14 replies to this topic

[Cheri]

I am at my wit's end. My adopted female Dobe has just pooped in the house for the third time in two days. Quick history: She's a little over one year old. She's been with us about five weeks. She is currently our only dog. She lived the first year of her life chained outside to a dog house and we have no idea if she was ever allowed in the house or trained in any way. So I started with her just like I would with a new puppy. Outside about every 30 to 60 minutes, immediately upon waking, after eating or hard playing, etc. When inside, either my husband or I are keeping an eye on her. After yesterday I said, okay, I will not let her out of my sight. Today I've been keeping her in the office with me when I'm working. She's attached to me with a leash when I'm eating. She had just been outside for about 20 minutes and when we all came in I wanted to show my husband something on my computer and in that time she pooped in the living room! So it's not a question of her not going out often enough, it seems that she just doesn't understand that we don't go potty in the house. We also just started trying the bell at the door, but so far, she's afraid of the bell, so I'm not pushing that.

My two previous Dobes were acquired as puppies and I remember thinking what's the big deal, house training is really easy! I don't think either one of them ever had more than two or three accidents all together. But this is my first experience adopting an older dog and I'm thinking she should be getting it after five weeks, but if anything, it's getting worse. Other than this, she is very well-behaved. Doesn't chew or get into stuff. I know this is a time-worn topic, but any and all advice will be appreciated.

[Arda]

The crate is your best friend. It's a dogs nature NOT to mess where it sleeps and eats. We start all our dogs in crates. They very quickly learn that they don't want to eat and poop in the same place. Too much freedom is never good to start breaking a dog into your home. Crate her to feed her and then take her outside when you take her out of the crate. Bring her in and crate her or have her tied to you. There is always the old show dog trick of the matches.

[Javaluva]

Diligence, patience and a CRATE!

We adopted our Weim when she was 6 1/2 months old (she's now nearing 8 years old) and not potty trained. It wasn't until I bought a crate and began using it whenever she wasn't supervised (she was kept in a puppy-proofed room until she ate a hole through the floor in the span of eight hours....). The crate worked WONDERS for her!

Take her outside frequently and don't let her back in until she goes. You can also try putting her on a 30-50 foot long line and playing fetch with her while you're waiting. The activity will help get things moving and you'll be giving her some exercise in the process. I do this with a foster Border Collie I have as she takes forever to go. A few minutes of frisbee does the trick.

[duboisdobes]

I am living your pain too. I have a foster that came from a house where she was not taken outside and she was allowed to go in a back room. I've gone about things like you - but she will still sneak away and go potty - even after playing out side for 30 minutes or more. My husband and I think she is so excited about the birds, bunnies, and squirrels that she forgets why she is out there. I have a ton more patience than my husband, so when I'm around she is pretty good, but when I'm not and he is home and not able to pay COMPLETE attention to her she is crated. I've also baby gated my house down to about 500sq feet - I've heard the smaller the better. We'll go days with no problems, but then we let our guard down and she's back at it again. Good luck to you - if you come up with any good pointers please pass them along!

[Arda]

I want to tell all of you about my first whites. GB and the pups Chance and Puff. They were not in the house until I got them. What a time I had. I finally collected their wet blankies and put the soiled blankies in their outside run. They would smell them and go on them again. Then I cleaned the crates everytime there was an accident with full strength Pine sol. No reminded odor. It took some time but they caught on. Papers in the crate for your sanity. Just throw them out instead of the washing 3 or 4 times a day. CRATE THEM. But you have to feed them in the crate. It's natures way that a dog does not want to expel where her does intake. Same as a car, girls.

[Cheri]

There is always the old show dog trick of the matches.

Okay, I have to ask! What is the match trick?

Thanks, I appreciate all the advice. I know I'm going to need to crate her more. When we first got her she had a dreadful fear of the crate, so getting her used to it has been a slow process. I read in a book recently that instilling the new behavior can take as long as the old behavior was in place. She's one year old and was never housebroken, so it could take a year to retrain her, or maybe a lot more. I'm afraid she will just never get it and I will never be able to trust her loose in the house. I got spoiled by my two previous Dobes who had complete run of the house with no problems from the time they were about six months old. Oh, well, we're in it for the long run. We absolutely love this girl (Natasha) and we'll deal with whatever we have to deal with.

