How to toilet train your puppy or adult dog.

Valuable training articles posted by Victoria and other Positively members.

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mrscd
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Re: How to toilet train your puppy or adult dog.

Post by mrscd »

Hello! My dilema is with my spayed 1 1/2 yr old female cheagle whom we've had for about 2 months. We adopted her from family friends who assured us she was potty trained. (They had her since she was weeks old.) The first week she had two accidents which we expected since she was in new surroundings. After that she was always letting us know when she needed to go. The last two weeks she has had pee accidents from the kitchen floor to the carpet(different spots) and even when I was in the same room! I turned around and there was a wet spot on the carpet only a couple of feet away! The other accidents have been either when we go out or in the middle of the night. Shes also had two poo accidents, but mostly now its pee problems. Ive researched online and we've gone back to retraining her but we dont understand this behavior, especially when two of the accidents have been when we're only feet away from her. We make sure we take her out before we leave, after we return, in the morning and before we go to bed and anytime in between when we know she's eaten and when she whines. Our whole family loves her especially my 9yr old but its kinda hard cleaning up pee and poo off the carpet when I also have a 1yr old running around. Since we've gotten her my daughter always takes her out for 30min runs/walks and she goes out into the back yard to play also, but I feel like she's training us since now when she whines( either the front or the back door) we have to stop what we're doing and let her out even though she went out 10 min ago. And sometimes she won't even go potty after we take her out! We love her and have grown attached to her in the past two months but we don't know what else to do or what we're doing wrong. :? Please advice, it will be greatly appreciated :)
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Mattie
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Re: How to toilet train your puppy or adult dog.

Post by Mattie »

2 months is a short time for her, she will still be working out her new family and house rules. I would get a full vet check first, including bloods, then take her back to the beginning and retrain her, this often happens when a dog moves to a new home.
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mrscd
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Re: How to toilet train your puppy or adult dog.

Post by mrscd »

Will do Thanks! One more q's... we recently also noticed her dragging her butt on the carpet? What does this mean? I heard worms?
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Nettle
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Re: How to toilet train your puppy or adult dog.

Post by Nettle »

Normally means blocked anal glands (your vet's job) or just itchy butt. Sometimes means worms but not that often.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

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JeanneO
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Re: How to toilet train your puppy or adult dog.

Post by JeanneO »

We rescued a stray terrier mix in February. It was thought she was around 18 months old. She was never in a foster home but rather a kennel until finding her forever home. While she has made great progress in so many ways, she has not with the potty training. We started taking her out every hour and rewarding her whenever she went outside. At first she waited for the treats after pottying but now she does not seem to care most of the time. It is hard to do anything around the house because if I leave the room for even a couple of minutes, she will pee on the rug. Not all the time but often enough. Never in front of me but when I am not looking. It is getting very frustrating. Any advice as to what I can do?
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Nettle
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Re: How to toilet train your puppy or adult dog.

Post by Nettle »

Yup. Read the very first post on this thread. Then come back to us with your questions :) . It's all there and it works.
A dog is never bad or naughty - it is simply being a dog

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JeanneO
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Re: How to toilet train your puppy or adult dog.

Post by JeanneO »

If you mean the one about the door being open, that is not the problem. I was told whenever I have to leave her even for a couple of minutes, to keep her on a leash. That would work with a puppy who would most likely try to potty in the house but Daisy will not do it when I am around. She goes out first thing in the morning, after eating and before we go to work. She is crated during the day; we have a senior Greyhound and two cats that roam free. She is great in the crate. She is taken out when we get home and then again after she eats. Then I am afraid to be out of the room because I do not know what she will do. She is lavished with treats when she goes outside. I guess we will just keep this up and hopefully she will get it. Oh, and when she does do it in the house I quiety clean it up just as Victoria said. I stay calm and do not let her see what I am doing.
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Mattie
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Re: How to toilet train your puppy or adult dog.

Post by Mattie »

JeanneO wrote:We rescued a stray terrier mix in February. It was thought she was around 18 months old. She was never in a foster home but rather a kennel until finding her forever home. While she has made great progress in so many ways, she has not with the potty training. We started taking her out every hour and rewarding her whenever she went outside. At first she waited for the treats after pottying but now she does not seem to care most of the time. It is hard to do anything around the house because if I leave the room for even a couple of minutes, she will pee on the rug. Not all the time but often enough. Never in front of me but when I am not looking. It is getting very frustrating. Any advice as to what I can do?
I adopted a Staffy in January and he still has accidents, she hasn't been with you long and will still be trying to work out the house rules and about you. Like your dog Cyril was in kennels. I know what you mean by getting frustrated but there is no point in that, it just puts more stress on you, if you are very consistant with your toilet training she will eventually get it. The more consistant you are the quicker she will learn.
If you mean the one about the door being open, that is not the problem. I was told whenever I have to leave her even for a couple of minutes, to keep her on a leash.
Do you mean tied up or the leash left loose for her to drag? Either way it is dangerous to leave a dog with a leash on, a friend's dog strangled herself when she was left tied up on a leash and if dragging it the leash can get caught in something.
I am afraid to be out of the room because I do not know what she will do.
You can attach her to you while you are in the house with a long leash, still carry on with the training but you should be able to see her getting read to toilet. I have never been a fan of this in case it gets my dogs too attached to me and I then get trouble with seperation anxiety.

