has anyone any tips on how to housetrain my 14 week terrier puppy?

Question

i have a 14 week old border terrier pup who i adore but am finding it quite hard to house train her .i have a cage which i put her in at night ,and sometimes in the day (i am at home most of the time )but she uses this as her toilet ! she will go in there to go to the toilet on purpose !often when we have just come in from outside .she will also mess were ever else she pleases in the house .i do take her out regulary and put her in the garden to play .anyone any tips ? thanks

thanks for all your answers ,im not sure i , my 3 kids and my husband can live in a pooey weey house for a year though !i will soon be getting shares in zoflora as it is !!thanks anyway !

Answer 1

Terriers are a very difficult breed--they are very stubborn. Never scold your puppy for going to the bathroom--what they learn is that you are yelling so they better do it where you can't see them and they start to run in the other room or hide. Terriers are notorious for doing it TO GET BACK AT YOU. If it feels you were talking in a mean voice, ignoring it, or yelling, it will do it intentionally.

Each time she goes outside where she is suppose to, you reward. When she starts to go inside, you have to catch it immediately (in the act) and run her outside. If you see it 2 minutes later, don't bother. It's out of the 14 wk old mind. You should be able to do it in a week.

Part of the crate--at 14 weeks they can only hold it 4-5 hours. If they are in longer than that--they HAVE to go. They have to go far more often when they are free running around they have to go every hour or so.

Using their crate is rather odd. Dogs hate to go where they sleep. They hate to go where they eat. Thats just a fact of dogs. So the fact that yours doesnt know that is odd. Try putting her food in there with when its dinner time. But playing in the garden is not the same as "potty time"--when he is playing he isnt thinking if he needs to go.

Also it is a dogs natural instinct to have a set schedule. They eat and 30 minutes later they go for a walk. Walking is the natural way to eliminate wastes. Terriers need lots of exercise. Going outside to play is not the same as a walk. They truly need to be walked probably twice a day.

But with a terrier, the act of going in the house right now is a combination of Not knowing any better and a Finding out who is in charge. Don't overlook the power struggle of the pack mentality just b/c its young and doesnt know better.

Your puppy is trying to figure out who rules the pack. Right now its not sure if the house revolves around her or you. Caesar on the Dog Whisperer talks a lot about the pack behavior. She needs to have firm rules--when you give in b/c its looking cute, that inconsistant behavior confuses the dog. The dog needs to know who is alpha in the house. A dog needs three things: exercise, rules, affection --and its that order. Affection does not come until after exercise and rules.

But yeah terriers have a power struggle and constantly are trying to prove they are better than you. It's the nature of the breed. Good luck and remember No Scolding--just rewarding good behavior. and instantly fixing the negative while they are doing it.

Sorry this is so long! Hope it helps!

Answer 2

first congrats on your new puppy. sounds like your kennel maybe to large for the pup if u got it for house breaking u may consider getting a smaller one, have a place in your yard where u want her to go any mistakes in the house pickup and take her and it to that spot immediately, if u don't catch it when it happens it wont help to fuss she wont understand. always take her out, to that same spot, as soon as she wakes up and after she eat or drinks anything. i know house breaking is a pain and there will be alot of oppsy but the joy that pup will bring will be well worth the trouble. try not to lose your temper :) they work much better with praising when they do it right and a grrrrr bad dog when they do it wrong. just her knowing your upset with her will be enough punishment. terrier's are very smart and she will understand what you want fairly fast. hope this helps, have fun and enjoy your new best friend.

Answer 3

Is the crate small enough? It should just be big enough for her to be able to stand up & turn around. If it's too big she'll use one end as a toilet.

Answer 4

Don't train it untill it's after a yr.old.