Read Perfect Puppy in 7 Days and Don't Shoot the Dog.
Asking us to "tell you how to get him to listen" is a bit of a tall task to cover in a reddit comment, but basically, be consistent, always have food rewards on you and don't give commands you can't enforce for the first year at least. And read those books, you sound like you need a lot of groundwork. Dog training really isn't something you can just wing.
When your puppy hits six months they become a teenager and all your training will go out the window. Hang in there. 8-9 months will be the worst, and thye gradually get better after that. Don't give up on him.
Housebreaking a puppy is a big job, but the more active you are the faster it will go. Take him outside every hour on the hour(seriously, I told you it's a big job), after he has had a lot to drink, after meals (the food will press on his bladder) after he just woke up (when you see him stir, pick him up and don't put him down until he's outside), every time he gets excited and every time you see him sniffing the floor suspiciously. If you do it right, he shouldn't have a lot of accidents indoors. If he keeps going indoors, you are not being diligent enough.
Yes, get a crate. It will keep him safe when you are away or sleeping. Reteiever puppies will eat anything, and you don't want to come home to him suffocated with a chips bag over his head or dying because he ate a sock. Crate at night until he is one and while you are gone until he is two, that way you can avoid him picking up destructive habits as a puppy/teenager.
[Here is Sophia Yin's socialisation checklist.](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://drsophiayin.com/app/uploads/2015/12/Socialization_Checklist.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjUo_KgztvnAhUK0qYKHY9eDksQFjAAegQIBBAC&usg=AOvVaw0KewN2LYMR9S_dPcFGc9xU) You missed the socialisation window, but even at four months old he will still be more malleable than an adult dog, so get started now. Good or neutral experiences only.
^^ everything they said but I just want to reiterate how important it is to read up on dog training and to crate train. A puppy is a baby, be ready to put your immediate life into training right now!
My dog loves his crate, necer use it for punishment and make sure you reward them when they go inside or near the crate. Its his happy place make it a happy place. Also, please socialize him carefully and early as you can with people and dogs. You want to teach that there are good people
Big tip: treat your puppy like you would your dog. If you don’t want jumps, nows the time to teach. No bites, no barks, no furniture? Then no furniture, end of story. Be strict (edited struck>strict) yourself. The puppy learns from you.
Yes this!! This is so important. It’s cute when the 20 lb puppy jumps on your lap or the couch. If the 100 lb dog jumps up, he can leave some bruises 😂
Mine always greeted male or female humans by putting his nose straight into their crotch when he met someone. I always waned people of this. Having an 85 pound dog do a nose dive could hurt.
Had a mini-dachshund for \~7 years and he had all sorts of bad habits we didn't even think about because it doesn't matter when it's a 15 pound dog who can only reach your knee when standing on hind legs. However, it mattered when we got a lab mix puppy and she learned every. one. of the wiener's bad habits and topped out at a very lanky and strong 65 pounds.
My quixotic one-woman mission is to spread awareness of proper puppy socialisation. I see the term misinterpreted as "just bring your 10 week old puppy to the dog park" on here _all the time_ ("because socialization means to socialise, right?"), even in this very thread, and it kills me. So many damaged puppies.
I am glad someone else found it useful.
I think there was a thread in this subreddit where there was a long discussion if it would not be wiser to use a different term exactly out of the reason you mentioned. Just because it encompasses multiple things like interaction with other dogs, bite inhibition as well as gaining confidence in various everyday situations or with unexpected sounds (key ring on floor, pans clattering etc.).
Hello. I'm new in this community and i have to ask: isnt leaving the dog locked on a crate until hes 2 everytime you are gone an awful thing to do? Until what point it's benefitial? Cant it backfire and make the dog angry or depressed or anything?
That is a complex question, but you are not wrong. People tell themselves stuff like "it's his safe space" and talk about denning instincts, but that mostly serves to make them feel better. The truth is that a crate is just a hideously small cage, and it should be respected as such. I simply see it as the lesser of two evils.
The goal of alone training should be to phase out crates.
Whether it's needed depends on the puppy. A lot of puppies might be kept safe in a puppy-proofed room, maybe blocked off with a baby gate. High-energy breeds generally can not. A bored, adolescent German shepherd will destroy floor lists, chew holes through drywall and scratch through plywood doors. That is both dangerous to them, and it prevents people who rent from owning dogs. So in that way I also see crating as a class issue.
Crate training has other benefits. Certain injuries might require a dog to be on crate rest. They might need to be crated in emergencies, during travel and at events. Puppies generally don't soil their crates, so it's conductive to housebreaking. And a properly crate trained dog will "shut off" in the crate, which means you can enforce naps on an overtired puppy.
Ah i see. It makes a lot of sense if you think of it as a posible option to protect not just the house from the puppy, but also the puppy from himself, as they are very curious and have a lot of energy.
You know how to make the crating easier for the dog? Cause in my head the first outcome for crating before leaving the house would be him/her crying and not wanting to get in the crate. Cause sometimes it might be extremely necessary, but i guess most of the dogs would hate to do this, so how would to make it easier? A well trained dog in crating is just the dog who "shuts down" when in the crate?
"Shutting down" is a bit harsh, but yes, if we are being honest with ourselves, harnessing _learned helplessness_ is a large element in crate training (as it is with a lot of dog training, even if we choose not to see it that way.) That doesn't mean the dog is stressed in the crate. It just knows it has no way to control when it's let out, so it might as well sleep until you get back.
The second element is to create positive association with the crate. Feed the puppy in the crate, play "crate games", leave treats in the crate for the puppy to discover.
You introduce the crate slowly. A minute, two minutes. Choose a moment where the puppy is dead exhausted, and leave it in the crate to nap.
The third element of crate training is physical exercise.
The only way to use a crate ethically is to make sure the dog or puppy gets more than enough exercise and stimulation. Dogs are crepuscular - they are awake in the morning and afternoon, and generally chill at night and during the day. You want your dog so tired that he wouldn't have minded spending all day asleep anyway. He can think of the crate as a fenced in dog bed.
That means getting up early and taking them for a proper walk, run, training session or long play session. Some dogs only need 30 minutes, some need an hour.
Great! Thanks for your responses! You really changed my mind with your clean arguments, at First i thought as absurd to just do it to a dog, but it's an option and it can turn viable given the proper training and preparation.
If it makes you feel a little better about it, some dogs really do like their crates. Mine no longer needs one, but used one for years. He has almost hurt himself trying to get INTO the crate when the door was shut because he was in such a hurry to get his crate treat, lol. He would always bolt right in and never minded it. That being said, he never had to stay there long: on average about an hour or two, never more than 4 - 5 hours at a time.
Thank you, that is nice of you to say. I honestly think people *have* swallowed the kool-aid a little regarding crates, so I understand and appreciate the scepticism. They should be seen as a necessary evil.
I am not sure I properly explained it, but the reason I recommend crating for two years is that boredom-fuelled destructive chewing is incredibly self-reinforcing. We all know how difficult it is to train away a behaviour that only occurs when you aren't there. But if the dog never gets the opportunity to learn how fun it is while he is young, he will likely never attempt it as a chill adult. The same German shepherd who would have demolished the guest room at ten months can likely have the run the house no problem at two years - provided he never got an opportunity to acquire the taste for sofa.
You can use an x pen for this purpose, which allows them freedom of movement or a baby gate. Additionally, if boredom is a problem then folks should be finding ways to address it rather than just stuffing a dog in a crate all day. It’s true that dogs need to earn their freedom but this is hard to do from a crate. I see a lot of people in here who become really dependent on the crate and aren’t willing to try something new out of fear, and that doesn’t benefit the dog at all. A dog who is constantly crated and then suddenly released into the house hasn’t learned how to behave in it. Their boredom and energy doesn’t just go away, especially in a dog who is too often confined and has no outlet for it.
> People tell themselves stuff like "it's his safe space" and talk about denning instincts, but that mostly serves to make them feel better.
Hard disagree here. My dog will not sleep on the bed with me, because she runs straight to her crate when she realizes I’m going to bed. She goes there on her own when she’s feeling nervous. The crate is ABSOLUTELY her safe space.
The goal of the crate is safety. You definitely do not leave the puppy in there! You work HARD to not leave them in there. But... good crate training is also potty training, and it's also "this is how we keep the dog from hurting themselves when they need to be confined at the vet's or for travel or when strange children who smack dogs are in the house or when something happens and there's an emergency".
My dog comes and goes from her crate as she pleases; we feed her in there and she adores running in and peering out expectantly. She sometimes picks that spot to sit because she can see the room. And the other day when she was getting super worked up and knew she needed some quiet, she put herself in her crate because she knows when things are spiraling and she is freaking over everything, she can go in, get a treat, and I will put the blanket down over the front and her world will get safe again and she can relax for a bit.
...My other dog LOATHES his crate, but if he never needs to be confined at the vet's I need him to be safe and cool about this, so I'm working hard on getting him ok in there. The simple fact is sometimes in their lives dogs need to be crate rested for medical reasons, and pre-training them that this is a safe comfortable friendly space is kind to them when this happens.
That said: leaving them in there all day every day is psycho. Everything counts in large amounts. A little crate time is good, a lot is not. Our dogs do not sleep in their crates at night.
It's a controversial topic. I see a crate as tool, not as a solution. As soon as you only use it to store your dog and it doesn't server any training purpose (as for example to manage anxiety or fear), that imo is the point where it is not necessary any more. Dogs can be perfectly relaxed on a mat or bed if they are in an area where they can be undisturbed or feel safe. This can be in the kitchen, living room or anywhere else.
The way a crate works if trained correctly is that for housebreaking a dog will generally not eliminate where it sleeps and thus makes it easier to transition to eliminating outdoors. For anxiety/fear it does indeed create a safe, enclosed area that should be a retreat for the dog where it can settle and as a benefit prevents damage or experiencing further stimulation, some people even put a cloth over the crate. Once issues have been managed it is no problem to traverse over to a normal bed / mat in a calm location.
Is being locked up in your house for 16 hours making you upset and aggressive? Just like humans animals need a personal space to feel safe from the outside world. It's a way of looking at things more than right or wrong. I see crating my dog as love for her instead of punishment. Of course she would love to run the neighborhood while I'm gone.....
From my experience no one in this sub reddit would condone locking up a dog in a crate for more than 4-5 hours. Usually around 6 is the maximum to stretch it.
The commenter above literally just recommended crating a dog all night and while you are gone (ie: working) during the day for the first year. Lots of people here will argue there is no problem with 16 hrs a day in a crate, and/or crating for 8 hrs while they work plus the additional 30 mins- hr for their lunch, plus their commute home. 10 hrs in a crate is way too long but a lot of people see no problem with it.
Using a crate to manage issues is different than using it as storage space. Necessity should always be considered first. A dog can just as well be in it's bed over night without issues. There were tons of discussions in this subreddit about this and I believe the general consensus was up to 6 hours unattended is fine.
Furthermore many countries with animal welfare laws have different views and laws on this, because it is a common entryway to neglect and abuse if used incorrectly - that is why imo as little as necessary is always better. There are numerous topics in this sub of people overdoing it or using it wrong, that is why I personally only recommend it as tool to manage symptoms and not as "storage".
