Help me toilet train my dog!

[Brokenchair1]

Dog is 4.5 months old, had her since she was 8 weeks. She's a shitzu and a lovely healthy dog in all ways. However I am really struggling with toilet training!

Typical day is wake up at 7, I take her out and stand with her until she wees and make a huge fuss and use her buzz word. In for breakfast which she usually grazes at, usually leave back door open so she has access to it. Since then this morning she has pooed once on the floor and weed twice, once while I was writing this. As soon as I caught her weeing I took her out.

This will happen throughout the day, I take her out regularly plus she has access to outdoors while I am working. She has one 20 minute walk am on school run where she will wee but not poo, she will then poo as soon as we get indoors. Same on her afternoon walk.

It's like she holds the poo in until she is indoors! I feel like I am doing things right, regular outside trips, treats when she does anything outside plus buzz word. The thing is she is a small dog and often I can't catch her in the act as she will sneak into a corner.

I know she is still young and also I assume has a smaller bladder and bowel than larger dogs. Should she be toilet trained by now? Is there something else I should be doing?

Thanks doggy friends ☺️

I have shih tzu. At 4.5 months she is in need to go to the toilet frequently. I suggest you use puppy mats in the doorway. My went on this for a while as was in need more that I could go with her. You need a reward system. If she goes in the garden just reward her and play a bit. The downside is that my shih tzu wants me to watch her to go to ensure that I am happy with her and she gets a reward

Don't leave the door open. She won't understand the difference between indoors and outdoors without a physical boundary in place.

The door needs to stay closed and you need to take her out every half an hour or so, as well as after meals, drinking, naps, play and training.

I was going to say the same as @sunflowersandbuttercups, just leaving the door open isn't going to teach her she needs to go outside. How regularly are you actively taking her out?

The other thing I read is that if you take them out and they won't go (so for example you think she needs to poo on your morning walk but she won't) take her inside but carry her about for 5 minutes so she doesn't have the opportunity to go on the floor, and then take her back outside. Also she might not be a comfortable going on a walk so you could give her a chance to potter in the garden after your walk before going straight inside.

Yeah... shut the door... you’d think easier access would make it easier, but it drags it out more.

“Should she be toilet trained by now?”

It’s really not uncommon for puppies that age to still not be quite housetrained - people always think it only takes a couple of weeks, but it honestly just depends on your puppy.

“Is there something else I should be doing?”

I’d be tempted to go into the garden after walks, given you know she usually poos then, I’d make sure I’d left myself a load of spare time to then hang about in the garden waiting for it.

Thanks for some really good tips. Strangely enough this morning she pooed on the school run walk so got a treat and lots of fuss made.

I totally get about not having easy access to the garden. I think allowing her free run when I'm working means I feel less guilty not being able to interact with her always (although she gets lots of kisses and cuddles and some ball throwing).

I now shut the door to the hall to make the space she can poo in smaller meaning it will be easier to catch her. I also have a puppy pad at the back door for night Time accidents.

I'm not too worried about the odd accident and I appreciate training puppies takes time. It's just that she appears to prefer to poo on my carpet than the garden 😅

Some good tips here that I will try.

Oh I wouldn’t have pads down either... again, it blurs the lines.

“It's just that she appears to prefer to poo on my carpet than the garden”

Well yes, it’s warmer and cosier, rofl

Treats can make them do lots of little wees so they get more treats.
Look at dog training advice and support on FB.
Basically you need to take the dog out after eating and drinking and sleeping and playing. Plus at least once every half an hour. Supervise. Praise if pup goes and use word. If nothing then back in but watch closely. Straight back out of any sign and shortly afterwards anyway! You need to make sure that whenever pup toilets they are out. So they make the link.

I now shut the door to the hall to make the space she can poo in smaller meaning it will be easier to catch her

OP if you really want her to click that toileting is for outside only she needs to be supervised ALL the time. Every time she is allowed to sneak off into the corner for a wee or a poo you are just reinforcing the message that it’s ok to “go” indoors. It’s certainly not enough to just reward them when they “go” outside, you also need to be teaching her that she doesn’t “go” inside.

It’s very time consuming but a few weeks of effort now will really pay off. Either put her in a little pen next to you or have her on a lead next to you, so you have eyes on her and can spot when she’s about to go, but DO NOT let her wander about on her own until she is reliably clean. Sorry!

Thanks everyone. I think the mistake I've made is to let her wander around too much on her own. We do have a cage in the kitchen...I'm also working on leaving her alone but that's a whole different thread!

She is in her bed next to me at my desk. I'm literally a meter away from back door. As soon as she wakes I will take her out although I do usually take her out after sleep and food. I just don't seem to get the timings right :(

Yes if I'm honest I probably haven't been as diligent as I should be and will try and ramp it up over the next few weeks.

Try crate training, if you put a concerted effort in for a couple of weeks it will be worth it. Unless she has your complete attention (particularly while you're working) or is outside she needs to be in the crate. Regular trips outside as you're already doing post food/water/sleep and play and reward correct behaviour. Also thoroughly clean the spots she's soiling with a pet enzyme spray to get rid of the odour.

You really need to keep the back door closed. She won't understand the difference between indoors and outdoors if she can just wander in and out at will.

It is time consuming and a real pain but it's worth it. Mine never had free access to outdoors until he was about twelve months old and I knew he would be completely accident free.

Everytime she gets up from her bed, take her out. I suspect you're struggling because you're trying to work and toilet train her at the same time, and both things require your full concentration

Is she always pooing in the same spot indoors? If so, she might view it as a latrine. Would recommend spaying liberally with enzyme spray to get rid of any lingering toilet smell she might be picking up on. As that might be encouraging her to return to the spot.

Pp probably hit nail on head. Trying to work and toilet train. I have been known to leave a teams meeting yelling 'my dog is pooing'!!

The enzyme spray is a good idea as she does tend to favour certain spots.

Good advice here. Issues with toilet training are usually the humans fault, and not the dog.

Agree with PPs - don’t allow feee access to the garden, until she knows that the garden is the only place for toileting.

Don’t use puppy pads.

She needs to be taken out every 30 mins, and rewarded when she toilets outside. Totally ignore any accidents inside, just clean them up and know that you mistimed things.

It feels intense, but it’s much easier than constantly clearing up wee and poo and feeling like your dog will never “get it”. With 100% dedication, housetraining shouldn’t take too long.

We are getting our gorgeous border terrier x puppy on Saturday and this thread has given me so much positive intention and useful tips for toilet training. Including ditching the puppy pads!! Thanks everyone!

@Gotenoughthanks my gorgeous border terrier is 8 months old now.
She was a doddle to toilet train, I used a training bell and it only took a few weeks for her to cotton on and start ringing the bell herself.

Borders are so bloody gorgeous, enjoy :)

How do you train using a bell? That sounds awesome! @Dozycuntlaters

Hang the bells on the back door, and before you open the door ring the
bell and say something like wee or poo and open door, go out with pup
for them to go to the loo. Don't hang around in the garden for ages, give them five minutes and if they don't do anything bring in again and repeat a few minutes later. No playing in the garden as pup needs to learn the sole purpose is for going to the loo. Praise and reward with a big smile, not treats. I took her out every half hour and straight away after eating, drinking, sleeping or playing. Be consistent with the bell, and she will learn that the key to the door opening and going to the loo is ringing on the bell. Even my cat rings the bell now, makes me laugh.

That sounds a great idea. I’m going to buy a bell! Thanks so much!