Posted by Sharon on January 15, 1998 at 15:42:17:
In Reply to: Re: potty training posted by Todd Biske on January 15, 1998 at 06:15:06:
> > My Little Big Man has became very hard to potty train since we moved into our NEW home. Then even worse since our 3 month old baby came. Lately he has decided that our bed is the main target. Please help. Spanking with the rolled up newspaper only makes him angry and snappy. I have almost had enough. Please reply soon!!!
> Spanking with a newspaper is not a good idea. In fact, even yelling
> doesn't work all that well. The problem is that you really have to
> catch them in the act in order for negative discipline (spanking,
> yelling, etc.) to have any effect. Most of the time they have no clue
> what they've done wrong.
> Positive reinforcement of the right behavior is the best idea. You
> should go outside with your dog and praise him like crazy when he
> goes. I suggest taking him out right BEFORE his meals, that way he
> will begin to associate going outside and doing his business with
> the reward of being fed. You should never keep his food away if he
> doesn't go though.
> One question I have is whether the dog is marking, or is he doing ALL
> his business. If he's just marking, it may be because of the move
> (new place, wants to mark his territory) and the new baby (trying to
> get rid of that darn new baby smell on his territory). This can be
> a very hard behavior to break. If he isn't neutered, I suggest doing
> that, as it can reduce that urge. Otherwise, I don't really know
> what to suggest, just because I haven't had experience with training
> a dog with that problem. My parents have, and all they can do is keep
> an eye on their dog. If they can't, he gets confined in the kitchen
> where there's a doggie door to go outside and a tile floor, so nothing
> will get damaged/stained/etc.
> You may try getting a book on the subject. There are two books on
> housebreaking available on this site at my pekingese bookstore. Go
> to http://www.biske.com/peke/books.html for more info.
Amanda, Oh please don't get fed up yet. It's not too late. Your puppy may be jealous of the new baby. After all, he was there first. Or as Todd remarked, he may be smelling baby smells and be marking. When my grandson first came into my home, my dog Max was very jealous. I don't think he knew the baby wasn't another dog. Also, anytime a dog goes to a new home, you can expect disorientation. Anyway, if you'll commit yourself to your dog for just a week or two you can get this straightened out and settle down to happily ever after. Enlist your husband's help and take the dog out to potty and praise him profusely when he complies. Never just let him out. You can leash him to you and take him from room to room, never letting him out of your sight. He won't want to potty in front of you and he'll like being with you. Be sure to take him out frequently. Confine him to a safe, uncarpeted area when you can't watch him. Above all, please stop smacking him with a paper. You are going to frustrate him and cause him to be frightened of you. Good luck and please let us know how you progress.