# Training Woes



## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

Guess what you have a puppy, too much freedom and you need to potty after waking, meals, play etc. 

You'll get there.

Puppies need a lot of sleep at this age like 18 to 20 hours, bitey pups are likely tired pups.
My mini pup is 14 weeks is dramatically less bitey if well rested and well fed.


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## PhoebeDuck (6 mo ago)

Poodle puppies are called Land Sharks for a reason. 🙃 Keep a toy with you at all times for redirection. Enforce naps. If she's too jumpy, bitey, excited, she's probably needing a nap. Think of it like a 2yr old that's screaming "I don't wanna nap!" ... and yawning the whole time. The more they need the nap, the worse they're going to act. Naps are absolutely necessary.

I have an unfenced yard with woods and deer and acorns. I don't bother with a leash 99% of the time. I would accompany her outside and when she got too far from the house, too close to the woods, I told her "no" and directed her to where I wanted. I took the acorns from her and gave her something else to chew on instead (puppy safe ball for example). They explore with their mouth as much as with their nose, I think.

There were days when it seemed like she wasn't getting it, but if we thought about it, it was on us for not paying attention. It's going to take time. When she was a very little pup, we would take her out to pee every hour, on the hour, then immediately after waking from a nap, and about 10-15 min after food/water. If we saw her pace, out she went. Food and water were unlimited, until a couple of hours before bed. Then she only had access to unlimited water.

My puppy is now 6-1/2 months old. I consider her mostly housebroken, but I also keep her age in mind. A puppy is still a puppy and accidents will happen. We haven't had any for a long time, but I don't ask more from her than I think she can handle. Stay consistent and give it time. You'll all get there.

One more thing... Regarding the deer poo. My puppy would eat it and chicken poo, too. I mentioned it to her vet, who said that if I was concerned, I could have her tested periodically for parasites. Otherwise, she wasn't worried. We did wind up getting an extra vaccination, but that's it. I suggest that on your next visit, ask your vet for their opinion. They would know if there's a problem locally and if you should be concerned about the poo.


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## Oonapup (Oct 16, 2020)

On the peeing inside, if she is suddenly peeing inside a lot, and especially if she is peeing more often than normal, you might want to get her checked for a UTI. My poodle had one at that age and for a minute there it looked like potty training regression, but then when she was peeing many times in a row and many more times in a day than usual, it was clear there was an underlying medical issue (easily resolved with antibiotics). As she’s been having diarrhea, it seems possible that with a messy bum area she got bacteria up there.


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

Definitely leave water out all the time - you don't want a thirsty puppy over drinking, or a dehydrated puppy getting a UTI. 

As for the rest - yup! Puppies are busy, pouncy, bitey, distracted, sweet, and cuddly monsters. 

Here are a collection of some favourite resources of this forum for new puppies :









Pandemic Puppy Primer


The pandemic has created some unique challenges for families adding a new puppy or adult dog to their home. On the one hand, we finally have the time to devote to a four legged family member; on the other hand, surging demand has led to adoption and sales scams, and social distancing...




www.poodleforum.com





I'd suggest starting with: 









Kidnapped From Planet Dog - Whole Dog Journal


Sometimes new owners tell me getting a puppy was supposed to be fun, but all I feel is stress. Here's what new owners need to remember.




www.whole-dog-journal.com





And, since its topical: 








Errorless Housetraining


Housesoiling is a spatial problem, involving perfectly normal, natural, and necessary canine behaviors (peeing and pooping) performed in inappropriate places.Housetraining is quickly and easily accomplished by praising your puppy and offering a food treat when she eliminates in an appropriate...




www.dogstardaily.com






The two Ian Dunbar ebooks listed are also highly recommended by many forum members.


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

Oh dear. You must have been _thrilled_ to have all that extra cleanup right before a holiday. Did I understand correctly that you normally only give her 1/4 cup of water in the morning? I remember my puppies drinking a lot more than that during growth spurts. I wouldn't restrict her water, because you will accidentally train her to gorge herself when she does have access to water. You particularly do not want to restrict water without a vet consultation if she has diarrhea.

Regarding any kind of anti-marking spray: puppies simply don't have enough conscious control of their bladders to be able to consistently decide when and where they will pee. Think of your puppy as being at the potty training stage equivalent to an 18-20 month old human toddler. At that age you could start introducing the toilet. Your child might even use the toilet if you were very consistent about meal times and potty breaks. However, you certainly would not take the diapers off and assume the child was ready to run around the house clad only in her onesie.

