Potty Training Puppies Info

I just want my dogs to let me know when they have to pee or to hold it til I let them out.
They are 6 yrs old and used a litter box for 4 years. They still pee where the litter box used to be.
trying to break this habit seems impossible. I watch them like a puppy but there are times they slip by me. Crate training isnt helping as they still slip by me here and there.

If you are living in a house (not an apartment or anything with a public area between you and the outside) try putting the litter box back and move it closer to the door each day and eventually outside.

I just bought an 8 month old pomeranian. He’s very small and cute but he has insane amounts of energy. Anyways, the old owner had the dog house trained very well (she was a police officer k9 dog owner) she even showed me — she opened the door and said go and the dog went out took care of business and ran back. However when he came over to my house i take him into the yard and sometimes he goes, sometimes not, but even when he goes outside he comes in and goes again. I wait with him out about 15 minutes and walk him an hour and he will always go again in the house (always piss only). please help ! first pet

I know the frustration of dog misbehaviour (and so do my neighbours and I also did a
lot of research to get some help on this. This resource was the best I could come up with
as it covers so many angles. Find it here: http://bit.ly/sMtTGo My motto is- Dogs
make happy homes Blake

In a month it will be a year since we have adopted our 2 year old dog. He’s really good about #2’s, but he has not improved at all with peeing in our condo. He’s walked 2-3 times a day and has plenty of play time/toys. He does have separation anxiety, but we’ve been pretty good about handling that and building his confidence as much as possible.

The main problem is he doesn’t really have any way of indicating that he has to go. He doesn’t do anything to bring attention to that fact, at least none that is distinguishable from him being very demanding of attention just for the sake of it. Yes, he’s still having trouble with obedience, but given how difficult he was when we got him, he’s improved immensely so far and hopefully a lot more time will get him more confident, happy and trusting of us. But yeah, he pees very discreetly pretty much on an every other day basis somewhere indoors or it even seems like if he doesn’t get his way, i.e., isn’t following the command we’re teaching him at the time preventing him from getting his treat, he will also pee.

Now I know the main method of correction is to stop and correct his behavior. It’s plastered in every book, every web site, etc…but this is incredibly difficult due to the fact that we’re five stories away from the ground and a large parking lot away from any grass. We have NEVER been able to correct when he incorrectly pees because there is just not enough time. Not enough time before he’s emptied his bladder. Not enough time before his doggie brain can retain the memory of wrong/right. The closest we’ve gotten is bolting out the door and running down flights of industrial stairs (dangerously) but he won’t be able to hold it anywhere past 5 car spaces in the parking lot.

What can those of us who live in metropolitan areas do to address this?

P.S. We have pee-pads for the winter when it’s just not plowed or safe enough for us to go out, but he really doesn’t choose ever to go on them. They only worked when we placed it in front of his crate and upon letting him out, he is so excited to be free that he just goes. Other than that, he’s crate-trained and has graduated to being able to hang out in the main space of my unit - no kitchen, no bedrooms, no office, no bathrooms unless invited…just living room/main open space.
@ladystang

I never stated that he does not get consistent training, exercise, socialization, grooming and vet care. He has had ALL of that consistently and scheduled. His walking regimen is scheduled. He pees and does his business each of these times fine. It’s the ADDITIONAL unwanted peeing indoors, despite that, that is the concern…and no way to correct it that I can find/come up with.

As for why before getting an unbroken dog…well here’s the brief:

#1. We had planned and prepared on getting a dog and once we met him discovered he would be put down the next day. He’s our dog/son. He’s not some toy to us…and being house-broken/not was not a dealbreaker for us.

#2. Despite you presuming zero thought was put into his adoption, on the contrary there was and remains to still be much. We’re very studious and thorough with our research on all things as well as any planning and preparation, decision-making not based on emotion, etc. I’m not sure how you came up with that assumptio
@ladystang (continued)

… I’m not sure how you came up with that assumption, but this household is very responsible with our decisions and choices.

I explained the why of the pee-pads existing. I posted a question here for help/advice/answers…the purpose and point of the site…not self-serving, self-validating uninitiated and unwarranted condescension, indiscriminate of reading comprehension.
@b.w.

Thank you! A bell is a great idea. Just set it up.

