Housebreaking?--

[KRISSIE]

Hi all, my 4 month old rotti puppy who is paper trained , now needs to learn to relieve himself outside.

How do I retrain him to go outside instead of on the papers?

Let the fun begin.......;)

Thanks.....

[Judy Chrusch]

Hi Krissie, wow do people still do that, paper train that is, LOL. What I would do now is take a piece of the newspaper outside with urine on it and place it in the yard and say, go potty or what ever term you use but use the same one each time. Take him to the same spot each time and praise ALOT and give a small treat each time he goes outside:D. Take him out after meals and when he wakes up from a nap or if he's had playtime in the house. Even if he does good for a couple days doesn't mean he is completely potty trained, stay consistent and most of all patient. Every dog is different so it's hard to tell how long it will take till he's fully trained. Just do your job by taking him out frequently and take him in and out through the same door. That about covers it, good luck and happy potty training :D :D.

Judy

[KRISSIE]

Thanks Judy !!:)

[Judy Chrusch]

Hi Krissie, have you tried the newspaper outside yet? Let me know how things are going:D.

Judy

[KRISSIE]

Hi Judy, I have been trying to get him to go outside for days now & he is so stubborn he refuses to relieve himself outside.
I always bring the paper with the urine on it but he has no real interest in it (he sniffs it once & then walks away). I have stood outside with him for hours & I can tell he has to go but he is holding it in. As soon as we get back in the house he runs to his spot & relieves himself..

I have also tried taking him out with my older dog so he can see her going to the bathroom outside & hopefully make the connection but that has not worked either. It seems like when he is out he is just too curious to all the sights & sounds around him to think about going to the bathroom. Everytime we go out everyone stops to say hello to him because he is a puppy & he is really cute that everyone feels the need to touch him ..lol, which I don't mind because I want him to be people & dog social but at the same time these destractions are making it harder for him to understand the purpose for being outside. He seems to associate going out as a social gathering instead of doing his buisness.

Also, in my neighborhood there is like a million dogs, do you think that maybe the reason he won't go outside is because he is picking up the scents of the other dogs urine & is afraid to go because he feels it is their territory & not his??

Thanks..

[Judy Chrusch]

Hi Krissie, unfortunately that can be a problem with paper training, it becomes a habit indoors. Do you have a crate, if so, crate him more and after an hour or so take him right outside to potty then back in the crate. Until he gets the message of going outside he should be in the crate, then when you get him out before he does anything else take him out and when he does go outside make a big deal about it with your happy voice and give a treat but back in the house in the crate again. I don't mean for you to use it as a punishment but some how he has to learn that he goes potty outside not inside. When he does potty inside say NO then immediately back out again, it will take time but don't give up, it'll come, patience is everything now. It may take weeks but when he gets it he'll go outside all the time, hopefully, LOL. Try to stay cool and calm bc they pick up on your moods. Let me know how things are going and as for other dogs and their smells, that usually makes a male go so he's just a bit confused right now that's all.

[KRISSIE]

Thanks Judy, I will keep trying...

He is a little unusual about the crate. He hates going in the crate & when I put him in it he gets spiteful & urinates in his crate. The weird part is; unlike, the other dogs I have had , he will lay right in the urine. My female was a piece of cake, she was very easy to train, she never made a mess in her crate & she seemed to like the crate because is was her own little space, Maximus on the other hand wants no part of the crate. I will try anyway & I'll let you know how we are doing. Wish me luck!
Thanks.....;)

[Judy Chrusch]

Krissie, make sure he only has enough room to turn around in his crate, if it's bigger, then you should partition it off. Czar was very tough to housebreak though once he got the hang of it, it was great. Now at 15 months we're lucky if we can get him out at night before bed to go potty, he can hold it like you wouldn't believe:D. Just when you think they're trained they have another accident so don't expect too much yet. No one says they HAVE to be trained by a certain age, it all depends on their bladder control, they develope at different rates. My other 2 rotties were a breeze but no two are ever alike and don't compare others you've had on anything. Just as humans they are all individuals. So continue doing what was suggested and stick to it and be consistent, don't soften with the crate. Find a real delicious treat to lure him in, throw it in to the back of the crate and really praise once again, it's all routine and consistency, very very important and don't forget the praise part. Czar, who like I said is now 15 months goes in the crate with no hesitation. When we have to go somewhere, all I say is," we have to go somewhere, you have to go in your crate," he goes right in, no questions asked. He can be in another room and I say that, he'll come running. I am a very consistent person when it comes to him and saying the same thing over and over is how they learn. You'll be fine but again I stress the patience part, the rest will follow:D. In another week you'll be saying he's finally going outside :D. Take care and keep me posted, if you want you can PM me anytime.

One more thing, you said he doesn't really like his crate well he probably knows if he gives you a hard enough time you won't put him in, don't let HIM tell you what to do, remember who the boss is here.

Judy

[KRISSIE]

Thanks Judy, I will keep you posted on how we are doing.....

[KRISSIE]

HI Judy, unfortunely; I am having no luck with housebreaking Maximus, . I have been taking him out after he eats, after he naps and I have pulled up his papers but he still returns to the spot where his papers were to eliminate. I figured at this point the only way this will work is if I take him out for however long it takes ( my luck probably 12 hours ..lol) & wait for him to go to bathroom. This weekend my boyfriend & I are going to take him out & keep him out for the whole entire day until he goes.
He is in dog obedence school & is doing very well with that. I know if he would just go to the bathroom once outside & we praise him alot & give him a ton of treats he will probably start to make the connection. Wish me luck.....

I will let you know how we do this weekend.:)

[Judy Chrusch]

Krissie, so he's still going in the house where the papers were? Have you cleaned that area up real good, free from any smell of urine or poop bc if not he will continue to go in that same spot. Did you ever hear of a spray called Bitter Apple, it's a spray that deters dogs from chewing and other undesireable things. Go get some, lightly spray the area where he has been use to going and when he goes near it say, NO POTTY and take him right out bc if he spends time smelling that area he will have to go, use whatever word or words you choose but use the same word or words each time. Do you ever catch him going their? Can the spot where he's use to going be blocked off, if so don't let him near that spot till he gets over this but the first and most important thing to do is make sure the smell is GONE so there is no attraction to go back. Hang in their but before you know it it'll be something in the past:D. If he knows you're worked up he'll know. Let me know how things are going. One more thing, he doesn't go excessively does he, IOW could he have a UTI? Let me know how things are going.

[KRISSIE]

Hi Judy, Thanks for the tip on the spray, I will definitely pick it up.
I have been cleaning the area with Lysol & pine but I guess even though we don't smell anything , he still does. I have a gate that I can put up in the area to keep him out; hopefully, it will work.
I hope he doesn't have a UTI , he doesn't go excessively but he does go quite a few times a day.

Thanks for your help, I'll keep you posted.:D

[brunie's mom]

You need to buy an enzyme cleaner sold at pet stores some brands are : Simple Solution, Nature's Miracle etc. this will take away the smell so that the dog does not go back to the same spot. Lysol and pine will not do it.
Put the pups crate over the place that he is using for his latrine... this may get him to change his mind:)

Good-luck!
Gina