HELP - We have a potty training problem!

[Angelina03]

Originally Posted by Jax08

I don't think bleach kills the enzymes. I think you need to find a proper enzyme cleaner or use white vinegar cut with water.

Forget the bell for right. He doesn't understand that he isn't supposed to potty in the house so you need to back up and break down the steps. Once he is no longer every going in the house, then train the bell.

When he goes outside, do you reward him?

Ok. So his potty training is not complete yet. Is this normal for 4 months?

I will look into the cleaner. Can I get it at any store or a pet store?

Since I have the bells, should I just keep using them as I have been, or should I put them away for the future?

When he goes outside I reward him with praises. He knows I'm praising him because he looks right at me while he is going. Is there something else I should be doing? I didn't think treats would be appropriate while using the bathroom...???

Thanks for all your responses, everyone.

[Jax08]

I think it's normal for a puppy that has been given full run of the house to be delayed in house training so I wouldn't get to worried about his learning ability or any health issues.

I used treats! Make a huge deal out of him going outside!

I would just put the bells away until he has it all figured out.

YOu can get a product called Nature's Miracle at most any pet store. Do you have carpets? I would soak those areas thoroughly. Or you can just use a 50/50 vinegar/water solution.

[doggiedad]

how old was your dog when you go him? my pup came home at
9 weeks old. it took 10 days and 11 accidents and he was house
trained.

Originally Posted by Angelina03

Ok. So his potty training is not complete yet. Is this normal for 4 months?

[Angelina03]

Originally Posted by doggiedad

how old was your dog when you go him? my pup came home at
9 weeks old. it took 10 days and 11 accidents and he was house
trained.

We got Rocco at 10 weeks. Now I'm concerned. Your pup was house trained even while running loose? How did you know he had to go? Did he hold it even while running loose? That's the problem we're having with Rocco. He'll hold it as long as he is in his cage or tied; but when he is running loose, he won't hold it. He'll go to the door but doesn't really wait.

[doggiedad]

from the time my pup walked into the house training
started. one of us took the pup out every 15 minutes.
if he was playing, just waking up from a nap, drinking
water he went out immediately. slowly his every 15 minutes
going out turned to 25 minutes/1/2 hour, 1/2 hour to 40 minutes
and so on. over night he was out every 2 hours. i slowly increased
that time. at some point my dog would wake one of us up
at 4:00 am to go out. one of us always took him when he asked.
i think from 4 months old untill he was 8 or 9 months old
he woke one of us up at 4:00 am to go out. then at
9 months old he slept through the night. when our pup
was out of the crate at night he was in the bedroom with
us with the bedroom door closed.

Originally Posted by Angelina03

We got Rocco at 10 weeks. Now I'm concerned. Your pup was house trained even while running loose? How did you know he had to go? Did he hold it even while running loose? That's the problem we're having with Rocco. He'll hold it as long as he is in his cage or tied; but when he is running loose, he won't hold it. He'll go to the door but doesn't really wait.

[Kittilicious]

What I've been doing is taking him out to potty regularly, saying "go potty" when outside, and making a big deal about it when he does. When he has gone in the house, and I catch him, I say "no" and he stops, I take him outside and say "go potty" and he finishes outside. If he is not loose, he won't go in the house at all.

When he is loose, he goes to the door; but doesn't cry, whine, scratch, etc. We won't know unless we are watching him at the very instant he goes to the door. That's why we got the bells.

For the bells, I take him to the door, I ring, I grab his paw and make him ring saying "go potty" and I open the door immediately for him to go potty outside.

This might be the problem. You are saying "go potty" inside and outside... it's confusing.
I bell trained & housetrained at the same time, it can be done. Knuckles had the bell down before he was 8 weeks old. Instead of saying "go potty", when he is at the door ask him "do you need to go outside?"... then if he looks at you like "well duh", then point to the bell and have him nudge it with his nose... all the time asking if he needs to go outside. As soon as he makes ANY physical connection with the bell (even if it doesn't ring), take him outside. THATS when you say "go potty".
Is the bell on the doorknob? If it is, take it off of there. The bell rings everytime the door is opened and it loses it's meaning (it rings when he comes inside, it rings when you go out without him, etc). I have our bell hanging on a wall near the door.

[wyominggrandma]

Doggiedad , I do just about word for word what you do to pottytrain. I got Holly at 8 weeks and she was pretty much 100% by 10 weeks. She goes to the back door and stares at us in the living room, where we can see the door. When she stands by the back door, she just stares until we let her out.
One thing I always make sure and tell people when housebreaking: if you have more than one door to the outside(front and back door both go to fenced areas, or side doors) always always use one door only until puppy is housetrained. If you use a different door each time, the puppy could be telling you at one door he has to go, but you are at another door.
I also agree with kittilicious, you might be confusing him with "go potty" while standing at the door or showing him how to use the bells. You are using "go potty" while inside the house. Use another word to ask if he needs to go outside. I would ask Holly(orwhatever puppy it was) if she needed to go outside, open the door, then step out and say" go potty"until they go. Then tons of praise.

[Lilie]

My dogs know when they go to the door, they go outside. Every time. No grey area. Door = outside. They don't whine or bark or ring bells. They simply stand by the door. If I'm not in the room and I notice the dogs aren't with me...they are more then likely standing by the door.

Ok - I do get the "Will you please get off your fat butt and let me outside already!" look if I'm not quick enough. And they will do the potty dance as I walk to the door.