housetraining issue

Lexxsmom · 10-03-2007, 09:30 AM

Hello

Lexx has been pretty great about house training ( minimal accidents) since we got him when he was 8 weeks old. He's now 5 months and I am starting to expect a little more from him. He has been blocked into the kitchen/family room of the house since we got him in order to help with house training, and because that is where we spend most of our time. We have tried a few times to increase his area to include the dining room, but everytime we do that he ends up peeing in there. I am getting really frustrated!!! He wanders around the house with us when we are home doing things and has NEVER peed anywhere else! We've caught him a few times starting to squat and give him a ah-ah ( loudly) and say OUTSIDE! and pick him up and put him outside and he pees and we tell him how amazing and wonderful he is! He is great in his original area, its just the stupid dining room! Should I just keep it blocked off ( I really want to give him more space!) or just keep doing what I'm doing? (watching carefully?) No matter how hard I watch he still seems to pee the second i turn around!

Scoob · 10-03-2007, 09:24 PM

Lexxsmom,

I will tell you how I did my house training for Rudy. He is 6 months old now. I got him at 8 weeks. I took him out every hour. When he would pee I would give him a treat -- every time. Then I associated a word with him peeing: "GO POTTY." I'll admit it was a long time and sometimes he peed in the house. But I kept taking him out every hour and told him to "GO POTTY." Whne he did I gave him a treat -- small snacks like a small piece of balogna or liver or what ever. I just kept doing that over and over. Now when he goes out I say "GO POTTY," and he pees. Now for the bowel movement: I feed him at 8 a.m., but before that I take him out in the morning as soon as he wakes up -- that is to relieve him of overnight pee. He may poop then, he may not. I have him about 10-15 minutes. If will most likely pee from holding it all night. If he doesn't poop, bring him in and feed him his breakfast. That will help to push out his meal from last night. SO, keep an eye on him and take him out to poop after he finishes about 1/2 his breakfast or if he eats the whole meal. Then you use your judgement. If he poops, the let him in to finish the remaining meal. If he doesn't finish it, put it in the refrigerator to use as leftovers for dinner and add to it as needed. Eventually the pooping is based on a time table of when he is fed. Don't feed him all day. Feed him at a set time in the morning and the evening. Most likely he will poop after he eats. Sometimes before, but you will figure it out in time. Peeing for a puppy is every hour and this gives you the opportunity to train him with "GO POTTY" and then as time passes and he gets older, "Go Potty" will work. Not necessarily for pooping but for peeing. The poop time is like I said above. It will get better as he gets older. Come on back and ask more questions. We are all here to help. My Rudy may still not be house trained, but I give him the opportunity to go when I take him outside. The only time he went indoors was when I got him at 8 weeks. I am sure if I left him inside long enough, he would go inside. We cannot hold our functions for too long.

For his bathroom, it is timing -- about every 2 hours. I don't wait until my dog tells me. I just take him out if he has not been out for awhile. Some train the dog to ring a bell. I have not. His pooping is on a schedule, his peeing is about every 2 hours or so, depending on the dog's age and the temperature and his amount of exercise. The higher the temp, the more exercise, the more peeing. PLUS, clean where he has peed with a stain and odor remover so he won't go back to the same spot.

Sincerely,

Scoob (Jim)

tjmom · 10-03-2007, 09:41 PM

I really think that your Lexx is still a little young to give him more room to roam. My Jada will be a year old tomorrow and we just removed the barrier for the dining room about 2 weeks ago. I was not worried that she would potty in there but I didnt want to take the chance of her chewing. 5 months is still pretty young and he might know yet how to let you know when he has to go out. When Jada was that age we really didnt wait for her to tell us when she had to go out. She went out VERY frequently.

Lexxsmom · 10-04-2007, 10:16 AM

scoob;
sounds like exactly what I've been doing with Lexx. To tell you the truth he's been completely awesome and normally is perfect in the house. I am sure to take him out frequently and he has a schedule much like Rudy does. Im quite sure that he's not fully house trained since he doesnt ASK to go out, i just know to let him out. I was just wondering if it could be something about the dining room in particular... I think he'll be fine, he just needs patience. Thanks for the input!

