New puppy mistake??

[Samrennie]

I have wanted a dog for many years and now being in a position to have one we picked up our 8 week puppy a couple of days ago. However, despite doing all my research, loads of reading and watching youtube I think I have been sooo naïve and wonder whether this has been a mistake. Puppy is weeing everywhere despite going out a least once an hour and rewarding when going outside, biting feet and jumping up despite lots of chew toys. Crate training also not going well as has pooed in cage both nights, there is a divider in the cage.
DH tells me not to worry as still very early days but I have read of people crate/house training within 24 hours and worry that I am doing it all wrong but I am a worrywort all the time. Some reassurance needed from other puppy people!

[Costacoffeeplease]

What did you expect from an 8 week old puppy? They bite and nip and jump up and pee and poo everywhere, it can take months to train them, depending on the breed. And you’ve had him a couple of days? Be serious

[BiteyShark]

Ignore people telling you they toilet trained in a few days.

It can take many weeks. Just have a look on the puppy survival threads on here to see how common that is.

You need to take them out after every meal, every drink, after play, a sleep and frequently in between. Just once an hour isn't enough. Make sure any accidents inside are cleaned up with special enzyme cleaner.

Also puppies at that age can't hold their pee or poo for long and often need a toilet break in the night. I wouldn't just let your puppy toilet in the crate. Either sleep close so you can hear them in the night or use a baby monitor and take them out.

[twinnywinny14]

I think all puppy owners felt his during the early days as they are really, really tough. Keep at it and it will pay off. You need to put them out to pee after everything- eating, Drinking, playing, sleeping and hopefully you will catch a wee- Mark it with a word (we have wee-wee) then praise. Every time they start in the house pick up, say the word (wee-wee) and ‘out’ or ‘garden’and put them out even if they’ve finished by then! You will get there x

[Scarsthelot]

My cocker stopped going in her crate after 2 nights. But, we got up 4 times a night and took her out. We took it in turns. Night 3, she waited for us to take her. Even then I consider us lucky.

Then slowly lengthened the time inbetween, taking her out, during the night.

She went in her crate about 11pm and I would be up with her at 6am. I am an early riser.

We took her out at least once an hour during the day and after every nap and every play.

Biting took a few weeks. Every time she started we stopped interacting with her. Putting her somewhere safe if she wouldnt calm. Tried not to use the crate incase she saw that as punishment.

It's going to take time. Far more than 2 days. All your research must have shown some more realistic stories.

[fancybiccies]

Are you getting up in the night? We were letting ours out for a wee at 1 and 5am at that age.

[Ihavethefinalsleigh]

I'm very sad to read this, poor little puppy. You need to take your puppy outside far more often than every hour, take him outside every twenty minutes, after food, when he wakes up and after a game. You need to set your alarm to get up in the night for him. A small puppy cannot go all night without going to the toilet. A new puppy is a 24 hours a day commitment and will be for months. House training is a question of repetition and patience. Never tell a puppy off for going to the toilet, anywhere.

Puppies do bite feet and anything else they can get their sharp little teeth into. You need to be patient with him and gently teach him what's acceptable. Distract him and play with him with suitable toys. Your puppy is away from his mother from the first time. He's just a baby and needs love and patience.

[YouRemindMeOfTheBabelfish]

It's a journey, not a quick trip to town.

The more often you are outside so that toileting happens in the right place, the easier it'll be for your pup to get it right.

I tried a routine with mine and failed regardless of what I did. I didn't realise the protocol and thought one routine was important. Many years and a few older dogs since, and I've worked it out but I don't ever think I could have a puppy again.

Give it time, there's going to be a lot of accidents.

[Keepaddingpets]

the Dog Training Advice and support page on Facebook is a godsend. Ask to join the group then search the files for help.

Puppies need to be taken out every 15-20 minutes and after they wake, play or eat.

It's very very early days - I think very few dog owners could honestly say that never thought they'd made the wrong decision. Stick with it!!

BTW what breed of dog?