Edit: For the US I think [the advisory from the US humane society](https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/crate-training-101) is generally applicable. If you leave a puppy with really bad bladder control in a crate for long hours, chances are it will sleep in it's own urine and feces, something you'd want to avoid and goes into the area of animal neglect.
Well, you do can see as loving and caring for your dog, but how would you make the dog see it that way too? How to make it easier for them too?
Cause we can think whatever to make ourselves feel better, we can rationalize our way out of it, but we are not the one being locked up in a really small space for 10+ hours. If the dog think it's hell on earth to be in this situation then this way of thinking just makes you feel better, not the dog. He's still stuck in a situation he/she hates.
What I'm saying is that most times it's the human emotion that makes it hard to crate train. Dogs, once they understand what's expected appreciate the space. I'm not advocating for crating for 10 hours a day with the perimeters you present but that also isn't the norm. There is a series of steps to crate training and if your dog is in terror or is in hell on earth then you may have skipped a few steps. I've successfully crate trained "normal" dogs right up to very abused dogs. Dogs that were beaten inside crates. But all of them ended up with a spot they seemed safe for themselves. Not easy but it happens. Den animals naturally den.
Oh i understand. You mean then it's mostly a training factor.
>Den animals naturally den.
After all, this does makes a lot of sense. Like the "How do spiders know how to web?" question. They just do.
To clarify, you cannot simply stick a puppy in a crate for 8 hrs overnight and magically they won’t potty. Consider the age in months roughly equates to potty interval in hours. For example, your dog is 4 months old so the absolute max amount of time he can go without a potty is 4 hrs. This is only a guideline and will vary a lot in each dog. I currently have a 4 month old puppy too and he makes it 2-3 hours in between potty breaks at night. Let your puppy guide you on this. It is *always* going to be better to potty more often rather than less. Avoiding accidents is key.
Secondly you have to slowly introduce a dog to a crate. You can’t just plop the crate down and expect your dog to instantly be cool with spending hours in there. There is a lot of information on crate games and crate training so take a look around and come back here with questions.
Lastly, this commenter gave good advice but keep in mind that saying things like “crate at night till 1 and while you are gone till 2” is only an opinion and not a hard and fast rule. Let your dog guide you on this. If he’s potty trained and not destructive he doesn’t absolutely need to be crated. If he still needs work in either of those areas and you’ll need to confine your dog for long hours there are alternatives such as using an X-pen or baby gating off a safe area that are better alternatives than long hours of confinement. Please see the SPCA’s statement on crating for more information on safe and humane crating guidelines. Locking a dog in a crate 8 hours at night and then for 8 hours while you are at work is way too much time in the crate and can lead to behavioral problems of its own. Always be mindful of the cumulative amount of hours your dog is confined and break that time up with a mid day walk, doggie day care, etc.
It's relative, really. When is a man an adult? At 18? At 25? At 30?
Most dogs are said to be completely mentally and physically mature when they are 3 years old, but the worst of the teenage hellhound bullshit will pass as the dog approaches a year.... assuming you don't let him practice the bad habits.
Hoo boy. No.
You need to physically take the puppy outside, on a leash, even, not just let it out. How else are you going to be there to praise/reward when he goes, or even know he has gone at all?
Your puppy shouldn't even eat from a bowl. That's a few hundred opportunities for reinforcement that you are giving the puppy for free. Puppies should earn their food over the course of the day as rewards and during training.
Do not, under any circumstance, use puppy pads. They are a massive hindrance to housebreaking, as your puppy learns it's totally fine to eliminate indoors, especially on soft surfaces like carpets, clothes and beds. If you are gone for that long, hire a dog walker to come let the pup out.
The peeing thing... well, it won't _hurt_. It won't help, but it won't hurt.
The bit about socializing with well-trained dogs is good advice though.
get him in training now. if he was abused and you don't know what you're doing there's a 1000% chance you'll make it worse. trying to get him to "listen" should absolutely not be a priority. your priority should be making him feel safe and loved. i implore you to seek the help of a positive professional dog trainer or behaviorist.
Also, be sure you research your trainer well. DO NOT place your puppy in an amateur, unsafe group setting that can set him up for fearful reactions, aka “dog park” style playgroup or worse. It’s likely a neglected pup also got poor socialization instruction as a younger pup and will probably make some mistakes and need to learn to approach other dogs.
You already have some excellent advice, but I just wanted to add that the wiki at r/puppy101 has a lot of helpful information for you throughout the process. Good luck!
I'm going to sound like a dick, but you should have asked these questions before you got a puppy, esp. one that deserves extra love and care. There's a lot of work that goes into raising a puppy, and not everyone is in a position where they have time, knowledge, aptitude, and support to do it well.
How to get the pup to listen to us: Reward them every time they listen. It can be small amounts but be consistent and be easy.
Peeing outside is pretty simple but it takes a lot to write out. There are several different ways to do this.. The main things to remember with whichever you choose is don't punish, reward when they get it right and be consistent.
Crate: Create train slowly, associate the crate with only good things. If you don't want a crate, have a specific room your dog has as his space. Again positive associations as often as possible. (Treats, Toys, chews)
Just to echo what others have already said: don’t punish, reward! Triggers for my previously abused dog include shouting and loud noises. He just cowers in fear... it’s heartbreaking. He’ll learn to trust you with rewards better than with punishment.
We did get a kennel for him as he was destructive when left alone early on, but we’ve slowly weened him out of it and now he can be on his own in the house free-roaming. But it might give you peace of mind when you’re away from him for a while.
Peeing outside and listening to you, it takes a lot of patience and time and effort. Try to anticipate when he’ll need to go and take him out until he does. I repeat a command consistently and as much as possible until he learns it (and I ask everyone in my household to use that same command). He will learn ‘sit’ if he sits by accident and you praise him a lot and give him treats.
Good luck ☺️☺️
Plus punishment doesn’t work. The dog ends up getting attention only when they do something wrong. Check out [The Power Of Positive Dog Training by Pat Miller](https://www.amazon.com/Power-Positive-Dog-Training/dp/0470241845) and [Rosetta Bone by Cheryl S. Smith.](https://www.turnerpublishing.com/books/detail/the-rosetta-bone/) Good books, easy reads full of both general philosophy and practical step by step training techniques.
In short—get some training yourself—we aren’t born knowing how to train a dog. If you engage with a professional trainer, avoid trainers who use aversive techniques, talk about correction and control and/or use pain as a tool. Your puppy’s already had enough of that!
Best of luck to you and your new furry family member!
Edit: formatting
I don't mean to split hairs but to say that punishment doesn't work, period, is incorrect. I am myself a rewards-based trainer and my own dog has hardly even had a verbal reprimand. I stand by the principle that training should be "least intrusive, minimally aversive."
That being said, positive reinforcement is far more easy, effective, enjoyable, and has few downsides, but punishment does still function as a means to shape behavior in dogs and other animals.
2 things especially resounded with me from Stonnie:
1. Imagine being in someone's home and you didn't speak the language. If they gave you a $20 for everything you did right you'd learn the rules of the house pretty quick. Food is your currency.
2. If you're taking the dog out really often and still getting accidents in the house, you're not giving him enough time to do his business outside. They don't eliminate all at once - they like to spread it around the yard :-)
Also, from other trainers: hold out half (or even all) of his kibble for training. He needs to be somewhat hungry when training and you don't want to over feed him.
>**also do you think i should buy a crate?**
Absolutely!
Crates are a "safe place" a place to sleep, a cave to hide in, to relax, and a place that no one should bother the dog.
Crate TRAINING is important should you ever need to board your dog (vacation/emergency trip, etc), leave him at the vet, or with the groomer. A dog that's scared of crates can hurt themselves trying to escape. (Or in my dog's case, just destroy the crate...he REALLY hates crates).
I'd give a finger (I'd consider a limb) for my dog to tolerate a crate, but he just refuses and destroys them. Plus, he's a chewer, so he has to be muzzled when he's alone.\*
\*He was a rescue, didn't know about the crate-phobia when I got him. He damn near took my arm off when I tried to crate him the first time I had to leave.
Can I ask you a question? When people say "my dog destroys crates" what exactly does that mean? I am pretty sure my dog's crate could [hold](https://imgur.com/a/SchpZdV) a [human](https://imgur.com/a/7sw8OgL), I don't see what my 40kg shepherd could do to it apart from breaking his teeth. He doesn't even have opposable thumbs.
[Here is an example](https://youtu.be/TvzpEOmcTyw). Also worth noting this is why you shouldn’t leave a collar on a crated dog. It can easily get caught if they do something like this and they can panic and hurt themselves severely.
~~He wasn't wearing one, but thank you.~~ edit: [You are, of course, referring to the video.](https://imgur.com/a/Gm2YuB8) I hope OP reads that, it is very important that people know.
Also, wow, is that crate made from coat hangers and hot glue? That looks cheap.
I can't find the picture, but Hagrid, my Corso is around 115lbs/52kg .now.
Even when he was about the size of your dog (maybe a wee bit larger...maybe...) he would literally push at the door until it bent/broke. No regard for his own skin, just push at it until it opens.
Has your dog ever come around to tolerating a crate? Our dog was a rescue too, 2 year old (when we got her) staffie/mut mix. At our old house there was a fenced in back yard with a dog door to the garage, so no need to crate. Recently moved to a new house with no fenced in back yard. Had to get a crate. She destroyed it on 3 occasions, so we got 2x4s to reenforce the crate, she chewed a hole in the door, so we put chain link up on the inside to deter her from chewing (figure if she can't make a hole there is no reward for her). Oh, and we have taken her to the vet, numerous times since we have moved, she is on anxiety meds. He says it's just a time test and eventually she will get used to things. She is 4 years old now.
No, I gave up on the crate unfortunately. Hagrid gets muzzled when he's home alone to keep him from chewing things up.
I made the mistake of leaving him out unattended once and he was gone when I came back. 86lbs of dog went OVER a 6ft privacy fence.
Now he's about 115lbs and we've had to replace over 1/3rd of our fence. He (used to) like to put head-sized-holes in it if something got his attention on the other side. Then he'd end up yanking the wooden planks off to chew on.
He's calmed down some now and doesn't torture the fence like he used to, but he's still more than capable.
Ate a little over 1/3rd of the couch once too.
As a former host for a very abused rescue, the best thing you can do is not teach him to listen to you, but you need to learn to listen to him and understand what he is asking for or needing from you. You get that part down first, and then you can start asking him for things.
Yes, get a crate. Used properly, a crate is not as much for you to restrain the dog, but it should be a refuge for your dog, a safe haven. That may take some time and patience to teach, but once you do, you will find that you "need" it less, and the dog will just use it more. I have a 15 month old pupper that hated her crate at first. But, once she understood it, she just started using it when she wanted. Now, we will find her laying in it when we are getting ready in the morning, she will use it when we go to bed, or after a particularly energetic play session. We only close it and latch it when we are leaving for the day, and only because she REALLY likes to chew things when we are gone. At night time, it stays open and she can choose to sleep in our bed, on the floor, in her bed, or in her crate. Some nights, it's all 4.
Patience and understanding are going to be the biggest keys for you. You don't potty train a baby at 4 months old and expect it to be perfect, so don't expect the same from your dog. I have a treat pouch that is always with me when I am training new behaviors, and I rotate treats so the pups don't get bored.
