[HuggableGiggles]

Hey everyone. I just recently got a new chocolate lab puppy. She is about 9 1/2 weeks old right now. I also have a 2 year old female choc. Lab. When I got my first lab she was already 12 weeks old so it only took us a few days to housebreak her. But I've had the new puppy for almost 2 weeks now and she still can't figure it out. We put her in a kennel next to the bed at night and she will cry to go outside to go potty or if she's hungry or thirsty but how do I get her to do that when she's not in the kennel? Is she still just too young to understand?

[HuggableGiggles]

Hey everyone. I just recently got a new chocolate lab puppy. She is about 9 1/2 weeks old right now. I also have a 2 year old female choc. lab. When I got my first lab she was already 12 weeks old so it only took us a few days to housebreak her. But I've had the new puppy for almost 2 weeks now and she still can't figure it out. We put her in a kennel next to the bed at night and she will cry to go outside to go potty or if she's hungry or thirsty but how do I get her to do that when she's not in the kennel? Is she still just too young to understand?

Oh.. one more thing.. she still only weighs less than 10 lbs. when I got my first lab at 12 weeks she was already 30 lbs. Is she too small?

[labman]

Some dogs are just much easier to housebreak than others. A lot may depend on their past history.

The 10 pounds sounds small, but the 30 pounds sounds large. The new puppy may never get as big. The important thing is to keep both lean for a longer, active life. See http://www.puppychow.com/products/po...condition.aspx

Housebreaking starts before you get home with the new puppy. If you don't have
A crate, buy one. I prefer the more enclosed, den like plastic ones. Skip the
Bedding. At first it gets wet, and later it can be chewed into choking
Hazards. A wire rack in the bottom will help keep the puppy up out of
Accidents at first. They are available with the crates, but a piece of closely
Spaced wire closet shelving from a home supply place is cheaper. If you
Already have a metal crate, covering it may help. Just make sure you use
Something the puppy can't pull in and chew. Dogs that start in crates as
Little puppies, accept them very well. Never leave an unattended puppy loose
In the house. If nobody can watch it, put it in the crate. I suggest letting
The dog have its crate all its life.

Choose a command and spot you want it to use. The less accessible to strays,
The less chance of serious disease. If it is a female, choosing a
Non grassy spot will avoid brown spots later. When you bring it home, take it
To the spot and give it the command in a firm, but friendly voice. Keep
Repeating the command and let the puppy sniff around. If it does anything,
Praise it. Really let it know what a good dog it is and how much you love it,
And maybe a treat. Note, being out there not only means you can praise it,
But it also keeps it from being snatched by a hawk. If it doesn't go, take it
Inside and give it a drink and any meals scheduled. A young puppy will need to
Go out immediately afterward. Go to the spot and follow the above routine.
Praising it if it goes is extremely important. If it doesn't go, take it back
Inside and put it in its crate and try again soon. Do not let it loose in the
House until it does go.

At first it is your responsibility to know and take the puppy out when it
Needs to go. It needs to go out the first thing in the morning, after eating,
Drinking, and sleeping. If it quits playing, and starts running around
Sniffing, it is looking for a place to go. Take it out quickly. You will just
Have to be what I call puppy broke until it is a little older.

By the time most dogs are about 3 months old, they have figured out that if
They go to the door and stand, you will let them out. The praise slowly shifts
To going to the door. Some people hang a bell there for the dog to paw. If
Your dog doesn't figure this out, try praising it and putting it out if it
Even gets near the door. A stern "Bad dog!" is all the punishment that is
Effective, and only when you catch it in the act and are sure you didn't miss
It going to the door. Clean up accidents promptly. I mostly keep the little
Puppies out of the carpeted rooms. Still I need the can of carpet foam
Sometimes. First blot up all the urine you can with a dry towel. Keep moving
It and stepping on it until a fresh area stays dry. A couple big putty knives
Work well on bowel movements. Just slide one under it while holding it with
The other. This gets it up with a minimum of pushing it down into the carpet.
This works with even relatively soft ones, vomit, dirt from over turned house
Plants, or anything else from solids to thick liquids. Finish up with a good
Shot of carpet foam. Note, do not let the puppy lick up the carpet foam.
Once the dog is reliably housebroken, your carpet may need a good steam cleaning.

Many people strongly strongly push cleaning up all evidence of past accidents. I am slower to suggest that. Dogs will return to the same spot if they can find it. When you see one sniffing the spot, that is your clue to run it out.

[HuggableGiggles]

Yes, I understand. I've been doing all of that.. My question is not "HOW" to housebreak her.. I'm just curious to see the average time it takes to do this when we get her at such a young age. Also, when is a good time to start her in obedience training?

[labman]

Most puppies are doing well by 12 weeks. The first time a puppy makes it to the door in time doesn't mean it is housebroken. Over the course of a few weeks, it will do better and better. Suddenly, you realize it has been a week since you had to clean up the last puddle.

I start obedience including walking on leash the day I get the puppy. I walk out of the kennel with the puppy on lead. If it takes 10 minutes to make it the 30 feet to the door, it takes 10 minutes. And once out the door, the first lesson on relieving itself on command.

Using a command for relieving itself builds a foundation for other obedience. It builds the sequence of command, behavior, praise. At first you must keep sessions very short, any a couple of repetitions at a time. By 4 months, you will have a puppy that amazes people how well it is doing without ever putting much time in it. Attending a puppy class at about 5 months will both sharpen up the response, and teach it to stay on task around other dogs. You can only teach that, around other dogs.

[HuggableGiggles]

GREAT! Thanks for your help! :D