My Puppy Is Disgusting

[RubyTuesday]

If you don't mind my rambling, I will tell you what happened to me when I was training my Maxwell, when he was a pup. The advice I got, was probably the best single advice I ever got from anyone. So here goes the story:

Maxwell was 10 weeks old when I got him and it was January and cold (by California standards). I didn't have a doggy door, so Maxwell was crate trained. He slept most of the night in his crate (with one scheduled outing at about 2:00 am). We would take him out in the morning to pee and usually he would go and then back in the house for breakfast. This is where it got interesting. After breakfast he always needed to go back out to poop. So we would take him out again, standing there with our treats to give him a reward when he presented us with a poop or a pee. However, on this second trip out, he would do nothing. He would walk around smelling the bushes and the trees and a big zero would happen. It was cold, so we would stand there freezing waiting for the gift from Maxwell .......nothing. When we first brought him home, he would always go for us after breakfast and we would give him his treat and then race in the house with the puppy. But somewhere along the lines, it changed and he would not go now after breakfast. Finally, in desperation, we would take him back in the house where he would immediately pee on the floor or worse poop on the floor. Huh? what??? You were just outside!!!! Why now? He did this for over a week until I was ready to scream. He would not pee outside, just when he got back in the house.

I finally called a friend who raises dogs in desperation. When I told her the story she laughed and said she knew how to fix it. Seems as if, Maxwell enjoyed his treats after a pee, but he enjoyed being outside even more. He would go first thing in the morning because he wanted to go back in the house for breakfast. But, after breakfast he wanted to play outside. I wanted to go in because I was cold. My friend told me to stop and think like a dog. She said that Maxwell viewed my picking him up and carrying him in the house, after he pee'd or poop'ed as a punishment. He wanted to be outside sniffing the trees and bushes while I wanted nothing more for him to pee and then grab him and go in the house because I was cold. So Maxwell would hold the pee as long as he could while he was outside because if he did, I would not pick him up and take him in......punishment in his eyes. Once in the house, oh yeh, now he can pee cuz he is already where he didn't want to be.

So, the next morning we took Maxwell outside after breakfast. I planned on the long wait with a heavy coat. I waited and waited and waited and waited.....finally, I waited him out. He was also done being outside and he poop'd. I gave him the treat for the gift and then did NOT pick him up and take him inside. I let him stay outside sniffing around some more. Then after he adequately had time to forget he had poop'd, I carried him in the house. We did this every morning. He played outside after he pee'd or poo'd and I waited him out and did not carry him in the house after he produced.

After this revelation, we had no other problems with potty training. Maxwell knew he would get to stay outside and I got my puppy's pee on the grass.

Think like a puppy if you can. Is your sweet baby thinking she is being punished for something? Are you treating her after she pee's each and every time? Are you doing something after the puppy pee's that makes her feel like she is being punished? I know it is hard to think like a dog, because we are humans. But this was a changing point in our puppy's training and I hope it will help you think like your dog.

One last thing. Puppies are not vindictive. They don't punish you for an action or hold a grudge. They are a bit like goldfish. If you don't catch your dog's pee'ing in the crate or pooping in the crate or on the floor, it is YOUR fault and not the puppy. Don't bother yelling at them after the fact, they have no idea what you are saying. They hear "blah blah blah blah and it is really loud. But, they have no clue why you are angry. That was a really good thing for me to learn. If you catch them making the mistake punish immediately and then let it go, because they will want to sit on your lap and snuggle within a minute after they got in trouble. All is forgiven as far as dogs are concerned, one minute after it happens.

Good luck with your beautiful baby. I am sorry I was so long winded.