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Hi everyone This is our new Bernese puppy I need some tips It's been a looong time since we have had a puppy and I feel like I'm going through postpartum depression She's seems to be really good in her kennel at night, she doesn't whine for long or bark much it's just the training to go to the bathroom outside! How often do they piddle!???? Any and all suggestions on this subject or any other tips on ANYTHING would be most helpful
Hi Brenda,
congratulations, your puppy is adorable and judging by it's paws, it will be quite a big dog once it is grown!
I can't give any suggestions on the subject "potty training" since our dogs were always "potty trained" when we got them, but I am sure other members of this group have been in the same situation and can help you.
Hugs,
Marion
She is gorgeous Brenda-I have always loved this breed
Puppies need to go out quite often and the best times to let them out are as soon as they wake up and after a meal although it could be more than that
Laurie :hug:
Thank you for responding She piddles 4 or 5 times in 1 hour! She does pee on those pee pads though but do you still take them outside after they go on them? She will be big, about 80 to 90 lbs......... The size doesn't bother me it's the house breaking :pray:
Hi Brenda,
Congrats the puppy is adorable. Puppies do pee a lot and more when they are big - those bigger bladders!!!
I trained my dog to ring a bell to go outside which works really really good as there is no barking or scratching which can wreck your door! All I did for the first couple of weeks was ring the bell I hung by the back door every time I let her out and I would also use her paw to ring the bell. Within the 2 weeks she was ringing it herself and hasn't stopped yet! Although we have since put in a doggy door but if the insert in in the door she still rings the bell.
Good luck!
you must be a genius to think of that! What kind of bell?
Brenda,
Just beautiful...can totally relate....trying to train a puppy is the hardest thing I've ever done.Mikki
The bell was an old Xmas bell. Actually there was about 3 on the ribbon which I just hooked beside the door - works like a charm!! Give it a try it sure saves the door from being scratched!
I'm not the genius my vet actually mentioned it to me - she didn't tell me how to train her to do it but she said she had heard about someone who had trained their dog in this way so I thought it was worth a try. The first time she rung the bell on her own I was sitting at the kitchen table and couldn't figure out what the noise was - so who needs to be trained :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: My husband was in disbelief and kept laughing at me trying to get her to ring the bell. He didn't believe me for the first week that she was doing it on her own until I was out one night and he had to believe me. He thinks its a really good trick now!!!
Hi Brenda! We used to have a Bernese Mountain Dog! He was so sweet... WONDERFUL dogs; they need plenty of excercise! I thought I was the queen of potty training dogs until I had a BMD... Frodo didn't potty train until he was 1 1/2!! Your little girl is such a sweet baby; makes me miss Frodo!!
Thank you for all the compliments on her looks everyone I will try the bell thing, and Kimberly, WHAT! 1 1/2!!!! So your baby was a boy? Maybe the girls catch on quicker :pray:
Yep, he was a boy, and yep.... 1 1/2... no typo there. I read after being so frustrated with that whole potty thing, that they can take much longer to potty train than typical. I never tried the bell thing, though! Maybe that will work for you! Also, yes, I read that the girls are a bit more 'relaxed' and they 'get their brains sooner' so maybe everything will be all right! You know Berners get their brains in the mail, right? Usually by about 2 years of age, they get them in the mail... Also, BEWARE the FRAP-ing Which I can't remember the exact definition right off, but will get back with you.. Frantic - something... Basically, when they are BIG puppies, they will suddenly explode in a burst of energy, tearing around (the inside of your house) and enjoying every moment of it! hee hee hee Frodo did that one time and knocked our TV off of my husband's dresser.... BEWARE the FRAP-ing!!! LOL They don't mean it, they are just big goofballs and SOOOO sweet!!!! And again, you have a girl, so maybe she'll be more lady-like and not resort to that mayhem....
Thank you for all that info!! I have read that they are a more relaxed dog and can be a bit docile [which I wanted] We picked the quietest one of the two females, the other one was way more dominant. She actually likes to play outside by herself for awhile I'll have to see about those spurts of energy they get, i can just imagine how big and clumsy they will get! and yours knocking the tv off the dresser!
Brenda, congratulations on your gorgeous girl My puppy took ages to potty train too....it is all about the breed, they all differ as Kim was saying above. but it can be so frustrating when you do everything right, you take them out to piddle and then bring them in and, wizz.....arghh, soaked carpet again! we went through around 3 accidents a day at the beginning....gosh i'm glad that times over hehe, my puppy even went through a stage when he was about 7 mths old, I was sure he was potty trained, and then one day, he decided to forget all he learned and took a giant step backward and started piddling himself again LOL, he ws around 7 mths old then. you could always see it was a mistake though, he'd look under him and you could imagine his little brain thinking, "oh oh, I've pee'd myself again :o("
now, he is just over a year and going well,although when people come and visit he seems to forget again lol
Try to just go with the flow, (hehe) and not stress....the carpets can be shampooed later. good luck!
