Pee pads, newspapers, paper towels & bleach wipes!

Pee pads, newspapers, paper towels & bleach wipes! Housebreaking a new puppy is a frustrating task. If I could be with her every second, I know I could get this done quickly, but I can’t, work calls. You know they can’t hold it, so you use the pee pads. That was great for about a week, then I realized that pee pads have a smell to attract the pup to them to pee, which is fine, except my goal is to have an 80 lb dog peeing OUTSIDE! Every time a dog pees inside, that is the pattern that is being set. So, I switched to newspapers – much cheaper and no attractive scent. That helped a great deal. Then the training began–
mine not hers.

Will Mom ever figure this out? I eat, I have to pee NOW!! My stomach presses on my bladder and when my tummy is full something has to go! I know shes frustrated, but I can’t hold very much. Then I hear the dogs bark upstairs and I get so excited that I bark and I leak. She comes downstairs with that look on her face no not again, I just put you out. I cant help it, I AM trying.

So it goes, I finally figure out what works for Honeybear. I haven’t had a girl dog for 20 years. They are different. Ladies remember when you laugh or cough and clamp your legs a little tighter? It is the same thing with a baby girl puppy – except they don’t know about the leg clamping thing. Yes, I am using a crate at night and when I go to work, the ex-en is only when I am home. It also has a top on it, because sometimes little ones try to climb out and that can be deadly.I also come home for lunch –it’s not fair to expect her to hold it more than 3 or 4 hours. A general guideline is 1 hour for every month old they are – so 3 months = 3 hours. Typically my pups can hold it a bit longer, but better to get them out as often as possible.

I have learned that when she stirs at 4:30 am, put her outside to pee (and be thankful I slept for 6 hours). When I wake at 6, put her outside to pee. When I am making food for the crew and excitement abounds upstairs, put her outside in her ex-pen. After she eats immediately put her in her ex-pen. When she wakes from a nap, put her outside. When she has played inside for 5 minutes put her outside to pee. When in doubt, put her outside to pee…. Is it done yet? No, she’s 3 months old and we have a ways to go. The patterns are being set; the newspapers are being used less and less. This too will pass – I just remember that I could be potty training a child and that takes years!!

Wow, check out the size of this dog! This is Dancer, mom calls him a horse. Hes pretty cool, he always comes up to say Hi when I am outside. At first, I didn’t want to go near him, but my big brother Akai said that the horses weren’t anyone to worry about. I’m lucky to have Akai to watch out for me.