Housetraining a Bichon Frise puppy.?

Question

I am getting a new puppy soon. I have heard that housetraining this breed is hard to do. I plan on using a crate. Anyone has any other helpfull hints?

Answer 1

Congratualations on getting a new Bichon! You will have many happy years ahead.
Routine is the most important aspect of training. From the beginning, feed 4 times per day, at the same times, and put the bowl up in 5 minutes, or when finished.

A puppy will need to go just minutes after eating, so whisk her outside, and stay with her UNTIL SHE 'goes'..Give her lots of praise when she does her job, play a few minutes, and come back in..

If you can spread down a bag of sand, from a garden center, it will give her a good place to go, so you can kind of aim her there, and not just all over your yard..

She should only need to go poop after eating, and perhaps at bedtime..

However, she will need water down at all times, and need to pee frequently..so, outside every other hour for that..and keep a close eye on her..She will need to go during active play, and every time she wakes from a nap..If you watch her, you will see her acting restless, and sniffing the floor, etc when she needs to go..at first, peeing may be just a matter of pausing, and uh-oh, there it is..She won't even be aware...So its important to never scold her for peeing...***this is what makes traumatized pups that refuse to pee outside, or try to hide it in the house..as they get scolded for it, and it becomes a traumatic event***..
Keep the product, Nature's Miracle, on hand, for instant cleaning of pee spots...or ask your pet supply which enzyme cleaner they recommend..

Puppies physiology only allows them to hold pee for about 1 hour per month of age...so expecting any more is unrealistic..a good reason for a playpen or crate at night.. She may hold it through the night, but is likely to need to pee at least once during the night..You can remove the water a couple of hours before bedtime..

By following a routine, and being ever watchful for the first few days, you can have her petty well trained in just a couple of weeks..or less

I house-train all of my pups before they ever leave my home, and I do it an entire litter at a time..it normally takes about 4-5 days, with very few accidents, before they are asking to be let out..
But, if you hang a little bell on the door, or a desk bell on the floor, and show her you are ringing the bell each time you take her out, she is likely to begin ringing the bell when she needs to go..Just be very vigilant, and yet stay relaxed..an accident doesn't mean failure..
Remember, it takes forever to potty train a human baby, and it is so nice that puppies can learn it so much faster, but they are still allowed to be babies, and don't deserve to be stressed about the training...
If you have important areas to keep clean, just keep her away from those areas until she is a bit older..

I recommend using a soft step-in type harness for the walking and leash training, as it is less frightening and stressful..eventually, as trust is developed, you can switch to a collar..but a soft harness takes the fear away from the beginning...Walking stimulates the bowels to move, more so than just putting the dog out..

Answer 2

I have a three year old Bichon Frise and got him when he was 9 weeks old. He started asking for the door after only three days in his new home. He was the easiest dog to housebreak that we ever had but one of us was home with him at all times to take him out frequently. We didn't let him in on the carpet at first , but we have a large kitchen that opens into the living room. He only wet on the kitchen floor a couple of times and pooped once but right by the door. Just keep an eye on him at all times. You will learn their signals that lets you know when they need to go out. Good luck with your new puppy. A Bichon is unlike any other dog you will ever have. They are wonderful little fluffs in fur coats.
BTW we used the crate too and used the clicker outside. If you haven't heard of clicker training, do some research. It is very use-full.

Answer 3

I think the key with training any dog is consistency and working with their instincts.

First going with their den instincts and desire NOT to defecate in the place that they sleep and eat, crate her at times that she can't be supervised and feed her in the same area daily. Its important that the crate is small enough so that she can only turn around in it - if its big enough she will pee in one corner and go sleep in the other. Use a divider if you must.

The second is to just be on her tail consistently. This will get easier with time but for the first little while, take her outside EVERY HOUR to pee. Use a code word and reward her with praise (a treat if you need to) after she's peed outside. In addition to every hour, take her out as soon as she wakes up from a nap, as soon as she's done eating and after a big play.

Also, whenever you see her about to squat or start sniffing around, pick her up and take her out. Keep something distracting (a squeaky toy or a can full of coins) to make a loud jarring noise whenever you see her squatting/start to pee and she will stop (more effecting than yelling which may only scare her). Then when stops, take her outside and let her finish there.

It may take time but she will start to put two and two together. I think the key is being consistent esp in the early months. It may be hectic but it is really worth it.

Good luck!

Answer 4

Exactly - the key is consistancy. Monitor the food intake (feed in meals NEVER free feed so then you can time when they need to go out) Do the same w/ water. (make sure not to dehydrate). Also - use a code word. While they are going potty say that over and over. "go potty, go potty, go potty, go potty". You're training them to go to the bathroom on command!

Now when they have done the deed correctly (outside) make a BIG deal, treat, pet, play etc. When they do it inside NO BEATINGS!! no rubbing thier noses in it, no yelling nothing. They don't understand that. What they will do is hide it. You're going to smell something funky but not find it.

Dogs are smart they will start adding it together. Outside good, Inside bad!!

Good Luck

Answer 5

Great answers about consistency. My parents have 3 Bichons, and they're not any harder to train than any other breed. If anything, they're easier by reputation. They used to be dogs bred to perform in the circus.

Answer 6

VERY HARD to housetrain. My coworker's dog took almost a full year and he still will "go" in the house every so often---and he is crate trained.

They're just stubborn like that.

Answer 7

They aren't any more difficult than any other dog. Be patient and consistant with the training you method you've chosen.

http://www.leerburg.com/housebrk.htm