Housetraining 101 - Please Read this Thread in its Entirety

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Kikala - you need to be more specific! Firstly, have you taken the time to read this entire thread? It is chock full of information that is useful in all different types of circumstances.

Generally, we advise everyone to at least attempt to ultimately have their dogs eliminate outside. If you have a balcony, that can help. Obviously with a very young pup, there just isn't time to wait for an elevator, but the ultimate goal should be to go outside!!!

Please read the whole thread, even if parts seem repetitive and may not directly apply to your circumstance because within each, you will see a pattern emerge that you can then apply to your living arrangement. You quoted someone, but didn't do it so we could see from where you obtained the quote. I appreciate that you are new and may not be familiar with how to do that, but your post needs far more context.

Best of luck.

[Silvamama]

Hi!
I have definitely read ALL 18 pages but still think I have a question not posted yet, although a similar one was but the answer did not work for us. Our 9 1/2 week old mini dachshund can hold her pee for hours already (and no, she doesn't seem dehydrated), drinks enough and manages a 6 hour night without needing to go.

But after putting her outside during the day when we think she should need to go (say 1.5 hours since she last went), we wait for EVER and she doesn't go! This has happened even when we spend more than an hour waiting, not playing in the beginning, playing (as we get bored), taking her inside for a bit, taking her straight back out to her spot and saying potty (regularly use that word), waiting again for 15-20 min and still nothing until she gets inside her blanket when she will promptly go!
We have washed it in very hot water, used enzyme sprays and even Dettol antiseptic, but still. She has gone wee on her sleeping area daily or twice daily almost every day. Twice poo also, but I think I have managed to watch for that and it hasn't happened since.

I thought dogs have a natural disinclination to pee where they sleep, but not this one, even though she shows signs of intelligence in all other areas.
After reading all other posts, I realise that we don't seem to have the huge problems of some others so should consider ourselves lucky, which I now do.

I now watch even more vigilantly and never let her inside her bed unless she has just gone, but we have never left her alone and I'm worried that when we inevitably must leave her for a period to work (say 1 hour to start with), it will recurr.
She has done the same thing in her crate.

As it is hot now, the pee drys fairly quickly, so not uncomfortable for her to lie on really. Perhaps the smell is what she wants but WE don't!

PS have read the posts about someone calling her puppy 'it' and would like to add that we speak another language (as well as English) in which the dog is male gender in grammar. So my folks will always call our girl 'he', no matter what! Had an acquaintance who always called her dogs 'it' but cannot remember what her first language was (too long ago), again, though, it was that dog in her language of origin was neutral, so was always grammatically an 'it'. Perhaps people don't like to reveal that they might be ESL? Just a thought.
PPS sorry it's such a long post

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Your puppy is only 9 1/2 weeks old, and has no concept of being able to hold and/or control her bladder. That recognition won't really start to occur until at least 16 weeks, and then it is mostly because YOU will be better trained.

There is an average length of time for which a puppy is assumed to be able to "hold it", which is 1 hour for ever 2 months of life, so an 8 week old puppy MIGHT be able to go for a whole hour without needing to eliminate. This is an average guideline and not a hard and fast rule.

Your puppy may seem to be holding it, or may simply not need to go. When you take her outside, stay out there for a reasonable period of time. If she does not eliminate, bring her back in, put her back in the crate and take her back out again in five minutes, or less!

When the puppy does go outside, throw a party! Make a huge fuss, and associate a word with the action, or phrase. I can literally ask my dogs if they need to "go out?".

Be patient and keep your expectations realistic with your puppy's age.

Good luck to you.

[kian]

What Deb said! Be patient, she is a baby and this is something she has to learn to understand which comes with age. The other question I have is regarding your yard, are there loud noises and distractions? It is scary for a puppy to potty to where dogs are barking, cars are going by or other noises in general.

