# My 15 week old Bichon Frise



## shivampaw (Mar 16, 2013)

Hi,

We bought a Bichon Frise when he was 9 weeks old.

There are some small behavior problems we have with him.

We keep him in a play pen and take him out when we can. He sleeps in his crate.

*Problems*
1) He chews on anything he sees.

2) He sometimes bites me and growls while he does it. (He mainly does this with me and rarely with others. When he is play biting me it is fine but sometimes he bites really hard.)

3) He gets really upset and angry when he is left alone, he soils his play pen.

4) He can go a bit mad sometimes - running around the room up and down like a yo-yo.

5) *He does not understand 'no' and we are finding it difficult to teach him it as nothing is working!*

We are not trying to make him do his poo outside yet, we are trying to get him to do it in one corner in his play pen. We are using training pads.

Any help would be appreciated.


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## Jazzy (Apr 15, 2009)

Sounds very much like a normal pup to me - why do you keep him in a playpen?
Bichons don't like being left alone. My oldest Bichon used to mess in the kitchen even when only left for 30 mins whilst I took my daughter to school, the majority of them seem to really suffer from separation anxiety.
How long is he in the play pen?


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## shivampaw (Mar 16, 2013)

Jazzy said:


> Sounds very much like a normal pup to me - why do you keep him in a playpen?
> Bichons don't like being left alone. My oldest Bichon used to mess in the kitchen even when only left for 30 mins whilst I took my daughter to school, the majority of them seem to really suffer from separation anxiety.
> How long is he in the play pen?


We understand that but the problem is is he so small! He doesn't seem to mind a short time up to about 1 hour but after that if nobody comes he gets upset. Tonight we have got a family function in Leicester, away for 6 hours! Leave him in a Play Pen because we keep his toys there and his food and water and it also means he can't soil the whole house. We hope we can get him to roam free when he is bigger and house trained.

We try to take him out of there when we can but sometimes when I am at school and my parents are at work it can be up to 4 hours. Normally my mum is at home and she play with him a little.

Any suggestions on house training? And any suggestions on how to stop him biting me?


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## danielblackmore (May 29, 2012)

1) he is a puppy, that's what they so. He is probably teething and the chewing soothes the gums. Try getting some dog teething toys that you freeze

2) he probably hasn't learned to play properly. A few things you can try are when he starts mouthing, stop your playing and ignore him. You can also try yelping when he bites so he knows he is hurting you. Also give him his toys to bite on when he stays mouthing you.

3) I don't think he will be angry. Is he use to being left alone? How long have you had time? Remember he is still young and maybe scared. Try to stimulate him mentally and physically before you leave him. The soiling could be because he hasn't had enough chances to go out before you leave him. Puppy's need to go outside evert hour to relieve themselves. How long are you leaving him for?

4) he is a puppy, puppy's have made half hours. Make sure he is physically stimulated by walking etc to burn off his energy

5) make sure you are saying no in a firm voice. He will understand eventually. He won't automatically know what no means. Like everything else it requires training. 

Why do you not want him to go to the poo outside? Seems a bit bizarre to me. Surely you want him house broken straight away?

Seeing as he has a crate, I would ditch the pads and start taking him straight outside. There are 100's of post on how to crate train dogs which tonnes if useful information in them.

You can try google searching crate training as well with lots of results.


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## shivampaw (Mar 16, 2013)

danielblackmore said:


> 1) he is a puppy, that's what they so. He is probably teething and the chewing soothes the gums. Try getting some dog teething toys that you freeze
> 
> 2) he probably hasn't learned to play properly. A few things you can try are when he starts mouthing, stop your playing and ignore him. You can also try yelping when he bites so he knows he is hurting you. Also give him his toys to bite on when he stays mouthing you.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the info! We leave in for an hour or two a normal day but sometimes it can be longer. Before I leave I play with him. We think because we are not always at home it is not going to be possible for us to take him out so often so for not we would like him to poo in one corner in his play pen.


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## shivampaw (Mar 16, 2013)

danielblackmore said:


> 1) he is a puppy, that's what they so. He is probably teething and the chewing soothes the gums. Try getting some dog teething toys that you freeze
> 
> 2) he probably hasn't learned to play properly. A few things you can try are when he starts mouthing, stop your playing and ignore him. You can also try yelping when he bites so he knows he is hurting you. Also give him his toys to bite on when he stays mouthing you.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the info! We leave in for an hour or two a normal day but sometimes it can be longer. Before I leave I play with him. We think because we are not always at home it is not going to be possible for us to take him out so often so for not we would like him to do his stuff in one corner in his play pen.

Sometimes if we know we aren't at home at all my Dad will take him to his office and he play over there. He does this about once or twice a week.


