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Please some words of comfort and encouragement!

3K views 26 replies 20 participants last post by  maxtmill 
#1 ·
We've had our pup Vena (Vin) for 3 weeks now.. she'll be 16 weeks tomorrow.

I've only ever had one puppy before and got her MUCH earlier than this little lady.

Vin, at her previous owners was allowed to go when ever and where ever with zero training. *this is what we've gathered because we were told she was totally house trained - and OH boy, she is NOT.

What she seems to do is "mark" when she goes out potty. Only going a little bit.

She gets praise - and I've even upped it to a treat after every successful potty in the right spot outside.. even then we'll stay out for a bit because she usually goes more than once.

But she'll come back in the house and pee or poop. Every. Time.

We have only caught her once. Literally - this dog is a poop/pee Houdini!!! It seems to come out of no where!

I just don't know what to do but what I'm doing. I've thought of tethering her? Didn't know if she was too little for that?
We have another dog, he's 4 - I'm worried he's going to start going in the house too. He's never had one issue ever (we adopted him when he was 1).

Ideas? Thoughts? Or comfort? :laugh2:
 

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#2 ·
With both of my pups I have definitely noticed behaviors that were consistent before they would go potty. I usually just try and anticipate based off their habits. Plus I make sure to take out a lot. But yeah just giving treats when pottying outside. Always use the same phrase when Taking out to potty. If I happen to catch the pup trying to go inside a loud NO OUTSIDE NOW. Usually stops them right away then rush outside and when they would go I would just use a lot of praise and treats. Once they figure out inside = NO and outside = treats and praise they want the treats and praise. However, I have never had to untrain a dog that was allowed to go in the house. One of the reasons I don't like the potty pads. Anyway good luck.
 
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#4 ·
Tethering in a good idea and she isn't to young or old for that. Crate training would be a big help for when you just can't watch for potty cues.
You have to start from scratch and take her out often. Continue to do as you are doing with the treats and praise for going outside. Eventually you will fade away the treat as she "gets it" that outside is where she needs to go potty. Consistency and patience is the key.

Also, be sure to clean up accidents in the house with an enzymatic clean. This will help prevent her or your other dog from going in the same spot in the house.

Don't worry you'll get there.
 
#5 ·
Thank you so much!!! I thought it would be easier since I'm home all the time and can take her out so often - I think I built myself up for disappointment.

She's such a smarty otherwise.. Thank you all! I really appreciate the advice!!
 
#6 ·
I would try to imagine her as a younger pup than she is for the purposes of house training. For a couple of days keep her crated whenever you cannot watch her. And all night. Giver her lots of interesting things to do in the crate as far as chew toys and kings, etc. The minute she gets out of the crate she goes out an d walks around, doing her business. Praise and treats when she pees outside. Play for a few minutes, a tiny bit of supervised time in the house (watch her like a hawk)- then back in the crate. You could even keep her with you on a leash so you don't forget you should be watching her when she isn't crated. It shouldn't take too long before she gets it. Poor thing that no one house trained her by now! Good luck.
 
#7 ·
You'll get there. Keep her on a good schedule. Take her out every time she wakes up, plays hard, eats or drinks, and supervise her all the time that she is not in a tight crate. Praise, praise, praise when she does good. When she doesn't, just a quick eh! outside as you are taking her outside, IF and only IF you caught her in the act. If she goes outside the rest of the way, praise.

You'll get there. Don't worry.
 
#9 ·
I'm not sure what I have to say is going to be particularly encouraging -- puppy #5 (the current youngest), oh my! Until she came along, I had house training pups down! It was soooo easy. Well, this latest pup took at least one full year to house train. That's right 12 months. A couple of times I thought she had it -- nope. Put up a bell for her to ring - nope.

So - you are not the only one to "suffer"... Keep in mind how cute she is. Remind yourself of that.
 
#10 ·
Have you done any crate training with her? I had very quick positive results with my pup by using a crate, but she had occasional accidents in the house though up until about 4.5 months of age. I think that if you are consistent she will definitely get it down soon. She is still a baby, sooner than later it will just click.

They are so smart and very eager to please so try and make every part of any training as positive, encouraging and fun as possible for her and you. Also, you have to catch her right in the act for her to understand her mistake.
 
#11 ·
This morning I've started a whole new regimen of tethering and crate. Poor thing doesn't know what this situation is all about.
She only wears her harness when we go out and she was all excited, only to be tied to me.
Im giving treats kind of often and also using it as a lesson in proper heeling. Otherwise we may be a tangled mess all the time! Haha!

I was using bleach on the potty accidents but Im going today to get the enzyme stuff you all had mentioned.

Thank you all so SO much!

For those that have used this method... Any idea on timeframe? Should I stick to this solid for a week? Two? Before I let her off in tiny bits around the house. Still seen of course.
 
