My 11 week old rottie pees in his crate and doesn't seem to be picking up on potty training!!

[baycaligirl1]

Hello:) I'm new to this forum as a member but have been reading these threads for about a month and already read some great information:) I'd like to say hello to everyone and Im looking forward to getting some answers from experienced owners like yourself. I've had my 11 week old baby rottie now for about 3 weeks. Ive been crate training him and doing the usual potty training in the house. If I catch him going tell him no and put him outside where I want him to go and if he continues to go outside praise him. We'll thats what I've been doing and he doesn't seem to be catching on at all. I will even look for signs of him like the sniffing, going around in circles however alot of the times he doesn't do any of that and will just be walking..stop and start peeing. I take him out every hour..I used to take him out every two hours but but that was to long for him as he goes pee ALL the time. When i take him out I will tell him "go potty" and we will be outside for a good while half an hour or sometimes longer. He will just lay down or start chewing on wood branches, playing, etc. I will finally bring him back in and within 5 minutes he will go in the house when we were just outside for quite a while. This is a constant occurance and I'm being so patient but starting to get a little annoyed. Also he goes pee in his crate all the time and doesn't seem to mind. When he's in his crate which is at night and when I can't watch his every move he justs pees in it and has pooped about 4 times and it will be all over him. I always put him outside first before putting him in his crate but he still constantly goes in his crate. Which is unnatural for a dog to do that as thats there den. The poop in the crate is a constant thing but the peeing is. Will he ever Catch on?????? What should I do he just doesn't seem to be getting this potty training program. All your help would be greatly appreciated!!

[JaniceH]

Hi,

Sorry your pup isn't catching on but he will. Some pups just take longer than others. I can only offer a couple of suggestions.

Don't wait for the signs of his wanting to pee, although obviously be very vigilant. Let pup out first thing in the morning, last thing at night, and if necessary get up during the night to allow him to empty his bladder. Let pup out before and after feeding, before and after rest, and after exercise/play.

How much room is in the crate? There should just be enough for pup to stand and turn around in and lie down comfortably. There should not be enough room for him to walk around in at this stage, so if there is, then partition the back part off to allow him just enough room. This space can be extended as pup grows.

This is how I trained my rott,Teazle, and she was fully house trained after 2 weeks. In fact after a week she was asking to go out and we only ever had a couple of accidents. But she was a bitch so maybe it does take longer for a male, but the principles are the same.

But you must be patient and not lose your cool. You do right to make much of your pup when he does go to the toilet outside. Good luck.

[Chantal]

How big is your crate? Does the pup have to much room? Marley (14 weeks) was peeing in her crate too & kept giving her less & less space in there until she stopped. I just fill up the back with tightly packed boxes. I've read that they should have just enough room to turn around. Then of course when they know what to do, you can take the boxes out. My boxes are still packed in there, but I think this weekend I will take some out & see how she does. I mean, we still have accidents in the house, but that will come with time. Of course she never has to go more than a few hours at a time during the day, but she does sleep all night. She starts barking about 7 am to go out. This has been for about the past week going all night. Up until then it was about 5 am she was going potty & then back in until the morning.
My other 2 dogs were potty trained alot faster than this one. But, they didn't have an option really. I worked all day, came home at lunch to feed & let out, & then back in. I stay at home now, with our daughter, so she's out much more than the other 2 were.
Also, are you taking him out to go potty on a leash? I was not doing that at first & it was let's chew some woodchips, run down the hill, everything but potty. So now she always on a leash to go out & it is so much easier. Whenver she's out of the crate, at this point she has a leash on, that way she's easier to grab or step on the leash if she's going after something she's not suppose to.
Also, a few weeks time will make a big difference, hang in there!

[Kandi]

If you have a divider, make his crating are smaller to the point where he has no room to get out of his potty business. My one girl had that problem, and I had the crate divided. She was living in a kennel area before she arrived here because they did not want to chance her bonding with them. She was the last puppy to go home. I know when I potty trained, we went out every half hour, every day for a week. Presto--potty trained--my older one. The younger was more stubborn. If I had to do it again, I would do the every half hour because it was recommended to me and it worked. Good luck with your puppy. Hopefully you will find something that works for you.

