Training Zoe, or: 1 step forward, 1.5 steps back
House training a puppy is like giving birth; you soon forget the trouble it is enough to consider doing it again.
Yesterday was a good day. I took Zoe out every hour all day, and after each meal and nap and we had very few accidents. Today I've gone through one and a half rolls of paper towel already and it's only 3:00 pm. Apparently her comprehension of "Pee outside and you get a treat" came through as "pee and you get a treat." She's been doing it right in front of me all day, despite the regular trips outside and praise and treats for doing it right. Hopefully the lack of such for inside acts will click soon. To her credit, she hasn't pooped in the house once since we adopted her. That's something.
She's showing amazing progress on "sit" and we're working on "box"-- going into her crate on demand. Praise and treats thrown into the crate are working well. She has a little tantrum every night when we put her in there, but soon calms down to grumbling, then sleep.
As Doug often says, puppies (and children) are "just cute enough."
Yesterday was a good day. I took Zoe out every hour all day, and after each meal and nap and we had very few accidents. Today I've gone through one and a half rolls of paper towel already and it's only 3:00 pm. Apparently her comprehension of "Pee outside and you get a treat" came through as "pee and you get a treat." She's been doing it right in front of me all day, despite the regular trips outside and praise and treats for doing it right. Hopefully the lack of such for inside acts will click soon. To her credit, she hasn't pooped in the house once since we adopted her. That's something.
She's showing amazing progress on "sit" and we're working on "box"-- going into her crate on demand. Praise and treats thrown into the crate are working well. She has a little tantrum every night when we put her in there, but soon calms down to grumbling, then sleep.
As Doug often says, puppies (and children) are "just cute enough."