so i have a pit puppy, he is about 2 1/2 months old and we cannot house break him...does anyone know any ways?

Question

ok ... so he is about 2 1/2 months and we have tried almost everything it seems and nothing works! I do not want to get rid of him...i just want him to learn...i need help please!

Answer 1

This puppy is only a bit over 8 weeks old, and you're already giving up? Maybe you should turn him over to a rescue, or you can try this.

How long it will take you to house train your dog depends on your dedication to the training process and your puppy's maturity and learning rate.

Things you will need to housetrain your puppy are a properly fitted crate, a collar and leash, some treats, and time and patience.

You also need to pick a spot for your puppy to go potty. Using the same spot each time will help the puppy recognize that this is where he should go, and the smell from going there other times will help him go potty faster when you take him out.

I don't recommend using doggie litter boxes or those puppy pads. If you want your dog to always go potty in the house fine, then use this article to teach them to go there. But don't complain to me when your dog starts going other places in the house. Dogs often times cannot tell the difference between a puppy pad and your expensive rug. All they know is its ok to go potty in the house so any area with a roof is fair game for elimination. Also trying to paper train a dog and then trying to switch the dog to going outside is counterproductive and confusing for the dog. Doing this will only slow the training down. So forget the puppy pads and start teaching your dog to go outside from day one. If you have already been using them throw them out and start all over from the beginning, but keep mind the process may take a little longer the second time around since once your dog has bad habits they are hard to break. Its much easier to prevent them than to correct them later.

When looking for a crate you want one that is big enough for your dog to stand up, turn around and lay down. You don't want it so big that he can lay in one end and use the other end as a bathroom. If he can do this trust me he will. There are all kinds of different styles of crates: the two most common are wire and plastic. But they come in mesh, wicker, all sorts of different materials now. I would recommend choosing either a wire or plastic one, especially for puppies that like to chew. Here are some pros and cons of plastic and wire crates.

Plastic: These come in several sizes so can accommodate nearly every size of dog. They also give a more den like feeling to the dog and have less of a cage look. The disadvantage to these crates is that you may need to buy more than one to accommodate a growing puppy, and they take up more room if you want to store them even though they usually will come apart in halves for storage. There are also some newer plastic crates that will fold up similar to a wire crate.

Wire: Like the plastic crate these also come in a variety of sizes. They do look more like cages though, something that can be fixed by purchasing a cover for it. A cover will also help some dogs feel more secure in a wire crate. The advantage of these is that you can buy a size to fit your dog when it is full grown. Wire crates have dividers available for purchase so that you can make the crate fit your puppy. These also have a storage advantage in that most fold up very neatly and can be stored easily.

Next you will need to introduce your puppy to its crate. Just sticking the puppy in there without a positive introduction can be very stressful for the pup. I like to bring a new puppy home on a day off, and try to pick it up as soon as possible in the morning. This way I have all day to introduce the puppy to the crate so that by bedtime the puppy will feel pretty comfortable with its crate and shouldn't fuss to much.

Start by showing the puppy the crate and let him explore it. Next show your puppy a treat and then toss it inside. When your puppy goes in to get the treat praise him excitedly. Repeat this a few times and then end this session. If your pup won't go all the way in the crate to get the treat try throwing it closer to the door, or even outside the door and then gradually toss it farther back, until the pup goes all the way in.

After an hour or two have another session with crate. If your pup went all the way in the last time start there, if not start at the point you left off. After a couple times of going in the crate and coming right back out you can shut the door. But let the pup out after a second or two. Repeat this gradually increasing the amount of time the pup is in the crate. If you do this several times the first day by the time your ready for bed your pup should be pretty comfortable with the crate. I also like to repeat this process for a day or two after the pup comes home.

Also remember that whenever your dog is crated you need to remove any type of collar, even a buckle collar can catch on a crate and strangle a dog.

