[2kidsNadog]

So we picked out our labradoodle this past Sunday and brought him home. Things have been ok - a few accidents that were our fault for not paying attention and because we still haven't figured out his schedule. He seems to take almost an hour or so to poop after eating. And I learned this morning that he doesn't like to pee on wet grass (any tips on how to break that?). But onto my real question....

How do you train pups to use a potty pad and is it possible to train them to only use the pad when he's confined because no one is home?

Situation: I work out of the house. I'm gone about 12 hours a day. My DH is a full-time firefighter so he's on a 24 hour shift every 3rd day. So he's home two days at a time. We have a nanny (basically a babysitter) who comes the mornings DH goes on shift and the mornings DH comes off shift to get the kids ready and off to school. (sucky train schedules issues preclude me from being the one to get them to school those mornings) So at the most, 2 days a week Cody will be left for about 10 hours. We have looked into a dog walker and right now, its not in the budget. We do make sure Cody gets out to play in the morning and in the evening during the week (and the days DH is home he gets lots of time to play). Now, yesterday was the first time we had to leave Cody alone and I cut my workday short to go home and see how he did. He was alone for a little over 6 hours. My DH had instructed the nanny to put Cody's crate in the kitchen, but leave the door open so he could get to his water dish and whatnot. The kitchen was gated off from the rest of the house. I came home to two puddles and some poo. Cody seemed fine, but the mess was everywhere.

So how do we go about teaching him to pee and poo on a potty pad? We only want him to use the pad when he's penned for the day.

I don't think its fair to expect him to hold it all day in a crate for 10+ hours, but I can't keep cutting my workdays short either. Friday is coming soon and though I could leave early if need be, I really shouldn't if I can help it.

I realize training will take time, but I'm stumped as how to even begin since we'll be teaching him to go outside when we're home. I don't want to confuse him.

Thoughts? Ideas?

Cody is 7 weeks and 5 days today. (we thought he was 8 weeks when we got him, but that's what we get for not looking at a calendar and the breeder never said anything) He's healthy according the his vet check - 13# 6.5 oz and looks good. He is being treated for worms of some sort for the next 3 weeks, but we hear that's common.

 

[Guest]

As much as I hate to say it, you shouldn't get him used to potty pads. This will make him think it's okay to piddle in the house. Is there any way you can get a neighbor to let him out about midday? At least until he's about 6 months old or so?

Also, I used an ex-pen around Boyd's crate when he was a puppy. I put his water and food in the little area provided by the ex-pen. That way he had some room outside of his crate to move around but not so much room to designate an area for pooing and peeing. We came home to occassional accidents but eventually Boyd was able to hold it and came to view his ex-pen/crate area as his den.

 

[2kidsNadog]

Sad as it is, we have lived here for just about 4 years and don't know any neighbors. Lots of different ethnicities - mostly first generation so not much english - and people just don't spend time outside, much less socializing.

We obviously have a long way to go until 6 months and I don't have that kind of vacation time. LOL Wish that I did though!

How long were you gone? I'm almost certain that 10+ hours is too long for a pup (can't be good for the bladder or kidneys).

 

[Guest]

Funny you mention that about the neighbors. We've been her for 7 years and I didn't get to know any of them until we got Boyd last July!! :roll:

We are out of the house about 11 hours and when Boyd was a puppy I THOUGHT a dog walker was taking him out but I busted her NOT taking him out so he developed an iron bladder. :lol:

 

[2kidsNadog]

You're dog walker never took Boyd out?! :shock: Dang. Did ya get your money back?

My DD has an iron bladder (not fond of autoflush toilets and they seem to be everywhere these days), so maybe it wouldn't be so bad to have a pup w/ one too? It would help on road trips.

 

[lmtoth2]

Here's what we did/do with Dexter - we both work full time and he's alone from about 7:30 am till 5 pm:

When he was a little puppy we had him fenced off in the kitchen in a small area (his crate was enclosed in the fence, but we did not lock him inside). We would put down 1-2 puppy pads. After just a short time he would use the pads and not the floor. I think he thought of the small area in the kitchen as his "home" and would not go except for on the pad. After he was about 4 months old we eliminated the pads. He would hold it while we were away. Once he got to about 6 months we moved him downstairs to our basement (which is finished) and had him fenced once again in a small area. He was very good about not having accidents. At about 8 months we let him have the entire basement and eliminated the lunch visits. He is now fine.

The cons to this - 1) he was not really potty trained until 5 months old. I think he would be excited when we were home and would forget 2) he is not officially crate trained (as in he would freek if we locked him in the crate). Since we were gone so much during the day we did not feel we should confine him when we were home with him.

