Need help with my GSD puppy (won't housebreak or sleep thru night)

[Kate_welsh09]

Originally Posted by llombardo

I got my dog at 12 weeks. She cried and threw a fit when I put her in the crate. She was pretty persistent, but I was more persistent. I slept on the couch next to her crate and I'm sure my neighbors heard her, but they were great about it. Your going to have to do one thing at a time and then both will come together(crate/potty training) My puppy did the same thing with the pooping...she was dewormed and that same night she pooped out the longest worms I've ever seen. She never pooped in the cage after that. About the same time she started settling down in the crate...it was about 5 days of really no sleep, but it worked. I concentrated more on her getting use to the crate first. I don't know if you are letting the puppy out at night, but that is another thing that you should do. At 4 months my puppy was out of her crate at night, but it still took me another 2.5 months to completely train her. I was very frustrated, but she turned out to be a great dog and she is completely house trained.

YES! I know my dog will be a great dog too.. Just gotta get past this puppy stage. How did you show your dog after it made an accident in your house did you put them in the cage or time out or something? lol. Im not sure if she realizes that she is doing a bad thing even though I say No! Thats bad! She just sits there and looks at me.

[Kate_welsh09]

Oh and yes I try to take her out at night. Im not sure if its the cold but I will let her out and say go potty.. she will sit on the deck then i've got to put her on the grass, she will walk on the side walk and sit.. so everytime I put her back in the grass she will go back on the side walk..she refuses to go. So then of course when I bring her back in the house.. boom she goes on the carpet. During the day she will go outside fine.

[llombardo]

Originally Posted by Kate_welsh09

YES! I know my dog will be a great dog too.. Just gotta get past this puppy stage. How did you show your dog after it made an accident in your house did you put them in the cage or time out or something? lol. Im not sure if she realizes that she is doing a bad thing even though I say No! Thats bad! She just sits there and looks at me.

Mine didn't seem to have any control...if she had to pee, she did and it was a lot of pee I had to sit down and take a look at what I was doing wrong and fix it. Any potty training accidents are not the fault of the dog, but the owner. Before I got smart..she would squat and I would be running through the house screaming nooooooo I was so frustrated that I would cry. I couldn't understand why it wasn't working. So I started all over. I put her on a schedule. She went out every hour, then after a few days it was every two hours, etc. At night I got up with her usually once. Finally when she was 4 months I decided to see if she would go the whole night if she slept with me, that worked great. I was finally able to sleep You have to watch the pup like a hawk or keep her in a crate, watch for the signs she gives when she has to go...once you can catch her before the accident you'll be on the right track. When you take her outside, have her on a leash. When she goes outside, give her a treat and praise. The treats work really well, I had treats everywhere when mine was younger. Pretty soon she will pee outside then turn around and look at you like where is my treat. You should do a fecal as soon as possible.

[Cassidy's Mom]

Originally Posted by Kate_welsh09

I don't believe that my expectations are unrealistic. I've had tons of dogs and not one of them took this long to potty trained. I suppose it is different for every dog. But every dog starting at 7 weeks, when I got them, they were all potty trained by 9 weeks.

Well, you've been extremely fortunate with your previous dogs then. I can tell you that your experience is not the norm, by any means. I've heard of very few (none maybe?) puppies that were completely housebroken by 9 weeks old.

How are you cleaning her accidents in the house? If you're not using an enzyme cleaner the smell remains, and she'll continue to be attracted back to those spots again and again.

I'm sure she just looks at you because she has no idea she's done something bad. And how would she know if the "bad" thing is the peeing or pooping, or WHERE she's peeing or pooping? How closely is she supervised in the house - within a few feet of you at all times, and within view at all times? If not, then she's being given too much freedom. Until she's housebroken she needs to be right with you, and you need to have eyes on her at all times, or she needs to be confined in her crate. Otherwise, there's no way to catch her in the act, stop her, and rush her outside to finish, or even better, to see that she's about to squat and get her outside before she starts.

