Help! two new Puppies!

hi everyone!

My DH and I just recently (two weeks ago) bought two new puppies. one is a Shitzu-Poodle mix and the other is a Shitzu-Maltese mix. they are three months old.

DH and i both work full time - i leave for work around 8 am and get home around 6-6:30pm. We keep them ion this large gated area in our living room - like a coral. it has their bed in it, some food and water, and a wee wee pad.

the Shitzu-Poodle almost always uses the wee wee pad - the shitzu-maltese almost never does. AND, they shred their pad during teh day so i come home to pee everywhere!

anyone have any ideas on how to house break them? also,

Anyone know of any trainers in the Nassau area who can help with housebreaking and biting?

thanks so much!

Re: Help! two new Puppies!

I would suggest buying something like a UGODOG. Google it online. It is an indoor potty that holds the wee wee pads so the dogs can't get to them.

Re: Help! two new Puppies!

Re: Help! two new Puppies!

OMG!!!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

I just ordered one! i am so desperate i will try anything - thank you, thank you, thank you!

Anyone know of any good trainers in the area?

Re: Help! two new Puppies!

That's great it should work out perfectly. Unfortunately I don't know any good trainers, I am just getting back into all this myself.

Re: Help! two new Puppies!

I have two great trainers but they are in Suffolk.

Unfortunately, if you did go to them I know they would tell you that with wee wee pads you are not going to get the best results in housebreaking. It goes against a dog's natural insticts to go inside the house rather than outside in nature. Most don't do well with this method. The trainers won't even train on that method at all.

Your best bet is to get a crate and crate train them. So, you leave them in there when you are not home with nothing that can absorb (so, no bed or towels, etc). You put a gate inside the crate to make it small enough so that they can just turn around and sit -- that is enough room for them. If you give them too much room they will go to the bathroom on one side and sit on the other. The idea is that dogs never want to "go" where they sleep. You take them out before and after you get home from work and then you can use the corral that you have for when you are home but can't be on top of them every two seconds like you'll need to be in the beginning.

I would get a bell or something for the door -- or use a code word like "piddle" when they go. Reward them with praise and treats when they go outside, keep them confined to one spot in the yard when they go and always bring them on a leash -- keep it short so they know they are to go to the bathroom and not play.

Monitor their water intake and limit it as best you can. Also, no water at all after 7pm. And keep in mind, you should probably be taking them out (when they are not in the crate and you are home with them) every hour on the hour AT LEAST... in the beginning.

The two trainers I know of can be contacted through Towne Line Vet Group in Hauppauge. HTH! GL!

Message edited 8/11/2009 3:42:48 PM.

Re: Help! two new Puppies!

I would suggest crate training. Here is some info to read about it:

http://www.inch.com/~dogs/cratetraining.html

My dog was always peeing in the house, I crate trained her and she has no more accidents

Re: Help! two new Puppies!

Look into your local Petco. They have training services.

Re: Help! two new Puppies!

thank you so much girls!

I will definitely look in to crate training the pups. i really need to do something because when i got home from work today, there was a shredded wee wee pad again!

thanks again for all of your help, i really appreciate it!

Re: Help! two new Puppies!

Re: Help! two new Puppies!

First of all, I would start crating them. Having the whole kitchen area is obviously too much.
Secondly, if you need a trainer, try MuttManners.com. My friend used them, as have other people on here, and loved them. It's fairly expensive, but there is a lifetime guarantee on the training and they'll come back whenever you need them to.

Good luck.

Re: Help! two new Puppies!

We used BarkBusters and liked them very much:

www.barkbusters.com

Re: Help! two new Puppies!

My mother is a dog trainer and has her own business, she is in Nassau County, FM me if you want her info

Re: Help! two new Puppies!