[toypoodlecloud]

Hello everyone!

our new member, a boy toy poodle, is coming home this sunday and ive been going around several websites on TP training, health related sites, food comparisons, and so much more.

we have a 2 story home and this is what “i would” like.. (pls correct me if this sounds bad)

1. puppy will sleep in his closed crate next to my daughter’s (5YO) bed upstairs w soft pad. (No food in it)
2. will go outside to pee first thing in the morning (and ofcourse every hour or so during the day) - around 8am
3. He can nap/sleep downstairs since we mostly spend majority of our time downstairs during the day- got a playpen from amazon (4panels w the door)
4. I bought a puppy teepee - but is this even going to be used?! Haha perhaps after he’s potty trained and wants to nap there

my concern is -
will he be confused since there will be closed crate in my daughter’s bedroom to sleep at night + playpen during the day?

any other wise puppy moms who will give me some advice on how to place - playpen (and a bed in it), a teepee bed, and a closed crate.

p.s. i got too many sleeping related products. I know.

Thank you all for reading my long thread!!

 

[Newport]

I think the puppy's crate needs to be beside YOUR bed at night, because that puppy is going to need to get up once or twice (or more) at night to go potty outside. I've never met a 5 year old who could accomplish this important part of potty training a puppy.

What worked for my family with a mini was to have the night owl family member take the puppy out at 11pm and then put them in her crate beside my bed. I handled the rest of the night time potty work.

By the way, I kept an x-pen set up in my back yard that was specifically for puppy pottying. Nothing fun happens during a potty break. She was put in her x-pen and I stood their silently. When she did her business I said "good girl". She would then be carried silently and without fuss back to her crate. The purpose here is to not make nighttime a social hour.

During the day, playtime happens after she went potty. She would get to run around the yard and we played with toys.

Good luck, and congratulations!

 

[Liz]

Hello and welcome!

my concern is -
will he be confused since there will be closed crate in my daughter’s bedroom to sleep at night + playpen during the day?

No.

any other wise puppy moms who will give me some advice on how to place - playpen (and a bed in it), a teepee bed, and a closed crate.

My dogs always have a soft place to lie down in every major room of the house where we spend time.

I noticed that you don't have a plan to take the dog out at night, so here's my advice:

For the first week she was home, I took my 9 week old standard poodle out to potty every two hours around the clock. I set a timer on my phone, and we went out every two hours around the clock: 8 pm, 10 pm, 12 am, 2 am, 4 am, 6 am. I took away her water bowl at 8 pm, but we still went out every two hours.

She never had an accident in the house. I suspect she was well trained by her mum, but I'm also sure the regular opportunities to potty outside helped.

The first night she needed this regularity. By the second or third night, I could sleep from 2 am to 6 am. By the end of the first week, I could sleep from 12 am to 6 am.

 

[toypoodlecloud]

Hello and welcome!

No.

My dogs always have a soft place to lie down in every major room of the house where we spend time.

I noticed that you don't have a plan to take the dog out at night, so here's my advice:

For the first week she was home, I took my 9 week old standard poodle out to potty every two hours around the clock. I set a timer on my phone, and we went out every two hours around the clock: 8 pm, 10 pm, 12 am, 2 am, 4 am, 6 am. I took away her water bowl at 8 pm, but we still went out every two hours.

She never had an accident in the house. I suspect she was well trained by her mum, but I'm also sure the regular opportunities to potty outside helped.

The first night she needed this regularity. By the second or third night, I could sleep from 2 am to 6 am. By the end of the first week, I could sleep from 12 am to 6 am.

This is amazing. I will do this every 2 hours as well!...Havent fed anyone other than my daughter every 2 hrs since she was born 5 years ago.. hahah i feel like i shud be nursing him 😂😂😂

 

[toypoodlecloud]

I think the puppy's crate needs to be beside YOUR bed at night, because that puppy is going to need to get up once or twice (or more) at night to go potty outside. I've never met a 5 year old who could accomplish this important part of potty training a puppy.

