Post by compwalla on Sept 1, 2017 13:54:43 GMT
Our future dog, Boris, is coming to live with us tomorrow. His foster mom has determined that in his previous life he was an outside dog because his house training skills are shaky at best. She hasn't been able to really work with him intensively on this because he's been on crate rest most of the time while he's been with her because of the restrictions on activity due to heartworm treatment. She says he doesn't soil his crate and is willing to go outside but hasn't learned yet that it's absolutely NOT ok to go when he's inside and not in his crate. He seems like a smart pup, has learned sit and a few other commands so I don't think it will be terribly difficult to get him trained but I've never housetrained a dog before.
If you've got experience with this, please let me know if this plan is off the mark. I've done some googling and reading and this is what we plan to do with him:
He will have his crate near our other pup's.
We'll go outside immediately when we open the crates in the morning and will treat and praise and generally make a huge fuss when he pees outside.
Breakfast about an hour later, then back outside. Ditto for praise and treats if he goes. Then we'll play a bit with frisbee or tennis ball so he knows fun stuff happens after he poops outside.
Outside at lunch, outside in the afternoon, outside in the evening after dinner, and one more trip outside before bed.
Crated at night and anytime we leave the house until we trust his inside manners.
Since I work from home, I plan to leash him to me during the day so if he starts to make a mistake indoors, I will be able to correct him in the act and hustle him outside. We've had a family meeting about it and we've decided on the word STOP! and a loud clap when he is making a mistake. I don't want to create a situation where he will be able to sneak off and soil someplace inside without us knowing. His foster mom says he's a velcro dog anyway so I don't think being tethered to me will upset him.
Our other dog has impeccable inside manners and knows to come tell us when he has to go. What I'm not sure about is whether to take Jack outside with Boris every single time. I'm afraid they'll play around too much and forget to do their business. Boris is still on limited activity for another week until his next heartworm test comes back clean so for the first week I'll have to keep him on the leash but after that I plan to let him out just like I do with Jack.
Boris was my idea so I feel a little pressure to get his manners up to speed fairly quickly. We also plan basic obedience school after he gets the all-clear from the vet.
Boris (black and white whippet/husky mix - a whisky if you will) and Jack our greyhound on a pre-adoption playdate. Boris pooped in the kitchen seconds after this picture was taken. *sigh*
If you've got experience with this, please let me know if this plan is off the mark. I've done some googling and reading and this is what we plan to do with him:
He will have his crate near our other pup's.
We'll go outside immediately when we open the crates in the morning and will treat and praise and generally make a huge fuss when he pees outside.
Breakfast about an hour later, then back outside. Ditto for praise and treats if he goes. Then we'll play a bit with frisbee or tennis ball so he knows fun stuff happens after he poops outside.
Outside at lunch, outside in the afternoon, outside in the evening after dinner, and one more trip outside before bed.
Crated at night and anytime we leave the house until we trust his inside manners.
Since I work from home, I plan to leash him to me during the day so if he starts to make a mistake indoors, I will be able to correct him in the act and hustle him outside. We've had a family meeting about it and we've decided on the word STOP! and a loud clap when he is making a mistake. I don't want to create a situation where he will be able to sneak off and soil someplace inside without us knowing. His foster mom says he's a velcro dog anyway so I don't think being tethered to me will upset him.
Our other dog has impeccable inside manners and knows to come tell us when he has to go. What I'm not sure about is whether to take Jack outside with Boris every single time. I'm afraid they'll play around too much and forget to do their business. Boris is still on limited activity for another week until his next heartworm test comes back clean so for the first week I'll have to keep him on the leash but after that I plan to let him out just like I do with Jack.
Boris was my idea so I feel a little pressure to get his manners up to speed fairly quickly. We also plan basic obedience school after he gets the all-clear from the vet.
Boris (black and white whippet/husky mix - a whisky if you will) and Jack our greyhound on a pre-adoption playdate. Boris pooped in the kitchen seconds after this picture was taken. *sigh*
and totally not house broken. We had to take him to be neutered a couple of days after we brought him home and even for awhile after that the marking continued. We were still trying to work with him (I am home all day so taking him out constantly was no problem) when we swear that our other dog gave him the lowdown, lol. It was like he would mark and mark and mark, and then one day he just didn't! Our other pup is really meticulous and very refined and well behaved and we always joke that he finally had had enough of the nonsense and laid the law down to the new guy. If that doesn't happen for your pups, I think your plan sounds like a total winner to me! Best of luck with the new one, he is darling for sure! 