Housebreaking Woes

Dave (our new Lab pup) has been home for two weeks now. He is just over eight weeks old - question is this - when do they just "get it" with the house breaking?

I guess I got off easy with Misty, and my previous dog Jasmine (Karelian Bear Dog if it makes any difference). We got both dogs at 8 weeks old, and both only took a couple days of training and they were housebroken and never looked back, and never had an accident since being broken.

Dave, on the other hand - has two or three accidents daily. He's going outside hourly, and within 10-15 minutes after eating. We go outside, and walk and walk until he's had enough, and he'll pee a couple times, then go inside and pee again.

Couple that with the snow - the pup eats snow like it's candy. I don't get it either, he's got plenty of water throughout the day, but snow is just sooo tasty to him.

Any suggestions or thoughts? Just keep at it?

Frustrating, trying to remember he's just a little baby; but frustrating none-the-less.

It sounds like he may have a urinary tract infection if he's going that often. You may want to get that checked out at the vet. I went through this as well and thought the same thing. I figured I'd have my new pup house broken within a week, but noooo! lol

Is your dog in a crate? They don't like messing up the crate and will house break in no time. I even got up a couple times during the night to let him out and he house broke in under a week no problem. I highly recommend the crate for all kinds of reasons.

We've got a 14 week old lab at home as well. Be patient, they seem to pee a lot more than our other dog.

She's done the same thing, outside, pees, poops, and then once inside, often had a little piddle as well.

It's less about the dog "getting it" than about them understanding the bladder sensation, and the urge to urinate. I'm assuming that you're crate training him, which helps greatly in developing their abilities to "hold it".

We're coming on 2 weeks now without any incidents in the house with the exception of one in the crate. He'll catch on.

There will be varying opinions on this one, but we also started limiting her water after 6. It seemed to help.

Not applicable to some owners....but I use an Alpha Dog theory. When I'm out on a walk, I make a point that they watch me 'take a leak' along the trail, let them sniff it. It doesn't take long for them to get the idea, when they are taught (see) what is expected of them. :)

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Originally Posted by MikePal

Not applicable to some owners....but I use an Alpha Dog theory. When I'm out on a walk, I make a point that they watch me 'take a leak' along the trail, let them sniff it. It doesn't take long for them to get the idea, when they are taught (see) what is expected of them. :)

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Don't live in a subdivision eh...:joker:

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Originally Posted by terrym

Don't live in a subdivision eh...:joker:

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Or maybe just bold eh....

On a more serious note crate training is the best way to house train dogs. They will develop the awareness that they must wait. When airing be sure to go to the same spot each time so pup quickly recognizes this spot. He'll soon know why he's headed that way.
Last meal at night no later than 7 followed by airing time. Cut off the fluids by 8 followed by play and airing time then into the crate as late as your schedule allows.

Remember, pups have small bladders.....it happens.

As time goes by hopefully things will be better. If they are not you might have a medical issue or more than likely a slow maturing pup. All dogs are not created equally, some are much brighter........same as people.....hopefully he'll come along.

Lots of good advise put forth and they all have the word CRATE in them .

TD

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Originally Posted by MikePal

Not applicable to some owners....but I use an Alpha Dog theory. When I'm out on a walk, I make a point that they watch me 'take a leak' along the trail, let them sniff it. It doesn't take long for them to get the idea, when they are taught (see) what is expected of them. :)

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LMAO Mike and yes dis is true too .:D:thumbup:

TD

We definitely use a crate, we did for Misty as well. He is in it at night, and a couple times during the day for 30 minutes at a time, or until he settles down and relaxes (no barking/whining). Then, we wait about 20 minutes and let him out. He handles it fairly well - actually just let him out after 2 hours of napping.

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Originally Posted by last5oh_302

It sounds like he may have a urinary tract infection if he's going that often. You may want to get that checked out at the vet. I went through this as well and thought the same thing. I figured I'd have my new pup house broken within a week, but noooo! lol

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I think this is possible too. Try tying him to your waist with a leash when he is out of the crate . Moment he lifts a leg grab him up.

