305. One month with owner but still pees on carpets

Toilet Training Your First Puppy in Singapore

The 17-week-old male Shih Tzu X that looked unlike a Shih Tzu came for the 3rd vaccination. A 7-year-old girl looking like a miniature version of her mother watched attentively. Patiently. Not a word from her.

I had time as the next appointment case was late. The puppy was over 4 months old. I presumed he was toilet trained and asked the mum.

"No," she shook her head. "Every morning, he would bark to get out of the playpen. He would rush to the living room's rug to pee!"

I was not surprised. The puppy had controlled his bladder overnight as he did not want to soil his playpen. This playpen had no door. It was 4 pieces of fences kept inwards by an aluminium pee tray.

"What did the puppy seller advise you about toilet training?" I asked.

"He said to put newspapers inside the playpen, spray the toilet training liquid on the papers" the mum said. "Put the cushion and bed on one end."

"Did the puppy pee and poop on the newspapers?" I asked.

"No."

"Did the puppy shred the newspapers?" I enquired.

"Only on the first day after purchase."

This peeing and pooping on the rug and living room areas had been going on for over a month. It was not satisfactory.

What's the solution?

There are 2 solutions.

1. CONFINE THE PUPPY TO THE UTILITY AREA for the next 14 days.
Let the puppy pee and poop on the newspapers. As the playpen has no door, take it away and let the aluminium pee tray be the den. The puppy gets out of the tray to pee and poop on the papers. Feeding as usual in the morning and evening. Neutralise the urine smell on the living areas by using vinegar:water 1:2 but be careful of staining of the marble flooring. Washing machine to remove the smells in the rug.


Watch for signs of peeing and pooping. The mum knew what the signs were. Bring the puppy to the papers.



2. CRATE TRAINING. Confine the puppy to the playpen and bring him to the papers every 3 hourly. Ask the domestic worker to do it as mum works.

"Does the puppy poop soon after breakfast and dinner?"

"Yes," the mum said, "But at unknown times after eating dinner."

So, there is a problem here. What caused it?

"The 7-year-old girl must have had distracted him," I said. Mum nodded her head.

If she could let the puppy poop first before playing, then the puppy would be toilet trained.

Will my suggestions work? I don't know because mum may not have time to give me feedback. The school holidays are coming. She would be away with the girl and the puppy.

"Best not to bring the puppy overseas," I advised. "He would be quarantined for 4 weeks on return to Singapore. I propose crate training, asking the domestic worker to practise it."

It was a good meeting. I hope the puppy can be paper trained as he lives in an apartment. As he grows older, it will be harder to paper-train. In this situation, a toilet training book sharing real case experiences will be good.