Housebreaking a 5 month old

[lisajnapier]

I just became the mama of a 5 month old Rottie female that was loosing her home due to divorce.
She was mainly kept outside. However we will be keeping her inside. What tips can you all give me for house breaking her?

I currently have puppy pads by the door that she is useing very regular (we got her on Monday). However we can take her out and walk her for an hour and she will not go on the lead. Keeping in mind its 0-25 degree's here depending on the time of day.

[AngelBunny]

Using the Search function at the to of your screen, do a search on Housetraining. Doing so will pull up lots of posts with helpful tips and info.

[brunie's mom]

Thank-you for taking in this puppy.
First of all get rid of the puppy pads. It's teaching the puppy that she is allowed to go in the house. Buy yourself a crate for her. This teaches her to hold it (most dogs will not go where they sleep or eat). Start by feeding each of her meals in the crate...and leave her in the crate when she cannot be supervised. You should be taking her out every 30 minutes or so (just for the first couple of days)...and then start taking her out every hour or so. Each time you take her out...you give her the command to go. Use the same words each and every time such as "go potty" or "go pee" or "do your business" etc. Keep walking her in a small circle without too much excitement or fuss. Try to keep things low key. You could also take out one of the used puppy pads and place it outside. The smell will attract her to the spot. When the puppy pees/poops...then praise with lots of excitement in your voice and have treats in your pocket to treat. Each and everytime she goes out you must do this.
She will soon understand that she must go outside.

Does not matter what the weather is, you must go out with her and be there to give the command and to praise. Do NOT give her the opportunity to go in the house. She must understand that it is only acceptable to go outside.

Most puppies at this age would have been house trained already.
The crate will really help to speed things up in her training.

Gina

[lisajnapier]

We have the puppy pad next to the door and she is using it everytime. The idea is to keep that there for a few more days then move it outside, so that she knows to go outside.
I did this method with my 1st rottie. He was completely house trained by 9 weeks old. I got him at 5 weeks. I know now that was WAY to young to have taken him from the litter but didn't know at the time. He came from a bad BYB and was being eaten alive by fleas. So not sure which was worse taking him early or letting the fleas eat him.

Like I said she is using the puppy pads like clock work no accidents anywhere else in the house. So the goal is to move it outside very soon.

[brunie's mom]

Still a bad idea to use puppy pads. Get rid of them! Your puppy is 5 months old...she should be house trained. If you had not used the puppy pads she would be peeing outside already.

30 years ago, that is how house training was done. You put newspapers down and taught them to pee on papers. Then puppy pads were invented and instead of newspapers, they went on puppy pads.

There is no need for puppy pads. Stop being lazy and take the puppy out. This is a much easier and quicker way to teach a puppy. It's giving mixed messages...you are allowing the puppy to use your home as her latrine.
Also a 5 month old puppy has way more pee then a 5 week old puppy.

Get your shoes on, get your coat on and take puppy OUTSIDE.

Gina

[lisajnapier]

First of all I am NOT being lazy.

I do not want to be flamed for this but I do have a job and am away for 9 hours a day. So Sasha uses the pads. Which in my opinion is better then her peeing or pooing on my floor. When I am home I'm taking this dog out every 1/2 hour and watching her cue's as to when she needs to go if its not done in that 1/2 hour.

All of this considered I had a black lab and a rottweiler that I house trained successfully. Our last dog was a min pin that was NEVER fully house broke.

I will get this puppy house broke, it just may take a little longer then most since I am gone so much.

I appreciate the advice and I am trying to do what I can for this puppy. Since I did not get her until she was 5 months old and she was an outside dog I think we've come a long way.

As mentioned I plan on buying her a crate. I just do not have the extra money right now to fund one.

[mrs5pennies]

Originally Posted by lisajnapier

I just became the mama of a 5 month old Rottie female that was loosing her home due to divorce.
She was mainly kept outside. However we will be keeping her inside. What tips can you all give me for house breaking her?

I currently have puppy pads by the door that she is useing very regular (we got her on Monday). However we can take her out and walk her for an hour and she will not go on the lead. Keeping in mind its 0-25 degree's here depending on the time of day.

Daisy, my rottie, was 6 mos old when we adopted her from a kennel. She spent the first 6 mos of her life in a cage. We were very concerned that she might be hard to potty train, but she has been soooo easy! We ask her if she needs to go potty and take her out. We try to take her out every 3 to 4 hrs, and use a 15 ft lead. After the first week, she had no accidents in the house. If she has to go out, she goes to the back door first, then the side door. She is absolutely amazing!!! (She will NOT do anything if she's on her regular leash!!! I would certainly try a longer lead for when you take her out.

[lisajnapier]

Thank you Mrs5pennies! I will try a longer lead for sure.

I took her out last night and let her off the leash and she did go outside but we have yet to get her to go on the leash.

She has an appointment with a trainer on Thursday. She will be in the kennel all day getting trained (obedience) while I am at work. They are going to work with her also on the house breaking.

She is super smart so I know it won't be long before she catches on!