2-3 times a day is mainly because of our work hours. I run my own business so my hours fluctuate…when I can run home whenever, that’s great, but the other extreme can stretch my time away. My girlfriend has standard hours of work, but an 45 minutes away. She’s there if I can’t be in the late afternoon for a walk, but midday has been somewhat impossible. He usually goes in the morning, late afternoon and again at night before bed. We thought about a dog-walker, but of the ones we know of downtown, they’re either price-gauging while doing the least amount of work possible, or con-artists getting an "in" into the building.
@munchkin

Thank you. We will stop using the pads in the winter, though I can’t promise entirely, because we are right next to a Great Lake, like actually at the Lake and the only grass is even closer to the Lake. The first winter blizzard we opened the door and the Lake literally fell on us. He loves the snow, and its not that. Its walking through a blizzard or strong lake-winds 30MPH+ and the visibility-impairment, traffic, icy-not-level terrain and being blown by those winds. We both had lots of bruises and colds then, which started the padding, but yes, we will stop.

For @Wyr also, he is always crated when no one is around, no exceptions. His free reign in the condo is limited but always supervised and in line-of-sight. He’s never had accidents while we are away since he’s crated, so it has always been in our presence. @munchkin, I don’t know how you got your dog to stop peeing on command but ours is at about a 35% success rate. When we catch him in the act, we make a big spectacl
…continued

When we catch him in the act, we make a big spectacle out of it and command him to stop, but the other 65% of the time he just will not. There was once a long time ago where he wouldn’t stop peeing, and I picked him up to be met by he peeing all over the dining table and walls through and along the path to a bathtub. Now when he’s caught in the act and does not stop, it has been yelling "bad", "stop", "naughty", along with any removal of toys/ignoring/shaming, but I think his anxiety makes him more scared at being yelled at that he just continues to go. He does have a psych vet and meds, and though has improved with meds and attentiveness to confidence-boosting reinforcement, the freaked-out shameful look on his face accompanying his accidents don’t seem to be subsiding.

We probably need a bigger crate to be able to lift him out, to correct his coming out and peeing. He’s a large dog, though at about 57lbs. With the current crate there’s no way to fit ourselves through
nor armspan to be able to pick him up. The crate is appropriate for his size, but the next size up would allow for that. The only other thing with his current crate is he is very possessive and protective of it, so when we do reach in for him or his bed or anything he gets scared and retreats as far back in as he can unreachable. We’re not entirely sure about his previous owner/life, but we have a pretty good feeling he was abused and is still wary of our outstretched arms. It has improved but we’re not exactly sure what subtleties are different in how our arms are stretching out towards him yet that triggers the scared reaction.

But yes, thank you for your guys advice and suggestions. We shall try out the diaper as well. Luckily the main space we allow him to roam when we’re here is hard-wood flooring. Hopefully the diapers along with eliminating the pads will persuade him not to pee so freely.

i have housebroken two dogs living in highrises, on the 9th floor and on the 21st floor … housebreaking a dog in an apartment building is exactly the same as housebreaking a dog in a house … you take them out … around the clock if you have to … you never wear just pajamas or underwear around the house, because you need to be ready to get on the elevator at a moments notice to take the dog out … and considering your dog is not housebroken, he should never be out of your sight … if you have to take a shower, he should be crated … and the pee pads are a big mistake because basically it has taught the dog inside is okay to go (for example, you said the dog would pee coming out of the crate, considering you know that fact, you should have not let the dog out, but put your hand in and lift the dog out so he would not have a chance to pee, and would have to wait while you carried him down) … i would lose the pee pads and living in canada i can assure you dogs can go out in the snow … and i am not sure what you mean there is no time to correct … if you see him going yell hey loudly to stop him and immediately take him for a walk and do not bring him back in until he has gone some more so you can praise … and you do not need a dog to tell you when to go out … i take my dog out on a schedule and unless she has diarrhea, she will not ask to go out, she will just wait, and she is now 12 years old … and every time the dog goes in the house is just making it harder to housebreak so don’t leave him unattended … you can even tie the dogs leash around your waist so the dog is always with you and you can watch … and depending on the size of your dog, if you catch in the act, you can pick the dog up, and carry in the elevator, and set down outside … i think you are close, just a closer eye on the dog and you will have him housebroken … and if not, there are always diapers … my partners son moved into a brand new condo and they did not want their new floors ruined by their dogs urine so they diapered the dog … it was effective …

My dog is 2 years old, and he is still pretty flawed in the house training area. It’s quite a nuisance, and our older dog is okay with always going outside, but the younger one never seemed to catch on. Any tricks to help solve the problem!? Any advice helps.. thanks! My dog is half pug, quarter poodle and quarter pekingese! I know, a crazy combo (a family member had an accidental breeding occur). He looks and acts most similarly to a pug though!

