House Training, Number 2 HELP!

[Mindy Miller]

We're having trouble getting 8 month old Cassie (Lhasa) to poop outside. No problems with the pee. She doesn't have an accident unless she's excited or thinks she's in trouble. She will do it outside in the morning and that's it. Doesn't matter how many times we catch her in the act and scold her. I know the times of the day she needs to go and I take her out and she won't go. I walk her and she'll go a little and finish when we get home. She always goes in the basement in the same room. The carpet gets cleaned with an enzymatic cleaner. So we decided to keep her out of there, but she just found a new spot. I think she doens't like the grass to touch her hiney, but with as short as she is, we'd have to get rid of all the grass in our yard to prevent it!

I used the crate training method to begin with and successfully taught her to pee outside. We've tried keeping her on her leash all the time and she just holds it until I turn my back. What next???

[rocco&quiras mama]

Do you take her for long walks ?
If you dont go back inside untill she has done her thing, problem solved.

throw her a little party every time she "goes" outside.. a treat, hugs and kisses, praise, throwing a ball/stick.. you get the pic.

good luck

[Chithedobe]

Keep her on the leash a little longer is my suggestion. I'd say if you can get her out just even a couple times for that afternoon/evening poo, you'll be good to go. I can understand that even getting to that couple times is frustrating though :-)
You said you keep her on the leash but she holds it until you turn your back. Don't turn your back. If you can't have both eyes on her, then put her in her crate, take her out give her 5 min or so to poo, if she doesn't then back to her kennel. Repeat as often as it takes until she poos where she's supposed to. Good luck :-)

[rocco&quiras mama]

I dont understand why you ppl think crating is the only way to fix a problem.

All she has to do is catch the dog in time, pick the dog up and take it outside, like you do with puppies.

It´s not very hard to spot the signs.. sniffing, turning around to find the perfect position.. study the dog and you´ll soon be able to tell when it´s time.

this dog is way too old to not be house broken. spend a few days working hard on catching her in time ( take her out even if it´s to late)
and i´m sure it wont be long.
This will only work if you are at home with her, if you work or you are out of the house alot then it´s gonna be hard to do anything about it since you cant be consistent.

[Mordy]

Doesn't matter how many times we catch her in the act and scold her.

don't scold the dog. it will only make things worse and doesn't do anything to fix the problem. everything this has taught her is to do it when you don't look so she doesn't get scolded.

does this dog have a firm eating schedule, i.e. do you feed her at certain times and then takeher out at certain times, or do you free feed?

[Chithedobe]

I dont understand why you ppl think crating is the only way to fix a problem.



I hardly think that crating is the ONLY way to fix any problem. I do however see it as a very useful and realistic tool. I know that even as a stay-at-home mom that has nothing better to do than watch Dr. Phil :-) there are times that I simply can not give 100% attention to a puppy that is being housebroken. Ex. making dinner for the family, helping my daughter with her homework, helping my daughter practice her gymnastics, doing laundry, grocery shopping, the list goes on and on. Have you ever tried to practice gymnastics with a 6 month old Doberman pup in the same room? During those times, you betcha I say crate the pup. You don't have to worry about her making a mistake or chewing on a number of things that could injure her.

[yoko]

when i first got yoshi and she wouldn't go outside. i'd just take a book and sit there and read until she went to the bathroom. i wouldn't play with her or give her any attention until she went to the bathroom. then i'd pet her and praise her and give her treats and play fetch with her. now she'll run out and go as soon as i open the door.

[rocco&quiras mama]

i have never crated any of my dogs and they where both house broken at 4 months old.
and even though i dont have kids, i do have a life.. they are only puppys for a few months and it´s not that hard to keep 1 eye on them,
i did get a kind of crate for them that i kept them in if i needed to leave the house for a sec and coulnt bring em, what i dont like is ppl keeping dogs/pups in crates cuz they are to lazy to take care of them, it´s real easy to just put them in there and discover that : wow having a puppy is easy, and there it stays for hours on end.

[Chithedobe]

I've yet to see anyone here tell anyone else to put their dog in the crate, forget about them and all problems will be solved. If you notice, the advice given concerning crates is very interactive. The crates are used for times when the owner can not possibly interact with the dogs. I think it's great that your life is such that you have such unlimited time with your animals, I wish mine was the same. But my reality - and many other's - dictates differently. I think that saying those who use crates are too lazy to work with their dogs is pretty harsh. I know that I am anything but lazy, especially when it comes to my dogs.

[Mordy]

rocco&quiras mama, as a native german i do understand the cultural difference that's quite a barrier between people from different countries in regards on crate training.

before i came to understand the correct applicaiton of crate training and how it actually works quite well with the natural behavior of the dog, i also thought that it is a horrible idea and basically amounts to nothing but cruel confinement.

of the 25 years of my life that i have owned and cared for dogs, my current dog, who is now almost 4 years old, is the first one i crate trained, and i didn't do it for lack of time or out of laziness.

guess what? it makes many things a lot easier when dealing with young puppies. as tracy said, the reality of training and keeping dogs is far from what would be ideal for many people, yet i wouldn't go as far as saying that they are bad owners or don't take care of their dogs well.

overcrating is a completely different issue and shouldn't be used interchangeably with correct crate training. crate training also doesn't mean that the dog is spending hours on end in the crate, by definition it means that the dog is trained to accept spending time in a crate without being stressed out over it. whether you end up using this method of confinement only occasionally for 5 minutes at a time when you just can't keep an eye on the dog momentarily, or make it part of your daily routine for whatever reason is up to the individual person.

clearly, confining a puppy or dog in a crate long-term is not humane, but that doesn't mean that every dog who spends time in a crate has a bad owner who is abusing it.

