Can you use clicker training for toilet traing?

Can you use clicker training for toilet training, eg click and reward as soon as it starts to go in an acceptable area, eg indoors on lino or something like that, and then gradually move it outside?
Would rewarding during 'mid-flow' etc cause them to stop immediately?
My OH and I are getting a puppy on 20th Sept and I'm looking up on how to train and what to get so that we are prepared for the little arrival!
Cheers,
Amy

I only have to tell mine she's a good girl to distract her from weeing so I wouldn't want to try a clicker! (she is clicker trained, but not for that)

I'm currently trying to get my two year old to wee nearer the house so that we don't have to walk for miles at 10pm for a wee (she won't wee in the garden which is fine but we have to go a long way before she decides to wee. When she goes to wee, I wait til she's midflow (lol) and then say 'goood girl' in a quiet voice, then the second she finishes peeing I shove a treat up her nose! lol

One night I did this, she had another three wees on the way home! lol!

I'd just use the method you're thinking of, but only use praise and a food reward for going outside rather than a clicker.

I would say though - don't reward indoor business at all - it'll probably only serve to lengthen the process. You don't need to tell the pup off, just make sure you take it out enough for the wees inside to be as infrequent as possible and give a food reward after each outdoor wee.

Because when using the clicker you need to click while the dog is doing the desired command and not after it is finished this may cause a problem. When a dog hears the click they are allowed to stop whatever they are doing to get their reward. If you click while the dog is urinating it may cause the dog to stop to get the treat. And if you click and the dog keeps going, then give the dog the treat, it may distract him at that point when he gets his reward.

That's exciting- a new puppy. What kind of puppy are you getting? Are you on a waiting list for a breeder and waiting for the puppy to be born?

By the way, what does OH stand for? I'm guessing you mean boyfriend or husband but I never got what OH stands for and I've seen people use it on here often. Maybe it's an England thing.

Hi DrIvEn,

That's what I thought about clicker training, it was just a thought that popped into my head.

OH means other half, so boyfriend, husband, wife etc.

We're not getting a pure breed so not down on a waiting list but getting a complete Heinz! (Don't know if you get Heinz over there but they make different foods and they say there are about 57 varieties so saying that a dog is a Heinz means theres a lot of different breeds within that dog.) She is only 4 weeks old at the moment but we saw her again last night and she can walk better now. We've kinda called the cross breed that she is a Wally Huskador, (mum is whippet and collie, dad is Lab and Husky). Getting her on 20th Sept can't wait! Just in preparations now getting the house puppy safe!

Hi Amy I agree with RrIvEn that the method you describe above could be a bit confusing for a new puppy with so many new things to take in , it would also have to learn to accept the clicker

I am in the middle of housetraining my new puppy at the moment, I watch her like a hawk and take her out at very frequent intervals when she is most likley to want to relieve itself . Each time she goes in the correct place it is 'money in the bank of learning the correct behaviour' . After two weeks I haven't had one accident in the house
This is how I house train a puppy

http://www.dogsey.com/dog-articles.php?t=8974

Thanks Minihaha,

I like the way that you have explained toilet training in your article. I'm not fond of the idea of a crate, I know they are safe and popular to use but I wouldn't like to look at bars in my sleeping area so I don't expect little Nala would like it, but that's just my preference, different people like different things.

You mentioned to keeping the puppy in a certain area until it's learnt to hold on, do you have to keep them in this place all the time or can she come into a carpetted area during play/training?

Hi Amy I start off with puppy in a bed in the the kitchen (which has a stone floor should there be any accident) and there is a a puppy gate into the hall so she can see me coming and going (I spend a lot of time in the kitchen for the first couple of weeks and ignore her when I come and go so it is no big thing . )
I have bought a crate this time to use instead of my puppy pen because the puppy has to get used to one before she comes to work with me, her bed and some toys are in there and she goes in voluntarily and I have only ever closed the door while she is sleeping opening it when she wakes so she comes out when she is ready.

If I want to go to another room with the puppy, I wait until it is 'empty' (this is when it has just relieved itself) and I take it with me in the 'sleeping box' I use at night which contains a couple of toys.

Next I progess to letting the puppy into the carpeted hall when I know it is 'empty' just or a short time watching it and playing with it , then into the sittingroom which is the stage we are at now. I never leave it in these areas unsubervised

As the puppy grows and gets control of its bodiliy I allow it in the rooms unsupervised.

We will eventually have her in the hall in the space under the stairs (don't worry it not a cupboard just a space!), the whole downstaris hall has got parkay (sp?) flooring ie small blocks of wood glued down in a pattern. We decided the hall as there's not much room in the kitchen and don't want to keep tripping up on her.
We will have 2 puppy gates - one at the bottom of the stairs and one leading into the living room so she doesn't feel alone.
Once she gets older I want her to have a bit more freedom so thought of changing the puppy gate at the bottom of the stairs to onto the spare room door as this is where our Guinea pigs live and this all really depends on how she gets on with the piggies (friend or food).
I think all will eventually be OK when we bring her home. Just not looking forward to the whimpering as my heart just goes out to them!

Amy that sounds fine however I would not let your puppy her go up and down stairs until she is grown because of her joints.

What whimpering Millie whimpered for 2 seconds the first night in her box in the dark, I put my hand out to touch her and she was quiet . She squeals loudly if she is in her box and needs to go out though .
At the moment I am still taking her out once during the night, about 3:30 then she goes through until 6:30 waking earlier but playing quietly with her toys in her box .