Puppy Training Q&As

April 21, 2011

My pup refuses to use his designated area for potty breaks. How do I get him to use it on a regular basis?

Dear Ed, I have backed myself into a corner (handler error). We have a 10 week old Ridgeback who is crate trained. He does not need to 'go' in the night. He easily last 1 to 2 hours between each potty break and is once a week left for 3 hours alone in his crate while we are out, no problems. I made the mistake of not taking him on leash to a 'special corner' in the first two weeks, but just let him free range in our large back yard, its all grass (I think the breeder did that t...
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April 21, 2011

Recommended Our new puppy has a bladder infection. We don't want him to think it's ok to go potty in the house but we understand his situation right now. What should we do?

Good Morning! We have just ordered the "8 weeks to 8 month" training tape to help us in training our 11 week old male Yorkie. We have read many of the free eBooks on your site and are very pleased with the progress we have made as trainers! We had a puppy two years ago and failed miserably as handlers. That puppy went to live and be well trained by a woman who knew her stuff. The obvious issue there was our poor training. We certainly don't want history to repeat itself here. ...
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April 21, 2011

I'm having trouble establishing a routine with my new pup for when he needs to go to potty after eating. Is this normal?

My name is Kyle, and am a owner and lover of dobermans here in NY. I love your website, all the training information and have ordered your DVD on drive building. Ed, I have two wonderful dobermans who I raised since pups, and are exemplary in behavior and demeanor. Both my eldest two were crate trained from day one, their personalities built on positive praise, I am alpha and have complete and total control over my animals with voice command- NEVER by corporal punishment. Ed, I fee...
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April 21, 2011

We just rescued a 5 month old and he knows to go outside, but doesn’t like to use the dog run. He prefers the grass. Any suggestions on transitioning him to the gravel?

Is it possible to transition a dog from grass to gravel? We just rescued a 5 month old Airedale and he knows to go outside, but doesn't like to use the dog run. He prefers the grass of our yard. Any suggestions on transitioning him to the gravel? Thanks, Aileen
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April 21, 2011

I am an inexperienced dog owner. I have a crate question, is it ok to leave the door open on the crate if he is in a confined area?

I am a new and very inexperienced yet proud Yorkshire Terrier owner. I came across your site from doing a google search. After reading your advice regarding puppy training and crate training, I immediately went out and purchased a crate for our 7 week old Yorkie. I have been keeping him in the crate with the door closed and only coming out to relieve himself, excersize & play and to eat & drink. My question is... when my dog is in the crate, should the door be closed at all times or i...
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April 21, 2011

We have 2 6 month old puppies and we have to kennel then for a week. Will kenneling them undermine our crate training and house breaking?

Hello, I want to thank you for the helpful puppy video. It is great! I do have two questions regarding our puppies. They are both going to be 6 months old and are both crate trained. We have to kennel them for almost a week and I'm wondering if this will undermine all of our housebreaking and crate training? Next, our male puppy has started not eating out of his bowl. He will only eat if the food is on the floor. Any suggestions why and how to deal? Thank ...
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April 21, 2011

I used to rub my pup's nose in her mistake on the floor. I have stopped doing this, but she is still scared of me. What can I do?

Hello! I am hoping you can help me with our Puppy? I have purchased the books, and taps and read all the articles you on your site. We have had our pup for 8 weeks now and things are going well. The biting is calming down unless she gets in a hyper mood. Which is usually when we get home and let her out of the crate. The house training is also going well? Except that after a few accidents, I did what your site recommended. We stopped putting her nose in her mistake, and I wo...
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April 21, 2011

My 11 month old dog urinates in the house about every 2-3 weeks. How can I correct this?

Hi, I have a problem with my 11 month old neutered male cocker spaniel. About every 2 to 3 weeks he urinates in the house. He has stood by the door many times to go outside and then relieves himself when put outside. I give him the go potty command and treat him right after. Last night I had him in the same room as me, close by. I heard him start to urinate on the carpet. I immediately corrected him and brought him outside, he finished and I treated and praised him. But like I said, this ...
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April 21, 2011

My mini Dachshund constantly pees and poops in her crate. What am I doing wrong?

Hello. I am so thrilled to find your web site I have had an ongoing problem with my miniature dachshund, Greta. She pees/poops in her crate when I leave her. I have been told to just leave her out in the house, or pad train her, but she always pees if I leave. I figured crate training is the best way to stop her from eliminating in the house. BUT that is not so. I don't know what to put in the crate with her because she goes on it. For a long time, I just put somethin...
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April 21, 2011

One of my dogs is 1 1/2 years old and still messes in his crate. Do you have any advice for me?

We have two dogs. A female German Shepherd (2 years old) & a male English Bulldog (1 1/2 years old). I have taken them both to puppy training, at PetSmart, and we have tried to crate train them. They both did well in the training classes and the Shepherd is fairly well house broken. However, the Bulldog still urinates, and occasionally does the other, in his cage, especially when excited like when we arrive home. He also "drips" when he is with us out of his cage. I would like to explain,...
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April 21, 2011

I am trying to my 12 week old puppy to a larger crate as he is outgrowing his old one. He urinates in his new crate. How do I stop him from doing this?