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## hippymama (Jul 26, 2012)

most of it sounds like normal puppy behaviour tbh 
is there a reason you arnt teaching him to poo outside?? if you want him to toilet outside when he's an adult you need to teach him to do it now , the older he gets the harder he will be to housetrain.... I have never used puppy pads because you are just teaching them that pooing and weeing inside is ok ..


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## shivampaw (Mar 16, 2013)

hippymama said:


> most of it sounds like normal puppy behaviour tbh
> is there a reason you arnt teaching him to poo outside?? if you want him to toilet outside when he's an adult you need to teach him to do it now , the older he gets the harder he will be to housetrain.... I have never used puppy pads because you are just teaching them that pooing and weeing inside is ok ..


It is mainly because we have been unable to and we let him do his stuff in one corner in his play pen.


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## danielblackmore (May 29, 2012)

shivampaw said:


> It is mainly because we have been unable to and we let him do his stuff in one corner in his play pen.


It's not hard to house train a dog. It takes time, patience and consistency.


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## shivampaw (Mar 16, 2013)

danielblackmore said:


> It's not hard to house train a dog. It takes time, patience and consistency.


Also we are sometimes out of the house so not sure how.


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## hippymama (Jul 26, 2012)

shivampaw said:


> It is mainly because we have been unable to and we let him do his stuff in one corner in his play pen.


do you mean because you don't have a garden? you need to teach him to go where you will expect him to go as an adult , once he gets into the habit of weeing and pooing in his play pen it will be hard to retrain him to go outside .

just take him out every 40mins ish and when he wee's or poo's give him lots of praise and treats , if you have to leave him make sure he's done a wee ect then pop him in his crate (once he's used to being in it ) , you mention you are away to see family for 6 hours ? puppies can not be left that long on their own do you have someone to come in and check him , take him to the toilet ect ?


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## shivampaw (Mar 16, 2013)

hippymama said:


> do you mean because you don't have a garden? you need to teach him to go where you will expect him to go as an adult , once he gets into the habit of weeing and pooing in his play pen it will be hard to retrain him to go outside .
> 
> just take him out every 40mins ish and when he wee's or poo's give him lots of praise and treats , if you have to leave him make sure he's done a wee ect then pop him in his crate (once he's used to being in it ) , you mention you are away to see family for 6 hours ? puppies can not be left that long on their own do you have someone to come in and check him , take him to the toilet ect ?


No we have a big garden but we are not always with him so we made the play pen like his 'room.'


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## hippymama (Jul 26, 2012)

shivampaw said:


> No we have a big garden but we are not always with him so we made the play pen like his 'room.'


if you want him to be toilet trained he needs someone with him most of the time to start with . could you get a friend or dog walker in to help ?
how long is he left for ?


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## danielblackmore (May 29, 2012)

shivampaw said:


> Also we are sometimes out of the house so not sure how.


Sorry I not trying to be rude just trying to understand so I can to help . Sorry if it came out that way.

Are you in the house more than your not? There are plenty of resources online to crate toilet training. Have a search of this forum as well to guides. There are lots of experienced owners that have made contributions to issues.

Surely you would have researched all of this before getting the puppy? About the time you need to train them etc?

Are you walking him? Giving him mental stimulation in the form of training and kongs etc?


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## shivampaw (Mar 16, 2013)

danielblackmore said:


> Sorry I not trying to be rude just trying to understand so I can to help . Sorry if it came out that way.
> 
> Are you in the house more than your not? There are plenty of resources online to crate toilet training. Have a search of this forum as well to guides. There are lots of experienced owners that have made contributions to issues.
> 
> ...


Don't worry I am not taking it rudely. We are mostly in the house as my mum is normally at home when I am at school. We just thought it is better to have it in his play pen corner. One thing I do not get is when we are away how will he go out to poo?

Not sure what you mean by stimulating but yes we play with him and walk him.


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## hippymama (Jul 26, 2012)

shivampaw said:


> Don't worry I am not taking it rudely. We are mostly in the house as my mum is normally at home when I am at school. We just thought it is better to have it in his play pen corner. One thing I do not get is when we are away how will he go out to poo?
> 
> Not sure what you mean by stimulating but yes we play with him and walk him.


when you go out you will need to make sure he has wee'd and poo'd before you go then once he feels happy being shut in his crate he will try and hold it because he wont want to go on his bed


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## shivampaw (Mar 16, 2013)

hippymama said:


> when you go out you will need to make sure he has wee'd and poo'd before you go then once he feels happy being shut in his crate he will try and hold it because he wont want to go on his bed


Very well explained thank you all for your help!