The deer poop is disgusting, but don't beat yourself up too much if she gets into some. My guys loved rabbit poop until they got older. Puppies are gross. Your vet should be talking to you about heartworm prevention anyhow; ask if the heartworm treatment will prevent intestinal worms.

I feel your pain when it comes to acorns. My yard has several large oak trees, and my puppies loved chewing on the acorns. Luckily acorns are bitter; that helped discourage the puppies from chewing and swallowing one. After the first few tastes they thought, "Yuck." I did worry a puppy might carelessly swallow an acorn whole and get a bowel blockage. I kept a lot of dog toys outside and tried to distract the puppy by playing whenever he seemed interested in the acorns.


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## TeamHellhound (Feb 5, 2021)

At only 11 weeks, she's not fully house trained. She's actually just really learning how to hold things and where the appropriate place to potty is. 

It sounds like you are severely restricting her water? If so, then please don't. She should have access to clean water at all times. While restricting water sounds like a good idea in that it can decrease the amount of urine she produces, it can cause a dog to over-drink when water is available, and may also cause a dog to start resource guarding their water and/or becoming obsessive over water. 

If she's had diarrhea for a week, she needs to see the vet. She could have picked up a parasite, eaten something noxious, be coming down with a virus, or even have a partial blockage (if she's managed to swallow an acorn). Young puppies can dehydrate quickly when they have diarrhea (especially when their access to water is restricted). Finding and treating the cause of the diarrhea is as important as treating the symptom of diarrhea. 

General house training "rules" are take the puppy out as soon as they wake up, as soon as the finish eating a mean, after they've had a nice slurp of water, after they've been playing hard for a while, any time they look like the are thinking about pottying (sniffing, circling, etc.), and every 20 minutes just because. 

Since your yard isn't fenced, you should be taking her out on a leash, which will also help steer her away from inappropriate things like acorns and deer poop. 

Biting... puppies (and human toddlers) explore the world with their mouths. If redirecting her onto an appropriate chew toy doesn't seem to be helping, then popping her into her crate or play pen (or you stepping over the baby gate and away from her) for a few minutes can help get the point across. Basically, "if you are biting me, and won't stop it to bite what I hand you, then all interaction will stop". Also, a tired puppy is a bitey puppy, so being more mouthy than usual can be a sign that she needs to be put in her crate or pen for a nap.


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## JasMom (7 mo ago)

I agree with others. If she is urinating more frequently than usual, have her checked by the vet for a UTI. She absolutely needs to be checked anyway for the diarrhea. 

If it does not seem like more frequent urination, it can also just be normal puppy development. There were days when I was house training my SPOO puppy when it seemed like all our progress had been lost and I consider him to be the easiest dog I have ever house trained. 11 weeks old is still very young and at that age, puppies are just beginning to learn the basics of house training. 

A consistent daily schedule worked wonders for my puppy in terms of house training and becoming a biting demon-dog. To me, it sounds like your puppy is fighting sleep. She needs frequent and somewhat lengthy naps. At 11 weeks, Jasper might be awake for an hour to hour and a half at a time then he needed rest. Jasper was really bad about fighting through his nap time and would start biting us and our other dogs. I have a scar on my arm from him jumping up at me, latching on to my arm, and falling back to the ground. After reading here on PF, I realized he was tired. I would give him a biscuit or other chew inside his crate and most often he was asleep by the time he finished eating it. Sometimes there would be a partially eaten biscuit from him falling asleep while eating.

Destroying her bed could be she is exhausted or she may not be ready for a nice bed. Jasper slept on cheap throw blankets in the beginning. His breeder had started her puppies on pads and for some reason he viewed the nice dog bed as a puppy pad.

Outdoors on our property, Jasper has never been leashed except infrequently to practice leash manners. We work on recall instead. Young puppies don't usually want to wander far from you so it's a perfect time to practice coming when called. Have a really yummy, high value reward and teach her to come. 

Like other puppies mentioned, mine has eaten all manner of manure. He is on a monthly heart worm prevention that also takes care of intestinal parasites. My vet was not concerned.


