Need help with training our new puppy!

So Lola is our 2 month old Havanese. The vet said until she gets her next round of shots, she should not be outside more than 15 minutes a day. So DH and I have been using wee-wee pads in the house. I would say she goes on the wee-wee pads just as much as she goes on the floor. Of course, when I see her in the act, I pick her up right away and place her on the pad.
We also keep her contained in the bathroom with a kiddie gate when we leave the condo. And at night she sleeps in a crate in our bedroom, because she does not want to be separated.

So my questions are: Should I be crating her when I leave the house? (right now, in the summer, I work p/t and DH is working F/T). I thought that maybe she wouldn't want to get in the crate at night if she was in there for part of the day....
Am I making a mistake by putting the wee-wee pads down? Everytime I bring her out to go, she doesn't do anything!!! HELP!! TIA!!!

Message edited 7/25/2007 10:25:08 AM.

Re: Need help with training our new puppy!

Message edited 11/10/2011 11:28:40 AM.

Re: Need help with training our new puppy!

Whenever we're not home, we keep our puppy in a crate. Due to her young age and our ability to only get home every 4 hours during the day, we put a wee wee pad in the back of the crate and her toys in the front. She's learned to go in the yard, but sometimes she does have accidents in the crate before we can get home.

When we are home, when we see her sniffing, we take her right outside to do her business. As soon as she is done, we praise her. When she does a #2 outside, she gets a small liver treat when she comes back in.

She now goes to the back door and puts her paw up to let us know she needs to go out.

Although she sleeps with us, she does use the crate for solitude when she's downstairs.

Re: Need help with training our new puppy!

I would absolutely keep the puppy in the crate when you are not home...dogs do not like to "dirty" where they sleep, so he/she will learn to hold it.
I would also keep the puppy in there at night.
Although our puppy hates the crate at night, she stays in there until the morning, when she goes potty.
and thankfully at 9 wks, is almost house broken

Re: Need help with training our new puppy!

Message edited 11/10/2011 11:28:56 AM.

Re: Need help with training our new puppy!

thank you for all of your advice! I really appreciate it.

Re: Need help with training our new puppy!

Here is a link with lots of great advice:

puppy

Post pics!

Re: Need help with training our new puppy!

We also have a puppy and find the crate to be a godsend. He has never had an accident in his crate (we do have to wake up and take him out sometimes at night, but that doesnt even happen every night) and during the day we are home with him right now because we are teachers. Whenever we do go out we put him in the crate and we are trying to go out for a little while each day so he is not dependent on us being home with him-we don't want September to be a shock to him system!

One thing that has worked for us is tying a bell to the door. Every time we take him outside to go to the bathroom we ring the bell, so he associates that with going outside to do his business. Now when he is out and about in our apartment he rings the bell if he needs to go out. I will say there are times that he rings the bell for the fun of it, but we always take him out when he rings in and more times than not he does go. It has been really helpful!

Re: Need help with training our new puppy!

Posted by Shanti

Here is a link with lots of great advice:

puppy

Post pics!