Potty training my 17 month old pug...I need help

[Chaka829]

Hello all,
I just adopted a 17 month old pug (we call him Chaka) from a family who could no longer keep him....
I am having a little bit of difficulty potty training him. I walk him regularly and he goes potty outside but he has had a couple of accidents in the house...is this because he is marking his new territory or is stressed out from coming into a new home?
Also, I am trying to crate train him but I don't think the family he was with previously used the crating method with him and he is having a hard time adjusting to it. He ripped a hole in the side of the brand new soft crate after being in it for about 10 minutes.
Any advice or help would be great.

Best,
Monique & Chaka

[Pugs-R-MandyBait]

Potty Training is all about adherence to a strict schedule of eating and going out ... and huge praise for going outside. High value treats given for nothing else but going outside.

Crate training is a step by step process ... just closing the door and walking away results in holes in crates. Opening the door and tossing a toy or a treat in ... so that going in is associated with really good stuff ... is the way to start. A t-shirt you have really worn put in, so the 'cave' smells safe, offers comfort. Putting the puppy in, wait a minute, then five, then ten, then fifteen, etc, open the door and praise. Work up to leaving the room and longer stretches of time ... and multiple lessons a day.

Puppies are babies ...we have to explain to them what we want ... and remember to pay off big when we get it.

[Chaka829]

My concern is that since he's already out of the "puppy" stage in his life that this will be difficult since he's already used to not being crated...

[lmnoon]

The potty training method I've been using with my puppy Mac has been giving me quick results. He's only 10 weeks old and he's almost got it down (I know it's rare). What we have for the pup is a large crate, half for him and his bed and toys, and half for a pee pad and water bowl. If we're gone longer than 4 to 5 hours then he stays in the crate, because he will always use the pee pad if he has to. It's rare though. He will usually wait for us to come home. We also have a penned area for him attached to the crate where we put toys and his food and water and his bed. This is really just to keep him safe while we're doing things around the house and can't keep an eye on him, or for when we go on quick errands. The first thing we do is let him out to potty. It goes before feeding or anything else, because we don't want to leave him any opportunities to potty inside. Once that's taken care of, we feed him. If he's just relaxing in the crate or pen then we let him out to potty approx every 3 hours, if he's active and playing and running around we let him out every hour. He gets a little piece of a bacon treat when he pees and a little piece when he poops. Right away. Immediate reward for going outside. He also gets a lot of praise. Also look for potty time signs if it's been a while. If he hasn't gone out in a few hours and he starts digging,. sniffing, or hanging out by the door, it's time to go. They pick up on it very quickly when there's a food reward involved!

Lisa

[Pugs-R-MandyBait]

My concern is that since he's already out of the "puppy" stage in his life that this will be difficult since he's already used to not being crated...

Nope ... KC, Nemo, Peggy, DiNo and Reny were all rescued as young adults, were totally un-crate trained and now cannot wait to get in their caves for a nap. Bax & Mandy were puppies and are equally eager

[Chaka829]

Okay...so here's what we are trying so far...
I bought him a new crate today...since he ripped a hole in the previous one...this time we bought the wire crate (Precision Pet) instead of the soft side crate...
I put an old t-shirt of mine in there over the snoozy bed that goes in the crate...I put a treat in there for him...he went in and ate it and I gave him a bunch of praise for going in...after he ate it, he kept going back in and out of the crate several times and every time he went in I gave him praise. A little while later, I put a treat in the crate again, but this time when he went in to eat it I closed the crate and left him in there for a while...after about 5 minutes he started whimpering, but I left him in there and just kept telling him "you're okay...you're safe" in a happy tone...he calmed down a bit and after 5 or so more minutes he started whimpering and still I left him in there...he finally laid down in it and then I let him out...
How's this for starters?

[Pugs-R-MandyBait]

That sounds perfect!!! He'll have it down in no time ;-)

[Hellas]

If I were you, I'd probably try to take it even a little bit slower. I probably wouldn't close the door just yet, but focus on making him feel comfortable in his crate. To me, there is a difference between a dog who is happy in his crate and a dog who simply gives up and shuts down. What I'd be looking for is a dog who is happy in his crate. So perhaps try even more gradually to make him connect the crate with good things. Perhaps start giving him his food in there? When you start to close the door, make sure he has something REALLY delicious to chew, like a raw marrow bone/antler or similar. It might be a good idea to choose something that he knows that he ONLY gets in his crate. That way, he'll long to go in there, knowing he'll get his super special treat. Patience is key.