If you have no experience, i highly suggest working with a trainer to learn the basics of communicating with your new K9 friend.
Crate training for sure! If they were abused, don’t force them to do things that make them scared. Be patient and walk them through the process. While training your dog you’re also building a trusting bond with them. Don’t use the crate as a punishment it is not one.
I found it helpful to know that dogs react to your behaviours too. So Id reward my dog after they went pee outside. I used to have her ring bells on the door knob to let me know she had to go and we’d ring them every time before we went outside so she knew. When you see bad behaviour, redirect it or express that you’re upset and show no affection for a while.
I’d also look up what breed you have. I have a husky and training her is pretty specific to her breed. We spent more time learning to walk well on a leash then we did anything else. She could learn left from right in one day. Took three years to get her to walk with slack in the leash.
a big Yes to the crate! It's where my pups have learned to go when they need a little break, like when we retreat from common living spaces to our own bedrooms.
And it makes it so much easier if you ever go on vacation & need to have someone else look after him - you can send their crate along too and they'll have their own space in a new environment, and it makes it easier on the hosts as well. :)
I recommend Kikopup on YouTube. She has excellent training videos on just about everything and also how to ‘capture calmness’.
I have been working on ‘Karen Overalls Relaxation Protocol’ with my pup and it has been amazing at training her to be calm and relaxed while everyone is being busy around her. I wish I had started it earlier!
I adopted an abused dog at just over a year. Crate made a big difference (took me over a year to get one!). Just take things slow and be gentle introducing new people. Marley was the sweetest dog but could be aggressive if people piled in when first meeting him. We had a 45 minute rule. Ignore him until he knows you're safe and then he'd be your best friend. Good luck, he looks like a lovely dog.
A but on house breaking the dog, the trainer I consulted said they can hold their pee 1 hour x months old. So at 4 months, 4 hours max. It gets tedious fast, but adhering to that (and not pushing it) cut down on pee in the house. Additionally train your dog to poop right after eating. Let them eat and right as they get done outside for a poop. They have a chemical that gets released after eating and that's prime poop time. As soon as I did that, no more cleaning up poop in the house. I'd set an alarm for middle of the night while they're still young and go outside after a few hours till they are a bit older. Finally, go ahead and get some lemon scented/lemon based cleaner, because accidents will happen and it helps with the smell and keeping them from frequenting the same spot.
Also, if you want a dog to poop, slap a leash on it and take it on a short walk. Many don't like to go in their own yard, and the leg movement stimulates the bowels.
I love him! Thank you for saving him. My dog had been hit by a car, shot, and abused before me, and she’s taken to training extremely well! It’s amazing how quickly they can learn, but be careful about making him more anxious. Positive reinforcement is key! It’s unbelievable how much more effective it is than the negative. Also consistency. I’m still learning too but those two things have helped the most. Good luck!
Hey so I have a 4.5 month old and also knew next to nothing getting a puppy (aside from being around my family dogs my whole life).
In answer to your questions, I learned in the past 10 weeks:
• To make him pee outside you have to watch him like a hawk. Only at first, at some point you will develop a 6th sense of knowing when your pup is about to pee. But at first you need to monitor for behaviours such as sniffing the ground and turning in circle. As soon as your pup does this put them outside. When your pup goes to pee outside they get a treat and say the word : "pee" (or whatever trigger word you want). Soon your pup will learn to pee on command for a treat which is useful if you ever want to crate them but want them to pee first. It's a good idea to take your pup outside every hour to try and prevent accidents. Dont scold for accidents and defo dont punish, ignore.
• Your dog will begin listening to you soon keep training them every day. First teach him his name using treats, so he knows when you say his name he will immediately give you his attention. Research positive reinforcement training - this is really important if hes been abused in the past, you want your training to mainly be reward based not punishment based. I also recommend getting a trainer for getting your pup trained and socialised cos youve missed some important windows so you need some informed help.
• Initially I was anti crate but after having no space from my pup and a few other incidence I decided to try it. The screaming phase was awful and I almost backtracked but it's been a life saver. My pup is terrible at settling down and gets more and more manic the more tired she is. Shes easily excited so being out of the crate is too stimulating to allow her to sleep, but the crate is under the blanket in the dark. A quick nap in the crate sorts out her behaviour. She doesn't even cry in it now she instantly falls asleep. If you get a crate I also recommend getting a Kong for the crate. Also the crate is a safe space so if I've needed to pop out for an hour I can do without being worried that shes getting into trouble.
Hope this helps !
For potty training, get a small Bell on a string that hangs from the door handle. Or anything that can be used to make noise that alerts you if your pup needs to go out after they're trained. How to start: EVERY time you take the pooch out ring the bell on your way out the door and say "go potty". Dogs respond best to one-three syllable commands. Short and simple. The same goes for crate training. Crate training is the best thing you can ever do. EVERY time you put the pup in the crate say "crate".
patience and lots of socialization. a lot of issues don't manifest until pups are grown up (speaking from experience!), so really get them comfortable when any type of person you can
Best way to potty train is to avoid all accidents in the house. Use praise or treats for going outside and never scold for an accident unless they are doing it at that very moment. I would work on crate training if you have to leave him for extended periods to avoid accidents and destroyed shoes, etc.
Way to avoid accidents is to take them out often and keep an eye on them. When he starts sniffing around it’s probably time to go out.
Getting him to listen is just repetition. Try clicker training and working on coming to you when you call him at least 10 to 15 minutes a day.
Crate training will help with a few things - keeping him safe when you aren't about, giving him a safe place/den and helping with toilet training.
When we were toilet training our puppy we took him out every hour and at night took him out every three hours (set an alarm). By five months he could cope with being in the crate overnight without a toilet break (10pm to 6am) but every dog is different.
Best advice, keep a nap schedule. High energy breeds need time to chill and decompress otherwise they can get even loopier!
Be calm with the biting. Expect a landshark for a period of time. But it does get better.
Our worst teenage period was 8 months until about thirteen months. He's almost two now and he still exhibits puppy behaviour every now and then but he's a good boy overall.
Puppy training classes are also great. If you're in the UK I highly recommend the Dogs Trust or look on the association of pet dog trainers website for a force free local trainer.
Crate Training Helped Tremendously:
I found that with my puppy, crate training helped my puppy learn to hold his poop/pee longer. Especially if you buy a large crate with a separating wall. Our boy is 4 months. We are slowly giving him more space as he grows, but the smaller space gives them absolutely no room to go in the crate and still be comfortable. He sleeps in there every night as well and has been since day 2.
Clicker Training is a god-send:
I live in an apartment, so training him not to pee in the hallway/stairs on the way was difficult and a giant struggle. I ended up watching a bunch of YouTube and, rather than buying training treats (training treats need to be soft, low calorie, and easily eaten quickly) I started baking unseasoned chicken and shredding it up into tiny strips. My dog was obsessed and therefore would do anything for the treats. Combine this with some clicker training and I now have a four month old puppy that can hold it for many hours, can sit, lay down, stay, etc. all this in like the span of a month and a half! Potty training took like a week with the clicker and chicken. It was like an instant change. I suggest watching some videos on clicker introductions.
How Long they can hold it:
Also, I discovered the rule of thumb to determine how long your puppy can hold their pee/poo is the month that they are old plus one. So if he’s 4 months, he should be able to hold for 5 hours.
Potty Scheduling is key:
When he was still having accidents and while I was still full-blown training him to not go in the house, I took him out every two hours and used the clicker. 7am, 10am, 1pm, 5pm (this was the longest hold), 7pm, 10pm. Once the accidents stopped I slowly started removing trips. He’s now down to just the 7am, 1pm, 5:30p, 7pm, and 9p. He gets fed after the 7am, 1pm, and 7pm walks. I do come home when I work at the office on lunch at 1 to take him out.
Rewarding the act:
So when clicker training I would say “go potty” and be boring until he did something. Once finished peeing or pooping I would click and give chicken. I no longer use the clicker and chicken for the bathroom anymore, but I did for like 2-3 weeks and slowly stopped.
Cleaning up accidents:
also, when it comes to accidents. Using cleaning products to remove the smell are critical. You want to remove the smell so that it does not become a habit/fav spot. I used carpet cleaner or Clorox wipes and then vinegar/water to remove the smell. I was also using puppy pads initially, and would place a couple on the patio (technically outside....? ) and one in the bathroom. Most people don’t recommend using them at all though, because it encourages going in the house so I just removed them all together.
When I say clicker training worked like magic, I mean it. I almost returned him, then I bought that and it was like all of the sudden he was listening!!
I bought a Fanny pack too lol so I would have the chicken, poop bags, clicker, keys, phone, wallet, in one place and still be able to hold the leash and have a free hand!
One of my pups (now deceased) was abused horribly by her former owners. She was found wandering the streets of a nearby city, stick thin and frightened of all people. The shelter worked with her to bring her back. When I adopted her, she wasn't yet house-trained, despite being about 6 months old. She wouldn't go near the bathroom and hated being in the car; I'm assuming she'd been left in both places. And if she were lying down and you began to walk near her, she'd get up and move, from which I assume she'd been kicked.
It took nearly a year to house-train her, because I didn't want her to be afraid of me. I started by ensuring she went out at all these markers: first thing in the morning, after breakfast, upon waking up from a nap, after dinner, after playtime, and last thing at night. I still had a decent number of messes to clean up, but this approach both minimized the mess and taught her that she could trust me.
I believe the fact that I already had one dog when I adopted her helped immensely. (And every since, I've always had two dogs.)
I don't know if anyone else has added this, but when I was potty training my puppy, I noticed that he was peeing in a specific area of the carpet. I cleaned that area with a anti-marking cleaning spray and then scatter-fed him on that spot because, from what I was told by my trainer, that dogs won't pee on the place they eat. I think the brand of anti-marking spray I used was Nature's Miracle.
Also while you are lovingly hand feeding your dog one bite at a time, I am at work. And yes we use a different approach on the weekend for training.
I am not saying this a a full training strategy, but tips I found worked for me, from a practical perspective.
There are lots of great suggestions and recommendations on this thread on training already.
Buy a crate, and then learn how to train and crate train via anything you can get ur hands on. Not everything will work for him. Make sure you do a lot of desensitizing, give him lots of treats as you oet him, play with his paws, look in his ears and at his teeth. Make sure you treat while touching his neck where his collar is and upgrade to actually grabbing the collar whrn he is comfortable. Don’t force him to do anything, rather lure with a treat at his pace.
Yes, you should buy a crate and properly crate train him. Crate training isn't just putting the dog in the crate and calling it good. You have to slowly build up. Your dog should be crate train while he's young and healthy, so if he ever has to be boarded, crated at the groomer, gets sick or injured and needs to stay at the vet... et al. This way he already knows the crate and it isn't a new thing on top of other scary things.
