English Bulldog Puppy potty Training?
BySo. We have an english Bulldog we just got yesterday. He is a very smart dog so far! He has had a few accidents in the house and we immediatly bring him outside but are careful not to scold him if he has accidents in the house since he is new to the home yet and not completely comfortable with us. However, when we bring him outside we say “Gotta go potty?”
Of course he doesn’t know what this means yet. Almolst everytime we go outside he does some sort of business and we give him lots of praise and a treat “And say good boy!”
However. I am starting to wonder if treats are the best way to handle this. I am worried that by feeding him treats he’ll get the idea that going “potty” Is a good thing and he will want to do it more in the house. I don’t want him to feel like going potty is a reward. So I am wondering if just praising him is the ideal thing to do. He is a three month old pure bred English Bulldog.
So feed him treats immediatly after going outside to potty with lots of praise? OR just lots of Praise after going potty outside?
Thanks,
Any other info and training tips would be great!
4 Comments
July 9th, 2011 at 10:34 AM
You’re doing everything right. Treats are needed to reinforce that it’s what he just did that was so amazing and oh he’s such a good puppy! You can wean him off the treats eventually but initially it can help.
July 9th, 2011 at 10:53 AM
If you want him to ring like a little bell if they have to go outside like Zoey and Marley from CTFxC, then put up a bell next to the front door and cover the wall with wax paper so he doesn’t damage your wall when he hits it with his paw and every time you take him to exercize or you know he has to pee or poo, make him ring the bell, and then he’ll learn it quickly and he’ll ring it pretty much all of the time he has to go outside. It’s a lot healthier for him then feeding him treats
July 9th, 2011 at 11:52 AM
Treats as a reward for housebreaking can work sometimes, but using them can be risky. Some dogs get so excited that you have treats that they’ll be too distracted to do their business at all or they’ll pee just enough to get a treat without completely emptying their bladder, which can lead to accidents.
This article from The Housebreaking Bible talks about appropriate praise for going to the bathroom outside and why treats might not be a good idea: http://www.thehousebreakingbible.com/training/commandment4.htm
Good luck with your new puppy!
July 9th, 2011 at 12:16 PM
You should make a noise (like ET!) when he urinates in the house–pick him up right in the act and rush him outside. He’ll get the idea that it’s not okay. I promise, he won’t be traumatized, particularly if you praise him while he’s outdoors!
Everytime a puppy eats, drink, plays, or wakes up from sleep, they should go outside while you’re potty-training them…so I think feeding him a treat for doing his business outside might be defeating the point! Lavish praise on him like crazy–”Good boy potty!!” and pet him, and just borderline throw a parade. Save the treats for teaching him to do tricks.
You should additionally aim to take your puppy outside at least once every two hours while your awake (in addition to the things I’ve already mentioned). All of my dogs have been completely housebroken in less than two weeks (some under a week). It’s tiring when you’re training them, but it’s so worth putting in the time upfront!
Once you train your puppy, realize that he has a tiny bladder, so he should continue going out a lot! Just to reinforce good behavior
Another thing, very minor, but instead of asking “Gotta go potty?” say “go potty!!” in a high, excited voice. Something you can change to more of a command voice when he gets older.