NOTE: ARTICLE WRITTEN BY KEISHA OF ARPEGGIO POODLES
POTTY TRAINING IS ESSENTIAL!
POTTY TRAINING
Poodles are very intelligent and easy to train. In fact ,it is more a process of the puppy training
you, and not you training the puppy. Please note that consistency is the KEY no matter what method of training you use. If
you do not have your poodle puppy house broken in a matter of a couple of weeks then YOU are probably doing something wrong.
I can NOT stress this enough... no matter what you do, DO NOT GIVE A PUPPY
FREE RUN OF THE HOUSE!!!!!!!! This is the NUMBER ONE mistake that people make when training
a puppy. Not only is this not smart to do when potty training its just not smart to leave a puppy unsupervised no matter what.
Really and truely its not smart to leave an adult to roam the house unsupervised. Another mistake that people commonly make
is giving a puppy too much responsibility too early. Until a puppy is over 6 mo of age I would not (even if they seem to be
potty trained completely) let the puppy roam free. This includes letting a puppy sleep on the bed with you when they are too
young. You may wake up to a very wet and cold feeling. A toy poodle puppy (or any small breed puppy) really does not have
full control over bladder muscles until around 6 mo of age or better. A standard poodle puppy (or any large breed puppy) on
the other hand can take longer as they take longer to fully mature than a small dog.
INSIDE POTTY TRAINING
All my puppies have been trained to a wee wee pad since about the time they are 2 weeks
old. This is a scented pad that attracts the puppy to it. It has an absorbent side and a blue waterproof side. This is a great
tool for training your puppy and speeds up the housebreaking process. These pads can be purchased at any store that carries
pet supplies.
REMEMBER - When training your puppy that they are very young and have a little attention span and an even
smaller bladder. Patience is a virtue! We recommend that you keep your puppy in a small confined area with a wee-wee pad in
one end. Keep this away from the food dish and the bed. Puppies do not like to go where they eat and sleep.
Note: Some puppies will tend to wet on the pad but will not defecate on the pad. If you are having this problem try adding
another pad to the area that they are defecating. Some dogs will refuse to walk on a wet pad and will tend to find another
place to do their business.
Just letting your puppy have the run of the house is NOT a good idea and is just asking for
trouble! A house is an awfully big place for a little tiny puppy and they will have a very hard time remembering where their
wee-wee pad is. It is fine to take your puppy out and play with him and hold him, in fact please do, just do not let him be
unsupervised. For safety sake for you puppy and for the sake of your carpets or floors.
As your puppy grows and learns
you can gradually move the wee-wee pad closer to the door and outside if this is your ultimate goal.
Wee-wee pads can also
be helpful if you live in cold climates with rain or snow and puppy refuses to go out in the weather.
Another NOTE: Dog
go through a certain TEENAGER phase around 6-8 months that will drive you nuts and test you in every way. Do not be surprised
if during this time it seems like you have to almost start over with potty training. This phase only lasts 3-4 weeks and everything
should return to normal.
OUTSIDE POTTY TRAINING
When training to potty outside, we recommend taking your puppy out every hour to start with.
Set a timer and when it goes off take your puppy out immediately. As the puppy grows and matures you can lengthen times between
trips. It is also smart to take your puppy out after naps and before and after meals.
It is best if you take your puppy
consistently to one spot. Another way to facilitate this is to have one of the male humans (either a husband or son) pee in
a cup and then pour that into the spot you want your puppy to go. This may sound gross but it REALLY WORKS!!!!!
As your
puppy becomes older and you have learned to read your puppy's signs, you will be able to tell when your puppy needs to go
out. Remember, once your puppy tells you he needs to go out TAKE THEM!!!
Still having problems potty training?
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First off if they are having accidents go back to square one.
