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The doghouse

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Original poster

Toilet training getting nowhere.

30 replies

ShakeYourBonBon · 29/08/2018 13:21

I know it's early days and I've only had my puppy 5 days but she will not toilet outside.

She was paper trained at breeders so obviously has the association that she pees inside on 'something.
And she's decided that something is her bed. Or a knocked off cushion etc

I can stand outside with her for 45 mins with nothing happening apart from her biting my feet and running in circles. I say nothing but 'wee wee' but she doesn't go.

Then I figure she doesn't need it. So we go inside.

And she pees on the floor/on her bed.

She had done some outside and we make a huge fuss after.

And when she does it inside we completely ignore her

Any tips on getting her to wee outside?

I even tried putting paper down on the grass but she just picked it up and ran off with it Grin

OP posts:
BiteyShark · 29/08/2018 13:46

At the moment you want to minimise the accidents inside in favour of outside. Take her out after every meal, every drink, sleep, play and every 30 mins inbetween. Yes it will feel like you are in the garden all the time but initially you just want to get that association with outside being where you pee/poo.

If you think she must need to toilet and she doesn't then come inside and stay with her and then take her out again in 5-10 minutes. I remember staying outside for hours sometimes but it does pay off in the end.

Make sure you are using a special cleaner for the accidents which completely gets rid of the smell otherwise it will encourage her to pee/poo there again.

missbattenburg · 29/08/2018 13:47

Perseverance Grin

Just make sure you are cleaning up any indoor accidents very well, using an enzyme cleaner that breaks down the urine to prevent any, tiny lingering smells confusing the dog.

Take her outside every 30 mins plus immediately after she wakes up or stops playing plus any time she looks like she might want to go (e.g. circling or sniffing). As I recall, my knees started to ache when Battendog was little because I was up and down so often letting him out. If she hasn't peed outside within 5 mins or so, bring her back in and try again 10 mins later. Keep this up till she does pee outside.

In the early days she knows very little about where to pee and so you have to twist the odds as far as possible to make it more likely she is outside when she needs a pee and inside when she doesn't.

It might also help to stop her thinking of toilet breaks as fun time - maybe keeping her in just a 'boring' bit of the garden to start with? Temporary fencing (the netting stuff gardeners use) or a play pen can help.

CarolDanvers · 29/08/2018 13:55

What you've described is perfectly normal though feels soul destroying at the time. I've toilet trained five puppies in my time and they were all basically trained in two weeks and totally reliable by 6-8 weeks and this is how I do it:-

Crate train firstly, hopefully the breeder will have got started on that.

Take out every half hour. When you're not outside, they're tethered to you constantly. On a long lead and you're watching them. If you have to leave them to cook, shower etc, they go into the crate. As soon as you've finished whatever you're doing, it's outside again. When they eventually go its mad praise and repeat the word you've chosen to represent them going to the toilet. This for some dogs will work in the future to get them to go on command but I confess it never worked for my current dog.

It's gruelling for a fortnight-three weeks and then they'll start getting it and one day you'll realise they haven't had an accident for days Smile. Just be realistic about the time frames.

Wolfiefan · 29/08/2018 13:58

We struggled with that.
Take pup out after food and drink and sleep and play and about every 20 mins. If pup doesn't go then watch like a hawk. If no sign then back out after a few minutes.
Only say "toilet" or "wee wee" or whatever when the pup does it. Praise when it happens.
You basically can't take your eyes off them. Hustle them out mid wee if necessary. Live near the back door!!
It works. But it takes time.

Original poster
ShakeYourBonBon · 29/08/2018 14:00

She just pees in the crate.
Immediately if I shut the door

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 29/08/2018 14:01

Your pup had been taught to toilet inside unfortunately. You have to undo that.

Original poster
ShakeYourBonBon · 29/08/2018 14:01

Ok. Seems like we just need more time and to be vigilant! We shall persevere

OP posts:
Original poster
ShakeYourBonBon · 29/08/2018 14:02

To be fair to the breeder she can't really train 10 pups to per outside before 8 weeks old

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 29/08/2018 14:05

I know some breeders who do. God knows how!!!!!
I am not blaming them though. It's just that your pup believes that inside is for toilet now. Make sure you're cleaning up with an enzyme cleaner or pup can still smell it.

CarolDanvers · 29/08/2018 14:08

My breeder crate trained five pups, which I could have kissed her for. It was all much less of a battle with crate training in place.

argentino · 29/08/2018 14:16

My german shepherd had only 3 accidents when he was a puppy.

As soon as he got home we put him in the garden to pee and poo. Each time he went he would get lots of praise/treats and be brought inside. He was then taken outside (to his spot) every 30 mins and the process was repeated. We also watched him like a hawk, as soon as he started to sniff the floor he was taken outside.

