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I read through a lot of the other housebreaking threads, but I just didn't see anything I don't feel I'm doing.
We adopted a JRT mix one month ago. SHe was supposedly housebroken but I really wasn't betting on it. But she did great the first few days. We started crate training. She started taking longer to go outside. Then half an hour. Then an hour. Then not at all. Then there were accidents in the house. Then there were accidents in the crate. We got a smaller crate. She still goes in it. She goes out no less than 5 times a day, no shorter than 20 minutes. Praise and a treat for each potty. Same spot, and a good walking afterward. Which doesn't happen every day. Yesterday, for example, she wet the bed. She was (but can no longer for now) sleeping with us. I took her out for 20 minutes. Before I could get her in her crate she peed on the couch. I fed her, gave her water, and took her out 3 times before going to work. No accidents, I took her out after work. Nothing. I took her out before bed. Nothing. At 3 am she woke me crying, and I took her out. She peed. THe poor thing had held it 20 hours. I don't understand when I feel I give her ample opportunity to go outside. Yet other days she'll go multiple times in the crate.
Try a different approach; take her out to potty her, if she doesn't go take her on a walk and be prepared in case she goes during the journey (carry a plastic bag) and then have her use the yard when you get home in the event that she didn't go on the walk.
Some folks use the pee pads, which I for one cannot stand because it can lead to situations like what you have. They aren't used to going potty outside, so they look for the closest thing to a potty pad inside. Not saying this is what happened in your case, but it's a possibility.
That might be a good idea. I read so much about consistency, but it gets slightly irritating when that seems to make it worse. The problem with the walk around the block is I have young-ish children (who she is just fabulous with), and I wouldn't always be able to drag them along. But desparate times, desparate measures I suppose : )
Two suggestions. First, make potty time just that -- potty time. Don't allow her to play and don't combine it with a walk. Don't stay out there with her longer than 10 or 15 minutes and don't pet/play with her. Repeat "go potty" or whatever phrase you're using. If she does nothing, take her back outside and try again in a little bit. Sometimes they can use potty breaks to get attention or play time so you can't allow that to happen.
Secondly, have you had her checked for a urinary tract infection? Sometimes accidents can be caused by UTIs. It seems weird she'd "hold it" that long if you'd been taking her out frequently. So, maybe she can't go when she wants to, you know? Just a thought.
Would try taking her for a walk in your yard, that way you know what she's doing (or not doing) - she's out there to 'go', not to play, she can play later (w/o the leash if your yard is fenced in) - maybe take her out a bit more often. Also would feed her once or twice a day so you can get her on a basic schedule, dont leave the food bowl down all day or she'll snack during the day and training will be harder. Would also praise her to the skies when she 'goes' outside - give her a yummy treat such as a small piece of chicken, beef or cheese (not a milkbone), it'll help reinforce in her mind that she's doing a wonderful thing by 'going' outside. Right now she probably gets distracted outside, maybe by the children etc and may forget what she's outside for (mine are adults but like to snooze outside if it's warm out and when Im about to leave the house, I want them to 'go' outside fast and it's a little frustrating and time-consuming too but I rather have them 'go' outside rather than have to 'go' if Im not home and they're inside, I dont want them pacing the floor if Im gone b/c they had to go outside and didn't.
Another thought, she may 'go' quicker on a walk rather than afterwards, sometimes they need a bit of exercise to get things moving (if you get my drift ;-) )
Not sure why she w/b 'going' in her crate, usually they like to keep it clean. Possibly she was crated too long by her original family and she couldn't 'hold it' longer than she could and 'going' in it just got to be a bad habit (young pups have little bladder/bowel muscle control in the beginning and sometimes it take many months for them to become reliably housetrained.
Another thought, maybe she has a urinary tract infection (uti) and there's a reason she's 'going' so often - you might want to take a urine sample to the vet and have them check for a uti
Just some thoughts - best of luck
We find this problem often in dogs that have been in a shelter environment. The stress of being in a shelter and the change in potty schedule can result in shelter dogs soiling their cage, and they have to stay in it until the staff cleans it. They get used to being in a soiled cage, and the result is what you are experiencing. Also, a dog is usually on its best behavior during the first few weeks in a new home. After that, behavior problems may surface.
I had one dog that acted in a similar manner to yours. She was 11 and had never been properly houstrained, which is why she ended up in Rescue. We thought that she had probably been punished in the past for accidents and as a result she was confused about when and where it was okay to go. She wouldn't go when we took a walk because she was so distracted by the new things she was seeing and smelling, so I made sure to take her only to one place and never anywhere else until she peed or pooped, THEN we'd go for a walk. After about 6 months of diligent effort, she was reliably trained.
