5 Responses to “what are some ideas on how to train a puppy to not whine and potty train?”

1. #1 man Says:
   May 2nd, 2009 at 4:42 pm

   a friend of mine put peanutbutter on the roof of his puppies mouth and it stoped whining

2. irishgirl Says:
   May 5th, 2009 at 7:24 pm

   Posted by irishgirl

   hes young, its going to take time, please be patient, his bladder is not developed enough yet to hold it for too long. depending on the breed, and size, length of time to be potty trained is hard to tell . ive always crated my dogs, works well, but you have to take him out alot! take him out 5min after he’s eaten. all that your describing is normal for an 8wk old pup, very young, just left mom. ive crated dogs for up to a year or more, depends on the dog. i have a young pit mix that i still crate at night for bed, she goes in all by herself when the tv goes off. she is around 2 now. seems like a long time but i had issues with her chewing, she finally now has reached a point where she stays out while i leave the house for a few hours and has been good. just use your best judgement, and be patient. whineing is normal at this point, its like having a new born. when he gets a little older, dont give into the whining as long as he’s not hungry or has to go potty. good luck

3. akroj Says:
   May 6th, 2009 at 12:27 am

   With whining - with these sounds the puppy is calling for attention. If it gets it, that makes him realize that this “calling for attention” works and will keep it up. If you don’t answer his whining, he/she will stop. It is a long term training so don’t give up in a day!
   With potty training - when the puppy makes its business somewhere else, just show it to him (hold him close to it) and say something like “not here”, than take him by his skin at the back of the neck (there is plenty of it - the mother carries the puppies by it all the time) and put him/her on the potty train. Than pet him. Always pet him/her when the thing done properly. Usually the puppies do it right within one week. Good luck!!!

4. AngelC Says:
   May 6th, 2009 at 12:29 pm

   I have trained dog/puppies for over 30 years and using peanut butter to stop whining is NOT at all a good idea. It can cause stomach upset or pancreatic problems since it so rich.

   Ignoring a puppy at TIMES can help teach them to become more independent, but remember this is a YOUNG puppy that misses its littermate and its MOM. Be mindful of how much alone time your puppy actually has. Most of us are gone from the house for 8 to 10 hours per day and expect our dogs to ‘entertain’ themselves. And believe me they will.

   By crying whining, destroying, digging, anything to occupy themselves while we are not around. TRAINING and conditioning are even more effective and PATIENCE is most important.

   First you have to establish a schedule whereby your puppy is feed and exercised BEFORE you leave in the morning. EVERY morning, without fail.

   Second: Have an ABSOLUTE safe place for your puppy to be for a few hours. NEVER EVER leave a puppy alone for 8 or 10 hours with full run of a house or apartment and expect to find a clean house. Even if you crate train your dog, leaving them for more than a few hours until they are MUCH older is doomed to fail.

   Third: After a feeding, sleeptime, play session, or a long drink of water, Take your puppy to the area you want them to eliminate. EVERY TIME, not just when it is convenient for you. Believe me, your puppy is going to want to ‘go out’ after all of these events, AND then some.

   Fourth: Until they are house trained, restrict where they can be in the house. EVEN when you are there. I don’t mean lock them in the bathroom, or the garage (HEAVEN forbid), or any other room. I mean until they can be trusted to ‘hold it’ make sure they are in an area much like a ‘playpen would be for a child. NEVER let them out of your site, or they will eliminate elsewhere and return to where you are.

   Fifth: IF they have an accident, do not punish them. hit yourself on the head, and then take them outside. DO NOT push their nose it in, or they will NEVER trust you. I mean after all, elminating is a natural occurrence, if you punish them for going, they will learn NOT to trust you, and even when you take them outside to ‘go’ they will be fearful that you will ‘push their nose in it again’ and refuse to go in front of you.

   Sixth: If they have an accident, clean the area with a neutralizing solution, NEVER ammonia. Again you can take a stool with you, place it outside where you DO want them to go and they should get the message. Give a command to ‘go potty’ and walk them to the area. After they ‘go’ praise them softly (not too loud so you don’t scare them).

   Seventh: NEVER put a dog outside and expect them to know what you want them to ‘do’. Or they will do ‘nothing’ only to come back in the house and then eliminate inside, much to your surprise. And walking a dog AFTER they have eliminated, will end up being a playtime, instead of a ‘potty run’.

   Eighth: KEEP A SCHEDULE. This bears repeating. Feed, walk and exercise on a schedule. Young puppies cannot go longer than a few hours without relief, so make plans to visit during the day, or have a trusted neighbor help you with this task. If this is not possible, expect to have a dog that is never house trained, always making a mess and always whining.

   NINTH: YOU are responsible for this dogs entertainment. Make sure you are supervising playtime, have safe toys and see to it that your puppy is getting the proper exercise. A tired puppy will not whine when you leave, it will happily sleep. Don’t make a big fuss when you leave in the morning, or when you visit during the day, and again when you come home. Quietly leave, and quietly return. When you do return, immediately take your puppy outside BEFORE you fuss over it, play with it, or hug, etc.

   TENTH: If anything I mentioned doesn’t seem to be working, remember this golden rule; PROVIDE an environment that if YOU were your dog YOU would want to be in.

