Potty training woes

Whisper

Kaleidoscopic Eye
Joined
Jun 9, 2006
Messages
13,749
Likes
1
Points
38
Age
31
#1
I've held out for about a week making this post. I didn't want to swallow my pride and admit I'm having problems with the most basic training there is. But, here I am.
Problem 1: Fable will pee outside, but for some reason she won't poop. She will if for some reason she's really desperate, but TBH that's been about five times in the last two weeks.
Problem 2: Having her outside waiting to see if she'll go is starting to give her an aversion to being out there. Even if she's fresh out of her crate and has to go, she prefers to sit on the stairs and cry to go back inside (or curl up on the top step to sleep).

I never, ever "scold" her if she goes inside. I either intercept if I can or just clean it up. I take her out every hour plus after every nap and meal. When she has an accident I clean very, very carefully and I don't use any products with ammonia.
I don't know what I'm doing wrong. She's so smart and trainable. I practiced "sit" with her twice, and after just those two times she starting sitting on command reliably.
Please help! :(
 

lizzybeth727

Active Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2007
Messages
6,403
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Central Texas
#2
Problem 2: Having her outside waiting to see if she'll go is starting to give her an aversion to being out there. Even if she's fresh out of her crate and has to go, she prefers to sit on the stairs and cry to go back inside (or curl up on the top step to sleep).
Are you outside with her? If not, then try going outside with her. If you are out there, try to keep her out in the yard, away from the stairs, so she doesn't have that option.

Sometimes it takes some exercise to stimulate pooping. You could try reinforcing her peeing with a high-energy game of fetch, tug, chase, whatever she likes. Don't play for too long, just a minute or two to really get her heart rate up, and then take a break from the game to see if she'll go poop.

I never, ever "scold" her if she goes inside. I either intercept if I can or just clean it up.
I know trainers who've had luck with, when the dog poops in the house, putting the feces outside where you want her to poop, which may stimulate her to want to actually poop there.
 

Whisper

Kaleidoscopic Eye
Joined
Jun 9, 2006
Messages
13,749
Likes
1
Points
38
Age
31
#3
Whoa! Totally wrong section! :yikes: Mods, please move this. :eek: No pics here. :p

Lizzybeth, thanks. :)
Yes, I always go outside with her. I put her mess outside in the beginning but I stopped for some reason. I'll do that again if it might help.
I'll try to do the exercise and playing as well. She's more food driven than anything, so I also thought I should start giving her treats when she goes instead of just praise. I need to get myself a bait bag so I'm ready to dole out treats.
 

Lyzelle

Active Member
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Messages
2,826
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Colorado
#4
I'd definitely try putting the poop out there to let her know that's where it needs to be. Even to this day, and Zander is 7 years old, he WILL poop on command, but he's very cautious about where it needs to be. Having a pile already there seems to "inspire" them. Lol.

5-10 minutes of hard play inside, and then go outside to potty is a great idea too. I'd be wary of turning outside time into play time, but I use the 90 second rule. Take them out, set them down, say the "word"(I use "go potty") and they have 90 seconds to go. Business time, no play. If they go, THEN it's play time, praise and treat like crazy. Forever. It's a party. If they don't, don't say a word, just pick them up and go back inside, try 3-5 minutes later.

If she's really that smart, she might end up like my last two pup girls. She'll squat on command for that hotdog! Lol. Sometimes it just takes time, and it has nothing to do with your training. :) Girls are notoriously harder to potty train than males, in my opinion.
 

Southpaw

orange iguanas.
Joined
Jul 31, 2005
Messages
7,788
Likes
1
Points
38
Age
32
Location
Minnesota
#5
She's more food driven than anything, so I also thought I should start giving her treats when she goes instead of just praise.
I think that'll be a big help. My dogs don't learn anything with just praise; she might just need more convincing that going outside is better than inside. When Juno was a pup I just kept a bag of treats by the back door so that I could easily grab it every time we went outside.
 

~Dixie's_Mom~

♥Chloe & Violet♥
Joined
Aug 22, 2006
Messages
8,159
Likes
1
Points
0
Age
32
Location
Tennessee
#6
DEFINITELY give treats when she goes potty outside!! It will definitely give her a reason to want to go outside instead of inside. Good luck!
 