Some dogs take longer than others to catch on to potty training. You didn’t say how long you’ve had your 2 year old, and that can make a difference. I adopted two dogs that were found together, they were both about two years old. They had obviously been trained before, but they both had the idea that maybe I didn’t have the same rules as in their previous household. I had to start over with them just like young puppies. One took to paper training fairly quickly, the other just went wherever she felt like for several more months. Eventually they both were trained.

There could be other reasons- the younger one may be trying to tell you something. Or there might be a physical problem. Troubleshooting isn’t easy or convenient (but neither is cleaning up inside after a dog). If you can find a way to keep them separate for a few days, even a week- you could work one on one with the dog. Can you have your older dog stay with a friend or family during that time? Whether you can do that or not, I would try to spend extra time with the younger dog, and see if you can discover what’s going on with him/her. When you have two or more dogs, one may not be getting the attention it needs, even if you think you are dividing your time equally among them.

Also remember that a two year old dog isn’t an adult yet. (S)he’s a teenager at best. Some breeds (mutts included) take longer than others to grow into adulthood.

I’m not a professional obedience trainer. I’ve worked with a lot of dogs, other than my own, and done research out of interest and love for dogs - but whenever I’ve been stumped I turn to a pro.If you have truly worked one on one with this dog for 6 months with no improvement, I suggest a vet check for this problem first. If the vet doesn’t see a problem, I’d search for a trainer who specializes in this kind of behavior problem. It shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg- a pro will have a few tricks up their sleeve.

I hope this helps! Good luck.

This particular dog has had 3 homes already, and is about to be given away unless it can learn to go potty outside. In the past, I’ve had no trouble (more than usual at least) house-training dogs… but this one doesn’t seem to get it. I give her treats when she does go outside, and discipline her when she goes inside… she’ll go outside (and go potty or not), then 30 minutes later she’ll poop and/or pee somewhere in the house. I don’t know what else to do! I don’t want her to be given away again though because I’m sure it’s pretty traumatic for her to constantly change homes (she’s only about a year old). Please let me know if you have any suggestions that may help! Thanks
Use a crate to housetrain. Dogs will not defecate where they sleep. It works the best out of any other method. Even a dog that is formerly outside can learn this way. Remember,BIG praise when she goes outside. Inside pottying, stern "NO" (no hitting, kicking, smacking-even w/ a paper) & then into the crate, while she is in the crate ignore her! The fun of the household goes on w/out her. All dogs want to be w/ their people, being ignored sucks! Night time she spends in the crate. When you leave the house during the day, she is in the crate. No food or water in the crate. DO provide toys in the crate for entertainment. The crate becomes the dogs "place". Do not allow children to play in it. Oh, and if she does have an accident & takes off running for the crate when she hears "NO", do not punish her EVER inside the crate, the crate is safety not a cornering area to punish her further. Good Luck.
P.S. In the beginning it helps to take her out every 20 minutes & no food or water after 6 PM.

My wife and I have a mixed breed dog (mostly black lab) who is around eight months old. We recently had him neutered. Before we had him fixed he was house trained. he would sit by the back door until we took him out (granted there were occasional accidents). But ever since we had him fixed, he has used the restroom indoors with no warning. Is this normal? and do we have to retain him or what? Please help

How long has it been since you had him neutered?
Give him at least a week or so to readjust. Try to be especially attentive now, as he may not be comfortable suppressing his need to eliminate as long as he has been in the past.
Be sure to reinforce all he’s already learned by excessively praising him when he does use the restroom outside.
If it’s been fourteen days or better, try the aid of a crate or a confined room. It’s easier to supervise and if you observe you should be able to catch him before he has the opportunity to have an accident.

