Bambi

I use newspaper as my dog's toilet from Day1. Just place the newspaper on the "designated" spot and spray on some of those stuffs that attract dogs to pee on (you can get it in most pet store). Give him a treat everytime you see him doing things right. After about 2 weeks, they will learn and do everything at the right place. But make sure you clean up the newspaper as often as you can so they won't feel it's messy in there. Dogs love cleaniness too.

bonehead

Mmm. Maybe I should try that spray. I keep the pads in the same spot and he sometimes pees there, but not all the time. Poop. Forget it. All over the place. Thanks for the tip.

Bambi

If he pees everyhere and get into a habit on doing that, then you are fxcked! He will not be willing to go back to pad or newspaper after. Even if you manage to get him back to the pad, he'll still pee A LITTLE here and there in the future.

bonehead

Great. It's not like he doesn't use the pad at all. Just seems kinda random when he does or doesn't. I'm taking him for his first vet visit tomorrow. Hopefully they will have some answers for me.

whentmets

Since he is too young he needs to be reminded almost every two hours to go pee/poop. You basically have to walk him where the pad is and have a treat that you will give him as soon as he does pee but never before.

He will not be perfect but he will learn fast to associate peeing with rewarded with a treat. He will not be perfect right away. It will take time and possibly the accidents will continue until he is a year old and his bladder matures.

If you are working and have to leave him at home alone it possibly take some extra time to get used to and get over the anxiety of being left alone. One way to deal with it is to leave an old t-shirt of yours (that you dont care of) where you want him to lay down when you're gone. The smell of yours from the t-shirt will give him the comfort to get over the anxiety.

Good luck and try not to miss that much of him at this age. They are only puppies once!

bonehead

Whew. Thanks for the encouraging words, whentmets. I do take him over to the pad once every 1-2 hours when I'm home (and awake), but he more often than not runs away from the pad (and I repeatedly pick him up and put him back on it) and does his business elsewhere. I've only had him for 4 days, so I realize it's too early to panic and get discouraged. And he does use the pad about 1/2 the time when I'm at work. I have to leave him in the kitchen while I'm away or else he'd be leaving little presents all over the house, so he only has a limited space to do his 'duty' (pun intended

On those rare occasions that I witness him using the pad, I do reward him with a treat and lotsa praise. The Pavlovian conditioning doesn't seem to be kicking in quite yet, though
I'll also try that t-shirt trick. I feel so badly leaving the poor little guy alone during the day :'(

whentmets

Milo will be fine. I just grew up two miniature poodles. They are 2yr old now. It took me about two weeks to start getting used to where to go. Then again they were more eager to play than pee. At 4 moths they were 90% there but it took almost a year to be nearly perfect.

Here are Desiree & Yvette at eight weeks old. At the time it was either a constant fight between them or sleeping side by side.

bonehead

Thanks man. Beautiful dogs. My first, and only other dog was a white miniature poodle. He passed away when I was a teenager while I was at camp. I never got to say goodbye. I cried for days. I loved that dog...

whentmets

Thanks. My previous dog Lacey was a white poodle. Killed by my ex-wife now. Needles to say what was the divorce reason.

bonehead

Killed???? Is that a cast on her leg??