[codmaster]

Originally Posted by Kate_welsh09

The breeder had her out in a shed type thing with her mom and litter mates. I've had her for 5 weeks but have been really on her about pottying outside for 4. even though the first week I was still taking her out as much as I could. I have a one yr old and am now pregnant so sleep is something I very much need. I only used the bark coller as a last resort as if I don't im up all night then up all day with a toddler. I've used a bark coller before on my older dog because I lived in an apartment and everytime I left he would bark to the point I started getting complants. So I used the "static" collers and with in a day he stopped barking and I was able to take it off and he no longer barked. I will let her out, she will do her thing and then 10-20mins later she will pee or poop. I don't believe that her barking is trying to tell me she has to go potty. It is just to get out of the crate. I personaly don't believe that shock collers are in any way harmful for dogs so I don't mind using them if need be. Regardless If my dog is a puppy or not. She is hard headed and we need to sleep to function otherwise I wouldn't care if I was up all night and all day. My thing is she is good all day and I only put her in the crate if i'm going out. Otherwise she is in any room Im in. I tried to put the crate next to my bed. Didn't work out. As soon as I turn the lights off she starts her stuff. Im going to the vet tomorrow to see their advice as well. I don't want to give up on her. I don't believe that my expectations are unrealistic. I've had tons of dogs and not one of them took this long to potty trained. I suppose it is different for every dog. But every dog starting at 7 weeks, when I got them, they were all potty trained by 9 weeks. So it shocks me that she just doesn't get it. Most times I will let her out and she will go potty which is great. I jump and clap and try to show her this is a good thing.. not long after she will pee or poop in the house. I stand there thinking.. Didn't we just go over this!?! Everyone has told me that GSD's are the fastest to potty train maybe that is why I'm frusterated. Anyways, thanks all for your advice. I don't intend to give up on her yet.
Oh and yes I'm getting her poo checked I think that is why she poops a lot(more then most dogs I've had) and stinks really bad. Plus she isn't gainning any weight. However, I've looked at her poo for worms and didn't see any.

Sounds like you seem to have most of it figured out and know this.

[KatsMuse]

Originally Posted by Kate_welsh09

The breeder had her out in a shed type thing with her mom and litter mates. I've had her for 5 weeks but have been really on her about pottying outside for 4. even though the first week I was still taking her out as much as I could. I have a one yr old and am now pregnant so sleep is something I very much need. I only used the bark coller as a last resort as if I don't im up all night then up all day with a toddler. I've used a bark coller before on my older dog because I lived in an apartment and everytime I left he would bark to the point I started getting complants. So I used the "static" collers and with in a day he stopped barking and I was able to take it off and he no longer barked. I will let her out, she will do her thing and then 10-20mins later she will pee or poop. I don't believe that her barking is trying to tell me she has to go potty. It is just to get out of the crate. I personaly don't believe that shock collers are in any way harmful for dogs so I don't mind using them if need be. Regardless If my dog is a puppy or not. She is hard headed and we need to sleep to function otherwise I wouldn't care if I was up all night and all day. My thing is she is good all day and I only put her in the crate if i'm going out. Otherwise she is in any room Im in. I tried to put the crate next to my bed. Didn't work out. As soon as I turn the lights off she starts her stuff. Im going to the vet tomorrow to see their advice as well. I don't want to give up on her. I don't believe that my expectations are unrealistic. I've had tons of dogs and not one of them took this long to potty trained. I suppose it is different for every dog. But every dog starting at 7 weeks, when I got them, they were all potty trained by 9 weeks. So it shocks me that she just doesn't get it. Most times I will let her out and she will go potty which is great. I jump and clap and try to show her this is a good thing.. not long after she will pee or poop in the house. I stand there thinking.. Didn't we just go over this!?! Everyone has told me that GSD's are the fastest to potty train maybe that is why I'm frusterated. Anyways, thanks all for your advice. I don't intend to give up on her yet.
Oh and yes I'm getting her poo checked I think that is why she poops a lot(more then most dogs I've had) and stinks really bad. Plus she isn't gainning any weight. However, I've looked at her poo for worms and didn't see any.

IMO, Sounds like you already had a 'full plate' with a one-year-old and another child on the way, and decided to get a puppy as well?
You sound extremely frustrated and disappointed in this dog? (It can probably sense that, btw)

GSDs are not any different than most other pups when it comes to potty training. Your pup is a baby. Time, patience, Time, patience...it comes with the territory of owning any pup.

(On a side note...personally, shock collars are something I don't believe in for a pup that young. But, it is your dog and you seem to have that figured out.)

The 'stinky' and frequency of poop, IMO, suggests a vet visit.

Other than that, I would say if you are that frustrated, perhaps you need to reconsider another way to crate and potty train?
There's a lot of good advice from experienced owners here...I hope some of it helps?

