Doberman Forum : Doberman Breed Dog Forums banner

Potty Training Frustration

4K views 34 replies 14 participants last post by  Strife 
#1 ·
I am following a strict schedule and he is crated at night. We go out every 1.5- 2 hrs now. During the night, I let him out 3 times. He pees everytime and is thankfully going #2 outside. He's only had 1 #2 accident inside. However, he goes #1 inside all of the time. i.e. i just took him outside 30 minutes ago and he peed for a long time. He doesn't lift his leg yet as he is only 9 weeks old. I carried him back up the stairs and set him down, i gave him one of his toys that he played with for 30 seconds then went into the kitchen and peed again. I just clean it up bc I am scared of getting angry at him so I calmly say "No". I don't want him to be afraid of peeing in front of me down the road. When he goes outside I say "good potty" and give him a training treat and a pat on the head. Will he eventually realize that he doesn't get a treat when he pees inside? Is there anyone with a puppy that is currently going thru something similar? What else can I do?

Also, his ear surgery is Friday and I'm wondering what the most comfortable dog bed is for them while they have to wear that cone in the beginning. I bought him 4 different beds but they are like bolster cozy beds that make him feel snuggled. I dont think these will be good for him since he has to wear the cone? I did buy one bed that is like a crib mattress size with an egg crate on top- it has a soft fleece cover on it from amazon. (it had really good reviews) Has anyone used this? I am also planning on moving up a crate size so when he sits, it is tall enough that his ears won't touch. If he accidentally pees in the crate bc it is too large, oh well....bc I would rather his ears not hit the top of the crate.
 
See less See more
#2 ·
He needs to go out waaaaay more often than what you are currently doing. At nine weeks, he needs to go out as soon as he wakes up from a nap, as soon as he's eaten a meal (which should be three to four times a day, at this point), after he's had a nice drink of water, after he's been playing for a while, anytime it looks like he's thinking about pottying (sniffing, circling, etc.) and every 20 minutes or so just because. Also, make sure he's completely empty before bringing him back in. A lot of puppies will pee, walk around for a few minutes, and then pee again.

When he gets his ears done, he shouldn't really need an Elizabethan collar, as they can sometimes rub against, and irritate, the freshly cut edges.
 
#3 ·
Agree with Rosemary on the going out more often based on activity (waking up, playing, eating, etc.) and staying out longer to make sure they are empty.

When you are inside, how closely do you watch him? Is he tethered to you or enclosed in an xpen? Does he ever potty in his crate? Do you see any trends about where he goes? If yes, have those areas been cleaned with an enzyme remover? My puppy used to pee on rugs, so when I pulled up all the rugs and mats in our house, potty training went much smoother.

If you feel like you are doing everything right and he is still peeing in the house, it could be something medical like a urinary tract infection.
 
#4 ·
I watch him like a hawk. when he isn't in his crate he is with me...not tethered but next to me. I sit on the floor and play with him and keep his toys near me. He peed one time in his crate. He does pee in the same area on the rug but he also pees on the hardwood floor. I have Natures Miracle enzyme cleaner and use that- maybe i should also pull up the rug. Might help. I noticed earlier that when we were outside and he was peeing, he started walking around and was still peeing and i thought this is weird, i wonder if he knows he's still going. Now that you mention UTI, I googled and he isn't whimpering or anything but I'm still concerned so going to call the vet and rule that out. Thanks!
 
#5 ·
When Mocha was a puppy, we took her out every 10-15 minutes, plus whenever she ate, drank, woke up, got done playing, or started sniffing the floor. As soon as she hit the grass, I said "go pee" again and again until she did, then she got huge praise. She only had 2 or 3 accidents in the house, and those were our fault for not taking her out fast enough or not watching her good enough.

She'll turn 3 in a few months, and whenever I let her out, I can still say "go pee" and she does so on command lol.
 
#6 ·
It is impractical to expect a 8 week dog to obey our rules for his #1 and #2 :). He has a small bladder to handle and a small brain to think :)

We had exactly the same problem with our 8 week old doberman who started to behave all by himself as he grew older. He is now 5 months old and his pee/poop frequency has reduced several folda and he now understands he shouldn't dirty the house. He signals us when he is ready to lift his leg or squat down. Simply put, it's a matter of time. All you need to do is to stay consistent and keep doing what you are doing, you will note that the improvement is gradual and incremental :)



Sent from my 2014818 using Tapatalk
 
#8 ·
I was having huge issues with Blitz on going in the house. What worked for me was setting an alarm on my phone that sounded every (yes every) 15 minutes. It reminded me to let him out and, without fail, I would let him out every 15 minutes. I also pulled up any and all loose carpets/rugs since they are prone to going on those soft areas. He was let out first thing in the morning when he woke up, whenever he got a drink, whenever he started playing, after he finished playing, after he ate or after any prolonged toy chewing and anytime he went down by the door or started sniffing the floor. I used the same term every time before letting him out, "Do you have to go potty?" And once outside, "Go pee." And "Go poop". He'd get a treat once he did his business and came back inside.