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## PeachYogurt (2 mo ago)

Thank you all, as this is so helpful. I usually put out a 1/4 bowl of water out each meal so she has only getting may one bowl a day. Didn't know that was bad. Also didn't know that the her water amount might be bad for diarrhea. I'll set up an appointment for her for the vet. Totally didn't know that puppies needed so much sleep. This is a lot to work with and fill in the gaps, since I've pretty much taken her out before and after crating, after water, after lots of activity and any other time she might be snooping around after resting. Thanks


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## PeachYogurt (2 mo ago)

JasMom said:


> To me, it sounds like your puppy is fighting sleep. She needs frequent and somewhat lengthy naps. At 11 weeks, Jasper might be awake for an hour to hour and a half at a time then he needed rest. Jasper was really bad about fighting through his nap time and would start biting us and our other dogs. I have a scar on my arm from him jumping up at me, latching on to my arm, and falling back to the ground. After reading here on PF, I realized he was tired. I would give him a biscuit or other chew inside his crate and most often he was asleep by the time he finished eating it. Sometimes there would be a partially eaten biscuit from him falling asleep while eating.
> 
> Destroying her bed could be she is exhausted or she may not be ready for a nice bed. Jasper slept on cheap throw blankets in the beginning. His breeder had started her puppies on pads and for some reason he viewed the nice dog bed as a puppy pad.
> 
> Outdoors on our property, Jasper has never been leashed except infrequently to practice leash manners. We work on recall instead. Young puppies don't usually want to wander far from you so it's a perfect time to practice coming when called. Have a really yummy, high value reward and teach her to come.



Did you leave his toys out for him all day to play with or do you have designated times that their out so you can encourage naps?

I typically try to have her sleep at the foot of my legs while I'm on the sofa so she can nap. Is it better just to have her nap in the crate?

I will try training her off leash. That might be another issue as we currently only have one type/bag of dog treat. Thanks for mentioning.


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## JasMom (7 mo ago)

I kept a variety of toys out all the time and all over the house. If Jasper grabbed something he wasn't supposed to, I would use his toy to trade for the item. Same if, while teething, he would chomp on me I would give him an appropriate toy. 

Early on, Jasper HAD to nap in his crate. He would get too distracted otherwise. 

String cheese is a high value treat for Jasper and I reserve it for training. Bits of chicken or chunks of wet food are other typically high value rewards.


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

I used both a crate and a playpen. I normally put my puppies in either the playpen or the crate for naps. The naps gave ME a break; I got a chance to load the dishwasher or start a load of laundry while the puppy was conked out in his enclosure.
I kept a variety of toys all over the house while the puppies were growing and teething. Having a toy within reach at all times helped during times when the puppy wanted to chew on me. With each puppy I bought a bag of cheap rope toys from Amazon. If you look there you can find a pack of 10 rope toys for around $20. Once a week I would take a fresh rope toy out of the bag and offer it to the puppy. The novelty - new scent, new shape - would make the toy more attractive than one of the older toys. I also had good luck with Ethical Pet Skinneeez toys. They have squeakers and sometimes crinkly material inside but no stuffing. Ritter and Galen rip the legs off their normal toys and then pull the stuffing out, so eliminating stuffing has made cleanup a lot easier for me. (My previous dogs, Pogo and Snarky, were much gentler with their toys; I still have the toy Pogo's breeder sent home with him when he was a puppy.)


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## Streetcar (Apr 13, 2014)

A big, clean, fresh bowl of water should be available at all times, washed daily, and topped off during the day as needed. People tend to think of water with meals, but that alone is not likely to be sufficient for humans either. Dogs do not associate meals with water. Please don't restrict her, and do get into the vet within a short period of time. She could be or get dehydrated and need I/V fluids at such a young age.

The Dunbar books are so helpful.


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

I have toys in 14 week old Nellie's pen and toys in her crate, I have a blanket over her crate for nap time, she quietly plays then eventually conks out, but at times she cries because she has too potty or even just wants just a little more water to drink.
I purchased a white noise generator it helps


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

For Want of Poodle said:


> Definitely leave water out all the time - you don't want a thirsty puppy over drinking, or a dehydrated puppy getting a UTI.


100% this.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

As I recall, Storm is not only your first poodle, first standard, but is also your very first dog.

There's no reason to think that everyone won't survive this, but you do have a challenge on your hands. It's probably a good thing that you don't have other dog/breed experience to compare to.

* Diarrhea for a week is a vet visit asap. It could be parasites, a stress reaction, or possibly, did her food get changed since you brought her home?*

Some of this info is also in your thread of Nov 10



PeachYogurt said:


> Potty training was breeze in the beginning, but yesterday was something different. She peed about 5 times in our home yesterday


Keep reminding yourself that she is an infant. As a mammal, dogs go thru similar growth as human mammals, just at a very different rate, and on 4 legs . While a human infant would be crawling then toddling for many months, dogs are mobile within weeks. That makes them seem more advanced physically and mentally but it's not really true.