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## hippymama (Jul 26, 2012)

this might be useful Toilet training and socialisation - The Kennel Club


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## Jazzy (Apr 15, 2009)

shivampaw said:


> We understand that but the problem is is he so small! He doesn't seem to mind a short time up to about 1 hour but after that if nobody comes he gets upset. Tonight we have got a family function in Leicester, away for 6 hours! Leave him in a Play Pen because we keep his toys there and his food and water and it also means he can't soil the whole house. We hope we can get him to roam free when he is bigger and house trained.
> 
> We try to take him out of there when we can but sometimes when I am at school and my parents are at work it can be up to 4 hours. Normally my mum is at home and she play with him a little.
> 
> Any suggestions on house training? And any suggestions on how to stop him biting me?


All puppies bite when they are young, I know it hurts with those needle sharp teeth but he will grow out of it.  
What you really need to do is feed him and then take him right out into the garden until he performs (do not leave him, stay with him and give him loads of praise when he does it )and also as soon as he wakes up after sleeping. You are bound to have accidents in the house, just ignore him, don't shout at him and clean them up with biological washing powder in hot water to remove the smell. Don't teach him to toilet indoors at all because he will never get the message if you are letting him do it sometimes, he needs to be taught that the garden is where you want him to go.
This book is a good book and I'm sure it will help you The Perfect Puppy: Britain&#39;s Number One Puppy Care Book: Amazon.co.uk: Gwen Bailey: Books


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

shivampaw said:


> Hi,
> 
> We bought a Bichon Frise when he was 9 weeks old.
> 
> ...


Chewing is normal for pups although some do it more then others granted. What toys has he got, if he is just left with a pile of inanimate toys all the time and they are always there, then they soon get bored with them. You need to get something that is rewarding to chew. Kong classics are good, if he is on wet you can put wet food in there from his allowance. If on dry you can get him a kong wobler or busy buddy, the classics and busy buddy you can fill with different things too to keep their interest. Chews too are more tasy and rewarding and should satisfy his need to chew too and exercise his jaws, its also a detresser.
Recipes - Kong

Wobbler Dog Toy | Dog food fillable toy for paced eating | Kong Co.

Busy Buddy Twist-n-Treat - YouTube

Buster DogMaze - YouTube

https://www.antlerdogchews.co.uk/easy-antler-dog-chew-extra-large

Not only will they give him somehing to do chewing wise, they also provide physical and metal stimulation.



> 2) He sometimes bites me and growls while he does it. (He mainly does this with me and rarely with others. When he is play biting me it is fine but sometimes he bites really hard.)


Puppies bite in play and to instigate play with litter mates, they usually do it to humans for attention, when over excited more, and when they are tired and wont quit. Most is likely attention, you need to ensure that you dont reward the biting, even repeatedly saying no, pushing him down, looking at him and making eye contact, are all forms of acknowledging him when he does it. Try folding your arms turning your back and as your turning say OFF, keep turned away, and look at the ceiling and stay still, and ignore him, until he has stopped and then call him to you get him to sit for a treat and give him attention, if he starts again repeat it and keep repeating it ifl you have too. He should learn that biting gets him nothing. If he wont stop anytime then pop him somewhere alone and leave him to calm down, let him out continue to ignore him for a further minute to make sure he has calmed down and stopped and then get him to sit give him a treat and give him attention.
If he has learned bite inihibition in the litter a high pitched yelp like a pup in pay should perhaps stop him. If he dint learn bite inhibition with mum and litter mates it wont or some it can make them do it more. Try that but if it doesnt work after a few attampts then abandon that idea.



> 3) He gets really upset and angry when he is left alone, he soils his play pen.


Giving him something like the things mentioned earlier should give him something to do and keep busy. Also things that often help are giving him an old t-shirt or jumper you have worn in his bed so they have your smell for comfort and assurance can help. Also pups sleep touching and together in the litter a lot of the time so an old large stuffed toy to cuddle up to can comfort them too. Leaving a radio on a talking station turned down low can help too sometimes as the sound of voices is more comforting and assuring then silence. Also using adaptil plug in phermone difussers can calm and comfort them. If you want to read more on these and how they work.
Adaptil helps dogs and puppys learn settle travel and in kennels
You need too aswell, start to teach him how to cope, starting with short periods and leave him when you are in, returning at first when before he gets stressed and vocal, let him out and ignore him for a further minute and then call him to you with lots of praise and attention. You then build up the time gradually a bit at a time when you are in as he learns to cope. Always leaving him with something to make a good association with being left and to amuse him, from the list of suggestions above. You then build up the time a bit by bit so he learns to cope and that also leaving means you will always return.
Its best too, to make sure that he has a walk and some exercise before being left, as he will have gotten rid of excess energy, and be tired and more ready to settle.



> 4) He can go a bit mad sometimes - running around the room up and down like a yo-yo.


