House Breaking a Dog w/o being mean??

Rewards + supervision + crate is the key.

But what about Puppy training pads ???

and moving the self stick kind to the outdoors ???
 
ShopieCha said:
Many experts advise if biting is getting out of hand to Bite Back! As funny as it sounds it works and the dog understands that biting hurts.
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Yep - not a good idea. I've been dog training for several years and NEVER known this to be seriously put forward as a way to stop puppy or dog biting. There are so many other ways to train a dog, reward- or praise-based wherever possible, without resorting to this sort of thing. Remember too, you're not the dog. You're the respected (and respectful) master/mistress and you don't get that respect by biting!
 
I am trying to housebreak my puppy exactly the way you explained. She's 6 months old, I just rescued her from the humane society. She hates the crate. And now she seems to hate me. She runs from me whenever I walk near her because she doesn't want to go in her crate.
 
Your problem may be that she's identifying the crate with being at the shelter. You probably need to help her learn that her crate is a place where she's safe and can relax, and that will take time.

In the meantime, work on the housetraining by keeping her leashed to you and taking her out at frequent intervals and when she does eliminate outside, make it worth her while with whatever treats and lavish praise she likes best.
 
DogTrainerTim said:
There are so many other ways to train a dog, reward- or praise-based wherever possible, without resorting to this sort of thing.
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I absolutely agree. We should train dogs by positive reinforcement. It's much better for dogs to relate to doing things because of rewards than not doing things because of pain.

There are just so many things wrong with negative reinforcement. Cruelty is definitely on top of the list. Also, dogs live "by the moment" - typically by the time that we punish them, they won't relate the punishment to what they've done wrong, so punishment often does not achieve our goals.

What I advise dog owners is patience, patience, patience. Every dog is different and learn at a different pace.
 
Hi everyone,

I know there are a million posts on this (with some people disagreeing on best/worst practices), but I thought I would add my own two cents!

I come at the question from a combination of biology and psychology: there are certain things an animal does without learning (i.e. instinct, although these can often be modified by learning) and there are some that absolutely must be learned.

In my experience, dogs CAN learn from both negative and positive reinforcement, but the question is WHAT do they learn from those reinforcements? This is why I think people will have little success with negative reinforcement (i.e. scolding, isolating, etc.) because the puppy/dog learns that master/mistress is mad when it pees (not necessarily making the connection that it is the peeing in the house that makes us mad!).

On the other hand, I have found that dogs learn quickly - very quickly - when praise is used as the reinforcer. Even better than food! And why not? Dogs have been bred for thousands of generations to like praise from humans more than anything else. Puppies that were obedient, loyal, affectionate to the master were bred, those who were aloof and not affectionate were not.

What I have had great success with is biding my time - waiting for the puppy/dog to do what it is I want them to do -- and then PRAISE them like it is the fourth of July! When it comes to housetraining, this means catching them in the act (of peeing inside) and rather than yelling at them, just quietly picking them up, taking them outside (or to the wee-wee pad, depending on your setup) and then making that place a happy place to be. I also bring them there periodically - biding my time until we get a pee or poop in the right place and then again PRAISE PRAISE PRAISE.

The puppy/dog quickly makes the association: oh, if I pee/poop here, master/mistress gets very happy. hmm .. I think I will save my pee so that I can come here and do this again! And when you reward him/her every time with praise, that is exactly what the dog will do.

Scott

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Interested in animal behavior? Visit The Birds and the Bees: Things you were
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I agree with many of the other folks in terms of utilizing consistency, persistence, patience, supervision and rewards when it comes to training your dog. I'm a firm believer of positive reinforcement, which is why I give my dog (Dre) tons of praise for a job well done. Be sure that you are consistent in doing this and that you do not praise him when he does not follow your command/lesson. otherwise the poor thing will just be confused. Also, a treat here and there can also help to entice your pooch to learn as well as to help boost his confidence and ability to learn.

As for not yelling.. try your hardest NOt to yell. Remember that a dog's ears are definitely more sensitive than ours. Also, a lot of the time, dogs recognize tone and pitch prior to recognizing words... When showing your dog that you aren't happy, try using a firm tone with a relatively even pitch without increasing your volume..

