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5++ month old Maltese boy can't seem to learn... HELP!

J-J Dog Kichi Jul 20, 2007, 6:00 PM Views: 2414 5++ month old Maltese boy can't seem to learn... HELP! Hi guys. I think I have a serious toilet training problem with my 5++ month old Maltese boy. I have read up a lot on owning a puppy prior to taking him home at 4 months (over a month ago). So from day 1, we have tried to train him to do the right things. He is OK with most things, except when it comes to toilet training. We live in a condo, and are training him to do his business in the bathroom. We have converted one of the bathrooms into his room, and he has successfully differentiated between the dry area (where we place his kennel, toys, water bottle and food) and the wet area (where he is supposed to do his business). The problem lies when he is outside the bathroom. Then he goes EVERYWHERE - he seldom does it on the same spot outside, always different spots around the house. There isn’t even ONE time where he went back to the bathroom to do his business when he’s outside. In the last one month plus, I realised that we have praised him for doing it in the right place approximately twice a day (I stay in the bathroom with him until he goes and praise him like crazy), and have corrected him for doing it outside (by saying a firm ‘no’ and bringing him back to the bathroom) about 3 times a day. This means, we have thus far praised him 60++ times, and corrected him about 100 times. And he still doesn’t go back to the bathroom to do his business – NOT EVEN ONCE. Anyone can offer any thoughts on this? Anyone experienced anything this bad? I do have friends who have dogs but none has been in this situation. I don’t know what to do anymore. Someone I know suggested hitting his bum with a newspaper, other a cane. I don’t want to resort to harsh methods if possible. My Mom even suggested finding a new home for my dog – a family which has a garden (which is easier for toilet training) since he doesn’t seem to be able to learn. Help!!!

goofydip Veteran Jul 20, 2007, 7:12 PM Views: 2408 Re: [J-J] 5++ month old Maltese boy can't seem to learn... HELP! i do train my Goofy to the toilet for his business.. When I train him, I didn't allow him to have full access to the living room without anyone supervising. I actually staying in a shophouse where Goofy and I were separated with a door only... When I 1st got him back, I put him in a play pen all the time when I'm working. I put his toys, his water and food bowls and his bed inside the playpen. Pup mostly sleep when nothing to do. And mostly they would do business after they wake up and half or one hour after their food. So I started to monitor his business time lo... Right after he woke up, I'll put him in the toilet and wait him for his business... after he has done it, I'll give him treat n praise like crazy... same goes to after his meal. I normally put him in after one hour he had his meal. This goes few months, then I try to let him access the living room himself, without supervising him. And yes, the 1st time I let him free like that, he did go to the toilet by himself. And that's success...hehehe My Friendster Welcome to Goofy's Blog "don't be angry at me for long & don't lock me up as punishment. you have your work, your entertainment and your friends. I only have U"---from a doggie's voice

J-J Dog Kichi Jul 20, 2007, 8:28 PM Views: 2401 Re: [goofydip] 5++ month old Maltese boy can't seem to learn... HELP! Yup, looks like we’re doing the same thing – except it doesn’t seem to be working in my case. There’s NOT EVEN ONCE where his mistakes did not go uncorrected because we ALWAYS supervise him like a hawk when he’s out of the bathroom (which has been coverted into his pen). We catch him in mid action EVERYTIME he goes in the wrong place, so we do feel like we did everything by the book. And many, many, many times at that – over 100 corrections and 60 praises. And he still has not gone back to the bathroom by himself, not even ONCE. Sigh!!!

goofydip Veteran Jul 20, 2007, 9:23 PM Views: 2395 Re: [J-J] 5++ month old Maltese boy can't seem to learn... HELP! oh... in this case, y not u change his 'pen'? Coz I think he don't want to do business there bcoz he think that is his room. And he of course don't want to dirty up his room. Just suggestion la.. hehehehe My Friendster Welcome to Goofy's Blog "don't be angry at me for long & don't lock me up as punishment. you have your work, your entertainment and your friends. I only have U"---from a doggie's voice

J-J Dog Kichi Jul 20, 2007, 10:41 PM Views: 2390 Re: [goofydip] 5++ month old Maltese boy can't seem to learn... HELP! His ‘pen’ is actually our bathroom, which has a wet area (where the shower is), and the dry area (where the toilet bowl and sink is). His kennel (like a small dog house and where he sleeps), toys, water bottle and food is in the dry area. His ‘toilet’ is in the wet area. When he’s inside his ‘pen’, he has no problem going to the right place – the wet area. He does not pee/poo in the dry area. So therefore don’t think the problem is him not wanting to dirty his ‘room’ (the dry area) since he doesn’t do business in his room at all rite? By the way, thanks for all the feedback, Goofy. It’s nice throwing ideas around with you. ;)

J-J Dog Kichi Jul 27, 2007, 10:32 PM Views: 2325 Re: [J-J] 5++ month old Maltese boy can't seem to learn... HELP! Just to update: In the past one week, we have 'up-graded' from telling him 'no' and bringing him to the bathroon, to using a rolled up newspaper and hitting the floor - makes a loud sound which scares him. He will stop in the middle (of peeing) and run back to the bathroom. It seems to be working much better as he hasn't been having accidents outside the bathroom in the for 4 days now. He 'tahan' when he's outside. Every hour or so I'll walk into the bathroom, he'll follow me and pee when he's inside. Not perfect (perfect would be when he knows how to go to the bathroom by himself w/o needing me to 'teman' him) but so much better than him peeing all over the place previously. I think sometimes some dogs just don't take our 'no's' very seriously or something! lol.

cyling Dog Kichi Aug 6, 2007, 10:38 PM Views: 2164 Re: [J-J] 5++ month old Maltese boy can't seem to learn... HELP! Congratulation! Maltese are very smart breed. They will learn the "rules of Toilet". Just the matter of time. Visit Hero and Casper's Blog

J-J Dog Kichi Aug 13, 2007, 11:35 PM Views: 2094 Re: [cyling] 5++ month old Maltese boy can't seem to learn... HELP! Hehe. Thanks Ling. I hv no doubts he is smart. I think his problem is that he's very A.D.D. (attention defisit disorder - like britney spears ). Cannot tahan being alone - when he's out of his 'room', he will not go back in to drink or eat unless we teman him. So hor, pee n poo oso got to accompany him oo. And every once a day or two sure accident outside. But better than last time - at least can see he put some effort to tahan.