Edited by Cheri, 03 June 2008 - 01:47 PM.

[Cheri]

We adopted our Weim when she was 6 1/2 months old (she's now nearing 8 years old) and not potty trained.

I think I misunderstood this the first time I read it. I thought you were saying she was eight years old and still not potty trained. I read it again and took notice of the parentheses and now realize you were saying she wasn't potty trained when she was 6 1/2 months old. Please tell your girl I meant no offense! It will probably be mine that won't be potty trained when she's eight!

Edited by Cheri, 03 June 2008 - 01:53 PM.

[Javaluva]

I think I misunderstood this the first time I read it. I thought you were saying she was eight years old and still not potty trained. I read it again and took notice of the parentheses and now realize you were saying she wasn't potty trained when she was 6 1/2 months old. Please tell your girl I meant no offense! It will probably be mine that won't be potty trained when she's eight!

Hehehe...no, she's completely housebroken now, although incontinent (is on medication)...so we traded intentional peeing in the house for not knowing she's peeing in the house.

It did take us a good year before she was totally housebroken, though, so don't give up! There is a light at the end of the tunnel!! My Weim will still have accidents if she gets excited, or if I let her out of her crate and talk to her prior to letting her out to potty. We've gotten in the habit of immediately taking her from her crate and putting her outside without saying hello to her until she comes back in.

[CathieRenee]

Okay, I have to ask! What is the match trick?

The match trick does NOT work with Zeus!

[Arda]

Not here girls....we have a lot of lurkers and I don't need to be stoned just yet. Still not walking that good.

[Stacie]

Not here girls....we have a lot of lurkers and I don't need to be stoned just yet. Still not walking that good.

Makes you get that creepy feeling of being stared at but you can't see them!!!

[Cheri]

I admit it, I was a lurker, too, for a couple of months before I worked up the courage to join as a member. I felt a little awkward at first because I've never met any of you in person (except for Kari at SCD back in the beginning of March). But I guess you can't call me shy anymore.

I appreciate all the house-training advice. Natasha is getting a lot more relaxed about being in the crate, so I know I will be able to start using that when needed. We're also currently attending an obedience class and are signed up for two more, so I know that will help in a lot of ways. I let myself get frustrated for a few days there, but I've relaxed a bit, too, and resigned myself to the fact that this might be a long process. That's okay. Every time I look into her beautiful face, I know it's completely worth it.

[Kimmi]

I have a housebreaking question. My daughter's 5 month old Dobe pees everytime you touch her. You go to pet her...she pees everytime. I have never had a Dobe to this. My training skills in this area do not exist. Any advise?

[Stef]

You're definitely not the only one... I would walk Tux for hours only to turn around to do dishes or go to the bathroom and find a pile in the kitchen floor.

I got really good with the crate - I crated him whenever I couldn't watch him - even for 2 minutes. It didn't matter - if he wasn't with me in the room where I could see him (and pay attention to him) then he was in the crate. I treated every time he went - so that meant on leash - every time. Plus - we used bells on the door. I hung the bells from the doorknob and everytime we went out for a potty I rung the bells. My lab learned the trick (who was already housetrained), but Tux never did. It does work for some people though... He still doesn't signal well - he paces. No whine, no going to the door - just pacing. I'd prefer the annoying "I HAVE TO PEE" whine that my lab gives me... but beggars can't be choosers!

[Cheri]

I have a housebreaking question. My daughter's 5 month old Dobe pees everytime you touch her. You go to pet her...she pees everytime. I have never had a Dobe to this. My training skills in this area do not exist. Any advise?

I was reluctant to comment on this since I'm the one who started this topic, so I'm obviously no expert! But I can tell you that I did a lot of reading and re-reading of many dog training and behavior books in anticipation of getting my new dog, and one that I can highly recommend is "Adoptable Dog" by John Ross and Barbara McKinney. The paperback version is titled "Adopting a Dog." In there, the authors talk about something called submissive urination, which is basically "peeing when they're excited." They say it's not a housebreaking problem since the dog doesn't even know they're doing it. It's not recommended that you correct or punish them for this. The good news is they usually outgrow it. When my previous Dobe was young, she did this whenever someone came to the door. There would be a ten-foot trail of urine on the carpet as she walked around excitedly.