i just got a poodle dog yesterday (he’s 8 weeks old). i want to train him to sleep in the bathroom, i put his food/water and toys in there with an area to poop/pee and for him to lay down. but he only likes to be around people, he follows us. so my question is, is it ok if the puppy cries when i put him to sleep in the bathroom with door closed? i want to train him to pee/poop there and sleep there at night and such. thank you.
An 8 week old Poodle can’t be expected to “hold it” for very long – an hour or two at most. And you should NEVER encourage a dog to poop or pee inside the house. EVER. Not only is it unsanitary, it also adds a step to the potty training process and may make future training to go outdoors VERY difficult (if not impossible.)
I would seriously reconsider where you plan on training this dog – a bathroom is big enough to allow the dog to eliminate in several areas while still allowing him to move away from the mess. This does not teach the dog OR encourage the dog to “hold it” for periods of time once he is old enough to do so.
I would also avoid leaving food OR water with the dog – that just give him the opportunity to fill up and have to go some more… if he doesn’t make a huge mess of it, that is.
I would invest in a crate for your dog. Put the crate in your room for a while and during the night make the effort to bring him out every three hours until he hits four months of age. During the day he should be tethered to you and he WILL need to go out every couple of hours. Small breeds need more potty time and need to go out more often – if you weren’t willing to go through the PROPER training process, why did you get this dog in the first place?
It isn’t difficult. It just takes a bit of dedication on YOUR part as a dog owner.
The only time you should go to your puppy when it is crying is if you think it needs to potty – and that should be a quick trip outside, then right back in. Otherwise ignore any whining or barking.
It’s normal for a puppy to cry at night. They don’t like to be alone. But i can tell you now that no dog will sleep, eat and poop all in the same area. If you want to train him to pee and poop in the bathroom that’s cool but definitely find another area for him to sleep and eat. Dogs don’t like to poop where they sleep or eat for that matter. Good Luck!
“Mutt” got it right – pay attention to that answer. A crate will make your life better, and your puppy’s as well. Get a good book or video on crate training and be sure to get the right size for your little poodle. Good luck!