I haven't tried the box yet and I was thinking I'd put the pad in there. I can just imagine what he'd do with kitty litter!LOL. I was thinking that having the pad in the box would make it more of a "place" and I could have a couple around the house.
I'll try it and see how he responds to the box. If he doesn't like it then I'll try the pan trick. The advice about scheduling is really helpful. Thanks. --- In [email protected], Peggy & The Girls <phrpg5@...> wrote: > > I think the pad or the litter box, is a personal choice and of course what > ever your dog prefers. You didn't mention if you put anything in the box? > Some people actually tried cat litter, but I also heard that is to messy, as > dogs like to kick it up after they go. Others put newspaper in it or even a > puppy pad. I have a plastic tray and then the pad goes on top, and the ends > of the pad fold under the tray on both sides so that it can't slip off the > tray. When I tried just to use the pad on the tile floor it slid around too > much. Some dogs don't like stepping into a pan, so it really is trial and > error. A lot of pads on the market are scented to draw the dog to it. You > can also buy a spray that you can spray on plain puppy pads or newspaper to > draw them to it. > > I highly recommend sticking to some type of consistent schedule that works > for you. Dogs adapt to our schedules very easily.You can keep him free, as > long as you can watch him. When you can't watch, put him in the small crate > even if it's for 10 minutes. If you know that you have to leave him for a > couple of hours then make sure he uses the pad first and reward him, give > him a few minutes of playtime and then put him in the crate. It's not a good > idea to put him in the crate immediately after he uses the pad or he may > think that he is being punished, so give him a few minutes and make going > into the crate a good and happy time. Stick to a good feeding schedule, and > then walk him within 15 minutes, some dogs need to go immediately after > eating, others 15-30 min. You have to feel your way through certain things > because every dog is different. > > Don't feel to guilty about leaving him in a small crate, most dogs sleep > when we leave anyway. Puppies sleep a lot during the day too, so it is worth > a lifetime of having a housebroken dog. Soon enough he will be housebroken > and have the run of the house. Lots of luck!! > > > > > > -------Original Message------- > > From: Megan > Date: 1/29/2012 7:00:52 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: [Chihuahuas] Re: Potty Poopy Training...arggghhhhhh! > > > Yes, this definitely helps. It's very cold outside so my goal was to have > him use the pads consistently. A litter box sounds like it might be good > too-(I don't know what the advantages might be so if someone could tell me > that would be good)I didn't want to make it harder for either one of us than > necessary so I wanat to stick to either the pads or a litter box and have > him trained to the one thing. If a litter box makes sense for him, I would > think that now would be the time to make that switch. > It sounds like the thing to try would be perhaps to either switch back to > the small crate or make the xpen smaller so it is just big enough for his > bed &food&water. Move the pad/box the kitchen (next room.) So his bed, food > & water & some toys are in his "den". He'd be confined to the /crate/xpen > for the night and I'd get him out in the morning and walk him to the pad/box > I admit to being terrified of not having a pad in the pen overnight -some > wine should help with that). When I'm out at the barn or gone from the house > I can use baby gates to keep him in the family room/kitchen area so he can > have access to his "den" and the pad/box. I'm thinking that i should keep > him confined to that area until he really knows that the pad/box is his > pooping place. Or - would you recommend the sort of scheduling you did with > yours when you were working? and him being confined to his "den" when I'm > out at the barn (it's usually 2-3+ hours)and let out and walked to his > pad/box when i get back in? > Right now, if he's not confined to the pen or kitchen with the gates, as > soon as I see him running toward the other areas of the house, I have to > follow him to see if he's anointing the rugs. My dream would be that if he > sees a pad/box in any area of the house..he knows that's his place he can > potty if he has to. That's where I want to get to with him...then we can > deal with going outside. > > --- In [email protected], Peggy & The Girls <phrpg5@> wrote: > > > > Megan, I posted this the other day for Rebecca, maybe it will help you too > > > to understand the way a puppy thinks when you are housebreaking it > > > > Well they say that a den (crate) is suppose to be safe haven for a dog. In > > the wild, wolves sleep and eat in a den. They do there business outside of > > the den. By putting the pan inside his den, it only confuses the dogs > > natural instinct, and most dogs are not 100% housebroken. I know a lot of > > people that put everything inside a crate, the pads or litter box, the > toys, > > the water, the food, the bed, and then there is no room for the dog to > > actually walk