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Keep
Puppy Toilet Training Simple
Dr Sing
Kong Yuen, BVMS (Glasgow), MRCVS
Written: 29 June 2009
Updated:
10 July, 2009
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DRAFT Email No. 1
From: ...@hotmail.com>
Subject: first time dog owner
enquiries
To:
judy@toapayohvets.com
Date: Sunday, June 28, 2009, 5:49 PM
Hi Dr Sing
I read a lot about dog training on
your website and they were extremely
educational! Thank you for the
useful advices.
I am a first time dog owner and is
expecting my male golden retriever
of 2 months old to arrive in about 2
weeks time. I have done alot of
reading up and researchs. I am
living in a 2 storey landed
property. The playpen is made up of
4 corners in my porch, measuring
about 150cm x 150cm. It's
poop
scoop will also be within the
play pen but placed on the opposite
side of the sofa bed since puppies
love a clean area to sleep at. As it
is still a puppy and untrained, i
intend to lay the whole playpen area
with only newspapers and poop scoop
first. until it is toilet trained, i
will introduce the sofa bed and
replace the newspapers on the floor
with rubber mat.
IS
THE POOP SCOOP A PEE-PAN?
As the following below are based on
what i understand, please do correct
me if I'm wrong.
1. We will try to make the journey
(car ride) back home a pleasant one
so as to ease the puppy's
stress. Confine him to his play pen
to let him familiarise with the new
environment and strictly no rough
play between 2-3days to prevent
stress. Feed him at
regular timings(3x/day, last meal
and water at 7pm) from the start to
estimate his elimination time.
Whenever he's going to eliminate,
quickly place him on the
poo
scoop (with
toilet training aid sprayed
on it) and firmly say 'pee here'.
Reward/praise him if he has done
so. If not, pat on his back and
sternly say 'No'. Repeat this
training as often as we can until
he can successfully eliminate on the
poo scoop himself. Till then,
replace those newspapers on the
floor with rubber mat. If he
accidentally eliminate on wrong
areas, use white vinegar and
water(1:4) to remove smell.
KEEP TOILET TRAINING IN PLAY PEN
SIMPLE.
I ADVISE THAT YOU COVER THE FLOOR
AND THE POOP SCOOP (PEE PAN) 100%
FOR THE FIRST 1-3 DAYS. SEE WHICH
CORNER THE PUPPY ELIMINATES. REDUCE
NEWSPAPERS TO THAT 'DIRTY AREA'.
KEEP THE SLEEPING AREA VERY CLEAN.
CHANGE PAPERS REGULARLY AND AS SOON
AS IT IS SOILED.
*Is it okay if I do not clear up his
accidental mess (before he is toilet
trained) from 12am-8am since it's my
sleeping time?
NOT OK BUT THIS IS NOT PRACTICAL
ADVICE AS YOU NEED TO SLEEP. IF A
PERSON CAN SLEEP NEAR THE PUPPY AND
CHANGE THE SOILED PAPERS AT THAT
TIME, THE PUPPY CAN BE PAPER-TRAINED
SUCCESSFULLY IN <7 DAYS (IN SOME
CASES).
Will his health be affected? NO
In what cases will the puppy eat or
step on its own poo? How can we
prevent this? AT FIRST 7 DAYS, IF
YOU GIVE SUFFICIENT SPACE FOR THE
PUPPY TO SLEEP, UNLIKELY TO STEP ON
POO IN MOST CASES. EATING POO IS A
HABIT IN A FEW PUPPIES. YOURS MAY
NOT DO IT. PREVENTION IS BY REMOVAL
OF POO IMMEDIATELY AND OTHER METHODS
ARE NOT SO SUCCESSFUL.
2. After he feels comfortable and
secure already(gets excited when he
sees me), engage him with obedience
trainings and daily walks around the
neighbourhood. Call out his name
frequently until he can look or
respond to me, afterwhich reward
him. Keep these trainings to 15mins
each time, 3 times a day, since
puppies have short concentration.
ROUTINE IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR
PUPPIES AND CHILDREN TOO. GET A
TIME TABLE TO DO THE FEEDING,
EXERCISES AND TRAINING.