( Don't limit water.)

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Originally Posted by Sharon

I think this is possible too. Try tying him to your waist with a leash when he is out of the crate . Moment he lifts a leg grab him up.

( Don't limit water.)

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Sharon , Sharon, Sharon . Yes there is a small possibility it is an infection and should be considered in the long run but more rare than common . Pups usually don't lift their legs either at that age . Yup, even this old cranky trapper squatted at his early point in life while peeing .:ashamed::D And heah, I now pee on trees .:D

TD

Another thumbs up here for crate training for housebreaking a puppy.

No one has mentioned yet .... If you are using anything larger than a "puppy" size crate, put in a divider to only allow the pup enough room to stand up, turn around and lay down comfortably. (Some crates come with a divider, ours did not and we have used a piece of plywood the size of the inside of the crate with holes drilled along the edge and zip ties to hold in place). Pups do not like to soil their sleeping area, so if you limit their crate area we have found this helps immensely in them understanding not to "go" in their crate. With the moveable divider, as they grow you can expand their sleeping area until they are housebroken and the divider is no longer needed.

Hang in there .... He'll get there!

A lot of good suggestions already listed here. Heed their advice.

I have one step further for the location of the crates. When we have new pups in the house (or when I puppy sit for a friend), we have more than one little crate in the house. We place them where we spend time, so we have one small crate in the rec room (where the tv and fireplace are), and one crate in the kitchen (eat in kitchen where we have our meals, read the paper, etc). The pup gets to understand how to hang out in the house, lie down and be calm when we, the humans, are having 'down time'. The plus side is one squeak/whine to signal the pup has to go, and you can pick up the crate and take it outside, or scoop up the pup and take it outside. The human gets bonding time with the pup, and also doesn't miss the "hey, I gotta go" signal.

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Originally Posted by 400bigbear

Sharon , Sharon, Sharon . Yes there is a small possibility it is an infection and should be considered in the long run but more rare than common . Pups usually don't lift their legs either at that age . Yup, even this old cranky trapper squatted at his early point in life while peeing .:ashamed::D And heah, I now pee on trees .:D

TD

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Hey TD, it's actually fairly common in pups, especially females. A simple pill (antibiotic) will have it cleared up in 4-5 days. The thing is, if he does have a UTI, then this pushes potty training way back, or out the window completely since pup can't control it. All the pup knows is "OH, I GOTTA GO, AND, OH THAT FEELS SO GOOD WHEN I GO" because they have to go so often, and it needs to be now!
Considering this pup goes in the house right after being let back in from going pee outside is a strong indicator he has a UTI.

Sharon, that's a good idea about tying the leash to your belt/waist so you're in control all the time. If pups are free it's usually too late by the time you see them squat unless you're on top of them 24/7.

My lab took about 6 months, and my bloodhound took 11 months to finally stop peeing in the house, but the bloodhound breed is known for taking a long time to house break.

Crate training helped me, along with removing water sources after 7 pm (water available in the morning and for the remainder of the day), just like kids if they drink before bed they will pee at night. Each and every time I took the dog out to pee I gave the dog its favourite treat which is only for peeing outside and not part of the regular food, in my case this was a small chunk of par boiled liver but you will need to determine what your dog goes nuts for and use it for house training (and only for training).

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Originally Posted by Marker

My lab took about 6 months, and my bloodhound took 11 months to finally stop peeing in the house, but the bloodhound breed is known for taking a long time to house break.

Crate training helped me, along with removing water sources after 7 pm (water available in the morning and for the remainder of the day), just like kids if they drink before bed they will pee at night. Each and every time I took the dog out to pee I gave the dog its favourite treat which is only for peeing outside and not part of the regular food, in my case this was a small chunk of par boiled liver but you will need to determine what your dog goes nuts for and use it for house training (and only for training).

