New puppy.....Help!

Cliffslosinit

I'm getting a puppy in about a week.
(pictured with me)
He was 5 weeks in the pic...
He'll be 7 weeks when I get him.
American Bull Mastiff....

Now question:
1.How do you house train them.

I've been told "rub their nose in it."
"Swat them with a rolled up newspaper."

2. What are some good books to read about care, training, etc?

I've worked a lot around the house and yard to make ready for him.
Just would like some advice, please.

edt to add....
I had a Rottweiler about 15 yrs ago....he was an outside dog.
I want Bobby to be an inside dog irregardless of his size...
Thanks

hbrittingham

No, you don't swat them or rub their noses in it. They are babies who don't know better.

Crate training is the best way to housetrain a puppy. When you can't have your eyes directly on the puppy, he goes in the crate. The crate should not be huge, or else he'll start going potty in it. Puppies need to go out to potty immediately after eating, waking up and playing. They can generally hold it for 1 hour per month of age, plus one. So an 8 week old puppy can go a max of 3 hours between potty breaks. At first, you'll need to get up during the night to get him out a couple of times, though within a month or so, he'll probably be able to make it overnight.

GDLAZ

No, negative reinforcement does not work so well. Best thing you can do is take him out often and praise him up big when he goes outside. Times they usually have to go, first thing in the morning, right after eating, after playing hard, waking up from a nap. If you catch him starting to go, just say "No, let's go outside", then when he goes outside praise him big. Use your happy voice!

If you can find a puppy class nearby that would be worth it to attend. They will help you with basic training as well as let you socialize your dog with other dogs and people.

Myhaloslipped

Agreed. Negative reinforcement doesn't work. Crate training has worked pretty well for my dogs. Also, he is so freaking cute!

Cliffslosinit

I just looked at my coworkers when they said "rub or hit."
I just felt that to be wrong!

Cliffslosinit

No, you don't swat them or rub their noses in it. They are babies who don't know better.

Crate training is the best way to housetrain a puppy. When you can't have your eyes directly on the puppy, he goes in the crate. The crate should not be huge, or else he'll start going potty in it. Puppies need to go out to potty immediately after eating, waking up and playing. They can generally hold it for 1 hour per month of age, plus one. So an 8 week old puppy can go a max of 3 hours between potty breaks. At first, you'll need to get up during the night to get him out a couple of times, though within a month or so, he'll probably be able to make it overnight.

I read that this breed doesn't do well in a crate or confined space??
But your suggestion does make sense.

baba_helly

I just looked at my coworkers when they said "rub or hit."
I just felt that to be wrong!

It is wrong, and it won't teach him anything except to be scared of you.

LesliemarieAZ

Please don't hit him Dogs don't know why you are hitting them most of the time and it's just mean. They are more reactive to your tone of voice, especially male voices. My dog doesn't listen to me as well as she listens to my husband, lol. But if you are going to be stern with him, you pretty much have to catch him in the act otherwise, again, he won't know what you're going on about.

Crate training is the way to go. If you Google it, you'll get a lot of info on how-to. Typically dogs don't go potty where they sleep, unless they have no other choice. The important thing is to take him outside every couple of hours to go potty and be aware and watchful of his behavior. If you see him sniffing around in circles, then he needs to go out. Also buy him a lot of toys so that he doesn't get bored and chew up your shoes. If people aren't home during the day to watch him, get him a doggy door so that he can go outside on his own. Otherwise you can't really blame him for going potty inside.

You can try the puppy pads, but my dogs never used them.

Shimmysista

training my dog I just took him out and gave praise while saying potty over n over while he did it outside.. When i would catch him about to lift his leg in the house i did a sharp loud OI! it startled him from the going through with the act and i would take him out to do it where he is supposed to

hbrittingham

No, you don't swat them or rub their noses in it. They are babies who don't know better.

Crate training is the best way to housetrain a puppy. When you can't have your eyes directly on the puppy, he goes in the crate. The crate should not be huge, or else he'll start going potty in it. Puppies need to go out to potty immediately after eating, waking up and playing. They can generally hold it for 1 hour per month of age, plus one. So an 8 week old puppy can go a max of 3 hours between potty breaks. At first, you'll need to get up during the night to get him out a couple of times, though within a month or so, he'll probably be able to make it overnight.

