Housebreaking adopted dogs

We have taken in 3 small terrier-mix dogs ( a mama and 2 babies- about 3 months old). They were dumped by our house and are the sweetest family. We already have a pomeranian and a tibetian spaniel, and the new doggies are fitting in wonderfully. My problem is how to house train them. Our other 2 are housebroken, and I let the new additions out when the others go out, but they really don't seem to get the idea. We've only had them a couple days, and I want to get them used to the outside potty routine as soon as possible. How do I go about housebreaking 2 puppies and an adult dog all at the same time?

 

the best thing i think is to use the kennel for a few weeks you put them in there and just let them out to use the restroom out side and eat i think they will get the hint soon hope this helps !
how you did it with your other dogs ?maybe the same trick will work this time.

 

Unfortunately, I think I've already spoiled them to 'run of the house'...sounds funny, but I'm afraid of hurting their feelings if I lock them up now. What do you think? The pomeranian was broken with treats..the spaniel just followed her lead. The new dogs don't seem to have any interest in the treats.

 

The best housetraining method I've found is crate-training.Crate-training is great when nobody is home for extended periods.The easiest way to trian them is to put the new dogs in the crate{s} & leave the house. Each time you make the time outside the house longer.When you enter the house the 1st thing to do is to get them out.This way they know that each time you leave the house you will be back {instead of feeling abandoned again} & when you come home they will let outside to do "their business" to There are "training-pads" on the market that would be especially helpful with puppies.Being around other dogs will also help the newcomers learn a routine of when they will be getting walked.
If you can please post pictures,my wife & I have 2 terriers & would love to see the pups. Good luck

 

I would love to post pictures and have someone help me ID the breed, but I can't figure out how to do an attachment. They're black and white shorthaired with some brown on the faces and lots of spots. The littlest is wirehaired with a beard. They look like rat terrier mixed..possibly scottie in there somewhere. My parents have a rat terrier and they look really similar to her.

 

I have another question...if I confine them to a single small room ( the downstairs entryway) can this work as well as a crate?

 

Actually confining them to a small room is nothing like the actual crate. The behaviour that enforces the crate training success is the fact that the dogs come to look at their own crates as their homes/dens and normally will not soil in them.

So, crating is the way to go. Good luck and do keep us posted. I must also commend you on taking in the rescues as many would have simply taken them in to be destroyed.

Hats off to you.

 

Sorry for the delay in response {had to let Maxine & Lucy out}If you have a printer/scanner you can transfer the image into the computers memeory & possibly do a copy & paste.Dont qoute though it may al depend on the type of computer system.Dogs dont like to be near their toilet so the premise behine crate-training is to keep them in a confined area.I would not keep them in one room its too big {even for 3}.They can do their business in one area of the room & stay far enough away from it in another.Do the pups still get milk from mom,if so you'll need acrate large enough for the 3 of them.The crate must be wide enogh for mom to turn around inside

 

We're suckers for strays...our spaniel was abandoned a couple of years ago...he's made a wonderful pet. Last year we took in 3 large hounds, gave them vet visits ( including fixing one broken leg from a hit and run car) and found them good homes. Seems to be a yearly thing here. Thankfully we have a big fenced in yard to them to play in. They all come in at night though. Looks like a zoo here at times.

The puppies aren't nursing anymore, but they're so bonded with mama. Next question...without spending a fortune on a crate, are there alternatives? A baby playpen maybe?

 

oh...tried the cut and paste...couldn't get it to work. And the administrator won't let me post attachments

 

From the sounds of it you may have Jack Russel or more properly now, Parsons Russel Terrier mixes, or even possibly poorly bred purebreds, if they resemble Rat Terriers, but with partial wire hair.

Such as these guys:

http://www.lejack.com/Jack_galerie.htm

THey can come in several colour varieties, not just brown/red and white.

A suggestion for less expensive crates is to buy the pop together (and screw together) type from a local Wally World or Kmart. Since you have terrier mix types, they probably won't need really large ones, so the cost would be less than a regular crate. Plus for this kind is it feels more like a den to the dog, and can be more secure feeling for them.

If I recall, the last one I got was a small size, large enough for a good sized Pom or small Beagle and it was about $15.

Hope this helps.

 

They're similar to a Jack Russell..I had thought of that. But the mama's nose is much more needle-like (longer and sharper). It doesn't matter if they're pure mutts, they're still adorable! I'd just like to know breed for breed-specific health issues and if I should expect certain illnesses/etc.

