2yo Jack Russell Terrier Training

Hi,

I've just acquired a 2 year old female JRT. I live in an apartment and I'm looking for advice on the best way to toilet train it. Ideally, I would like it to have newspaper in the bathroom/laundry, where it can pee/pooh as it likes. At the moment, when I take it for walks, it usually does both but inside the apartment it pees as well all the time and has pooh'd once. I've read various method on the Internet but would like to know the best way to go about it.

Thanks,

Brian

we trained our dogs by "rubbing their nose in it"
you take them up to the "business" and push their face near it, say "what is this?!"
then send them outside.

All our dogs learnt within a week, ide rather do positive reinforcemnet training, this was 7 years ago.

I don't believe in "rubbing the dog's nose in it". A stern NO when you catch her in the act is enough. But, if you didn't take her out often enough, it's not her fault, it's yours, and she doesn't deserve to be scolded for it. Take her out more.

I don't agree with rubbing their noses in it either. This will just teach the dog agression. Catching them in the act is the best bet and if she looks like she's about to go. Try to pick her up and place her on the newspaper. Of course, timing is everything

I have a big problem with "rubbing their nose in it" training. I don't physically force dogs into anything, and I certainly wouldn't want my face shoved into poo.

Purr has it just right. Take her out often for now, at least once every 2 hours. Even if she doesn't have to go. Let her realize that she will have the opportunity to go if she can just wait. Then, when she potties outside, put it on cue; as she's in the act--not before or after, but during--tell her "go potty" or whatever command you like. When she's finished, whip out the hot dog chunks and throw her a big party! Play and bounce and talk in a squeaky voice, like there's nothing smarter in the world. Do this every time she potties and you'll have the added bonus of being able to get her hurrying when it's cold outside.

Frequently you can put behaviors like this on cue. When they understand the action and its associated command, they will know when to do it and when not to do it. (This is why I've never been afraid to be bitten by a Schutzhund dog. They know the behavior is only acceptable when they're told to do it.) If you are consistent in your praise of her pottying outside, there's no reason to react to an accident inside. It will stop. Just clean it up; don't yell or get angry. If you ignore her for a time after you find and clean up the mess, she'll get the hint that this is not okay with you.

Rubbing their noses in it!!

I've always understood that doing that will make them intimadated to potty anywhere insight of you because you are teaching them going potty is bad period. If anyone ever rubs my dogs' noses in poop they should expect the same in return!

Well said, Saje!

It's another one of those awful, old-fashioned "training" techniques. Humiliate and whip into submission, and you'll have a well-behaved dog. On the other hand, if you show your dog respect and dignity, they'll do what you ask because they want to, not because they're afraid of what will happen if they don't! I would spend 100 times the effort and expense to teach my dog something in a humane way. Even if the cruel techniques work (which they frequently don't, but that's another story), they undermine the relationship we're all trying to cultivate with our dogs. What appears to be a solution is in reality a temporary "fix" that will eventually pull itself down from the inside.

i no, i dont believe in it either, bad decisions 7 years ago, but none of the dogs taught that way are agressive. They are the sweetest things so i will have to disagree avenlee.

Just because it didn't happen to your dogs doesn't mean it isn't true. And if you don't believe in that method why are you promoting it?

Yup...do like Purr and C.T. say. That's the only way to fly. Your puppy will catch on. It's true, scolding or rubbing their noses in it...for something the baby doesn't know or can't control is abusive. Like Purr said, it can also make the pup think you're scolding it for going pee (period) and not because he's going pee inside. It's just confusing. And it will undermine the dog's trust in you. I've never done that with the many dogs I've had and if you do this consistantly, taking the dog out, praising him when he goes, he'll catch on when he's able.

Why do you want it to go on newspapers? Are you on the top floor where it's hard to get it outside quickly? If the pup is allowed to go inside, newspapers or not, he'll be confused. "Am I allowed to go inside or not?" The newspapers won't make much difference. Inside is inside. Some people do litter box train a puppy when they live in a high rise apartment building, but if you can get the dog outside to go, that would be the best, I would think.

Good luck. Be patient and show your pup what you want. He'll get onto it. Remember, if he has an accident, it's because he wasn't let outside soon enough or he doesn't get it yet...not his fault. It's just one of those things.