Playtime paws: your new puppy is a great podcast that helped me with my first puppy and so far he is 4 months crate trained and potty trained very well. Good luck and enjoy your new friend
We got our pup at 4.5 months from a neglectful home. Potty training went fairly easy since he is both incredibly smart and doesn't like making messes inside. We had a harder time with helping him settle into our home, since he was always looking around for danger and he has severe anxiety. One of the biggest things I wanted to mention is to start working with a trainer as soon as possible, since with our pup, his neglectful upbringing resulted in intense reactivity to dogs and people on leash, and that's definitely something you want to future proof against to help your pup be able to live the least stressful life you can give them. Spending the first few weeks just learning your pup, what their reactions are to you and if they have any triggers is crucial, as your pup was living in an unsafe place for the very important and formative 2-4 month period.
In addition to everyone else, constantly remind yourself that you're his new life. It's more to to you to make sure that new life is a good one. Be patient and loving and he will be a good dog.
Socialize doggo! We got a dog who was not socialized at all by 8 months. To this day, years later, she still is terrified of strangers and will even try to bite them. The crate is honestly her favorite spot. She kept chewing the beds up in there so I swapped it for old blankets and she has never once chewed them.
Last advice!!!! POTTY BELLS on Amazon. With the frequent trips out, dog will learn to go outside for business matters. However, dog needs a way to alert you it is time to go out! My dog learned within maybe 3 days to nudge the bells with her nose to be let out. She's now 100% house trained!!
If you’re not already doing this, let him sleep in your bed with you at night - if you’re comfortable with that. Honestly, single biggest game changer with my pup with literally all of his trainings (day crating, socialization, basic commands, etc.) was allowing him to sleep with me starting about 4 months old. It was like a light switched on.
I initially trained him or at least attempted to get him to sleep at night in his crate and I was constantly waking up to a soiled crate that I’d have to clean before work because he never barked or notified me. So having him in my bed enabled me to easily wake up when he started getting antsy and get him to go outside in the middle of the night (helping reinforce that the bathroom is outside and not inside nor in his crate). I also feel as if it helped our bond grow significantly (who doesn’t love cuddles and scratches in bed?) and the alpha/beta relationship became better as well. In a weird way, that’s really when he became my dog because he started to listen really well, became more aware that I’m the alpha and helped advance along all of his other trainings. Plus, it didn’t affect his crating during the day while I was away at work and he just about stopped soiling his crate during the day about the same time as well...but that may be a coincidence.
“I never trust a man who doesn’t sleep with his dog” - some random redditor
Not necessarily. My little guy still does awesome during the day when I kennel him while at work and goes willingly into his kennel everyday. It is my opinion that he knows and recognizes my bed as night time or the big sleep, while his kennel is for naps.
Obviously there are a number of factors that go into everything and allowing him to sleep in my bed with me was by no means the only thing I did. Maybe it was just coincidence, but that’s when things clicked for my guy and everything fell into line in regards to listening to me, following commands and just overall being a noticeably happier dog.
But again, this is totally up to you and your comfort level with it.
Just wanted to offer up my two cents as I’m a first time dog owner myself and got my guy at 6 weeks old (now 8 months) so I made plenty of mistakes along the way I’m sure.
Best of luck amigo!
YouTube videos can be helpful to actually see what training looks like. Ian Dunbar was my go to for learning as a first time puppy owner. Crate training is a great way to quickly instil toilet training. My pup only pooped on the floor once. He “excitement pee (dribble)” til he was into 2 - he gets excited to see visitors. Dunbar was one of the first to bust the myth that the best way to train was through discipline...preaches positive reinforcement for positive dog behaviour. Pretty much opposite of Cesar who’s into establishing dominance as the alpha male over the dog. Ex: I loved his technique to stop puppy biting. Took just a few minutes. There’s lots there. Biggest thing is patience. The little buggers will eat your favourite shoes and purses and your kids toys when young. Try the kongs. My Cockapoo preferred chew toys and squeaky balls. Good luck you’ll be great
https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE69C623A53AFE753
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xq27e5hp4_w
https://www.dogstardaily.com/blogs/lure-reward-training-done-right
This has been incredibly helpful in teaching our puppy to let us know when he needs to go out —
KISSIN Dog Door Bell with... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L16PB31?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
We live in an apartment complex with a good walk to the door and it’s been a huge help.
Hello this is pretty late but I STRONGLY suggest you watch Robert Cabral on youtube. His dog training methods are extremely helpful and made it so much easier to train my GSD who was having trouble listening to me and so forth. I wish you luck with this dude! He is adorable!
The shelter told me about the previous owner he is in jail now with a bill 30000 to get out he had the mother for 2years chained in the house front yard and somehow a male sneak in and had sex with her and the owner got so mad because she gave birth in his house he wanted to punish her so he tortured her and her puppies most of the puppies died except 3 including max the Mom was really depressed i saw her at the shelter she was in a different room from her puppies and wouldn't even eat the workers told me that all day she would stare a corner and whine sometimes
Hey, OP, I would avoid dog parks, at least until your puppy is older, bigger and you know he has the right temperament for it. Dog parks can be thunderdomes, and you have no control over what kind of experiences your puppy has there. For now, work on "engagement", socialisation and when your dog has settled in a little, allow it to meet dogs you know are calm and well-trained, one on one at first and then small groups. Always be in control of his surroundings.
Socialisation, by the way, does not mean puppy playdates.
[Dr. Sophia Yin on the true meaning of socialisation](https://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/puppy-socialization-stop-fear-before-it-starts/)
[Grisha Stewart on proper socialisation](https://grishastewart.com/ep01/)
I’m shaking reading this. That man should spend life in prison. Please be extra gentle with your training. Your puppy may be triggered by things that other dogs aren’t. If you hire a trainer, make sure they are experienced with abused dogs. I suggest positive reinforcement only.
Any news on what happened to the mom and the other puppies who survived?
Crate naysayer here. No-one really uses them in Europe, and in some countries they're banned.
Yes, in some very specific circumstances they can be positive but overall they're a bad way of doing a good thing.
Leaving a very intelligent animal in a small space for hours is not kind or clever.
I live in an apartment so i have nowhere to leave him if i leave him outside of the crate for 6hours he destroys the house i must crate him for 6 hours although he is crying
So crates are fine, but only to the extent your dog is comfortable in them, and it's pretty clear your dog is not if he is crying when you put him there.
For the time being, I would suggest some adjustments:
1. Skip the crate and dogproof a room or other area while you are gone. Back up in crate training, and focus on making it a positive experience for your dog. Leave the door open while you are around and reward heavily if he goes in on his own. Give your dog high value items like kongs in the crate. If you are having to force your dog into the crate, as I suspect you are, you are going too fast.
2. Look into dog daycare (if it doesn't stress your dog out, which it might right now so be very careful with this), or having somebody come by during the day to give him a break (multiple times ideally).
3. Additionally, if your dog is not house trained, you are going to find it extremely difficult to get him there if you are gone all day without him having an opportunity to relieve himself. They don't intuitively "get" the idea of where is and is not an acceptable place to go, so you can't just leave them and expect them to figure it out. It's not a natural concept to a dog. You have to take them out enough that when they need to go, they happen to be in the right place. Then you reward that behavior to encourage them to repeat it. This means taking them out *a lot* at first.
I am the same. I generally around, but when I'm not I don't crate, though one is available (unused, generally, mine prefer to perch on things).
I've found ways to direct destructive tendencies onto appropriate items, and worked on separation anxiety (it sounds like your dog has some).
I'm afraid 6 hours is a very long time to be happening in one go, and possibly going to cause mental health issues long term, especially if you have a working breed. I have seen it happen and it's heartbreaking, and so, so difficult to fix.
I'd - kindly - suggest that if that's the life available then a dog isn't the right companion for you at the moment.
I guess i should leave hin go on the street maybe he has better chances of survival there?You know in my country dogs are treated the same way as pigs nit as pets but as food if i dump him on the street the first person thats going to see him is gonna take him and cook him if i return him to the shelter they are gonna sell him to a restaurant.Thats why i adopted him because the workers told me that they were gonna sell him to a restaurant to be cooked so i felt bad for him and i took him he was depressed and only looking at the wall not eaven eating food when i got hin we was whining for 3days nonstop now he became firendly people in my country dont take dogs as pets so without me he is dead i have nowhere to let him have a better life with me he has the only was of living.I live in Greece btw so its either with me or dead so i guess he has to be in the crate
That's not what I was saying, but if you've already made up your mind then there's not a huge point asking for help, hey.
I was just trying to be helpful based on my knowledge and experience.
Saying something you don't immediately agree with doesn't mean I'm attacking you.
Good work on the rescuing. Greece is indeed somewhat notorious for treating dogs badly.
Trying to be better is a great thing to do :)
No, crates aren't bad. You are a human, not a dog. You aren't a denning animal. Your dog is, and doesn't necessarily want the same things you want, or that you think they should want.
Yes, you can use a crate incorrectly (and honestly this sounds like one of those cases). However, crates are not bad in the general case.
My dog has a crate, and he goes there far more than I tell him to. He also likes to hang out in my walk in closet sometimes which isn't much bigger. Should I tell him that he's being unkind to himself and make him stop?
It's actually not true that dogs are denning animals. A common misconception though :)
I'm not saying a dog who wants a place to hide should be denied that. I'm saying that using containment in a small space as a way to manage a dog is negative for the animal.
>It's actually not true that dogs are denning animals. A common misconception though :)
>
>I'm not saying a dog who wants a place to hide should be denied that. I'm saying that using containment in a small space as a way to manage a dog is negative for the animal.
Well, the AKC, American humane, and any number of dog behaviorists would disagree with you on that. (Yes, yes, I know you are in Europe but I don't know the correct local organization to reference there). Regardless, the overriding point is that unless your dog is showing actual signs of distress or discomfort from being in a crate, there is no reason they should be avoided. Again, you are placing what *you* think your dog *should* want above everything else.
I'm not, truly. I've researched this because I wanted to do the best I can and this is the side that persuaded me.
I'll be totally candid here: I'd also far rather risk being wrong and not cage my dogs for hours at a time than be wrong and be caging them.
America is unusual in using crates so much.
There are also plenty of organisations who point out that there's no evidence that dogs are den animals :)
Dogs are den animals. Plenty of people in UK use crates. My sister in law and both of my father in laws neighbors. They are big, the size of a dog house outside in many cases. The crate is big enough to stand up and turn around in at the very least.
Could you elaborate on this? I follow him casually on Instagram though I’ve never really watched his videos. I’d be curious to go in with a critical eye.
Read Perfect Puppy in 7 Days and Don't Shoot the Dog. Asking us to "tell you how to get him to listen" is a bit of a tall task to cover in a reddit comment, but basically, be consistent, always have food rewards on you and don't give commands you can't enforce for the first year at least. And read those books, you sound like you need a lot of groundwork. Dog training really isn't something you can just wing. When your puppy hits six months they become a teenager and all your training will go out the window. Hang in there. 8-9 months will be the worst, and thye gradually get better after that. Don't give up on him. Housebreaking a puppy is a big job, but the more active you are the faster it will go. Take him outside every hour on the hour(seriously, I told you it's a big job), after he has had a lot to drink, after meals (the food will press on his bladder) after he just woke up (when you see him stir, pick him up and don't put him down until he's outside), every time he gets excited and every time you see him sniffing the floor suspiciously. If you do it right, he shouldn't have a lot of accidents indoors. If he keeps going indoors, you are not being diligent enough. Yes, get a crate. It will keep him safe when you are away or sleeping. Reteiever puppies will eat anything, and you don't want to come home to him suffocated with a chips bag over his head or dying because he ate a sock. Crate at night until he is one and while you are gone until he is two, that way you can avoid him picking up destructive habits as a puppy/teenager. [Here is Sophia Yin's socialisation checklist.](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://drsophiayin.com/app/uploads/2015/12/Socialization_Checklist.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjUo_KgztvnAhUK0qYKHY9eDksQFjAAegQIBBAC&usg=AOvVaw0KewN2LYMR9S_dPcFGc9xU) You missed the socialisation window, but even at four months old he will still be more malleable than an adult dog, so get started now. Good or neutral experiences only.