[Shelby427]

Remember, your puppy is only 11 weeks old. It'll take time, but he'll eventually get it. Take him out every hour on the hour. Take him out after eating, playing, napping. When you can't watch him, put him in a crate that's only large enough for him to stand up, turn around and lay back down. When you take him out to pee and he starts playing with things and not focusing on peeing, take a romp around the yard (on leash) and seriously throw a party with treats when he goes outside. I know it seems tedious and that he'll never get it, but he will!

Good luck!

[baycaligirl1]

Hello::00 thank you for your advice:) His crate is just big enough for him to stand, turn, and lay comfortably. I'm actually going to buy a bigger crate with a divider cause the one he has now will only work for another 2-3 weeks or so. I do take him out every hour sometimes even before that like if hes been playing for example. I've tried the taking him on the leash to go potty since it seems like once were outside he wants to do everything but potty. However he will NOT go when he's on a leash..thats strange, huh?? He will just sit or lay down. I will tug his leash for him to get up which he will and say "Go potty" then he just sits right back down. Last night I tried the leashthing again because I had him outside for about an hour in a half hours and he didnt want to go potty so I brought him inside and put him in his crate within 5 minutes he peed in it. So I put the leash on him and literally without exagerration sat there for a 2 hours and he would just look at me and I'd keep saying "go potty" but nope he just layed there. I know I have to be patient and understand pups have accidents but it will amaze me how he will be out side for an hour and won't go potty but as soon as he comes inside he goes. Thats the frustrating part because he doesn't seem to understand and get it and Im a stay at home mom so I take him out ALL day. I guess i will try the every half hour program and see how that works however he will probably just sit there(if on leash) and play (if NOT on the leash). Also the peeing in the crate boggles me cause it is not to big for him and when he pees in there he doesn't even try to go in the corner well its actually not even big enough to if he wanted. He just goes pee and still lays down in it like it nothing:::(((((((((I have gone through a bottle of Shampoo within 2 weeks cause I have to bath him so often. From the peeing in the crate and he's constantly stepping in his poop outside and I clean it up every two days but he always manages to step in it...YUCK!! Im also going to try having him on the leash inside the house..I haven't tried that yet and I'm praying that will help to really keep him in check. He is the cutest pup ever but his bathroom habits are horrible. Thank you all for you help and hopefully he will start to learn but have my doubts on how long it will atke since I've been staedy for 3 weeks going on a schedule with the every hour potty, after eating, playing and sleeping he goes out to potty. I feed him the same two times everyday and take hi water away at 8:00pm...but I'll keep trying cause he's now part of our family::

[Chantal]

He will get used to going potty on the leash, Marley didn't like it at first, but now she's used to it. And it helps that it's on her all the time in the house, except when she's in her crate.

Did you clean the crate really good, perhaps it still smells like his urine???

I also thought I would go crazy giving her baths all the time, but it has gotten way better & she hasn't had an accident in the crate since I gave her alot less room.

[baycaligirl1]

I have him inside the house right now and I've put the leash on him..he doesn't seem to happy cause it can only go around a certain distance. I used to keep in this room with us with the door closed however he was going to the other side of the room where we couldn't see him so this leash idea is perfect and once he's potty trained we will be able to let him be:: I use natures miracle to clean his messes up::

[Calin]

I would get the best treat you can imagine....something VERY high value like a piece of boiled chicken....and ONLY give it to your pup when he pees in 'his spot' outside. It's got to be a really great treat, so as to inspire him to hold it for the treat.

I would make sure I was feeding him at the same time every day. I would take him out to pee and poop at the same times throughout the day. The reason for this is that dogs have a pretty good internal clock. If the dog has no idea when he's going outside next, he might not bother to hold it. If he knows he has a chance to go to his spot and win that really great treat, then he might just hold it a liiiittttlllle bit longer.