Consider how long it takes a human infant to learn to control their eliminations and why. It's the same for dogs.

It generally takes around 6 months for a dog's neuromuscular system to mature enough to

a/ recognize that they actually have to go - as with any toddler, that urge and the action are often instantaneous
b/ understand that there's acceptable and not-acceptable places to eliminate
c/ understand that they need to communicate their need with the human
d/ be able to hold it until the human figures out that they need to go!

They'll catch on to the concepts earlier but having the physical control depends on the physical maturation.

Until she matures to that point, "success" is completely dependent on the human being vigilant and proactive. Puppy wakes up? Puppy goes out. Puppy plays? Puppy goes out. Puppy eats or drinks? Puppy goes out. You see the pattern here 

This is a great time to help her learn how to "potty on command" .

Since you'll have a new puppy, she should be on leash, so you'll be with her. This serves several purposes.
You'll actually see what she does and where.
You can reward with praise and treats at the instant. This is great reinforcement.
You can train for a "potty on command" which is a real help to you down the road.
You can train her to go in a specific location.

You can also start teaching Storm how to notify you that she has the urge to go, even if it's going to be a bit before she really gets it. I chose a string of bells to hang on the doorknob to the outside. Every time we headed out per schedule or post activity, I'd take their little paw and touch the bells so they dingled, saying "Go outside, go potty". I did this for 2-3 months and despaired that they weren't ever going to catch on. Until one day, sitting with my back to the door, I heard the bells jingle and looked to see Remo standing at the door, looking to see if I heard him. It was amazing.

It happens that some pups start "abusing" the voice given them by ringing just to get the treat.
I was mostly able to train away from this by eventually fading the treat reward for ringing the bell and then for pottying outside to only after pottying outside and then to no treat at all for either. If they rang the bell, they went outside, whether they wanted to or not .

------

Getting and keeping Storm on a routine or schedule, particularly if you start tracking things, will help you figure out when she's most likely to need to eliminate. Dogs GI systems move faster than humans.

She needs structure, not freedom. She's lost all that she knew and loved and doesn't yet understand and know the wonderful life you plan to have together. It's up to you to help her learn how to navigate the human world, your world. This is your time to build trust, to let her know that you're looking out for her and will keep her safe.

----

It's a popular misconception that dogs are den animals and so, that being in a crate is natural to them. Some take to it pretty easily and some will take some time to learn that the crate is a safe, quiet place for them to be.

You're right to not look at the crate as punishment. It should be a sanctuary. (Ok, yes, sometimes she'll be asked to go in her sanctuary so _you_ can also have a quiet moment - but never in anger or frustration.)

----

Expen's were mentioned. When she isn't being actively engaged by a responsible person for training, supervised and structured play, eating or sleeping, using an expen to provide her a safe, contained space where she's still with the family in the living area but out of harm's way, is a very good management tool. Twyla described her set up for Nellie in this thread. PeggyTheParti described hers for Peggy as a Puppy Wonderland .

They're safely contained, they're still with the family, but not underfoot. They're used also to help enforce naptimes, as crates may be too. Puppies need as much as 20 hours a day of sleep.

Lacking that, you get very cranky, very bitey toddlers on your hands. Following a routine will help with getting enough rest. The sleep time is necessary to physical and mental growth. As with humans. they process all they've seen and done thru their active times in their sleep. Deprivation Bad.

On the biting, this is very typical. Dogs don't have hands so they use their mouths to explore (again you can think human toddler here - except for the hands ).
The difficulty is that puppies have needle sharp teeth (the adult teeth that will be along in a few months are not nearly as sharp). Pulling away easily results in scratches and blood. Their mouths are how they make contact.

Some tips are to always have vet approved chew toys handy, in pockets, on end tables, wherever, to trade out for fingers, hands, etc.

You do want her to learn to accept the human's hands in her mouth for toothbrushing, vet visits, etc. Just grabbing things away can build resource guarding, so be ready to offer a treasure of equal value.

At over 5y old, one of my boys will still run to stuff a toy in his mouth before coming to greet us on his own. It's really very cute. Now. 

On Planet Poodle, where she started, mouth and vocalizations were a primary communication method. Physical play was rough and tumble. If the play isn't structured, it will become a free for all.

