Rewarding & housebreaking

1. Puppy starts to potty inside. You grab him and whisk him outside. No time to grab treats, but yet you should reward for the puppy finishing his business outside. How do you do it?

**I usually clap to distract my boy from finishing inside the house and pick him up and take him right outside the minute he finished, he just gets lots and lots of love/praise. DO NOT use food as a reward. My pup just would whiz anywhere to get a treat :no:

Also, I don't know about you guys but my dogs get excited when we run in the house. I'm afraid this will cause the older dogs to want to correct the puppy (now when we yell at the cat the dogs go nuts).- only have two dogs.

* My girl is just as bad as the pup.

2. It is time to take puppy out. Do you grab treats while heading out the door? If so, won't the older dogs want to go too and be jealous that the puppy and treats went out without them? Please see above. I rewarded my puppy with food at first until he just would eliminate anywhere to get a treat.... no lie. He associated pee/poop as a trick. I do the action= you feed me. -sigh- :gaah

Not saying it can't work for some. But I only use praise and make a clear distinction between "no and clap" in the house is "bad'; going outside = we have a party. My neighbors think I'm crazy...

3. All dogs are outside. Puppy eliminates outside. Is he the only one who gets a reward? My dogs would be crawling all over me at the injustice! I let me older dog teach the younger dog what to do. It works! They want to be like their big sis/bro
 
My puppy either potties in the garage on a pee pad (which I am phasing out as she gets older), or on a walk. So I have treats in the garage, and treats in a pouch on the leash. At first I treated and had a party every time she did it in the right place, but I am phasing out the treats so now she gets them every other or 3rd time. But she always gets the praise party. Can you leave treats outside on the porch in a weatherproof container ? Or near the back door so you can grab them on the way out.

I have an older sheltie boy. I take both kids out together for walks. If the puppy gets a cookie for pottying, then I ask my older boy to do a trick to 'earn' a cookie. Usually just sit/shake or speak. Nothing in life is free !! If the puppy is not getting a treat but just praise, then the older dog does a trick for praise too.

I think at first it's a good idea to combine the treat with praise, to reall reinforce in their minds that praise/fuss is a good thing. Then slowly phase the treats out.
 
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