All pups do this from time to time its usually over excitement and excess energy, Try to channel it into something more constructive like doing some training and teaching him the basics, or take him out in the garden and play a ball game, training and playing gets rid of excess energy and gives mental and physical stimulation after this they are usually happy to settle with something and self amuse and then wind down and rest. In fact taking him out and doing some play/combined training sessions 2 or 3 times a day, even for only 10/15 minutes, will help you gain overall control and give him something constructive to do. They need more then just walks for physical exercise and stimulation too as important as regular walks and exercise are.



> 5) *He does not understand 'no' and we are finding it difficult to teach him it as nothing is working!*


The word no is just Blah Blah Blah to a dog on its own. As suggested above do some training sessions teaching him the basic commands and reward with praise and treats when he has gotten it right, you can then use those commands when he has learnt them. it also improves bonding and trust with you and the family. Consider maybe taking him to training classes, it will give him socialisation with other people and dogs, you will also have a trainer to teach you and you can practice what you learn at the training classes at your regular training sessions at home through the week. Welcome to APDT - Association of Pet Dog Trainers UK should find a trainer and classes in your area.



> We are not trying to make him do his poo outside yet, we are trying to get him to do it in one corner in his play pen. We are using training pads.
> 
> Any help would be appreciated.


Training pads just teach him that its ok to go in the house, if you have a garden personally I would ditch the training pads and begin to teach him to go outside. You need to take him out every 30/45 minutes, when he starts to go, then use a word you choose, used all the time, he will eventually associate the word with toileting and once he has later you can use it as a toilet cue command often getting them to toilet on command. When he has finished lots of praise and treats to re-enforce he has got it right. They need to go too usually after drinking eating play and sleeping so take him out then.
If he has an accident dont tell him off, it can make them nervous about going in front of you and more likely to sneak off and do it. Also any accidents clean up with a special pet stain/odour remover, as any smell left will encourage repeats in the same places. Look out for circling sniffin or scratching about at the floor its often a sign they are looking to go, so get him out quick. You sometimes dont see this until later though as they dont always recognise the need to go when younger or realise too late.
At night if he is within sight and sound of you then pop him out when he wakes or stirs, if he isnt then set an alarm once or twice and pop him ot to toilet that way. its not too long usually before they start to go through until morning anyway.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

shivampaw said:


> We understand that but the problem is is he so small! He doesn't seem to mind a short time up to about 1 hour but after that if nobody comes he gets upset. Tonight we have got a family function in Leicester, away for 6 hours!* Leave him in a Play Pen because we keep his toys there and his food and water and it also means he can't soil the whole house. We hope we can get him to roam free when he is bigger and house trained.*
> 
> *We try to take him out of there when we can but sometimes when I am at school and my parents are at work it can be up to 4 hours. Normally my mum is at home and she play with him a little.*
> 
> Any suggestions on house training? And any suggestions on how to stop him biting me?


How long out of each 24 hours is he in the playpen aside from when you do really have to go out and leave him?

If he spends most of his time in the playpen even when there is someone there, that may be a lot of your problem.

Pups need periods of interaction and activity followed by periods of wind down time and self amusement inbetween so they learn to cope alone and rest. If he is spending a good deal of time confined to the playpen, then that may account for a lot of his behaviour, he needs interaction and mental and physical stimulation in the way of walks, training and play sessions, and when he is in there things he can self amuse himself with, to wind down and then rest and sleep. If his day isnt balanced apart from the times he really has to be left alone, then that may be a lot of your problems. He also needs to be actively taken out and toilet trained too, at least when you are in or someones there regularly or you are never going to teach him that toileting outside is the only acceptable place to go.

Also where is his play pen, is it situated where the family spends most of their time? If it isnt and is out of the way, that too may be contributing, and explain when he is let out, he goes wild with over excitement at times.


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## shivampaw (Mar 16, 2013)

Sled dog hotel said:


> How long out of each 24 hours is he in the playpen aside from when you do really have to go out and leave him?
> 
> If he spends most of his time in the playpen even when there is someone there, that may be a lot of your problem.
> 
> ...


His play pen is quite near the kitchen so not far from everyone.

1) We leave the house at 7 20 AM for school and my dad goes to work. My mum is normally at home so she is always checking him and playing with him. We get back at 5PM and sometimes my Dad is back first so we play with him more.

2) My dad takes him to the office with him which he enjoys and runs about in.

3) We are all out of the house and he stays in the play pen for normally not longer than 2 - 3 hours.

Thanks for the great answer!


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## shivampaw (Mar 16, 2013)

As you all think we should house break him out side I would like to ask you one question.

What is the best way to let him free in the house?

We do not want him going upstairs in case he falls between the rails, we do not want him in worship rooms like the temple. And preferably not in the kitchen running around like a yo yo when mum is trying to cook. How do you think we can accomplish this.

We would like to have him free but because he chews on everything he is ripping the curtains and pulling the rugs. How can we stop him doing bad behaviour and let him free to roam in the house.

