New Frenchie Parents! Meet Leo - and a potty training question...

[daniellepaul]

Hi everyone!

I've wanted a frenchie for years and my boyfriend & I brought home this little 12 week old bundle of cuteness last week Wednesday. His name is Leo!
I am new to this site but I have been looking through the forums for the past 3-4 days - there is a lot of helpful information on here that I am sure will come in handy

Night time crating beside our bed has gone really well - he no longer cries/whines (we let him cry it out the first few nights and the max he ever did it for was 10 minutes so I think we're pretty lucky). He goes out once before bedtime around 10:30PM, again around 2:30AM, then we wake up at 6:30AM for the day. I know he can hold it for at least 4 hours at a time.

If I should be posting this somewhere else, please let me know - but I just had a question about potty training...we bought pee pads but have yet to use them because my boyfriends work schedule & mine has worked out that the dog will never be crated during the day for more than 4 hours. I also don't want to confuse the dog by thinking it's okay to pee inside anywhere. He hasn't had a pee accident in the house, but had 1 poop where we caught him, told him no, then picked him up and put him outside to go. Yesterday was the first day that we had to crate him from 2PM-5PM (he loves his crate - we made sure to associate it with positive interactions and to treat him when he goes in, feed all his meals in their etc). I put a towel in to make it comfy (probably a mistake now that I think about it), and he had too much room to move about in it. He inevitably peed on the towel.

I want to set him up for success - I restricted his crate size this morning so that he only has enough room to stand, lay down, and turn around in. I put a couple toys in, and we practiced the command 'cage' and he still loves going in/has no problem staying in it locked when we are in the house.

Does anyone have any tips? He loves his bed, and is great in the car in his bed, and hasn't had an accident in it - but I am hesitant to put his bed in his crate because it is a soft surface... should I be worried or am I overthinking this...

Do frenchies tend to hate laying in their pee? I know he's just a baby and he has only been home for a week - but I think he is doing amazing considering. I just want to make sure I'm doing the right things to set him up for success

- Danielle

 

[mattcantwin]

We started training Loki pretty early with him sleeping in his crate with the door open and two pads just in front of the crate.

That worked well.

Is it possible to set Leo up in a similar manner while no one is home?

(maybe a small room that doesn't have many trouble spots)



ps He is a great looking pup!

 

[Frenchie Grrrl]

Welcome!! :hiya:

Sounds like you are doing great. If he has another accident in the crate, now that you've made it smaller, I would remove the towel for a bit. Also, you might try feeding him in his crate, as well. It might help make the association of the crate being his little den.

I'm not a fan of pee pads, and have never used them. If you rarely have to leave him for an extended period while he is still learning, I think sticking to what you are doing is the best option. That way, you won't have to re-train him later to pee outside.

Best of luck!!


PS - Leo is a super cutie pie!

 

[FroxerMom]

Hello Leo and family,
Sounds like you really read up on proper crate training (using it positively)! Mine loves her crate too. She initially peed on a blanket I put in there for her so I took it out and just bought a rubbery crate pad that lined the bottom. I adopted her at 12/13 months of age, so once I revisited potty training and she was having way fewer accidents, I experimented and put a dog bed in her crate for her. She is crated when we are away from home, which isn't more than a few hours because of our opposite work schedules, and she does sleep in it next to my bed at night. I would love to have her eventually sleep in bed with me, but hubs says no. She runs right inside at night so I know she's happy in it. Sounds like your Leo is as well.
It sounds like you all are committed and doing a fantastic job - he's only 12 weeks, so bound to have an accident every now and then.

He sure is cute. Post more pics and an update when you can!

 

[daniellepaul]

Thanks everyone for the kind words about him and your advice - it's so hard to be mad at that little face.

I want to steer away from using pee pads if I can - I have reached out to some other people who have bought puppies from the same breeder as I, and both owners had said that it was really hard to break the breeders use of pee pads. Today I crated him again from 2-5PM while we were at work - restricted the area in crate, and put one toy in for him, no towel. He still peed, but the toy had soaked up most of the pee so he didn't really have to experience the discomfort of laying in it. He was calm though so that's one plus! I know he is just a puppy and hopefully this is just nervous/anxious peeing until he knows that I will be back in a few hours but I also don't want him to think that peeing and laying in it for a few hours is okay - I don't want to constantly be bathing him!

It's only the second time of me trying crating him during the day, so I'm hoping he gets the hint soon that laying in pee isn't fun. Maybe next time I will take out any toys that can absorb - it may deter him from peeing in there? He is a smart cookie and food motivated so I am hoping by giving lots of praise for outside pees/poops he will get it soon.

 

[Frenchie Fanatic]

Welcome Danielle and Leo!!
That is a handsome little man you've got there.
Congrats! Lots of knowledgeable, experienced folks here. :yes:

 

[Squishy Walnuts]

Welcome!! Leo is gorgeous!!!

You are doing great with potty training. Frenchies are very stubborn but I'm sure soon he'll have it down.

 

[Alice Kable]

:smileywelcome: to you and handsome Leo!

It sounds like you have a good handle on potty training! We used pee pads for the 1st time ever (after years of dogs) because we got Buster during winter when it was freezing and snowy outside!

 

[2bullymama]

Thanks everyone for the kind words about him and your advice - it's so hard to be mad at that little face.

I want to steer away from using pee pads if I can - I have reached out to some other people who have bought puppies from the same breeder as I, and both owners had said that it was really hard to break the breeders use of pee pads. Today I crated him again from 2-5PM while we were at work - restricted the area in crate, and put one toy in for him, no towel. He still peed, but the toy had soaked up most of the pee so he didn't really have to experience the discomfort of laying in it. He was calm though so that's one plus! I know he is just a puppy and hopefully this is just nervous/anxious peeing until he knows that I will be back in a few hours but I also don't want him to think that peeing and laying in it for a few hours is okay - I don't want to constantly be bathing him!

It's only the second time of me trying crating him during the day, so I'm hoping he gets the hint soon that laying in pee isn't fun. Maybe next time I will take out any toys that can absorb - it may deter him from peeing in there? He is a smart cookie and food motivated so I am hoping by giving lots of praise for outside pees/poops he will get it soon.

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What a n adorable little guy.... you are doing all the right stuff, but one thing to note... at 12 weeks old, he can only hold his bladder for 3-4 hours, I always tend to do a 2 hour potty until they are about 6 month old.