What worked for my family with a mini was to have the night owl family member take the puppy out at 11pm and then put them in her crate beside my bed. I handled the rest of the night time potty work.

By the way, I kept an x-pen set up in my back yard that was specifically for puppy pottying. Nothing fun happens during a potty break. She was put in her x-pen and I stood their silently. When she did her business I said "good girl". She would then be carried silently and without fuss back to her crate. The purpose here is to not make nighttime a social hour.

During the day, playtime happens after she went potty. She would get to run around the yard and we played with toys.

Good luck, and congratulations!

My husband and I will be sleeping with daughter (and i will be waking up every 2 hrs to endure he goes potty at night for the first 3-4 days or so)

setting a playpen in the backyard seems like a GREAT idea. Gotta go get one more for nighttime potty!!

 

[Newport]

Oh boy, your daughter is going to be in heaven- a puppy and both parents at night! This definitely would have been my dream at age 5, lol.

 

[lily cd re]

Yes you will need the nightime potty plan. I don't think I would use an ex pen in the yard. I took my pup's out at night on leashes. While they were small enough to do so and not really leash savvy I carried them outside and put them down at the designated potty location. Being able to smell past potty smells will help things move along faster. I agree that putting your 5 year old in charge of this job is too much to ask, but certainly I would want her to help. One other thing that you should think about is not so much depending on the timing, but rather what has the pup been doing: just woke up potty time; been playing potty time; just ate or drank potty time...

The last thing I will say is that we need to remember that puppies and adolescent dogs even will understand the concept of not pottying in the house much sooner than their nerves and muscles are able to resist the urge of pressure from a full bowel or bladder. The average here is 6 months for being able to hold it. It is like potty training a child. You don't try to do that with a 6 month old baby because they just don't have the development to execute even if they understand the crazy stuff you have just explained.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Congratulations on your new addition.

I personally don't believe in withholding water. Peggy has always taken her biggest drink shortly after she's settled into her crate for the night. My last girl was similar—I'd often hear her get up in the middle of the night for a drink.

I have a water bowl mounted inside Peggy's crate, which I always keep filled and fresh. She also always gets a small kibble snack before bed to prevent an acidic belly. Both these things assure she's comfortable through the whole night, which helps promote deep sleep.

Here's my favourite "must-read" puppy resource, which includes detailed information on potty training:

Before and After Getting Your Puppy: The Positive Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, and Well-Behaved Dog: Dunbar, Dr. Ian: 8601200633603: Amazon.com: Books

Before and After Getting Your Puppy: The Positive Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, and Well-Behaved Dog [Dunbar, Dr. Ian] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Before and After Getting Your Puppy: The Positive Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, and Well-Behaved Dog

www.amazon.com

Also available online for free:

https://www.dogstardaily.com/files/BEFORE%20You%20Get%20Your%20Puppy.pdf

https://www.dogstardaily.com/files/downloads/AFTER_You_Get_Your_Puppy.pdf

 

[toypoodlecloud]

My husband and I will be sleeping with daughter (and i will be waking up every 2 hrs to endure he goes potty at night for the first 3-4 days or so)

setting a playpen in the backyard seems like a GREAT idea. Gotta go get one more for nighttime potty!!

Oh boy, your daughter is going to be in heaven- a puppy and both parents at night! This definitely would have been my dream at age 5, lol.

BAHAHAHAHA i know right. Covid19 hits and she gets everythinng.....

 

[twyla]

It will be more than a few nights, it takes toys longer to house break, mainly due to their size 5heir bladders can't last as long as a bigger pup.
My last pup is now three years old, he woke me once a night until he was a year old.
Also read up on hypoglycemia toy puppies can go down hill quickly if they don't eat regularly and remember toy puppies are delicate and it's easy to break a little leg, I was three when I accidentally broke our cocker spaniel's leg.

 

[daabor]

My toy poodle was 12 weeks old when I brought him home and he was so easy to housetrain. He is not at all crate trained though. That is probably my fault. I could not put him in the crate and hear/watch him lunge at the door/sides. So, I let him sleep in my bed the first night and he has been there ever since.