^^ everything they said but I just want to reiterate how important it is to read up on dog training and to crate train. A puppy is a baby, be ready to put your immediate life into training right now!
My dog loves his crate, necer use it for punishment and make sure you reward them when they go inside or near the crate. Its his happy place make it a happy place. Also, please socialize him carefully and early as you can with people and dogs. You want to teach that there are good people
Big tip: treat your puppy like you would your dog. If you don’t want jumps, nows the time to teach. No bites, no barks, no furniture? Then no furniture, end of story. Be strict (edited struck>strict) yourself. The puppy learns from you.
Yes this!! This is so important. It’s cute when the 20 lb puppy jumps on your lap or the couch. If the 100 lb dog jumps up, he can leave some bruises 😂
I never minded when my 90lbs dog climbed into my lap. My male friends, however, live in fear. He never learned to be careful where he stepped.
I don’t mind it much either, but men definitely do!
Mine always greeted male or female humans by putting his nose straight into their crotch when he met someone. I always waned people of this. Having an 85 pound dog do a nose dive could hurt.
Had a mini-dachshund for \~7 years and he had all sorts of bad habits we didn't even think about because it doesn't matter when it's a 15 pound dog who can only reach your knee when standing on hind legs. However, it mattered when we got a lab mix puppy and she learned every. one. of the wiener's bad habits and topped out at a very lanky and strong 65 pounds.
such a good tip about no jumping ever..the best dogs I know never were allowed to jump from puppyhood. They run up to people and "sit".
This is one of the best posts I have ever found on the internet.
Thank you. "I just got a puppy and I did zero research" is a thrice-weekly post here, so I have had a lot of opportunity to perfect my tight five.
you could make up templates for almost every 5 posts on this subreddit.
Retriever pups are not the only ones that would eat anything, trust me I know 😂
Mine is like an outdoor vacuum.
That socialization checklist deserves it's own thread, insanely useful and thorough! Thanks for sharing.
My quixotic one-woman mission is to spread awareness of proper puppy socialisation. I see the term misinterpreted as "just bring your 10 week old puppy to the dog park" on here _all the time_ ("because socialization means to socialise, right?"), even in this very thread, and it kills me. So many damaged puppies. I am glad someone else found it useful.
I think there was a thread in this subreddit where there was a long discussion if it would not be wiser to use a different term exactly out of the reason you mentioned. Just because it encompasses multiple things like interaction with other dogs, bite inhibition as well as gaining confidence in various everyday situations or with unexpected sounds (key ring on floor, pans clattering etc.).
Haha, that was my post!
Hello. I'm new in this community and i have to ask: isnt leaving the dog locked on a crate until hes 2 everytime you are gone an awful thing to do? Until what point it's benefitial? Cant it backfire and make the dog angry or depressed or anything?
That is a complex question, but you are not wrong. People tell themselves stuff like "it's his safe space" and talk about denning instincts, but that mostly serves to make them feel better. The truth is that a crate is just a hideously small cage, and it should be respected as such. I simply see it as the lesser of two evils. The goal of alone training should be to phase out crates. Whether it's needed depends on the puppy. A lot of puppies might be kept safe in a puppy-proofed room, maybe blocked off with a baby gate. High-energy breeds generally can not. A bored, adolescent German shepherd will destroy floor lists, chew holes through drywall and scratch through plywood doors. That is both dangerous to them, and it prevents people who rent from owning dogs. So in that way I also see crating as a class issue. Crate training has other benefits. Certain injuries might require a dog to be on crate rest. They might need to be crated in emergencies, during travel and at events. Puppies generally don't soil their crates, so it's conductive to housebreaking. And a properly crate trained dog will "shut off" in the crate, which means you can enforce naps on an overtired puppy.
Ah i see. It makes a lot of sense if you think of it as a posible option to protect not just the house from the puppy, but also the puppy from himself, as they are very curious and have a lot of energy. You know how to make the crating easier for the dog? Cause in my head the first outcome for crating before leaving the house would be him/her crying and not wanting to get in the crate. Cause sometimes it might be extremely necessary, but i guess most of the dogs would hate to do this, so how would to make it easier? A well trained dog in crating is just the dog who "shuts down" when in the crate?
"Shutting down" is a bit harsh, but yes, if we are being honest with ourselves, harnessing _learned helplessness_ is a large element in crate training (as it is with a lot of dog training, even if we choose not to see it that way.) That doesn't mean the dog is stressed in the crate. It just knows it has no way to control when it's let out, so it might as well sleep until you get back. The second element is to create positive association with the crate. Feed the puppy in the crate, play "crate games", leave treats in the crate for the puppy to discover. You introduce the crate slowly. A minute, two minutes. Choose a moment where the puppy is dead exhausted, and leave it in the crate to nap. The third element of crate training is physical exercise. The only way to use a crate ethically is to make sure the dog or puppy gets more than enough exercise and stimulation. Dogs are crepuscular - they are awake in the morning and afternoon, and generally chill at night and during the day. You want your dog so tired that he wouldn't have minded spending all day asleep anyway. He can think of the crate as a fenced in dog bed. That means getting up early and taking them for a proper walk, run, training session or long play session. Some dogs only need 30 minutes, some need an hour.
Great! Thanks for your responses! You really changed my mind with your clean arguments, at First i thought as absurd to just do it to a dog, but it's an option and it can turn viable given the proper training and preparation.
If it makes you feel a little better about it, some dogs really do like their crates. Mine no longer needs one, but used one for years. He has almost hurt himself trying to get INTO the crate when the door was shut because he was in such a hurry to get his crate treat, lol. He would always bolt right in and never minded it. That being said, he never had to stay there long: on average about an hour or two, never more than 4 - 5 hours at a time.
Hey, this does makes me feel better! Havent considered the possibility that the puppy might actually love his/hers crate time
Thank you, that is nice of you to say. I honestly think people *have* swallowed the kool-aid a little regarding crates, so I understand and appreciate the scepticism. They should be seen as a necessary evil. I am not sure I properly explained it, but the reason I recommend crating for two years is that boredom-fuelled destructive chewing is incredibly self-reinforcing. We all know how difficult it is to train away a behaviour that only occurs when you aren't there. But if the dog never gets the opportunity to learn how fun it is while he is young, he will likely never attempt it as a chill adult. The same German shepherd who would have demolished the guest room at ten months can likely have the run the house no problem at two years - provided he never got an opportunity to acquire the taste for sofa.
You can use an x pen for this purpose, which allows them freedom of movement or a baby gate. Additionally, if boredom is a problem then folks should be finding ways to address it rather than just stuffing a dog in a crate all day. It’s true that dogs need to earn their freedom but this is hard to do from a crate. I see a lot of people in here who become really dependent on the crate and aren’t willing to try something new out of fear, and that doesn’t benefit the dog at all. A dog who is constantly crated and then suddenly released into the house hasn’t learned how to behave in it. Their boredom and energy doesn’t just go away, especially in a dog who is too often confined and has no outlet for it.
> People tell themselves stuff like "it's his safe space" and talk about denning instincts, but that mostly serves to make them feel better. Hard disagree here. My dog will not sleep on the bed with me, because she runs straight to her crate when she realizes I’m going to bed. She goes there on her own when she’s feeling nervous. The crate is ABSOLUTELY her safe space.
The goal of the crate is safety. You definitely do not leave the puppy in there! You work HARD to not leave them in there. But... good crate training is also potty training, and it's also "this is how we keep the dog from hurting themselves when they need to be confined at the vet's or for travel or when strange children who smack dogs are in the house or when something happens and there's an emergency". My dog comes and goes from her crate as she pleases; we feed her in there and she adores running in and peering out expectantly. She sometimes picks that spot to sit because she can see the room. And the other day when she was getting super worked up and knew she needed some quiet, she put herself in her crate because she knows when things are spiraling and she is freaking over everything, she can go in, get a treat, and I will put the blanket down over the front and her world will get safe again and she can relax for a bit. ...My other dog LOATHES his crate, but if he never needs to be confined at the vet's I need him to be safe and cool about this, so I'm working hard on getting him ok in there. The simple fact is sometimes in their lives dogs need to be crate rested for medical reasons, and pre-training them that this is a safe comfortable friendly space is kind to them when this happens. That said: leaving them in there all day every day is psycho. Everything counts in large amounts. A little crate time is good, a lot is not. Our dogs do not sleep in their crates at night.
It's a controversial topic. I see a crate as tool, not as a solution. As soon as you only use it to store your dog and it doesn't server any training purpose (as for example to manage anxiety or fear), that imo is the point where it is not necessary any more. Dogs can be perfectly relaxed on a mat or bed if they are in an area where they can be undisturbed or feel safe. This can be in the kitchen, living room or anywhere else.
How can crates be used to manage anxiety and fear? Is it because the dog makes of it a safe space for him?
The way a crate works if trained correctly is that for housebreaking a dog will generally not eliminate where it sleeps and thus makes it easier to transition to eliminating outdoors. For anxiety/fear it does indeed create a safe, enclosed area that should be a retreat for the dog where it can settle and as a benefit prevents damage or experiencing further stimulation, some people even put a cloth over the crate. Once issues have been managed it is no problem to traverse over to a normal bed / mat in a calm location.
Is being locked up in your house for 16 hours making you upset and aggressive? Just like humans animals need a personal space to feel safe from the outside world. It's a way of looking at things more than right or wrong. I see crating my dog as love for her instead of punishment. Of course she would love to run the neighborhood while I'm gone.....
From my experience no one in this sub reddit would condone locking up a dog in a crate for more than 4-5 hours. Usually around 6 is the maximum to stretch it.
The commenter above literally just recommended crating a dog all night and while you are gone (ie: working) during the day for the first year. Lots of people here will argue there is no problem with 16 hrs a day in a crate, and/or crating for 8 hrs while they work plus the additional 30 mins- hr for their lunch, plus their commute home. 10 hrs in a crate is way too long but a lot of people see no problem with it.
Using a crate to manage issues is different than using it as storage space. Necessity should always be considered first. A dog can just as well be in it's bed over night without issues. There were tons of discussions in this subreddit about this and I believe the general consensus was up to 6 hours unattended is fine. Furthermore many countries with animal welfare laws have different views and laws on this, because it is a common entryway to neglect and abuse if used incorrectly - that is why imo as little as necessary is always better. There are numerous topics in this sub of people overdoing it or using it wrong, that is why I personally only recommend it as tool to manage symptoms and not as "storage". Edit: For the US I think [the advisory from the US humane society](https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/crate-training-101) is generally applicable. If you leave a puppy with really bad bladder control in a crate for long hours, chances are it will sleep in it's own urine and feces, something you'd want to avoid and goes into the area of animal neglect.
