Need advice on House Training

[jahdu]

Hi all,

We picked up our 7week old puppy last weekend and she has settled in well into our family.
We have Jahdu restricted to the dining area which is connected to the garden. Her crate is in this area too.
Going forward I want Jahdu to be free to roam around the house (except upstairs), so whilst my wife and I are doing our own thing, she can mingle with us. However I don't want to do this until she is house trained (as dining room has laminated flooring and rest of the house is carpeted). Also, I want her to know her own sleeping area is the crate and not under our coffee table on the rug.
On day 2, we decided to let her roam free in the house, however at night time barricade her off into the dining area with a baby gate. She cried all night once we did this. So my thoughts were to keep her in the dining area permanently until she is house trained, then maybe at week 15 or however long it takes, we can let her back into the main house. Plus in this way, she will know for certain where her sleeping area is.

Do you feel this is the right plan of action? Or do you feel we should start letting her into the house freely now, then we were aren't around, barricade her back into her dining room area?
I want to do what's best for Jahdu and definitely don't want her to feel like she is being punished each time we place her in her dining area. Also, don't want her crying all night, like she did the other day.

On another note, she has starting biting at our fingers and our shoes. When I tap her on the bum or nose and shout No!, she'll either continue or give another quick nip, then stop. Do you have a sure way to stop her doing this biting. Someone suggested I roll a newspaper up and when she bites, I should hit her lightly on her back. Not sure this is the right course of action.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

[kjd]

Hi, Jahdu.

You are expecting a lot from a 7-wk-old puppy!

Rather than punish her for nipping, give her something she can chew on. When she starts to nip, tell her no and offer her the chew toy. While teething, she needs to chew.

If you want to housetrain her, don't give her the whole dining room to use. Partition off a portion that you have covered with newspapers or puppy pads. This protects you from disaster. Then take her out frequently: after sleeping, eating, playing.

She is crying because she misses her mother and siblings. Sometimes a warm water bottle and a ticking clock will help. You might also give her an old shirt with your smell on it, so she can get used to you.

You really expect her never to use the rug for a nap? Good luck! Once she has the run of the house, she will probably nap on the rug so she can be near you. She may consider the crate her bed, but wherever you are is the best place for daytime naps.

Don't hit her for nipping. I've a cousin who boasts about how his family hit the pup on the nose whenever it did something they didn't like. Then he couldn't understand why the dog disappeared as soon as they came home! You want your dog to love you. You don't spank an infant; don't spank a dog. Show your dog what you want. Be consistent. She'll learn and she'll learn to trust you. That will be a tremendous help if you ever have to doctor her or take away something that tastes good but is dangerous.

Good luck,
kjd

[jahdu]

Thanks KJD,

I've been advised from the breeder to remove all water after 22:00 (approx when we go to bed) so there are no accidents in the night. Also to restrict her into the dining area (where her crate is) at night time. During the day she is allowed to roam free in the house where we can keep an eye on her closely and if she tries to eliminate in the house, we can correct her straight away.
She also advised on not hitting, when the pup is doing something wrong, to startle her, by clapping and making a loud noise.. then saying No, firmly.

Is it advisable to keep her restricted to the dining area when I'm away at work also? Don't really want to come back home after work to clean the carpet!

Cheers

[kjd]

jahdu,

If you cannot watch her, she should be confined. Otherwise, you may find yourself yelling at her because the carpet is wet, your important papers have been chewed up and strewn around -- it is amazing what mischief a puppy can get into! Since she is in the chewing stage, she might decide to chew on an electric cord. You want to protect both the house and her. Puppy-proof the dining room before you leave her alone in there. At night, she is more apt to be asleep. During the day, she is going to be exploring. Make sure there is nothing in the dining room that can hurt her and nothing that she can hurt. It would also be a good idea to have someone pop in every couple of hours to check on her and let her potty.

kjd

[jahdu]

Both my wife and I will be taking it in turns to pop home at lunchtime to feed her, however I'll be leaving the garden patio door open through out the day (live in a safe area and good neighbours).
Have noticed though, she has stopped pooping in the house if the door is open for her to go into the garden, however she will continue to wee in the dining area (even though she has access to the garden). Have seen her doing this a few times and have corrected her. Just hope it sinks in!
Have her with us in the living area now, she's been napping all day.. I have a sneaky feeling when we put her in the dining area tonight and restrict access to the rest of the house, she will be whining. Just hope its not all night again!!

[kjd]

I think you have one smart dog. In a few years, you will consider her the best dog ever!