To housebreak, I teethered him to myself most of the day. I took him to the same enclosed potty spot outside after he woke up, played, 10 minutes after he ate...basically, every 30 to 45 minutes the first week. During the day, I was bland while waiting for him to pee/poop. Once he was successful, I made a big deal out of it and gave him tons of attention. He still feels really proud of himself for eliminating and expects applause/fun and games. At night, I took him out to potty at 11 pm. I then took him out at 3 am and then at 6:30 am. I did not engage in overy exuberant praise/fun time, just quietly gave him a treat, then back to bed we went. If I remember correctly, he was sleeping throught the night after 1 week ( no more 3 am potty break!). I think he had a total of 3 pee accidents and 1 poo accident indoors, until he was fully trained. I did let him off leash after the first few days, but blocked off the room, so I had constant visual contact with him. I think "catching" him squat and being able to immediately scoop him up, take him outside to the potty spot and then praising him for pee-peeing really helped shorten the potty training time.

It was labor intensive, but Sammy was fairly trustworthy after 2 weeks! The key is to not let them have a chance to have an accident.

 

[toypoodlecloud]

Hopefully our 12 weeks old toypoodle will be able to adjust peacefully and not cry too much.. im worried. Just reading crazy amount of infos on training/raising a toy poodle pup!

 

[Toffee the toy poodle]

View attachment 469112

Hopefully our 12 weeks old toypoodle will be able to adjust peacefully and not cry too much.. im worried. Just reading crazy amount of infos on training/raising a toy poodle pup!
[/QUOTEoh

Oh my!! What a picture! ♡♡

 

[For Want of Poodle]

Yes to what everyone else said. In our house it was as soon as you get up, or as soon as they are finished eating, pick up the dog from the crate, do not let their feet touch the floor, and rush them outside. There is a lot of floor space for a desperate puppy to pee in before you get to the door, so preventing crouching is very helpful lol.

My other comment is... sure, it absolutely sucks to clean up dog pee. Gross and sucks. So many people focus on potty training in the first few weeks, and sit, down, come, etc. I personally dont stress it too much, other than come. Potty training and obedience is easy enough to pick up when their bladders and brains are a bit more developed. I focus on socialization. There is a socialization window that closes ar about 14-16 weeks after which it's much harder to get dogs comfortable with new things. Thorough socialization as a young puppy pays off in a calmer, less nervous dog for the rest of their life. I like Sophia Yin's socialization checklist, but there are a million on line. The key is to provide neutral or happy (not scary or nervous) experiences to many people, surfaces, sounds, sights, animals, etc. Does the breeder follow some sort of puppy socialization protocol? If not, I would really double down on socialization.

 

[toypoodlecloud]

Yes to what everyone else said. In our house it was as soon as you get up, or as soon as they are finished eating, pick up the dog from the crate, do not let their feet touch the floor, and rush them outside. There is a lot of floor space for a desperate puppy to pee in before you get to the door, so preventing crouching is very helpful lol.

My other comment is... sure, it absolutely sucks to clean up dog pee. Gross and sucks. So many people focus on potty training in the first few weeks, and sit, down, come, etc. I personally dont stress it too much, other than come. Potty training and obedience is easy enough to pick up when their bladders and brains are a bit more developed. I focus on socialization. There is a socialization window that closes ar about 14-16 weeks after which it's much harder to get dogs comfortable with new things. Thorough socialization as a young puppy pays off in a calmer, less nervous dog for the rest of their life. I like Sophia Yin's socialization checklist, but there are a million on line. The key is to provide neutral or happy (not scary or nervous) experiences to many people, surfaces, sounds, sights, animals, etc. Does the breeder follow some sort of puppy socialization protocol? If not, I would really double down on socialization.

Could you give me some advice on “socializing” - as in with people/family member?

 

[toypoodlecloud]

My toy poodle was 12 weeks old when I brought him home and he was so easy to housetrain. He is not at all crate trained though. That is probably my fault. I could not put him in the crate and hear/watch him lunge at the door/sides. So, I let him sleep in my bed the first night and he has been there ever since.

