Potty Training Question

823 Views 8 Replies 4 Participants Last post by Lhasa Lvr, Jun 15, 2009

Bnctr09

Discussion Starter · Jun 15, 2009

I have a 5 month old Lab/Retriever mix. She is a very smart dog and seems to be potty trained for the most part.

When I am home, she will come find me and stare at me until I ask "What do you have to show me" and she will run to the back door, showing the fact she has to go. So when I am at home she never goes in the house.

I work a pretty decent job in the sense I get a hour lunch, so from 8am - 12pm I am at work and this is when she does go. She mostly urinates in the mornings. Before work, I make sure she does got out side both 1 and No. 2. But, I am still comming home to wet spots on my wood floor near the back door.

From 1pm - 4pm I return to work and this is when she sometimes does #2 and again #1.

My question is how can I prevent her going potty when I am at work. She doesn't when I am at home.

I really don't want to cage her and I do not yell at her when I get home and see these "messes" because I read they would not understand what they are being yelled at for. Any help would be much appreciated.

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FourIsCompany

· #2 · Jun 15, 2009

There are two ways to handle this.

One is to get her a doggie door so she can go out on her own.

The other is to crate her while you're gone. MANY people crate their dogs for potty training (I did all of my dogs). It's actually not harmful to them at all. They like the feeling of having their own "den" and it will encourage them to wait until they can get outside to eliminate.

When do you feed her?

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TooneyDogs

· #3 · Jun 15, 2009

At 5 months of age, the bladder and bowel control is still under development...until about 6 months. The problem is this can become a hard habit to break. The good news is that she's doing it by the door...she knows she should go out.

Restricting the water intake and changing the feeding schedule can help but, that might take some trial and error. Crating might help but, she still doesn't have full control yet so, you could end up having to bathe her and clean the crate.

You're on the right track and it will get better.

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Bnctr09

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jun 15, 2009

I feed her in the morning about 30 mins before I take her out. Then I feed her again around lunch and take her out. The last meal comes in the evening, but by then I am home. Her total food amounts to about 3 1/2 cups of food. I have restricted her water to about a quarter of a bowl as she loves to flip it over and kick it all over the house. I feed her Nurto Puppy Max.

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FourIsCompany

· #5 · Jun 15, 2009

I would switch her to 2 meals a day. Morning and night. That should take care of the #2 in the afternoon.

The thing is, if she holds it all night, she shouldn't have a problem with 4 hours.

I think I would take her water up completely while you're gone, too.

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Bnctr09

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jun 15, 2009 (Edited)

I will try the two meal deal today and see how that goes. I know she means well, and with her cute little eyes it is so hard for me to stay mad. I just moved in to a newly remodled house, renting, and just want to keep it decent lol.

I will try the two meal deal today and see how that goes. I know she means well, and with her cute little eyes it is so hard for me to stay mad. I just moved in to a newly remodled house, renting, and just want to keep it decent lol.

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Lhasa Lvr

· #7 · Jun 15, 2009

Re: Potty Training Question - I need help too

Hi Everyone,
I'm new to this site and have a question(s) and need to vent

. My dog is just over a year old. We've had him for a little over 7 months now and cannot get him housebroken. We got him from a shelter who got him from a breeder. He did well until winter hit and ever since then I cannot get him to tell me he has to go outside. I have broke him of the "chewing up everything" habit, but not this. I have tried kenneling him and confining him only to the kitchen area. The kitchen area is his favorite place to go right in front of the stove. But if given the chance to go in the living room, he will find a place to pee every time. This morning he did so right outside my bedroom door! But I just can't get him to communicate with me or so that I know when he's telling me. Anyway, I thought I'd try potty pads because it worked with my previous dog several years ago. I laid them where he like to go by the stove and he quickly took to the potty pads. When I started moving them closer to the door, he went once on it and then back to in front of the stove. During the day he is confined to the kitchen, but crawls in his kennel and does not pee or poop at all during the day. So it appears he knows where he should and shouldn't go, but maybe he's not eating or drinking during the day either. I'm so confused, my other puppy (years ago, I no longer have him)wasn't this hard to train... I've tried positive reinforcement with doggy treats, praising him every time he goes outside and then a doggie treat when he comes inside. But then he thought just by rustling the blinds (his single to go outside) would get him a treat...I opened the door, but he wouldn't go out. One time he did that 6 times in a row and everytime I opened the door to let him out, but he didn't go and didn't give him a treat. The 7th time, I looked at him and said you don't have to go, you just want a treat...no treat until you go potty outside. Then guess what, I came back in the kitchen...and he peed by the stove. ARGH!!!! I've tried negative reinforcement whereby I catch him the act (rarely though) and say NO! and take him directly outside or I take him over to the spot and say NO POTTY INSIDE!!! and then take him outside. Nothing seems to work...I don't get it!!???!!! Now...personally I'm so tired of cleaning up after him I could scream and not just the mess, but all the time it takes when I could be enjoying him! Not too mention now my new carpet is ruined and not even saturating it with Nature's Miracle takes the smell away from all the places he's gone. I have a Bissell and pretty much use it every day and keep going over the same spots 10 times just to try to get rid of old smells so he won't go there again, but he still goes there or finds new places. No stains...but cannot get rid of the smell.
I feel like I've tried everything... Lhasas are typically a dominant personality dog, so I've wondered if he's just trying to "mark" his territory every place he can? I know dogs want to please you, but I don't know why we can't communicate with one another??? Can anyone help provide me with some positive, constructive and helpful advice? Thanks!!!

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FourIsCompany

· #8 · Jun 15, 2009

Re: Potty Training Question - I need help too

Lhasa Lvr said:
He did well until winter hit and ever since then I cannot get him to tell me he has to go outside.

Then you have to take him out on a schedule (every couple hours) and wait with him until he goes and praise him like crazy when he does. If he doesn't go, take him back out in an hour.

And watch him VERY carefully when he's inside.

I don't know why we can't communicate with one another???

Because you speak two different languages.

You have to try to learn his language, too. Watch him like a hawk and when he starts sniffing around, take him outside immediately.

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Lhasa Lvr

· #9 · Jun 15, 2009

Thank you. And I have done that, but I guess not long enough and I don't kennel him often enough? I'm impatient I guess, I just don't remember it being so hard for my other puppy. I'll just have to do like I did with my son I guess. Get the timer out and set it for every hour and take him out every hour. (of course I didn't take my son "out" haha)

Also, I just let him out the patio door into the backyard and don't put him on a leash. Should I take him out on a leash to train him? He seems to find the areas he wants to "go" very easily by himself. When he does I tell him "Good boy, go potty outside!!!" and give him hugs and a treat. He's gotten to where he'll run outside turn around and come back in thinking that he'll get a treat.

Maybe I should just go out with him and stand there until he goes, then praise him and give him a treat outside. If it's near where he eliminates, maybe he'll get the idea the treat is for that instead of just going outside.

Again thanks for the advice, I know what you are saying...I guess I was just hoping there was something "new" I hadn't tried. I'll keep at it.

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