Jack/Rat terrier

Question
I have two 4 month old Jack/Rats.  They are siblings one male Toby and female Princess Elina.  I am a stay at home mom due to an accident I had several months ago.  Since I am unable to work I thought it would be a good time to get inside dogs for my kids but now I am having problems.  My first problem is house training.  I have a ramp at my front door and it is easy for them to go out but they come right back in and use the potty inside.  They know they have done wrong b/c when i scold them they tuck their tails and pout I have tried treats but nothing is working.  My second problem is that they chew up everything I know that is what puppies do but how can I make this stop?  I buy them toys and chew things but mainly they chew up clothes and blankets that are within their reach I tell the kids to keep things up but that is hard when you have a 5 year old and a 3 year old. Can you please give me any suggestions that might help?


Answer
The first thing on the house training is to either go out with them and make sure they go before letting them back in, or walking them on a leash.  You can't put them outside and expect them to know what to do. You will need to take them out every hour or so because of their age.

Scolding them will just confuse them... praising them a lot when they do something right is much more effective - so being excited when they potty outside is vital.  It must be right after they do it - not when they come to the door after going... otherwise they think you are praising them for coming to the door, not for the pottying.

They are going to chew because of their age. You can;t stop them, but you can "trade up" when you catch them doing it. Hand them something that it is OK for them to chew when you take away the thing you do not want them to have.

There are many good books - like the ones by the Monks of Skete, and even better I would recommend an obedience class.  They teach you a lot about how dogs think and learn, as well as socializing them.

This should get you started ! Enjoy

-Beth