[Mouserdudedude]

I have an 8 month old cockapoo. Spayed female. We crate trained her. Yes past tense. She never liked her crate and she had no accidents at night.

Here’s the mystery part, or at least to me. She doesn’t have accidents at night. She has them during the day when she’s in the same room as us with the door open. She’ll go about 2 weeks with no accidents. Then boom, 4 in one day.

I’ve thought about crate training her again, but I’m nervous because she never liked it. BTW, my other dogs loved their crates. I make it a special place.

Has anyone dealt with this? My son is getting really sick of being the one stepping in it. 😁

 

[Wagthetail]

If the dog doesn't like the crate, it could be her way of telling you she is fed up with it. Have you checked to make sure there are no health issues with the vet?

I don't know if this will help, but the way we potty trained our dogs was to treat them the same way momma dogs treat their pups. When the pups pee in the dog house (or penned area where the puppies are kept) the momma dog will grab them by the nape of the neck with her mouth and toss them out of the dog house.
Think of your house as the dog house and you are the momma dog. Whenever the dog pees, rub their nose in the pee so that they associate that with being wrong, then pick them up by the nape of the neck and gently toss them outside. We house trained all the dogs like this and it took less than a week, with few accidents.

 

[RonE]

Oh no, please don't use that barbaric and outdated method.

 

[Wagthetail]

You can also keep an eye on the dog, if you know that she is going to pee during the day, keep an eye out for signs of having to go to the bathroom such as sniffing, circling, whining or heading towards the door then back. Definitely rule out any health problems first.

 

[LittleFr0g]

If the dog doesn't like the crate, it could be her way of telling you she is fed up with it. Have you checked to make sure there are no health issues with the vet?

I don't know if this will help, but the way we potty trained our dogs was to treat them the same way momma dogs treat their pups. When the pups pee in the dog house (or penned area where the puppies are kept) the momma dog will grab them by the nape of the neck with her mouth and toss them out of the dog house.
Think of your house as the dog house and you are the momma dog. Whenever the dog pees, rub their nose in the pee so that they associate that with being wrong, then pick them up by the nape of the neck and gently toss them outside. We house trained all the dogs like this and it took less than a week, with few accidents.

That is a GREAT way to make your dog terrified of peeing in front of you, but an absolutely horrible and abusive way to train your dog.

 

[petpeeve]

When the pups pee in the dog house (or penned area where the puppies are kept) the momma dog will grab them by the nape of the neck with her mouth and toss them out of the dog house.

Honestly? in all of my years of training, dealing with - and breeding - dogs, I have NEVER seen a mother grab a pup by the neck and toss them out of the pen. I have NEVER seen them reprimand or discipline the pups for potty mishaps, in any way shape or form.

Like, c'mon. It's one thing for you to do that with your own pups. That's your prerogative I guess, misguided as it is. But it's entirely wrong to spread such misinformation, and wrong to advise other novice dog owners on a public forum to do so.

 

[Mouserdudedude]

If the dog doesn't like the crate, it could be her way of telling you she is fed up with it. Have you checked to make sure there are no health issues with the vet?

I don't know if this will help, but the way we potty trained our dogs was to treat them the same way momma dogs treat their pups. When the pups pee in the dog house (or penned area where the puppies are kept) the momma dog will grab them by the nape of the neck with her mouth and toss them out of the dog house.
Think of your house as the dog house and you are the momma dog. Whenever the dog pees, rub their nose in the pee so that they associate that with being wrong, then pick them up by the nape of the neck and gently toss them outside. We house trained all the dogs like this and it took less than a week, with few accidents.

I’m trying to rule out any medical reasons, but honestly I don’t think that’s it. I have caught her in the act and told her no and put her outside. When I was a child, we did the method you are referring to, but I don’t feel comfortable with it now. Thanks for your advice.

 

[Mouserdudedude]

You can also keep an eye on the dog, if you know that she is going to pee during the day, keep an eye out for signs of having to go to the bathroom such as sniffing, circling, whining or heading towards the door then back. Definitely rule out any health problems first.

The problem is it’s so sporadic. I try to watch for signs, but she’s a squat here and go kinda gal. No warning signs. 😞

 

[LeoRose]

Has she been checked for a UTI?

 

[Mouserdudedude]

Has she been checked for a UTI?

We’re trying to see. Her bladder is too small for the vet to get a sample and we’ve had trouble catching a sample. She isn’t showing any signs of one though.

 

[LeoRose]

How small is she? My vet was able to get a sample from my six pound cat.

 

[DaySleepers]

Is it just urine, or poop too? When she pees, does she squat like normal or does it just kind of start coming out and/or can she stop peeing when you catch her and move her outside? There is a phenomenon called 'spay incontinence' where female dogs have issues holding urine after being spayed, and I think it's unlikely here because it usually expresses more as 'leaking' when they're relaxing or asleep, but it's worth considering.

It's not uncommon for puppies to regress in potty training occasionally, even if they've been doing well. They're still growing physically and mentally, and sometimes they need a refresher. Once you rule out anything medical, I'd go back to basics for a while. Taking her out on a schedule, giving her really good rewards for as many successful pottys outside as possible so you reinforce that it's more awesome to potty outside than in, and making note of any accidents. It's a pain, but something that really helped us in the last leg of housebreaking our youngest was to keep records. When he went out, whether he actually eliminated when he was out (and whether it was pee or poo), and when accidents were happening. It helped us create a plan/schedule tailored to him based on when he was most likely to have an accident.

Another option could be training her to ring a bell when she needs to go out - lots of YouTube videos and articles about how to do that if you google potty bell training. Sometimes it helps to give the dog a clear signal to use, rather than relying on us humans to notice every time they're sniffing a little too much.

 

[Aussie Love]

I'll second the door bell idea. Working great on our new pup.

 

[Mouserdudedude]

Is it just urine, or poop too? When she pees, does she squat like normal or does it just kind of start coming out and/or can she stop peeing when you catch her and move her outside? There is a phenomenon called 'spay incontinence' where female dogs have issues holding urine after being spayed, and I think it's unlikely here because it usually expresses more as 'leaking' when they're relaxing or asleep, but it's worth considering.

It's not uncommon for puppies to regress in potty training occasionally, even if they've been doing well. They're still growing physically and mentally, and sometimes they need a refresher. Once you rule out anything medical, I'd go back to basics for a while. Taking her out on a schedule, giving her really good rewards for as many successful pottys outside as possible so you reinforce that it's more awesome to potty outside than in, and making note of any accidents. It's a pain, but something that really helped us in the last leg of housebreaking our youngest was to keep records. When he went out, whether he actually eliminated when he was out (and whether it was pee or poo), and when accidents were happening. It helped us create a plan/schedule tailored to him based on when he was most likely to have an accident.

Another option could be training her to ring a bell when she needs to go out - lots of YouTube videos and articles about how to do that if you google potty bell training. Sometimes it helps to give the dog a clear signal to use, rather than relying on us humans to notice every time they're sniffing a little too much.

She squats like normal. I’ll go back to using treats. Hopefully that will re-motivate her. I’ll also try to keep a log. That’s a good idea. We’ve been trying to teach her how to ring the bells, but so far no luck. I’ll check out to see if there’s another technique. Thanks for you advice.