Holding it during the night is different than the day when the puppy is most awake. Dogs do in fact do not potty where they sleep, if a puppy does, it's because she has been in there way too long. At 9.5 weeks, she really doesn't have much control yet regardless of where she is. The bladder feeling and the brain have not connected yet.

Don't say "potty" until she actually is, by doing so before she understands can stress her out. At 9.5 weeks, she doesn't understand the word yet.

Remember her bladder is the size of a walnut now, it doesn't take much fluid to make her potty. She maybe a 15-20 minute puppy. My Allie was that until she matured enough to hold it longer.

This site is worldwide, grammer varies which each country. What other language do you speak?

[Silvamama]

Thanks for taking the time to reply. Much appreciated.
I did get from all those pages I read (and it took me 3 days!) that she is very young and still a baby. I was just concerned that this pup might be unusual in that she does not recognise her sleeping area as a place not to soil. And I was going a bit nuts watching her constantly to prevent the 'doing it in the kennel' problem. She lets us sleep around 5.5 hours a night and more than a week of this means poor judgement as a result of all that sleep deprivation!

A friend hasn't house trained her puppy and she is now 9 months old and must go to puppy school. I don't think my sanity could hold out that long! I also read that dachshunds are very hard to toilet train, so I was getting fearful.
I wasn't the one wanting a puppy (16 year old daughter nagged for years), knew how much hard work it was and don't like setbacks so try to get it right the first time and as soon as possible! Realising that I have to do the hard yards for at least 3 months, including the behaviour training, before it starts to get a bit more predictable. And even then it is only us that are trained, not yet the puppy.

We understand that it is our fault if we don't let her out often enough and at the right time. Always thought after food or nap 'it' would come, but as I said, we could wait hours. The breeder gave us a big sign that said 'puppies can do no wrong', along with 'if it's smelly, it's mine; if it's tasty, it's mine; if it's broken, it's yours; if I make a mistake, see first rule'. Wise woman.

But are there dogs which can't be house trained? Sorry it's so hard to be patient when you're going slightly nuts with all the extra work! And constant vigilance. Which the responsible teenager promised to help with LOL!!!

Yard is huge when compared with the dog and always VERY interesting to her. Plenty of other creatures like bugs, lizards of all sizes, including blue-tongues. She doesn't even notice us or hear us praising her sometimes when she successfully goes as she is so distracted. And we tried to offer a food reward, which she notices much too late to associate it with praise for doing 'it', IMHO.

Her sleep kennel is in an enclosed compound with a puppy pad in it on tiled floor inside our house (near kitchen), so she has the opportunity to do it on the mat just outside her blanket, but she goes inside and pees instead of on the puppy pad sometimes, as well as poos, but after doing that she won't sleep or lie there, just makes lot of noise. I have heard that puppy pads can confuse, but with the amount of accidents we were having, it was preferable to have some indoor alternative to going outside. SHe is also afraid of doing it at night and in rain, so will only go on pad in those circumstances at present. Do I hold a party when she goes on the pad also?

Thanks for recommending not saying potty until she goes, as we've been saying it to encourage her to go!

Much appreciate any responses. German and Greek (household of 5). Could even be greek where dog is neutral, I can't remember.

[BraveTyphlosion]

Teddy is doing fantastic with house training, just wanted to thank everyone who gave me tips. He even seems to be beggining to understand that he has to go outside in other peoples houses and not just his own. I don't want to jynx myself but I am so proud of him and taking him out every 30 minutes for all that time was worth it. I'm pretty sure rewarding him with treats has helped too.

Silvamama: It sounds like your puppy is very easily distracted, this is okay don't worry your dog CAN be house trained. Almost all dogs can be house trained. It's a LOT of work and it can be frustrating at times and you'll be tired but if I can do it(I've been house training Teddy all by myself no help from mom), so can you. Besides, house training is a journey and you learn a lot about your dog and all their differences that make them your dog and not someone elses.

Here are some tips I found worked for me. Take it with a grain of salt, this is my first puppy and I'm certainly no professional.

