Training mats

[Alamo123]

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We will shortly be getting a shih tzu puppy, and are confused as to whether it would be a good idea to use training mats to start with or to get them used to going outside from the beginning. Also to get the dog used to going outside do you use a collar or a harness as there are many different opinions!!! Are there any good recommendations for a good insurance. Thank you, Richard

 

[arealhuman]

I'm afraid all I can help you with is the pet insurance question as I asked exactly the same thing here

 

[gypsysmum2]

It is not a good idea to use training mats (I assume you mean paper or puppy pads?) to toilet train puppies. If you put pads and paper down for the puppy to use you are really saying "here you are - it is ok to toilet indoors". This is not the message you want your puppy to absorb.

The best way to toilet train is take your dog to the garden, wait until it toilets and then give a high value reward immediately. Any delay in the reward could confuse the puppy about why it was rewarded. Puppies need to visit the garden after eating, after sleeping, after playing and any time they look distracted or uncomfortable

Never chastise your puppy for a mistake. You will set back the training and may cause other behaviour issues.

I have seen puppies back out of harnesses so am not a big fan. If you can get a really well fitting one you might be fine. Of course they can wriggle out of a collar too. Some puppies will be more comfortable in a collar, others in a harness. I would pop the collar or harness on at mealtimes and play times and at various times during the day until the puppy is used to it.

 

[JoanneF]

A big no to training mats/puppy pads. All they do is confuse the puppy about whether it's acceptable to toilet indoors or not.

Ideally you want him to not be in a position where he needs to toilet before you have him outdoors, so that every toilet is outside - as far as possible, there will be accidents! So set him up to succeed by taking him out even more than he needs; for example every 45 minutes to an hour and always after sleeping, eating, playing. When he toilets outdoors make a huge fuss (never mind the neighbours, act like outdoor toileting is the best thing you have ever seen) and reward him with a high value treat. Do that immediately, don't make him come to you for the treat so he is clear that it's for toileting and not for coming to you. The idea is that he eventually wants to earn the treat enough to hold the toilet until he is outside - once he is physically able to control his toileting obviously. If he has an accident inside don't react at all. If you get annoyed he may learn to fear your reaction and avoid you if he needs to toilet - the opposite of what you want. As he is actually performing the toilet you can introduce words he can associate with it (like 'do weewee' and 'busy busy') that later when he is reliably trained you can use these to tell him when you want him to toilet.

Indoors if you see him circling or scratching the floor, that can sometimes precede toileting so get him out fast.

A crate can be a useful tool to help toilet training and it's a good idea to crate train your puppy in case he needs to be crated in the future, for example at the vets. But it is only a tool, it's not a substitute for training. The theory is he wont want to soil where he sleeps so will learn to hold his toilet. But he will only be able to hold once his little bladder and bowel are strong enough, you still need to follow the advice above. And during the night, set your alarm for a couple of garden visits because he won't be able to hold all night and you want To avoid accidents if you can. To get him used to it, ask your breeder to start popping him in one for a few minutes at a time before he comes to you.

I always recommend a harness. A collar, if he suddenly gets pulled up short, can damage his trachea (windpipe).

Cross posted with Gypsysmum!

 

[hollysh]

I also think a harness is better for puppies. Being a dog walker I am currently taking a 7 month old spaniel out who has a harness and also popping in to take a 9/10 week old puppy out (in the garden as not able to go out properly yet), who has a collar.

I do find it a lot easier pulling the puppy back with harness as i'm always worrying about pulling too hard with a collar. Also a thing I'm finding is that the puppy likes to chew the lead lol and I think with a harness you can control that a bit more.

As for the toilet training, I have been asked from the beginning with the 9/10 week old puppy (been popping in twice a day now for 2 weeks) to take it to a specific area of the garden and say 'wee wee' as soon as I arrive to collect her. And she does. She has never had an accident. Apart from one time I made the mistake of making her lunch first, before taking her to the garden and she did a wee, but now I know to take her straight out and again after lunch. It's just about getting the scheduling right.

The owner of the puppy works, leaves the house about 8 I think. I pop in at 10ish and again at 1ish to give her lunch and then owners back around 20 to 4. Perhaps she's a puppy with an exceptionally great bladder She's ever so cute. I love her.