Each time she succeeds in doing her business say the same words, like "go potty" then praise and treat. Only treat for this one purpose for now. When you open the door to go out, say, "go potty" so she will learn to associate going out with going potty. Go to only one place where she has been successful before until she goes. Keep her on a schedule just as if she was a puppy. Eat-go out. Wake up-go out. In the house, keep her tied to a short lead attached to your waist. You need to watch her all of the time so you can reinforce her need to go out. There is probably some body language to indicate her need, and once you identify that, you're on your way to success. Only crate her when you absolutely cannot watch her, because the crate isn't reinforcing the behavior you want.
Do not react when she has an accident. No words, and watch your body language. Any reaction at all is giving her attention and any attention--negative or positive--can reinforce unwanted behavior. If possible, don't let her see you clean up her mess.
Limit water after 6 PM.
Perhaps your dog,has associated something bad with urinating. Has she had a vet check to make sure she doesn't have a UTI or some other type of problem?
Good luck. It's a hassle to train an adult dog from scratch because you are having to untrain current behavior in order to train to the behavior you want. It will work, it just takes time, patience and kindness. Don't give up and keep us updated on how she's doing.
Our "newest" dog was a dog we found on the street who was appx 1.5-2 years old at the time. She not only wasn't housebroken, she did not even seem to know what a house was .
Today, appx 7 or so months later, she is fine . As Leorah said, accidents are accidents, just clean it up, no big deal. Now later on, after your dog is housebroken, if you catch your dog in the act of peeing in the house, you can verbalize then (just a "no!" and run the dog outside to finish peeing). If you don't actually catch the dog in the act, then just clean it up .
Also, watch the intake of water (intake comes back out !). If your dog drinks water, take the dog out within a few minutes (not more than 10).
I also do the "potty mantra" . When the dog is about to go potty, I very softly (very softly) go
Yeah, just like that! The dog now associates the word "potty" with the act. I chant it softly because I don't want to disturb the dog, I just want to implant the connection into her head.
I always praise the dog after going potty outside. Once I knew I would not scare her (she was a mental mess in the beginning ), I would be super-excited at the end of her potty and in a girly kind of a squeal tell her what a good potty that was and what a good girl she was, I made a huge deal out of it and she loved it....it built her confidence and she had no question that going potty outside pleased me .
You can fix this....I'm sure of it .
Last edited by riveree; 05-26-2008 at 11:45 PM..
Reason: oops! math!
I really appreciate all the tips. I do get the impression she just has no idea where I want her to go. And, since I'm no doggie psychologist, from my view it does seem like she literally holds it as long as possible until she can get in her crate or in the house. Whenever we're outside, I'm practically praying she'll potty so I can praise. I do repeat go potty, especially when she is in the act. She gets a bil-jac for every good move. I will have her checked for the UTI, maybe that would make it make sense. Like this morning. I took her out, she pooped (yay), got her treat, her praise, we played a bit. I brought her in on her 6 foot lead attached to my ankle, and I laid on the couch for just a moment before I was going to get the kids up. She leaped up on me and peed all over me and couch. I firmly said "no", and we went back outside, where she laid on her back and looked at me.
I do have her food schedule pretty firm, 6 am and 4 pm, no water after 6pm.
As long as everyone thinks I'll look back in 6 months and say, wow, I can't believe how good she's doing now, I'll be ok. Maybe I just need to be told, "It will get better."
The other thing I didn't mention, the past 2 times she's pooed in her crate, the smell is there but the evidence is gone. I know this is foul to bring up, but I'm fairly certain she's eaten it. Which I take as an indication she's realizes she shouldn't have done it there and is trying to hide it. I feel so awful for her, I just wish I could show her its totally fine to poop and pee all over my yard. I'm also wondering if the frequent baths are going to lead to a skin condition.
i agree with leorah.. but would like to add my 2 cents... i'd take her out every hour (when you're there), & make sure she goes poop or pee. then when she goes poop/pee outside, reward her with love- tell her what a good girl she is, pet her, hug her, scratch behind her ears & talk to her & say how proud you are & stuff (if you reward with treats, they expect treats every time they do something- you don't treat your kid like that, so why treat a dog like that?)..
before you go to sleep, take her outside or let her outside & watch to make sure she goes poop/pee before you even think about let her in & don't feed her anything before bed- no treats, no nothing. (just like you don't let a kid have water before bed time, so they will be less likely to pee the bed)... as soon as she poops/pees & you're done praising her, bring her inside. don't play or anything outside (not at first anyway).. just wait til she goes potty, praise her, then bring her in the house & play with her. if you associate socializing & playing with inside (not like throwing a ball or anything.. but like those rope things they like to tug on & maybe rolling the ball on the floor.. that kinda thing)... after a while, she'll get the hint that pooping/peeing is done outside & only outside & she'll start waiting by the door when she needs to go to the bathroom, or she'll come get you, so you can let her out.
Last edited by Aconitum; 05-27-2008 at 07:42 AM..
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