Now that you have your crate set up and your pup introduced to it you need to put your puppy on a feeding schedule. Puppies 8 wks to 6 months should be given three meals a day. After six months this can be cut down to 2 meals. Free-feeding (having food available all the time) is not recommended. It can lead to obesity and makes it harder to housetrain your puppy. Another disadvantage to this feeding method is that it will be harder for you tell if your dog is off food which can be a sign of illness. Feeding on a schedule allows you to predict when your puppy will need to go out. If you know when it went in you can predict when it will come out. You will want to divide your dog's full daily amount into three smaller meals. Give him the food and after twenty minutes take away the bowl whether there is food in it or not. Dogs will generally consume all they want in twenty minutes. Take your puppy to his potty spot about 15-20 minutes after he has finished eating. Repeat the go potty command while you are waiting for him to go. When he starts to go tell him good boy go potty, and when he has finished give him a treat and make a big fuss over him.

I'd also like to tell you how to tell if your puppy is getting to much or to little food. The recommendations on dog food bags are just a starting point. Start with that amount and then watch to see if your dog needs more or less. The way to tell is to do a rib check. You shouldn't be able to see the ribs, if you can add more food. You should be able to easily feel the ribs under a thin layer of fat, if you have trouble feeling the ribs, cut back the amount of food.

In addition to having to go out after meals your puppy will also need to go potty after he wakes up from a nap, after playing, and first thing in the morning and before bed. Signs that your puppy needs to go out: are restlessness and circling an area while sniffing. If your puppy does these things it's a safe bet to take him out. Remember though that individual dogs have their own signs of needing to go to the bathroom and you will soon pick up on these signals as well.

When you are out for potty breaks you should stand still, if he wants to play ignore him. You want him to know that it is time to go to the bathroom not time to play. If you allow him to play before he goes to the bathroom he may start to hold out on you to extend his playtime. Once he has gone to the bathroom however you can play all you want. Stay outside with your dog for about 10 minutes to wait for him to go, if he doesn't go in ten minutes just pick him up and carry him back inside matter-of-factly. No treats or playtime on the way in. When you get back into the house he will either need to be crated or watched like a hawk. Try again in ten minutes. Repeat until he goes.

Another mistake a lot of people make when they bring their new puppy home is to allow him free run of the place. This will only hurt your training and will also cause your dog to get into a lot of trouble. Young puppies need to be watched. When your puppy can't be watched he should be in his crate. This way he can't make a mistake or get into trouble.

Accidents:

The only time you can punish your puppy for having an accident in the house is if you catch him in the act. Even then it's less of a punishment and more of a redirection. If you see your puppy going to the bathroom in the house, startle him with a sharp NO and take him outside to finish the job. When he finishes outside, give him a treat and lots of praise. Back inside the house clean up the mess and use an enzymatic cleaner (such as OUT or Nature's Miracle) to remove all traces of the mess so he won't be tempted to use the same spot. Most carpet cleaners will leave traces of the mess that you can't see or smell, but your pet can.

If you find a mess after the fact, well to bad that one is your fault, you should have been watching the puppy. Simply clean it up and try to watch more carefully. If you try to scold your pup after the fact he will have no idea what you are mad about and will be confused and may even become scared of you. NEVER, NEVER rub your dogs nose in urine or feces. It is not only disgusting but it also has no training value what so ever. Hitting your dog with anything including a rolled up newspaper is also unacceptable.

Young puppies may need to use the bathroom during the night, so I advise putting the crate in your bedroom. This way if the puppy sounds restless you can take him to the bathroom. This will also make your puppy feel more secure because he is close to you. If you do need to take your puppy out in the middle of the night make sure you allow him to go to the bathroom only. No playtime for these outings. Still give him a treat and praise, but do so in a quieter manner than you would during the day. This way you won't get him all riled up the middle of night. Remember if you let him get away with playing in the middle of the night he will begin to expect it, and you don't want that. How long night time outings will last depends on the age of your puppy, and how fast his bladder matures.

It also helps to have his last meal of the day at least two hours before bed and take away his water an hour before bed. You don't want to put it in the crate with him, it would be unfair to the puppy to expect him to have a supply of water and then not have to go to the bathroom all night long. The only thing that should be in your dog's crate are a chew toy and maybe a doggie blanket. Although some pups will urinate on absorbant materials that are in their crate, if yours does remove it. Also if you see that your puppy is chewing on his blanket it should be removed. If the puppy ingests part of the blanket it could cause an intestinal blockage. If that happens emergency surgery is needed to remove the blanket from the intestines.