freely without stepping on everything, so the dog will pull > > everything to it's bed. A true house broke dog, will hold it in for 8-10 > > hours if they have to. Just the way most dogs can hold it in all night, > > which is an average of 8 hours. > > > > The only way a crate works is if it is a good 4 feet long for a chi, or > you > > use a playpen. That gives enough space in between the bed to the pad for > > movement. Or you block them off in the bathroom or a larger area. Or you > use > > the old method of putting them in a crate that is only big enough to hold > > their bed, but they still have enough room to stand on it and turn around > > and stretched out when they lay down, and the water dish is hooked onto > the > > door of the crate. Then you put a leash on him and walk him to the pads, > > which is much further away, instead of walking him outside. I prefer the > > latter way, because I found that all my dogs were housebroken within a > month > > and that was when I was working full time. > > > > When I worked, I got up in the morning, and the first thing I did was walk > > them to the pad and stayed there until they did there business. Then I fed > > them inside the crate, and then let them be free to play while I got ready > > for work. Just before I would leave, I again would walk them to the pad > and > > wait until they did there business. Then I allowed 15 minutes of playtime > > and interaction with me and then back into the crate and I would leave for > > work. Yes it was messy when I came home for the first couple of days, but > a > > dogs natural instinct is not to mess in there den and they really get the > > hang of it after the first week. > > > > This was todays post: > > > > If you are trying to train him by doing two/three methods at the same time > > > litter pan, pad, and outside, it won't work. It's too confusing for a > puppy > > to say now you go out, but later you go in the pan, or maybe later you go > on > > a pad. Choose your method, once you have him 100% of either going outside > > all the time, then you convert him over to a pad or a litter pan. Or stick > > to a pad or a litter box, and then change him to outside. If you are in a > > warm climate all year, then training to go outside is fine, but if you > have > > harsh, cold winters, you may want to stick with either the litter pan or > the > > pad and not train him to go outside at all. > > > > Most dogs will go outside anyway, it's their instinct, especially to mark > > their territory and that can be with pee as well as poop. As far as him > > being a male....when I had my male maltese and was training him to go a > pad, > > as soon as he went to lift his leg, I bent over him and gently pushed down > > on his rump and told him he was a good boy. That automatically made him > put > > his leg down, and I only had to do that two times and he understood. When > we > > went for walks, he always lifted his leg, so again he understood okay > > outside, but not inside. > > > > Also bear in mind that a rigid schedule is very important, because you are > > actually teaching him what time of day to go. He's is older now and should > > really only need to pee 4x a day and poop 2x a day. Always put him on the > > pad or whatever you decide to do, right after her eats, and if you have a > > real long playtime and he is all excited, plus the am, the afternoon and > > before you go to bed. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -------Original Message------- > > > > From: Megan > > Date: 1/29/2012 5:38:38 PM > > To: [email protected] > > Subject: [Chihuahuas] Re: Potty Poopy Training...arggghhhhhh! > > > > > > Sounds like the same as we have set up in the xpen. There is more room for > > him in the xpen. He sleeps in one end and the pad is at the other end. So > - > > are you saying that the thing to do would be to keep him contained in the > > xpen for a period of time - so the pad is the only place he's able to go? > > Sorry, I've never crate trained a dog and the crate we had for him was a > > small one just big enough for his bed. > > Megan > > > > --- In [email protected], Raven <iceponygoddess@> wrote: > > > > > > >> He's about 7-8 months old. We did have a small crate and he used it. > > Then got the ex-pen and the whole thing seemed kind of redundant so we > took > > back the crate > > > > > > IMHO...a puppy needs to be crated trained and in a crate, until that > > > puppy/dog is 100% potty trained. My chihuahuas go potty outside, they > > > are not pad trained. > > > > > > If would recommend that use get a crate and use that crate...under he > > > is left alone, for sleeping, when you go to work etc. And use the > > > divider that comes with it. > > > Raven > > > Lucy & Stella & Hazel, the Girl Doggies > > > Huginn & Dixie Chick, the Back Behind the Barn Ponies > > > > > > I ride a pony, cuz heart is not measured in hands. > > > > > > My Blog > > > http://iceponytrekking.blogspot.com > > > > > > Respect ALL Earthlings. We are all animals of this planet. We are all > > creatures. > > > > > > ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Chihuahuas/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Chihuahuas/join (Yahoo! 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