Whisper

Kaleidoscopic Eye
Joined
Jun 9, 2006
Messages
13,749
Likes
1
Points
38
Age
31
#7
She is so obsessed with food, she's driven to complete insanity and distraction. I should start to carry treats all the time so she gets used to me having them, otherwise she would never be able to go as she's be so focused on treats. As it is I only have them in Millie's vest and the cupboard.
I never used anything other than praise to potty train any other dog, and they were fine. This one's different though, I guess. I hope if she gets a worthwhile reward she'd feel differently about going outside. :)

If any mod sees this thread, seriously, please move it away from the picture section! :rofl1:
 

Barb04

Super Moderator
Joined
Sep 28, 2004
Messages
27,429
Likes
4
Points
38
#8
I'm a mod but don't have the authority to move this. I wonder if the other mods really are looking for a pic! LOL
 

Paige

Let it be
Joined
Jan 13, 2007
Messages
7,359
Likes
0
Points
0
#10
I don't have any suggestions but I wanted to tell you it took me TWO YEARS to housebreak Bandit. TWO YEARS! He was a very difficult dog. I don't think it would take as long being more educated now but I know without a doubt he would've been a more difficult dog to housebreak regardless. So you aren't the only one.
 

Fran101

Resident fainting goat
Joined
Oct 12, 2008
Messages
12,546
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Boston
#11
I would just leash her to you and take her out and wait it out.. she will eventually go lol and when she does go, praise like crazy + treat + PLAYTIME! Let her off leash after treats and play with her for a while in the yard, this will also start building up the idea that the yard is fun!

What really got Romeo solid was that he realized that ONLY AFTER going to the bathroom in the right place..does he get a walk. No more holding it, no more finding the perfect patch of grass.. Now I say the command and he just frikin goes lol

Its kind of understandable in her point of view.. the yard is wet or cold and inside is warm and she is there all the time anyway lol so I would just start building up how AWESOME it is to go outside

I would also go back to 100% crate and leashing her to you when you are home so she can't sneak off to go
 

stardogs

Behavior Nerd
Joined
Jun 13, 2009
Messages
4,925
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
NC
#12
I'm kinda of a hard *ss about this sort of thing because potty issues drive.me.crazy. This is what I do (similar to a suggestion above, but stricter).

- Determine how long you want to hang out outside each trip, maximum. I usually start with 4 minutes, because this applies even if it's freezing or pouring rain. I usually stop at 90 seconds for pee only, 3-4 minutes for both eliminations.
- Take puppy out, on leash, when you know they need to potty (first thing in the morning is ideal).
- Give puppy set time to eliminate in *one* specific location in the yard. Do not interact with the puppy except to say your chosen potty command right at the start of the time limit. Do not wander aimlessly through the yard, stay put!
- If puppy potties completely, verbally praise and go do something fun (walk, indoor playtime, meal, whatever puppy enjoys). Set a timer for however long puppy usually goes between trips outside/accidents minus 5 minutes.
- If puppy does not potty or only pees when you know she needs to do both, pick her up, and carry her inside to her crate. For young puppies, do *not* put them down as you don't want them to have even a split second to potty in the wrong spot. Once crated, set a timer for 15 minutes (longer if they are older, max of an hour).
- When timer goes off, take the puppy outside to the designated spot on leash and begin the process again.

To extend the length of time between trips outside:
- Determine the current period of time the puppy is able to hold it when loose.
- Subtract 5 minutes from the above minimum time period.
- Use a timer to ensure puppy goes outside at the appropriate time.
- Once puppy has been accident free for 3-5 days, add 5 minutes to your time between trips outside.
- Rinse and repeat.

*if the puppy has an accident, go back to your last successful length of time for another 5 days before trying the increase again.

*Once you hit 90 minutes between trips outside you can increase your time additions to 10-15 minutes instead of 5 minutes at a time.
 

lizzybeth727

Active Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2007
Messages
6,403
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Central Texas
#13
I don't have any suggestions but I wanted to tell you it took me TWO YEARS to housebreak Bandit. TWO YEARS! He was a very difficult dog.
Yeah, I should also confess that I'd had Luna for three years when she had her last accident. In my defense, she was a year old when I adopted her and I'm pretty sure whoever her last owner was did nothing in the way of potty training.