Scoob · 10-04-2007, 11:25 AM

Lexx,

I also wanted to tell you he is with me most all the time. He has a leash on him and he goes wherever I go. When he was younger I caught him peeing and yelled at him to startle him , took him out and said "Go Potty." Then when he did he got a treat. Like the other poster said, he is to young to let roam the house. If you cannot keep him with you, confine him to a small room so if he pees, that mess will be confined to a known area. These dogs like to be with the family pack all the time. When I go some where Rudy is put in his indoor or outdoor kennel or I bring him with me and run the AC while I am in the store. Since Rudy is older and somewhat more reliable, after he pees outside and I bring him back in, most likely he will not be ready to pee right away and I give him a little freedom, but not much as if I do he gets into my boots or magazines or other trouble. Right now he is right beside my chair asleep but with his leash on so I can control him. I have a main room where we spend most of our time. There are 2 couches and a table and a TV plus his indoor kennel. In that room are his toys, bones etc.. I let him come in other rooms if I am in there and he is being supervised. If I have to go to the bathroom, I bring him in there with me, same for a shower -- I don't take a shower with him, but he's in the bathroom with bones and toys. Or put him in his kennel until you finish your other activity -- not too long or he'll pee in his kennel.

Oh, one more thing, did a cat or dog ever live in that dining area? If so, there may be urine spots in that room. You can get a urine detector lamp for about $20 and it will help locate the urine spots you may miss. Clean those with a pet stain and odor destroyer.

Just my 2 cents.

Sincerely,

Scoob (Jim)

Dobemom2b · 10-04-2007, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scoob

Lexx,

Oh, one more thing, did a cat or dog ever live in that dining area? If so, there may be urine spots in that room. You can get a urine detector lamp for about $20 and it will help locate the urine spots you may miss.
Sincerely,

Scoob (Jim)

Any blacklight will work if you have any hippie friends.

Personally this dobe pup is the slowest to housebreak of any dog I have ever owned, and thats of numerous breeds in the last 30 yrs.

MandysBlackRoses · 10-04-2007, 12:31 PM

My girls are 9 months and still not completly house broke. There is a gate in the kitchen which dose not allow them anywhere but the kitchen and living room. ( We can see the kitchen from the living room.) The bedrooms, laundry room and baths are off limits. Before the gate, when we were not paying attention, they would find the furthest room to "go" in. Now it's easier to see their body language, and know what to look for before they make a mistake. They are also crated from 9-10pm to 7-8am. I fed three meals a day at 6 months, and made sure the last was before 6pm. So it went like 7am, noon, and then 5pm. Now they are down to 2 meals a day. So it's easier to know when they need to go.

I think you should keep him within view at all times, and crate when he can't be. It's the only way really.

Linda H · 10-04-2007, 03:41 PM

Okay you guys, I have to brag on my boy.

I got him at a little over 9 wks. Took him outside ritually after waking up and after feeding, plus when he started to pee (they are quick) I would say loudly "NO", grab him up and take outside. Praise to him always after performing outside.

In one week and one day he was going to the door and sitting to go outside. If I didn't see him, he went, so I learned to check the door if he was out of sight for more than 30 seconds. He had access to the kitchen, livingroom (where I stay) and the hallway and the bathroom. It is a relatively small house with just me living there, but bathroom, kitchen and carport door are out of sight from where I live on the couch. He was crated at night and during his sleep times during the day. When he is asleep I feel free to leave for a couple of hours.

He nearly drove me nuts cause he was going to the door about every 10/15 mins for a long time(boys) but he always managed to squeeze out some pee every trip. May just be a drop or two but he managed. What are you gonna do? If I didn't let him out in time I got rewarded with a puddle to clean up AND I have only myself to blame.

I am so proud of him tho. I now let him stay out of his crate at night
(4 mo. Sept24th) because he doesn't get into trouble. When he has only been out an hour and I need some more sleep, if I lay down he will too, right beside my couch where I get the catch up sleep. He gets up awfully early sometimes. He is going to be such a good dog when he is grown that it really excites me to think about it.
He does have his faults. He doesn't always come when I call him, etc., but overall, he excites me.

Yes I know the posts are too long. This is my boy Parker.

Scoob · 10-04-2007, 03:52 PM

His ears are going to be long!

Scoob (Jim)

**Luvbirds59** · 10-04-2007, 03:55 PM

Linda H.....He is such a doll!!!! What a beautiful face. You waited a long time for that little boy....and he was worth the wait! So happy you got a great one!

oxc