New Pet Owner needs help - Miniature Jack Russell puppy

Fallenleaves

Hi there, this is my first post so bear with me?! I have a three and a half month old miniature jack russell terrier. He's a lively dude and very healthy. At the moment he stays in the back kitchen during the day (I have a safety gate up in the doorway leading into the kitchen so he doesn't feel claustraphobic). I have two questions:
1. House training him is proving impossible. Myself and my partner work all day and although we take him for a short walk in the morning and two walks in the evening, he's just not getting into the swing of things! Can anyone please suggest something?
2. We are just about to put up a garden shed (a big wooden one) in the back garden and are thinking of moving him out there during the day and bringing him in at night, is he too young for this? Would he be too cold?
At the moment our back garden isn't secure enough to leave him outdoors for the day. Really, any advice you could give would be appreciated. I've read books on Jack Russells and talked to our vet but am still in a quandry over these two issues. Thanks a million for your help.

lightening

If your off working all day, you will just have to expect to come home to crap and pee every day. A young pup just can't hold it in.

You could try crate training if you could make it home for lunch. Plenty of info, just google it. It worked for me.

I reckon any terrier is ok outdoors with the proper bedding. I would put a box or smaller kennel in the shed. They like something over their heads, it will keep him warmer.

Best of luck.

Toulouse

Do you really expect your pup to hold it in all day until you come home? Not going to happen I'm afraid. I wouldn't even expect that of an adult dog, it's madness. House training requires consistency. You must bring your pup outside after food, drink, play or when you see his tell. This could be spinning, sniffing, you'll pick up on it. Bring him out and when he goes praise praise praise. Don't ever scold for accidents in the house, doing this will make him afraid to go or make him hide and go. If it happens just bring him out, wait for him to go and praise praise praise. This way he knows that it's good to go outside and he gets lots of love for it. If you're not going to crate train him then this is the best way. But you have to keep it up and you not being there during the day will make it harder.

Have you considered getting a dog flap and securing your garden? This works well for my colleague. She has two dogs and they're at home in the kitchen with access to the back garden when they need to go.

With all the dog theft going on at the moment I'd advise against leaving a dog outside on his/her own all day every day.

echosound

If you want to limit the area your pup is doing the business in, I found these things very useful: weeweepads

the theory is they choose these to pee or poo on, and learn to only go on these, then you move them closer to the door, and eventually outside. HOwever if your dog is going to be indoors by itself for long periods perhaps using these or newspaper in the long term might be the way to go, the dog learns that it's toilet is "on" the paper so you have less mess to clean up when you come home, and the dog when it's older may eventually be able to hold it in all day, but until then you will at least only have this one thing to clear up instead of lots of puddles and poos.

As for the shed, if the shed can be locked (so your dog can't be robbed as stated above) then get a nice little kennel to put inside the shed, put warm bedding in it and the dog should be fine. I assume you'll let him have the run of the shed, so make sure you have an area for food and water, and an area for him to use as a toilet.
Jack Russells are hardy enough dogs, I used to have one years ago and he slept outdoors at night in his kennel which was full of warm bedding for the summer and autumn months, and indoors for the harsher winters.

andrawolf

I aggree with all above. At the moment I am pup trainin a 6 week old siberian husky and He is crated when I am not at home and at night for bed time. I also am using the pee pads and he is great. but I am at home and he is getting fed 3 times a day. I weigh out his food in the morning and feed it over the day. I always feed him by 6pm and after 9 I lift all food and only leave a little water in the cage. He settles really easy and gets up at 6.30am and goes for a pee and has his breakfast. a dog is like a child and they need routine plus what goes in must come out.:D:D hope this can help

Amimad

All good advice.
Pick one method & stick to it rather than confuse the puppy by changing the rules.
I perfer not to use paper or pads in the house & just train to outside.
Concentrate on it over the weekend so that you get a couple of days together & chances are you'll get it going in the right direction.

Oh yeh,remember, little bladders don't take much to fill so need to be emptied quite often:D.

Good Luck
Ami

Fallenleaves

Thanks a million guys, some good advice there. I am using piddlepads at the moment and they are working to some extent.. :rolleyes: I suppose I have been contributing somewhat to the problem by maybe not bringing him outside as often as I should but I'll pay loads of attention to his habits over the weekend and take him outside alot with loads of praise after he's performed! He's the cutest thing on the planet aside from this so I'm keen to get him sorted... Thanks again

Toulouse

You should also look into getting a dog walker to come in during the day and bring him for a walk. It'll break the day up and when he's older he should be able to hold it until the walker comes to let him out and then again until you come home in the evening.

Mikia

One very important thing about Jack Russels' is that they need to exercise alot. You'll learn pretty quickly when he'll get older that unless you take him for a good long walk he'll drive you insane simply because he'll have too much energy, especially after spending all day on his own. Getting a dog walker could be a good idea.