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Great tips.

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Originally Posted by last5oh_302

Hey TD, it's actually fairly common in pups, especially females. A simple pill (antibiotic) will have it cleared up in 4-5 days. The thing is, if he does have a UTI, then this pushes potty training way back, or out the window completely since pup can't control it. All the pup knows is "OH, I GOTTA GO, AND, OH THAT FEELS SO GOOD WHEN I GO" because they have to go so often, and it needs to be now!
Considering this pup goes in the house right after being let back in from going pee outside is a strong indicator he has a UTI.

Sharon, that's a good idea about tying the leash to your belt/waist so you're in control all the time. If pups are free it's usually too late by the time you see them squat unless you're on top of them 24/7.

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No Last5OH it is not a strong indicator it has UTI . Since the pup is peeing inside it has peed inside regularly and it's smell is there so it goes again . I've owned my share of females and never had an issue of UTI as common . . Must be common to Rotti's .:D When that nose goes to the ground and that tail starts to wiggle it's an indicator of " OH ,I GOTTA GO . :D

TD

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Originally Posted by 400bigbear

When that nose goes to the ground and that tail starts to wiggle it's an indicator of " OH ,I GOTTA GO . :D
TD

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Like I've long suspected...it's not the dog getting trained at all, it's all about the owner....some are just slower on the uptake and go thru more rolls of paper towel before they catch on :)

Time will tell I guess. If this pup does have a UTI things will only get worse. I sure hope he doesn't have a Uti, and my last Rottie female never got it, but the girl I have now did. It's very common! My vet even told me so but a simple inter web search will indicate the same.

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Originally Posted by MikePal

Like I've long suspected...it's not the dog getting trained at all, it's all about the owner....some are just slower on the uptake and go thru more rolls of paper towel before they catch on :)

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Exactly Mike exactly .:thumbup:;)

It's ok Last5oh . They do get an infection and can throughout life . I'm just not a hypochondriac running to the doctor or vets right away over every little thing . A dog is a dog is a dog . A child is a child is a child . ;) Observing is key . No different than potty training a kid .

TD

Some dogs catch on quicker...:)

http://www.hilarious-pictures.com/fi...-going-pee.png

Just an update - training is going better. I doubt it was a UTI - more so just his block-headedness from what I can tell. He is no longer having accidents when we bring him inside, but if you don't watch for his cues when he DOES need to go outside, he doesn't hold it very well. He's still young, and I understand that completely.

Crate training is going much better than I had expected however. When we crate trained Misty we had hours of non-stop whining and barking, she would bark until she was hoarse. Dave on the other hand will whine a little, perhaps let out a little yip for 5 minutes, then he's down for the count - yet to sleep through the night however. He usually starts crying around 4am (crated from 11pm the previous night). Not too bad if you ask me however.

It's a learning experience for both owner and pup, I'll say that for sure. I've trained many dogs in the past - and each one is different.

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Originally Posted by jweese

Dave (our new Lab pup) has been home for two weeks now. He is just over eight weeks old - question is this - when do they just "get it" with the house breaking?

I guess I got off easy with Misty, and my previous dog Jasmine (Karelian Bear Dog if it makes any difference). We got both dogs at 8 weeks old, and both only took a couple days of training and they were housebroken and never looked back, and never had an accident since being broken.

Dave, on the other hand - has two or three accidents daily. He's going outside hourly, and within 10-15 minutes after eating. We go outside, and walk and walk until he's had enough, and he'll pee a couple times, then go inside and pee again.

Couple that with the snow - the pup eats snow like it's candy. I don't get it either, he's got plenty of water throughout the day, but snow is just sooo tasty to him.

Any suggestions or thoughts? Just keep at it?

Frustrating, trying to remember he's just a little baby; but frustrating none-the-less.