I know this sounds like a lot of work but that is what puppies are. They are also a lot of fun and that should make up for the work part of having a puppy. And just keep in mind that one day soon you will have a beautiful dog who is housetrained and is a joy to have around.

(Note: if you are going to use this article to train a dog that had previously been housetrained and is now having accidents, please contact your vet first. If your dog suddenly "forgets" his housetraining it can be a sign of infection, and that needs to be treated. Once you have confirmed that the dog is healthy with your vet, then refresh your dog with this article)

Answer 2

You haven't described what you have tried. Puppies can only hold their bladders about one hour per month old that they are. So your puppy shouldn't be expected to hold his urine for more than 2 1/2 hrs at a time.
What may be missing is taking the puppy out frequently enough and then lengthening the time in between potty breaks according to age.
I have a Pit I got at three weeks old (rescue). She potty trained the fastest of my three mixes.
So it's not the breed.
Try getting a Kennel Cab for the times you cannot supervise the puppy and don't put a towel or blankets in there. Make sure the kennel is not too big. You can put a Kong or large flavored Nylabone in there with him.
Get your puppy on a schedule as he grows, time for play, yard, park, classes, walks, treats, etc. Gives them things to look forward to and a sense of security.
Hope some of this might help or that you will add to your question by editing it so you can talk more about the problem you are having.

Answer 3

It's going to be like everything a 4 year old will be afraid of. I mean there's a list of things a small child will be afraid of. The good thing about owning the dog is that you can help your child get over her fear of the dog - as opposed to never being around dogs and then turning into one of those 40 year olds that jump 50 feet in the air when they see a dog lol. Don't listen to people when they tell you that you're choosing the dog over your kid. Your dog isn't being aggressive or anything like that with your daughter. Maybe go to the parenting section and see what some other parents suggest? You will get a lot of snot-noses talking about getting rid of the dog and how dare you choose the dog over the kid - but that isn't really the case at this point. Hopefully someone with some common sense can help you there! EDIT: Yasmin - relax yourself. SOME people have a snot nosed attitude on here. Where they jump to the conclusion that this guy is choosing a dog over his child - they just fly off the handle without considering the facts (ring a bell?). You aren't reading what he is asking - you are simply pointing fingers. So take your own advice and stop being so ignorant.

Answer 4

2 1/2 months is still pretty young. It would be like expecting a 9month old infant to be completely potty trained.

Patience. Try crate training him so he doesnt have free rein, soiling all over the house. Every time you see him start to sniff and look for a place to potty, pick him up, tell him "no" and put him out side. When he potties out side, pretend it is the greatest thing EVER EVER EVER. big hugs, kisses, treats...he is the best puppy ever when he potties outside.

Pitties are real quick to learn, so dont be surprised when he gets it fast.
In the mean time, have puppy pads near the door where he should look to go potty. At least that way, if he soils the house, he has the idea of where to go.

E-mail me if you need more help.

Answer 5

Most of the posts below are great advice... it's all about management (knowing he is an infant and doesn't have the bladder for control for more than a couple hours and therefore giving him the opportunity every couple hours to go) and TEACHING him with great praise and reward when he does go in the appropriate place.

Go to www.openpaw.org for a free step-by-step housetraining pamplet.

Be very careful that for the first couple weeks you go outside with him onleash every time so that you can reward and praise him when he goes to the bathroom in the appropriate spot. Take him out and stand in the spot that you want him to go and say 'go potty!' then give him about a minute to do it. If he does, rain treats and praise and then he can have offleash playtime for about 10-20 minutes because you know he has emptied himself. Then back in the pen/crate until the next round. That way he gets double reward for eliminating appropriately... praise, treats and freedom to play.

Often people make the mistake of not rewarding for appropriate elimination and simply punish or correct the puppy for mistakes inside... and they often get a dog that will no longer go the bathroom on their walks and as soon as they get back inside will have an 'accident' in another room in the house. Why does this happen? Because all the dog has learned is "I can't go to potty in the presence of my owner... she/he will yell at me". So they learn to potty away from you.

Remember, it is never fair to correct your pup until you have truly taught them the behavior. If your child had not learned multiplication and yet got hit on the head when he/she didn't know the answer to 2x3 it would be unfair wouldn't it? Same with your puppy.

Answer 6

Don't get rid of him, he is just young.