(Getting a head start on this one. Growling, especially in a young puppy is rarely a sign of true aggression. It is communication, generally signaling discomfort if it's unhappy, and is part of their play vocabulary also. The difference shouldn't be too hard to discern.)

This video may be more geared to younger kids but the technique is valid for everyone.
Kid Vids - The Whole Family (thefamilydog.com)

In poodle language, turning one's back momentarily - shunning - says that the perpetrator went too far, and the consequence is that Fun stops.

All is usually forgiven very quickly but it takes consistent and repeated times to get the lesson transferred from 4 legged littermates to the 2 legged humans of their new family. Generalization isn't a strong point for many dogs .

It's not too soon to start "training". To Storm, it's just play, so take advantage of her openness.
Poodles don't do well with "drilling" lessons, so a few minutes, a few times a day will go far.

You'll obviously want to train a few basics but there's no reason not to have some fun too.

Often recommended are the steps to the CGC title, which, whether you actually try for any titles or no are useful skills.

Also recommended is Trick Training. Unless you're going for a title, this is just done for fun and bonding. It doesn't have to be perfect so there's far less stress and the wheels are turning.

AKC Trick Dog – American Kennel Club

CGC Test Items – American Kennel Club (akc.org)


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

Loads of good advice already, but I too would emphasise the need to remember that at 11 weeks Storm is still a baby. You are in the position of someone with a two year old child, wondering when they will be ready for postgraduate studies. Just as with babies the world of someone raising a puppy can seem full of development targets and must-dos and deadlines, and trying to keep up with them with a silly, recalcitrant, utterly normal puppy with a 10 second attention span is sometimes overwhelming. I would concentrate on the really important stuff - sufficient happy experiences with different people, dogs and the big wide world to set your puppy on the path to being a happy, confident adult, and helping your pup understand any really essential household rules, like not teasing the cat. Everything is a game for puppies at this age, and poodles in particular quickly get bored with repetition, so "training" is more about teaching them how to learn than drilling in perfect behaviour. There are years ahead to perfect skills.

Toilet training is really down to you, as others have said - Storm will go wherever she is when she really needs to, so it is for the human to pre-empt this. It is very easy to relax vigilance after a few days of success and that is probably why it seems to you that she has regressed. And it is only since I raised puppy Freddy with adult Sophy to help that I have really understood and appreciated just how much sleep puppies need. The temptation is to try to tire a fractious puppy out with more play or more dashing around, when, as Sophy made very clear, they need to go to bed and give themselves and everyone else some peace. One of the first games Freddy learned was Freddy Beddy! which would have him diving into his pen and onto his bed for a large biscuit to chew. By the time he'd finished it he was asleep.

But most of all don't forget to have fun - it can so easily all get so serious. Take time every day just to be silly with your puppy - a game, a snuggle with a silly song, some special little ritual. The baby months pass so quickly - it is a shame not to enjoy them together.


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## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

Kindly, you’ve got to stop being afraid of being bitten. You will be bitten. It’s going to happen. It doesn’t feel great. In addition to the sharp needle teeth falling out soon (thank goodness!), they get duller, in my experience. I have a not-a-poodle puppy right now who is almost 4 months old, and with her constant gnawing on appropriate chews, she has worn some of the sharpness off of her tiny little fangs. Yes, manage the household and protect your child from being bitten, however this is a developmentally appropriate behavior for a puppy, and being afraid likely means you’re acting strange, pulling your hands away suddenly, moving quickly from the puppy, which seems like a wonderfully fun game to a little land shark.


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

Starla said:


> being afraid likely means you’re acting strange, pulling your hands away suddenly, moving quickly from the puppy, which seems like a wonderfully fun game to a little land shark.


Starla makes a great point. Flinching and pulling your hand away a) triggers the puppy's prey drive, making her want to chase and nip b) increases the chances of the puppy breaking skin, as she isn't sure exactly where your hand actually is or how much force to use to hold onto it. 

A normal sane dog doesn't want to hurt you. She might not understand that she is playing too rough, but she's not intentionally trying to cause damage. Be brave and let her hold your hand. Yes, it's slimy; you can wash your hands later. She might chew your hand, and she may even pinch it. She is learning how much pressure is acceptable. If she had another puppy friend they would teach each other; instead she is learning from you. Gently remove your hand and put a toy in her mouth if she bites too hard. Tuck your hands up under your armpits and turn away from her for 15 seconds if she tries to bite you again. Then offer her the toy again. Gently put her in her playpen for a nap if she doubles down and tries to return to biting your hand a second time.