[JKScot4]

Have you got DC? Did you regret them during the night/ poo fests?
Too many ppl think this of pets because they know they can palm them off, a dog is a 15 year commitment, get a grip it’s a few days in!

[waddlewhisky81]

We now have a 17 week old that we got at 8 weeks. Honestly been the hardest time ever. I've come to the conclusion that people who say they toilet and crate trained within days are just fibbers!
We've just got to a stage where she gets up at 5am and occasionally still at 2/3 and toilet training has really only clicked this week.
Biting still a big issue but we'll get there. It Just takes patience, perseverance and I found wine helped
It will get better, we've a long way to go yet but I can finally see a light at the end.

[Booboostwo]

What research did you do exactly? Crate training takes a few weeks. If you are shutting the puppy in a crate overnight you haven’t crate trained her you have just shoved her in a crate. Toilet training can take months, again this information is available everywhere.

[Muddledupme]

I had the crate by the bed with our pup then as soon as I heard the fidgeting I would carry her straight down and pop her on the lawn which worked well. In the day I wrote the time down when she went to the toilet and worked out it was every 40 minutes. We then went out in the garden every 35 mins which definitely helped. No one cracks it straight away there seems to be an element of my baby slept through at a week syndrome if you speak to other owners so just persevere.

[Clymene]

You can't expect an 8 week puppy to be continent overnight.

How long are you crating it for?

And you need to take them out every 30 minutes.

Puppies chew

[han01uk]

Once an hour? Perhaps try once every ten minutes,reward for when they actually do anything outside,which will be hit and miss for weeks. It's such early days honestly your little pup won't know whether it's coming or going...give it time and be consistent. I found puppy days much harder than a newborn....

[bloodywhitecat]

It's bloody hard work I have a 13 week old puppy and a 5 week old baby, the puppy is much harder work.

[Mamabear144]

Puppies are still babies, give the poor lil thing a break, be positive and rewards for achievements but don't punish for accidents, it can take a day, it can take a week, it can take a month.

[FuriousFlannels]

Wherever all this research been that has led you think this puppy should have been capable of learning anything at all (really) at this young age is the wrong place - stop reading whatever you have been as it's clearly not so good.

This is a baby who doesn't have the physical ability to control his bladder/bowels for more than a few seconds, even if he had the mental ability to have learned anything by now.

Get to some reputable sources of info:

• A good trainer, e.g. one accredited by APDT
• Books such as The Happy Puppy Handbook (Mattinson) or Easy Peasy Puppy Squeezy (Mann) or The Perfect Puppy (Bailey)
• Facebook: Dog Training Advice and Support

However, to start with the isues you listed...

Puppy is weeing everywhere despite going out a least once an hour and rewarding when going outside

As above, your puppy probably won't be able to control toiletting AT ALL until about 12 weeks old, when his sphincter control will have developed. Even after then expect him to be about 5 months old before he's properly clean in the house. Until then you watch him like a hawk because toilet training is really about developing a habit. Every single time you miss a clue and he goes in the house, he takes a step towards learning that indoors in the right place to go. Every time you get him to go outdoors, he takes a step towards learning that outdoors is the right place to go. You need to minimise accidents indoors and maximise toiletting outdoors. You do that by, as much as possible, watching his every single move all day and being prepared to drop everything and get him outside as soon as you even think he might need to go. Also take him out every 30mins, plus immediately after eating, drinking, sleeping, playing. Any accidents in the house must be thoroughly cleaned with an enzyme cleaner (and no sighing, shouting, telling the dog off or otherwise appearing to be displeased).

biting feet and jumping up despite lots of chew toys

Of course! Biting feet is WAY more fun than dull old toys. Reverse that experience, make biting feet boring and biting toys MUCH more interesting. He is a baby and so will not just play with toys by himself. He needs you to encouage him, and keep encouraging him. You need to show him that toys are fun.