To housebreak, I teethered him to myself most of the day. I took him to the same enclosed potty spot outside after he woke up, played, 10 minutes after he ate...basically, every 30 to 45 minutes the first week. During the day, I was bland while waiting for him to pee/poop. Once he was successful, I made a big deal out of it and gave him tons of attention. He still feels really proud of himself for eliminating and expects applause/fun and games. At night, I took him out to potty at 11 pm. I then took him out at 3 am and then at 6:30 am. I did not engage in overy exuberant praise/fun time, just quietly gave him a treat, then back to bed we went. If I remember correctly, he was sleeping throught the night after 1 week ( no more 3 am potty break!). I think he had a total of 3 pee accidents and 1 poo accident indoors, until he was fully trained. I did let him off leash after the first few days, but blocked off the room, so I had constant visual contact with him. I think "catching" him squat and being able to immediately scoop him up, take him outside to the potty spot and then praising him for pee-peeing really helped shorten the potty training time.

It was labor intensive, but Sammy was fairly trustworthy after 2 weeks! The key is to not let them have a chance to have an accident.

So if you didnt do crate training - can he stand being home alone..?! My daughter would LOVEEE to sleep w the dog and id like that too (shes only child) - so my question is i heard crate training is needed so that he can have his own personal space & calm when necessary...

 

[PeggyTheParti]

I recommend reading that Ian Dunbar book (or the free PDFs) I mentioned previously. His socialization protocol is excellent, and will give you an understanding of your puppy's needs before you're bogged down in the chaos of the first week.

I think it's really important to read a puppy manual cover-to-cover before trying to process a lot of advice. Some of the advice (good as it is) will contradict, and there will be lots of gaps, so a solid foundation is important.

You'll still have a million questions, of course. I still have a million questions after raising multiple dogs! But everything builds on the knowledge I got from that book. I've read it with each new puppy.

 

[toypoodlecloud]

I recommend reading that Ian Dunbar book (or the free PDFs) I mentioned previously. His socialization protocol is excellent, and will give you an understanding of your puppy's needs before you're bogged down in the chaos of the first week.

I think it's really important to read a puppy manual cover-to-cover before trying to process a lot of advice. Some of the advice (good as it is) will contradict, and there will be lots of gaps, so a solid foundation is important.

You'll still have a million questions, of course. I still have a million questions after raising multiple dogs! But everything builds on the knowledge I got from that book. I've read it with each new puppy.

You are amazing. Willl read it now thank youuuu

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Enjoy. I may have rolled my eyes when I first read it 16 years ago, but I've since learned the more closely I stick to his methods, the better! It's my puppy bible.

 

[For Want of Poodle]

Here's the one I vaguely followed.

The keybis, just to take your dog into a bunch of situations. Going to the grocery store? Hang out with the puppy in the parking lot with a bunch of treats while someone else shops. Going to a pet store? Take puppy, in arms if not yet fully vaccinated. Car dealerships/mechanics and hardware stores are also good. Public transit, etc. Get your puppy accustomed to meeting or at least seeing new people, new sights, and new sounds. Live in a rural area? Take your dog to town. An urban area? Take your puppy for a country walk. Be patient and understanding, and don't force him if he feels fear, try and make it a stress free, fun experience even if that means you don't do as much as planned.

https://drsophiayin.com/app/uploads/2015/12/Socialization_Checklist.pdf

Puppy Socialization: Stop Fear Before it Starts

Puppy socialization is a critical part of a dog's development. Its important for puppies to have good experiences with as many different people, animals, objects, and sounds as possible.

drsophiayin.com

You won't get everything. Your dog will find something to be afraid of in later fear periods, or that you missed. For example, at age 4 or 5 months, we went into a forest for the first time, and Annie found it a bit scary. She now loves hiking.

It gives them a huge leg up on being a confkdent, happy dog. Good luck, and enjoy your puppy!