As he is small we thought a play pen will work quite well.

He can go In the living room, in the guest room, the garage and his play pen. 

Thanks


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## Wiz201 (Jun 13, 2012)

Use a child gate to stop him from going upstairs and in areas you don't want. That way he can still see you and the separation anxiety will reduce.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

shivampaw said:


> As you all think we should house break him out side I would like to ask you one question.
> 
> What is the best way to let him free in the house?
> 
> ...


I would think about getting a couple of baby gates, mother care do some white coated metal ones that have the bars close together and as he is small he wont be able to jump over them. You can place one on the stairs and maybe one on the kitchen door, or where its most convenient to confine him depending on the lay out of your house. He can still go in his pen when your mum has to do things and really cant watch him inbetween thats fine, but when she isnt he can then be let out. Im sure that if she and the family really concentrate on taking him out and do the toilet training it wont be too long before he gets it, and with some of the other things mentioned to keep him busy and satisfy the need to chew and keep him occupied and periods of training/walks/play inbetween periods of self amusement and wind down time inbetween he will be a much happier dog and his behaviour should get a lot better. Training alone will help show him what you want him to do too. Have you considered taking him to a training class, its only once a week usually, it will also give him some socialisation with people and other dogs, you will have a trainer to show you what to do and, help with any problems you may have, and you can then practise what you have learned during the week at his home training sessions.

Welcome to APDT - Association of Pet Dog Trainers UK is one organisation that if you check you should be able to find a class in your area hopefully, there are other good associations too.


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## shivampaw (Mar 16, 2013)

Thanks for the help and we will look at the baby gates however there is one room which is down that has no door and has a long opening in the shape of an arch. I am guessing we cannot keep him away from there or is there a way?


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## shivampaw (Mar 16, 2013)

Hi guys,

It has got better BUT with the house training it is getting worse! Over the Easter and on weekends when everyone is at home we have been taking Champ - our pup - outside for he potty time. However he will not go even if we wait 40 minutes. 

Then when we come back in he goes to his play pen and wees! What do you recommend?

Also recently he is ripping up his pads so now he is even pooing and weeing on the carpet!

Please help with this.

Thanks


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## hippymama (Jul 26, 2012)

shivampaw said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> It has got better BUT with the house training it is getting worse! Over the Easter and on weekends when everyone is at home we have been taking Champ - our pup - outside for he potty time. However he will not go even if we wait 40 minutes.
> 
> ...


oh dear  , im afraid he is weeing inside because that where you've taught him he's supposed to go 

have you tried putting a puppy pad outside , it will just take patience im afraid however long it takes just stand outside and wait for him to go then give him loads of treats and praise when he goes .

also if you want him to go outside then don't give him the chance to wee or poo inside , clean the areas he has used to toilet with washing powder (bio) to remove the smell which is encouraging him to wee there , remove the puppy pads all together as they are obviously confusing the matter and stick to a rigid routine of taking him out every 20-30 minutes to start with and when he wakes up and after he's finished playing and after eating and drinking ....

good luck x


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

shivampaw said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> It has got better BUT with the house training it is getting worse! Over the Easter and on weekends when everyone is at home we have been taking Champ - our pup - outside for he potty time. However he will not go even if we wait 40 minutes.
> 
> ...


If you are still using pads then thats probably your problem, he is likely confused and still thinks that inside is the place to go as they are acting like a cue to him. How often are you taking him out? Frequently for shorter periods is better then infrequently for longer periods usually. You need to take him out every 3o/45 minutes probably nearer the 30mins at first. He obviously associates pads and his play pen as a toileting area if he is coming back and doing it in the play pen as thats all he has ever known previously and still thinks its the corect place he shold be doing it. If the play pen hasnt got a floor, have yo tried buying sheets of thick plastic or the plastic coated tarpaulin you can get and put that uner the playpen at least if he does have an accident its going to be easier to clean up and save the carpet.

You need to take him out too after drinking, eating, play and sleeping as usually they need to go then. You only need one or two successes outside to start so that you can start the cue word when he starts and the praise and treats to re-enforce outside is the correct place to go.

Also try taking out a ball or toy into the garden with you and throw the toy or ball, exercise and running about often brings on the need to go and relaxes them so you often find that they will just absent mindedly squat and start to go, then you can use the cue word when he starts and the praise and treats when he finishes.


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## shivampaw (Mar 16, 2013)

Thanks for the reply.

We take him when he starts sniffing around. After he eats we play with him and when he sniffs we take him out. And one day we took the pads away he went in and urinated where they were! He goes out and we try to use the puppy aid spray but he sniffs it and moves on. When we make him run in the garden he tries to get back in and signals he needs the toilet when he does this one of us get his lead and spray and try to get to to urinate - but he waits. Currently the pads are there because mentioned above does it where they used to be.


