Advice on paper training

[dragonchilde]

I've got a beagle/cocker spaniel mix that likes to piddle. I'm not sure of his age, but I'm thinking around 6-8 months. He already goes on his paper...the first month and a half we had him (got him for Christmas) he would go into the bathroom and use his paper. We lock him into the bathroom on cold nights, but most of the time he's an outdoor dog.

The problem is the last couple of weeks, he's decided that the middle of the living room floor is better. WE really don't have enough of a yard on any side of the house (I'm a resident manager of a self-storage facility) to take him outside, so paper training is essential. I already know how to train a dog to go outside, but I've never done paper training before.

I need help here, because while I have patience for animals, my husband does NOT. He doesn't like dogs at all, and would sooner chunk the pup in the yard and leave him there. I need to get this little one trained to paper, or we'll wind up having to leave him outside in the little tiny back yard (we're talking very small, here. A larger dog wouldn't be comfortable, at all) all the time. I want him to be able to come in and sit with us.

Thanks in advance for advice.

[aly]

You don't have enough room to take him outside? I don't understand that part.

I will say that paper training sometimes causes problems. Such as, you can never leave a newspaper or anything similar laying on the floor for the rest of the pup's life, or it may be made into a toilet Are you paper training because you're not home a lot? I would strongly suggest just training him to go outside. He's an older puppy so he won't have to go outside as frequently as a baby.

Please don't let your husband turn him into a backyard doggie

[lizbud]

Hi,

I've never paper trained a pup older than a few
weeks & then it was just a temporary thing. Picking
them up and taking them out to do their piddles is
good, when they are big enough to follow you to the
door on their own & then taking them outside with
you is better. They can connect going to the door with
"outside" or "potty".
You said the dog was a Christmas present. Who's present
was it? From whom ? Good luck with the training !! Liz.

[Logan]

I never paper trained either. I don't think you want the dog to get accustomed to going inside in any form. Young puppies sometimes need that, I guess, if they can't get out often enough, but if you are consistent with taking him outside on a regular schedule, even if it means getting up in the middle of the night for a while, he will catch on. Praise him like the dickens when he does what you ask (not while he's going, but as soon as he finishes) and no playing until his "business" is done.

Remember, he hasn't been with you that long, and he is still a "baby" with a baby's bladder. Our human kids don't "potty train" for a long time. We can't expect our puppies to either.

You'll get there with a lot of love, consistency and praise.

Logan

[dragonchilde]

I literally CAN'T take him outside. There isn't room because there IS NOT ANY ROOM. There is 3 feet of yard behind the house, then two acres of concrete. His backyard is approximately 15-20 wide, and may 30-40 feet long.

I'm not concerned about him using newspaper as bathroom, because I don't ever read the paper, and never leave things like that lying around. We use packing paper, which is basically un-printed newspaper that's slightly sturdier. Training him to go outside isn't really an option, because I can't be there at all times. I'm a resident manager, and going outside with him during office hours isn't feasible. We leave him out during the day, then bring him in at night. I really need him paper trained.

I got him as a present from my fiance, now husband. He hates dogs, so this was a huge step for him. He's a cat person.

[kobieeli]

Sorry to ask a possibly silly question, but I'm not clear on this situation. If the backyard is too small for the dog to go to the bathroom in, how could it be big enough to leave him there all day?

[Stenograsaurus]

Originally posted by kobieeli
Sorry to ask a possibly silly question, but I'm not clear on this situation. If the backyard is too small for the dog to go to the bathroom in, how could it be big enough to leave him there all day?

Not a silly question at all. I was thinking the same thing.

[sammi]

I was thinking the same thing. Also why did you get a dog if you have no outdoor space for it? If your husband hates dogs (even though he got it for you) the dog can sense that.

[dragonchilde]

Just forget it. If I'm going to be crucified for having a dog, just forget it. Its a small dog, and living indoors is FINE for him. I have a yard to put him in, just when he's inside, I can't go outside with him. Ever heard of apartments? Yeah, those small things WITHOUT FREAKING YARDS???

Ignore this topic, pretend it doesn't exist, because I'm really not in the mood for this. I asked for help in paper training, not a critique on why I have a dog. No one can help me with this, apparently, so just forget it.

[thelmalu99]

Dragonchilde, I just stepped into this thread, but I can assure you, nobody here is trying to crucify you for having a dog and for asking for advice.
I have asked for advice many times here and, sometimes people need more details in order to give you advice that will be helpful.
I think people are just wondering why your puppy can't be taught to just go to the bathroom in the yard, even though it is a small space.
I have a friend who has a paper-trained dog, but I don't know exactly how she went about training him. I can ask, if you would like. After reading your posts again, I realize that maybe this yard is not readily accessible from your apartment...?
You mentioned that he did go on the paper, but recently he decided to go in the middle of the living room floor. This also happens sometimes with cats (which is what I have). Your dog is still a puppy, so he probably needs a little bit of positive reinforcement (as Logan pointed out) when he goes on the paper, where you want him to go. Praise and treats really work well. When he goes where he shouldn't, I would recommend giving him a stern "NO", and then taking him to the spot on the paper where you want him to go and showing it to him. Dogs are smart; he will get the message, just be sure to use positive reinforcement when he does go where you want him to. Take him to the paper several times when you are at home with him and see if he wants to go. Also, make sure that the paper you want him to go on is always in the same spot. Consistency is the key.
Remember that he's still a puppy, so it will take some time and patience.

Something just came to me...maybe he's confused because, when he's indoors, he knows where the paper is, but when he's outdoors during the day, there's no paper? Like I said, consistency is the key. Try putting paper in his outdoor area as well (always in the same spot). If you want him to learn to go on the paper, then he must always have paper available. Dogs usually know that "going outside time" is for peeing and pooping. If a dog doesn't have this time, then I think he must always have the paper available to go on. Then he will learn that he must always go on the paper that is left for him.

Another thing: when animals pee somewhere, they are marking the area with their scent. Is there carpeting on the living room floor, or is it a bare floor? The reason I'm asking is, when I got my second cat, Charlie, he used the litter box fine for a while, but one day he decided to go on the floor in the kitchen, near the refrigerator. I cleaned up the area, but he would occasionally go back there and pee in that same spot. Someone who worked with animals once told us that you have to remove the scent so that they will no longer go there. She told me that Club Soda was excellent for removing the scent (I don't know why, because it's just carbonated water, but it really works). I used it, and Charlie never peed there again. Here's what I did: I mopped up the area and dried it off thoroughly. Then, I poured lots of Club Soda on the area and scrubbed it in, wiped it off and dried it again. After that, I poured more Club Soda on the spot and let it just soak there for a few hours. Then I just wiped it up. Like I said, Charlie never peed there again. I think you should try to remove the scent from where your puppy has peed, so that he doesn't go back to the area that he has marked.

Good luck, and please let us know how it goes.

[sammi]

I am really sorry if I sounded critical. I just couldn't understand somethings. And yes I sure do know what apartment living is like. I think I understand now that you can get the dog to a yard when he is out for a period of time but literly no place just to take him out for a quick pee!
I had a puppy that we had to take care of in the winter and he was totally paper trained as it was to cold to take him outside. When he would pee off the paper I would soak up a scant amount of the urine with a piece of newspaper and put it on his paper he was to pee on. I also made sure his food and bedding was far away from the paper area. It took awhile but finally worked.