Crate training also not going well as has pooed in cage both nights, there is a divider in the cage

He needs to poo at night. If you leave him in the crate he will poo in it. Have him sleep next you to and wake up whenever he does to take him out. Or set an alarm to wake you twice in the night plus ealy in the morning and take him out then. Oer the next 4-8 weeks you should be able to slowly recuce the number of times you have to get up.

[FuriousFlannels]

If you are shutting the puppy in a crate overnight you haven’t crate trained her you have just shoved her in a crate

This is also worth paying attention to.

[Roselilly36]

It is really hard work having a puppy, but it does get easier. Just hang on in there, you aren’t the first to have puppy blues.

[AFemale]

Everything you have described is standard puppy behaviour and expecting a puppy to be house/crate trained and not chew and jump in just two days is not realistic at all.

Toilet training can take weeks, sometimes longer, chewing and the nippy biting can take a lot longer. My dog is now two and a half and would still chew my slippers and charging cables if she had the chance.

What you've described sounds totally normal to me, If you have a look at the puppy survival thread you might see a note realistic look at how long a puppy takes to settle in, toilet train and tips on dealing with chewing and you'll also get some insight in what to expect over the next few weeks and months.

[Snufflesdog]

Everyone says they did it in a few days!

I had to really push one of my friends who begrudgingly admitted that ok they moooostly did it within a few days and there were still accidents after that.

And people saying their puppy is toilet trained mean that they get their dog out enough that there are no accidents indoors

Actual housetraining, where the dogs alerts you every single time that it needs to go out - that’s going to take a couple of months.

Watch a bunch of house training videos on YouTube
Read over all the advice again on this topic - if you’ve done loads of research it’s easy to forget the finer points you may be missing on a particular topic.
Definitely go out more regularly till you learn your puppies routine

We’re at 11 weeks now and I think we are 1.5 weeks accident free. We would have been longer but she did a random poop in her crate that no one was expecting!
Don’t stress, you’ll get there

[averylongtimeago]

They do get easier- promise!
I have had lots of puppies over the last 40 years and they all grew out of the bitey stage and they all got house trained- although some take longer than others!
In the meantime there is a very good Facebook group: Dog training advice and support, read the units on there about puppies.
This is the advice about toilet training:

Toilet training is all about creating good habits. Young pups have very small bladders and very little bladder control so they need to be in the right place when nature calls.To toilet train successfully in as short a time as possible you must take your puppy to the garden:

• When they wake

• After eating

• After taking a drink

• Before, during and after a period of activity

• When you come in

• Before you go out

• Before bedtime

• During the adverts

• And every twenty to thirty minutes in between unless they are asleep. During periods of activity change that to every ten to twenty minutes.

Stay outside with your pup. Do not nag or distract him just mooch about and he will do the same and eventually eliminate. Quiet praise is sufficient.

Once pup has eliminated you can either stay out and play or go back indoors. If you stay out for a game then he will often need to go again before you go back indoors so stop the game and stay out for a while longer to give him a chance to go again.If you have to take him back in and he hasn’t eliminated outside then either confine him to his crate, sit him on your lap or tuck him under your arm (small breeds only) as you go about your chores and try again in five minutes.It is imperative that you do this, especially if you have started off with newspaper down or puppy pads because your puppy may prefer to pee indoors and he could simply be waiting to be taken back in.

Give him zero opportunity to go wrong. If your puppy toilets in the house it is because you haven’t toilet trained him yet and didn’t take him outside when he needed to go. When this happens take a rolled up newspaper and hit yourself over the head whilst repeating the words “I forgot to watch my puppy. I forgot to watch my puppy” If your puppy laughs at you when you do this – praise him.Common mistakes during toilet training.

• Using newspaper or puppy training pads. Whilst it may aid the clearing up process it can be very confusing for the pup that is taught or permitted to toilet in the house to make the transition to going outside and will often result in a pup that when playing in the garden will simply hold on until they are back indoors because that is where the toilet is.

• Leaving the door open. This does nothing to teach the pup to toilet outside only.

• Reprimands for toileting in the house will result in a dog that believes you disapprove of what he did not *where he did it and is damaging to your relationship with your pup.

