Help! Struggling with 5 month old pup potty training

[Clove86]

I recently rescued a puppy from Spain. He was 4 months and is now 5 and a half months, and unfortunately he’s been ill since arriving. He had constant diarrhoea which I thought at first was due to stress or the change in food, but when it continued I took a sample to the vets and it was Giardia 🙁. Went through the antibiotics and he was better a few days until it started again. After a second course of antibiotics it seemed to clear up, but then I noticed he was also constantly peeing all over the place, like on the sofa, beds, floors, carpets, every half hour even with his potty training schedule. I have an older Romanian rescue dog who I housetrained in 3 weeks so have followed the exact same method with the new pup but it’s just not working.

I took a urine sample in to the vets and found out he also has a UTI ☹️ which seemed to explain all the accidents, so he’s now halfway through his third course of antibiotics since arriving here. The peeing seemed to improve after a couple of days, but today it’s got so much worse, he’s literally peeing 2/3 time’s outside then coming in and going all
over in the house every 10/20 minutes. I don’t understand why the antibiotics aren’t working. We’ve spent hundreds at the vets so far and have had his urine tested for everything; they reckon everything else is fine other than the UTI, but said the antibiotics should work in 2 days, although it’s a 10 day course. Today is day 5 and I’m not holding out much hope.

What can I do other than constant vet visits and antibiotics? We are struggling to afford the constant appointments and tests. It’s over £120 every time. I’ve also tried a cranberry urinary paste but that doesn’t seem to be helping either. I’m not sure if it’s a health issue, a training issue or both, but it’s becoming exhausting. My hands are red raw from the constant cleaning and I’m struggling to cope.

You've only had him six weeks and he's basically been unwell the entire time - I know it's tough but I think you need to alter your expectations a little bit.

What was his life like before he came to you? Had he ever lived in a house or with another dog? What kind of socialisation had he had?

I suspect his peeing is a combination of several things - no toilet training as a puppy, poor socialisation in a home (very very common for overseas rescues), six weeks of illness plus a UTI.

The antibiotics will only solve the UTI - they won't change his behaviour because he was never toilet trained to start with.

You need to treat him like an eight week old pup. Outside every 20 minutes, as well as after meals, drinks, play, training and naps. Clean all the accident with a proper pet enzyme spray to get rid of the smell and restrict him to an area with hard floors so he can't mark soft furnishings (this will also make accidents quicker and easier to clean).

If he does have accidents, don't tell him off, just take him straight outside. Tons and tons of praise for going (or finishing) in the right place as well as a super high value treat or toy as a reward.

He'll get it eventually

Claim on your insurance for the vet bills, you can bulk claim for the urinary issues.

Hes only very young, I would be taking him out every twenty minutes at that age, plus after eating, waking and playing, especially as he is still very very new to your home.

You’ll get there in the end.

‘Claim on your insurance for the vet bills, you can bulk claim for the urinary issues.’

Unfortunately the vet told us we can’t as his conditions are considered pre-existing

I had been taking him out every hour which worked when my other dog was a puppy of the same age. I can try and increase to every 20 mins but the problem is I go back to work in the office next week rather than working from home, so I won’t be around as much to train him. My husband works from home but is in and out on appointments and is extremely busy so probably won’t have time.

My other dog goes out to a field 3 days a week with a dog walker, but because of puppy’s illnesses he’s been unable to have his Kennel cough vaccine required by the dogs walker so he can’t go yet. I’m so worried about leaving him when he’s not properly trained. I timed getting him as best as I could as I knew I’d have about 2 months with him before I had to go back out to work but unfortunately because of his illnesses everything has fallen behind

Unfortunately I think if you can't manage more frequent trips to the toilet then you're going to have to manage the accidents as best you can.

So keep him in a room with hard, easy to clean floors so that when he does have an accident, they're easy to clean and they don't ruin the floor or furniture.

Take him out as frequently as possible - as he's been unwell and is a rescue you really need to treat him like an eight week old. He doesn't go out or on walks so the only chance he has to toilet is when you take him.

I appreciate that's really tough (and that his illness is not your fault) but unfortunately that's the reality of having an unwell puppy who isn't properly trained.

Potty training? He's not a child.

@luckylavender

Potty training? He's not a child.

I’m well aware of that 😆😫😫.

This is actually how the vet refers to toilet training 🙄, as do MANY people.