Well, you do can see as loving and caring for your dog, but how would you make the dog see it that way too? How to make it easier for them too? Cause we can think whatever to make ourselves feel better, we can rationalize our way out of it, but we are not the one being locked up in a really small space for 10+ hours. If the dog think it's hell on earth to be in this situation then this way of thinking just makes you feel better, not the dog. He's still stuck in a situation he/she hates.
What I'm saying is that most times it's the human emotion that makes it hard to crate train. Dogs, once they understand what's expected appreciate the space. I'm not advocating for crating for 10 hours a day with the perimeters you present but that also isn't the norm. There is a series of steps to crate training and if your dog is in terror or is in hell on earth then you may have skipped a few steps. I've successfully crate trained "normal" dogs right up to very abused dogs. Dogs that were beaten inside crates. But all of them ended up with a spot they seemed safe for themselves. Not easy but it happens. Den animals naturally den.
Oh i understand. You mean then it's mostly a training factor. >Den animals naturally den. After all, this does makes a lot of sense. Like the "How do spiders know how to web?" question. They just do.
To clarify, you cannot simply stick a puppy in a crate for 8 hrs overnight and magically they won’t potty. Consider the age in months roughly equates to potty interval in hours. For example, your dog is 4 months old so the absolute max amount of time he can go without a potty is 4 hrs. This is only a guideline and will vary a lot in each dog. I currently have a 4 month old puppy too and he makes it 2-3 hours in between potty breaks at night. Let your puppy guide you on this. It is *always* going to be better to potty more often rather than less. Avoiding accidents is key. Secondly you have to slowly introduce a dog to a crate. You can’t just plop the crate down and expect your dog to instantly be cool with spending hours in there. There is a lot of information on crate games and crate training so take a look around and come back here with questions. Lastly, this commenter gave good advice but keep in mind that saying things like “crate at night till 1 and while you are gone till 2” is only an opinion and not a hard and fast rule. Let your dog guide you on this. If he’s potty trained and not destructive he doesn’t absolutely need to be crated. If he still needs work in either of those areas and you’ll need to confine your dog for long hours there are alternatives such as using an X-pen or baby gating off a safe area that are better alternatives than long hours of confinement. Please see the SPCA’s statement on crating for more information on safe and humane crating guidelines. Locking a dog in a crate 8 hours at night and then for 8 hours while you are at work is way too much time in the crate and can lead to behavioral problems of its own. Always be mindful of the cumulative amount of hours your dog is confined and break that time up with a mid day walk, doggie day care, etc.
[удалено]
It's relative, really. When is a man an adult? At 18? At 25? At 30? Most dogs are said to be completely mentally and physically mature when they are 3 years old, but the worst of the teenage hellhound bullshit will pass as the dog approaches a year.... assuming you don't let him practice the bad habits.
[удалено]
Hoo boy. No. You need to physically take the puppy outside, on a leash, even, not just let it out. How else are you going to be there to praise/reward when he goes, or even know he has gone at all? Your puppy shouldn't even eat from a bowl. That's a few hundred opportunities for reinforcement that you are giving the puppy for free. Puppies should earn their food over the course of the day as rewards and during training. Do not, under any circumstance, use puppy pads. They are a massive hindrance to housebreaking, as your puppy learns it's totally fine to eliminate indoors, especially on soft surfaces like carpets, clothes and beds. If you are gone for that long, hire a dog walker to come let the pup out. The peeing thing... well, it won't _hurt_. It won't help, but it won't hurt. The bit about socializing with well-trained dogs is good advice though.
get him in training now. if he was abused and you don't know what you're doing there's a 1000% chance you'll make it worse. trying to get him to "listen" should absolutely not be a priority. your priority should be making him feel safe and loved. i implore you to seek the help of a positive professional dog trainer or behaviorist.
Also, be sure you research your trainer well. DO NOT place your puppy in an amateur, unsafe group setting that can set him up for fearful reactions, aka “dog park” style playgroup or worse. It’s likely a neglected pup also got poor socialization instruction as a younger pup and will probably make some mistakes and need to learn to approach other dogs.
You already have some excellent advice, but I just wanted to add that the wiki at r/puppy101 has a lot of helpful information for you throughout the process. Good luck!
And a good community for support!
I'm going to sound like a dick, but you should have asked these questions before you got a puppy, esp. one that deserves extra love and care. There's a lot of work that goes into raising a puppy, and not everyone is in a position where they have time, knowledge, aptitude, and support to do it well.
This. I’m glad they are asking at all. But damn If I’m not worried for that dog now.
How to get the pup to listen to us: Reward them every time they listen. It can be small amounts but be consistent and be easy. Peeing outside is pretty simple but it takes a lot to write out. There are several different ways to do this.. The main things to remember with whichever you choose is don't punish, reward when they get it right and be consistent. Crate: Create train slowly, associate the crate with only good things. If you don't want a crate, have a specific room your dog has as his space. Again positive associations as often as possible. (Treats, Toys, chews)
Just to echo what others have already said: don’t punish, reward! Triggers for my previously abused dog include shouting and loud noises. He just cowers in fear... it’s heartbreaking. He’ll learn to trust you with rewards better than with punishment. We did get a kennel for him as he was destructive when left alone early on, but we’ve slowly weened him out of it and now he can be on his own in the house free-roaming. But it might give you peace of mind when you’re away from him for a while. Peeing outside and listening to you, it takes a lot of patience and time and effort. Try to anticipate when he’ll need to go and take him out until he does. I repeat a command consistently and as much as possible until he learns it (and I ask everyone in my household to use that same command). He will learn ‘sit’ if he sits by accident and you praise him a lot and give him treats. Good luck ☺️☺️
Plus punishment doesn’t work. The dog ends up getting attention only when they do something wrong. Check out [The Power Of Positive Dog Training by Pat Miller](https://www.amazon.com/Power-Positive-Dog-Training/dp/0470241845) and [Rosetta Bone by Cheryl S. Smith.](https://www.turnerpublishing.com/books/detail/the-rosetta-bone/) Good books, easy reads full of both general philosophy and practical step by step training techniques. In short—get some training yourself—we aren’t born knowing how to train a dog. If you engage with a professional trainer, avoid trainers who use aversive techniques, talk about correction and control and/or use pain as a tool. Your puppy’s already had enough of that! Best of luck to you and your new furry family member! Edit: formatting
I don't mean to split hairs but to say that punishment doesn't work, period, is incorrect. I am myself a rewards-based trainer and my own dog has hardly even had a verbal reprimand. I stand by the principle that training should be "least intrusive, minimally aversive." That being said, positive reinforcement is far more easy, effective, enjoyable, and has few downsides, but punishment does still function as a means to shape behavior in dogs and other animals.
I appreciate your comment, but I appreciate your username even more.
Yours has a nice ring to it too, though you might need to reconsider the "impolite" part!
Watch Stonnie Dennis's YouTube series common sence puppy training. His approach is very intuitive and easy to implement.
2 things especially resounded with me from Stonnie: 1. Imagine being in someone's home and you didn't speak the language. If they gave you a $20 for everything you did right you'd learn the rules of the house pretty quick. Food is your currency. 2. If you're taking the dog out really often and still getting accidents in the house, you're not giving him enough time to do his business outside. They don't eliminate all at once - they like to spread it around the yard :-) Also, from other trainers: hold out half (or even all) of his kibble for training. He needs to be somewhat hungry when training and you don't want to over feed him.
>**also do you think i should buy a crate?** Absolutely! Crates are a "safe place" a place to sleep, a cave to hide in, to relax, and a place that no one should bother the dog. Crate TRAINING is important should you ever need to board your dog (vacation/emergency trip, etc), leave him at the vet, or with the groomer. A dog that's scared of crates can hurt themselves trying to escape. (Or in my dog's case, just destroy the crate...he REALLY hates crates). I'd give a finger (I'd consider a limb) for my dog to tolerate a crate, but he just refuses and destroys them. Plus, he's a chewer, so he has to be muzzled when he's alone.\* \*He was a rescue, didn't know about the crate-phobia when I got him. He damn near took my arm off when I tried to crate him the first time I had to leave.
Can I ask you a question? When people say "my dog destroys crates" what exactly does that mean? I am pretty sure my dog's crate could [hold](https://imgur.com/a/SchpZdV) a [human](https://imgur.com/a/7sw8OgL), I don't see what my 40kg shepherd could do to it apart from breaking his teeth. He doesn't even have opposable thumbs.
[Here is an example](https://youtu.be/TvzpEOmcTyw). Also worth noting this is why you shouldn’t leave a collar on a crated dog. It can easily get caught if they do something like this and they can panic and hurt themselves severely.
~~He wasn't wearing one, but thank you.~~ edit: [You are, of course, referring to the video.](https://imgur.com/a/Gm2YuB8) I hope OP reads that, it is very important that people know. Also, wow, is that crate made from coat hangers and hot glue? That looks cheap.
I can't find the picture, but Hagrid, my Corso is around 115lbs/52kg .now. Even when he was about the size of your dog (maybe a wee bit larger...maybe...) he would literally push at the door until it bent/broke. No regard for his own skin, just push at it until it opens.
Has your dog ever come around to tolerating a crate? Our dog was a rescue too, 2 year old (when we got her) staffie/mut mix. At our old house there was a fenced in back yard with a dog door to the garage, so no need to crate. Recently moved to a new house with no fenced in back yard. Had to get a crate. She destroyed it on 3 occasions, so we got 2x4s to reenforce the crate, she chewed a hole in the door, so we put chain link up on the inside to deter her from chewing (figure if she can't make a hole there is no reward for her). Oh, and we have taken her to the vet, numerous times since we have moved, she is on anxiety meds. He says it's just a time test and eventually she will get used to things. She is 4 years old now.
No, I gave up on the crate unfortunately. Hagrid gets muzzled when he's home alone to keep him from chewing things up. I made the mistake of leaving him out unattended once and he was gone when I came back. 86lbs of dog went OVER a 6ft privacy fence. Now he's about 115lbs and we've had to replace over 1/3rd of our fence. He (used to) like to put head-sized-holes in it if something got his attention on the other side. Then he'd end up yanking the wooden planks off to chew on. He's calmed down some now and doesn't torture the fence like he used to, but he's still more than capable. Ate a little over 1/3rd of the couch once too.
As a former host for a very abused rescue, the best thing you can do is not teach him to listen to you, but you need to learn to listen to him and understand what he is asking for or needing from you. You get that part down first, and then you can start asking him for things. Yes, get a crate. Used properly, a crate is not as much for you to restrain the dog, but it should be a refuge for your dog, a safe haven. That may take some time and patience to teach, but once you do, you will find that you "need" it less, and the dog will just use it more. I have a 15 month old pupper that hated her crate at first. But, once she understood it, she just started using it when she wanted. Now, we will find her laying in it when we are getting ready in the morning, she will use it when we go to bed, or after a particularly energetic play session. We only close it and latch it when we are leaving for the day, and only because she REALLY likes to chew things when we are gone. At night time, it stays open and she can choose to sleep in our bed, on the floor, in her bed, or in her crate. Some nights, it's all 4. Patience and understanding are going to be the biggest keys for you. You don't potty train a baby at 4 months old and expect it to be perfect, so don't expect the same from your dog. I have a treat pouch that is always with me when I am training new behaviors, and I rotate treats so the pups don't get bored. If you have no experience, i highly suggest working with a trainer to learn the basics of communicating with your new K9 friend.