I read that this breed doesn't do well in a crate or confined space??
But your suggestion does make sense.

We've trained several mastiffs and they did fine in crates. You can buy one with a divider in it that you can move to accommodate his fast growth.

LesliemarieAZ

training my dog I just took him out and gave praise while saying potty over n over while he did it outside..

This is a good point. My dog knows the command "go pee" and she'll pee when we tell her to.

Ferrous_Female_Dog

I disapprove of your using the word "irregardless" in your OP.

Cliffslosinit

Thanks....I'm at work.
I'll keep checking in.
The crate thing sounds perfect!

CompressedCarbon

training my dog I just took him out and gave praise while saying potty over n over while he did it outside.. When i would catch him about to lift his leg in the house i did a sharp loud OI! it startled him from the going through with the act and i would take him out to do it where he is supposed to

This. And just understand that you'll be spending a lot of time, following the puppy around for a few months, ready to swoop in and grab him and running for the door. Great excitement over an outside pee does wonders.

Mikkimeow

1) I think we have established that negative reinforcement does nothing. It can create issues later down the road. I have trained many dogs as an animal shelter employee. One great way to establish proper house training is to have set times when you take your puppy outside to do business. Give plenty of praise, and promptly bring your dog back in when the deed is done. If he has an accident, clean it up and move on. Continue with set times to use the bathroom. Your dog will learn to recognize that going outside to use the restroom is best. Another great tool is a bell that you can hang on the door that leads outside. You ring it every time your take your dog to go potty. This will teach your dog that the sound means it is time to use the restroom. Eventually, your dog will ring the bell himself before going out.

Here is the link for the poochie bells: http://poochie-pets.net/poochiebells-2/

Crate training works amazingly for some dogs, and horribly for others. Large breed dogs tend to do least well with crate training. If you decide to crate train your puppy, make sure you let your dog know the crate is not a punishment tool, not a potty pad, and a not a place they can go to hide. It should be a place for comfort and sleep, and nothing else.

I have a ton of great links and such I can give you if you'd like to just pm me, congrats on your new furbaby!

Cliffslosinit

I disapprove of your using the word "irregardless" in your OP.

Now I'm sad....
I just wanted to suggest that I'm aware of his size and don't mind having a large breed in my house.
As compared to a little poodle, etc.:flowerforyou:

PikaKnight

I would consider researching (whether through books or free online resources) about potty training and such. Also, consider registering for training classes as soon as he is old enough and has all his shots, including his bordatello.

sixout

As much as people may be against it, check out PetSmart. They offer a "training" course where you go in and a trainer helps you train your dog. You do the work, but it helps you get an understanding of how to handle the dog too. Works pretty well.

MinnieInMaine

The last time I trained a puppy, it was the 80's and we watched a lot of PBS, so it was all about The Barbara Woodhouse Way. Her terminology required us to say "go quickie" to encourage our dog to pee or poo.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Woodhouse

Cliffslosinit

As much as people may be against it, check out PetSmart. They offer a "training" course where you go in and a trainer helps you train your dog. You do the work, but it helps you get an understanding of how to handle the dog too. Works pretty well.

Thanks

silver_arrow3

As much as people are saying, "don't stick their noses in it", I've seen it work. My dad did it ONE TIME with my dog and she never pooped in the house again.

I agree with a training course, though. My folks did that with their first dog and he was a saint (from what I hear).

rml_16

Puppies are like having babies, so be prepared for lots of accidents.

To house train him, pay close attention to his cues (all dogs have them but they aren't always the same) and respond to them. Keep a close eye on him and take him outside often.

With my dog -- she was an adult when I found her -- I gave her a treat every time she did her business outside. She learned in two weeks.

Don't rub puppy's nose in it or hit puppy with a newspaper. That won't teach puppy anything except that you're kind of mean.

skippygirlsmom

I've heard great things about crate training. But my puppy would completely freak out when she was in the crate so I never used it. At night she was sleep on my bed and I would take her out a few times a night. During the day I would gate her in the kitchen with puppy pads. The first few days she just tore them up, but got the idea and used them. If she had an accident while I was gone, it was easy to clean the kitchen and she only had a small area.

