Housebreaking help!

755 Views 3 Replies 4 Participants Last post by michelleling, Jul 14, 2012

BS3LLS

Discussion Starter · Jul 13, 2012

A week ago we adopted a 4 month old puppy who appears to never have had any type of house breaking training. Up until yesterday he was having accidents but if we took him out he would do his business.

Yesterday morning he refused to go out with my husband and before I could put shoes on he peed on the floor. Then 2 hours later pooped in his crate. Later that night we let him out 3 times and he did nothing, but came inside and peed on our bed.

We decided to try a schedule for housebreaking/crate training. Basically 3 hr crate -> potty -> food -> potty -> 30 min play -> crate -> repeat

I let him out and he didn't do anything so we came in for food, 30 minutes later back out for 15 min and still nothing, then he came in and pooped, I grabbed him and brought him out where we sat for 20 minutes to nothing. Then he walks into the bedroom and peed on the bed.

We watch for signs he has to go and if he cries by the door we let him out, but he honestly shows no signs. Doesn't sniff or cry, just goes. I have been doing everything I've read about online and he seems to get worse.

Help

Save

1 - 4 of 4 Posts

Amaryllis

· #2 · Jul 13, 2012

At four months, he doesn't know when he has to go. The nerves necessary for advance warning don't develop until around 6 months. Housetraining is all about management and setting up good habits. Take him out every 1.5-2 hours, right after waking and after meals. You will have to wake up a few times at night for while, too. Go outside and don't play. Play time comes after potty time. When he goes outside, praise him and give him a wonderful treat. When he goes inside, smack yourself on the forehead and clean it up with an enzymatic cleaner like Nature's Miracle. (soap and water isn't enough to remove the smell. if he can smell it, he'll consider that place a good place to go.)

This is really just about patience. He'll grow and it will get easier.

Save

doxiemommy

· #3 · Jul 13, 2012

I agree. I always say potty training is more about what the human does than what the puppy does.

Also, supervision is a huge part of potty training. A puppy that age should never really be out of your sight, unless you have the puppy crated. So, if you are able to watch the puppy, and keep him right in your sight, great, if you can't, he should be crated. That way, he can't sneak off to the bedroom to pee.

I never used a crate to potty train. I used a crate when each of our puppies were very young, but only when I couldn't actively supervise them. Otherwise, I would have the puppy out and about in whatever room I was in. The thing is, it's like a parent with a baby learning to crawl. You have to keep your eyes on them and kind of follow along with them to check what they're doing.

I think a benefit to having the puppy out more is that you can see some very subtle signs that they may need to potty, and, it helps them learn the "rules of the house" so to speak.

And, a benefit to many trips outside (so many that it might seem overboard) is that you are basically preventing accidents. If you get your puppy in the habit of ONLY being able to potty outside, then when he does start learning what it feels like to need to go, he is more likely to let you know he needs out. If he is still allowed to have accidents because you are not right on top of him, then he's more likely to think inside and outside are acceptable options.

See less See more

Save

michelleling

· #4 · Jul 14, 2012

House breaking puppies is a difficult thing but it doesn't have to be. You are not properly house breaking your puppy if you only let him out when he cries by the door and three hours in a crate is too long for a puppy. He needs to be outside for much longer. If you want your puppy to only use a particular area in the yard, know that the yard's main purpose is to do his business, do his business on schedule, go outside at night by himself without disturbing you and etc. visit http://www.dogobedienceadvisor.com

Save

1 - 4 of 4 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.

Top Contributors this Month