What do you clean up with? Normal household cleaners encourage dogs to toilet because most have armonia in, white vinegar or biological washing liquid or something from the pet shop for this is much better, it takes the smell away for the dogs as well as us.
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JeanneO
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Re: How to toilet train your puppy or adult dog.

Post by JeanneO »

I didn't mean letting her drag a leash around. Anyway, I don't think that will work. I think as you said with consistency, she will get it. She has improved in so many ways in such a short time. This is the only obstacle. I need to be patient. I clean with Nature's Miracle and white vinegar and water.
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Mattie
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Re: How to toilet train your puppy or adult dog.

Post by Mattie »

Try putting some Rescue Remedy in her water for a couple of weeks, she will be stressed which will make things worse, the Rescue Remedy may help her relax more.

If you follow the first thread she will get it, it just takes some dogs longer than others.
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JeanneO
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Re: How to toilet train your puppy or adult dog.

Post by JeanneO »

What I don't understand, if I keep taking her out, how will she get to a routine as my other dogs in the past have done or will I have to keep taking her out every hour when I am home? She is not like a puppy where I will catch her in the act. This is so new to me. She is a Staffy mix. She already has learned "leave it" and is getting "watch me" which is a great accomplishment. At least it works in the house. When she is outside she is very distracted and I will hire a trainer. I actually found one who studied under Victoria who is rather far but I am willing to take her.
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Mattie
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Re: How to toilet train your puppy or adult dog.

Post by Mattie »

It depends on what your priority is, teaching her she should toilet her outside or get into a routine, I am assuming that you want her toilet trained first, then the routine.

Once she is toilet trained 100% then she will be able to get into a changed routine, taking her out every hour is a routine that she is following now. The more consistant this routine is the quicker she will learn then she will adapt to the routine you want.

No this doesn't go on forever if done properly and consistantly, it is still early days in her new home and she will still be stressed, I have this with Cyril still at times. If you are stressed about her toileting inside this will make this worse and her harder to teach so open a bottle of wine and chill :D

What do you clean up with? Normal household cleaners have armonia in which encourages a dog to pee there, better to use white vinegar or biological washing liquid or get something from the pet shop for this. We may not be able to smell the pee there but your dog can.
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JeanneO
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Re: How to toilet train your puppy or adult dog.

Post by JeanneO »

Hi Mattie,

I can be patient. I do not want to stress her out. I clean up with Nature's Miracle and vinegar and water. Thank you so much for your advice. I feel so much more confident. I want what is best for her.
slbose61
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Location: Maryland

Re: How to toilet train your puppy or adult dog.

Post by slbose61 »

Hi Mattie,

I started this training method three days ago and am already seeing a lot of improvement. Instead of doing nothing for up to an hour (yes, it took nearly an hour the first day), Preston is going within five minutes first thing in the am, nor has he had any accidents in the house (knocking on wood). When I take him to the backyard, he is easily distracted by squirrels and will sit and stare at the trees waiting for one to appear. I now use a leash to keep him moving and focused on me.

I already know this is a dumb question, but my overly analytical brain is thinking he might associate use of the leash as the only time to go pee in the backyard. Is use of the leash defeating the purpose?
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Mattie
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Re: How to toilet train your puppy or adult dog.

Post by Mattie »

Well done Slbose, isn't it lovely to see the results of our training :D
I already know this is a dumb question, but my overly analytical brain is thinking he might associate use of the leash as the only time to go pee in the backyard. Is use of the leash defeating the purpose?
No such thing as a dumb question, every questions is valuable to the person asking it. :D

No he won't associate the lead to peeing in the backyard he will soon learn that nice things happen when the lead is on, just emptying his tanks may be contributing to this now. I sometimes put a houselead on Cyril if he is over the top, now when I put it on he starts to settle down, he can distinguise the lead going on to quieten him down and for walkies.

Once he has done a pee you can play a little game with him, most dogs love hide and seek and this will help with his recall.
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