He will still have accidents if I do not watch him closely or let him out every half our/hour or so (he's now 5 months old). He has his own very nonchalant way of asking for the door but has started asking for it.

Have heart and follow the suggestions above... you will get there, but he's still awfully young to expect perfection!

As far as beds went... Blitz came from the breeder with his ears already posted (the first set was put in the day I picked him up)... he was comfy on anything I was comfortable on, no special bed required. :)

Best of luck to you and your boy!

ETA: Follow a strict food/water schedule. It seriously helps keep them on a routine!
 
#10 ·
Thank you all for your advice. I thought I was to take him out every 1-2 hours and clearly wasn't doing it enough. Todays' challenge is getting him to go outside. All of the sudden he is scared to go out to the front. He has been fine for the last 2 weeks until last night. Nothing weird happened last night so not sure where this is coming from. We have new neighbors who moved in next door that have 3 little dogs. The husband wanted to introduce his yorkie to Moose so i figured ok thats fine he's so little and moose is a puppy....well, the man set the yorkie down, he growled then bit moose on the nose. no blood or torn skin it just startled him- but this was 3 days ago and he was fine going out until last night. Their other 2 dogs were not here yet but did just arrive yesterday - but we haven't seen them- we just hear them barking. The wife said the other 2 dogs are friendly and not to worry. Maybe Moose heard the new barking last night and is scared of that? We live in an urban area so he is going to have to get used to sirens, barks and cars going by. He was doing so well until last night so I'm sitting here trying to figure out why. Something good did happen today though....he went up the stairs for the first time so OC I rewarded him and praised him. Yay Moose!
 
#11 ·
Probably going through a fear period -- my boy refused to walk through the hallway leading through the kitchen at certain times (big wuss he is!) and also hates going to the vets because he went during a fear period and made a bad association with it.

As far as potty training goes, Kaiser only had 5 total accidents in the house (thankfully no number two's) but was tethered to me from the first day and was taken out every 30 minutes. He was able to sleep through the night without any issues, but I think its around 4 months that they start to get some level of bladder control. Just make sure to reward him heavily just after he does his business and make sure you are taking him out, not just letting him do it on his own. :)
 
#12 ·
House breaking 101 :
If you take them out on about a 6 ft leash it helps keep them focused tell them go potty ,hurry up or what ever words you want to use just use the same words each time. Stand in one spot let them go all around you till they find the spot then Praise like it is the greatest thing you ever saw. If they do not go in about 20 minutes go back in and crate them or tie them to you them go back out in about 30 minutes.pups need to go out after naps,playing, eating & drinking 1st thing in the morning last thing at night depending on the age of the pup you may need to take them out at night too. Always use a pet urine enzyme to clean up all traces of urine or feces you can use a black light to find all traces. It takes about 3-6 months of contestant training to house break a pup the more accidents they have the longer it takes. Hang a bell on the door you go out you ring it until the pup gets the idea how to ring it yes sometimes they ring it to go look at a squirrel but its a phase they go though you just have to go though it with them. Do not forget to praise each time they go to reinforce the potty training. If you are consistent you will also have a pup/dog that will go potty on command comes in handy when it rains,snow, is icy, on a trip at night . People will think you are a amazing trainer too. Good Luck with your new baby.
Are you going out each time with him and making sure he goes and praising every time he goes I believe it is important to ask them if they need to go potty or what ever words you want to use same words each time though. When he is playing you might ask him if he needs to go like a little reminder. I still to this day ask mine if they want to go if they have been in the house awhile.If you hang bells on the door if you ring them each time when taking him out he will learn to ring the bells on his own. This system really works just have to be consistent with it.Hang in there.
 
#15 ·
You are doing pretty good and learning as you go. The advice above about how often and when to take him out is good. Keep at it, and he will start to get it. 10 weeks is still much too young to expect much - so patience is key. IMHO, five months is the earliest I expect them to really start to get that they can only potty outside. Then when the boys start to think about lifting their leg, you have to treat them like an 8 week old puppy again for awhile so that they don't start lifting their leg in the house..... follow them around and as soon as they sniff something - such as the corner of the couch - correct them, and take them out. For my now 9 year old boy, this only took about 2 days in the house. He was intact for 7 years and NEVER lifted his leg in the house.
Also, they should not need a big elizabethan collar when ears are cropped. Ask the vet to cut his nails WAYYYYY back while he is under. I've cropped whole litters, and never once did a puppy wear one of those collars.
 