[Chithedobe]

Thank you for explaining that better, Mordy :-)

[Denaluvscorgis]

I don't see anything wrong with crating at times. Most dogs like it...it's their quiet spot. I can really see where it would come in handy with a 6 month old doberman pup during gymnastics practice.;)

[qwkslvr]

Taking your dog for a walk after eating works the best for us "Otis" always poops after he eats. We have never had a poop problem in the house. It wouldn't take to long of a walk for a small dog to get their pipes moving. I would walk until the pup goes and then praise the heck outta them.
Good Luck!

[rocco&quiras mama]

i´m sorry if i made it sound as if i think all ppl who crate are lazy, i dont.
I think what i said was it´s easy to become lazy when the dog seems perfectly happy in there.. as long as a dog gets it´s metal stimulance as well as a long walk or two + shorter "pee walks" and isnt stuck in a crate all day long i´m not saying you are bad owners..

And God knows i´m not the perfect " mommy " i have my days of being lazy.. in a bad mood or wishing i could stay in bed all day,

but overall i know my dogs have it pretty good, they get loooong walks ( they have gotten even longer since we had the mirrorwall put up in the bedroom *LOL* ) they get to play with a few selected friends a few times a week, and they are showered with love every waken hour of their lives.

oh and sometimes... i even feed ´em :)

[gaddylovesdogs]

Just because somebody crates their dogs doesn't mean that they are bad owners. Crates can be great housetraining tools, to make sure your dog doesn't make puddles all over the house. If you can't keep an eye on your dog for a few minutes, you can put him in his crate and not worry about any messes.

[BudgetsDad]

I dont understand why you ppl think crating is the only way to fix a problem.

All she has to do is catch the dog in time, pick the dog up and take it outside, like you do with puppies.

It´s not very hard to spot the signs.. sniffing, turning around to find the perfect position.. study the dog and you´ll soon be able to tell when it´s time.


Are you here to participate, or to show your superiority? I don't disagree with a lot of things you say. I certainly don't think a dog should just be left alone in a crate for long periods. But you seem fond of pointing out how things are so much better where you are, and how where you are everything is done better than how the Yanks do it.

Sorry to be so blunt about it, but you seem to like to be very "frank" with others, so it's only fair to expect the same in return.

[Saje]

Isn't #2 poo and not pee?

[puppy go luckii]

jus don give up. my dog chase wasnt completly potty trained until about a month ago. and hes a year old lol. hes stubborn wha can i say. but jus watch for signs. wha helped me is walking him aroudn the house on a leash when i couldnt watch him so i keep my eyes on him. jus keep tryin she'll get it

[rocco&quiras mama]

Are you here to participate, or to show your superiority? I don't disagree with a lot of things you say. I certainly don't think a dog should just be left alone in a crate for long periods. But you seem fond of pointing out how things are so much better where you are, and how where you are everything is done better than how the Yanks do it.

Sorry to be so blunt about it, but you seem to like to be very "frank" with others, so it's only fair to expect the same in return.

I feel the things i´m Being "frank" about are very important and i dont think i´m doing anyone any favours by sugarcoating( ? )
and I have no problem with ppl being "frank" with me.:)

i do think the laws and recommandations we have here are very good and as a result we dont have the same situation here that you seem to have in the states ( not that things are perfect here )
I also understand that you all ( hopefully ) love your dogs just like i love mine and dont want to hurt them.. when you know better , you do better.. ( that goes for me too.. never said i am perfect )

[BudgetsDad]

I feel the things i´m Being "frank" about are very important and i dont think i´m doing anyone any favours by sugarcoating( ? )
and I have no problem with ppl being "frank" with me.:)

i do think the laws and recommandations we have here are very good and as a result we dont have the same situation here that you seem to have in the states ( not that things are perfect here )
I also understand that you all ( hopefully ) love your dogs just like i love mine and dont want to hurt them.. when you know better , you do better.. ( that goes for me too.. never said i am perfect )

Everyone has their opinions. Hopefully we can discuss without being accusitory and all keep an open mind, rather than lecture.

[Mindy Miller]

I realize that this is a dead thread, but I haven't been on here to read anyone's replies (computer problems.)

Thank you for those who responded with good, sound advice about my original question on house training. Cassie has become fairly reliable during the last month. The whole problem revolved around my lack of patience. (When I said "scold" I said "No." Not that I yelled at her or went nuts on her. It's a "No." then pick up and take outside, praise and treat when she does what she's supposed to") Anyway, she's better (I guess I should say I'm better) and we're glad. :)

[Mindy Miller]

In response to the crate training bash session, I'll try to be as nice as I can. Rocco, I've seen you bring up this exact same thing in another thread and you got the same response here that you did there. Everybody does things differently. Not all of us can stay home with our pets. The pets need food and they need someone to pay their vet bills. We humans also have lives outside of our dogs. Dogs are not welcome everywhere.

Crates are not bad. In the wild, dogs live in dens. Dens are small confined spaces. My dog is comfortable in her crate. She naps there when she doesn't have to because it's HER SPACE. She is not forced to be in her crate all the time. Just when I am not able to have both my eyes on her.

I can tell from your posts that you are a fantastic dog owner and you love your dogs. That's fantastic. I wish there were more great dog owners around. I love my dog too. I am a great dog owner. I would like to ask that you stop bringing this issue up any time anyone mentions the word "crate." What works for some does not work for all. I like the non confrontational debate in this forum. I do not like feeling put down for using a method that is proven and recommended by trainers, veterinarians, and experienced dog owners.