Help Needed! Potty training for the single member household

[Stadnhound]

Hello again everyone. I briefly introduced myself a couple of weeks ago just before picking up my bully pup. I have since then brought him home and wanted to ask some questions regarding his behavior and attempted potty training progress. I am a first time bulldog owner and noticing this is definitely alot of work! LOL


1)Behavioral- I've had Winston for almost a week now (currently approx 9 weeks old) and wanted to try potty training him right away but his behavior seems to have done a 180 degree change. When I first brought him home he was meek and stuck beside me. I introduced him to his wire crate and he naturally went into it by himself and even brought his toys in with him. The first night I put him in there and of course he whined most of the night but I got up every few hours to take him out. Night two he didn't whine quite as much but had 1 pee accident. I had a bed in there for him so after a couple of nights of maybe 1 accident I decided to replace it with one of my t-shirts. Not too bad. Then the change came. After about the third day came around he is noticable braver with exploring etc. and I have continued the nightly routine. Lately I have been having to coax him into his crate and he now howls alot and has been having more accidents. Last night he did #2 twice in the night. What I think may be wrong is the breeder was feeding him twice a day but when I got him home he was slow on eating to I tried making up for it by giving him the rest at lunch. Tonight I left him in there for only about 15 minutes after dinner to let it "settle" and when I returned he had done it again. I feed him his dinner around 5pm and his last water access is at 8pm. Does anyone have any input? Is he howling because he really needs to poop vs just wanting out of his crate?

2)Potty training- The next question is regarding potty training which kind of goes with the above. As I stated I take him out after waking up from naps, eating, playing, and during the night. The problem I'm running into is I am the only member in the household currently and I have a full time job. I can manage the getting up at night but in the mornings sometimes I cannot get him to go when I need him to. Because of my schedule I cannot always wait for him and subsequently he has accidents. Luckily I can run home at lunch but that may not always be the case. Am I going to be able to potty train him effectively with this type of schedule? I am thinking of connecting the crate to his playen because I am getting tired of cleaning his crate. I was under the impression from all the reading that I have done that they don't like to relieve themselves in there but he must be one of the exceptions as I am constantly having to clean it.

Basically is it normal to be a little overwhelmed at all this. I'm pretty sure these behavior changes are just due to the stresses of being taken away from his litter mates etc. Perhaps I am expecting too much from a young baby? Any input would greatly help me out. I just want to make sure he gets set off on the most positive way as possible.

 

[loveabully]

yes it can be very overwhelming at first but you need to stick with the routine that's the only way he will learn what is expected of him it will take time franklin is almost 6 months an he's just started not having any accidents an we got him at 10 weeks so stick with it it will get better I had to take franklin out every hour an now every 3 to 4 hours so it will get better its only been a week just remember he's only a baby its just like a real baby so hang in there

 

[Vikinggirl]

Hi my name is Monica Andrews, I am also a fairly new bulldog owner, I actually have two, a male and a female. Bulldozer and Blossom. They are 8 months old now, and totally trained, but it was a lot of work. It was like having twins in the house. We had a really strict schedule in the beginning, the puppies ate 1/3 of a cup of food at 8 am 2 pm, and then at 8 pm at lunch, we then put them in their crates for about 10 mins until their tummies settled. Then they went outside. During the 1st month, they were taken out every 1 to 2 hours, and then we started stretching the time out each week by an hour. The last person to go to bed at night around 11 or 11:30 pm takes them out, and I would set my cell phone at my bedside for 2am and take them out for a pee, at that time we took there water away about 9 pm. Then I also had my alarm clock set for 6am to go out for their duties. Then I go in the shower and get ready for work. My husband works the midnight shift, so I did the night time, he works 11 pm to 7 am, he comes home at 7 :15, and he feeds them. He then drives me to work, and when he comes back at 8 am he takes them for a run at the park, for about 20 mins. Then he sleeps from about 8:30 am until 12 pm and takes them out again. He goes back to bed until 3:00 pm and takes them out again, then picks me up from work at 5:00 pm. I am home all evening, but I only work 3 days a week, and my husband is home Fri and Sat nights and doesn't go back until Sun night. Now the puppies can hold for 5 to 6 hours, and that happened at about 5 or 6 months. It was a lot of work, but short lived,as they are older now, and can hold longer,and now eat twice a day instead of 3, we switched to 2 feedings when they were 6 mos old. It does get easier, as they get older, I realize you don't have anyone to help you, but if you are able to do the middle of the night pee break, and the early morning before work, then maybe you can hire a dog walker, or family member to take them out during the day until he is trained and able to hold longer. At this age a puppy can only hold for about 2 hours, so has to be taken out every 2 hours, and slowly stretch it out , until they are older, and able to hold for 5 or 6 hours, which is the maximum they should have to hold. My pups no go 8 am, 1 or 2 pm, around 7 or 8 pm, and then the last pee at around 11 pm at night for their last pee. This schedule worked for us, because there are 2of us, but maybe temporarily, you can get help when you are at work, just until he is trained, maybe there is a dog walker in your area. Good luck, it does get easier.