*Must we teach him to 'sit' on one
day, 'stay' on another day or we can
mix them together? Like teaching him
how to 'sit' 'stay' 'go' in 1 day?
Which is recommended?
MUCH DEPENDS ON THE INTELLIGENCE OF
THE PUPPY. ALL 3 COMMANDS CAN BE
DONE IN ONE DAY AT DIFFERENT TIMES
3. I dont intend to let the dog into
my house. Do I train him similarly
like the above? Pat him and say
sternly 'No' if he tries to enter
and reward him if he stay put? YES
Will he eventually try his luck to
enter the house?
NO PUPPY WILL GIVE UP TRYING TO JOIN
THE PACK LEADER (YOU) BUT IF YOU ARE
FIRM AND HE IS INTELLIGENT, HE WILL
NOT DO SO LATER.
Also, I have a 1.2m deep fish pond
near the porch. I will use fences to
block up the area if i remove him
from play pen. Is there a fast
and effective way to train him not
to enter these areas?
NO QUICKIE METHOD UNFORTUNATELY.
PUPPIES TAKES 2-4 WEEKS TO LEARN IF
GIVEN LESSONS FREQUENTLY IN SHORT
5-10 MINUTES AND POSITIVE REWARDS
(FOOD TREATS BEST).
The pond is quite an issue as I have
an arowana which will
definitely injure my dog if he falls
in.
FENCE UP POND TO PREVENT PUPPY
DROWNING
4. I dont intend to put him on leash
him since he is still a puppy. I'll
start to leash him up when he can
jump out of the fence and start to
chew on objects. I will also
introduce the anti chew spray to
minimise the damages on my
properties. Until he is properly
trained, knowing exactly where it is
safe for him to wander about, I will
not leash him up.
CRATE HIM AT ALL TIMES WHEN YOU ARE
NOT AROUND TO SUPERVISE HIM.
*At what age will he start to chew
on things
AS EARLY AS HE CAN CHEW, FROM WEEK 4
ONWARDS
and should be sterilized?
6 MONTHS OR 3 MONTHS AFTER THE FIRST
HEAT. THAT IS MY PERSONAL OPINION.
After sterilization, what are the
changes in his temperaments, habits
and lifestyle?
A MALE WILL BE LESS AGGRESSIVE OR
WANTING TO URINE-MARK OR MOUNT
OBJECTS. BOTH FEMALE AND MALES WILL
BE LESS ACTIVE GENERALLY. IT DEPENDS
ON OWNER AND PUPPY INTERACTIONS AND
FEEDING. TOO MUCH TO EXPLAIN IN THIS
EMAIL.
5. At what age should he start the
heartworm prevention program?
DEPENDS ON YOUR VET BUT GENERALLY AT
BEFORE/AROUND 6 MONTHS.
To avoid ticks and fleas, it's best
to avoid dirty and long grassy
areas. It is best to comb and rub
some powder on him after walks.
CHECK PAWS FOR TICKS. DAILY GROOMING
TO CHECK FLEAS AND TICKS.
6. Can I feed him with a small bowl
of warm milk (the kind that i drink
but with min lactose) every night
before i go to sleep, which is
around 10-11pm?
SOME PUPPIES WILL NOT GET
DIARRHOEA WITH MILK BUT SOME
DO. DEPENDS ON PUPPY'S STOMACH
TOLERANCE TO MILK.
7. Can I feed him supplements
(glucosamine750mg and
chondroitin300mg, in liquid form) at
such a young age? I intend to give
him about 4ml a day together with
his food.
SOME PREMIUM DOG FEED CLAIMS
"COMPLETE DIET" AND NO NEED
SUPPLEMENTS. BEST TO CHECK PUPPY
FOOD YOU BUY.
8. If I want to change his diet, I
can only add increasing amount of
the new diet to his old diet each
day until the old diet is completely
replaced. The puppy might reject the
food if i were to change completely.
CHANGE SMALL AMOUNT E.G. 20%
GRADUALLY OVER 2 WEEKS.
