Housebreaking

Mavis · Oct 10, 2015

Okay, I am coming clean and am wondering if anyone has any ideas to help.

I am ashamed to admit that Bambi is not house trained. She was not house trained when we got her and was trained (if you can call it) to go in her crate. Breeder told us to get a 30" crate (waaaay too big!!! - Ginger sleeps in there!) so that she could use the back to relieve herself "if she needed."). To compound matters, she detests going outside when it is cold or wet out and winter is coming. She doesn't signal to pee, just squats and pees immediately. I carry her out first thing in the morning and she will pee - most times, unless it is cold. I am calm but tell her "good girl" and make a big deal out of it.

I don't know where to begin. I don't want to keep her in her crate and only let her out until she pees or poops. My only thought is to keep a harness on her at all times and take her out on a leash after she eats and walk her in the backyard until she goes. If not, then repeat in 10 minutes (?). She is 3.5, so I feel like I am starting at scratch.

It is now presenting problems because we are going away in December and I just cannot board her. However, I don't feel comfortable asking anyone to take her because she will mess in their house (god forbid on their carpets). It would be the most wonderful thing if she were house broken. Going to see if our neighbor's daughter can house sit for a good fee (so worth it to me), however, I hate for her to have to clean up pee and poop.

Tgirl · Oct 10, 2015

I would go back to basics. Like you said, if she doesn't go when you take her out put her back in the crate for 30 minutes then try again and so on. If she isn't trained she doesn't need run of the house unless you can have your eyes on her every minutes. It's going to take some serous training but I think if you are very consistant with that she will come around. Big praise when she goes and firm loud no if you catch her trying to go inside.

blushy · Oct 10, 2015

I know you don't want to crate her a lot but it's probably the only way to 100% potty train her.

Isabelle was crated and walked every 30 mins to an hour as a puppy, and she has only had maybe 3 accidents in 1 1/2 years from 8 weeks of age and they were all our fault.

You're just going to have to treat her like she's a tiny pup and go back to basics of potty training.

If others can do it, you can. You just have to be firm and consistent!

Chiana · Oct 11, 2015

We do not use crate training in Finland, or at least I do not know anyone who does, so I have no experience in that department.
However, have you tried to put some pee pads or these fancy grass scented pee pads some location close to outside door and try to train her to use those as a first step? Maybe then gradually you could make progress for her to go potty outside.
These things are always tricky and can be frustrating. Good luck!

KimB3384 · Oct 12, 2015

How frequently does she go inside? Is it an all the time thing, or is it just on occasion? I'm asking because every once in a while we'll have an issue with pee on the rug, and I really do chalk it up to having used pee pads when we were training. We went away this past weekend and had a friend watch Beezy for us - the first time we've ever done this - and she did absolutely fine. So I wonder if Bambi might also be fine because of the new environment? But I also know EXACTLY what you're feeling because I was terrified all weekend long. I even sent along cleaning supplies - just in case.

JuniorsMom · Oct 12, 2015

I once tether-trained my pug, on the advice of a trainer. She was on a five-foot leash tethered to my waist. I was supposed to go about my business for several hours a day and ignore the dog, to teach her to pay attention to me and see me as leader. After a few shocks and surprises, it was actually a wonderful experience that brought us a lot closer.

I'm wondering if tethering her to you when you can't directly supervise her is part of the answer. Any sign of a squat, and you sound disappointed and take her immediately outside. Big praise when she pees outside. While it's really tedious, maybe she goes out every 20 minutes for a while, while out of her crate. I agree with the back-to-basics approach suggested by others, as though she were a much younger dog.

I do understand not wanting to crate her all the time. Yet accidents seem to happen when they sneak off for a moment. If my bath mat could tell the tale! (It's a favorite spot of Junior's).

Lisa

Tgirl · Oct 13, 2015

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JuniorsMom said:
I once tether-trained my pug, on the advice of a trainer. She was on a five-foot leash tethered to my waist. I was supposed to go about my business for several hours a day and ignore the dog, to teach her to pay attention to me and see me as leader. After a few shocks and surprises, it was actually a wonderful experience that brought us a lot closer.

I'm wondering if tethering her to you when you can't directly supervise her is part of the answer. Any sign of a squat, and you sound disappointed and take her immediately outside. Big praise when she pees outside. While it's really tedious, maybe she goes out every 20 minutes for a while, while out of her crate. I agree with the back-to-basics approach suggested by others, as though she were a much younger dog.

I do understand not wanting to crate her all the time. Yet accidents seem to happen when they sneak off for a moment. If my bath mat could tell the tale! (It's a favorite spot of Junior's).

Lisa

That is a very good way to train. I often tell people about this method at work, and if they will use it, they almost always have great success.