Training a Puppy to tell you when she wants out? Help!

1737 Views 12 Replies 8 Participants Last post by dastowers, Apr 9, 2005

dastowers

Discussion Starter · Apr 7, 2005

I just adopted a 13 week puppy two weeks ago. She has got the 'go potty' command. She is training to go outside not on weepads. At what point will she let me know by signaling at the door it is time to go! My lab puppy was completely housebroken in two weeks and letting me know it was time.. I realize Chi's are much smaller and the bladder is smaller, but they should be able to be taught to signal. Any help would be appreciated. I must watch her like a hawk. AS a SAHM I can do that but I would like to trust her a little bit more, training her to do this would help.

Davena

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latenight423

· #2 · Apr 7, 2005

Letting you know at the door.

Usually a dog will go to the door (the one you usually take them out) and sit. Sometimes they will bark, whine, well you get the idea, to catch your attention. It is a little confusing for them (and you!) if you use multiple doors. I'm lucky - I only have 1 door to my apartment.

Also, I make use of a pee pad for Dobbie. He will use it quite well. It is in my bathroom and I buy the "larger size" which is great for a male dog, especially a 10# Chi like my Dobbie. (A hint I took from this site: since males like to lift their legs, you put a 2 liter bottle for thim to lift against. I know your pup is a female, but you may get a male someday...)

Even if you plan to always take your pup outside, it is a good idea to train them to the pads. You don't want to have to get up in the middle of the night. Dobbie gets down from my bed, goes to the bathroom, and then comes back to bed. (Great dog, right?)

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Owned

· #3 · Apr 7, 2005

My vet told us to tie a bell on a string to the handle of door that you go out of for potty breaks. (Sorry for the messed up sentence there) Every time you take the dog out, ring the bell on your way out. He said the dog will learn to ring the bell with their paw or their nose. We didn't do this with Gizmo because he learned very quickly how to sit by the door and bark, so we didn't see the need, but we're working on it with Piper right now.

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Kurrazie

· #4 · Apr 7, 2005

Heh, I think that bell would be some hassle to always have to ring! But heres my opinion on it:

Basically, you have to watch him/her like a hawk until she gets it. Idont know how long you have been doing it but, i mean, Sera is 6 months and she isn't completely potty trained. I have 2 labs that are big and they went outside from the start, and never inside so i thought it was going to be really hard to train sera to do her stuff inside.. so i thought i'd do it both ways, inside and outside.. meaning, train her to go potty in a litter box right outside my room because she'd have to go upstairs to go potty outside and she was just too small! but i mean, she knows that she can go outside too so when i bring her out there she'll go.

It is possible of course to get her to ASK to go outside but she/he won't do it for a while until she understands that going potty is NOT allowed in the house, therfor she'll/he'll hold it and go to the door if she/he is taught that she/he has to go through that door to go potty outside then she'll/he'll do some sorta of thing to single he/she wants out.

Basically I wouldn't expect her to get it right off the bat, you'll have to watch him/her as much as possible if you want him/her to just go outside so you can tell him/her "No" and bring him/her outside if you see him/her squat... and once he/she goes out and goes potty, of course.. reward.. ect. Hope that helps you a bit but thats the only way i see it working well =)

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TuckersMom

· #5 · Apr 7, 2005

Tucker will go sit at the door or jump up at the door. Or, if I'm not paying attention to those signals, he will come jump up on my leg to get my attention. Of course, all Chis jump at your leg when they want to be picked up, but this is persistent jumping, so I can tell the difference. Tucker didn't give us any signal for the first month or two, but now he always does. We didn't teach him to do it, he just began it on his own after he became totally trained to go outside to potty.

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dastowers

Discussion Starter · #6 · Apr 7, 2005

Thanks for all the replies and the helpful hints! I guess I am expecting too much too soon. Chihuahuas seem very smart and I have always loved the breed. Actually my baby Chihuahua catches on about as quick as the lab did on everything else but the potty training. Is there a biological reason the Chis seem to have such a hard time being housebroken? (ducking the greenies thrown at me :wink: ) The Chi's mind seems really smart I don't get it.
Davena (Pebblz's devoted but curious owner)

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Frasier's Mommy

· #7 · Apr 8, 2005

dastowers said:
Is there a biological reason the Chis seem to have such a hard time being housebroken? (ducking the greenies thrown at me :wink: ) The Chi's mind seems really smart I don't get it.
Davena (Pebblz's devoted but curious owner)

I'm ducking greenies with you because I don't get it either. I was 7 when we got our first chi 30 years ago, so I don't remember potty training. But, every other dog I've had since then - all mixed breeds - got it really fast. One figured it out in 2 days and she was only 6 weeks old!

Frasier constantly amazes me with his intelligence and how quickly he learns as do all the other chis based on the stories I hear here. But, why on Earth for such smart little guys is potty training so hard?

I have 2 theories. One is size. The other is the fact that if you read the official description of chis, it states that they love the outdoors but are perfectly happy as apartment dogs. Maybe this means they're somehow genetically predispositioned to be inside only dogs??

I'd love to hear it if anyone knows for sure.

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janiebabes

· #8 · Apr 8, 2005

I have to watch my 3 like a hawk daytona will scratch to come in but i asl my dogs constantly if the wanna go do pee pees and i wlak to the door if they backup i know they dont have to go if they run to the door with me i know they do lol. yea good idea i didnt use the wee pads and sorry i didnt. i trained them to gooutside but trust me ona very rainy day or snowy day you will wish you had them trained to use wee wee pads for days like that. I now put news paper down i dont know who is using it lol but one or all of them are at one time or another havent caught anyone in the act yet lol

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dastowers

Discussion Starter · #9 · Apr 8, 2005

Has anyone on this board had good luck with training their Chi to ring a bell?
Or any dog for the matter? It sounds really neat! 8)
Owned- How is training Piper going? What kind of bell are you using? The type that is on a cat collar?
Using the bathroom indoors isn't an option for Pebblz as my hubby would have none of it. I once had an indoor cat and the litter box became a big issue, so wee pads are definitely out!
Davena :?

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jessicalynfl

· #10 · Apr 8, 2005

im crate training meeko hes 12 wks i found this realy great site
http://www.perfectpaws.com/crt.html it explains it realy well and i have been doing it for 2wks i think and it realy works he hasnt' had any accidents i think he peed once but i wasnt' paying attention and i write down everytime he goes and what he does so i'll know what to expect and i take him out every hour unless hes sleeping and i dont' use pee pads aslo in the middle of the night i dont' take him out he goes to sleep around 10 and wakes up at 6-7am my husband works nights so he does take him out sometimes when he comes home but not all the time
hope that helps

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dastowers

Discussion Starter · #11 · Apr 9, 2005

Jessicalyfl I love your dog. I have been admiring one on the website below he looks alot like Meeko!

His name is stitch and is ALL the way at the bottom of the page! He is the BLUE BRINDLE.

http://nancyleighs.homestead.com/Chipuppiesavailable.html

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jessicalynfl

· #12 · Apr 9, 2005

ty omg he looks just like meeko thats so funny

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dastowers

Discussion Starter · #13 · Apr 9, 2005

It's amazing! They are twins!! The price on Stitch is not bad at all. The ears are the key to their good looks! 8) Most of the puppies on that site are VERY :!: :!: expensive. She had one that looked just like my Pebblz markings and everything for $1000!. She was kind enough to email the photo of her to me so I could show my Hubby what I was looking for.

Davena :lol:

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