Yesterday was day one. Theo didn't have a single accident in the house, including his crate that morning and evening! It was day one of the six week, no accident time frame that means your dog is house trained. Do I really expect to go six weeks, or even another day without an accident? Not really, but it was still a great accomplishment for Theo. Good boy! If you'll remember, last Sunday he also had a day with no accidents, but I was holding out on celebrating until it happened on a day when I wasn't home with him all day. Yesterday was that day. Hooray!
He was good so far this morning too, for the most part. He did poop inside the house rather than doing it when I had taken him out 15 minutes before, but he did it on his puppy pad while I was out of the room, so I think that still counts as a non-accident.
But of course, in the spirit of Theo's step forward then back habits, when I came home yesterday I saw that he had peed only twice and both times on the puppy pad, which he hadn't moved or chewed up. Good boy! I also noticed that he somehow managed to get the puppy pad outside his pen that we keep by the back door inside his pen, and that pad was completely shredded to pieces. Eh, I'll take that over a hot mess any day!
14 years ago
8 comments:
That's great to hear! Here's to more and more days like that :)
Hehe. Well Day One ended at day one. Day two, Theo peed everywhere again. But that's ok because he's been making loads of progress in other areas, and he's still accident free in the house when he's outside his pen. More on the other progresses later. :)
What's the plan for removing the pads all together? I've never used pads or newspaper to house train and I'd think it would just teach them that it's ok to pee inside as long as it's ON something. Do you move the pad outdoors so they get the idea that they are now supposed to go outside?
You know, he just kinda already knows that the outside is his spot. When we're home and he's outside his pen, we keep a puppy pad by the door, but he's only ever used it once when I was out of the room and he had to poop. Otherwise he just sits by the door and whines. Last night I took away the pad by the door all together and it didn't make a different to him. He uses the pad if he needs to go and he can't get outside. I don't think we did anything specific (I wish I could say "do this"). I think just being consistent with taking him out when we are home was the trick.
But in the future when you're not home, are you planning on leaving a pad out for him? Won't he learn when you're not home that the place to go is the pad? How do you transition to holding it until you get home? Seems kind of like changing the rules in mid-learning would be difficult but apparently a lot of people use the pads. (But I think a lot of people have dogs that pee on pads or newspaper while they are at work for the rest of their lives. My mom is one.)
I should say, in the future when you're either not home and he's not in his crate or if you're otherwise occupied and not paying attention to him. I guess the plan is to teach him a signal to let you know he needs outside. House training is so complicated! And it's made even more complicated when it's a puppy that can't be expected to hold it for as long as an adult! I can honestly say thinking about this has strengthened my belief that we will not be getting a puppy any time soon. :) I suppose if a there was a puppy or two that needed fostered we would think about it, now that we own our house. But as far as seeking out a puppy, no way!
You know, I just don't know yet. Hehe. I've been so busy with getting him house trained, that I haven't really developed a long term plan. I'm hoping that if he has to pee he'll just hold it until I get home, and if he can't hold it long enough, there's a place for him to go inside that's ok. So far I've noticed that when he has to go, he wants to go outside. He'll use the pad if he has to, but it's not his preference. Especially since peeing outside gets him treats and peeing inside gets him a wet pee pad. :p
It's my hope that he'll pee less and less on the puppy pad the longer he's able to hold it, until he's old enough to hold it all day. We'll probably always keep a puppy pad tucked away in the kitchen corner or something, just in case of doggie emergency.
You'll have to stay tuned for that one.
Hehe. I can't say I would ever want to bring home another puppy right now either! There's definitely moments when it's all worth it. He's just so darn cute!!! And maybe in a few years when we've forgotten the pains of training and getting our limbs gnawed on we'll change our minds. But right now, I'm thinking a puppy for a first dog has been a great experience, but not one I think I'll be itching to repeat. Hehe.
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