It will take patience.. remember he’s still recovering… So give it time

My 6 yr old dashchund has been housetrained since he was a puppy, but recently he has been marking things like the shower curtain, bed skirts, chair/table legs, etc!! I hate coming home and seeing stains on the carpet. We have a dog-walker that comes over mid-day to take him out so he can relieve himself and there are also puppy pads in 2 rooms of my apartment. Help??
He is fixed. We also have a cat and younger female dachshund. She pees on the puppy pad, but she will defecate on the carpet occasionally. They are taken outside twice in the morning and twice after work, besides the mid-day potty break with the dog walker. I like the crate idea. Would I put them both in a large one? Or a separate crate for each?

It is NOT housebroken*&* the filthy pads are ENCOURAGING it’s horrible manners!
CRATE the pig.

*&* check for infections,stones&diabetes!

He has long been house trained. He is not under any particular stress or changes. He is not sick and he already goes outside multiple times a day. Even if he wants to go out in between he used to signal that he needed to got outside. The even odder thing is that he only pees and poops in strategic places like right in the doorway when you walk in the house or bathroom so you will step in it. Has anyone had this problem before and do you know what causes it?

It could be a health related issue, such as a urinary tract infection, bladder infection, worms, etc. So many possible things. I would highly suggest you take your dog in to see a vet.

Also, if the dog is getting old, it could be age related.

My husband and I have a 2 year old Yorkie who has been notoriously hard to housetrain. She frequently has accidents inside, for instance we can take her out and she will go. Then 15 minutes later she will pee again inside!

Now the problem is getting worse because my husband has started working at night. We live in an apartment that has 3 flights of stairs and we have a 9 month old daughter–I can not safely walk down the stairs because I have to carry my daughter and my dog gets under my feet and I’m afraid I will fall. I have tried to get her to use puppy papers in the evening instead but she only uses it every once in a while. We even bought the stuff that you spray on them to attract the dog to it. The hallway carpet is getting ruined and my husband is fed up. He says that If i can’t find a way to get her to stop then we will have to get rid of her.

What else could I try?

You could get a backpack to carry your daughter in, which will allow you to keep an eye on the dog and have both hands free. Get rid of the puppy papers- they will only confuse the dog. Start taking the dog out every hour, and praise her when she does her business outside. I agree with the previous poster that she should be checked for underlying medical conditions that might cause this. While you are busy training her, keep her on a lead at all time and have it clipped to your belt. It should be long enough that she can lay down and not be underfoot, but short enough that she is in eyesight at all times so you can monitor her for ’signs’ that she needs to go out. If you haven’t already, purchase a crate for your dog to sleep in at night. Dogs are less likely to have ‘accidents’ where they sleep, but be prepared for her to wake you up and tell you that she has to go!

I have to leave my dog alone for about 7 hours a day and while he is perfect about his house training I hate to make him hold it all day. I was going to get an indoor dog potty just to put out while I am at work but I am afraid it may ruin his house training abilites when it is not availabe. (I was planning on leaving it in the garage when I am home and he can just go outside. Does anyone know if this will have a negative effect on his house training?

While many dogs can hold their need for 7 hours, it is always beneficial if you provide an alternate source for them to go when nature calls. First of all, it’s healthier. It’s not good for the human animal or canines to hold urine too long…but there are times when we all have to hold. Second, as a dog ages - or if he isn’t feeling well - he will be unable to hold the need to go as easily as he did in his younger years. If you successfully train him to use a "mobile potty", then neither he or you have to fear an accident and he won’t have to lie in discomfort. I do have to warn though, I rescue dogs and while it is easy to train puppies to use a "mobile potty", it is not so easy with a mature dog that has already been house trained; however, if he takes to it - it’ll be a blessing to both of you. Getting something with artificial grass will not confuse him about carpet, the artificial grass - obviously, mimics grass in texture which is vastly different than carpet. Also, you mentioned that you were going to place it in the garage so that’s not technically the house and he should easily differentiate the two. The average dog has an IQ of a 4 year old toddler. Some breeds higher so don’t underestimate their ability. To remove the "mobile potty" while your home will only confuse him. With any training, consistency is key. And to be honest, if he does go out to the garage and use it while you are home you should celebrate that. That means he gets it and he’s using it and neither of you have to be burdened when you can’t be there or are running late. I mean if the dog has to go badly - wouldn’t you rather he go in a designated place? Besides, if you walk him at your regular schedules when you’re home, then it’s unlikely he’ll have a need to pee. Bottom line, any dog that I successfully trained to use on has always gone to the balcony to pee/poo and has never gone in the house instead. I hope it works! Like I said, it’s a hit or miss with those things.