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You can take the easy way out and get him a dog door so he can go out when he needs to. Otherwise, it just takes patience.
Without a dog door my dog goes in the house. So, she really isn't housebroken.
We have a dog door already. It has gone unused since our last dog, a beautiful tri-color Rough Collie died three years ago. Right now, Frederik is wearing the Collar of Shame, due to the injuries he sustained while at the rescue facility he was at in L.A. We haven't even introduced him to the dog door yet, but will when his stitches come out and the collar comes off. Dog door, IMO, are a godsend.
We have a dog door already. It has gone unused since our last dog, a beautiful tri-color Rough Collie died three years ago. Right now, Frederik is wearing the Collar of Shame, due to the injuries he sustained while at the rescue facility he was at in L.A. We haven't even introduced him to the dog door yet, but will when his stitches come out and the collar comes off. Dog door, IMO, are a godsend.
They sure are. I tried taking ours away a few times so that I can attempt to get my dog house-trained. She will not poop or pee in the house for 3 days-exactly 3 days each time. When frustration sets in that she can't go in and out as she pleases she goes all over the house. Back in the dog slider goes. I have a crazy setter that loves to fly in and out of that dog door what can I say.
I'm definitely not looking forward to all of the yellow spots on the lawn, since we do have a lovely yard and work hard to keep the lawn looking nice. Oh well...
Occasionally our dogs would find a spot they just really, really loved. We'd get This kind of garden edging and build a little perimeter around the spot, so the dogs couldn't get to it. They'd be forced to find a new spot, and after a few days their scent would be washed away by the rain and we could remove the edging. The edging was cheap and had tiny stakes so it did minimal damage to the lawn.
But really, if you don't want yellow spots, then the way to avoid it is to give your pet as much territory to use. Confining them to one area is a sure way to turn it yellow.
So I've got another question. Frederik has not had an accident in four days. Yeah, I know, four days accident-free can hardly be called "housebroken." But it's better than four days with multiple accidents in house.
I've mentioned our set-up before, but as a reminder... We have a door going from our dining room into our attached garage, and another door going from the garage into the backyard, where we take Frederik to "go potty." We have been leaving both of these doors wide open, just in case he needs to go when we're not watching and has figured that "This is the way I must go when I need to relieve myself." He will always willingly follow us outside when we call to him, but he appears extremely reluctant to go out before us. I wonder if maybe he thinks we're going to lock him out (although we never have). Whether he was to go on his own or with us leading the way, he could always head back into the house whenever he was through and wanted to come in.
I'm afraid that he is not only learning to potty outside, but that he is learning to rely on us to take him out when we want him to go. He doesn't really give us any clues to when he's ready to go, so I'm wondering how to proceed from here.
How do I teach him to go out the open door whenever he wants to and not just when we lead him out there?
So I've got another question. Frederik has not had an accident in four days. Yeah, I know, four days accident-free can hardly be called "housebroken." But it's better than four days with multiple accidents in house.
I've mentioned our set-up before, but as a reminder... We have a door going from our dining room into our attached garage, and another door going from the garage into the backyard, where we take Frederik to "go potty." We have been leaving both of these doors wide open, just in case he needs to go when we're not watching and has figured that "This is the way I must go when I need to relieve myself." He will always willingly follow us outside when we call to him, but he appears extremely reluctant to go out before us. I wonder if maybe he thinks we're going to lock him out (although we never have). Whether he was to go on his own or with us leading the way, he could always head back into the house whenever he was through and wanted to come in.
I'm afraid that he is not only learning to potty outside, but that he is learning to rely on us to take him out when we want him to go. He doesn't really give us any clues to when he's ready to go, so I'm wondering how to proceed from here.
How do I teach him to go out the open door whenever he wants to and not just when we lead him out there?
He may have been scolded by one of his previous owners for dashing out a door. They may have trained him to wait at the door and go out behind them and not alone when a door is open. (that's what I had to do with ours... they used to dash out when the door opened for any reason).
I don't know what you can do to encourage him to go out by himself? hmm? Stand him at the door and throw treats into the garage maybe?
... I went back into the kitchen and happened to glance out the dining room door just in time to see him coming in from the backyard. Yippee! I think he actually went out on his own!
Relax. He is doing fine. See your comment from above? He already went out on his own when he needed to. Just keep taking him out for a few weeks. He isn't learning to only go out with you. Your training him. He is bonding with you. You are giving him rewards and fun times. When you go back to using the dog door he will pick that up to. But you expect too much too soon and on your terms. Try to work with him on his terms. He just got to your house. Give the little guy a break and spend a couple of weeks making sure he has successes. You can do it!
Relax. He is doing fine. See your comment from above? He already went out on his own when he needed to. Just keep taking him out for a few weeks. He isn't learning to only go out with you. Your training him. He is bonding with you. You are giving him rewards and fun times. When you go back to using the dog door he will pick that up to. But you expect too much too soon and on your terms. Try to work with him on his terms. He just got to your house. Give the little guy a break and spend a couple of weeks making sure he has successes. You can do it!
This information is for pit bulls and not your normal run of the mill house dog. Nothing I read in the OPs post regarding her dogs personality would warrant most of this type of treatment.
Most rescues, regardless of the breed, use the rule of three when a dog arrives at a new home.
3 DAYS. Put yourself in your new puppy or rescue cat’s shoes. Everything you have known has changed, and you are in a completely new environment that you haven’t quite learned yet. Those first 3 days can be incredibly overwhelming, and pets don’t always “act themselves” during this time frame. Adrenaline is generally boosted for the new pet during this time, making behavior more reactive and less predictable. Many are too stressed or shut down to show their “true colors” just yet. Some are manic, testing and pushing buttons to see what they can get away with. Long story short, the first 3 days could be very telling, or they could also go out with the bath water!
3 WEEKS. You’ve been out of the shelter/foster home for a whole 3 weeks now, and you’re starting to realize this new home is safe. You are bonding with your humans who have shown you nothing but love, and you’re beginning to trust them. You’re mastering the environment, and beginning to recognize patterns, such as when the humans leave and arrive home from work. Feel-good hormones like serotonin and dopamine begin to increase and combat the negative adrenaline and epinephrine surges. You may see behavioral changes.
3 MONTHS. This is the estimated time is takes for a new pet to fully settle down into a routine of a household. Trust and love has been built, and your new pet has an overall sense of security. Predictability is comforting, and it may take several months of repetition for your new pet to feel this way.
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Right now, Frederik is wearing the Collar of Shame, due to the injuries he sustained while at the rescue facility he was at in L.A. 
We haven't even introduced him to the dog door yet, but will when his stitches come out and the collar comes off. Dog door, IMO, are a godsend.
I have a crazy setter that loves to fly in and out of that dog door what can I say.
