You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.
Or, in my case….
You can take the puppies out but you can't make them pee and poop.
They seem to prefer to do that in the house.
Outside is where they prefer to tear from one end of the lawn to the other, as fast as their chubby little legs can carry them, occasionally meeting head-on in the center for some very fierce growling, snarling, barking play-fighting.
Outside is not to be wasted on the mundane.
Even though they are outside almost all day,
I think they are confused.
I'm not certain how I can fix that.
I've just spent the better part of an hour watching them. It finally started getting dark and we came in.
They promptly peed.
There is something wrong with this picture.
Of course, whilst watching them outside I also saw them a bit confused in their play-fighting – one biting the nose of the other, which I thought was just not done… then the other biting the, um, well, you know…. which I'm pretty certain is considered very bad form. Much squealing was done at the first and VERY much squealing at the second.
Perhaps I just have really stupid puppies.
Oh, how I hope that isn't true.
I keep telling myself they are only 11…. Weeks…..
I'll console myserlf with a salad….
Yes, one can put pork in a sald!
Spinach Salad with Pork, Potatoes and Mozzarella
12oz (350gr) pork tenderloin
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 medium potatoes, (10oz, 300gr)
4 tsp olive oil, divided
10 little balls mozzarella about 2.5oz (75gr)
10 cherry tomatoes
6oz (175gr) fresh spinach, for salads
Sherry Vinaigrette
1 tsp Dijon-style mustard
1 1/2 tbs sherry vinegar
3 tbs good olive oil
Potatoes: Cut potatoes into bite-size cubes. Heat 2 tsp oil in a medium skillet. Add potatoes and sauté, medium heat, until well browned on all sides, tossing and stirring as needed for 20 – 25 minutes
Pork: Slice pork into 1/2" (1.25cm) thick slices. Sprinkle both sides with cumin, paprika and garlic. Heat remaining 2 tsp olive oil in a large, nonstick skillet. Add pork and sauté, medium-high heat, until cooked through, about 2 – 4 minutes per side. Remove and cover to keep warm .
Salad: Prepare spinach, wash and spin dry. Cut cherry tomatoes in half. Put spinach into a large bowl, tearing any large leaves. Add 2 tbs vinaigrette and toss well to coat.
Vinaigrette: Put mustard and vinegar in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking constantly. You may have to stop adding oil and just whisk – you don't want to see the oil separately – it should be incorporated as it goes in.
To finish: Divide spinach and arrange on 2 plates. Top with potatoes, tomatoes and cheese. Arrange pork around the edge of the salad and serve, remaining vinaigrette on the side.
Back outside before it's totally dark…
I’d use a paper towel to clean up the pee and take that paper towel outside, stake it to the ground where you want them to go and praise enthusiastically when they pee out there. Dogs seem to need a nose cue as to where is appropriate.
Another possibility is to crate them when they are inside and take them outside immediately once they wake up (which is when puppies normally pee) – big praise when they do it outside. Crates work well as even very young puppies will not soil if they can’t move away from it. The last time I had a puppy I used a crate and it worked remarkably well. Of course, you can’t leave them for hours on end when they are this young, but they will be fine for an hour or two. The ticket is to use a crate that is only slightly larger than the puppy. My father in law, who was handy like your mari is, made me a wooden puppy box with a wire mesh top and slotted sides with a partition so the partition could be moved incrementally as the puppy grew. One side of the box was hinged so when it was open, it served as a little ramp to let the puppy out. Then, I’d scoop her up and take her outside immediately upon waking.
Good luck!
Beautiful meal Katie. In terms of the puppies…that has me beat! Glad it is not me….but then they are so friggin cute I am jealous too! All I can say is good luck! 🙂
Toilet training can be slow – I keep doors open and take puppy out every hour and watch it like a hawk in between time so you can heave it out the minute it starts to wee. You have to be constant and devoted to the cause !!!!
Kate, ma femme said forward this to you:
http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/housesoiling
Zoomie, I’m trying to avoid the crate – they grow so fast it’s hard to keep up. I keep them in the laundry room, which is small. They do well with the pooping part, but got off on the wrong track with the peeing. And it’s been raining ;-(( Thanks for the tips
Ina, they are cute….
manningroad, I think I’m expecting too much. They were perfect for the first 2 days and I thought it would last – foolish for such young pups.
Tikipundit, thanks for the link – great info. I’ve picked up the rugs and beds they were using and am using the ‘diapers’ left from our old dogs – we have no newspaper. We’ll start the training over, from the beginning. So far, so good.
I know that syndrome in puppies very well-they do nothing outside but just wait to come in and poop! Sounds like a good time to tell yourself to be patient. When they are no longer puppies you will miss their little cute mugs!
Nice dinner-in spite of all the chaos.
Tina, patience, yes…. From what I’ve read, they really can’t be expected to be able to control it until they’re 4 months…. and they are not quite 3. ;-))
Oh, I love this salad! We use a ton of spinach in this house and are always looking for great things to team it up with.