 

[Sherry]

I always used the gage of 1 hour for every month old until they are some what trained. A pups bladder is small and needs to go much more often. If he is howling at night, if it were me, I'd take him out and at least give him the chance to go potty. If he doesn't do his bussiness, you know it's the case of wanting his mommy. I also make sure I use the word potty time when I take them out and lots and lots of praise when they do go. They are just like having a baby, even more needy. You can't punish for having accidents. they don't do this on purpose, it's a matter of strict scheduel. I also used the playpen method. this way they didn't mess the crate and at least they know not to mess near the bed. I think they can get the idea easier this way. Some may disagree. It's just my method to the madness.

 

[Izzy's Mom]

I am also a newly mom to an adorable EBD and I have a full time job, my bf helps me but to be honest I end up with 90% of the responsibility!

It's hard in the beginning like everybody said in here... they are like little babies and their bladder don't hold much. I pick up Izzy from the breeder at 9 weeks and they told she was potty trained and only peed on the pee pads.... so I went and bought me a large bag of pee pads hoping she would do the same with me. To my surprise the only place she did not pee was on the pads.... she would sit on them, play with them and even eat them! I also tried to buy the spray to attrach dogs and it didnt work. I think the secret is patience and consistency with your schedule.

My vet told me to limit her water, specially during the beginning when you're trying to train them. They only need half of their weight in ounces....so my baby weights 16 lbs and she does not need more than 8ounces of water per day. If I leave her water out she will drink non stop and pee non stop. I am still having accidents at home but she is doing better now... each week gets better. She has accidents in her crate as well and I make sure to wash it and keep her crate 100% clean when this happens, I do not reprimend her since she's just a baby.

I never had to wake up in the middle of the nite to take her out... her schedule for potty is pretty much this:

6am - I wake up and take her out
6:15am - she eats 1 cup of food
7:45am - she goes out again (sometimes she does both and sometimes she doesn't go at all)
11:30- I come home and take her out (check with dog walkers in your area, sometimes a relief visit can be as low as $12 and this wont be needed forever)
4:30pm - I come home from work and take her out
5:00pm - she eats dinner
5:30pm - I take her out for a long walk
10pm - last walk

Hope this helps!

 

[Stadnhound]

Thanks everyone for your input so far!

mizinha23, thats interesting what you said about the water. I usually cut him off between 7 and 8pm but didn't even think about the amounts that they need. I have water out all of the time and he mainly drinks at meals and if he his really active.

As far as you schedule, are you leaving her in her crate during the day? I am doing that now but it seems that he is liking it less and less because he is in there for so long while I'm at work. I'm thinking of using a playpen attached to the crate and putting a pee pad in there so he can get some exercise but I dont want to make the crate training counterproductive so I'm kind of between a rock and hard spot on that one.

Just curious if you, or anyone else for that matter has used the playpen in conjuction with the crate during training.

BTW, I am a bulldog daddy...LOL

 

[Izzy's Mom]

Her vet said that during this early stage he does recommend limiting the water. I do keep a small water bottle for her in the crate but I might need to refill it maybe once a week, she usually drinks her water from the bowl.

I havent had any problems with the crate training as far as her liking it too much or too little. (read cases on this site of bullies that love their crates so much that they dont wanna get out!). I do keep her in her crate when I am not around and she doesnt seem to care at all, I have been noticing that when I come home from lunch and in the end of the day she looks sooo sleepy! She probably sleeps all day and even forgets that I exist!!! When I am home cooking she even goes inside her crate to play by herself.

I do give her a little toy (a kong w peanut butter or something similar) when I put her back in the crate during lunch. I only feed her 2x day so thats when I give her a treat and also she gets so excited that she goes to her crate and dont even care if I left the house! lol

Because she spends 8 hours in her crate she is very active at night and I am an active person so I take her for long walks or to the dog park to burn some energy and that's when she sleeps like an angel!!! I also make sure to empty her bladder before bed time so she can last all nite.

Here's a picture of her on Sunday after a full day of activities!!! Sory for the long post!

 

[Stadnhound]

How old is she again? You are lucky. Mine started out that way but lately he really does not like it when I have to put him back into it after I come check on him during the day. I put a toy or two in there with him and give him a treat after I close the door but he gives me that look like "seriously, again" LOL I just fear that he's starting to get a negative impression of it, which I am trying so hard to avoid. Today I came home at luch (just under 3 hours of being away) and he had pooped in there again. I am starting to get worried about this.

Awesome pic! Yeah she looks like she enjoys it in there

 

[Izzy's Mom]

She is 14 weeks old.

I just went home today to meet with the dog walker and my baby acted like a total brat!!! So much for praising her here and she was biting, jumping, chewing on the media center... Oh boy!!!!