How Do I Potty Train This New Puppy???

I completely agree on crate training. There are several great books at the FW Public Library on the subject. You might also want to try the puppy training pads on the hard wood floor. While you want the puppy to go outside, the pads have a smell that the puppies will pee on...therefore, you can watch the puppy and when he/she heads for the pad...put him/her outside. Also, they make clean up really easy while they learn. Good luck...

1. Crate only for comfort--when you're gone. That will be his
secure little cave, & dogs never pee/poop where they sleep. If they do, then something is wrong. If it a wire crate, put blankets/sheets around it (except front) to make them feel secure.

2. Put some pennies in a coke can & put tape over hole. Whenever you see them pee/do something wrong, shake the can at them. The sound will scare them, & then take them outside. Praise a lot!!!!!!!!

3. Dogs have packs. Packs have leaders. The dog needs to know where it stands. You must pretend like you're its mother. Get down on all fours, tower over the dog, & growl when needed. Even when you're playing with the dog, get on top of it like that. That will show it who is boss. I'm not saying be mean to it--just be dominant over it.

I bought a puppy when I got out of college, & I had the worst time. It tore everything up, bit me, & was not house-broken. A friend's mom raised dogs, & this is what they told me. It worked!!!!!!!! I have the most subservient dog--not that she perfect, but she does know her place in the family.

Hope this all helps!!

EDIT: What I meant on crate training for comfort was to not use it as their punishment. That is like their bed...their resting place, so it's not for punishment.

Ok... you need to understand what crate training means. Crates should never be used as a way to get away from your puppy. They should only be put in their crate when they eat, sleep, or you are away from the home. Never use the crate as a punishment!!!!!

Puppies are like babies. When the puppy wakes up, eats, or drinks take him outside and tell him to do his jobs. About every hour is a good schedule too. When he completes his jobs, praise him profusely. Make a big deal about it!!! I don't normally give treats for this because with some puppies, they learn to fake it for food. When you do have accidents in the house, clean the accident up with vinegar and let the puppy see you. Tell him that it's bad with a loud noise. Sometimes 'No' doesn't work because there seems to be a lot of No's at this stage. I normally make an 'ai ai' sound so they get it. Never rub your dog's nose in his stuff!!! This is unhealthy and breaks a bond of trust.

I hope this helps. I have always raise my dogs from age 6 weeks. They are normally trained by week 2. Puppies really want approval and love just like any child. They also go through all the stages that kids do, just in shorter timeframes. So be ready for the terrible twos at month 3.

Enjoy!
Jodi

My advice is to buy a small crate (cage) for him and start that way. You can get a lot of tips on the crate-training on many websites. Just google "crate-training puppies". In a nutshell, you keep the puppy in a crate that is the right size for him. The thinking is that dogs will not go potty where they sleep. So you need to make sure the crate isn't too big or he'll just pee on one side and sleep on the other. Anyway, when he's inside, he's in his crate. Then you take him outside to use the potty and back in his crate he goes. Don't let him run around your house unsupervised because that's when puppies will piddle on your floor!! He will learn bladder control and he will love his crate. My dog has NEVER had an accident and he sleeps in his crate every night. It's his "den" and they prefer it. He will go in it on his own just when he wants a break from my DD. I'm surprised that you bought a pure-bred and he's not crate-trained already. That's rule #1 for most breeders. Anyway, good luck.

I found this article and it was very informative and basically said what I did above. Oh, and a crate is NOT a place to feed your dog and it's not for comfort only or whatever someone said. Please see the article. http://perfectpaws.com/crt.html

Defintly crate train him. I have a 3 month old puppy and I crate train him and it really works. Just make sure the crate is very small just big enough for the to turn around that way they dont pee in it. Take him out every hour and ALWAYS go potty or go pee pee and they will get use to that meaning go do you business. I thought my dog to pee everytime I say go potty. Good luck it will turn out

We too have a lab! The crate thing is great! Make sure it is not too roomy because he will pee in one end and sleep in the other. Now, we were taking him out and whenever he went potty outside we would give him a cheerio...you can buy a box of Cheerio's and they are a perfect cheap treat for them. He still loves Cheerio's even though he is 5 yrs. old.

If you catch him pottying, pick him up even if he is in the middle of the deed and take him out to the grass. Sometimes you have to stand outside with them for a long time to catch them going potty...it is worth the wait! They are smart dogs and will catch on really quick...keep some Cheerio's by the door you let him out and grab a few when you are heading outside and when he goes...give him a Cheerio. Not alot, just a couple.

