Housetraining a puppy

[emanon]

I have a 14 week old puppy (mix of Shihtzu, Miniature Schnauzer and Norfolk Terrier!). We've had her 4 weeks and to be honest to start with we were far to laid back about housetraining her. Anyway, things are getting better with weeing with occasional accidents. I take her out regularly, first thing in the morning and last thing at night. However, she will not poo outside - only once in 4 weeks! I have read about crating her at all times (she is at night) but she cries and barks, so not really practical.

Does anyone have any advice or experience?

I wouldn't have thought crate training would solve the problem, she wouldn't want to go where she sleeps but its not really teaching her anything.

Does she always do it in the same spot?

Not really, but she does have one room that she quite favours

How often do you actually take her out OP. At 14 weeks, if I remember correctly, she should still be going outside very often: every half hour or so and after food.

I'm a bit puzzled about the idea of crating her all the time, and a bit horrified, if I'm reading that correctly, or maybe I'm not understanding you. Crating a puppy, is not the way to house train it. I'm not surprised she cries and barks. A crate should be used for short periods, and overnight only, no dog should be shut in like that.

At 14 weeks they need to go out a lot - every hour or more and after eating.

She won't go in the crate if that's where she sleeps so that seems counter productive anyway.

This is an excellent guide to house training. I agree that if you're missing every time she needs to poo then you're probably not taking her out frequently enough. Sometimes you might end up taking her in and out what feels like constantly but if you keep at it she will get it.

Also, if she's barking and crying in her crate you've moved too fast with training her to be in it. You need to do it very gradually and done properly there should be no crying or fuss of any kind. Have a read of this crate training guide. A crate alone isn't going to house train a puppy, however much they don't want to toilet where they sleep if they need to go then they need to go.

There is no crate training that advocates crating them at all times, please please don't do that!

Unfortunately your dog is a cross of several breeds that are notoriously hard to toilet train, so patience and perseverance are required.

As PPs have said, you should be taking her out every 30 mins at this stage - how often are you taking her out?

Try getting the puppy pads and put them down in spots she's known to go and once she starts using them move them closer to the door till she gets to the door then you will know anytime she goes to the door she needs out.

Sorry to contradict you Lady but I think puppy pads are really not a good idea. A puppy needs to learn to poo outside and puppy pads just teach them to it's okay to poo in the house, and then once you've taught them to poo on the pad you've then got to teach them to poo outside. And this puppy is already pooing in the house.

The fact is there is no short cuts to house training. It will take as long as it takes and the more patience and time you put in the easier it will be for the puppy.

You will find yourself standing outside at night, yes you should still be taking her out during the night, in you dressing gown waiting for your puppy to wee, and you have to stand there as long as it takes. If you're not prepared to do that and put in the work it's going to take a very long time for your puppy to understand what you want from her.

pigsDOfly Don't apologies I totally see where you are coming from. It worked with our dog as he had certain spots that he liked to go to the toilet so as he was already going there the pads just limited the mess iyswim and then it was just a case of gradually moving them out the back door.

Thank you everyone for your advice. Yes, I do take her out approx every half an hour and she pees outside well, with occasional accidents indoors. She is crated at night and doesn't cry and there are now no accidents in her crate.

We only crate her during the day when we go out when she will cry/bark for a short time. I really don't want to crate her anymore than that.

We now have one puppy pad which is by the door that she goes out and she does occasionally use it. I have another dog (a Border Terrier) and I just remember him being easier to train and I think perhaps I'm being a little impatient.

I really appreciate all your advice.

This is her, she's very cute :-)

Shih tzus are unfortunately known as one of the hardest breeds to house train - it can take up to a year, and even in cross breeds that shih tzu trait can often dominate - sorry! Keep at it, reward like mad when she does go outside, and maybe try and increase the amount of time you are out for - don't let her straight back in the second she's been for a wee.

My gosh she is cute!
We are going through house training at the moment with our 12 week old pup. I second Fenella with the advice to stay out longer - in the rain yesterday pup did not want to be out, in the end I had to carry her to the bottom of the garden three times in the hope that by the time she got to the back door nature would have made the need to poo urgent enough that she would let herself get wet! this was at 6.30am, it was bloody lashing it down and the elastic has gone in my PJ's .
On the plus side we haven't had an indoor poo for two weeks, on the negative she still wees within 5 seconds of giving me a warning (at least I get a warning I suppose!)

I know what you mean with having one dog that was a doddle to train and one that's a complete nightmare to train.

We have German Shepherd that came to us from the police (got kicked off training due to lack of aggression) who the only thing he needed taught was to not pee in the house.

We got a boxer cross in February who came to us from a relatively who didn't realise how much training dogs required and needed taught everything except sit. Its been a hard slog especially since the other dog is exceptionally well behaved and the boxer is known as the asbo pup.

Oh she's so cute.

Probably one of the reasons I'd never have another puppy is the prospect of house training. My dog was ridiculously easy to house train and I very much doubt I'd be that lucky twice.