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house breaking...busted

20 10:37:18

Question
So I am not quite sure what I should do from here...  Digby is house-broken downstairs, but upstairs is as if heis viewing this area as "outside".  Let me run something by you that I was told by another dog owner.  Since he does not go upstairs a lot when he does go up there he is unfamiliar.  This makes him feel like it is not like the downstairs, but rather more like outside where he does his potty...usually.  Therefore, one of the things that I am going to attempt is to put his crate in the family room upstairs, so that he can be with us, even if he is crated at night.  Also, keep a close watch on him when he is out of the crate so we can be ready for correction opportunities when they arise.

Thoughts?
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The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
My family seleted a male standard poodle as a pet in Sept 2006.("Digby")  The first floor of our home is hardwood.  We have kept the crate in the dining room on the first floor and have pretty much allowed him to be out when we are around.  (Crate-trained, I guess you would say).  He has done pretty well on the first floor, HOWEVER...
The 2nd Floor of our home is all new carpeting.  Digby is now 5 months old and whenever he gets upstairs he poops or pees.  I have some thoughts on this, but wanted to get your thoughts of how to get him out of doing this...

Thanks very much...
-----Answer-----
First off I need to stress that you absolutely DO NOT GIVE THE DOG THE RUN OF THE HOUSE!!!!!!  This is THE NUMBER ONE MISTAKE people make when potty training.  If he is doing well on the first floor then dont let him on the second floor until he can prove that he is fully potty trained.
The second mistake that people make is giving the dog too much reward when they havent even proven themselves.

Here is an excerpt from my site that will help you.

POTTY TRAINING IS ESSENTIAL!
POTTY TRAINING
Poodles are very intelligent and easy to train. in fact it is more a process of the puppy training you and not you training the puppy. Please note that consistency is the KEY no matter what method of training you use. if you do not have your poodle puppy house broken in a matter of a couple of weeks then YOU are probably doing something wrong.