I have 2 small crates that I use for traveling with my other dogs. I think I can separate the pups in thee and get something for the mama. Now if I can just get my hubby to leave them in there!

 

I have crate trained a few dogs now, and definately think it benefits the dogs as much as my carpets! I just c/trained my border collie this weekend, (as in, got him to enjoy the crate, not for housebreaking) and it took me about 10 minutes. I've had others that have taken months. Individual dogs . Anyway, here is a schedule a lady in a net group I'm in made up for her rescues and puppy.
http://giftofgracekennels.tripod.com/id27.html
The idea can be used without building the pen.

 

Can't help but jump in here on the crate training advice you've been given.
I know they're pricey- but try the Want Advertiser or ?Ebay or your local paper/pet store for a used one. It's a good investment as said- they'll continue to use it even after becoming housebroken. It's their little haven- or as we call it here- His Condo. So it's not just short term (plus sounds like you'll likely have more adoptees again in the future!!!)
I know they're kinda cumbersome/eyesores- but try to find some corner where it's less noticeable or a spare room/storage area to use.
If you introduce it to them slowly and while they're young- it won't be mean. Throw some toys/treats in there to entice them and always leave the door open when they're not using it so they can freely go in & out.
Trust me, it works, it's worth it and it's not unkind. I only had one MUTT that it didn't work on- he would soil it PLUS then bust out of it by continuously throwing his weight against the door for HOURS it seemed until he warped/broke the darned thing so he could jump up on my bed! He eventually got housebroken- but through the years he always used his "peeing" as a spite thing! He's in heaven now- (hopefully) the little devil!

 

An update on the crate...I have a carrier that I use for my other dogs...I got it out and just set it in the middle of the living room with the door open...the dogs immediately went in. I haven't been keeping them in it during the day because they're outside most of the time, but at bedtime I keep them confined in the entryway. They have made the crate their sanctuary and bedroom. I think te confined area makes them feel secure and safe. So, any worries I had about them hating me for crating them have gone away! They're doing better housebreaking too. I think they're following my other dogs lead.

 

Thats great glad to see its working out, we finally got our newest addition down to a routine {I hope I dont jinx myself} so this year we will be getting new carpets.

 

Four weeks ago we adopted a German Shepherd/Malamute cross from the shelter. Shelter staff said she's about one year-old, but she does not appear to have much, or any, training. Though we keep putting her into the yard, she still uses the cement floor of the basement for a lavatory -- when we're not looking. (Apparently couldn't make it two times, so she climbed into the bathtub to pee.)

We've washed the basement floor area with both a commercial dog deordorizer and our trainer's recommendation: Mr Clean with apple scent. Neither worked in repelling her.

Any suggestions?

(BTW, crate training has been a total challenge. She's 65 lbs of solid muscle, has terrible separation anxiety and has thus far broken out four times. Each time I added more security. Last night we went out for two hours. The wire crate door was secured with its two latches plus three chains and reinforced with wood slats to keep it rigid. On our return, we found her in the crate, but she had managed to move it about 5 feet!

BTW#2: There are freecycle and free classified ad e-mail exchanges in my community. I posted a notice asking if anyone had a large crate they no longer wanted. I got one wire cage for free and another for $25.)

 

CanadianGuy,
Repitition is the only cure. Having a Potty Party when the dog does its duty outside works wonders but not immediately. I have an adopted Siberian and we went through the same thing. After a month, she won't even "have accidents" in her crate. My Husky/Sheperd liked it outside so well he doesn't even want to come in the house. We tried Odorcide on the accident spots because it was supposed to keep animals from using that spot again. They just find another spot though. Glad you found Freecycle. We have it here and give/get great things. Good luck.

 

Dragon, did you have any problems with chewing? Betsy keeps taking things and demolishing them. Rolls of toilet paper are one of her favorites. We've gone through at least a dozen dog toys in four weeks. A Kong was the most durable, but still lasted just three weeks -- ever seen a decapitated Kong? A couple of days ago I cut a piece of ABS drain pipe and gave it to her. Seems to be holding up, but it's now awfully ugly. I wish she'd stay outside like your Husky/Shepherd -- and my former one. We have a big yard that most dogs would die for, but her separation anxiety is so bad that she won't spend more than about 15 minutes on her own out there.