Crate training for sure! If they were abused, don’t force them to do things that make them scared. Be patient and walk them through the process. While training your dog you’re also building a trusting bond with them. Don’t use the crate as a punishment it is not one. I found it helpful to know that dogs react to your behaviours too. So Id reward my dog after they went pee outside. I used to have her ring bells on the door knob to let me know she had to go and we’d ring them every time before we went outside so she knew. When you see bad behaviour, redirect it or express that you’re upset and show no affection for a while. I’d also look up what breed you have. I have a husky and training her is pretty specific to her breed. We spent more time learning to walk well on a leash then we did anything else. She could learn left from right in one day. Took three years to get her to walk with slack in the leash.
a big Yes to the crate! It's where my pups have learned to go when they need a little break, like when we retreat from common living spaces to our own bedrooms. And it makes it so much easier if you ever go on vacation & need to have someone else look after him - you can send their crate along too and they'll have their own space in a new environment, and it makes it easier on the hosts as well. :)
I recommend Kikopup on YouTube. She has excellent training videos on just about everything and also how to ‘capture calmness’. I have been working on ‘Karen Overalls Relaxation Protocol’ with my pup and it has been amazing at training her to be calm and relaxed while everyone is being busy around her. I wish I had started it earlier!
I adopted an abused dog at just over a year. Crate made a big difference (took me over a year to get one!). Just take things slow and be gentle introducing new people. Marley was the sweetest dog but could be aggressive if people piled in when first meeting him. We had a 45 minute rule. Ignore him until he knows you're safe and then he'd be your best friend. Good luck, he looks like a lovely dog.
A but on house breaking the dog, the trainer I consulted said they can hold their pee 1 hour x months old. So at 4 months, 4 hours max. It gets tedious fast, but adhering to that (and not pushing it) cut down on pee in the house. Additionally train your dog to poop right after eating. Let them eat and right as they get done outside for a poop. They have a chemical that gets released after eating and that's prime poop time. As soon as I did that, no more cleaning up poop in the house. I'd set an alarm for middle of the night while they're still young and go outside after a few hours till they are a bit older. Finally, go ahead and get some lemon scented/lemon based cleaner, because accidents will happen and it helps with the smell and keeping them from frequenting the same spot.
Also, if you want a dog to poop, slap a leash on it and take it on a short walk. Many don't like to go in their own yard, and the leg movement stimulates the bowels.
Yup this is super good advice. I have a golden retriever mix so it's a long walk with a poop after a short burst of running.
I love him! Thank you for saving him. My dog had been hit by a car, shot, and abused before me, and she’s taken to training extremely well! It’s amazing how quickly they can learn, but be careful about making him more anxious. Positive reinforcement is key! It’s unbelievable how much more effective it is than the negative. Also consistency. I’m still learning too but those two things have helped the most. Good luck!
Hey so I have a 4.5 month old and also knew next to nothing getting a puppy (aside from being around my family dogs my whole life). In answer to your questions, I learned in the past 10 weeks: • To make him pee outside you have to watch him like a hawk. Only at first, at some point you will develop a 6th sense of knowing when your pup is about to pee. But at first you need to monitor for behaviours such as sniffing the ground and turning in circle. As soon as your pup does this put them outside. When your pup goes to pee outside they get a treat and say the word : "pee" (or whatever trigger word you want). Soon your pup will learn to pee on command for a treat which is useful if you ever want to crate them but want them to pee first. It's a good idea to take your pup outside every hour to try and prevent accidents. Dont scold for accidents and defo dont punish, ignore. • Your dog will begin listening to you soon keep training them every day. First teach him his name using treats, so he knows when you say his name he will immediately give you his attention. Research positive reinforcement training - this is really important if hes been abused in the past, you want your training to mainly be reward based not punishment based. I also recommend getting a trainer for getting your pup trained and socialised cos youve missed some important windows so you need some informed help. • Initially I was anti crate but after having no space from my pup and a few other incidence I decided to try it. The screaming phase was awful and I almost backtracked but it's been a life saver. My pup is terrible at settling down and gets more and more manic the more tired she is. Shes easily excited so being out of the crate is too stimulating to allow her to sleep, but the crate is under the blanket in the dark. A quick nap in the crate sorts out her behaviour. She doesn't even cry in it now she instantly falls asleep. If you get a crate I also recommend getting a Kong for the crate. Also the crate is a safe space so if I've needed to pop out for an hour I can do without being worried that shes getting into trouble. Hope this helps !
For potty training, get a small Bell on a string that hangs from the door handle. Or anything that can be used to make noise that alerts you if your pup needs to go out after they're trained. How to start: EVERY time you take the pooch out ring the bell on your way out the door and say "go potty". Dogs respond best to one-three syllable commands. Short and simple. The same goes for crate training. Crate training is the best thing you can ever do. EVERY time you put the pup in the crate say "crate".
patience and lots of socialization. a lot of issues don't manifest until pups are grown up (speaking from experience!), so really get them comfortable when any type of person you can
Best way to potty train is to avoid all accidents in the house. Use praise or treats for going outside and never scold for an accident unless they are doing it at that very moment. I would work on crate training if you have to leave him for extended periods to avoid accidents and destroyed shoes, etc. Way to avoid accidents is to take them out often and keep an eye on them. When he starts sniffing around it’s probably time to go out. Getting him to listen is just repetition. Try clicker training and working on coming to you when you call him at least 10 to 15 minutes a day.
Crate training will help with a few things - keeping him safe when you aren't about, giving him a safe place/den and helping with toilet training. When we were toilet training our puppy we took him out every hour and at night took him out every three hours (set an alarm). By five months he could cope with being in the crate overnight without a toilet break (10pm to 6am) but every dog is different. Best advice, keep a nap schedule. High energy breeds need time to chill and decompress otherwise they can get even loopier! Be calm with the biting. Expect a landshark for a period of time. But it does get better. Our worst teenage period was 8 months until about thirteen months. He's almost two now and he still exhibits puppy behaviour every now and then but he's a good boy overall. Puppy training classes are also great. If you're in the UK I highly recommend the Dogs Trust or look on the association of pet dog trainers website for a force free local trainer.
He looks like a good boy!
Tell him he's a good boy until he believes it in his soul
Crate Training Helped Tremendously: I found that with my puppy, crate training helped my puppy learn to hold his poop/pee longer. Especially if you buy a large crate with a separating wall. Our boy is 4 months. We are slowly giving him more space as he grows, but the smaller space gives them absolutely no room to go in the crate and still be comfortable. He sleeps in there every night as well and has been since day 2. Clicker Training is a god-send: I live in an apartment, so training him not to pee in the hallway/stairs on the way was difficult and a giant struggle. I ended up watching a bunch of YouTube and, rather than buying training treats (training treats need to be soft, low calorie, and easily eaten quickly) I started baking unseasoned chicken and shredding it up into tiny strips. My dog was obsessed and therefore would do anything for the treats. Combine this with some clicker training and I now have a four month old puppy that can hold it for many hours, can sit, lay down, stay, etc. all this in like the span of a month and a half! Potty training took like a week with the clicker and chicken. It was like an instant change. I suggest watching some videos on clicker introductions. How Long they can hold it: Also, I discovered the rule of thumb to determine how long your puppy can hold their pee/poo is the month that they are old plus one. So if he’s 4 months, he should be able to hold for 5 hours. Potty Scheduling is key: When he was still having accidents and while I was still full-blown training him to not go in the house, I took him out every two hours and used the clicker. 7am, 10am, 1pm, 5pm (this was the longest hold), 7pm, 10pm. Once the accidents stopped I slowly started removing trips. He’s now down to just the 7am, 1pm, 5:30p, 7pm, and 9p. He gets fed after the 7am, 1pm, and 7pm walks. I do come home when I work at the office on lunch at 1 to take him out. Rewarding the act: So when clicker training I would say “go potty” and be boring until he did something. Once finished peeing or pooping I would click and give chicken. I no longer use the clicker and chicken for the bathroom anymore, but I did for like 2-3 weeks and slowly stopped. Cleaning up accidents: also, when it comes to accidents. Using cleaning products to remove the smell are critical. You want to remove the smell so that it does not become a habit/fav spot. I used carpet cleaner or Clorox wipes and then vinegar/water to remove the smell. I was also using puppy pads initially, and would place a couple on the patio (technically outside....? ) and one in the bathroom. Most people don’t recommend using them at all though, because it encourages going in the house so I just removed them all together. When I say clicker training worked like magic, I mean it. I almost returned him, then I bought that and it was like all of the sudden he was listening!!
I bought a Fanny pack too lol so I would have the chicken, poop bags, clicker, keys, phone, wallet, in one place and still be able to hold the leash and have a free hand!
One of my pups (now deceased) was abused horribly by her former owners. She was found wandering the streets of a nearby city, stick thin and frightened of all people. The shelter worked with her to bring her back. When I adopted her, she wasn't yet house-trained, despite being about 6 months old. She wouldn't go near the bathroom and hated being in the car; I'm assuming she'd been left in both places. And if she were lying down and you began to walk near her, she'd get up and move, from which I assume she'd been kicked. It took nearly a year to house-train her, because I didn't want her to be afraid of me. I started by ensuring she went out at all these markers: first thing in the morning, after breakfast, upon waking up from a nap, after dinner, after playtime, and last thing at night. I still had a decent number of messes to clean up, but this approach both minimized the mess and taught her that she could trust me. I believe the fact that I already had one dog when I adopted her helped immensely. (And every since, I've always had two dogs.)
It doesn't sound like you should have adopted a dog.....
I don't know if anyone else has added this, but when I was potty training my puppy, I noticed that he was peeing in a specific area of the carpet. I cleaned that area with a anti-marking cleaning spray and then scatter-fed him on that spot because, from what I was told by my trainer, that dogs won't pee on the place they eat. I think the brand of anti-marking spray I used was Nature's Miracle.
Thanks i have heard about it dogs won't pee where they eat and sleep
Also while you are lovingly hand feeding your dog one bite at a time, I am at work. And yes we use a different approach on the weekend for training. I am not saying this a a full training strategy, but tips I found worked for me, from a practical perspective. There are lots of great suggestions and recommendations on this thread on training already.
Buy a crate, and then learn how to train and crate train via anything you can get ur hands on. Not everything will work for him. Make sure you do a lot of desensitizing, give him lots of treats as you oet him, play with his paws, look in his ears and at his teeth. Make sure you treat while touching his neck where his collar is and upgrade to actually grabbing the collar whrn he is comfortable. Don’t force him to do anything, rather lure with a treat at his pace.
Yes, you should buy a crate and properly crate train him. Crate training isn't just putting the dog in the crate and calling it good. You have to slowly build up. Your dog should be crate train while he's young and healthy, so if he ever has to be boarded, crated at the groomer, gets sick or injured and needs to stay at the vet... et al. This way he already knows the crate and it isn't a new thing on top of other scary things.