   Think of it this way…… imagine if you had to spend as you would have your dog spend the day. Dogs can listen to music while you are gone, but they really don’t have much to ‘do’ when you are not there.

   So many times we expect our dogs to be happy just to ‘be’. We need to ‘be’ there for them, teach them the correct behavior and reward them when they are performing they way we want them to.

   Don’t expect a herding dog to stop chasing the kids, or a german shepherd NOT to bark when a stranger approaches, or a newfoundland NOT to love the water. Expecting a small puppy to learn everything in a short period of time is not possible. Everything takes time and patience.

   Angel C.

5. romance_german_shepherds Says:
   May 9th, 2009 at 7:16 am

   A puppy is like a baby. He will relieve himself anywhere, anytime. Because a newly adopted adult dog is unfamiliar with your home, he may not understand where he should “go”! Housetraining, or teaching your dog to go outside to relieve himself, is an important lesson your dog must learn.
   It is up to you, the new parent, to housetrain your new puppy or dog with patience, love and understanding.
   CRATE TRAINING
   In the wild, wolves live in a den or cave. It is important the entire wolf pack keep this area clean. The same idea works with your family pet. Your dog’s crate is his home, his bedroom. It is likely that your dog will not like to soil his bed. Therefore, he will wait until he is let out to do his business.
   HOUSETRAINING WITH YOUR CRATE
   On average, puppies can hold their bladders one hour for every month they have been alive, plus one hour. For example, if you have a three month old puppy, he can wait 3 + 1 = 4 hours. If you work longer than this, the best solution is to have someone (a neighbour, a relative, a dog walker) come in at an appropriate time to let your dog out.

   100 PER CENT SUPERVISION
   Supervision is the key to housetraining! While you are at home, your dog must be supervised. Whether you are watching television, making dinner, on the phone or on the computer, your puppy must be watched. While it sounds like an impossible task, it isn’t. Keeping the crate in a social part of the house makes it easier. Using a house lead – a small, thin lead with a little clip on it – also helps immensely. Outside, you put a lead on your dog so you can control him. If the lead is removed after returning home, control is lost. For example, when watching television, have the lead tied to a couch leg. Your dog can have his blanket and toys with him. He’ll feel safe and comfortable. The majority of accidents happen when your pup wanders off and you haven’t noticed. You don’t want him to sneak off into the kitchen and find a puddle a short time later. If your pup is kept from wandering, the possibility of an accident is diminished because he will not eliminate where he is sitting. 100 per cent supervision means ensuring your dog is playing with you, in his crate, outside or on his house lead.

   SCHEDULING
   In the morning, take your dog outside. He should urinate and possibly have a bowel movement. Spend about five to seven minutes with him and then bring him in. Do not play with him yet. Feed him breakfast, either in the crate or with the lead, and supervise it. If your pup did not have a bowel movement earlier, take him back outside about 15 minutes after he has eaten. Use the lead to keep your pup moving along while outside. Otherwise, he may start sniffing, stopping and playing to avoid the job at hand. You can say “hurry up” and your dog will begin to associate these words with the task at hand. Praise him excessively when he has eliminated. Bring him back in the house and place him in his crate if you are going to work. Continue to supervise him with the crate or the lead if you are home. When returning after being out, go directly to the crate, let him out, praise him and put him back in. Feed him his meal, take him outside 15 minutes after he has eaten, praise him after he eliminates, and bring him back in. Continue to follow the same steps consistently.

   While you are home, you should take your pup outside on a regular basis. Even if your pup is in a crate or on a house lead, he still needs the opportunity to eliminate. Also, be careful what you wish for! A pup who barks to go outside may be cute and clever now. However, you must try not to fall into the habit of leaping up every time your dog wants in or out. It is a very submissive gesture on your part. Have your pup wait a moment or two.

   Setting up a schedule is also a good idea. If your pup is under four months of age, take him out for five minutes every hour on the hour. If your pup is over four months old, take him out every second hour on the hour. The schedule will help you remember when to take him out. Go out for five minutes only. It provides the opportunity to eliminate even if your pup may not need to go. Take your dog out after active play and also after napping. If an accident occurs, you may have forgotten to take him out .

   FEEDING TIME
   Having a puppy drink a lot of water and then placing him in his crate is much more unkind than letting him be a bit thirsty for an hour or two. Adult dogs should have access to drinking water at all times. However, this is not the case for untrained pups. Most parents will not allow their children to drink a big glass of water before going to bed. Avoid setting your pup up for failure. Restrict his water intake to three or four drinks daily and make sure you remove the water dish about three hours before bedtime. This will help your dog sleep more comfortably.

   If it is a hot evening, supply your pup with a few ice cubes. They will enter your dog’s system at a slower pace. When feeding your pup, provide a high-quality food that is a good source of protein. The food must be concentrated so your puppy’s body doesn’t require much of it. If you feed less, your puppy eliminates less. Food is directly related to how well puppies do in their housetraining.

   EXERCISE
   It is important that your pup gets a lot of exercise, especially while crate training. You can play fetch, chase or hide and seek in your home. You can call ‘come’ at the same time to provide further training. Anyway you do it, your pup needs to be able to run and play.

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