potty training

When our dogs are pups and just learning, they are taken outside as soon as they wake up, after they've eaten and a number of times in between. Most learn very quickly. BUT .... there is the ocassion when an older puppy, who should know better just comes in from outside and STILL takes a dump. Now.... let me tell you.... with Boxers this is a BIG mistake (literally). I do not advocate rubbing their noses in it, but I DO advocate showing them their mistake and asking the question "What is this???" in a stern voice. They are not stupid, they know it's theirs and they know that it was the wrong thing to do. They then go outside again, knowing that I am not pleased. Keep in mind that dogs are naturally pack animals. There has to be an alpha leader. It's either going to be you or your dog. IF you do not take the stance as the alpha leader when your dog is a pup, your dog will when it's older. Our dogs are VERY loved, and very sociable, well adjusted dogs. They are not intimidated and they are not cowering social misfits. When your child makes a mistake, the evidence is right there in their underwear. Again, most parents will ask the question "why?" and tell them that's just not acceptable especially when they've been potty trained for some time. The thing with dogs, is that they go pooh or pee in the house they then go away from it. Taking them back to the site of the impropriety lets them know that they did not get away with anything. Rarely, will our dogs continue on with doing their "business" in the house once they've been made to realize that it just isn't acceptable to do so and that we are not pleased with them. For the most part dogs thrive on the attention of their human companions so when that companionship is withheld, even for a half an hour, that is usually punishment enough.

Having said all of that.... one would have to ask the JRT owner what type of situation the dog came from that makes the dog think, as a 2 year old, that it is ok to do it's "business" in the house. At this stage, although late, it would be better to crate train the dog. A dog will not defecate or urinate where it has to sleep. Make sure that as soon as you let the dog out of the crate that it goes outside and PRAISE him for being such a good dog when he does do his business outside. Keep in mind that if your dog has been outside playing for 2 hours and went to the bathroom when he FIRST went outside and has not gone since, he will probably need to go again so don't be surprised if he goes as soon as you bring him into the house which is where the crate would be useful. Come into the house, put the dog in the crate and 15 or 20 minutes later take him outside again to go to the bathroom. Once he's gone, praise him and bring him inside for free roaming. If he has a sleep, take him out as soon as he wakes up, as soon as he's done eating and every hour or so until he's actually house trained. Make sure he's praised everytime he goes outside.

Anyhow, for what it's worth, that's my 2 cents.

Woops. By the time I read through all the posts and it was my turn to write something, I already forgot that the dog was 2 yrs. old. At any rate, he apparently didn't learn about potty training as he was growing up.

It is my feeling that if you make it a really good thing to go outside, he'll get so he goes outside. If you want to tell him something in a matter of fact, firm, strict voice, you need to catch him while he's doing it, not more than 3 seconds after. But sometimes, depending on the sensativity of a dog, (some are more tough than others, emotionally) the scolding tone may indicate that you don't want him to go at all. So, sometimes it's just as well to whisk him up and quickly take him out to finish outside and then throw him a party.

The other thing to prevent him from going inside is to avoid giving him the opporturnity to go inside. When he does it inside, it's self rewarding in a way. It's easy, he doesn't have to go out, it's warm inside....what better spot to go. So, you have to watch him like a hawk anytime he is not in his crate. And take him out often to give him the chance to succeed, even if you think it's more often than is needed for his mature bladder/bowel. Eliminate accidents the best you can.

Remember, if a dog doesn't learn something, it's something we're not doing to train them...either not making it worth it to the dog...not enough of a reward or something else. That is my firm belief. If there is enough of a payoff, any behavior will be repeated....doesn't matter if it's desireable or undesireable behavior.

I love having a dog!

It has only taken a dump once inside, but pees inside a lot. I take it for two big walks during the day. I need to train it to go inside beacuse I am high up and it takes a while to get to the bottom and back up. I bought some stuff from the pet shop in a bottle that is supposed to attract the dog to pee on it when you put drops of it on newspaper etc. It doesn't seem to work. My friend recommended wee wee pads, which are similar but on a pad. I really need to train it to pee / pooh at a designated spot within my apartment. I don't know about scolding it after it's done it because it might think that it's bad to go inside at all. And with crate training, well, we let it sleep on our bed so I don't know if that would work 100%.

sorry saje didnt mean to hit a nerve, i am not promoting it.
i was telling how we tauight our dogs, just explain if i do something wrong,

now that i have joined this forum, and made friends and asked questions, i am going to tell you the things i am not proud of, and i am hoping for acceptance and guidance not unfriendliness.

Well, trying to house train it is only going to confuse it, if you want it to go inside. Get a dog litter pan, like Puppy Go Potty, and just teach her to use that.

ok first can she get out when she needs coz if she cant you be angry at her for that but make sure she nos what shes doing wrong or shes going to be one confused puppy

yeah, maybe you could teach him to use the toilet, lol

I'm never angry at her when she does it inside. I don't scold her afterwards. I've read where they don't understand after they've done it. Where I live, I can't take it outside every three hours when it needs to pee, so I need to toilet train it to go inside. Since I've had it it also seems to go to the toilet in the middle of the night, even though I don't give it water after about 6pm and I take it for a walk to relieve itself at about 8pm. So even though it goes outside, I need to teach it to go inside at a designated spot.

This might help you out a bit.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=3160&Ntt=puppy%20go%20potty&Ntk=All&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&N=0&Nty=1