Good luck!!

i would definitely agree with the crate training. it may seem a little mean to put him in a small cage, but it is neccessary and important. i would also encourage you to take him to some sort of obedience training when he gets a little older. we took our dog to one of petsmart's puppy training classes where he learned to sit, lay down, STAY (so important), get comfortable around other dogs and people, etc. really, it was a class for us and we had to work with im on our own at home, but it was really really helpful. it met once a week at night for several weeks in a row. the instructors were really nice and would personally go over any missed material one on one with you if you have to miss a class. good luck!!! god made puppies so darn cute for a reason, they are HARD to deal with!!!

Crate training would be the best thing for him. Since he is going to be a big dog you may have to start with a small crate and get a larger one later. I am a veterinarian and recommend it for all dogs especially labs. You want a crate that is just big enough for him to stand up and turn around in. If you get larger than he will go to the bathroom in it, but if you keep it small he will think of it as his bed, not a bathroom. It also give them a since of security and will help if you ever have to board him in the future. Just put him in the crate when you leave the house and at night. While he is a puppy you will have to get up in the night and take him out to pee, but make sure he goes and is not just playing outside. Give him positive reinforcement when he goes outside. And, no matter how much he cries in the crate at first tough it out, because it will be worth it. If you get him out when he cries he will learn that all he has to do is make a lot of noise and he gets what he wants. It will work, just be patient!

gotta crate train him and get him in a puppy obedience class as soon as he's old enough. I work in Lab Rescue and it's VERY common to see families lose sight of the fact that dedicated, consistent, repeated training is KEY to making sure this little ball of joy turns into a big functioning member of society. We get tons of emails saying, "the dog is too big, it digs, it knocks the kids over, it jumps, it won't sit still". These are all typical with a puppy (especially a Lab) and CAN BE prevented or lessened through dedicated and consistent training.

Also, Labs will grow into their adult size well before their 1st birthday but they will act like a 20 pound puppy for about 3 years. Labs are GREAT dogs, but they aren't automatically programmed to be a suitable member of your family. If you put in a lot of hard work and effort, the rewards will last you the dog's entire lifetime.

Good luck!

Hi H.,

We bought a min schanuzer in July of last year, so I know exactly what you are going thrugh. I believe the true fail safe training method is Kenneling. Most people think it's cruel (me being one of them) but after speaking to many dog trainers and my personal vet, puppies like to feel safe and they do in the kennel. When using a kennel you must make sure that is of the right size for your puppy. Which means that they can stand and lay down and turnaround and that's it. Any bigger, they will piddle in any vacant space availiable. I would recommend finding a a used pet carrier as your little darling will be growing fast and some of the kennels can be costly. This site would probably be a good place to locate different size kennels as your puppy grows.
I work full time, so I made sure that as soon as my alarm went off our puppy was taken outside. If he just tinkled but nothing else, its wise to put him back in the kennel. Wait about 15 minutes and take him back out to finish. Once they do that, then they can eat breakfast and drink but watch them as I was told, and it was true, that within about 10 to 15 minutes of eating and drinking your puppy will be ready to tinkle again. Our puppy stayed kenneld all day, so as soon as we got home, of course we let him out again. It's a lot of work but it will save you lots of $$ in carpet cleaning. Our puppy is now 10 months old and is house trained. However, if i know that i will be longer than normal, I go ahead and kennel him.
One other word of advise, make there kennel warm and cozy by adding soft blankets and their favorite toy. And to help them and you sleep at night, cover the kennel with either a towel or blanket, it makes them feel safe.
Hope this has been helpful and good luck!
C. H.

Depending on where you live, I could help you with all aspects of raising your new lab puppy. I'm a dog trainer providing in-home services to clients all over North Dallas, Plano, Frisco etc etc. Please check my website for more information: www.bekindtodogs.com
On the potty training - be sure to reward the puppy every time he does it outside (when he finishes peeing, not in the middle of peeing)and make sure you don't give him freedom to roam around the house having accidents. Take him out at least hourly and always when he's just eaten, played or got excited.
Whatever you do, do not reprimand him for any accidents. That will make him fearful of you and he won't learn anything from it anyway.
I'd love to hear from you!
K. Breeden