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## shivampaw (Mar 16, 2013)

Thanks for the reply.

We take him when he starts sniffing around. After he eats we play with him and when he sniffs we take him out. And one day we took the pads away he went in and urinated where they were! He goes out and we try to use the puppy aid spray but he sniffs it and moves on. When we make him run in the garden he tries to get back in and signals he needs the toilet when he does this one of us get his lead and spray and try to get to to urinate - but he waits. Currently the pads are there because mentioned above does it where they used to be.


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## shivampaw (Mar 16, 2013)

All the info you are all giving is really helpful and we are trying but still not luck.

Do you think there is another alternative to outside housebreaking eg. litter box training?


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

shivampaw said:


> All the info you are all giving is really helpful and we are trying but still not luck.
> 
> Do you think there is another alternative to outside housebreaking eg. litter box training?


Is he still spending most of his time in the pen? and how often are you taking him out, are you doing it constantly all the time to give you the best chance of getting one out in the garden? You only need one or two to set you off on the right road to toilet training.

You can get indoor dog loos but is that the way you really want to go, you then have to train him to use them anyway, so likely you are going to have accidents still while doing that too.


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## shivampaw (Mar 16, 2013)

Sled dog hotel said:


> Is he still spending most of his time in the pen? and how often are you taking him out, are you doing it constantly all the time to give you the best chance of getting one out in the garden? You only need one or two to set you off on the right road to toilet training.
> 
> You can get indoor dog loos but is that the way you really want to go, you then have to train him to use them anyway, so likely you are going to have accidents still while doing that too.


Hi,

He spends some time in his play pen and some out side free in the house. For all his wees and poops today we have taken him out but he waits till he is in the play pen. If we get an indoor loo do you think if we put it where te pads are it will work?


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## hippymama (Jul 26, 2012)

shivampaw said:


> Hi,
> 
> He spends some time in his play pen and some out side free in the house. For all his wees and poops today we have taken him out but he waits till he is in the play pen. If we get an indoor loo do you think if we put it where te pads are it will work?


perhaps look at taking the play pen away if you want him to be doing his business outside you need to be really on the ball with it ,its easier if to start if you don't leave him unsupervised at all , and if you need to leave him make sure he's toileted first.
it will be very hard work for a few weeks til he gets the idea but its worth it in the long run.. how old is he now ? 
have you thought about crate training him so that overnight and when you cant watch him he has just his bed inside a dog cage/crate the idea being that he wont want to wee or poo on his bed.
other wise it really is a case of don't bring him inside til he's been for a wee and lots of praise when he wees outside ..


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## shivampaw (Mar 16, 2013)

hippymama said:


> perhaps look at taking the play pen away if you want him to be doing his business outside you need to be really on the ball with it ,its easier if to start if you don't leave him unsupervised at all , and if you need to leave him make sure he's toileted first.
> it will be very hard work for a few weeks til he gets the idea but its worth it in the long run.. how old is he now ?
> have you thought about crate training him so that overnight and when you cant watch him he has just his bed inside a dog cage/crate the idea being that he wont want to wee or poo on his bed.
> other wise it really is a case of don't bring him inside til he's been for a wee and lots of praise when he wees outside ..


We wouldn't take his play pen away as he loves it and enjoys the space. At night he toilets in his crate most of the time and the rare time he doesn't we praise him a lot. One time over these holidays I was out for just under an hour circling with him but he just won't do it. We have tried the pad today for his before bed toilet but he sniffed it and moved on. What do you think of on indoor toilet.

We have looked at litter boxes that auto clean like the "AnyPotty automatic dog cleaning toilet". What do you think?


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## hippymama (Jul 26, 2012)

shivampaw said:


> We wouldn't take his play pen away as he loves it and enjoys the space. At night he toilets in his crate most of the time and the rare time he doesn't we praise him a lot. One time over these holidays I was out for just under an hour circling with him but he just won't do it. We have tried the pad today for his before bed toilet but he sniffed it and moved on. What do you think of on indoor toilet.
> 
> We have looked at litter boxes that auto clean like the "AnyPotty automatic dog cleaning toilet". What do you think?


personally its not really something I would want to use to be honest , but its up to you . you will still have to train him to use it though . if you want him to go outside you really just need to wait it out , my puppy was reluctant to go outside to do his business when we had snow but he soon realised that once he'd been for a wee he got to go in and warm up  it might take a few hours of standing around outside waiting but he'll go eventually and when he does make sure you give him lots of fuss and treats


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## shivampaw (Mar 16, 2013)

hippymama said:


> personally its not really something I would want to use to be honest , but its up to you . you will still have to train him to use it though . if you want him to go outside you really just need to wait it out , my puppy was reluctant to go outside to do his business when we had snow but he soon realised that once he'd been for a wee he got to go in and warm up  it might take a few hours of standing around outside waiting but he'll go eventually and when he does make sure you give him lots of fuss and treats


Hours! 