You'll just need a lot of patience, a leash, and possibly some very enticing treats(something puppy can't resist, for Teddy it's mashed chicken.). Keep your puppy close when you take them outside to go, close enough that you can take the treat and wave it infront of their nose so they smell it and you have their attention. I knew Teddy understood what I wanted when he would look up at me expectantly after he went.

I have never used puppy pads with Teddy, I think that is too confusing and most puppy pads have "smells" that make your puppy want to go and that can rub off onto whatever surface you had it on. I acctually keep him in a small pen which connects to his crate at night so he is restricted but if he NEEDS to go he has the oportunity to get out of his bed and go on the kitchen floor which is easy to clean. If you want I can put up a picture of how it looks and works.

Accidents happen in the crate. Don't panic, I did the first time I saw him do this but it really wasnt a big deal he was just distracted. Just remember to either wash the bedding VERY well and soak it in some special enzyme cleaning solution(whatever you use on your floors when they have an accident, I use natures miracle) for about an hour before popping it in the washing machine or just throw out that bedding all together and get something else.

Also your puppy is young, it will take a while to gain not only mental understanding but physical control. She probably like everyone says doesn't know yet that she needs to go, the brain hasn't gotten that far.

[virgilsmama]

Bravo! Bravetyphlosion!!! Great job! on your training your puppy an d relating your experience!

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

Silvamama, I am far too long in responding to you, and I apologize for that. Please blame the season!!!

Expect the first year to be difficult. That is just how it is. However, take heart that it does become easier as YOU learn the signs and the timing. It is really your job to figure out what your puppy needs. It takes a lot of time and effort.

Please continue to follow the guidelines as set out in this thread. When you take the puppy out, you don't have to endlessly say "go potty". You may try to say it gently as it starts to happen to reinforce that is what is happening. I've never done that personally. I use the term "out" or "go out?" as a question. I can literally ask my two little dogs "do you need to GO OUT?" and if they do, they trot to the door.

Always use the same exit!!!! They know the door that is the one to go potty.

I would avoid the pads as much as possible, especially if you don't wish to use them on an ongoing basis. Most dogs don't like the rain, so if there is a sheltered area, use that. If not, perhaps the rain will encourage her to do the business more quickly so as to come back inside. I found that to be the case with Oliver as a baby as he came home in February to a great deal of very cold snow!!!

The pads cause confusion, much like Pull-Ups do with our toddlers. I wish I had known then what I know now, but that's a different subject altogether. You mentioned your friend and her 9 month old pup still not being properly trained. That can happen, and I suppose the only dogs who aren't trained are the ones who have owners that didn't take enough time, to answer your question. Some dogs are definitely easier than others.

Good luck!

I must also say "yay for Teddy"! I know his Mum was very concerned at first....long before he even came home, and now thanks to all of her hard work, and due diligence, it is paying off.

It is one of the hardest things, but the most important thing if we wish to live in harmony with our dogs.

[Silvamama]