It is exhausting as hell but it beats scrubbing the carpet- my dog's poos are always on the runny side. My DP is a clean freak and was initially reluctant to get a dog, I knew if my dog was to mess inside he would really be upset so I was extra cautious.

My lovely boy now tells me if he needs to go outside to relieve himself! Even on Christmas day when he had explosive diarrhoea! (his treat of a leg of lamb did not agree with him AT ALL)

pigsDOfly · 29/08/2018 14:48

My breeder managed it. When I got her (puppy) she was very used to peeing outside.

I visited my breeder quite a lot when I was waiting for my puppy to come home and she would sit by the back door to her garden popping each puppy outside and bringing them in again.

And yes, the only way to train a puppy is to stand there and wait as long as it takes.

AgathaF · 29/08/2018 14:59

Is your pup peeing on paper in the crate? If so, take the paper outside and take her to the paper each time to see if the smell on it lets her know where to go. Only say the command word when she's actually toileting.

Lazy dog breeding. Most good breeders have puppies that are half way to being trained by the time they leave.

adaline · 29/08/2018 15:50

Ours was mostly toilet trained by the time we got him home. He had two accidents on his first day but after that he went outside about 95% of the time. Apart from two episodes of scent-marking he's been dry inside since he was 16 weeks old.

Unfortunately your breeder has trained your pup to go to the toilet inside the house, which you need to undo. Take her outside every 20 minutes when awake, after every nap, drink, meal or play session. Take her when she wakes at night and every time she shows signs of it during the day (pacing, circling, sniffing). Then lots of praise and/or treat, depending on your preference. Ours never got food but just lots of praise and he was also taught a "toilet" command.

mumsiedarlingrevolta · 29/08/2018 15:55

My puppy is 10 weeks. Breeder also had her going in the crate and never let her out. We are having pretty successful outside toileting in the day but she still poos and pees in crate every night. Any tips for that?

Original poster
ShakeYourBonBon · 29/08/2018 15:58

No. No paper in the crate

We have no paper or pads down at all.

Just taking her out very, very often. But she just holds it and holds it then pees the second she gets inside

OP posts:
AgathaF · 29/08/2018 17:01

Is it worth putting puppy pads in the crate, then moving them outside for her to pee on once she's toileted on them in the crate, in the hope that the scent on them will prompt her to toilet on them once they are outside?

How big is her crate? Is there room for her to get away from the wet area once she's messed in it? Most won't want to toilet in their sleep area, so can you reduce the size of her crate to discourage mistakes in it?

Original poster
ShakeYourBonBon · 29/08/2018 17:16

She doesn't really go in her crate. She sleeps with me.

I take her outside twice a night to pee outside.

She's just done it again. Over an HOUR outside with me and I bring her in and she weed on the floor within 2 mins 😭

OP posts:
TeddyIsaHe · 29/08/2018 17:22

If she's used to peeing on paper, pop a pad down outside so she gets used to it not being in the house. Also try taking her out on a lead so she can't run off madly everywhere.

When she peed inside did you immediately take her back out? Even if she's mid-wee (messy I know) but you have got to break her association with toileting indoors as it's only going to get worse the older she gets.

Original poster
ShakeYourBonBon · 29/08/2018 17:24

Hmm. That's a good idea. Maybe I could wipe her per up with a pad and put it outside.
I didn't take her outside. I will do that though from now on.

I tried putting her on a lead but she just chews it and rills around biting my feet

OP posts:
Spanielmadness · 29/08/2018 17:33

Scoop her up mid-wee and take her outside, give the command as she finishes outside. Metal chain lead will help with the lead-chewing.

Wolfiefan · 29/08/2018 17:40

She won't be toilet trained simply by letting her out. You need to put her on a lead and take her. There's a great FB group called dog training advice and support that has a great file on toilet training.

adaline · 29/08/2018 17:45

If she goes inside, you need to pick her up (mid wee/poo if possible) and take her straight outside. No telling her off/punishment, but that's how she'll learn not to toilet inside the house. When she goes outside, what are you doing? Some dogs react to treats, others to praise or a toy - you need to find what works for yours and be really consistent. Maybe an extra smelly treat she only gets for toileting outside?

I know you say you're taking her out often, but how often and are you going out specifically so she knows it's for the toilet? As in, if you just take her out to play she'll think that's why she's outside. Ours used to go out specifically for the toilet - so we would take him on his lead and walk him up/down until he went (so he couldn't play or run off) and when he went, we used the word "toilet" so he knew what he was doing, then when he finished "good boy!" and a smelly treat.

Original poster
ShakeYourBonBon · 29/08/2018 18:02

She's a really odd dog she doesn't seem to like treats.
She's not motivated by them at all. Or really interested in them. Even stuff like cheese cubes and ham Hmm

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 29/08/2018 18:06

Not all dogs do. Some like toys. Some praise. Some cuddles.
If you treat pup for going to the toilet you could find magically they need to pee every 60 seconds. Dogs aren't daft! Grin