Keegan's a year and a half, and still occasionally has accidents in his crate if I leave him for more than about 7 hours; he also still occasionally wakes me up in the middle of the night to go potty, and I have to take his water away by around 10:00.

I'm kinda of a hard *ss about this sort of thing because potty issues drive.me.crazy. This is what I do (similar to a suggestion above, but stricter).

- Determine how long you want to hang out outside each trip, maximum. I usually start with 4 minutes, because this applies even if it's freezing or pouring rain. I usually stop at 90 seconds for pee only, 3-4 minutes for both eliminations.
- Take puppy out, on leash, when you know they need to potty (first thing in the morning is ideal).
- Give puppy set time to eliminate in *one* specific location in the yard. Do not interact with the puppy except to say your chosen potty command right at the start of the time limit. Do not wander aimlessly through the yard, stay put!
- If puppy potties completely, verbally praise and go do something fun (walk, indoor playtime, meal, whatever puppy enjoys). Set a timer for however long puppy usually goes between trips outside/accidents minus 5 minutes.
- If puppy does not potty or only pees when you know she needs to do both, pick her up, and carry her inside to her crate. For young puppies, do *not* put them down as you don't want them to have even a split second to potty in the wrong spot. Once crated, set a timer for 15 minutes (longer if they are older, max of an hour).
- When timer goes off, take the puppy outside to the designated spot on leash and begin the process again.

To extend the length of time between trips outside:
- Determine the current period of time the puppy is able to hold it when loose.
- Subtract 5 minutes from the above minimum time period.
- Use a timer to ensure puppy goes outside at the appropriate time.
- Once puppy has been accident free for 3-5 days, add 5 minutes to your time between trips outside.
- Rinse and repeat.

*if the puppy has an accident, go back to your last successful length of time for another 5 days before trying the increase again.

*Once you hit 90 minutes between trips outside you can increase your time additions to 10-15 minutes instead of 5 minutes at a time.
^^^ LOVE IT. Great instructions, wish we could just sticky this post.
 
Joined
Apr 25, 2012
Messages
11
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Massachusetts, USA
#14
Great advice!
Also, I would be sure that your puppy is on a regular schedule so that you are aware of when food AND water go in. That way you know when it needs to come out.
Using a trigger command is great such as your "Go Potty". However, right now it doesn't mean anything to her. You need to associate the word with the action. This is classical conditioning and it will go much faster than just repeating the word hoping to catch the act.
AS she starts to go, AS the muscles are opening up and AS she is circling that's when you start to very calmly say "Go Potty". You want her to hear the command at the same time it is happening. (Think Pavlov's drooling dogs). The theory is 50 times. If you can say "Go Potty" as she starts to go potty eventually the sound will cause her to go.
I agree, do this with a leash on. Don't walk all over creation. Instead stay in the same area. Every time you take a step you are letting her read a new page of the doggie newspaper! She keeps getting distracted.
No interest in going...back into the crate!
Good luck!
 
Joined
May 1, 2012
Messages
4
Likes
0
Points
0
#15
I've held out for about a week making this post. I didn't want to swallow my pride and admit I'm having problems with the most basic training there is. But, here I am.
Problem 1: Fable will pee outside, but for some reason she won't poop. She will if for some reason she's really desperate, but TBH that's been about five times in the last two weeks.
Problem 2: Having her outside waiting to see if she'll go is starting to give her an aversion to being out there. Even if she's fresh out of her crate and has to go, she prefers to sit on the stairs and cry to go back inside (or curl up on the top step to sleep).

I never, ever "scold" her if she goes inside. I either intercept if I can or just clean it up. I take her out every hour plus after every nap and meal. When she has an accident I clean very, very carefully and I don't use any products with ammonia.
I don't know what I'm doing wrong. She's so smart and trainable. I practiced "sit" with her twice, and after just those two times she starting sitting on command reliably.
Please help! :(
Hi, potty training puppies is not always easy. If she is having accidents - you should use The Housebreaker. When used with a diaper (only for training) it ensures there are NO accidents in your house and will immediately set off an alarm as soon as she tries to pee inside.
There is a video on the site at http://www.TheHousebreaker.com

Good luck!
xoxo
 

Members online

No members online now.
Top