#21 ·
I have a female chihuahua that lifts her leg to mark, but squats to pee. It's like watching a ballet when they're in the (6 foot high wood privacy fenced 1/2 acre) back yard. She'll squat to pee, then the Dobe will lift his leg and pee on the same spot, then the Rottie will lift his leg and pee on it. Lastly, the Chi will go back and lift her hind leg and put the final mark on it. On walks, she will lift her leg to mark mailboxes, bushes, etc. But a straight pee is a squat. And yes, the 6 lb chihuahua rules the house over the 75 lb Dobe and 115 lb Rottie/GSD mix rescue. Lol! 😂
 
#22 · (Edited)
When I first got Mika at 8 weeks, she had already gotten used to peeing on the grass since she was at the breeder, but still I took a mattress and sleeps next to her indoor doggy pen downstairs. Had to set alarms every 1-2 hours at first, wake her up and take her out, wait till she peed then we come back in. Then when she grows, I start taking her out at a longer time interval. During the day I keep the backyard door open and if she doesn't go out after eating/drinking/playing etc I'll take her out and tell her "Go Pee Pee", and praise her like crazy once she goes. Slowly she will just go to the backyard herself if she needs to go. You'd be surprise to hear she NEVER had an accident inside the house and she is an indoor dog. She pees on command, and she also poop on command (of course this is only when she have poops ready to come out lol, if she doesn't poop when I tell her to then I know she doesn't need to go).

You have to observe your dog closely as every dog have different habit. Once Mika grew up I learned that when she whines at me then runs to the backyard door (if it's not open), that means she either have to pee or poop, and when she whines like that it means she REALLY have to go!

I also NEVER leave her alone in the house for longer than 5-6 hours max during the day, even shorter if she drank water before I leave. If I can't come back in time I'll ask another family member to go home and let her out the back. She can sleep through the night without any problems. But again as stated, each dog is different and I'm sure you'll find a solution/habit that best suit your dog!
 
#23 ·
that is super impressive! WOW! Moose is 11 weeks and 4 days old. A doberman friend told me she used Potty Bells for her dog so I ordered some and he rings them when he needs to go out....only prob is he also likes to play with them. :) Things are getting much better though, my parents have a Westie and she and Moose have become good friends. I took him to my office yesterday and he had a good time. I brought one of those Digest-eeze chew sticks so that kept him busy. He got his sutures out Monday and they re-taped his ears....only prob is they taped his entire ear at the base so we feel like he cannot hear us! Other than that, each day is a new adventure. I can't believe I waited so long to get a Doberman. I already want another one .YIKES. lolol. I will wait 2-3 years.
 
#27 ·
Just a note on the bells: We got some bells and hung them from the door knob, and taught Mocha "touch" so that she hit the bells with her nose. Once she did that, we took her outside. It took her no time to figure out "hmm, I ring the bell, they take me outside. Outside where the grass is, and the bugs, and the birds and squirrels, and maybe dad with my ball, so I'll ring those bells every 10 minutes!"

It took a while but we taught her that no, we don't ring the bell to go chase squirrels or to play fetch :grin2:
 
#35 ·
There's a ton of great advice in this thread already, but I'll go ahead and post my method as well. It has rarely failed me, personally. YMMV, as always.

I started working on housebreaking between 7 and 9 weeks. 7 preferable, but 9 if the pups were recovering from worms or some other illness.

I'd set an alarm to take them out once an hour, every hour, for the first week of house training. As soon as they squat, quiet praise. Treat as soon as they're done doing their business. No sleep for me those weeks. [Set the alarm for when you're home. Once an hour, every hour. Crate when you can't be home to take them out, make sure they go before they get in the crate.]

Week 2, every hour and a half. I started teaching them to use a low hanging bell on my door. Any time we were about to go outside, I'd use their paw to move the bell [so it made sound]. They'd eventually learn to associate the bell with needing to potty. After they potty, lots of praise and a treat.

Week 3 - out every 3 hours [if this even became necessary, some dogs either didn't get the message or were just stubborn]. By this time, they pretty much all knew to ring the bell to let me know they needed to potty. It was a great, clear indicator. Much more clear [imo] than sitting by the door whining. I rarely ever have them ring the bell out of boredom or just wanting to be outside.

We have a clear rule in my house. You ring the bell, I'll wait for you to be done, as long as it takes. And even the adults still get treats after going potty.

Kira had potty training pretty much down after 3 days [we brought her home at 10 weeks]. We still did the 2 week system and crate trained on top of that. Strife had it down after about 2 weeks as well. Fortunately at the time, I had a different job with considerably less hours so she was never home alone for more than an hour at a time. Crate training helps SO much with house breaking, it's ridiculous.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top