Puppy problems :(

[PilsnPinkysMom]

My fiance and I just adopted a rescue pup from a shelter. We don''t know her whole history, but she was an owner relinquish, and had a "twin sister." Apparently her mom (yellow lab) became pregnant and had the pups, the family tried to keep the puppies, and for whatever reason, 5 or so months into their lives, decided it wasn''t do-able. She was at a shelter in New Mexico, then transfered to Denver- that''s where FI & I found her.

She spent only six days in the shelter/transit total. The rest of her life was spent with her previous New Mexico family. She is now between 6-7 months old.

We''re having some MAJOR house breaking problems. I know pups are notorious for these, but I''m a bit concerned because of her house breaking history (or lack there of). She seems to have NO CLUE that she''s supposed to poop & pee on grass, and gives no indication that she''s ready "to go."

She has ONLY peed in the house. Not once outside. Ever. She had peed twice in her crate, once in our bedroom, and twice in the living room. She was "caught in the act" two of those times and taken outside-- but she wouldn''t start to pee again.

She hasn''t pooped in the house yet- there have been a few close calls, but we caught her mid-squat. She will poop outside but ONLY ON GRAVEL. Which is a mess... and quite annoying. We''re not sure how to teach her that Grass = potty = good.

Yesterday afternoon/evening I spent nearly five hours outside with her. Around our home. At a dog park. Running, walking, playing... A ton of time. She didn''t go potty once. The moment we got home she darted to the corner and piddled.

:sigh:

I keep telling myself, "Puppies are a TON of work. This WILL get better." But I''m not convincing myself. Any help/insight/words of wisdom? How to we get this dog to potty on the grass? And more importantly, how do we teach her to pee outside, PERIOD.

TIA

 

[brightlight]

Date: 7/25/2009 12:57:42 PM
Author:PilsnPinkysMom
My fiance and I just adopted a rescue pup from a shelter. We don't know her whole history, but she was an owner relinquish, and had a 'twin sister.' Apparently her mom (yellow lab) became pregnant and had the pups, the family tried to keep the puppies, and for whatever reason, 5 or so months into their lives, decided it wasn't do-able. She was at a shelter in New Mexico, then transfered to Denver- that's where FI & I found her.

She spent only six days in the shelter/transit total. The rest of her life was spent with her previous New Mexico family. She is now between 6-7 months old.

We're having some MAJOR house breaking problems. I know pups are notorious for these, but I'm a bit concerned because of her house breaking history (or lack there of). She seems to have NO CLUE that she's supposed to poop & pee on grass, and gives no indication that she's ready 'to go.'

She has ONLY peed in the house. Not once outside. Ever. She had peed twice in her crate, once in our bedroom, and twice in the living room. She was 'caught in the act' two of those times and taken outside-- but she wouldn't start to pee again.

She hasn't pooped in the house yet- there have been a few close calls, but we caught her mid-squat. She will poop outside but ONLY ON GRAVEL. Which is a mess... and quite annoying. We're not sure how to teach her that Grass = potty = good.

Yesterday afternoon/evening I spent nearly five hours outside with her. Around our home. At a dog park. Running, walking, playing... A ton of time. She didn't go potty once. The moment we got home she darted to the corner and piddled.

:sigh:

I keep telling myself, 'Puppies are a TON of work. This WILL get better.' But I'm not convincing myself. Any help/insight/words of wisdom? How to we get this dog to potty on the grass? And more importantly, how do we teach her to pee outside, PERIOD.

TIA

Can you hire a professional trainer to come by for an hour to teach you some tips? Also, do you punish the puppy for going in the house? I don't exactly know what an appropriate punishment would be, but perhaps the trainer could give you tips. Were there other dogs around at the dog park when you went? Perhaps if your puppy saw other dogs going on the grass, she would learn that's where she's supposed to go. My friend had a dog that didn't know he was supposed to raise his leg when he went pee until we took him to the dog park, and he saw other dogs peeing with one leg up. Maybe you could put some green grass-looking carpet in her crate so she could get used to the green color. Every time she starts going, move her to the crate so she can associate the green grass with peeing.

 

[brightlight]

Date: 7/25/2009 12:57:42 PM
Author:PilsnPinkysMom
My fiance and I just adopted a rescue pup from a shelter. We don''t know her whole history, but she was an owner relinquish, and had a ''twin sister.'' Apparently her mom (yellow lab) became pregnant and had the pups, the family tried to keep the puppies, and for whatever reason, 5 or so months into their lives, decided it wasn''t do-able. She was at a shelter in New Mexico, then transfered to Denver- that''s where FI & I found her.

She spent only six days in the shelter/transit total. The rest of her life was spent with her previous New Mexico family. She is now between 6-7 months old.

We''re having some MAJOR house breaking problems. I know pups are notorious for these, but I''m a bit concerned because of her house breaking history (or lack there of). She seems to have NO CLUE that she''s supposed to poop & pee on grass, and gives no indication that she''s ready ''to go.''

She has ONLY peed in the house. Not once outside. Ever. She had peed twice in her crate, once in our bedroom, and twice in the living room. She was ''caught in the act'' two of those times and taken outside-- but she wouldn''t start to pee again.

She hasn''t pooped in the house yet- there have been a few close calls, but we caught her mid-squat. She will poop outside but ONLY ON GRAVEL. Which is a mess... and quite annoying. We''re not sure how to teach her that Grass = potty = good.

Yesterday afternoon/evening I spent nearly five hours outside with her. Around our home. At a dog park. Running, walking, playing... A ton of time. She didn''t go potty once. The moment we got home she darted to the corner and piddled.

:sigh:

I keep telling myself, ''Puppies are a TON of work. This WILL get better.'' But I''m not convincing myself. Any help/insight/words of wisdom? How to we get this dog to potty on the grass? And more importantly, how do we teach her to pee outside, PERIOD.

TIA

Is there one particular corner she goes to? Maybe you could put the grass looking carpet there so she can associate grass with pee.

 

[lala2332]

I would go to your local petsmart and sign up for puppy training. We did this with our puppy and he is so well behaved. He wasn''t a rescue dog, but the breeder had a kennel for the dogs, so we were a little worried about the fact that he had gotten used to going on the concrete.

Anyway, from what i remember of puppy training. You should put a bright colored marker (can be anything) where you want the dog to go to the bathroom outside. You could spray paint the grass a little bit, or place a small traffic cone there. You need to preempt the dog needing to go, do not wait for her to tell you at this stage. take her out every two hours or so, whether she shows signs of needing to go or not. If you catch her going inside clap your hands very loudily so that it will startle her, say ''NO" very firmly and you can pick her up and take her outside to the designated spot and say "go potty" or whatever term you choose. Everytime she goes in the correct spot give her lots of attention and a treat. You need to make sure that you are cleaning the house so there is no smell of the urine anywhere. White wine vinegar works well. You can also take the paper towels that you use to clean up the urine and wipe it outside in the spot where she is supposed to go, that way the spot already smells like urine and she is more likely to go there again. If she is going in her crate, you have maybe left her in too long and/or the crate is too big for her. Most dogs will not go where they sleep, unless its an emergency. We actually set an alarm clock for every 3 or 4 hours and got up and took our puppy out whether he was awake or not.

THat is what worked for us! Hope it helps. Even it does I would still look into puppy training classes, they are so good for the dog and really help you bond with her.

 

[Rock_of_Love]

It will get better!! I promise!! But, you''ll need to do a bit of work first...yes, puppies are a lot of work!

Someone told me about this book when I got my puppy, and it is a really, really good book. Very easy to follow and understand. I passed it on to a friend when she was trying to "re-train" her older dogs in a new house she moved into. They were NOT housebroken in her old house, but she swore when she moved she would change that...and she used the book and it worked!!

Some key pointers are using a crate (properly sized) and keeping a regular schedule...specific feeding times...going out to the "potty spot" where you want your dog to go...etc. I know your dog has messed its crate before, but try either feeding it in its crate, or giving it treats in its crate, so it associates bed AND food with it. Also, I think there are some guidelines regarding age and how long a dog can/should be in a crate in terms of bladder control, etc.

Another helpful tip is that if you have pee pads in the house and your dog happens to use one, take it outside to the place you want it to go potty and leave it there for a bit. Then, when you take your dog out to the place, it will smell that this is the RIGHT place to go.

I really recommend getting this book...or even just googling, and you can probably find some good info. Again the key is using a crate or other confinement and keeping a regular schedule of feeding and taking the dog out to the potty spot. Using a phrase or word to associate "going" - I use "hurry up" - then LOTS of praise after.

Good luck...and I''d be happy to answer any questions!!

 

[PilsnPinkysMom]

Thanks, everyone!


Brightlight: She seems to favor a corner of the living room by our "kitty tree" (no, the cats have never marked/peed there). I''m not certain why. I considered astro turf or getting a "porch potty" but we really want her to learn to go OUTSIDE. Not just on grass-like surfaces... I think hiring a trainer may be key- if not for potty help, for general obedience help!!


LaLa: I read that trick about paper towels- did you try this and have some success?? Do you keep them on the grass, or rub them on the grass and hope the scent stays? I think this tip is worthwhile... We kept the towel that she peed on this AM in her crate... Maybe laying it on the grass right next to the gravel she so adores would prompt her to pee/poop further from the stones. I''m wondering about the crate size, too. We don''t leave her in there very long, except for the evening. Perhaps we need a 3:30am potty break... But it seems that the crate may be a wee bit too big. It came with a divider. I''ll attach a photo of her in the crate- perhaps you can give some insight as to whether or not we need to use the divider and reduce her "crate space"?


RockofLove THANKS for the book reccommendation!!! I''m going to look for it at our library and if I can''t find it there, order a copy. I''m confused about food/water schedules. Any dog I''ve ever owned has been a "grazer" so I''m not sure when/how much I should be feeding and watering her. The reviews of this book have convinced me

, and your own testimony is compelling, as well. It''s worth a shot, right??

Some good news: After posting I took her out for a little afternoon stroll and she pooped (a ton) and piddled (a little) on the gravel. It''s the same spot she always goes to, which means she associates it with potty time (awesome!) and it''s outside (even better)-- I''m only worried that she''ll become so accustomed to using rocks/gravel for relief, that when she''s in a grass-only area she won''t go. We have no way to keep her off of the gravel, except by using a leash/lead and physically holding her away from the spot. It''s quite easy to give in and allow her to go to the rocks, however, because she has pooped there now 5 (!!!!) times in a row! She definitely equates the spot with elimination- and as an owner, it makes it quite easy. Once she does her business, we know she''s DONE. There''s no more wandering around to find a second spot to relive herself. It''s the rocks or nothing. For the long-term, however, it''s probably not the greatest habit to get into. But for now all I can think is, "It''s better than my living room carpet!"

And for any additional words of wisdom: Her crate. Does part of it need to be sectioned off? Is it too large for her?

 

[lala2332]

awwww...she is adorable!

I would put the divider in. There is plenty of room for her to pee in one corner and curl up in another. Like someone mentioned...we also would feed our puppy in his crate, usually his morning meal, and we give him treats everytime he goes in. So that may help with the crate problem. I don't think that the crate is too big for her once you get her trained not to go in it. Our dog is a 14lb Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and his crate is the one with a lab pictured in it. Its HUGE, but we had smaller ones for him when he was really little and that taught him not to go in it, and so now he is fine with with the big one.


We took a stick and kind of staked down a portion of the paper towel where we wanted him to go. He never really seemed all that interested in the actual paper towel, but i think the general smell helped.

Try not to use pee pads/paper/turf stuff inside....it confuses the dog when you are trying to crate train and get her used to going outside. Stick with one method, it will be less confusing. And, if you train her to use pee pads, you will then have to train again to go outside.

Since she likes gravel, could you scoop up a handful and make a little mound in the grass so that she will go there....at least for a week or so? and then take part of the mound away slowly, so she doesn't even really notice its getting smaller? Just make sure to throw out the peed on gravel, so that it doesn't spread the smell back to the other gravel.

 

[Amandine]

Absolutely put the divider in! For crating, its recommended that it should just be large enough for the dog to turn around in.

As for training him where to go, you might try a Pee Post, I haven''t tried it, but its not so expensive, so may be worth it.

When my two dogs were being house broken, we consistently took them outside very shortly after eating or drinking, and after playing. They are fed twice a day, and if my oldest doesn''t finish shortly after my 8 mo. old puppy, his bowl gets picked up and put back down at the next feeding time. Before the arrival of the puppy, he did graze...but mostly when we were eating. It was rather funny, "oh, you''re eating? I guess I will, too.".

How are you cleaning the accidents in the house? The puppy may return to the same place (roughly) if he can smell the urine there. I highly recommend Nature''s Miracle. Its an enzymatic cleaner, and works well for other stains, too.

 

[audball]

Date: 7/25/2009 7:02:38 PM
Author: Amandine
Absolutely put the divider in! For crating, its recommended that it should just be large enough for the dog to turn around in.


As for training him where to go, you might try a Pee Post, I haven''t tried it, but its not so expensive, so may be worth it.


When my two dogs were being house broken, we consistently took them outside very shortly after eating or drinking, and after playing. They are fed twice a day, and if my oldest doesn''t finish shortly after my 8 mo. old puppy, his bowl gets picked up and put back down at the next feeding time. Before the arrival of the puppy, he did graze...but mostly when we were eating. It was rather funny, ''oh, you''re eating? I guess I will, too.''.


How are you cleaning the accidents in the house? The puppy may return to the same place (roughly) if he can smell the urine there. I highly recommend Nature''s Miracle. Its an enzymatic cleaner, and works well for other stains, too.

My FMIL uses the pee post for her boys who prefer hiking on counters in the house. They are small dogs and she uses pee pads for them, but moving the post to the center of the pee pad encouraged them to go where she wanted them to. Seeing their progress, I''d say if it''s cheap it may help.

The crate IMO is too large. LIke she said above, crates should only be large enough for them to stand up and turn around in, she has much too much space in that crate and can make herself a sleep corner vs. a potty corner which is no good.

So other than making the crate smaller, I''d agree with the poster who suggested taking a small amount of gravel to the place on the grass you want her to use. Doing this will help her learn to go away from the gravel path and you can slowly remove gravel so she gets used to using just the grass. Stick the pee post in the middle of the small gravel mound in the corner of your yard you want her to use and this should help a lot.

An overnight trip outside may help for a few weeks until she gets better at sleeping through the night, etc.

Good luck! Keep us posted.

 

[klewis]

Your dog is beautiful and she''s so lucky to be adopted by you.

There''s lots of toilet training methods and you will find one that works for your situation. Dogs usually will want to toilet after they wake up and about an hour after they eat which is the best time to take them outdoors. Is she nervous of being outdoors?

 

[NewEnglandLady]

My sister went through something similar with her dog--she was peeing in her crate and my sister literally didn''t know what to do. When your dog pees in the most effective potty-training tool, then what? Like you, my sis would take her for walks for HOURS thinking "she''ll have to pee sometime and then I''ll praise her like crazy". Nothing. Then the moment her pup walked in the door? You guessed it.

My sister decided that desperate times called for desperate measures. She bought a crate that was too big for her dog and divided it in half. One half was for her dog to sleep, the other half was sod. Seriously, she went to home depot and bought sod to put in her dog''s crate. When faced with the option of peeing in her portion of the crate or going to the other side to pee in the sod, the pup decided to pee in the sod. My sister then moved the sod outside of the crate and eventually the pup finally got the point to go in the yard.

I have no clue if this would work for other dogs, I thought my sis was nuts, but it really did work for her. I just thought I would share...

 

[lulu]

Nix on punishing the dog. Dogs need positive reinforcement, especially labbies. Praise her lavishly when she does well even if the neighbors think you''re nuts. By the way, she''s beautiful.

 

[monarch64]

Beautiful lab! I wish I had more to add to the advice you''ve already been given. Time and patience on your part and lots of training should help the situation tremendously. My best wishes for a productive potty-training adventure, PPM!