• Giving treats for toileting in the garden, again the dog is being rewarded for what he did not where he did it. Whilst this is not going to be as big a problem as the reprimand, the clever dog will learn to do lots of little wees and never fully empty their bladder. The insecure dog may wee indoors to appease you if you get cross about something else because they know that this is something that pleases you and gets rewarded. NB using both reprimands and rewards is very confusing for your pup.

• Expecting your pup to tell you when he needs to go out. Once a pup understands that outside is where the toilet is then he may start to let you know he needs out. However if you are not there to ask or you fail to notice him asking then the house training will break down. Far better to have a dog go out to the toilet on your schedule once they are house trained.

• Giving your pup an en suite in his crate. Do not encourage your pup to toilet in his crate by putting puppy pads in there. If you have to leave puppy for a while and he is going to need to go then best to have the crate inside a larger pen or blocked off area and leave the crate door open so that he can get away from his bed to toilet.

N.B. Areas indoors where pup has had an accident are best cleaned with a dilute of biological washing powder. Avoid using disinfectant as this contains ammonia and can encourage pup to pee there again.

No puppy is going to be reliably toilet trained under about 7/8 months old. That doesn't mean that you have to have accidents in the house, just that they are in training and if there are accidents it is human error.

Overnight.**Young pups will need to go to the toilet once or twice in the night for anything from a few days to a few weeks.
If your pup is sleeping in a crate in the bedroom with you then they will wake and should let you know they need to go out. Carry pup to the garden to eliminate and then straight back to bed again. A few nights of this and it will take you longer to find your slippers because of sleep deprivation and consequently pup is learning to hold on and will soon be sleeping all night.If you choose to leave puppy in the kitchen or utility room to sleep then do not shut them in a crate and simply clean up in the morning without comment.

Why punishment does not work for toilet training.

A typical morning in the life of an 8 week old pup.

7:00am Puppy pees in the garden – Owner present. Gets praised

7.30am Puppy pees in the kitchen – Owner present. Gets a reprimand

8:15am Puppy pees in the lounge – Owner not present. Nothing happens except relief

9:00am Puppy pees in the lounge – Owner present. Gets a reprimand

9:30 am Puppy pees in the kitchen – Owner not present. Nothing, just relief

11:00am Puppy pees in the garden – Owner doesn’t notice Just relief again

11:30am Puppy pees under the dining room table – Owner not present. Nothing happens

12:15pm Puppy pees in the garden – Owner present – gets praise

What we think we are teaching puppy is that it is good to pee in the garden and wrong to pee in the house but what the pup is actually learning is that sometimes it is rewarding to pee when the owner is present and sometimes it is dangerous. However it is always safe to go when the owner is not present and that so far the safest place is under the dining room table.ADMIN

NOTE. - Never deny your dog water in the mistaken belief that this will aid toilet training. It won't. It will make the urine stronger, it may impact on your dog's health, i.e. cause kidney problems or urinary tract infections if the dog drinks greedily and excessively when it is available knowing it will be taken away. Dogs must have clean fresh water available all of the time.

By Sally Bradbury

[TomorrowsPrincess]

You expect a puppy to be toilet trained in a few days??? Days???
IT. TAKES. MONTHS!
And it's bloody hard work!
Get a grip.... a couple of days worth of piss and shit and your regretting it!
Poor puppy!

[Clymene]

[MissShapesMissStakes]

Loads of great advice. I’m a first time dog owner and my research certainly never led me to believe it would all be plain sailing after a few days!
In fact I was expecting much worse - he arrived here at ten weeks and slept all night in his crate with no mess. Unbelievable really! Just luck though.

House training took a lot longer and much more effort. You need to look for the clues as well as taking out at least every half an hour, as well as after food, drink and sleep. Dpup used to circle and sniff more when he was about to wee/poo so as soon as we noticed that it was much easier to be on top of things (although we were often not fast enough).

Puppies are cute for a reason. They are HARD work. It gets easier. But you need to put the time in.

Good luck