house breaking new puppys (lab) any tips?

[atvalaska]

paper train ? another way ...what is a good way ? i work/wife works 4 days a week there will be no one home for 10 hours :confused:

[ARRCDSPR]

I am not a expert on training at all but I crate trained. It is kind of a two-for-one because you can also use the crate in the vehicle to safely transport your pup. In the house if she started sniffing and circling around she went outside. If I could not watch her 100%, she went back into the crate. It took a week but she figured it out. Teach the pup a word or command as soon as the pup does their business, this will help later on when you want them to do their business quickly. Which will probably help you from standing outside in your PJs in Fairbanks winter nights. Although 10 hours would be a long time for a puppy to be in a crate though. I think they say a pup can only hold it for one hour per month of age but that is something you should check out with your vet. You might look at a dog door between kennel run / dog box in the garage. Google "Gun Dog House Door" and they have some videos and a PDF on how to build one. My family has used this set up for our dogs over the years and the labs love it.

Hope this helps.

[atvalaska]

thumbs up

thanks ..i do have a dog door...so i will start there...

[Linda]

Working all day and house training

It is kind of tough to leave them that long. When mine were little and it was cold out I’d leave them inside in a crate and race home at lunch to let them out, eating my lunch in the car. Or take them to work in a crate in the car and go out every few hours. I don't know if the dog will self-train itself with the dog door, but if the interior space is smaller that may work.
Later it all worked out using crates for longer times or the outdoor runs. The big thing is to really spend quality time at night, early in the morning getting some good physical activity in with a little training and on the weekends to work on all kinds of training including house breaking. Eventually they know your schedule and sleep most of the day.
Remember though, if tempted to go out with friends after work, the dog is just waiting for you. They have amazingly accurate internal clocks.

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