Kat

[Angelina03]

Originally Posted by Kate_welsh09

YES! I know my dog will be a great dog too.. Just gotta get past this puppy stage. How did you show your dog after it made an accident in your house did you put them in the cage or time out or something? lol. Im not sure if she realizes that she is doing a bad thing even though I say No! Thats bad! She just sits there and looks at me.

I think she's too young to know exactly what you want. You seem to have a lot on your plate right now and a puppy probably wasn't a good idea. But now that it is done, patience is crucial, for you as we'll as for the well being of your puppy. I wouldn't punish her for pooping. It's a natural thing to do. She won't understand that it is wrong. I'm no expert but here are my suggestions:
Take her out to potty every 1/2 hour during the day (increasing time in between gradually every 2 days)
At night she needs to go out at least twice during the night (set the alarm)
When she potties inside just tell her "no, potty outside" very firmly and take her out right away
Keep making a big deal about potty outside (she will eventually get it)
Make sure she is exercised (with play) right before putting her in the crate but take her out to potty first
Keep the crate close to you at night (gds need to be with us) and ignore the crying ( she will learn that it doesn't work)
Reward her for being in the crate
And of course have the vet check her out.
Above all, have patience. She is still a baby!
Btw- IMHO using a shock collar on such a young puppy is just cruel. Please stop using it.
Good luck. I'm sure she will come around soon. Just be consistent and patient.



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[sit,stay]

OP, I can understand how frustrating it can be when something or someone doesn't hold up to our expectations. Especially if there is as much on the plate as you have on yours.

This is going to sound harsh, but I honestly don't mean it that way. I just want to be truthful. I know I said you shouldn't throw in the towel yet earlier, but after learning more I think you should just that. You have way too much going on in your life to devote the time and effort to the puppy that it requires to be the kind of companion you want and need.

Which isn't a failing on your part. You are not Super Woman. But with this breed in particular you just can't take short cuts. The only blow back you are experiencing from your current attempted short cuts is a puppy that is not house broken and whines in the crate. The blow back when this puppy is a year old are going to be a whole lot more serious.

I agree with you 100%, there is nothing inherently wrong with a shock collar to curb barking IF it is used correctly. But you aren't using it correctly. A 12 week old puppy that is being crate trained and house broken is not the appropriate candidate for a bark collar. And by using it you are making the process so much harder than it needs to be, and you are setting yourself up for some problems later on.

At 12 weeks old you still have a baby. If she wakes you up crying in her crate at 3 a.m., you need to get up and take her outside. You need to stand outside with her and observe, so you know if she went to the bathroom. She should not be expected to hold it all night long at her age, even if other puppies you have raised were able to. You can't just put her out the back door, with no supervision, and assume she will potty. It doesn't matter how busy you are during the day or how tired you are during the night. It still needs to be done.

Please reconsider having a puppy at this point in your life. I just don't see this ending well for anyone if you don't. In order to avoid that bad end, you're going to have to change just about everything you're doing. I feel sorry for everyone involved. Obviously you didn't bring home a puppy to end up with a nightmare, and puppy deserves to be owned by someone who has the time and energy to raise her correctly.
Sheilah

[huntergreen]

i would think you might want to put her on a leash and let her walk a little bit, sniff a bit and hopefully her moving around will stimulate her to go. make a big deal with praise "good dog" every time she pees or poops out side. also do you have any one to help you at night when she needs to go out. it is hard to raise and train a pup with a 1 year old and while pregnant.

[Kate_welsh09]

Originally Posted by KatsMuse

IMO, Sounds like you already had a 'full plate' with a one-year-old and another child on the way, and decided to get a puppy as well?
You sound extremely frustrated and disappointed in this dog? (It can probably sense that, btw)

GSDs are not any different than most other pups when it comes to potty training. Your pup is a baby. Time, patience, Time, patience...it comes with the territory of owning any pup.

(On a side note...personally, shock collars are something I don't believe in for a pup that young. But, it is your dog and you seem to have that figured out.)

The 'stinky' and frequency of poop, IMO, suggests a vet visit.

Other than that, I would say if you are that frustrated, perhaps you need to reconsider another way to crate and potty train?
There's a lot of good advice from experienced owners here...I hope some of it helps?

Kat

i just found out i was pregnant two weeks ago. i would have NEVER bought a puppy knowing i was pregnant. i took her to the vet and got her de wormed just in case thats why her poop stinks. we stopped using the bark coller and gave her clam pills from pet mart before she goes to bed. last night was the first night in a while that i got any sleep. she did real well.