Sorry this is so long

 

[Jac]

I taught our first two Labradoodles to potty on pads because we kept them in the kitchne while we were gone...not all day, but still the idea is the same.
We put several pads out in different places and found that they prefer to "find their spot" so once that a pad us used consistently, I'd pick up the unused areas and concentrate on the used areas.
Keep in mind that puppies will often just shred puppy pads and so you will probably want to get a frame for it...preferably the locking type...but don't be surprised if they chew on that too!
It was easy to move the pads closer to the door as I wanted to bring them outside to potty and then, when we bought a doggie door, we put the pad on the deck. It wasn't long at all before they preferred outside.
We were lucky to have an enclosed back yard and a doggie door, though!

 

[debbildog]

Yikes, tough situation! Is there *any* friend with a pre-teen that would like a job? On days that I'm gone for more than a few hours I have my 9 year old neighbor come over and let him out for a little run and potty. I don't ask him to pick up the poop, I just deal with it when I get home. I pay him $2 each time he has to come over, and he is THRILLED with it!

Good luck!

 

[2kidsNadog]

Don't know anybody w/ a pre-teen (or even a teen for that matter). I saw a couple of kids in our neighborhood last summer, but no clue where they live. My kids are 8 and 4 so most of the people we know in town have kids similar in age and none of them are in our subdivision. Unfortunately, my 8 y.o. ds doesn't go to public school so yet another way to get to know people in our subdivision lost.

These are the times I wish we weren't 700+ miles away from our families.

 

[2kidsNadog]

Jac - any ideas on how to put a doggy door in a glass slider? :lol: We do have an enclosed yard.

Seriously, I think I've heard about it being done, but I don't think my DH would go for it with our winters being what they can be.

Thanks for the potty pad help!

 

[2kidsNadog]

At about 8 months we let him have the entire basement and eliminated the lunch visits.

So over the course of training someone went home at lunch? I wish that was an option.

Hmmmm.... :idea: maybe I can advertise for a person to check on Cody in exchange for lunch (i.e. whatever leftovers we have in the fridge)? :lol:

 

[Cinsmom]

Jac - any ideas on how to put a doggy door in a glass slider? :lol: We do have an enclosed yard.

Seriously, I think I've heard about it being done, but I don't think my DH would go for it with our winters being what they can be.

Thanks for the potty pad help!

There is a product that fits in a sliding door. our friends has one. It fits into the door as an insert and some how keeps the slider locked so intruders can't open it farther and enter your home. I'm sure if a Google search was done you could find one. Or ask a local pet or farm store. She only uses it in the summer, but it does come with a glass enclosure, so I'm sure it would be cold friendly. Here in the summer it gets 100+ so it works both with A/C and furnace.

Like I said, it's not mine, but it does get the dogs outside. They have a German Shepherd and a Great Pyrenees (sp?), so it isn't any small dog that use it either. Of course, the GP would keep any intruder out with just one look at it, it's huge!

 

[movistar]

can you ask the breeder what material they used to have the puppys soil on? For example I use newspaper so a newspaper placed on the potty pad would indicate to the puppy that is where they can go.

and poodles in general HATE wet grass!! As a breeder I have my pups out several times a day in all kinds of grass. wet grass is so cute because they get so curly and so wet from just a little moisture. keep at it and he should adjust, make wet grass fun!

we had the slider doggy door, it worked great. two words of warning.... the neighbor dog was an outside dog afraid of thunder and very huge white and furry, on storm nights we would get a HUGE wet surprise hopping into our bed!!! (you guessed it, neighbor dog squeezed through doggy door and into our bedroom!!)

Also I was out one day and our house was robbed, they came through the doggy door.

There are precautions you can take that we didnt. we didnt use the locks it comes with and we didnt close it when we werent home. if you use precautions they are a wonderful thing.

 

[ellabee]

Have you tried asking at your vet's office if they know of any responsible kids/teens that could let out your dog? Could cost you less than a dogwalker.

Also, have you tried looking at craigslist? maybe you can find someone in your area who would be willing to barter for something.

I'm just brainstorming here, let me think a little bit more....

 

[Jac]

Yes, we acutally have one of those doggie doors for glass sliders! It works great!

I don't know if you belong to any church or community groups, but if so, you could maybe ask people in those groups to help out until you are able to find someone more permanently...perhaps they have children in need of a job! (Or sometimes retired folks enjoy doing useful things for neighbors....and how fun for a retired person to walk to your home and play with your dood for a while!)