[mutt05]

Hello,

I have five dogs. The first one we got is a Yorkie/lasa mix His name is Teddy, he is about 18 months. We then got a Yorkie, Benjie, he is just a year+ then came a little Poodle, Peep and her brother Mr Brown, they will be one on February 1st. I am having a problem house training them all. It is cold out and to get them to go outside is terrible. They go out and then come right in and crap in one three places. They are bad little puppies, I am a stay at home mom to them and only leave them to run errands. I need some desperate help, are there just too many or does someone have help for our family.

[labman]

Lets start with how I handle one 7 week old. There are many websites giving housebreaking methods, but many of them are ghastly, leaving out many important things I have been taught by a dog guide school and 14 of their puppies I have housebroken since 1991. You could have done a search, but might not be able to recognize a good one. I have never tried to do more than one at a time, and they are old enough to have bad habits to break. I am not saying this will be easy of quickly accomplished.

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.

I don't see managing this without getting them into crates when you aren't around and at night. Since most of them are small, it won't cost a fortune. Feeding time must be a mess. The only real solution is to crate the dog when you aren't around. The dog may be happier in its den than loose in the house. It relaxes, it feels safe in its den. It rests, the body slows down reducing the need for water and relieving its self. Dogs that have been crated all along do very well. Many of them will rest in their crates even when the door is open. I think the plastic ones give the dog more of a safe, enclosed den feeling. Metal ones can be put in a corner or covered with something the dog can't pull in and chew. Select a crate just big enough for the full grown dog to stretch out in.

Leave it some toys. Perhaps a Kong filled with peanut butter. Don't leave
Anything in the crate the dog might chew up. It will do fine without even any
Bedding. You will come home to a safe dog and a house you can enjoy.

A dog that has not been crated since it was little, may take some work.
Start just putting its toys and treats in the crate. Praise it for going
in. Feed it in the crate. This is also an easy way to maintain order at
Feeding time for more than one dog.

The "shut the puppy in a safe room" is a fallacy. Very few houses even have a
Safe room. How many of us have a room with a hard surfaced floor and nothing
Else? Most rooms have electrical cords to chew if nothing else. In addition
To destroying anything a bored puppy finds to chew, it may choke or have
Intestinal blockage from the pieces. I had a friend that left her dog in a
"safe" room. It ate a hole in the floor covering. The safe rooms fail to
Give the dog the comfort of the enclosed space their instinct requires. Nor
Do they restrict activity extending the time the dog can go without relieving
Itself.

You are going to have to go out in the cold with them. They will be much more willing to go out if you go too. Keep them moving unless they start to sniff out one of those special places. With 5 dogs, better rely on praise rather than a treat. Letting them go back inside once they have relieved themselves if they want to, may encourage them. On the other hand, don't force one to go in too soon after relieving itself. Give them which ever they want, in right away, or out a little longer. Once inside keep as good an eye on them as you can. Also, keep a very good eye on those 3 spots. Any dog that starts sniffing one, out quickly. You may want to use closed doors or gates to keep them where you can see them.

Finally, bless you for adopting all of them. I am afraid there are enough dogs needing homes for us all to have 5. Count on me giving you all the help I can anytime you ask.

[mutt05]

Thank you for all your great information. Do you think all the crates should be in one room. Do you think leaving the one that is the oldest out to rule the house is a bad idea. I am pretty sure that he is not the one making all the messes. I will try that idea soon. I have one metal crate and a cat crate that will work for the doxen, but will need others. Can two go in one crate if it is bigger?

Thanks again

[labman]

I would definitely group all the crates together. Dogs love being together.



I really hate telling you to separate them, but I am afraid that is the only way to keep them quiet and extend being able to go with relieving themselves. If you find that leaving the older loose isn't working, you could then crate it. I have friends that have had 6-7 dogs in the house for years. The ages range from my 12 year old's mother to a 3 month old puppy. The younger ones are always crated when left, but some of the older ones are allowed loose. Since the dogs are getting along now unseperated, 2 in a crate may work. If there is trouble, you could always partition it off.

[mutt05]

Great pic. Thanks for your help. Will let you know how things are working. I will be shopping next week for crates if funds permit.

[tgslickers]

great pic. Thanks for your help. Will let you know how things are working. I will be shopping next week for crates if funds permit.

What a bunch of cuties, you are wonderful for trying. Having one pup is hard let alone 5. I have 5 myself. During the day while you are home, I got thoses puppy pads that have a sense to them. They used those because it was so cold outside. It is a year later and they are no longer little puppies and they outside. Patience is a wonderful thing :) Good luck

[clo123]

Having five pups does seem like hard work but I think with a lot of hard work and patience you will be fine. :):)