Hello to everyone and their 4-legged kids!
THank you all for the time you took to read my questions and reply. I am most grateful for all the advice. I have tried to follow the great ideas as much as possible and can post an update if anyone is interested.
Lyla (whose photo should appear with my posts as I've added it at least twice; no idea why it doesn't?)
is now more than 4 months old. Still a puppy but by miniature dog standards, closer to an adolescent.
I've read a lot about Dachshund temperament and they are definitely hard to toilet train and to train in general. Not motivated by pleasing their owners much! Not stupid, but just not willing to do what you want them to at the time you want - only if it suits them.
When she feels like it, she will sit, stay, stop, come, walkies, etc. I.e. she knows what you are asking, but just does it on her terms.
She is still not toilet trained and still has the occasional accident in her bedding, despite having other more suitable places to go easily accessible at the time. She, unfortunately, does not show much of a disinclination to soil her bedding!
At least she is more mature and doesn't need to eliminate as often as when younger.
We make mistakes also! You'd think with 5 people in the house, she'd get enough supervision, but that just doesn't happen with our super-busy lives and responsibilities.
She may pee on anything lying around; plastic bag, paper, floor towel, sports bags (2-legged kids need to learn to clean up after themselves better!), etc. Will never go in rain, even if full bladder; she manages to do a mini-pee and do the rest indoors after the walk!!
For a while, she'd make the effort to go on her puppy pad/newspapers laid out, but we have regressed a bit since then and I've no idea why. We are having a doggy door installed so when that's complete, will get rid of puppy pads, but at the moment it is either keep her outside and listen to her cry or keep her with us and provide a puppy pad/newspaper (always in same spot).
Pooing is just random anywhere, unfortunately.
She is still so excited by going out that it is extremely rare for her to pee or poo on any walk or run (yes, she runs faster than me!). Tiny legs, crazy, energetic, lively dog! Sharp teeth, too! Bite, bite, bite, run, run, run, jump, jump, bite, bite, bite...

We are working on it, however. After a 2 hour walk and no peeing for 4 hours prior to that, it had to come eventually and we are starting to really reward with absolute favourite snack whenever toilet happens outdoors.
Maybe we just didn't party hard enough? Now, no-one goes out without a special treat in their pocket.
Indoors, we just didn't pay enough attention as it had to be absolutely constantly. The second you weren't watching, she'd be doing it!
Now we keep her in her enclosure with bed and pad when we can't watch her indoors, otherwise we just let her whine outside if we are simply too busy, but obviously this is not ideal. Ideally, we'd be outside too, watching her ready to praise her.
Have tried expensive enzyme spray and washing bedding very hot but perhaps we don't use enzyme spray enough as it's so expensive! Will try the one brand you mentioned, Harry's mum. Have just bought several new bed pads so can throw old ones out (they're only $6 each). BTW, congrats on training Teddy! Big achievement alone. Loved your heart-felt advice from the 'trenches' as it were.
Have even tried those biological pheromone drops that are supposed to smell so good that dogs have to go there; she just wants to chew whatever the drops land on! More expensive, failed experiments!
OK, I'm in it for the long haul and will look forward to the first year being better toward the end of it!
Choo choo is so delightful in so many other ways, we just have to work on that association that going outside is good, and going inside is NOT good!
Now just have to tame all that biting, also!
Thank you all again for your help.

[cbressler1976]

I posted this originally in the incorrect place....sorry all!...

I have a chiweenie (I know that it isn't a true breed, but that is what she is....mother was a dachshund and father was a chihuahua)... She is almost 4 months and I have had her for about a month now. I have been trying very hard to house train her.. She does good for the most part, but every now and then she has an accident. I'm not sure if she tried to tell me that she had to go potty or she just went.. When I take her outside, all I have to say is go potty and she will go. I am confused about how to teach her to tell me she has to go. How will I know? Do I just keep taking her out at certain times? I know if she has to go at night because she becomes restless, but during the day I don't know. Thank you for your help!

[kian]

Yes you posted in the right place! Be sure to get animated at the door before you go out. I recently acquired a Terrier mix, he was 10 months at the time and sure did not know how to tell me, he was not totally housetrained. It is beginnng to pay off, he is beginning to tell me. I get very excited at the door, (we do have a dog door, it isn't always open) I went out with him and rewarded him. Together we ran back into the house, it was all positive. I did tether him to me, which was hard as I have dog that wants to play with him. I kept the other two outside while I did this, try that, but watch where you step, she is very small.

There will be accidents, she is still very young and it's normal not to be totally housetrained at that age. Don't give her free run of the house yet until you get this undercontrol. Do read the first page of this thread, there are great tips from those of us very experienced. Hang in there and don't get frustrated, keep smiling!

[Silvamama]

Finally, at 5 months of age, we can say she is beginning to feel potty trained!
Other dogs we had were kelpies (like Australian cattle dogs) and chihuahuas and were MUCH easier to house/potty train. Dachshunds are clearly a breed on their own in this regard!