DO NOT give them free run of the house!!! Once again, I can not stress this enough!!! You can take them out to
play on your lap or right where you are. You can even put a long training lead on them to keep them right where you are. I
would hook them to you so that they have to go with you. This way you are close and you can see when they are giving you any
sort of signs. Next again I would set a timer and take them out every hour. Then use a call word such as tinkle or pee pee
or potty or even poop when you go outside. Have their favorite toy or treat with you. Once they do go potty then reward them
and praise them in a high pitched happy voice. They will come to learn that outside potty time is fun and rewarding. I would
also recommend hanging by the door (that you take them out) or from the door knob a long string of jingle bells. When you
got to take them outside ring the bells the first few times yourself. Then have the dog ring the bells with either paw or
nose. Remember to do this every time. Just praise them for ringing the bell and take them outside immediately! Soon they will
realize that the bells mean going outside to potty. The end result will be the dog ringing the bells to tell you they need
to go out on their own. Most dogs should pick this up really quick.
NOTE: DO NOT treat them for ringing the bells though or they will learn to ring the bell to get a treat . Just like Pavlov's
dogs. It is amazing the things they pick up. Only treat when they has gone outside and DONE SOMETHING! If you just treat them
when you go outside then they will go outside just to get treats also and will not do anything for you. You have to really
watch these guys they are so stinking smart they will rule you if they can.
TERRITORY MARKING IN THE HOUSE
I treat this as a potty training issue. For heaven sakes if you male starts to mark his territory in you house, NIP IT
IN THE BUD IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!
The sooner you stop this behavior the easier life will be.
The average age for males to mark their territory varies from breed to breed and depends upon how quickly your breed and
or variety reaches sexual maturity. For most toy breeds this is typically around 7-9 months. For larger breeds it COULD be
as young as 7 months but most often its closer to 10 -12 months. You may find that some males will never mark their territory.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, if you do not intend to breed your dog then have them neutered as early as your vet will allow.
It will not harm the maturation of their bodies, no letting them breed once will not calm them down (this goes for females
as well), no neutering will not make a dog agressive, no it will not make your dog too submissive, no your dog does not need
to have both testicles dropped to have them neutered, no it will not make your dog fat (as long as their diet is attended
to properly and you are not feeding them table scraps and jumk food), no it will not screw up your dogs ability to potty (
unless your vet is very careless and injures your dog during the procedure), and no it will not make your dog feel less like
a man and become girly!
I teach my males to not lift their legs in the house and I have several males together that are not neutered and I do not
have an issue.
Several methods that have worked for me.
You need to keep a close eye on your males during this time. You need to catch the dog in action. Punishing or correcting
the dog after the fact will do nothing.
Once I see a male lift his leg I use a spray bottle to stop them. This usually works very, very well. I also tell them
in a firm voice NO! If you have a dog that is easy to train you will find this will work quickly to stop the problem.
For more difficult dogs I have found a good scare a time or two will work great.
I will put pennies into a tin can or coffee can to make a loud rattle. This will startle your dog and he will learn when
he lifts his leg that he hears this sound. In extreme cases I have taken the car and thrown it beside the dog. DO NOT HIT
YOUR DOG WITH ANYTHING!!!! When the can lands next to the dog they are startled and do not know where it came from so they
do not associate this sound with you.
Some people have had a lot of luck with Belly Bands on their males. This keeps the boys from marking as they are covered
up.
Whatever method works for you, just remember that the sooner you stop the behavior the quicker you can get on with life
and enjoying your dog.
CLEAN UPS
Did puppy have an accident somewhere in the house that you need to clean up?
The quicker you do it after puppy has messed the easier it is to clean!
There are some wonderful products out there and there are some that just do not work at all.
Natures Miracle is a wonderful product for removing stains but not so good for removing odors.
If you want to remove the odor so that you dog will NOT use that spot again I recommend white vinegar. You can mix this
in a spray bottle with water. IT WILL NOT STAIN YOUR FLOORS.
There is also another new product out there that looks to be wonderful. This is URINE GONE. I comes complete with a black
light so that you can see where the stains are in the house. You just spray the product on these stains and it will remove
the stain and the odor completely. I have not tried it yet but have heard wonderful things from clients. You can get this
product off the TV, Online, or from your local Walmart.