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jweese some great suggestions for housebreaking a pup along with crate training. Without knowing the family dynamics it would be next to impossible to suggest the best remedy. Is your pup a bold outgoing pup that rules the house or is it showing submissive behavior to you or others ? Submissive urination is a tricky one and in some cases can be genetic it requires allot of change to your usual approach. Again without knowing your family dynamic I cannot make a recommendation. So a pup being a pup or a child being a child only works knowing them and the environment they are being raised in. PM me if you like.

puppies...
i'm glad i have a 2 year old now. i loved him when he was a pup, but what an @$$hole!
so glad to be out of that stage. good luck and i'm sure it will end eventually.

I'm with you - I despise puppies lol

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Originally Posted by 400bigbear

Sharon , Sharon, Sharon . Yes there is a small possibility it is an infection and should be considered in the long run but more rare than common . Pups usually don't lift their legs either at that age . Yup, even this old cranky trapper squatted at his early point in life while peeing .:ashamed::D And heah, I now pee on trees .:D

TD

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I bet you do. LOL Merry Christmas Sir.:)

( All my JRT pups over the years lifted their leg from 10 weeks+. They are real men.)

This is for all the men on the forum who love those pis....ing contests. I was going to name the dogs but restrained myself. :)

http://i1282.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9abe903f.jpg

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Originally Posted by Sharon

I bet you do. LOL Merry Christmas Sir.:)

( All my JRT pups over the years lifted their leg from 10 weeks+. They are real men.)

This is for all the men on the forum who loves those pis....ing contests. I was going to name the dogs but restrained myself. :)

http://i1282.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9abe903f.jpg

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Sharon I don't see a kings crown ?lol

My guy is a couple weeks shy of 2 years old and still doesn't lift his leg. He has a very manly squat though bahahaha

My girl is 4 and lifts her leg. I think she's a lesbian.

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Originally Posted by welsh

My girl is 4 and lifts her leg. I think she's a lesbian.

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ROTFLMAO .:scream::D:D

TD

Welsh , some people might call her a dominant female.

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Originally Posted by Wood Witch

Welsh , some people might call her a dominant female.

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Isn't dominant and female the same thing?

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Originally Posted by The Wife

Mine's about 2 and a half and still wobbles when he lifts his leg. Looks like he's gonna fall over sometimes. Ends up peeing on his front foot half the time. :whacked:

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Well that is because a woman is taking him out and showing him . I hear Mike Pal is the go to trainer to teach lift the leg .:D

TD

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Originally Posted by 400bigbear

Well that is because a woman is taking him out and showing him . I hear Mike Pal is the go to trainer to teach lift the leg .:D TD

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BB I've trained panty waisted shirt and tie guys from the GTA to lift their legs :)

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...ps6a659d1b.jpg

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Originally Posted by MikePal

BB I've trained panty waisted shirt and tie guys from the GTA to lift their legs :)

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p...ps6a659d1b.jpg

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I didn't think that was possible Mike but you have proven me wrong . LMAO .

TD

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Originally Posted by terrym

Isn't dominant and female the same thing?

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and a Merry Christmas to you too!:santa:

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Originally Posted by The Wife

I'm so relieved my Brittany grew out of that. It was a real eye opener for us. We'd never had a dog with this issue before. He would pee at the slightest excitement but he also had a stubborn streak, so would pee when he couldn't get his way. But I also think this submissive urination kept him from understanding when his bladder was full and to let us know when he needed to go. It took quite a while to fully potty train him. Using a bell at the door helped. It made it like a game but he could also ring it to his heart's content when he was trying to get attention. Every time he rang it, we let him out and encouraged him to "go" even if he didn't need to.

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And if it's genetic submissive urination the dog doesn't even realize they are urinating based on the information from my vet. They get excited and pee ! If you scold them it makes it worse. We did the door bell thing also with the same outcome you had.

just be patient, it will get better. They know what they are supposed to do. I've had quite a few dogs, all different breeds and my Chocolate Lab which is my newest dog was one of the toughest. I thought he'd never get there but he did!