9. Allow the puppy to rest about an
hour before taking him for a walk or
play with him. DEPENDS ON YOUR
ROUTINE/TIME-TABLE AND PUPPY'S
HEALTH AND ENERGY AND TIME OF THE
DAY.
10. I have a car parked in my porch.
Usually, the owner returns at night
and the engine sound is louder at
night. Will it affect the puppy's
hearing in long term? NO
 Will he get scared during the first
few days in my house? If so, how can
I solve this problem? NERVOUS
PERSONALITY TYPE WILL BE SCARED.
OBSERVE AND SEE. BE AROUND WHEN THE
CAR COMES INTO THE HOUSE AND GIVES
ASSURANCE.
I will appreciate greatly if i can
receive your reply soon. I can't
wait for my puppy's arrival, at the
same time, providing the best living
condition for him at my place.
Hope to hear from you soon.
IN CONCLUSION, KEEP TOILET TRAINING
SIMPLE AND GIVE A TIME-TABLE (ROUTINE
IS IMPORTANT ESP. FOR YOUNG PUPPIES
AND CHILDREN TO GIVE THEM A SENSE OF
SECURITY AND CONFIDENCE),
POSITIVE TRAINING, 5-10 MINUTE
OBEDIENCE TRAINING AND SPEND
TIME WITH THE YOUNG ONE.
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Email No. 2
Date: Monday, June 29, 2009, 1:12 PM
Hi Dr Sing
Thank you so much for your prompt
reply.
Yes, the poo scoop is his pee and
poo pan. As you mentioned, I should
cover the entire area with
newspapers including the pee pan and
monitor the area where he eliminates
for the first 1-3 days. Can I
replace that area with the pee pan
after that?
YES. THE NEWSPAPERS WILL THEN BE
COVERING THE PEE PAN. IN THAT WAY,
THE
FLOOR TILES ARE NOT SOILED.
THAT IS THE PURPOSE OF USING THE PEE
(AND POO) PAN. IN
TOILET TRAINING BOOKS, THE
WORD PEE PAN IS USED TO DESCRIBE THE
PRODUCT. OBVIOUSLY, SOME DOGS MAY
ALSO POO THERE.
When I bring my puppy for a walk, it
is common for him to eliminate
outside. When he is fully 'pee pan'
trained, will he ONLY eliminate on
the pee pan? YES, BUT WITH
POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT
TRAINING AND A ROUTINE AT THIS
IMPRESSIONABLE AGE.
For example, when i bring the dog
out, he will not eliminate outside,
instead eliminate the moment he
reaches home? A VERY COMMON
OBSERVATION BY OWNERS WHO HAVE
TOILET-TRAINED THEIR PUPPIES
INITIALLY ONTO PAPERS AND PEE PAN.
The best way for effective
toilet training, is to clean
up his mess as soon as possible and
'reward' him when he has done
correctly. At what age can we expect
a decrease in his elimination times?
AT AGE 6 MONTHS, EXPECT THE DOG TO
ELIMINATE 2-3 TIMES A DAY, AFTER
FEEDING (IN MANY DOGS) AND ON GOING
OUTDOORS. FEEDING WILL BE RESTRICTED
TO 10 MINUTES TWICE A DAY IN SUCH
CASES. WATER MAY BE FREELY
AVAILABLE. IN A FEW CASES, THE DOG
JUST WILL HOLD ITS URINE TILL THE
OWNER COMES HOME FROM WORK. IN OTHER
CASES, THE DOG WILL GO TO THE PAPERS
WHEN IT IS INDOORS OR WHEN IT RAINS
AND THE OWNER DOES NOT BRING IT
OUTDOORS TO ELIMINATE. SO, I CAN'T
GENERALISE.
Do up a routine timetable for
regular feeding, excercising and
sleeping. Do we need to leave a bowl
of water for the puppy to drink
before we sleep? NO, IF YOU WANT TO
TRAIN THE PUPPY TO CONTROL ITS
BLADDER OVERNIGHT.
Or can we give him water first thing
in the morning? YES, DURING
BREAKFAST. I intend to walk him
before he eats his first meal, is it
okay? YES. THIS ROUTINE TRAINS HIM
TO GO OUT TO ELIMINATE.