I hope this makes sense.. good luck!!
 
i own a half poodle and half schnozzer bichon he is 3 yrs old and got neutred a week ago and we take him out on a scedule but still has pee accidents in the house i have my living room and kitchen blocked off with a fence but he has gone near the bathroom on the floor and in my sons room twice now . not sure why he keeps doing his duty in the house when we take him out a few times a day every day . he is crate trained and goes in it at nite and never has an acciddent in his crate. should we be doing something else to stop his behavoir ? not sure if its peeing or him marking his terroritory he has been fixed like i said i thought they stopped marking after surgery hmm . this is the first time we owned a male dog and a small dog also always owned female dogs and bigger ones . any help will be greatly apperciated thanks
 
No matter what the age, always be positive

Fandogg said:
How do you house break a dog with out yelling and screaming. I love positive reinforcement training not negative training. What's the propper way to do this?
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In my experience, being negative never gets you anywhere. Using treats and praise with any size or age of dog is always a good start. You need to make a schedule and stick to it. Your puppy or adult dog will have to go out after each meal, after waking and during play/ exercise. If they happen to have an accident, clean it up and take them outside. If you manage to catch them in the act, scoop them up and take them outside. Scolding/ yelling and hitting them just makes them scared of you and they don't understand why you are being mean.
Crate training your puppy can help a lot with accidents. If you can't be directly supervising, in the crate they go.
Having a "potty spot" is also a way to help with potty training. Designate a place in your yard that is where you want him to go. Place feces there so that it smells like him. When you take him out to do his business, take him to "his spot". Soon he will put two and two together and realize, "wow, I must have to go to the bathroom";) Every time he gets it right, give him a treat, tell him he is a good boy or give him a pat on the head.
Another trick is when you know he has to go,take him out to his spot and don't play until he goes. Once he goes, praise him, give him treats and play all you want.
 
Training a dog is indeed a hard thing to do. I love the thought that you want to reinforce your pet in a positive way. The first thing you have to do is gather accessories that could hep you in training your pet like leashes or collars. I got some accessories of my pet on this site http://www.hotdogcollars.com/ . You must remember that be gentle to your pet, this is the general rule to capture your pet feeling.
 
If your dog is 3 years old, now neutered, yet is still having accidents I would agree that he is most likely marking.
If he marked prior to his neuter and seems to be going in the same areas there is probably some scent left there to draw him back.
I would try a little "CSI" detective work. From the party store or dollar store you can purchase a black light or black light bulb. At night, turn off the lights and go over the areas that he's been having accidents. The black light will show any spots that still need to be cleaned and treated.
Dogs have an amazing sense of smell. They can smell urine through water, PineSol, Resolve, etc. You need an enzyme solution to digest and get rid of the odors.
You may be surprised when you turn the lights off! Good luck!

Lisa
 
mw6569 said:
I have read many articles regarding training your puppy .

Our puppy is currently 11 weeks old and the only really thing that bugs me is his continuously wanting to bite.
We have had his for 4 weeks now he loves his food , i mean what puppy don't.
I take him out every couple to 3 hours.
He can go for nearly 2 hours being on his own , as he will need to go for longer periods when i recover from a broken ankle.
But he always seems to get hyper and then that's when his biting starts at first i did not think it would last that long , but he really is a very dominating dog, of which we are trying to get him out of that.
My wife is the more experienced of the two of us even thought this will be my 4th dog.
But it really is stressing us out as he is a truly gorgeous looking dog, he enjoys his walks, even though he tries so hard when people are just walking by to be very sociable, but not every one is animal orientated.
But his biting is beginning to get out of hand
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One great way to get a dog to stop biting you is to press his or her lip against their teeth when they are biting. This is not "mean" as they will quickly learn that biting hurts and they won't bite themselves or you. Sometimes they just don't understand that biting is hurtful. They are puppies (dog babies) and need to learn things just like human babies need to be taught.
 
TheHousebreaker said:
One great way to get a dog to stop biting you is to press his or her lip against their teeth when they are biting. This is not "mean" as they will quickly learn that biting hurts and they won't bite themselves or you. Sometimes they just don't understand that biting is hurtful. They are puppies (dog babies) and need to learn things just like human babies need to be taught.
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I don't think this is a great way at all. It is important to let your puppy mouth you to an extent so as to encourage bite inhibition, which basically means understanding the difference between a hard bite and a soft bite. When it gets too hard, make a high pitched yelping sound and leave the area. Basically, he will learn that biting means that all the fun stops.
 
House Training Your Puppy Can Be Challenging

After reading this thread, I was reminded that a fair number of new puppies do indeed have the tendency to bite. This can certainly be an annoying and difficult problem to overcome. What makes it even worse is that this usually happens at the same time they are being house broken. So, it is like 2 problems that you need to overcome at once.

