Puppy tips

[Anon645]

Hi,
I have brought home my 12 week old puppy today. Despite doing my research prior I'm already feeling overwhelmed and was hoping that if anyone has any particularly good tips or advice for a first time puppy owner they could share it ? :)
Particularly anxious about toilet training.

Bought her a playpen today. She hates it so far :( We've put some of her toys and toilet roll tubes in there but she keeps barking :(
Does it look the right height ? Any tips to make her like it ?

As it says above it’s the same as a crate - needs to be built up slowly. Puppies need their people until adulthood. It’s just the way it is.

I was alone training my young dog today - we’re building time slowly whilst she stays chilled out on the sofa or her bed and I listened to the neighbours puppy screaming which happens every day for 8 hours. Apparently puppy needs to get used to it. He does. But distress is not the way.

A pen is a good thing for enforcing rest, not to live in obviously - sometimes they’re open topped though - can you have it so it just is round her rather than over her? It’s not for always, just for containing when she needs it for sleeping, to stop children or annoying people getting at her. It’s her safe space where she can relax and retreat without fingers and voices and confusing things. It smells of nice things and is familiar (or will be).

Re housetraining; if you take her out 3 or 4 minutes after a meal, stay out there for 10 mins and she doesn’t poop or pee, bring her back in but lift her up so she can’t or won’t do it indoors (she wouldn’t on your knee, for example) then take her back outside and she might go. If she thinks she can pee inside, she might be ready and think she’ll be put down but you cuddle her on your knee then you whisk her out, she goes and you congratulate her. Don’t put her on the floor inside if she hasn’t been to the loo outside. She needs to know the difference between in and out.

No attention or tellings off if she does go inside. Massive praise and affection for going outside.

Sit on the floor with her for companionship and play and stroking and soothing if she’s hyper and if you have time and she’s awake and not ready to go to the loo. Build your bond. It takes longer than you hope but it helps you both.

Crate looks too big to me. Needs to be like a den. We covered ours to make it a safe snuggly den and can tell her to go to bed and she will and will sleep there mainly. I only close the door at night and if we have to leave her. Otherwise she is in the kitchen with us but all doors closed so she doesn't have access to any where else in the house. I'm tyring to add images to show you the size but it keeps saying one or more of your images are too big. We have an 8 week golden retriever pup and our crate is about half the size of yours.

Crate training is just that because it is training… not just putting a dog in one. You need to work on building positive associations with it before shutting her in it for extended periods of time

Op are you actually training? Like training to use the toilet outside and training to use a crate? Or are you thinking you’re training but actually hoping the puppy is a mind reader and understands English?

You have to train them every day for the things you want to to do, or they’ll never get it. And then you end up with a horrible dog that has no manners and still shits inside the house in 3 years time.

I would find an accredited trainer in your area to work with you 1-1 so you know what you’re doing, because atm it doesn’t sound like you do.

She's starting to do some wee's outside when I take her out which is good. But still many accidents...

I got a dog book out from the library and the author said she has trained many dogs and in her opinion 'it shouldn't take more than 3 days' !!!!
Is this realistic? Is this anyone else's experience?

Also any advice re the night as she is wetting a lot ? Obviously I can't go out with her every 30 mins the the night.

@Anon645 3 days is totally unrealistic! Just stick to the routines, pick up and take out if she has an accident, no telling off, huge excitement when she does it outside. Out after food, out after play, out after waking. I set an alarm for the nights, every few hours, gradually increasing the time in between.
But definitely have her checked if she is weeing every 30 minutes.

Is she alone at night? If she is it’s probably stress and fear.

It’s great that she’s starting to wee outside. Are you keeping her more confined when she’s indoors? How regularly are you taking her out? Until she’s more reliable she needs to be going out after every meal, every play session, every nap, and every 30 mins/hour in between.

3 days is completely unrealistic… it’s like someone saying their 3 month old baby is potty trained… puppies can take months to be properly housetrained, and even then the odd accident can happen. You should be finding that she can go a bit longer between toilet trips the older she gets, but her bladder will still be little. Consistency is the key, keep taking her outside and rewarding toileting in the ‘right place’ and she will get it.

If she genuinely needs to go out every 30 minutes at night, something’s wrong and she needs to go to the vets. I was up with mine every hour for 2 or 3 months but she had a parasite that we struggled to shift. But I don’t think that’s what you mean. You have to keep her close so you can be responsive - is she sleeping in the same room as you? She needs to be, then you can get her outside as soon as she stirs - pick her straight up so she doesn’t have the chance to go on the floor. No fuss, no lights if possible, just outside, wee, back to bed. If there’s no room for her in your room, set up a bed next to hers. It’s not ideal, but it’s short term pain for long term gain.