INSIDE POTTY TRAINING
All my puppies have been trained to a wee wee pad since about the time they are 2 weeks old. This is a scented pad that attracts the puppy to it. It has an absorbent side and a blue waterproof side. This is a great tool for training your puppy and speeds up the housebreaking process. These pads can be purchased at any store that carries pet supplies.
REMEMBER - When training your puppy that they are very young and have a little attention span and an even smaller bladder. Patience is a virtue! We recommend that you keep your puppy in a small confined area with a wee-wee pad in one end. Keep this away from the food dish and the bed. Puppies do not like to go where they eat and sleep.
Note: Some puppies will tend to wet on the pad but will not defecate on the pad. If you are having this problem try adding another pad to the area that they are defecating. Some dogs will refuse to walk on a wet pad and will tend to find another place to do their business.
Just letting your puppy have the run of the house is NOT a good idea and is just asking for trouble! A house is an awfully big place for a little tiny puppy and they will have a very hard time remembering where their wee-wee pad is. It is fine to take your puppy out and play with him and hold him, in fact please do, just do not let him be unsupervised. For safety sake for you puppy and for the sake of your carpets or floors.
As your puppy grows and learns you can gradually move the wee-wee pad closer to the door and outside if this is your ultimate goal.
Wee-wee pads can also be helpful if you live in cold climates with rain or snow and puppy refuses to go out in the weather.
Another NOTE: Dog go through a certain TEENAGER phase around 6-8 months that will drive you nuts and test you in every way. Do not be surprised if during this time it seems like you have to almost start over with potty training. This phase only lasts 3-4 weeks and everything should return to normal.
OUTSIDE POTTY TRAINING
When training to potty outside, we recommend taking your puppy out every hour to start with. Set a timer and when it goes off take your puppy out immediately. As the puppy grows and matures you can lengthen times between trips. it is also smart to take your puppy out after naps and meals.
It is best if you take your puppy consistently to one spot. Another way to facilitate this is to have one of the male humans (either a husband or son) pee in a cup and then pour that into the spot you want your puppy to go. This may sound gross but it REALLY WORKS!!!!!
As your puppy becomes older and you have learned to read your puppy's signs, you will be able to tell when your puppy needs to go out. Remember, once your puppy tells you he needs to go out TAKE THEM!!!
Still having problems potty training?
More options
First off if they are having accidents go back to square one. DO NOT give them free run of the house!!! I can not stress this enough!!! You can take them out to play on your lap or right where you are. You can even put a long training lead on them to keep them right where you are. I would hook them to you so that they have to go with you. This way you are close and you can see when they are giving you any sort of signs. Next again I would set a timer and take them out every hour. Then use a call word such as tinkle or pee pee or potty or even poop when you go outside. Have their favorite toy or treat with you. Once they do go potty then reward them and praise them in a high pitched happy voice. They will come to learn that outside potty time is fun and rewarding. I would also recommend hanging by the door (that you take them out) or from the door knob a long string of jingle bells. When you got to take them outside ring the bells the first few times yourself. Then have the dog ring the bells with either paw or nose. Remember to do this every time. Just praise them for ringing the bell and take them outside immediately! Soon they will realize that the bells mean going outside to potty. The end result will be the dog ringing the bells to tell you they need to go out on their own. Most dogs should pick this up really quick.
NOTE: DO NOT treat them for ringing the bells though or they will learn to ring the bell to get a treat . Just like Pavlov's dogs. It is amazing the things they pick up. Only treat when they has gone outside and DONE SOMETHING! If you just treat them when you go outside then they will go outside just to get treats also and will not do anything for you. You have to really watch these guys they are so stinking smart they will rule you if they can.
TERRITORY MARKING IN THE HOUSE
I treat this as a potty training issue. For heaven sakes if you male starts to mark his territory in you house, NIP IT IN THE BUD IMMEDIATELY!!!!!!
The sooner you stop this behavior the easier life will be.
The average age for males to mark their territory varies from breed to breed and depends upon how quickly your breed and or variety reaches sexual maturity. You may find that some males will never mark their territory.
In toy poodles males will usually start this around 6 months or so. So if you are not planning on breeding I would recommend neutering your male before this time so they do not learn this behavior.
Standard poodles reach maturity usually much latter so they may not lift their legs until much closer to 1 year of age.
I teach my males to not lift their legs in the house and I have several males together that are not neutered and I do not have an issue.
Several methods that have worked for me.
You need to keep a close eye on your males during this time. You need to catch the dog in action. Punishing or correcting the dog after the fact will do nothing.
Once I see a male lift his leg I use a spray bottle to stop them. This usually works very, very well. I also tell them in a firm voice NO! If you have a dog that is easy to train you will find this will work quickly to stop the problem.
For more difficult dogs I have found a good scare a time or two will work great.
I will put pennies into a tin can or coffee can to make a loud rattle. This will startle your dog and he will learn when he lifts his leg that he hears this sound. In extreme cases I have taken the car and thrown it beside the dog. DO NOT HIT YOUR DOG WITH ANYTHING!!!! When the can lands next to the dog they are startled and do not know where it came from so they do not associate this sound with you.
Some people have had a lot of luck with Belly Bands on their males. This keeps the boys from marking as they are covered up.
Whatever method works for you, just remember that the sooner you stop the behavior the quicker you can get on with life and enjoying your dog.
CLEAN UPS
Did puppy have an accident somewhere in the house that you need to clean up?
The quicker you do it after puppy has messed the easier it is to clean!
There are some wonderful products out there and there are some that just do not work at all.
Natures Miracle is a wonderful product for removing stains but not so good for removing odors.
If you want to remove the odor so that you dog will NOT use that spot again I recommend white vinegar. You can mix this in a spray bottle with water. IT WILL NOT STAIN YOUR FLOORS.
There is also another new product out there that looks to be wonderful. This is URINE GONE. I comes complete with a black light so that you can see where the stains are in the house. You just spray the product on these stains and it will remove the stain and the odor completely. I have not tried it yet but have heard wonderful things from clients. You can get this product off the TV, Online, or from your local Walmart.


Answer
That is a good idea for training.  However because it is a new place for him start over at square one.  Dont give him freedome unless he earns it.  Keep him confined to the area that you are in.  You need to watch to learn his signals that he has to be taken outside.  If he can not give you good signals then I would suggest teaching him to ring a bell when he needs to go outside.  That was covered in the excerpt I sent you.  Remember too to clean up the areas immediately so that he will not smell that spot and use it again.  Before you let him be in the room with you I would also suggest that you take him outside first so that he relieves himself before playing.  Also take him out before and after meals this should also help.  Bigger dogs take a little longer than smaller dogs to get full and total muscle control over their bladders.