I always took her out the same door into the backyard and after about 2 weeks she got in the habit of going by the door and sitting to go out. By the time she was 12 weeks she didn't have any accidents while we were home. By the time she was 4 month she stopped gong in the house all together. Once she stopped chewing she got free roam of the house during the day.

Congrats on the new addition, he looks like a sweetie.

Let me add.... training, training, training. Find a good local dog trainer, it's never too early.

ETA: I used Petsmart for my Labradoodle and it was awesome, but trainers vary there like any where else so your mileage may be different.

Escloflowne

1) I think we have established that negative reinforcement does nothing. It can create issues later down the road. I have trained many dogs as an animal shelter employee. One great way to establish proper house training is to have set times when you take your puppy outside to do business. Give plenty of praise, and promptly bring your dog back in when the deed is done. If he has an accident, clean it up and move on. Continue with set times to use the bathroom. Your dog will learn to recognize that going outside to use the restroom is best. Another great tool is a bell that you can hang on the door that leads outside. You ring it every time your take your dog to go potty. This will teach your dog that the sound means it is time to use the restroom. Eventually, your dog will ring the bell himself before going out.

Here is the link for the poochie bells: http://poochie-pets.net/poochiebells-2/

Crate training works amazingly for some dogs, and horribly for others. Large breed dogs tend to do least well with crate training. If you decide to crate train your puppy, make sure you let your dog know the crate is not a punishment tool, not a potty pad, and a not a place they can go to hide. It should be a place for comfort and sleep, and nothing else.

I have a ton of great links and such I can give you if you'd like to just pm me, congrats on your new furbaby!

The way I did was, I used an adjustable crate with a blanket over it and kept making it bigger as he grew, if you give them too much space they will use the corner as a bathroom. He is 70lbs and didn't like it at first, it actually made me feel terrible locking him in there for periods of time and he would just cry. The crate was his safe place, if I yelled at him or he did something bad he would retreat there. If he goes in there, don't acknowledge it, even if he just pooped on your couch. It has to remain a completely safe and happy place.

He's 5 now and still uses it to sleep and if there are fireworks or thunder, I just removed the door.

dbanks80

When I got my first puppy 5 yrs ago. Before I got her I read "Puppies for Dummies". That book helped me a lot with how to pick the best breed for our family, puppy dispositions and personalites in the litter that best suited our family and potty training and much more.

Take them straightway outside when:

First thing in the morning when you wake up
After they play
30 mins after eating or drinking

We crate trained our dogs. Take them out every hour when the are really young puppies

Excessive praise when they go outside. I gave mine a treat when they went poo. I still do and she is 5 yrs old and the other is almost 2 yrs old.

I have 2 dogs now

Shih Tzu Marley 5yrs
Samoyed Mila almost 2ys.

The don't stay in the crate anymore and they were quite demanding when they had enough of staying the crate. They have the run of the house and we have absolutely no problems with either of them.

Loss4TheWin

No, you don't swat them or rub their noses in it. They are babies who don't know better.

Crate training is the best way to housetrain a puppy. When you can't have your eyes directly on the puppy, he goes in the crate. The crate should not be huge, or else he'll start going potty in it. Puppies need to go out to potty immediately after eating, waking up and playing. They can generally hold it for 1 hour per month of age, plus one. So an 8 week old puppy can go a max of 3 hours between potty breaks. At first, you'll need to get up during the night to get him out a couple of times, though within a month or so, he'll probably be able to make it overnight.

This a million times over. We almost always had a puppy in the house growing up and they were all crate trained this exact way. Works like a charm.

The puppy phase...ugh. They are SO ADORABLE...but grueling work. Those first few months, getting up through the night to take them out and having to be hyper vigilant at all times, timing meals and potty breaks and play time and potty breaks and socialization (which can not be stressed enough - proper socialization is SO important). I loved it - and congratulations, I totally don't want to sound like a downer because puppies are awesome...but I'm so over puppies for ever. I'm sold on adopting older dogs from the pound. You save a life, you know what the dog is going to look like, how big it's going to be, its temperament, etc. Puppies are like a total crap shoot, you have no idea what you're going to end up with, you can only look at the parents and hope it's like that and do your best with training and socialization.

