Ugh, Jumping Around For 20 Minutes Before Pottying!!

Okay, so Gage, the 14 week old dachshund puppy, is being a 'tard.

I take him out into the front yard often, including 20-30 minutes after eating, to do his business. Sometimes it's raining, sometimes it's freezing, and sometimes I just wanna go in so I don't turn into a popsicle!

However, Gage has a habit of wanting to run circles around my feet, or jump up at my legs, for 20-30 minutes straight before he decides to move over 5 feet to pee and poop. OR, he'll do this for 20-30 minutes, not go potty, and then come RIGHT inside to completely explode himself in his kennel! :yikes:

Is there any way to get him to hurry up the process? Or to actually DO the process?

It would be easier if I could just let him out the back door with everyone else to take his slow, sweet time pottying. This is because my BACK yard has a 1/2 acre fenced in for my crew. However, the woman who dumped him off only gave him 1 set of puppy vax, and he's not due for his 2nd for almost another week. Given that he is barely vaccinated, I use my front yard to protect him. My mom works at a pet store that's attached to a vet clinic, and I used to work at a vet clinic. So we're particular right now about where he walks, both inside and out, because of things that may have been tracked in over time.

So that explains why I have to stand there for 30 minutes with the little leg-jumping booger.

Is there any tips for getting him to go potty? Like I said, I set him down and he justs wants to sit there, and jump up at my legs for a long, long time, or run circles around my feet while jumping.

When he does finally go potty, give a cue word as he's going but softly. Like...."go pee pee" or when he poos, "go poo poo." The instant he finishes, give him a tiny but VERY special treat (high value) and praise. Keep using your cue word for a week or so while he's going. Then just before he's about to go....when he's starting to squat, just a second or two before (when you're positive he's about to go) use your cue word. Do that for several days or a week. Eventually, he'll associate the word with the act of going and you'll be able to elicit the pottying better. Keep giving him a tasty treat every time immediately when he finishes....within a second or two. Soon he should be hurrying up because he'll look forward to his treat. But make sure it's something he'll go ape over....a piece of chicken or steak or a little tid bit of hot dog. And your cue word should get him going as long as he's made the association between it and pottying. Don't play or pay attention to him when he's jumping around and playing. Ignore that and only walk him in a small area just enough to get his bowels kind of going. Don't make it into a fun walk or a fun time. Going out to potty is not for play time. It's for getting down to the business of pottying. He doesn't have a clue what those words mean and it will take some time before he ties the sounds of the words to the behavior. So, be sure and not use the cue word (s) to try to get him to go before he's made the connection between the word and pottying or the words will be meaningless because you'll have missed the association. And they'll never be of any use.

I'd say bundle up! My dog CJ used to have to go for a 1/2 mile walk in freezing temps before she would even consider going! This was when she was older and not just a pup.

We've always said "go pee" to Titan so he knows what it means. We have a fenced yard, though, so I can just chuck him out when it's pouring rain and he'll do his business.

Can you set up an x-pen for him in the front yard until he can go in the back? At least you won't have to stay out with him. I did that with Titan for the first few weeks and it's a PITA, especially now that it's not just snow but rain. You can stay dry in snow but not rain. Luckily, Titan doesn't care about rain.

He's not clean in his kennel? That sucks. That makes everything a LOT harder.

Good luck!!!!!

Has your fenced backyard been exposed to Parvo? Or any of the other 3 major diseases? If not, if the pup has already been exposed to your dogs, keeping him out of the backyard isn't needed.

Also keep in mind that years ago, we only gave one set of puppy vacc's, most pups were fine with it.

I have taken litters of 8 wk old pups to agility trials and my lessons, as long as they have the first set and they were not nursing at the time (momma's antibodies over rule first vacc's ), then the pup if healthy should be fine.

I think that the more a pup is *protected*, that it isn't given a chance to build it's own anitibodies, then when it is exposed, they get hit hard.

So IMO, if you haven't had Parvo in the last 7 years, take him out in the backyard, that is where he would be at my place.

You can stick a thoroughly potty trained dog out in a fenced yard and stay inside yourself but if he is still a young puppy, I'd go out every single time so you can reinforce when he goes every single time..... so he becomes solidly potty trained. If you're not out with him, you'd lose valuable opportunities to reinforce him.

Agreed, I should have put that in my post. Just because a fenced yard is used, it doesn't mean that we don't go out with them. It is just easier at first than having them on leash lol. But having said that, always a good idea to train them to go when on leash as well.

The OP can also keep records of when the pups does go, then they can start to see a pattern and work with that. Therefore not having accidents in the crate or in the home.

I agree with adojrts about the vaccinations. Is the front yard fenced? If not, you don't know if a stray dog could have come into your yard, in which case it's probably more dangerous taking him out front than in the back where you have a pretty good idea that only your dogs have been there.

Besides that, when I was potty training my dog, I'd take her outside on a 6' leash (apartment), and just stand in one spot. It helped if it was the spot where she pottied the last time, but not necessary. I'd completely ignore her until she started pottying, and then I'd quietly say my cue word ("hurry"), and give her a treat when she finished as Carrie said. If she didn't potty within about 5 minutes, I'd go back inside and then supervise her SUPER closely to make sure she didn't have an accident inside. I'd give her about 15-20 minutes (maybe less for your puppy), and then take her outside again and give her another 5 minutes to do it.

Now, even 4 years later, she knows that as soon as we get outside she needs to go potty. Even if we're going for a walk or are going to play in the yard for a while, she still needs to potty first before the fun stuff happens, just to teach her that pottying comes first.

Also, about the crate - are you feeding him in the crate? Often this helps puppies learn that they do not need to potty in that place.

This is why more heads are better than one and why forums are so cool. I completely didn't remember those nifty little tid bits to stick in my post. Great advice from Adojrts and lizzybeth. We'll get that puppy to get down to business in record time before long. Work hard and keep us posted.

One designated area is great so later when off leash, your whole yard doesn't get messed up. But I find they seem to not like too small of an area and sometimes they can't poo if they don't walk around a little bit to work it all down, lol.... but I'd keep it a very small little area and just walk in circles so it doesn't become too much fun. If your pup will go by standing in one place, go for it. That makes it even easier.

Just have to add to Doberluv's comment about one designated "business" spot.. worked wonders for Bernie, he trained quickly on his 6 ft leash as long as we didn't acknowledge him til he was done. If we spoke, interacted, moved etc, he was all set for fun and games but not having done his business that we were out there for.

The only unfortunate part of this is that once we fenced the back yard, and he had free access from the side door, we forgot to reinforce a "business" spot in the back yard. We now have a 300 sq ft, ice/snow/dog poop covered "spot" LOL.. our fault completely. He still does his business when we go out the front door, in exactly the same spot he did when he was being house broken.

We also discovered that Bernie is more of a shy pooper than anything.. he doesn't care for anyone watching him "go", so generally when we know he has to go, and we're in the front, unfenced yard, we have him on the longer retractable leash so he has some distance from us. He too always goes, before we head out anywhere.. for some reason. Saves a little on the "poop and scoop" at the park, but means that I have to dispose of the stuff in my garbage can, not the big barrels provided at the park.. grr.. LOL.