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## PeachYogurt (2 mo ago)

Thanks all I truely appreciate it. I now keep a full bowl of water out for her during her meals. I take the food away before the water since she usually finishes the food quicker.

Definitely getting her more toys 


I have tried leaving water all day and it was like I was going out for bathroom breaks every half our or she was peeing under five mins indoors before I had time to get her outside. If you have any tricks with water available all day long that would be great, because they amount of times she wanted to go out side I didn’t allow me to get anything else done.

I have now encouraged her to take naps which helped a lot.

She is going to the vet tomorrow for a check up and shot, so I’ll learn more about what’s causing her diarrhea. I didn’t tell the vet about it yet but they asked for us to bring in a stool sample which is good.

You make a great point about not being scared.my husband does not act afraid around her and he is a lot more firm with her, so she doesn’t move around as much with him. I just worry about contracting something from getting bit. Sounds I’m spoiling her instead of properly training her correctly and just need to be more firm.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Unless she has an infection or another health issue, she was peeing frequently because she was a very young puppy and that is what very young puppies do.  Ian Dunbar recommends taking your puppy out every hour on the hour:









Errorless Housetraining


Housesoiling is a spatial problem, involving perfectly normal, natural, and necessary canine behaviors (peeing and pooping) performed in inappropriate places.Housetraining is quickly and easily accomplished by praising your puppy and offering a food treat when she eliminates in an appropriate...




www.dogstardaily.com





Enthusiasm and reward is another important component of his methods, which I encourage you to follow diligently (and not only for house training). Yes, puppyhood is an overwhelming time, even for experienced dog folks. But your investment of time, consistency, and compassion now will pay off tenfold.

_Please_ provide your dog with fresh water at all times.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

PeachYogurt said:


> he is a lot more firm with her, so she doesn’t move around as much with him


I hope that "being firm" means no more than setting boundaries and offering an alternative behavior. A puppy "not moving much around" a particular person doesn't sound like a positive experience.

Example:

Storm: (bites at hands)
You: "No bite, take this toy to bite"

Storm: (still biting)
You: "Ok young poodle, No Bite, you're tired, you need a nap" (take to expen or crate for restorative sleep)


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

Puppies are a lot of work. You knew this going in. This difficult stage only lasts until around 6 months old. That is about 4 months for you (assuming you got him at 8 weeks old). You've only had him for 3 weeks now, so about 15 weeks to go. Also, they get better at it every day (provided you're giving him guidance), so it'll be less and less of a problem as time ticks by. Elroy was pretty well house trained by 5 months (and was pretty good after 4), so it could happen quicker. Hang in there! It'll be nothing but loving memories in no time!


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## Streetcar (Apr 13, 2014)

Withdrawn comment, except to say a veterinarian perhaps ought be consulted.


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

Someone once advised me to keep a diary of all the training and experiences I had with my dogs. They said it would be very comforting someday to reread the diary realize how much progress we were actually making. Indeed, the old notes about my dogs are sweet and funny now, even though the things they did weren't always funny at the time. The day Pogo and Snarky broke open a bag of potatoes and played with them like tennis balls in the kitchen (we were pulling potatoes out from under cabinets for days.) The day Pogo and Snarky tag teamed to move a sofa away from the wall in order to chew on the arms and back. The day Snarky was finally reliable enough to walk off leash. The day Galen taught Ritter how to dig holes in the yard. The day Galen learned to ring a library bell. The day Ritter learned to sit on a stool. The day Galen learned the hand signals to sit and lie down at a distance.


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## PeachYogurt (2 mo ago)

Thanks all, I will leave the water out. Dud get her to a vet, no issues with everything except we send them a stool sample today to check for any possible problems there.

Yes, my current response is 

Storm: (bites at hands)
You: "No bite- bone (hands bone)"

Storm: (still biting)
You: "Ok young poodle, No Bite, you're tired, you need a nap" (take to expen or crate for restorative sleep) 

Yes I have started this since the thread. I meant a more firm tone and less jumpy if she tries to bite.

But I think your example just knocked made everything click for me. She’s not displaying behavioral issues, and I’m not too soft, it’s just a communication issue between me and her, as well has lack of education in puppy developmental milestones. More patience, redirection, rewards, consistency is what she needs right now.

Thanks


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