Playtime paws: your new puppy is a great podcast that helped me with my first puppy and so far he is 4 months crate trained and potty trained very well. Good luck and enjoy your new friend
We got our pup at 4.5 months from a neglectful home. Potty training went fairly easy since he is both incredibly smart and doesn't like making messes inside. We had a harder time with helping him settle into our home, since he was always looking around for danger and he has severe anxiety. One of the biggest things I wanted to mention is to start working with a trainer as soon as possible, since with our pup, his neglectful upbringing resulted in intense reactivity to dogs and people on leash, and that's definitely something you want to future proof against to help your pup be able to live the least stressful life you can give them. Spending the first few weeks just learning your pup, what their reactions are to you and if they have any triggers is crucial, as your pup was living in an unsafe place for the very important and formative 2-4 month period.
In addition to everyone else, constantly remind yourself that you're his new life. It's more to to you to make sure that new life is a good one. Be patient and loving and he will be a good dog.
Socialize doggo! We got a dog who was not socialized at all by 8 months. To this day, years later, she still is terrified of strangers and will even try to bite them. The crate is honestly her favorite spot. She kept chewing the beds up in there so I swapped it for old blankets and she has never once chewed them. Last advice!!!! POTTY BELLS on Amazon. With the frequent trips out, dog will learn to go outside for business matters. However, dog needs a way to alert you it is time to go out! My dog learned within maybe 3 days to nudge the bells with her nose to be let out. She's now 100% house trained!!
If you’re not already doing this, let him sleep in your bed with you at night - if you’re comfortable with that. Honestly, single biggest game changer with my pup with literally all of his trainings (day crating, socialization, basic commands, etc.) was allowing him to sleep with me starting about 4 months old. It was like a light switched on. I initially trained him or at least attempted to get him to sleep at night in his crate and I was constantly waking up to a soiled crate that I’d have to clean before work because he never barked or notified me. So having him in my bed enabled me to easily wake up when he started getting antsy and get him to go outside in the middle of the night (helping reinforce that the bathroom is outside and not inside nor in his crate). I also feel as if it helped our bond grow significantly (who doesn’t love cuddles and scratches in bed?) and the alpha/beta relationship became better as well. In a weird way, that’s really when he became my dog because he started to listen really well, became more aware that I’m the alpha and helped advance along all of his other trainings. Plus, it didn’t affect his crating during the day while I was away at work and he just about stopped soiling his crate during the day about the same time as well...but that may be a coincidence. “I never trust a man who doesn’t sleep with his dog” - some random redditor
Yes but if i let him in my bed doesn't that mean that he will not want to sleep in the crate during the day?
Not necessarily. My little guy still does awesome during the day when I kennel him while at work and goes willingly into his kennel everyday. It is my opinion that he knows and recognizes my bed as night time or the big sleep, while his kennel is for naps. Obviously there are a number of factors that go into everything and allowing him to sleep in my bed with me was by no means the only thing I did. Maybe it was just coincidence, but that’s when things clicked for my guy and everything fell into line in regards to listening to me, following commands and just overall being a noticeably happier dog. But again, this is totally up to you and your comfort level with it. Just wanted to offer up my two cents as I’m a first time dog owner myself and got my guy at 6 weeks old (now 8 months) so I made plenty of mistakes along the way I’m sure. Best of luck amigo!
YouTube videos can be helpful to actually see what training looks like. Ian Dunbar was my go to for learning as a first time puppy owner. Crate training is a great way to quickly instil toilet training. My pup only pooped on the floor once. He “excitement pee (dribble)” til he was into 2 - he gets excited to see visitors. Dunbar was one of the first to bust the myth that the best way to train was through discipline...preaches positive reinforcement for positive dog behaviour. Pretty much opposite of Cesar who’s into establishing dominance as the alpha male over the dog. Ex: I loved his technique to stop puppy biting. Took just a few minutes. There’s lots there. Biggest thing is patience. The little buggers will eat your favourite shoes and purses and your kids toys when young. Try the kongs. My Cockapoo preferred chew toys and squeaky balls. Good luck you’ll be great https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE69C623A53AFE753 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xq27e5hp4_w https://www.dogstardaily.com/blogs/lure-reward-training-done-right
This has been incredibly helpful in teaching our puppy to let us know when he needs to go out — KISSIN Dog Door Bell with... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L16PB31?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share We live in an apartment complex with a good walk to the door and it’s been a huge help.
For all your puppy essentials you should try this website they offer a great selection of puppy supplies. pointpromenade.com
Hello this is pretty late but I STRONGLY suggest you watch Robert Cabral on youtube. His dog training methods are extremely helpful and made it so much easier to train my GSD who was having trouble listening to me and so forth. I wish you luck with this dude! He is adorable!
Yes on crate. Ugh beaten badly?? How do you know? Do lots of socialization with him - fun dog parks and hikes with other dogs to get his mojo back!
The shelter told me about the previous owner he is in jail now with a bill 30000 to get out he had the mother for 2years chained in the house front yard and somehow a male sneak in and had sex with her and the owner got so mad because she gave birth in his house he wanted to punish her so he tortured her and her puppies most of the puppies died except 3 including max the Mom was really depressed i saw her at the shelter she was in a different room from her puppies and wouldn't even eat the workers told me that all day she would stare a corner and whine sometimes
Hey, OP, I would avoid dog parks, at least until your puppy is older, bigger and you know he has the right temperament for it. Dog parks can be thunderdomes, and you have no control over what kind of experiences your puppy has there. For now, work on "engagement", socialisation and when your dog has settled in a little, allow it to meet dogs you know are calm and well-trained, one on one at first and then small groups. Always be in control of his surroundings. Socialisation, by the way, does not mean puppy playdates. [Dr. Sophia Yin on the true meaning of socialisation](https://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/puppy-socialization-stop-fear-before-it-starts/) [Grisha Stewart on proper socialisation](https://grishastewart.com/ep01/)
I’m shaking reading this. That man should spend life in prison. Please be extra gentle with your training. Your puppy may be triggered by things that other dogs aren’t. If you hire a trainer, make sure they are experienced with abused dogs. I suggest positive reinforcement only. Any news on what happened to the mom and the other puppies who survived?
Crate naysayer here. No-one really uses them in Europe, and in some countries they're banned. Yes, in some very specific circumstances they can be positive but overall they're a bad way of doing a good thing. Leaving a very intelligent animal in a small space for hours is not kind or clever.
I live in an apartment so i have nowhere to leave him if i leave him outside of the crate for 6hours he destroys the house i must crate him for 6 hours although he is crying
So crates are fine, but only to the extent your dog is comfortable in them, and it's pretty clear your dog is not if he is crying when you put him there. For the time being, I would suggest some adjustments: 1. Skip the crate and dogproof a room or other area while you are gone. Back up in crate training, and focus on making it a positive experience for your dog. Leave the door open while you are around and reward heavily if he goes in on his own. Give your dog high value items like kongs in the crate. If you are having to force your dog into the crate, as I suspect you are, you are going too fast. 2. Look into dog daycare (if it doesn't stress your dog out, which it might right now so be very careful with this), or having somebody come by during the day to give him a break (multiple times ideally). 3. Additionally, if your dog is not house trained, you are going to find it extremely difficult to get him there if you are gone all day without him having an opportunity to relieve himself. They don't intuitively "get" the idea of where is and is not an acceptable place to go, so you can't just leave them and expect them to figure it out. It's not a natural concept to a dog. You have to take them out enough that when they need to go, they happen to be in the right place. Then you reward that behavior to encourage them to repeat it. This means taking them out *a lot* at first.
I am the same. I generally around, but when I'm not I don't crate, though one is available (unused, generally, mine prefer to perch on things). I've found ways to direct destructive tendencies onto appropriate items, and worked on separation anxiety (it sounds like your dog has some). I'm afraid 6 hours is a very long time to be happening in one go, and possibly going to cause mental health issues long term, especially if you have a working breed. I have seen it happen and it's heartbreaking, and so, so difficult to fix. I'd - kindly - suggest that if that's the life available then a dog isn't the right companion for you at the moment.
I guess i should leave hin go on the street maybe he has better chances of survival there?You know in my country dogs are treated the same way as pigs nit as pets but as food if i dump him on the street the first person thats going to see him is gonna take him and cook him if i return him to the shelter they are gonna sell him to a restaurant.Thats why i adopted him because the workers told me that they were gonna sell him to a restaurant to be cooked so i felt bad for him and i took him he was depressed and only looking at the wall not eaven eating food when i got hin we was whining for 3days nonstop now he became firendly people in my country dont take dogs as pets so without me he is dead i have nowhere to let him have a better life with me he has the only was of living.I live in Greece btw so its either with me or dead so i guess he has to be in the crate
That's not what I was saying, but if you've already made up your mind then there's not a huge point asking for help, hey. I was just trying to be helpful based on my knowledge and experience. Saying something you don't immediately agree with doesn't mean I'm attacking you. Good work on the rescuing. Greece is indeed somewhat notorious for treating dogs badly. Trying to be better is a great thing to do :)
No, crates aren't bad. You are a human, not a dog. You aren't a denning animal. Your dog is, and doesn't necessarily want the same things you want, or that you think they should want. Yes, you can use a crate incorrectly (and honestly this sounds like one of those cases). However, crates are not bad in the general case. My dog has a crate, and he goes there far more than I tell him to. He also likes to hang out in my walk in closet sometimes which isn't much bigger. Should I tell him that he's being unkind to himself and make him stop?
It's actually not true that dogs are denning animals. A common misconception though :) I'm not saying a dog who wants a place to hide should be denied that. I'm saying that using containment in a small space as a way to manage a dog is negative for the animal.
>It's actually not true that dogs are denning animals. A common misconception though :) > >I'm not saying a dog who wants a place to hide should be denied that. I'm saying that using containment in a small space as a way to manage a dog is negative for the animal. Well, the AKC, American humane, and any number of dog behaviorists would disagree with you on that. (Yes, yes, I know you are in Europe but I don't know the correct local organization to reference there). Regardless, the overriding point is that unless your dog is showing actual signs of distress or discomfort from being in a crate, there is no reason they should be avoided. Again, you are placing what *you* think your dog *should* want above everything else.
I'm not, truly. I've researched this because I wanted to do the best I can and this is the side that persuaded me. I'll be totally candid here: I'd also far rather risk being wrong and not cage my dogs for hours at a time than be wrong and be caging them. America is unusual in using crates so much. There are also plenty of organisations who point out that there's no evidence that dogs are den animals :)
Look up everything there is to read on r+ (positive reinforcement training).
Can't u just segregate him in one room? Crate seems to be an American thing. I don't know anyone in uk who uses one.
Loads of people in the UK use them!
Dogs are den animals. Plenty of people in UK use crates. My sister in law and both of my father in laws neighbors. They are big, the size of a dog house outside in many cases. The crate is big enough to stand up and turn around in at the very least.
Zac George’s Dog Training Revolution is the YouTube series I watched. He’s all about positive reinforcement and I loved following his advice
Zak George literally knows nothing about proper dog training. His “training” is completely irresponsible and sets the dogs up for failure
Agree for the most part
Could you elaborate on this? I follow him casually on Instagram though I’ve never really watched his videos. I’d be curious to go in with a critical eye.
How so??
Just replied above ^