lola

I am new here. Hello everyone. I was given a mini poodle for my birthday just last week. I am trying to potty train her, she is 10 weeks old. And well I am feeling like frustrated, like a failure. My puppy has diarrhea and to top things off, I take her outside to go potty and she will pee out there but as soon as I bring her in she looks for a spot on my carpet to poop. Why? I started keeping her in the bathroom at nite with wee pads because when I wake up there is poop and pee everywhere. Now its just in the bathroom. So, first of all should I give her something for the diarrhea? or will it just pass by itself? (and hopefully soon) and any suggestions on training her to go outside and not on my carpet. Thank you everyone for your help and input.

T o d d

Crate train her.

How much food are you feeding her?

aki

Hello and welcome to the forum!

Now as for your puppy...has there been any sudden change in diet? What are you currently feeding her? Also, is there any chance she might have eaten something she wasn't supposed to? If her kibble was suddenly changed that might be the cause of the diarrhea. Which is why you should transition slowly, adding a little bit of the new kibble at a time and slowly work your way to larger and larger amounts until she is completely switched over.

Your puppy is only 10 weeks old. She is still a baby. Not only is she not going to completely understand what you are trying to teach her, but she also has a small bladder and needs to go out more frequently. If you want to limit the damage to your carpet, I say crate train her, or limit her to one area of the house until she is fully housebroken. There are some great articles and books on potty training and crate training out there. I can give you some links after I've fished them out. Oh, also, I would invest in a cleaner that is meant to remove any odor left behind by an accident. Dogs have an amazing sense of smell and if the smell is still there she might think it's okay to go in that spot again. Just be patient. Poodles are smart and catch on quickly, but you can't expect a baby to know how to walk and talk without some practice and consistency.

http://www.siriusweb.com/AAD/crate.html#posassoc

cuddleparty

Read this thread: http://poodleforum.com/showthread.php?t=2286

I guess canned pumpkin could possibly do the trick???

cuddleparty

Lola - you may also want to try this trick:

Rice Water Recipe to Control Diarrhea

3 cups water (instead of 2)
1 cup regular enriched white rice

Bring water to boil.
Add rice and simmer for 15 minutes (instead of 20).
Pour off the water into an appropriate container.

Discard the rice solids, or use as filler in your favorite non-medical recipe.
The consistency reminds me of sticky-rice at Chinese restaurants.

The key seems to be the ratio of 3 to 1, water to rice. We use a large 8-quart dutch oven, 9 cups of water and 3 cups of rice. When we pour off the water, we have about 3 1/2 cups of rice water.

Try maybe 1/4 cup for small breeds, and 1/2 cup for large breeds.

This also works wonders for humans... my Mom SWEARS by this and always gave it to us when we had sick tummies. I still use this recipe to this day...

lola

First thank you all for your quick responses. And I think I did a booboo because I switched her food from when i got her to a better premium food. Now I'm wondering is it too late to mix her food with the old food they were giving her to stop the diarrea. I have 4 days giving her the new food. She was on purina puppy chow and now I have her on Nutro puppy premium. I guess my question is should I switch her back to her old food and mix small amounts of the new? Also, will the pumpkin work? I dont have a crate at this time for her. Thinking of going to buy one. I dont have a room I can confine her into right now. Thank you for the link I will check this out. Any idea how soon she eats she should be able to go outside for potty? Oh and I dont really measure how much but I would say about 1/2 cup... give or take a little twice per day.

cuddleparty

hey Lola.. have you owned a dog before?

Did you know you were getting a poodle as a birthday gift? sometimes it's better to be prepared vs. surprised...

imagine getting a newborn baby as a gift? yikes!

lola

aaah yes it was a surprise gift... and I owned a dog as a teenager lol, long long ago in a far away land lol anyway, yes I was quite surprised. My daughter said if I cant keep her to give to her but I am trying to keep her she is sooo cute.... just all the dirty cleaning I can do with out.

cuddleparty

Lola....

Start here: http://www.canismajor.com/dog/bring01.html

Also, do your research - pick up books, research online.. do whatever you need to in order to educate yourself about owning a pet. Signing on to PF is a great idea! But you need to do the work to learn the essentials rather than having all the "answers" written out for you. That's like cheating on a test. You need to study it all, and know it.

Maybe drop into Petsmart or Petco or a similar facility - they often have training classes and can offer you helpful tips. Maybe there is a boarding/grooming facility that offers something similar

Did the dog come from a breeder? SPEAK WITH THE BREEDER! Learn what you need to know. If the dog did come from a breeder, I'm surprised they let it go as a gift. The SPCA doesn't even let you adopt if the pet is intended as a gift.

You need loads of patience and time in order to raise a puppy.. it's a full time job. Get yourself in the mindset that you are now a mom.

You can't expect a 10 week old puppy to know where to potty. Equate everything to having a newborn child. It's good reference.
Repetition will help your pup start to clue in. And positive reinforcement as well. Have certain "key words" that will familiarize your pup with their actions. IE/"potty" meaning the obvious..

Will the pumpkin work?.. it's trial and error. It takes time to figure out what works for you and your pup. There are no steadfast rules.

"I dont have a crate at this time for her. Thinking of going to buy one. I dont have a room I can confine her into right now. Thank you for the link I will check this out. Any idea how soon she eats she should be able to go outside for potty? Oh and I dont really measure how much but I would say about 1/2 cup... give or take a little twice per day."

If you are going to keep her in the bathroom overnight, be sure she has a little bed to sleep on.. this is like having a warm fuzzy. You can use this to transition her to a crate. Hopefully she is not being put in the bathroom, as an "out of sight, out of mind" strategy.. or "sweeping under the carpet". "Thinking of going to buy" a crate doesn't cut it. You need all the proper tools to raise a puppy. I had a crate for Snoops, tho I opted not to use it. If it's a matter of finance then:

1. Can you afford to raise a puppy? And even if funds are tight, are you willing to dedicate an allowance to raising this pet? Have you thought of vet bills, etc?
2. Target has collapsible crates for under $20.. or check craigslist for a used one

Measure out the food that you are giving your pet. That way you can be more accurate and sure about feeding - how much she needs to eat, etc.. You will start to notice a pattern as to how much your pup needs to eat and how often she needs to eat, in order to have a satisfied tummy and without compromising her growth and development.

Getting a pup ... especially a poodle! as a gift sounds totally rad. But, it really bums me out when it's such a surprise and there is no prep involved. Poodles are living, breathing beings... a friend, companion, family member and should be treated seriously! The novelty shouldn't wear off... that element of excitement should always be there - not just when you take the wrapping off the package.

I'm glad that you are trying your best and I hope that you are able to stick with it. Good luck to you and your little one!

T o d d

I`m thinking we should put together a "New Poodle Owner" sticky thread, and have links to related threads for "newborns"... Food, Grooming, Pooping, etc that would really help out.

Anyone want to volunteer to do the research (for the other threads here?)

-Todd