What are the best strategies to potty and house train a 2-month-old pup and a 3-year-old boy at the same time?

Answer 1

For your sanity, do both at different times. Keep lots of rags and a spray bottle full of cleaner on hand for the messes. For the boy: I would suggest a "potty training boot camp" where everyone including the dog leaves the house for 1 full day. Block off the kitchen and spend the day in there with him. Have him wear a short shirt and underware only. Fill him up with salty/sugary snacks and lots of fluids (sweet kinds to keep him drinking) so he will pee all day. Have a portable potty in the kitchen and practice "potty runs" so he gets the idea. Each time he wets or messes his underwear, have him watch you clean up the mess and make sure you have a look of disgust on your face - he needs to know that it is wrong to mess his underware. By the end of the day, he will get the basic idea and you can move the kiddie toilet to the bathroom and eventually take it away so he goes in the toilet. The rest is up to you. I don't have a dog, but friends who have tell me that the dog needs a punishment when he goes in the house. Something involving rubbing his nose in the pee/poo when he does it. Then putting him outside for awhile. The dog will learn quicker than your boy. Good luck! A 3 year old should be able to go potty on their own (with the odd accident.) For some reason some children are afraid of the toilet or "departing with a piece of themselves into the toilet bowl." For peeing, get your husband or boyfriend to go into the bathroom and pee into the toilet and then your son (make a game of it) and let your son flush the toilet (big deal for little kids.) Boys are notorious for playing hard and being too lazy to get up and go into the bathroom so, when small they can pee or poo themselves much to the mothers annoyance. Make a chart on the fridge and everytime he goes to the bathroom give him a big gold star (or a sticker of Spiderman, or some cartoon) to put on the chart and praise him highly. I suggest you have your doctor check your son out just to be sure his bladder is fine, or that he's not experiencing bowel pain of any kind. As far as your son having a bowel movement get some cheap sparkles from a store and keep it in the bathroom. Tell your son if he poos in the toilet or takes a pee, that he can sprinkle some sparkles in the bowl and flush the toilet. Often children are facinated with these sparkles and will do what you ask just to be able to watch these sparkles disappear down the toilet. There are also Jr. panties you can buy with the kid's favorite cartoon character on them. Try these for a bit. There is Spiderman and Ice Age Characters. Don't fret or get too upset because your son's peers eventually will shame him into going to the bathroom. As far as the puppy, I have one right now and have had many dogs in my life. Like babies they need guidance. Rule of thumb: If you feed a pup or they drink water, count on 15 minutes after that they will need to go outside to do their business and take them outside. When they go pet them and praise them. Dogs are smart and catch on fast. If the pup makes a mistake in the house DON'T HIT THE DOG, but shake your finger at the pup and say "shame." Buy a kennel from a dog groomers (not that expensive) and put a little blanket inside. If your pup makes that mistake shame it with your finger and then put the pup into the kennel for 10 minutes NO LONGER! By hitting a pup (or any age of dog) is not necessary and it will only make a pup confused and make more accidents. Leave some newspaper in an area of your home (out of sight of family) and also train your pup on this. When the pup pees or poos next, put it on the newspaper and keep taking the pup back to the paper, stroke the pup and keep saying "good dog" even if they do nothing. The reason I train my dogs to go on the paper is perhaps my husband and I are out later than expected and the dog shouldn't have to sit home with a full bladder or having to go poo. It wasn't long ago that children were considered "problem children" for bed-wetting, but, doctors have now found that children don't wet there bed constantly because they are too lazy to go to the bathroom, but because their bladders are small and have not grown enough to fit their age level (but will.) Get your husband and boyfriend to help out when they get home so you can have a rest. Good luck Marcy