Which is better? Cold milk or warm
milk at night? NO DIFFERENCE IF THE
DOG IS NOT HAVING
DIARRHOEA DUE TO DRINKING
MILK.
He will be in his play pen, safely
secured with strong fences when no
one is around. I will leash him when
he's a little older, removing the
fences and when he's able to walk
about the porch with no damage, i
will let him roam freely. OK IF YOU
START
OBEDIENCE TRAINING TO AVOID
CHEWING OF PLANTS ETC NOW.
What will happen if a puppy is 'over
nourished'? EXCESSIVE MULTIVITAMIN
AND OTHER SUPPLEMENTATION OR FOOD
RESULTS IN UNEVEN GROWTH OF BONES
AND DEVELOPMENT.
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Email No. 3
Date: Thursday, July 9, 2009, 5:05 PM
Hi Dr Sing
Thank you for your previous replies.
My golden retriever puppy will be
home on Wed. He will be 9 weeks old.
I've been visiting him for the past
2 weeks. Out of the 4 pups, he is
the darkest and the biggest. He was
also the first pup to approach
me. From what i observed, he will
often look at his mother's direction
and whine (already separated from
the mother). As compared to the
rest, he is less playful (still
active) and less attention
seeking. Will he suffer from
separation anxiety?
UNLIKELY. "LOOKING AT MOTHER &
WHINING" MAY BE A NORMAL BEHAVIOUR
OF PUPPIES JUST WEANED. PUPPY MAY
STILL BE RECEIVING MILK FROM THE DAM
AND MAY BE WANTING TO SUCKLE. CHECK
WITH BREEDER IF HE IS STILL SUCKING.
IT IS NOT AN INDICATION OF
SEPARATION ANXIETY.
Will he take a longer time to get
used to a new environment? I
informed the breeder and he
will further separate him from the
rest about 3 days before I take him
home. He's also starting to respond
to his name and is always wagging
his tail when he sees us(my
boyfriend and I). But after a while,
he will be restless and start to
gaze at his mother's direction
again. I have no problems with him
being less active than the rest
because he seems more obedient as
well. He will try to gain attention
from me when i play with another.
All in all, is he a sad puppy?
A SAD PUPPY? MOST LIKELY AN
INTROVERT IF WE CAN USE HUMAN
BEHAVIOUR TO DESCRIBE PUPPIES.
I've decided to use a large
cage till he is about 6-7 months. It
is more secure than fences and more
convenient since there's a potty
tray underneath. I will take him out
after meals (morning and night) so
that he can eliminate outside.
Restrict water before his bed time
so that he can control his bladder
overnight. When I'm home and if he
needs to eliminate, I'll take him to
his potty place at home. This is so
that he will know where to eliminate
at home when he can't control. Of
course, these comes with
consistency.
I read from some online forums that
I should restrict the crate area (in
my case is cage area) to a space
just enough for him to lie, stand
and turn around. This is so that he
will try not to dirty his sleeping
area by eliminating in the cage.
CONFINEMENT TO A SMALL AREA IS
THE KEY TO SUCCESS IN TOILET
TRAINING
For my case, since there's a potty
tray underneath, is it necessary?
NO. HE WILL ELIMINATE IN A CORNER
OF THE CRATE AND SLEEP IN A CLEAN
CORNER, IN NORMAL PUPPIES.
Can I safely leave him alone during
my sleeping time? YES, IN THE
CRATE.
As for the restricted places in my
house especially the pond, I will
train him using leash and correct
him immediately if he tries to jump
in or get near the pond.
POSITIVE TRAINING AND GIVE FOOD
TREATS AS REWARDS ON SUCCESS
Can i bring him out for walks after
second vaccine? YES PROVIDED HE
DOES NOT CONTACT OTHER DOGS OR GO TO
AN AREA WITH DOGS
Or should i wait another month
after his third vaccine?
What is the best age for puppies to
socialise and go to obedience
classes?
OPINIONS DIFFER. GENERALLY 3-6
MONTHS.
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