Yes, once they settle down they are wonderfully calm dogs... I am certain that your little girl will bring you several years of pure joy! She looks like a little angel anyway... hee hee hee
Yes, Frodo knocked our TV OFF of the dresser and broke it. He was just tearing around the house like a nut and slammed right into it! He went running into our bedroom, I heard this HUGE CRASH! and he came skidding back out! LOL
She is gorgeous Brenda! Congratulations on your new baby. If you are using the puppy pee pads I would try taking her outside right after she uses them (or if you can tell she's thinking about going rush her outside before she goes). Maybe she'll associate going to the bathroom with being outside. Soon your intuition will kick in and you'll start getting a feel for when she has to pee. My pups always got suspiciously quiet and would start sniffing the floor. It's also good to give LOTS of praise when they do their business outside. It took my girl dog months until she would consistently go outside, but our boy learned right off the bat and only had one or two accidents in the house. I guess some learn faster than others. Good luck! Bernese mountain dogs are wonderful!
-Lynnette
thank you gals for all the info! only 3 accidents a day in the beginning? This girl pees so much like I've shampooed about 10 or so spots today! it's crazy Do you think maybe she has a bladder infection or something??
Brenda - she is absolutely gorgeous! And you have my utmost sympathy - we tend to forget just how much work a new puppy is! From my experience, the main thing is to BE there..........you soon get to recognise when pup is going to perform. so you can rush him/her outside, and then give lots of praise. Dogs are very intelligent, and soon realise what to do.........I think when they are babies, there is just SO much to take on board at first, and accidents do happen. We've never had much of a problem with house-training, tho' I do think that the boy pups take a bit longer to learn...........read into that what you will! One thing I learned over the years - getting a new pup when there is SNOW outside isn't the most sensible thing to do - memories of standing out there first thing, barefoot in my jamas and waiting cross-legged for the pup to perform before I could rush off to the loo.........
Don't worry - you'll get there!
huggies
Maria
hahahaha, I'm sorry, the 3 accidents a day comment was supposed to make you feel better....10!!!! sorry LOL Gosh, I hated soaking up the pee, and then shampooing....ick, 10!!!? At least she's cute It will get better
gosh I'm going to tell my mum about all this, she was nearly ripping her hair out with our accident happening puppy lol
we used to have a wee pad in each room at the start too....wonder if that will help?
3 accidents a day would be a dream for me! This pup has gone 4 times on the rug since 9:00 am and it's now 10 after 11:00 :doh: I've rushed her outside every time and I'm really hoping she catches on real soon. I tell her every time " pee outside" and then put her outside. It's pouring rain here today yuk! I know she can hold her pee for 4 hours at a time because in the night I leave her in her crate and take her out once in the middle of the night and she hasn't gone in her crate Hey, there's another owner here, where's my daughter???? I'm almost thinking I should put her in her crate for 2 hours in the afternoon just to have a break?
Oh Brenda he's adorable!!!! I LOVE Bernese Mountain Dogs!!! A new puppy is a big adjustment, but once your routines are settled you will have so much enjoyment together.
~Patricia
Did a miss the name of this cutie? I love Bernese Mountain Dogs. I think they look like big teddy bears that need hugging! With my dogs, I would leave them out for a while until they went then I would praise them and let them in the house. If she's going that often, you won't have to wait long until she piddles. Also, if she doesn't go while in the kennel, keep her in the kennel most of the time. Let her out of the kennel, then right out the door to pee. Then, she can play in the house for a while before you return her to the kennel to hold it a while. I bet pretty soon, she'll learn how to hold it for longer periods. HOWEVER, if she continues to have problems and goes several times an hour, take her to the vet. She may have a urinary tract infection or a bladder control problem. I look forward to seeing lots of pictures as she grows!
Hugs!
Alison
Her name is Dakota It seems kind of strange right now for her to even have a name, I can't believe I have a dog again! kind of like when you bring home your first baby I think I will try the kennel thing but might have to put her in my room like I do at night or if she sees me or my daughter she'll whine and bark. She loves being outside! even in the rain, when I'm ready to go in the house alot of the times she wants to stay outside and amuse herself I will post more pics as she grows!
Thanks Ellen and I'm soo sorry to "hear" your dog has cancer. My other dog passed away 3 years ago because of kidney failure and to watch her struggle to go outside to pee without falling over was torture to watch, even though at that point I didn't care if she went on the carpet as I knew she wasn't going to be with us much longer I think Dakota is knowing now that going on the floor is bad because she's giving me those guilty looks now
What a beautiful girl you have, Brenda!! I just love puppies! Looking forward to seeing pics as she grows..........
The only I advice I could think to add on the potty training is in regard to the puppy pads. That's great that she's using them......should make your job easier! A good trick to eventually get her to going outside instead of on the pads is to gradually move the pads in the direction of the door she goes out to potty outside.....and of course you are also taking her out frequently, so she will learn it is okay as well to potty outdoors. You would end up with a pad at the door eventually, and then no more pads once she only goes outside. The kennel advice is also great........she can't be kennel trained unless she spends some time in the kennel to learn this. And it does not hurt her one bit as she still gets frequent quality time with you. Once she's trained to her kennel (this is her den....dogs instinctively keep their den clean), she then needs to learn that your home is also her den. The way to do this is to give her room to roam in small increments.........no run of the house for quite awhile. This will also keep the accidents in mostly the same area, so easier on you! Good luck to you.......this will all be behind you soon enough, and you'll enjoy your baby so much the accidents will be nothing but a dim memory! :hug:
Brenda: what a cute puppy. training you dog is very important early on. It takes work initially but it is well worth it in the long run. I watch the Dog Whisperer on our National Geographic channel and the dog trainer is Ceser Millan. He has written some books on shaping dogs behaviors. Here are the links to where you can find the books: