Breakthrough

I think we've finally made some head-way with house breaking Jacques.  I've been giving him treats after he goes on his pad and this has coincided with a significant decrease in the number of accidents.  This evening alone he's stopped playing out in the living room twice to go to the pad to poop--this is awesome because he's never done this before.

I was hesitant to use the treats as a training tool despite knowing that French bulldogs as a breed are typically motivated by food.  Treats notoriously have lots of empty calories which can cause obesity in dogs, so I was thrilled to find some natural treats at my local Pet Valu that are simply freeze-dried cows liver and nothing more. And the dog loves them!  So does the cat, for that matter.  Also, Jacques isn't eating nearly as much as I expected he would so I figure a few nutritious treats won't kill him.

Having said all this, I really hope I haven't jinxed myself.  I've been lulled into a false sense of security by this puppy before--remember the first 24 hours?  I will remain cautiously optimistic until he can prove himself over the next several days.

In the meantime, please head over to my photoblog and vote for your favourite picture of Jacques.  Sadly, I couldn't convince Jax to pose with him....