At 11 weeks, I would think your pup still needs to be outside every 1 and a half hour during the day. I would pick up his water at 8 pm and allow him no more food past then. His last pee should be around 11pm or so and then you wake up bright and early to let him out at 7. This will hopefully take care of the accidents in the crate.

And lastly, remember that he is still very young. I am not surprised at all that he doesn't 'get it' yet. My pup wasn't completely house trained until she was 5-6 months old! And all during the training, it didn't seem like we were making ANY progress. But I kept it up and was patient and finally, the little light went off above her head and it's been easy street ever since.

Also, I've found that there is this product called 'Urine Gone' that does a really good job of getting rid of the smell.

Good luck!

[jackdee]

Jezzz ... I went through this. I posted here forever. IT WILL CHANGE.----A wife of a dog trainer ,told me on the phone that she - IS the housebreaker ....and that I should keep a daily Journal of feeding times, water times-and what time I walked her and what time she dumped or peeed,, AND IT SAVED MEEEEEE!!!!! It worked... Belive me I suffered. 150 roles of bounty paper towels before I SPOKE to HER -- Love your puppy.. it will not be a puppy that long -IF YOU DONT. YOU- will be MAD at yourself. IT will Change..

[RiggersMum]

My Rott is just now at 5.5 months starting to get the picture.

[baycaligirl1]

Hi thanks for all the great advice I think he's actually starting to get it::))Instead of just praising him when he went potty outside I took Calin's advice boiled some chicken and have been using that now and for a couple days. NO ACCIDENTS and when I take im outside and tell him to "Go Potty" he might not go the first time I say it but within the 3rd or 4th time he GOES!!! then runs over for his treat::)) However one question cause I'm using these treats will he always expect them now?? Like will I have to still use them when he's a year old?? I think he is getting it and he hasn't peed in his crate for two nights which is great cue e used to pee everynight::)) I really didnt think he would start to get it but I think he is!!!Anything for food!!LOL

[Chantal]

I don't think you will have to do it when he's older. It's like teaching them sit, or down, you teach them with a treat & then they finally start to get it. Though, my parents had a chow/shepherd mix that they always had to give a treat to when they came in from going potty -- actually only poop, but they did it his whole life.

[Nishasmom]

Originally Posted by baycaligirl1

I'd keep saying "go potty" ::

"go potty" means NOTHING if you say it all the time. Save the labeling until he is in the process of going. He probabley thinks "go potty" means sit here on the leash and do nothing. You teach a dog to sit, when he is in the process of sitting, same with potty training.

Try putting a bell on the door. Have him ring it with his nose EVERY time you go outside. Soon he will learn to "ask" to be let out. If he abuses this privilege (just goes out with no pottying) bring him in to his kennel. Take him back out in 5-10 min. repeat until he goes. Then make a huge "party" about it, come in and have lots of fun! Our trainer said no free time in the house, unless puppy has gone potty.

Good luck, he will learn. Don't abuse the cues!!! (go potty)

[Calin]

Originally Posted by baycaligirl1

However one question cause I'm using these treats will he always expect them now?? Like will I have to still use them when he's a year old??

Not at all. I would wait until he's accident free for 6 consecutive weeks and then maybe drop down to a lower value treat. (something cheapy). If he does OK for a few more weeks, I would start only rewarding him periodically. And then a few weeks after that, the habit is probably ingrained enough that you can probably phase the treats out completely. By then, your dog should also have pretty good control of his bowls and be able to hold it a bit longer.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of the 'bell' technique and training a dog to 'ask.' I've found a lot of dogs will start asking to go outside not because they have to go, but because they want to play. I prefer to teach my dog to go on a schedule, when *I* say she should go, and pretty much on cue. Of course, I an careful to never put my dog into a position where she really has to go and I 'forget' to take her out. But I do expect her to go where and when I say it's appropriate.