Hi Tracy, that's the same thing we do at my house <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />, except it took elvis (my 7mo.old) about a week to catch on, cause the little goober can't think straight when food is involved, but... you should be able to crate your dog at any time without it going to the bathroom in it, So, the dog has to learn to go outside first, then, manners at the table <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />, AL

I am also in the process of housebreaking a puppy. Have you tried putting the puppy out before you sit down to eat.I am sure he needs to pee. This will also give you the oportunity to reward the puppy for peeing outside. He may not understand what you want. He probably whines in the crate because he needs to pee. No puppy likes to lay in pee.I would take him outside to go potty,reward him for a job well done, and put him back in the crate. Remember to drop a treat into his crate.

Paul, with a young puppy you have to try to keep to some sort of schedule, if this is the only time your pup pee's in his crate then my suggestion would be 1/2 hour prior to supper take him outside for a good play/walk at which point he will urinate because of the excercise, praise him and use a phrase such as good outside when he is actually urinating. This phrase should be used each any every time your pup goes to the bathroom outside (as he is going)you will be surprised how quickly he will understand that when you say good outside he is to go.

Then go back inside, take a treat and put him in his crate.
I'm sure he will settle down with his treat and you can have a peaceful supper.

I would also suggest you do not give him any water or food one hour prior to supper, feed him after and then take him outside again immedietly. With a puppy that young take him outside after he drinks, eats, plays, chews on a bone and especially after a nap.

Please do not use any form of discipline other then a firm "no" and only if you catch him in the act or you will
have housebreaking or behaviour problems. Your pup is not doing this for attention or to piss you off. He is a baby
and when you have to go you have to go!!

On other thing, does he like his crate at other times of the day?

15 years ago when I was breeding some very hard puppies I wrote am article titled “Teaching Your Puppy the Meaning of the Word NO”. In it I recommended grabbing the pup (when it was biting you or a family member) by the nap of the neck and shaking until it squealed like a pig. Well that advice was wrong. It worked for my pups because they were hard pups and recovered quickly from a correction (and handler mistakes) Soft puppies could have some serious problems with this treatment.

As those of you who have read Ed's article about the theory of corrections, will remember Ed used to shake dogs until they squeled like a pig. And as he states in the article it is not an appropriate method of correction. He states very clearly that shaking a dog is wrong. It is obviously a throw back to the breeders past training methods. As everyone has informed the contributor it is in the dogs best interest to stop utilizing this method and he should read several of Ed's articles.
Terry

I'm kinda new to this whole thing but this may be an even bigger problem i think. could it be a possibility that the breeder may have had the pup in a other that desirable area and that pup is already use to "doing its thing" where it sleeps? i may be wrong but justa idea/question.

Hello Everyone,

SUCCESS. It turns out a little play time after his walk and some extra praising when he goes to the bathroom did the trick. I also got him trained at waiting at sitting by the door while I open it and waiting for me to step out first. I saw this in the dvd, "Your puppy 8 Weeks to 8 Months", which I just got last week.

I checked with the breeder about the weight of my puppy's Sire, and I was wrong. He is 90lbs.

Thanks again to everyone for their input.
Paul Medeiros <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

 Quote:

...SUCCESS. It turns out a little play time after his walk and some extra praising when he goes to the bathroom did the trick. I also got him trained at waiting at sitting by the door while I open it and waiting for me to step out first. I saw this in the dvd, "Your puppy 8 Weeks to 8 Months", which I just got last week.

That is SO GREAT! You received lots of good input and you used it well.

Isn't that a good video?

And that stepping aside (the dog, I mean) while the pack leader exits and enters first -- that was one of the first things, years ago, that I learned about demonstrating pack status. I was a REAL newbie then, and I was so impressed with how that one thing made every walk and training session start out "on the right foot" (so to speak). It seemed to be an almost instant reminder (to both of us) of who the pack leader was! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Good for you!