puppy pad training

Question
I have basically house broken my beagle basset mix(bagle.) Now I work and do not like the idea of him staying in his cage all day (poor thing.) I am leaving him in the bathroom in hopes he will use his puppy pads. He will not pee while i am gone but he will poop everywhere in the bathroom. I am taking the pad and putting it in the grass but it is not driving in. He is a sweet dog and deserves freedom. Help me out or give me good alternatives please.

Answer
Josh, it doesn't sound like your pup is quite ready to be left uncrated, even in as small a space as the bathroom. I would discontinue use of the puppy pads completely, if you want to teach him to go potty outside and not inside. If you want to be able to some day leave your dog loose in the house while you're at work and not have to worry about him pottying in the house, you're going to have to start out by keeping him crated when you are not home. He will not want to soil in his crate, and that will help teach him to hold it until you let him outside. If you were to video tape him all day, you would discover that most of the day he is sleeping, so whether or not he sleeps on the bathroom floor or in his crate makes no difference. He's sleeping, so it doesn't really matter where he is.

How old is he? How long he can be left in the crate will depend on his age. Generally, puppies can hold their bladder for about as many hours as they are old (in months). You say peeing isn't the problem, so if he can hold his bladder all day, he can certainly hold his bowels (providing you don't leave food down for him all day or feed him as you leave without taking him out to have a bowel movement first).

Here's what I would do:

1. Make sure his crate is just big enough for him to stand up, turn around, and lie down comfortably in. You don't want it to be much bigger than that or he might use the bathroom in one end - which you don't want.

2. If you do not already, start feeding him at certain times, rather than leaving food down for him all day. You can feed once in the morning and once in the evening, but it doesn't have to be at exactly the same time every day. Leave the dish down for about 15 minutes, and then pick it up and put it away. If there is any food left in the bowl, dump it back in the bag or storage container that you keep his food in. Then take him outside on a leash, and walk him around for a few minutes in the "potty area" of the yard. Walking helps to stimulate the bowels, so keep him moving; don't let him stop to sniff a bush or a spot on the ground, or allow him to play. He needs to understand that potty time is exactly that, and he doesn't get to do anything else until he goes potty first. When you see him start to circle and/or squat, start saying "Hurry up" or "Go potty" or whatever 'command' you'd like to associate with him going to the bathroom. Whatever you decide, you will say whether he is peeing or pooing. Keep repeating the 'command' over and over until he has completely finished. Then praise, praise, praise him, and pet him, and let him run around and/or play with him for a few minutes. Then take him back in.

3. Pick up his water bowl 10 minutes before you leave, and take him out to pee one last time right before you go.

4. When you bring him back in, put him in his crate with a nylabone, kong toy, or other non edible toy that he likes but that he cannot destroy and potentially swallow (no stuffed toys if he will tear them up). Do not leave a blanket or bed in the crate with him, because many dogs will soil a blanket and then try to 'bury' it. You can leave a radio or the TV on for him turned down low if you want, but it isn't necessary.

5. When you come home, don't make a big fuss over him, but go over and open the crate, and then encourage him to follow you to the door. Clip his leash on and take him out to potty. Praise him when he goes to the bathroom outside, and stay out there for a few minutes afterwards playing with him so that he learns that going to the bathroom outside means fun time with dad (and also just to make sure he's gotten everything out of his system). Then take him back in and be sure to let him out two or three times during the course of the evening so that he understands that he will have many opportunities to go potty, and so he will be more likely to hold it and wait instead of looking for a place to go inside. You can leave water down until about an hour before bedtime, then take it back up. When you feed him his evening meal, repeat as instructed for the morning meal.

Continue to crate him for a few weeks to a couple of months when you are not home to supervise him. Preventing him from pottying in the house, and praising him for pottying outside is absolutely the best way to teach him to go outside instead of inside. Before long, you'll be able to go to work and leave him the run of the house, but not just yet.

Baby steps.

Please let me know if there's anything else I can help you with!

Kristen