General Question Potty training

[ModernFemme]

Hi everyone! I'm new, but introduce myself on the intro forum. I'm sorry I can't offer you a handy link... apparently there are some rules against that since I"m so new.

Here's the challenge I'm having with my bully:

The first 2 days I was terrified and worn out. I was shocked by how hard taking care of a puppy is. I work from home as a designer, so he literally had my constant attention. I was feeling pretty out of control The first night all he did was pee in his crate. The 2nd night, he didn't have one accident. Less than a week, we got him up to 3 hours, which we use as a pretty strict guide on taking him out.

He sleeps awesome in the crate. He doesn't fuss. He takes real comfort in it. What I can't seem to figure out though, is why he isn't giving me some kind of indication that he needs to go out. At the moment he's like, oh, this spot on the carpet is good!

I'm constantly watching him, so I'm able to catch him and he'll stop mid stream, I'll take him out, and he'll finish, and I reward, but he doesn't seem to get it yet.

I guess my question is, am I on the right track? When is a good time to bring in some kind of bell or other training method?

Thanks so much in advance. I really, really appreciate the lifeline!

 

[RaRett]

Hershey is almost 7 months old, and his only indication is his body language, we went 3 weeks without an accident, and I thought.. .ALL RIGHT ! finally ! then 3 accidents in 2 days. so its back to ground zero.

He is a very young puppy, so you can not expect too much out of him, there is a book out there called "how to Housebreak your dog in 7 days' YEA RIGHT ! however, it stresses SCHEDULE..

7am feeding
710-720 play
720-730 potty
730-745 play

type of schedule... very strict..however its only a guide.

I'm a stay at home dad, so the puppy months, I'm here to let him out and feed on a schedule. (yea...well in the beginning!) but you will learn your puppy's behavior, and see the keys. Feed take him out, get him up, take him out, play with him, take him out, before he goes to sleep, take him out. KENNEL TRAIN HIM IS CRITICAL , not only does it protect the house from the puppy, but it protects the puppy from the house ! (electrical wires etc)

be patient, and if you can't supervise him totally, have him in his kennel or Xpen area. I would have to run into the bathroom and I'd put him up, because I didnt want to risk an accident !

 

[ModernFemme]

Yes, the one thing I've figured out how to do is pretty much setup Remi to succeed if I stick to a schedule. Every now and then he'll need to go a lot sooner, but it's rare enough that I don't feel like it's a problem. I'm just thinking to myself, at some point, he'll have to give me some kind of signal other than sniffing, because I can't stare at him 24/7. Once I looked away for 30 seconds and he ran up the stairs. (He had me convinced btw he couldn't yet climb those. ha ha ha)

 

[Dubbiedog]

You sound just like I would have when Dublin was a puppy. I have two boys (20 and 18) and the worst part for me was when they were little babies. Being terrified and exhausted all at the same time. They would be so mad at me if they thought I was comparing them to a puppy... Puppies are so much easier.. Dublin was our first dog as a family ( though like you I had always been around dogs). I was so in love with her but there were many a time when I'm standing on my front lawn at 2 in the morning asking myself "What did I just do to my life" ??? Just raised my kids and now I have this "baby" to take care of.... I promise you that in a few months the potty thing will be a distant memory and Remi will such an integral part of your life and happiness that you won't doubt yourself for one second. I am sorry in a way that I didnt' enjoy the puppy days as much as I should have because I was so anxious about everything so try to relax and it will be all the better.
having said that I know that I am not up for another puppy. Love, love, love them but can't go that route again so my next bullie will be a rescue and yes, they come with their own "issues" and there will be another adjustment in our lives, but once you have loved a bullie, you are totally hooked...

 

[Gunny B]

This morning Gunny went outside, spent 10 minutes exploring every inch of our backyard. Walked inside. Immediately pooped on the carpet. All I could do was throw my hands up in the air.

 

[RaRett]

Once I looked away for 30 seconds and he ran up the stairs. (He had me convinced btw he couldn't yet climb those. ha ha ha)

..