Also isn't it a bit mean to make him stand up for hours sniffing 

If you were in my situation:

At school all day parents at work but Mum checks him and plays with him a lot but does not take him poo and wee. would you get an indoor toilet to go inside his play pen?

I am very confused as to what to do.


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## hippymama (Jul 26, 2012)

shivampaw said:


> Hours!
> 
> Also isn't it a bit mean to make him stand up for hours sniffing
> 
> ...


I don't think its mean no , do you have a garden or are you having to take him out everytime he needs to go ?

is your mum at home with him in the day ? he shouldn't really be left very long on his own he needs someone with him most of the time at his age 
where ever you want him to toilet you are going to have to train him to so he knows where he's supposed to go , even if you but an indoor toilet tray he wont know that's where he's supposed to wee you have to train him to use it  I personally would rather put the effort in now because I wouldn't want a dog pooing and weeing inside my house ...


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

shivampaw said:


> Hours!
> 
> Also isn't it a bit mean to make him stand up for hours sniffing
> 
> ...


If your at school and your parents are at work, apart from your mum checking on him and playing with him, so a lot of the time he is in the pen when unattended it sounds like he is very confused and thinks thats the place to do it. Also why doesnt your Mum take him out to poo and wee? They need to be taken out constantly and regularly and after drinking,, eating, playing and sleeping too when they most usually need to go. Frequently for a shorter period is usually better then infrequently and staying out for a long time.

If he is only being taken out at weekends when everyones there mostly and doing it in the pen the rest of the time, then his probably totally confused.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

Also does he get told off for toileting accidents? if he does then that may be your problem to it can make them nervous about going in front of you too, and more likely to go off and try to do it when your not about.


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## shivampaw (Mar 16, 2013)

Sled dog hotel said:


> If your at school and your parents are at work, apart from your mum checking on him and playing with him, so a lot of the time he is in the pen when unattended it sounds like he is very confused and thinks thats the place to do it. Also why doesnt your Mum take him out to poo and wee? They need to be taken out constantly and regularly and after drinking,, eating, playing and sleeping too when they most usually need to go. Frequently for a shorter period is usually better then infrequently and staying out for a long time.
> 
> If he is only being taken out at weekends when everyones there mostly and doing it in the pen the rest of the time, then his probably totally confused.


We started outside training over the easter but before she was not as confident with him but now she is better and will do it.



Sled dog hotel said:


> Also does he get told off for toileting accidents? if he does then that may be your problem to it can make them nervous about going in front of you too, and more likely to go off and try to do it when your not about.


No we NEVER tell him off. All we do is say "No in a firm voice if we catch him doing it but if we don't see him do it we just clean it."


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## hippymama (Jul 26, 2012)

shivampaw said:


> We started outside training over the easter but before she was not as confident with him but now she is better and will do it.
> 
> No we NEVER tell him off. All we do is say "No in a firm voice if we catch him doing it but if we don't see him do it we just clean it."


rather than saying 'no' i'd just distract with a fun voice and say 'outside' and run outside with him


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## shivampaw (Mar 16, 2013)

hippymama said:


> rather than saying 'no' i'd just distract with a fun voice and say 'outside' and run outside with him


Thanks for the advice, we will try this.

Does any have general advice about training him to do all kinds I stuff eg tricks, self control etc.

Also he is still biting me but not the other member of my family - why is this?


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## hippymama (Jul 26, 2012)

shivampaw said:


> Thanks for the advice, we will try this.
> 
> Does any have general advice about training him to do all kinds I stuff eg tricks, self control etc.
> 
> Also he is still biting me but not the other member of my family - why is this?


what have you taught him so far? 

Victoria stilwell has loads of basic puppy training videos that we found really helpful when we first got our pup , this is one about mouthing 
Puppy Mouthing (Training Basics) | Teacher&#39;s Pet With Victoria Stilwell - YouTube
also look up clicker training you can teach them all sorts of fun tricks once you get the basics 

do you have a local puppy class ? we are doing the kennel club good citizen award with ours at the moment Good Citizen Dog Training Scheme, the UK's largest dog training programme | The Kennel Club
it might be usefull for you to talk to a trainer in real life


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## shivampaw (Mar 16, 2013)

hippymama said:


> what have you taught him so far?
> 
> Victoria stilwell has loads of basic puppy training videos that we found really helpful when we first got our pup , this is one about mouthing
> Puppy Mouthing (Training Basics) | Teacher's Pet With Victoria Stilwell - YouTube
> ...


Thanks for this great info!  We are looking at classes but first maybe a bit of self control will help him :wink:

I will definately be looking at those videos.

