!!! I was going out of my mind this past weekend that i just got her:( all these answers are soo much help too me!!! Thank you soo much they are a big help to me!

Answer 1

Paper training is never a good idea. It teaches the dog that using the bathroom in the house is acceptable. Quit doing that right away!

Don't scold the puppy for accidents...she is learning! Just calmly take her outside and praise and treat for any time she pottys!

Buy Pet Force from http://www.frrco.com/121668 to take out the potty smell and keep her from re-using the same places. This is very important to getting her potty trained! It may take a few applications for the older areas, but it does work and a bottle lasts a long time!

Take her out every time she wakes up, after she eats/drinks, and also interrupt play time to avoid an accident. Signs she needs to "go" are circling, sniffing the ground, stiff body posture, hunching of back end, and crying. An intense worried look on her face could also mean it's time!

If you take her outside and she doesn't potty, bring her back inside and wait 15 minutes and take her out again. Always take her out for potty breaks on leash so she knows it's potty time and not play time!

I have a lot of experience with pitbulls, and crate training as well. Please email me at [e-mail] and I would love to help with any concerns and questions you may have!

Moni
http://www.geocities.com/libertydogtraining

Answer 2

I have found, that the best way is to crate the puppy. A crate is a like a small den for animals and they normally will not mess in their crates. Some find this mean but it is for them as well as for you. Get a crate put a blanket that has your smell on it and try it little by little and your pup will be fine. make sure you let your puppy out before you go to sleep and as soon as you get up. Good Luck.

Also: If your puppy does potty on the paper. Slowly move it towards the out side and praise your pup every time he goes on the paper. As you move it towards the outside you will be able to break the paper habit

Answer 3

I agree with another poster. Crate training a puppy is essential! Make sure the crate is only big enough for him to turn around. Make sure you give him no room to move around; puppies generally won't go to the bathroom where they sleep.

Also, for the first few nights, feed him about four hours before bedtime and don't put him in his crate until he's done his business outside. Timing his feedings is crucial. If his stomach is empty when he goes to bed, there'll be nothing for him to "leave" in his crate for you.

You might want to wake up once in the middle of the night and take him out, too. Then take him out right when you wake up.

Answer 4

I wouldn't try to break that habit right away... teaching them to go in a specific place is always a good place to start. However, if that really isn't working, then I guess you have a few options. When i first got my jack russell as a puppy, he seemed to have the smallest bladder ever. He only lasted about an hour before i had to take him out or risk an accident. And every morning i would wake up with a mess. I started to cut back his food and water- after about 5 i cut him off. I would walk him in two hours, and again right before i went to sleep. That drastically cut down the accidents. He also started to wake me up when he had to go- your pup will learn that eventually as well. If they have to go bad enough, and know that they are going to get in trouble for going inside, then they will attempt to wake you up (i.e. whining, scratching, jumping). As for the paper... maybe cutting back will help him go on the paper as he is trained when he really has to go. If he does start to go on the paper then i would recommend slowly gravitating the paper to the door. Then you get him into the idea that you want him to go outside. I hope that helps!

Answer 5

as everyone else is saying crate training. they are totally right and it really is the best way. i have a 4 month old german sheperd and we got him when he was 6 weeks, he finally has the instinct to not mess his bed, which is the best reason for crate training. over time he gradually made it longer, from every hour ad a half to 2 hours to now we bring him out before we go to bed and he sleeps till about 7 or 8ish in the morning.

the first thing u want to do is actually get him used to the kennel. put some of his favorite toys in there or some treats and let him go explore it first.
The way i got mine to it is by putting his food in there and thats the only place he is fed.
after u have him in there, let him know its ok by giving him treats. HE WILL WHINE!
but dont give in to him and tell him its ok or let him out, letting him out will let him know that everytime he whines u are gonna take him outta his crate.
i had him in another bedroom at first and he was there by himself and he cried alot, so i placed him beside my bed and he was fine since then. hes about the age to make it mostly through the night tho. just take away his water at night.
if you have any questions email me at [e-mail]
good luck! i know its difficult!

Answer 6

Definitely crate train your pup at nite time. By the time he is 4 or 5 months old, he should be able to make it thru a nite of sleeping without the need to go out to potty. But until that time, you may have to make at least one potty run each nite. Every dog is different as to when they'll be fully able to hold it thru the nite.

I would personally remove the papers and immediately begin outdoor training. This requires that you take him out every 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on his activity level (he can make it 2 hours if napping, but needs to go out right away when he wakes). He'll need to go out after eating, right away to pee and 20-30 minutes later to take care of the other business, also after any play session, drinking, napping and when he gets up first thing in the morning.

When you take him out to go potty, you may have to wait a while and give him the time to do it. When he does it outside as you want, praise a ton for this and even give him a soft yummy treat (soft is more desirable to dogs than hard milkbone style treats). Soon he will get the idea that going outside comes with a reward and that you want this. When he does have an accident inside your home, only discipline if you catch him in the act. After the fact punishment does no good as he will not realize why you are upset. If you catch him in the act, immediately say "No, Outside" and take him out straight away to finish what he started. When he does it outside, give tons of praise.

I found that clicker training really got my dog to catch on quickly with potty training. You use the click to signify a treat reward and do it a few times to teach your dog that's what he gets. Click, give a treat, click, give a treat. Once he associates the click with the reward, you can then use the clicker to "click" positive behavior and your dog will understand quickly he is doing something you like this way. When he goes outside as he should, click during the act and then give him the treat reward.

Good Luck!

Answer 7

The puppy is still young enough to retrain, so do not give up hope. U need to take the puppy out the last thing at night before going to bed. Then use puppy pads to start training him to use it . After he starts using it then start moving the pad closer to the door to finally he will be ready to go outside when he needs to go. Hope this helps

Answer 8

a good rule of thumb is a dog can hold it for 1 hr for every month of age.....i woke up during the night to take them out and they trained great....i don't like using the paper on the floor thing because you just have to turn around and train them not to use the paper

Answer 9

With my puppies we put them in a kennel at night. Even if they cry just let them. It is very hard but it works and they will be trained that way. In the morning when they wake just take them out side first thing. After they eat wait 15 to 20 minutes and take them out again this get their bladder and system trained. It does take time but be patient.

Answer 10

@ night is the hardest time. I had a friend who had a paper trained dog that needed broke . She put the paper by the door. Then the question is How to get the dog to tell you when she needs out. If she speaks make her sit and speak before you take her out. Otherwise tie a jingle bell to the door nob low enough for her to hit it. Make her hit it every time you get ready to take her out. before long she will get the hit. The reason it is the hardest @ night is because we cannot see cues to let her out. During the day take her out every few hrs. Feed her @ specific times of the day and take her out every time she finishes dinner. Also if she starts sniffing around take her out. Make a party of it when she goes outside. Make it exciting that she goes outside and give her a treat. Untill they are 16 wks old they have a hard time holding it. have patients and be persistant.