Baby Gates trust me, you'll LOVE them ! ! ! ! we have one that we block off the stairs or they both bolt upstairs to the 'big bed'

 

[ChanelnBrutus]

Brutus was very stubborn when it came to potty training. He did awesome at my moms always but not home We had him on a leash so he didnt have the opportunity to walk awy from us. Good luck with everything...Puppy time goes by fast

 

[ModernFemme]

Such a relief to hear all your stories and suggestions. Dubbiedog, your story especially made me feel a ton better because we feel massively guilty for second guessing ourselves and wondering if getting this puppy was the best thing. Only having him for 6 days, I have totally fallen in love with him and knowing it will get better, and hearing it from so many of you, gives me a lot of positive encouragement.

We'll have to get that gate. Right now I have totally rigged a bunch of things on the stairs that he can't crawl over or knock down, but still allows us to step over it.

I would never dare to say that bulldogs aren't intelligent. This dog is so smart, he got under the stairs and tried to climb up the other way through the opening! hahaha. What a little devil.

 

[elearn]

Bulldogs are very, very smart - they are so smart that people call them stubborn, lazy and 'un-intelligent'. It's some bully secret, but they do make mistakes sometimes, like not peeing on your floor one day and making your think the problem is solved. But the next day they realize their mistake and whamo, back to peeing. They have to keep up the charade! LOL


But 6 days ... first of all, not sure what happened as far as potty training in his previous home (breeder?) but all of that is out of the door now. Don't forget he's confused everything is new. New layout, new people, new routine. He's still very much a baby. This confusion is going to last a while. The peeing thing is going to last a while. So get a bunch of paper towels and newspapers and a few bottles of cleaner. My back hurt for the first 2-3 months that I had Herman - until he learned how to walk down the stairs at 6 months! He'd go up, but didnt want to come down so I carried him EVERYTIME to take him outside - I wont entertain you with the dramatics in that right now. Your back will hurt, you will clean pee over and over and over again. And this is going to last for a while.

Herman is 7 months now and gives no signal whatsoever and he hasnt been out since maybe 10am or 11am this morning - it is almost 5pm and he is refusing to get up and go outside. And I know he has to go - but the schedule I have for him means nothing to him LOL

You will see though, one day everything will just click and Mr. Sir will get it. One day Herman just stopped peeing in the house.

Do you give him a treat after each pee pee and each poo poo? That helps a little.

 

[ModernFemme]

[MENTION=5580]elearn[/MENTION] - yes, every time we go out he gets a treat for doing his business outside. Sometimes when he gets excited, or simply has to go, he will pee in my office. I will catch him mid stream, scold him, take him right outside, and then give him a treat when he finishes. I'm happy with this progress so far, but not sure how to start training him to be a little more vocal about having to go. Right now it's just simple sniffing/observation and routine.

 

[Dubbiedog]

Such a relief to hear all your stories and suggestions. Dubbiedog, your story especially made me feel a ton better because we feel massively guilty for second guessing ourselves and wondering if getting this puppy was the best thing. Only having him for 6 days, I have totally fallen in love with him and knowing it will get better, and hearing it from so many of you, gives me a lot of positive encouragement.

We'll have to get that gate. Right now I have totally rigged a bunch of things on the stairs that he can't crawl over or knock down, but still allows us to step over it.

I would never dare to say that bulldogs aren't intelligent. This dog is so smart, he got under the stairs and tried to climb up the other way through the opening! hahaha. What a little devil.

Glad we could shed some "light" on your very normal anxieties and I can tell by your other posts that just joining this site has filled you with such confidence already not to mention your apparent joy with Sir Remi. He is one lucky boy to have such an attentive mama who just wants the best for the whole family. I wish I had found the site so much sooner and I would have been able to enjoy more of Dublin's puppy days as you are going to be able to. Remi has an awesome face that is so full of expression. I laugh to myself when people say that EBs are not intelligent. They are super duper smart... you have to look on site under photos and video's and find the one that [MENTION=2014]JeannieCO[/MENTION] posted of her bullie Emma's "great escape" We still think it was rigged..... Just kidding Jeannie..

 

[Izzy's Mom]

At least you can stop yours at mid stream!!! I had two incidents with Izzy:
- #1: tried to pick her up and take her to the pee pad and got myself and the wall completly wet with pee cuz it looked more like a water hose!!!!
- #2 incident: tried to move her to the pad and she got scared and glued her butt into the wall.... but she did not stop doing #2 so I was the one cleaning the wall and the baseboard after!

Lesson learned: let her finish her business and deal with it later!