Thu 15 May 2008
Hi all,
I just joined this wonderful site and I’m soon to become the owner of a mini-doxie puppy. As this is my very first pet, I’ve been reading everything I can get my hands on about doxies. I plan to crate-train Max but am confused about where to teach him to potty. I would like to train him to potty outside in the yard but we don’t have a fence (yet). Can we use a leash or harness to make sure he doesn’t run away? I read that you have to train puppies to even wear a collar and leash/harness, which takes time. I’ve also read that you need to begin potty training as soon as you bring the puppy home. How can I do that if he isn’t used to a leash yet? I’m so confused! Also, is it safe for an 8 week-old puppy to be outside? I apologize for asking what are probably silly questions but as I said, I have never owned any type of pet before.
Thank you in advance for any advice you can offer,
Tracy
I I have two doxies Dually a year old and Daisy 5 mouths old I potty train off the leash but I made a game of it. I would get treats they love . I would take them out and say to them both ” GO POTTY” so they have learn this is what I want them to do. When the are done. I tell them good boy or girl in a high pitch voice. Puppy seem to respond to this. I would let them walk a few feet and call them in the high voice and use their name Dually come! You to say it like you mean it . When they do I give the treat. Then I got them to set at my feet . I still carry treat when we go to the dog park and let them off leash and tell them come. But i dont give treat evey now so they dont know when I going to get some good. You know when Play will come in handly Doxie have selective hearing for he some part and if they smell something they want . They turn you out but if you make it a game to they for the most part it works.
Now they will be time that the wont come i will say this if they dont come. You walk them and and get thier attention. then put them back where they were and walk back to where your called them and tell them come when do give the treat.
Hope this helps
Thanks for the response, Deb. I like the idea about making a game out of training. Have you ever had a problem with your puppy trying to run away? That is my biggest concern because my yard is not fenced.
Hi,
I have a 12 week old mini dachshund. She is alone at home most of the day and has been really good with the potty.
I never crate trained her, but I did confine her to our one bathroom for the first few weeks I had her. She now knows that when she wants to go and she’s alone in the house, she has to do it in that bathroom. We allow her in the TV Room, kitchen passage and this one bathroom when she’s alone at home.
(When she’s older and we have the yard fenced safely, we’ll open a doggy door for her to get in and out in the day time)
I take her out in the mornings just as she wakes up and she does her business immediately. She doesn’t get treats but A LOT of positive encouragement for doing her business. I take her out again after feeding just before I go to work. (7:40AM) I then leave about a quarter of her morning meal in her bowl on the kitchen floor…she snacks that during the day when she wakes up.
Most days she doesn’t do anything in the house, but sometimes she makes a peepee in the bathroom.
She can go outside again from about 17:15 when I get home. Feeding time is around 17:30 and at about 18:00 she normally wants to do a #2. She gets a little snack (quater of the supper meal she had) again at 20:00 and last time outside before bed time is around 21:30.
Leash training is important, I would suggest getting a collor on him from the time you get him. If he scratches, distract him, he will soon enough forget about it. Take it off at first when he’s left alone. Also start with the leash training. Get him to sit still and put the leash on. When done, praise him and give a treat. If he grabs the leash or something, simply get up and walk away (completely ignore him), count to ten and try again. Only praise when he does what you want, and ignore (NO scolding) when he doesn’t.
Doxies can be VERY hard-headed and will only do what works for them. Scolding has little or no effect, so when your puppy does what you want him to do, praise alot and give a treat…treats ALWAYS works for them and thus they will repeat the behaviour that got them the treat in the first place.
Unless you catch him in the act of doing something bad, he will not understand punishment. When chewing on shoes etc and you catch him, scold with a firm voice, never yell. you can even lightly flick the dog with you index-finger on the side of its bum.
When taking a shoe (for instance) away from him, immediately give him a toy, when he takes it from you praise him. They learn quickly what is a toy and what is not.
Puppy’s develop a preferance for the feeling (texture) under their feet when doing the potty. It is therefore important to take your pup to the area where you want him to go when fully trained (grass, gravel, paving etc) and praise a lot when he does it there.
I know potty training is a mission, but be consistent and patient. Juliette was 80% potty trained by the time she was 9 weeks old (we got her on 7 weeks). And remember, most puppies only develop complete muscle control (the ability to hold it in) at about 16 weeks.
Like I said before Doxies can be very hard headed. When you let the dog run free in your yard, at first he will not try and run away, the area will be new and exciting. After about a week or two, he will try and venture further from the house and explore.
It is important that he knows he’s name by then and that he responds to it.
Take your dog to a quiet area of the house, wear a top with pockets to keep treats in. With your left arm extended all the way, hold the dogs collor firmly. With the right hand take a treat and get the dog’s attention, move it slowly in a straight line to the side of your face, next to your right eye and then say the dog’s name, Max, in a friendly tone. THE MOMENT HE MAKES EYE CONTACT WITH YOU, Praise him and give him the snack. Do not hesitate…quicker the response from you, the quicker he’ll learn.
Repeat this a couple of times, but remember to keep him at arms length from you. Never train for more than 5 minutes or so at a time. Do this twice a day and by the second day he will get the game. Slowly reducing the treats too.
With this exercise, your dog will learn that when you say his name, he must make eye-contact.
When you go outside make sure you have a few snacks in your pocket. When Max tries to run away, or go further than what makes you feel comfortable, never run after him, he might think it’s a game and start playing (running). Also never shout his name(espescially when you start panicking and he’s running away from you)Say his name in a friendly positive voice and make him aware of the treat in your hand, he’ll come to you immediately. Praise and give the treat.
I hope this helps, I have kind of said more than what I planned!
Keep us posted on the progress!
Keep well,
JD
I thought our dog was doing good about staying with us. We have about 2 acres. He’s a Dorgi, but definitely more of the Dachshund traits. He loves to bark at the lawn mower. I started the mower, he did follow me around some (just doing some limb picking up, etc) and then began to wander a bit.. then fartehr, and I tried and tried to get him, and we ended up crossing a major highway, cars everywhere.. it was awful, I really thought I was going to see him be killed in front of me.
I finally caught him cause he had to slow down to get over some of the terrain.
It seems like if you ever get ‘comfy’ and think they are trained, they’ll prove you wrong. I just want to remind everyone, that it just takes that one time that they don’t listen to you to turn into something tragic.
Even with a yard as big as ours, it seems that the grass is always greener….