He knows sit. We are teaching down, up, leave, off.


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## shivampaw (Mar 16, 2013)

Champ had something like a red jelly bean sticking out of his penis while I was playing with him. When I saw it after a few seconds it went back in.

It looked like a slightly curved red jelly bean. I think it is a Urethral Prolapse but my parents disagree and say there is no need for a vet.

I checked symptoms with this website Urethral Prolapse for Dogs and they match.

But my parents say it is because he is growing up.

What should I do?


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## ballybee (Aug 25, 2010)

Thats just his penis poking out, it happens and there's nothing to worry about


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

shivampaw said:


> Champ had something like a red jelly bean sticking out of his penis while I was playing with him. When I saw it after a few seconds it went back in.
> 
> It looked like a slightly curved red jelly bean. I think it is a Urethral Prolapse but my parents disagree and say there is no need for a vet.
> 
> ...


Dont panic its natural with dogs, its a part of the penis you dont often see or not all the time, it usually appears when they are excited and playing as pups and completely natural.


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## shivampaw (Mar 16, 2013)

Thank you both for your reply. Saved me a lot of worrying


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## shivampaw (Mar 16, 2013)

The day has finally come!

Today while we were walking Champ he did wee across the road. We praised him and and gave him treats. We took him for another walk later today and he did a poo in the same place! We praised him and gave him treats.

1) How can we stop him doing his stuff in the play pen and wait till we are home to take him out.


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## Jazzy (Apr 15, 2009)

How old is he now?
I don't really think you will be able to stop him messing in his playpen until he's much older. My oldest Bichon was 8 months old before he was fully house trained.


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## shivampaw (Mar 16, 2013)

6 Months what did u do?


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## Jazzy (Apr 15, 2009)

Well I just took him out in the garden after every meal, every sleep and eventually it just sort of clicked with him and he's nine years old now and is a really clean little dog, he never does anything in the house at all and always asks to go out even when he feels sick he heads for the door. 

Maybe the problem is the playpen, how long is he in it? I let my Bichon have the run of the downstairs when I was in and he went in the kitchen with a babygate when I was out although he did suffer from separation anxiety and used to wee and poo when I left him even for 30 mins but I got him out of that by not putting him in the kitchen when I went out and letting him in the living room so he could see through the window and he was fine then.

He now has the run of the house though and sleeps in his bed at the side of our bed and our other Bichon sleeps next to him.


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## rose (Apr 29, 2009)

I have just read through this thread and think it wrong, expecting a puppy to sit in a pen for hours and toilet in the corner?
A puppy should only really be crated at night for safety and not encouraged to soil it at all. Not really fair to have a pup with no one to be with it to feed and take it outside for regular loo breaks. My son bought a pup at Christmas and she has been dropped off at my home every week day so there was someone there when she needed a wee. She was pretty much clean by 4 months, only seldom accidents at 5 months and none now at 7 months. I think you will have to start from the beginning again and perhaps have a few days off to be at home 24 hours. Hard work!


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## shivampaw (Mar 16, 2013)

We have half term this week 

What should we do? we have this week to get him sorted. He seems to be fine in his play pen for upto 1-2 hours.

He gets up at 6.30 breakfast at 6.45
Lunch 12.30
Dinner 5.30
Bed 8.30


Inbetween he has 2'walks he is in the kitchen a lot when we are downstairs and then he runs in thr garden.

Because we aren't always downstairs or un the kitchen to supervise him that is why we have a play pen how should we supervise and keep him away from dangerous things.


Thanks


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## Beccahhhh (Nov 25, 2012)

shivampaw said:


> We have half term this week
> 
> What should we do? we have this week to get him sorted. He seems to be fine in his play pen for upto 1-2 hours.
> 
> ...


People may disagree with me, but I think its not a good idea to keep him in a pen to stop him getting into trouble, as what will you do one day if you forget and he doesn't know that he is not allowed to do things, if that makes sense? My jrt is crate trained, but I don't lock her in anymore and she just goes in on her own when I go out, I haven't crate trained my dachshund but he will also go in when I go out and stay in there until I get back without being told


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## shivampaw (Mar 16, 2013)

Today he did 5 wees in the front garden.

I take him out and get him used to going out. How can we let him free in the house? What I mean is there is a big room on the ground floor which has no door but a big entrance. We don't want him in there as it is a special room how can we stop him? Also how can we get him to wait by the door when he wants to go out?

How can we crate train him to do all the above? And what is the best way to scrap the play pen but leave him secure and happy with all his toys in his crate.

Thanks.


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## shivampaw (Mar 16, 2013)

He did his first poo outside today which is good any reply to the above question


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## Peggie Staples (Mar 11, 2016)

shivampaw said:


> Hi,
> 
> We bought a Bichon Frise when he was 9 weeks old.
> 
> ...


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