You need to start working with a crate. When you are not with him, you need to keep him in the crate. Once you are back, you take him outside and keep him outside until he goes to the bathroom. Do not rush him. Once he does potty, make a very big deal about it. If he knows that you are happy, he will try to do it more often.

If you catch him having an "accident" tell him no, and then take him directly outside. If you don't catch him, and just find it, don't even bother doing anything to him. He won't understand what he has done after the fact, even if you show him.

Good luck with this. It may take some time. Just be patient!

Answer 7

We rescued our dog when he was about 1 1/2 years old. He had never been inside a house before so we had lots of work to do. What worked with him was if he went potty in the house I would spray him with a water bottle. It was the only way I could train him. Just one quick spray, which he hated. You can also try leashing him to you when you are home. Keep taking him out to go, 20 min. after eating, drinking, etc. He will get it, eventually. Good luck!

Answer 8

My Goodness that is hardly time for any dog regardless of the breed. Training takes patience consistency and time. If you can't do that surrender him immediately to a no kill rescue or American Pit Bull Terrier Rescue.

Jess gave excellent advice, I DO not think you should use puppy pads either, then you have to teach them twice and a American Pit Bull Terrier using a puppy pad is completely different than a a lap dog.

Answer 9

He's still just a baby and he may not have developed all of the nerve pathways necessary to control himself. You have to be patient and consistent with him and not let him learn bad habits.

1. Don't paper train him in the house. This gives him the idea that it's okay to go in the house.
2. Take him out as soon as he wakes up in the morning and after a nap. Carry him outside to wherever you want him to go and wait until he goes. Compliment him when he goes in the right place.
3. Take him out right after he eats and drinks.
4. If he goes in the house, clean it up right away. You can put some of the poop and soiled paper towels outside where you want him to go so that he associates the odor with that area of the yard. Don't scold him unless you catch him in the act--then say "NO!" firmly and take him right outside. Don't scold him if you just find a puddle or pile--he won't understand why you are scolding him.
5. If you will be gone more than a few hours, you should crate him. Dogs don't like to go where they sleep, so if you get a crate that is big enough for him to stand up and turn around in, but not big enough so that he can get away from his waste, that is the right size. Be sure you take him outside right before you put him in the crate and right after you take him out. He should always have water in his crate; you can get a bowl to clip on the door.
6. If you are going to be gone more than a couple of hours, you will need to find someone to come let him out. He isn't physically able to hold it much longer than that.
7. If he continues to have problems you should take him to your vet to be sure there is no physical problem.

Good luck!

Answer 10

The puppie is only 2 1/2 months! Seriously, you have a few more months of puppy training ahead of you.

My best recommendation is to keep an eye on him at all times- if he is playing and all of a sudden stops- he has to go outside. All the puppies that I have helped train have been basically leashed to me in the house- as soon as their activity attention changes- they went outside.

Take him to puppy classes- they can often times help with puppy tips like house breaking

Answer 11

As soon as he starts to piddle in the house, scoop him up with a firm "no!" and take him outside to finish his business. Once he does this, praise him like it's the best thing in the world for him to do. You'll need to repeat this every hour or so - since he's almost three months, it's unreasonable to believe he'll catch on quickly since his bladder is very tiny and undeveloped. Puppies don't get their ability to "hold it" until they're much older.

Spanking or popping a dog for pottying will never get the correct response. Positive reinforcement - especially when potty training is the best way to show her that going outside is "Oh, my god! This is awesome! I get cookies and lovin's for pottying outside!"

When he's unable to be watched, he'll need to be in a crate or in a puppy pen (x-pen) so that he does not have free run of the house to piddle and poo everywhere.

You need to let her out after she drinks, eats, plays or wakes up from a nap. When they're that little, it's also advised that you let them out at least once throughout the night - even if you wake them.

It can be very difficult to potty train many puppies - we still have occasional accidents from our five month old - especially when we don't let him outside on time and did with our little girl when she was much younger as well.

I swear by Nature's Miracle for cleaning up puppy messes (urine, feces, vomit, etc.).

I wish you good luck and you're welcome to contact me directly if you have any further questions and check out the book Culture Clash for dog rearing information. Anything by Ian Dunbar rocks too.