I do have some tips for how to overcome the biting issue. First, it is not really so much biting as it is chewing. The little one will chew on just about anything they can find. Part of the problem may be that they are teething. The first thing I would suggest is to get the dog a couple chew approved toys. Put them where your dog spends most of their time.

The next tip is the hard one. You, as the owner and now dog trainer, need to be consistent on this. No need to shout or yell to communicate your wishes to the dog either. Just whenever they chew or bite something which they should not, a simple, firm “No” will do. They replace whatever they were chewing on with one of their good toys. If you are consistent with this, they will get the message and learn to stop fairly quickly. This method has worked for several of my dogs. I hope this will help.
 
Try to give your dog plenty of exercise outside before house training him. In this way, any excess energy he has has been used and he will not be as active and easily distracted when you are trying to train him.
 
RedyreRottweilers said:
Couldn't this get put up as a sticky? So many requests for housetraining....

House Training

House training your dog is simple if you follow a few basic rules.

1) The puppy must have NO time unsupervised in your home. NONE.
If you are not directly watching the puppy, it should be in the
crate, or outside in a safe area. You MUST watch the puppy at ALL
times when loose in the house. Use baby gates, crates, or tie the
leash to your belt.

2) The puppy should sleep inside the crate by your bedside.
This way you can hear if the puppy should happen to need to go out
during the night.

3) You must go WITH the puppy outside for ALL trips for
elimination. You must have treats with you. When the puppy is
urinating, say "GO PEE PEE" in a nice praise tone of voice the entire
time. When she is finished, pop the treat into her mouth at once, and
praise praise praise. This should be something she gets at no other
time, like tiny pieces of string cheese or boiled chicken. Same for
defecation. Say "GO POOP" while she is going, and food reward and
praise afterwards. You must observe and reward ALL outdoor potty time.

4) Keep a schedule. Feed at the same time, and walk outside at
the same times. Your pup needs at least 4 trips outdoors each day,
and 5 is probably better. Pup needs to go out at wake up time, lunch
time, 4-5 PM, after dinner or any other meals, and before bed.

5) Use a key word each time you go out. I say "Let's go out!!"
in a happy tone of voice each time I'm opening the door to go out with the dog.

6) If you catch the puppy IN THE ACT of eliminating in your
house, CLAP YOUR HANDS, say AH AH, OUTSIDE!! And immediately rush her
outside. If she finishes there, do your usual food reward and praise.

The keys to getting your dog reliably housetrained are:

SUPERVISION: NO loose time in the house if you are not watching

REWARDS: ALL outdoor elimination MUST be observed
and rewarded. If you only do this ONE thing, your puppy will get housetrained.

PATIENCE: Anger and punishment have no place in dog
training. Elimination is a natural and pleasurable experience for
your dog. You can teach her to not soil your house, but punishment
will NOT help. It will only teach the dog to hide when she needs to eliminate.

If you have applied these techniques carefully for 4 weeks and you are still finding spots or piles after the fact, it's time for stronger measures. Roll up a newspaper and fasten both ends with a rubber band. Keep it handy. The very next time you find a spot of a pile that the dog has left behind, whip out that newspaper, and hit YOURSELF over the head firmly several times as you repeat "I FORGOT TO WATCH MY PUPPY".

Works every time.

:D
Click to expand...

That is an excellent guide, Redyre. I never knew that they shouldn't be left alone. That's a great point about the irrelevance of punishment, too.

Thanks for reposting the info!

-Penny D
 
el_pic said:
Rewards + supervision + crate is the key.

But what about Puppy training pads ???

and moving the self stick kind to the outdoors ???
Click to expand...
We started both our male pups on puppy training pads and then added a pee post hydrant. Then we slowly moved both the pad and post closer and closer to the door each day. Then eventually outside, and further and further into the backyard . And then we placed the post in a well-draining sport at the edge of the yard and took the pad away. It took a while, but it worked like a charm for both dogs. I think there's a spray you can actually use on the post to make your dog want to pee on it, but we didnt need it. Just found this article it might help anyone interested: http://www.smartdogguide.com/a-dog-fire-hydrant-potty-is-your-lawns-best-friend/
 
Ok the “mouthing” you refer to is a difficult thing to break a lot of puppies of. My dog is 14 mos old and when she is excited she tries to mouth everything on you. I have a spray bottle of water and spray her and say “no”. Also, get the training treats and make him/her sit and give a treat when they calm down and distract them. Lastly, exercise is paramount for all dogs but especially puppies. The more you exercise them, the less there bad habits will occur. Consistency and patience and perseverance is the key.

Good luck.
 
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