What worked?
+Time. Not expecting too much too early. Being patient and waiting until she was older and
+Persistence.
+Consistency: Doing the same thing daily for 3 months straight. [We still have at least a couple of months to go to be fully trained, I'd say, though. We have no accidents because us humans have become vigillant and have learnt the signs and timings. If we stopped noticing the subtle signs and missed the times she's likely to go, we would most probably have accidents still.]
+Giving the most-favoured treat when she did it outside. [It helped that all of us had a treat permanently in our pockets, always!]
+Using the same word when she went each time. Praising her a lot when it happened outside.
+Timing. Taking her outside all the obvious times even if 99% of the time she didn't go, it was worth catching the 1% and praising them - and that success increases with puppy age. Obvious toilet times have been stated numerous times in this thread, like after sleeping, chewing, eating.
+Getting rid of puppy pads as soon as feasible. They were confusing her when she got older. But we had to have them at the start if she was to be indoors with us at all as she'd step into her wee and get dirty immediately.
She was way too small to tether her to us when younger as she was smaller than our feet - One wrong step and she would have been gone!
+Catching her as she went in the wrong place, like her bed, and yelling NOoooo! Taking her straight outside after a mistake and saying that word for potty, even if she had already emptied.
+Confining her if not able to watch her constantly. This made mistakes easier to deal with (and catch) and if she was just left outside, it wasn't a mistake anyway, but it was a wasted opportunity to praise. [She no longer whines when left outside alone, but doesn't really like it if we are all inside and she isn't - who wouldn't? But my sanity needed periods of not monitoring our puppy constantly! And she needed to have more space than inside the enclosure all day long.]

Her bed was too big and she'd just go on the bit she wasn't sleeping on. Accidents there mostly happened when she was still half-asleep and needed to go, some of it was marking the bedding so it smelled like her or smelled familiar (probably what she had experienced whilst still with mum). And the puppy pads were the same feel as her bedding (even with newspaper on top), leading to confusion. Here, I'm just speculating based on observation, of course.
I do wish I knew exactly what my 3rd 'child' was thinking, but it's still in the process of being interpreted! Watching her often leads to learning the signs. And humans have to learn a lot!

It helped to think of her as my baby without a nappy/diaper as I forgave her all her accidents when I realised she was too young still to get it. And it gave me the strength to keep going as it was not easy and I was desperate at times. But you can't move things faster than the pace they need to go when you're working with living beings. ACCEPT that. Work with it and focus on all the wonderful things that go along with getting a puppy, like the psychological healing a dog can provide some kids with problems.

Lastly, figuring out our puppy's signs for needing to go. These developed slowly but, looking back, I think we didn't notice them and put 2 and 2 together until she was over 4 months old ourselves. We were just too preoccupied by other stuff, unfortunately for our baby.
She very rarely barks but after she is put in an enclosed space (like her crate or her puppy enclosure inside - an invaluable 8-sided fence-thingy - yes, we had her there inside the kitchen to keep her close and not give her the run of the house) she would briefly bark. If you then took her outside and gave her time to sniff, she would go. If we waited too long, she'd go wherever she was as, clearly, she couldn't hold it for long.

I still hope to get her to the point of waiting at the door and barking to go out when she needs to potty. I'd say that will take some months yet. I have learnt that I have to follow the best advice found here and keep trying! Never give up as it will eventually work, when the time's right.

Same went for biting; consistently telling her 'no biting!' and removing yourself if non-compliance after a warning.
Good luck to all and thanks for all the help and advice and encouragement from the experienced posters!

[kian]

Wonderful post!!! Bravo to you!

bravo.gif (37.51 KB) Viewed 251 times

[Oliver & Henry's Mum]

We do love a success story, and now we can direct new posters to your comments, not only for wisdom, but for strength, and encouragement!

WONDERFUL!!!