#13 ·
My puppy is around the same age as yours. Been crate training since I got him. No accidents inside for weeks - until this morning. We had been outside once, back outside to eat, and pottied again before coming back inside. Put the baby gate and let him run loose in my room while I was getting dressed. After a few minutes of playing with his toy he walked into his crate, turned around and walked back out and peed on the carpet. I stopped with my NO and we went outside and he finished.


Life with a puppy!
 
#17 ·
another thing to consider - all potty time is on-leash. No walking around or playing UNTIL potty is over.

pups can have short attention span and like human toddlers will sometimes choose to hold it and play vs going potty. Then when they get back inside where it is "boring" they remember that they still need to go.

As soon as she potties THEN you play. It also helps train them to go quickly - the sooner you potty, the sooner you get to do fun stuff
 
#18 ·
There is one very useful trick to use when she potties.

Remember to use a word like peepee (which is what I use everytime my pupp potties outside) before she potties outside and reward her etc. Overtime she will learn that when you say the specific word she will know and go potty. Trust me it makes life easier, we never have to wait around for her to potty. Just a quick "peepee" and back in easy.

Goodluck :)

Sent from my HUAWEI G7-L03 using Tapatalk
 
#19 ·
I'm pretty sure nearly everyone will disagree with my method on this... but it works for me with every dog ive ever had... if she poo or pee in house... put her nose near it so she can get the scent.. and say NO!! really loud.. repeat, nose near pee/poo (not in it, just near it) then say NO!! then take her out side and when she releases praise her... she will quickly get it
 
#20 ·
I felt like tethering just wasn't for us at this moment... I did try.. but I'm all over with little kids and housework etc... I just felt like I was constantly "pulling" (not actually but you get the picture) her around... and I didn't get a puppy to kennel her all day pretty much.

Left unattended outside with our other dog, she would dig almost right away.

So I guess I'm sleeping in the bed I've made so to speak.

One thing that has been working:

She has two spots she would go to in the house.
So, after I cleaned them appropriately (bleach then an enzyme cleaner) ... I started feeding her off the floor in those two spots. Instantly we've gone from daily "accidents" to 6 days accident free!!!

(but you know as I type this I'm just asking for her spunky self to let me know whos boss again LOL)

Thank you again everyone for your suggestions and encouragement! I know pups are as different as kids -- I appreciate your help a lot!
 
#23 ·
No problem with "tethering" but I would imagine that gets old after a bit??? If the Dog/Puppy is Crate trained you have a part of the answer. Add "Place" and "No" free roaming" in the house, indoors "Crate" or "Place" and use a "Drag Leash" indoors (Short leash) with no handle to get caught up on furniture.

Details are here:
http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/7837361-post12.html

As always ask questions and welcome aboard. :)
 
#24 ·
Sorry to read about your trials and tribulations. Sounds like you hit on something with the potty spots (floor feeding). Good job!

Even though I've raised several pups, my current one gave me some challenges I had not been faced with before and I needed several "do overs" to get the house manners right. All the better when you hit on the right method at the right time:laugh2: - it's like bring out the marching band, let's have an awards ceremony!!! We did it!!!

I paper trained my pups (those blue puppy pads with newspaper underneath) in the laundry room and a mixture of water and vinegar in a spray bottle was absolutely the right tool for the job. It gets 97% of germs (Lysol gets 2% more - big whoop)... and it takes the odor away so there are no repeat accidents in wrong spots.

Just wanted to say - as with anything else you really want - you have to dig in and be stubborn and patient... more stubborn than what you are in opposition with - and when it clicks and works and you "win" it's an awesome feeling and your pup is pretty happy about it too. Just keep anger and frustration out of the equation - that stuff can shut down training and produce a communication barrier instead.

There's tons of great tips and ideas here - when I'm thinking outside of the box to try to solve a problem... I usually run it up the flagpole here to see if there's an angle I'm missing.... this has saved me having to do (several additional do over's) because sometimes you can "teach" undesirable behaviors without even realising it - these dogs are smart and sometimes that can work against you - the little stuff they pick up that you don't even realise you're doing.

I would suggest looking into instruction for "focus", it is vital for training.. short sessions with lots of positive reinforcement to start. They "work" for good things.:smile2: and eventually those become good every day habits.
 
#27 ·
I have a similar issue with my new 8 1/2 month old crested pup. I take him out every 2 hours, using the command "hurry up outside" as I always have for all of our dogs. Lots of praise when he goes. No playing or walking around, always take him to the same spot. Yet I find areas in the house where he lifts his leg. I do not have access to enzyme cleaner, so I use dilute lysol cleaner. I have started wearing a belly band on him while inside. His poops are fairly reliable - every morning, and again midafternoon. It is the peeing I can't figure out. However, we do have a 16 year old dog who does pee in the house sometimes -she has significant dementia. I have been putting a female wrap on her. So I wonder if my youngster is peeing, or marking. I share your frustration!
 
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