What should I clean up today?

[Fallout]

It's a really hard choice when dealing with a puppy, so help me decide what I should clean up today. I can either:

(a) keep the back door closed, thus trapping the puppy inside. Since he still hasn't learnt to ask to go out yet, I won't know if he wants to go unless I keep a close eye on him, so I will constantly be soaking up **** with kitchen roll.

OR

(b) leave the door open, at which point the puppy will run outside to ****. He'll then come back in with twigs covered with soil, lumps of coal (where he gets them from, I don't know), and stones, which he'll then proceed to chew until the entire floor is covered with ****.

I've tried a hybrid solution of closing the door as soon as he goes out, then waiting for him to come back in and searching him for illicit items, at which point he is allowed in. The problem with this solution and any other solution, is that I basically spend all day at the door, never getting any work done and generally getting ****ed off.

So really, the choice is cleaning up garden crap, or puppy ****, or just to kill myself.

[MisterTommyH]

Have you tried puppy pads?

Worth the time, and I've managed to get one pup to learn in 1 week in the past. Also short term loss, long term gain - you might not get much done while he's learning, but you'll save **** loads of time compares to mopping up every 2 hours for weeks.

[The Guru]

Get rid of the puppy. Simples.

[Wideboy]

Get rid of the puppy. Simples.

Chuck in some yorkshires, throw on some bisto. Magic

[Spank86]

rearrange your furniture to create a decontamination zone just inside the door where you can work and the puppy can run outside and back into, that will minimize cleaning.

[Paul the 6th]

yeah puppy pads work a treat... or have you considered crate training? Really effective apparently.. Took my puppy about 2-3 months to suss out going in the garden, but then when he learnt to paw at the door, there were some times where he'd paw at the door constantly, then when you opened it he'd just saunter off elsewhere inside the house like it was a game...

Funny when he was desperate to get back in again though :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L370fONbLSM
L370fONbLSM

[The Idle Biker]

Hire a cheap Phillipino or Eastern European to do it for you. They really don't want much, just a cup of tea now and then and some loose change. It worked for us. HTH.

[ophic]

Funny when he was desperate to get back in again though :D
My cat does exactly the same thing.

My dog just rams the door off its hinges.

[Fallout]

Hahahahaha. :) Thanks guys. I particularly like the way you all want me to slit my own throat. Trying to tell me something? That I need a shave? Yes, probably do.

@Paul - We have a crate. He has learnt to use it quietly quite well, but can't leave him in there all day, as much as I'd like to. A bit harsh for the annoying stinking blighter.

In the end I plumped for the option nobody chose. This is relatively minor carnage for the day.

http://hangfiresoftware.com/duke/mess.jpg

[Small Clanger]

It looks like he's dug up Freddie Mercury's grave.

[Paul the 6th]

@Paul - We have a crate. He has learnt to use it quietly quite well, but can't leave him in there all day, as much as I'd like to. A bit harsh for the annoying stinking blighter.


Ah noooo not like a punishment thing, apparently if you crate them for a set amount of time (read up for exact timings to avoid psychologically damaging your puppy) for example 2 hours at a time, each time you let them out straight into the garden, and then over time they learn to control their toilet muscles. When I first got toby I let him have the run of the whole downstairs of the house on a night, would come down on a morning to find him asleep in the kitchen and then a nice steaming turd and a couple of puddles of wee in the lounge (the furthest he could get from the kitchen). The vet told me that if I just shut him in the kitchen on a night he probably wouldn't mess in there because animals naturally don't like being around their own muck. Probably teaching you to suck eggs but if he's still messing in the house, try shutting him in the smallest room you have with training pads. Once he's got used to doing his stuff on the pads for a few weeks, take them away and let him out regularly with loads of praise when he does go outside. He'll soon get the knack of it :)

As for the garden terrorism... Good luck with that! lol

It looks like he's dug up Freddie Mercury's grave.

Shhiiiit! Clanger! Sorry mate completely forgot to ring you back last night! My bike dropped all it's oil at squires so didn't get home til late last night and then was stripping the bike to jetwash it.. Think I'm going to scotland in the van now so thanks for the offer of the rollbag but think I'll be ok :)

[Fallout]

It looks like he's dug up Freddie Mercury's grave.

Proper loled! :smt005

Ah noooo not like a punishment thing, apparently if you crate them for a set amount of time (read up for exact timings to avoid psychologically damaging your puppy) for example 2 hours at a time, each time you let them out straight into the garden, and then over time they learn to control their toilet muscles. When I first got toby I let him have the run of the whole downstairs of the house on a night, would come down on a morning to find him asleep in the kitchen and then a nice steaming turd and a couple of puddles of wee in the lounge (the furthest he could get from the kitchen). The vet told me that if I just shut him in the kitchen on a night he probably wouldn't mess in there because animals naturally don't like being around their own muck. Probably teaching you to suck eggs but if he's still messing in the house, try shutting him in the smallest room you have with training pads. Once he's got used to doing his stuff on the pads for a few weeks, take them away and let him out regularly with loads of praise when he does go outside. He'll soon get the knack of it :)

That all makes sense dude. He has learnt to go outside, and will always go out when the door is open. Plus he does even do a pathetic little girlie whine by the back door occasionally, when it's closed. It's just he's still at that stage where he can be distracted and forget to ask then suddenly **** himself. Plus when I'm not looking, he can wait by the door for a while but not make a peep and end up running out of bladder control.

He's not done a turd in the house for a long time though (except in his cage at night, but that's fair enough cos he can't hold it). Me on the other hand ... I crap everywhere.

[Paul the 6th]

LOL crap everywhere. Sounds like he's almost there if he's not poo'd inside for a long time then.. Stick with it mate, he's nearly there :)

I *promise* I'll get back to you on FB asap. Been a mental week including trying to blow up my bike and kill myself AT THE SAME TIME. Went to bed at 1.30 last night (had planned 23:30 but a friend phoned and was talking for an hour & a half), then up at half 6, into work for half 7, finished work at 20:00, home, refit all bodywork to bike, refill oil and TIGHTEN SUMP PLUG, test, nip to friends house to cheer him up as he's on a bit of a downer (mission accomplished like a boss :thumbsup:), come home and load GSX-R into back of van at 23:30 ready for the tyre shop in leeds @ 8:30 tomorrow. Randomly decided to take the £40 of coinage to the coin star at tesco (12:45am) then home and a quick glass of rose whilst waiting for washing machine to finish (current time 01:27).

Scotland tomorrow. KABOOM!! Properly excited for Yorkshire Shenanigans :D:D