[Wyatt's mommy]

A "responsible" owner will make sure their puppy is safe from harm whether it is a x pen, crate, baby gates. If you are going to tether you should never leave them alone.......

 

[Wyatt's mommy]

Thanks! How long do you think I should be carrying him? 2 weeks (which will make him 10 weeks old), or longer?

I wouldn't carry him. I would lead him out to the door so he learns where to go when he needs to go out. Once outside lead him to the spot that you want him to eliminate each and every time. Believe it or not they catch on really fast.

 

[Wyatt's mommy]

My comment was not based on puppy safety, it was base on the fact that unattended puppies do things that are "not appropriate" and lead to inappropriate repetitive behaviors which then must be unlearned through training.

But you are completely right in that a tethered puppy should not be left alone. My comment on that point was not clear. But IMHO a puppy in an x-pen should not be left alone in the house either. Puppies should be under observation or crated which means that puppies probably require more oversight than most people think. The lack of such oversight is not necessarily an insurmountable problem. But it is likely to lead to longer training time and more training to correct inappropriate behaviors than would be required with more observation.

I was commenting on your post that mentioned your trainers opinion that x pens relieves the owner the responsibility of watching the puppy. I had no problem with keeping an eye on my pup since his x pen was smack dab in the middle of the family room. When he got tired he would circle his safe place to be put in.

 

[Wyatt's mommy]

I would have to disagree given the conditions under which this lady lives. She lives in a fifth floor apartment requiring an elevator to get outside. Once she leaves the confines of her apartment, a young puppy with the urge to go is going to have trouble discerning that the hallway which is relatively unfamiliar, the elevator, and any lobby all of which must be traversed is not an acceptable place to relieve himself. Once you carry the pup to a consistent location and instruct him to POTTY, he will eventually understand the association and then can be walked on lead as you described.

That is why it is called training.

 

[Wyatt's mommy]

No need to get sarcastic.

So how do you propose to teach him that the hallway the elevator or the lobby were inappropriate spots to pea and poop. And how do you expect him to hold it even longer while you clean up the mess he just made.

What I am suggesting is you set up a routine where he knows there is one acceptable spot to go and that going in that acceptable spot is rewarded. Then you can walk him and he knows when he is in the right spot based on positive experience.

You are free to do as you wish. The OP should know that Wyatts Mom has a history of following me to posts and disagreeing with everything I offer. It is up to you to make your own choice.

Sorry you took it that way. IMO the puppy needs to learn to go to the door in order to alert the owner that he needs to go. I am just talking from experience though and not some trainers opinion

 

[Wyatt's mommy]

A puppy may or may not go to the door at a very young age. It is best that you take them out on a frequent schedule. In the case of the OP beyond the door lies several areas where it is equally inappropriate to potty. I am suggesting that early on simply avoiding messing in a public area and having to stop and clean it up carrying the dog to the approved area is better.

BTW, We have raised, bred, and shown dogs for 25 years so this is not our first rodeo. However, we are not so arrogant to think there are not trained people who may know enough to accept their thinking. So my thoughts are based on my own experience backed up by the thinking of trained professionals. You should be more careful with your insinuations and assumptions.

That is why I said IMHO you need to teach them by leading them to the door. They certainly will not learn it by being carried lol!
I never insinuated or assumed anything

 

[Wyatt's mommy]

If that is the case, what were you trying to say when you wrote "I am just talking from experience though and not some trainers opinion".

If you insist on making snarky remarks then be an adult and have the intestinal fortitude to own up to them rather than acting like a junior high schoo child and trying to deny what you said.

As far as the topic at hand, how do you propose to train the puppy when it poops and pees in the hallway, elevator, and lobby while you have him on lead and are trying to clean up the mess he made.

I have made it clear that a puppy learns through repetition and praise there is a appropriate spot to relieve himself so the carrying does not avoid learning. It just avoids him messing in public areas and makes it more difficult to train him where the right place is while you have to focus on cleaning up the mess.

I never denied anything. What I wrote was pretty self explanatory. I have taught both my goldens to follow me to the correct door that leads them to the correct potty spot.. If you want to carry go ahead.