Anyway - I can still remember back to before I was all jaded and that new puppy excitement. They are adorable and will bring so much joy. Congrats and enjoy the heck out of every funny cuddly snuggly puppy moment - and take LOTS of photos - they grow up so fast! And remember - POSITIVE reinforcement. Puppies thrive on your love and approval - so give it to them every time they get it right... try to ignore the "bad" stuff, don't draw attention to it...especially potty mistakes. Just quietly clean it up (and thoroughly with enzyme stuff so they can't smell it anymore) and move on, pretend it didn't happen. A loud "NO!" should really only ever be used to stop them from doing something potentially dangerous - like chewing cords. Everything else should be quiet. Like...catch him chewing on your favorite sandals...bring over another much more awesome toy and make a quick trade - once he starts chewing on the much more awesome toy - tons of praise, maybe a treat, and just make sure to keep anything you love off the floor...cuz puppies chew and can't really tell the difference between a tug toy and your favorite sneakers.

csuhar

No, you don't swat them or rub their noses in it. They are babies who don't know better.

Crate training is the best way to housetrain a puppy. When you can't have your eyes directly on the puppy, he goes in the crate. The crate should not be huge, or else he'll start going potty in it. Puppies need to go out to potty immediately after eating, waking up and playing. They can generally hold it for 1 hour per month of age, plus one. So an 8 week old puppy can go a max of 3 hours between potty breaks. At first, you'll need to get up during the night to get him out a couple of times, though within a month or so, he'll probably be able to make it overnight.

Rewarding him when he goes to the bathroom outside can also help with this process. It helps him understand that you specifically want him to reserve his movements for the outdoors.

Still, you'll want to buy some Resolve and a few packs of paper towels.

dbanks80

No, you don't swat them or rub their noses in it. They are babies who don't know better.

Crate training is the best way to housetrain a puppy. When you can't have your eyes directly on the puppy, he goes in the crate. The crate should not be huge, or else he'll start going potty in it. Puppies need to go out to potty immediately after eating, waking up and playing. They can generally hold it for 1 hour per month of age, plus one. So an 8 week old puppy can go a max of 3 hours between potty breaks. At first, you'll need to get up during the night to get him out a couple of times, though within a month or so, he'll probably be able to make it overnight.

This 100% ^^^ worked very well for me.

GDLAZ

No, you don't swat them or rub their noses in it. They are babies who don't know better.

Crate training is the best way to housetrain a puppy. When you can't have your eyes directly on the puppy, he goes in the crate. The crate should not be huge, or else he'll start going potty in it. Puppies need to go out to potty immediately after eating, waking up and playing. They can generally hold it for 1 hour per month of age, plus one. So an 8 week old puppy can go a max of 3 hours between potty breaks. At first, you'll need to get up during the night to get him out a couple of times, though within a month or so, he'll probably be able to make it overnight.

I read that this breed doesn't do well in a crate or confined space??
But your suggestion does make sense.

It doesn't necessarily have to be a crate, but they generally won't go where they sleep and eat unless they really can't hold it any longer. Start with a small space for them and gradually grow their area to roam as they mature. This with the other advise given above and the rest will come naturally.

CyberEd312

Never hit a puppy, that kind of negative reinforcement will do nothing to help the pup learn anything... You need to set a schedule so the dog learns certain times that it will go out to use the restroom and reinforce that with treat and some praise... We have had no less than 5 dogs in our household for the last 30 years and they hardly ever have accidents they have learned where the restroom is (fenced in dog run) and will come sit down by one of us and bark or make a sound to let us know... Besides that, they go out first thing upon waking up and again at lunch time and then immediately after there canned supper... I would highly suggest crate training from the first time you bring them in the house.. They will immediately be drawn to the crate as their safe place. We have also put all of our dogs through puppy school and CGC (canine good citizen) training programs. The puppy school teaches them social skills being around other dogs and people and CGC just further trains them in the basics of leash walking, sit/stay, etc. And it is also good for the dog owners to learn these basic skills...

After graduation from puppy school we put them in daycare atleast once a week to continue that socializing. They absolutely loved going..... Not saying all this is a must but we believe it has helped in shaping the behavior..... Best of Luck

jacques57

Hi, my name is Ralphie and I am 8 months old. This is all great advice these humans are giving you. Remember that when you go to puppy training, the trainers are training YOU to relate to me in the best ways possible. I love you every time I see you and I want to please you so love me back by getting training to relate to me in terms I understand.

Yip!