Dear Mr. Frawley, I have a 12 week old puppy that I I received two weeks ago from South Africa, and I live in Canada. I have been training him according to your method of house training, with lots of exercise and walking before and after meals. Until now his training has been flawless, with no accidents in or outside of the crate. He came in a wood crate, and I felt the crate was getting too small, because there is not enough room to put his water in without him knocking it over. I...
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April 21, 2011

How does my pup learn to give us signals when he needs to go outside?

Dear Mr. Frawley, First let me say that I enjoyed your article on housebreaking and want to move forward with your methods on crate training. I suppose my only question regards the pup giving signals when it needs to go outside (i.e. scratching at the door, barking at the door, etc.). In the process of crate training, is this something that will occur naturally? Thanks for the excellent online support. Keep up the great work! Warm regards, Marc
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April 21, 2011

I have 3 dogs. They range in age from 5 years to 1 year. They are not house broken and it is driving me nuts. What can I do now?

Dear Ed, I have been reading the many letters you receive and your answers, but now I would like to ask you this, I have three dogs a 5 year old female mixed terrier, and two year old jack russel and a one year on son to both. I crate them together and I still do not have housebroken dogs. I fenced in a area specially for them and they will come in and do their business on my rug. They refuse to go out when it is raining which makes it worse. I seem to understand from your response...
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April 21, 2011

I keep my 13 week old Dachshund in a gated area in the garage with her crate where she potties on the papers that I provide. Am I confusing her by doing this?

Hello Sir, I have a mini long-haired dachshund. I am following a crate training program, but during the day (M-F) I leave the dog in a gated play area in the garage with her den inside. In other words, the den is there, but the dog is not closed inside of it. Since she is a pup (13 weeks), she cannot handle being crated for 10 hours without a break, so I leave her out in the small play area so that she doesn't soil her den due to not being able to control her bladder. I have a paper are...
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April 21, 2011

My 3 1/2 year old Chihuahua is marking my whole house. What can I do?

Dear Ed: I have a huge problem (or it is to me anyway). I have a 3 1/2 year old neutered Chihuahua who is marking my whole house. I assume that marking is different then just peeing in the house. It's not like a puddle in the middle of the room but rather on the corners of everything. I searched your site for an answer and could not find anything on the subject. 3 family members have acquired puppies (and live separate and apart from us) but frequently visit and bring their puppies...
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April 21, 2011

Our 7 month old Pom/Poodle cross still pees all over, and also chews on the couch and love seat. What can we do?

I have a pomeranian/poodle mix puppy who is going on 7 months old. My husband and I have tried to house train her and she still keeps peeing everywhere. If she gets excited she just pees all over everything. Second of all, she has a huge chewing problem and we don't know what else to do. She chewed a hole in our couch arm and ate all the stuffing and the other day she chewed a dollar coin sized hole in our love seat. We put a sheet over it and we left today for maybe 1-2 hours and came ho...
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April 21, 2011

I am trying to house train my 11 week old puppy. She has to go out every 2-3 hours-- even at night. Should she be able to hold it?

My Japanese chin puppy is 11 weeks old. I am trying to teach her to eliminate outside. So far she is doing OK when I am with her as I take her out every 1-2 hours and after her naps. She will go when I am outside with her. At night, we have to go outside once every 2-3 hours as well. Can she hold for more than 1-2 hours at her age as I read several advices that she should be able to? If I leave her in the crate for more than 2 hours, she will eliminate in the crate. I left her in the garage i...
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April 21, 2011

I leave my 2 year old Lab/Pit cross in a crate while I am at work. How long is too long to leave a dog crated?

I have a quick question. I have a almost 2 year old Lab/Pit mix and I crate her while in work since she has what I am assuming separation anxiety since she chewed my furniture each time I tried to leave her out of the crate and I left the house. I emailed before questioning that problem but she is fine when I am home, does not destroy anything, so I don't know how she can break from it if it is done when I leave the home. Besides that, I want to know how long is too long to leave her crated. ...
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April 21, 2011

How do we teach our new puppy to tell us when he needs to go outside?

We just got a puppy this past weekend. I have barely slept and ate, but it's getting better, especially after I found your web site today. We have been using a crate (made it smaller yesterday so it's more den-like) and today is my first day back at work. It's a short day today and tomorrow and then Thursday I'll be gone 8 hours but we're going to hire a dog walker for a few months. Anyway, he's very good with going outside, because I take him out often. He only needed to get up on...
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April 21, 2011

My 12 week old Boxer still poops in the house. Do you have any advice for us?

I have a 12 week old boxer pup. I've had her almost 1 month and have her housebroken from peeing in the house, but sometimes I will find poop in the house or catch her in the action. How can I stop this because it is harder then the pee breaking is. A lot of the time I will take her outside to go to the bathroom and she will pee but not poop, then when we go back in the house she will go poop. Usually she will go in the basement and poop {and sometimes pee} but that is still unacceptable. Als...
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