Yesterday, I bought an 8 week old puppy. I am asking different ways to train her how to go to the bathroom? I am crate training her, but am wondering (I live in Ohio) how long should I keep her outside during the winter time to train her to go to the bathroom? I have been doing 5 minutes and if she does not go, I still bring her in. We then go out about an hour later, but she may have already went to the bathroom…Also, while in the crate, she is whining very much…I understand she is a puppy and I told my wife not to let her out because she has to get use to it. Granted when she is whining at 2am or 4am, I let her out to take her outside to go to the restroom…We are taking her to a professional training site, but not until January…Any advice or suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
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Five minutes may not be long enough for the pup to potty. However 2 months is plenty old enough to start training. the first thing to remember about house training a puppy is there ability to hold themselves is limited. a rule of thumb is they can hold “it” usually 1 hour for each month of age. 2 months old = 2 hours, 3 months old = 3 hours, etc. when your puppy wakes up (morning, nap, whatever) the pup has to go, right then! take the pup out. when the pup eats or drinks, it has to go, take the pup out. after exercise (play), take the pup out. when the pup does it’s thing outside praise it. a lot. tell the pup how good, how smart it is. you have to pay attention to the pups “looking for it’s spot” behavior. when you see that behavior indoors, whisk the pup out. if you catch the pup in the act, simply tell it “NO!” and whisk it outside. if you find a puddle or pile after the fact, clean it up with an enzyme cleaner (pet food store) get a newspaper and hit…. yourself in the head and say “i should have been paying more attention” daytime training they get pretty fast. night time training is easier if you crate train the pup. also remember the one hour/one month rule. you will have to get up through the night to take the pup out. good luck
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- Five minutes is NOT long enough!
Eight wks. is NOT old enough.
Letting it out at 2AM is *TEACHING* it to train *you*. STOP IT!It can only be started to learn housebreaking-it’ll take weeks…months…
- The best thing is to get on a very set schedule. You can pretty much count on about 15 to 30 minutes tops after the dog eats or drinks she will need to go out. Then set other times to take her out. Always first thing in the morning and the last thing at night.
The crate should he a good place for her. You do not want her to learn to hate it, so you might want to try different things to make her happier when she is in there and crying. Remember she is still very young. She might need some added attention. - You need to get your puppy on a feeding schedule, if you know when it went in you can predict when it will come out. Also she needs to go after waking up, after playing, or doing anything exciting.
You should take her outside for 10-15 mins, if she doesn’t go bring her in and try again in 10-15 mins. Repeat until she goes.
You don’t want her going potty in the crate, this is going to hurt your training immensly. You need to supervise your puppy and watch for signs she needs to go. Sniffing, circling, and restlessness are signs its time to go out. If she can’t be supervised she needs to be in her crate.
Praise her like crazy when she eliminates outside, this will give her the message that this is the place to go.
Your puppies bladder and bowels aren’t fully developed yet, and she can only “hold it” for a few hours. Pups often need night time outings until their bladder and bowels mature more. You can help lessen the night time outings by feeding her last meal a few hours before bed, and taking up her water a couple hours before bed as well.
Housetraining takes time, patience, and supervision.
- Take her outside after she eats. (usually around 15 to 20 minutes), and when she wakes up from her many naps. Praise her like crazy when she goes!
You say you’re crate training her, but from reading your question, I’m getting the impression that you’re keeping her in the crate most of the time. Correct me if I’m wrong.
If that’s the case, don’t do it! You say she is whining while in the crate. She is obviously awake, so why keep her crated? Even at a young age she needs socialization. You have a puppy that has just been weaned, so you are her new mommy now. It’s natural for her to want to be with you. She feels safe with you.
Always keep in mind that her crate is her “safe place”. Never use it to punish her or just to get her out of the way. She will learn to give you your space in due time.
I’m very familiar with your weather up there!
On very cold days (as long as it’s not icy or the snow is too deep), I’d still take her out for about 15 minutes. She’ll learn very quickly to do her business and go back inside where it’s warm.
Good Luck, and good for you for taking her to training!! - unfortunately, with a puppy, you have to walk them on a leash until they go. most dogs are fine outside and as it gets colder, your pup will figure out that the faster she does her business, the faster she can go back inside. if you are concerned about her getting too cold, invest in a sweater or jacket for her. She will still need to go out during the night, but make sure she has a good long wakl before bed. Sorry, I know it’s going to be hard this winter, but if you wait until spring to get house training underway, you’ll be cleaning up lots of messes! Get her on a regular feeding schedule and that should help some.
- Oh Geez. You never put an 8 week old puppy in a crate “to get used to it”. You never leave an 8 week old puppy in a crate to “whine”. You do not want to allow ‘trauma’ to the puppy especially if it is under 12 weeks old. Trauma is being separated (ostracised) from the pack. You are the pack. You can crate train and potty train, but you have to do it on the puppy’s schedule and cycle it so the puppy is not traumatized. Puppy will eat, potty, play, potty, sleep, potty, repeat. When the puppy is sleepy, you can slip her into the crate. If your crate is small enough you can tote the crate around with you with her in it … she must see you and you must be able to reach in and pet her. I put the crate on the bed at night with my arm in there … they go to sleep until they wake up for potty. As soon as you take her out of the crate she should potty, then eat or play, then potty again then be sleepy. It doesn’t take but a few minutes for her to find a potty spot, so five minutes is adequate. If she does not potty, then your timing is off.
You also need to be aware of socilizing. You have a window up until 12 weeks. Stimulate, stimulate, stimulate is the key. Do not feed out of the same type container nor in the same room. Take her places where other dogs have not been potty (disease) and other dogs won’t be around her (disease) to expose her to noises, buildings, environments, places, people, other animals (horse, donkey, sheep, ducks, chickens – let her smell and notice they are alive then pick her up and take her away), noises, and walking over survaces. You cannot leave her at home to do this. Every day at least one place for one thing.
Take her for professional training after she’s 12 weeks but you don’t really need to until 6 months. In the interim you can teach her to come when called for her favorite treat or toy and you can also play with her to look at you for a treat or a toy and build that into sitting to look at you for treat or a toy.
She can be long-lined at 6 months for correct heeling.
