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Potty training an Eskie is not
difficult. Eskies are fast learners and if you do it
right, you can potty train them in a few days. Do not
expect to potty train a puppy under 10 to 12 weeks of
age. They are very young babies at this stage and too
young to learn. Just make sure you have an area inside
your home where you have layed down thick layers of newpaper or puppy pads on the
floor and you can quickly pick up your puppy and take them there
when they are about to go.
Designated Area
Potty training begins with designating an
area in your home where your puppy has to learn to go when
it is potty time. If possible, this should be a floor
surface without any carpets and easily accessible by your puppy 24/7. Put down thick layers of newspaper or
puppy pads sufficient for absorption. If you have
carpeting everywhere, lay down large plastic garbage bags or
a plastic tarp on top of your carpet that will not allow for
any seepage through to your carpet and then place newspapers
or puppy pads on top of the plastic.
Perhaps the most important thing about the designated area
is that you always keep it in the same location. If
you have a larger home, say with an upstairs and a
downstairs, you can have a designated area on both levels so
your puppy never has too far to go.
24/7 Access
It is crucial that your puppy has 24/7
access to the designated area. Make sure your puppy
can access the designated area in a safe manner when there
is no one at home. Stairs can be challenging for a
puppy and too far to traverse to the designated
area.
If you decide you want to keep your puppy in a crate while
you are away during the day or during the night if you don't
want to take your puppy outside for potty in the middle of
the night, then put the crate in a room and make sure the
crate door is always left open. Place newspapers
and/or puppy pads outside of the crate and close the door to
the room where the crate is located.
Do not force your puppy to go potty inside the crate where
the puppy sleeps. A puppy does not want to go potty
where they sleep or eat and they should not be forced to do
this. Always leave the crate door open so the puppy can
go into the crate to sleep and can go potty outside of the
crate, even
if it is just a few feet away from the crate. Be sure
to keep the puppy's water dish and food bowl away from the
newspapers and/or puppy pads.
Look For Signs
Successful potty training begins with keeping a watchful eye
on your puppy and looking for the signs your puppy displays
when he or she has to go potty. Some puppies will
start sniffing the floor looking for a place to go.
Some may come to you and look at you with an intense look as
if they are trying to tell you something. Your puppy may also go and stand or sit by the front door.
You can also
expect a need to potty shortly after drinking water. When you
see these signs, pick up your puppy and take them to their
designated potty area. Watch for these signs and respond
immediately.
Training Your Puppy To Potty In The Designated Area
Ultimately, you want to train your puppy to go potty outside
and not indoors. However, until your puppy's bladder grows large enough to
hold it throughout the night or throughout the day while you
are away, you will need to maintain a designated area
indoors. You can expect Eskie puppies to start holding
it sometime between the age of 6 months and 1 year. It
is different for every puppy.
In the meantime, while you are at home with your Eskie, you
can start training them to go potty outdoors sometime around
12 weeks of age. Start by keeping a very close constant watch on
your puppy. When your puppy looks like he or she is thinking
about going or is ready to potty, pick up your puppy and take your puppy outside immediately.
Put him on some grass. This will help train your puppy to
learn to go potty outside. When your puppy goes potty outside, praise him a lot and reward him with a treat.
This way he knows he has done good. He will want to continue to please you and be a good
puppy. Eskies
love to be praised. This is the strongest incentive you have in training. Never
yell, punish or spank your puppy or adult Eskie. This makes them scared of you and
teaches them not to listen to you. They will avoid you
like the plague.
For training to potty outdoors, if you are late in catching
the potty warning signs and your puppy starts to pee inside
the house, pick him up immediately, say "No" and take him outside immediately. You
have to discipline him while he is in the act, not after the fact.
Do not discipline your puppy after the fact. He will
not understand.
Like Clockwork
Make sure you establish a regular schedule for taking
your puppy outside for potty. Take him out for potties as
often as you can at first to make sure he gets the idea he has to potty outside and not inside, say
every hour to 2 hours all throughout the first few days of potty training. Then after he stops
peeing inside, establish a routine schedule for going outside for potty. For
example, first thing in the morning when you get up. Take
him out again sometime around noon. Take him out in the afternoon and after dinner. Then take him
out in the evening before you go to bed. All dogs need to potty at least 4 times a day. The most
important thing is to establish a routine so he knows that he gets to go out at certain times of the
day and night. This way he will learn to hold it until the next time he goes out.
Tricks Of The Trade
Eskies will not potty where there is food. So if you want
your puppy to stop going on
your carpet, put a bowl of dry food down where he has been
going potty. Leave the food there all day while you
are gone. Actually, you can put a food bowl down in all of the spots he has been going
potty where you want
him to stop. Don't worry, he won't overeat.
Marking
In terms of marking, you have to stop him every time he lifts his leg to mark. Just say "No" in a
firm voice. If you keep a close watch on him and warn him every time, he will learn in a few days.
If he doesn't listen to your "no", then just say it in a firmer, louder and deeper voice like you
mean business. If he still doesn't listen, then point your index finger at his nose while you say
"no". Eskies hate that. If he looks away while you do this, then you know he knows he is doing wrong.
If he just keeps looking at you while you are pointing at his nose, it is likely he doesn't understand.
Then you can lecture him and he will get the idea. Just carry on for a couple of minutes talking
directly at him pointing your index finger at his nose - keep your finger a couple of inches away
from his nose and repeat a few times "No peeing, no marking, no going potty inside, no, no, no".
You will see by the expression on his face when he finally understands what you are saying.
No Chemicals Please
Don't use harsh chemical repellent sprays on furniture or in your carpet where
your puppy walks. These are
dangerous and toxic and could lead to health problems down the road. Just watch
your puppy with an eagle eye
and tell him "no". You'll have him trained in 3 to 4 days. If you have a long work day and can't get
home mid-day to let him out, then maybe you can ask someone you trust to come and take him out during
the first few days of training until he learns he has to potty outside and not inside. |
