Yes Another Toilet Training, Please I Need Help!

[PomPup]

hi everyone,

i have a 7 month old Pomeranian. I am still having a lot of trouble with toilet training.

ill give you some background.

Got our gorgeous girl when we were living in a great sized townhouse with a small yard. we just about had the toilet training down pat. Every morning she would run to the back door to go on the grass, throughout the day if we were home (partner did shift work) we would keep an eye on her and take her out by saying 'outside' a few times a day to which she would go outside and relieve herself on her own on the outside command an act that always got lots of praise and cuddles. She assossiated outside with toilet time and play time after. All our downstairs living area was floorboards so if there was an accident it was ok, we tried to keep her off the carpet upstairs as we were renting, but as she figured out how to use the stairs we found that she would only relieve herself in the bathroom on the tiles, something i was not too concerned about as this was not a regualar occurrance, just when she didnt have time to go outside.

Unfortunatly the owner decided to sell up and we recieved our notice to leave. 57 days into our 60 day notice and completely stressed out at the rental market in melb - viewed so many properties and unfort, didnt get any, we were desperate. On the 59 day we got approved for a 2 bed apartment, much like a shoe box compared to what we had, and unfortunatley no grass, just a balcony and all carpet.

We have been here for 2 months now and it is out of control!

i ensure the first thing i do when i get up is get her out of bed and take her outside - anytime from 5-6am each day. after freezing for 10 mins and a short walk up the road she still has not gone. As soon as we get back inside she decides to go on the carpet or about 10 mins later. She is also doing her number 2's on the carpet. It is always at the same spot at the front door. i have tried to train her back on to training mats, with no success, and what has surprised me is that she no longer will go on the tiles as well, it is always on the carpet.

As she has access to a secure balcony she does spend time out there but will not go to the toilet there either. We take her for a walk every day and sometimes she will stop and relieve herself and other times she will wait until she gets home, and you guessed it, on the carpet.

i am open to any suggestions you may have as i am so sick of picking up business, blotting carpet and shampooing every week... how do i stop her going in the same spot? is it the scent? i have tried covering the whole area with training mats but she wil lthen just go a few metres in front of the mats, closer to the living area.

She is a very smart dog in all other areas, and has adjusted well with the move except this toilet business.

Please help i am going crazy.

[Erny]

Moving house can be quite an ordeal for a dog and definitely a time when her perception of you as "leader" is essential. (Food for thought - please consider it carefully as her age, ie 7 months, is about the time when maturation causes them to 'experiment' with their perception of who holds hierarchy).

But, going by what you have written, I suspect "substrate preference" may be a good part of the issue here. This is where the 'trigger' for going to the right place to toilet is the feel of the surface underneath their feet. She's been taught and has become used to going on grass. Now there is none. Try using a piece of fake turf (or an off-cut of real turf) to see if this is what the problem is.

She is out of kilter, I would imagine, with her new home. She may also not have been used to being taken out on lead for toileting, which may explain why it is not happening on the 'short walks'. Is there grass on those short walks? If there is, how much time is given for her body to relax enough to think about relieving her bladder? Patience is required and even though it might be cold (and I know it can be), rug up so you can spend the time needed. Your patience is probably what will win out. Even take her for longer walks first, and if she hasn't gone along the way, then wait patiently at the end, before you go back inside. And of course, when the "event" occurs outside, reward her well and try to take her back to that same spot each time, initially.

Edited June 17, 2008 by Erny

[Bailey9]

Have you tried the fake turf on the balcony??

Also what cleaning products are you using to clean up the mess? Some products that have ammonia in them and may only encourage them to use that spot. There are some products on the market specifically designed for cleaning pet mess. Could be worth getting one of these if you don't already.

If the dog is using the same spot, placing the bed or feed bowl on this spot should discourage the dog using that spot for a toilet and they usually wont mess near their food or bed.

[Jigsaw]

Bitches in particular seem to like going in the same place! I can tell from the yellow patches on my lawn!! Sometimes they don't want to do it anywhere other than home either, especially if they are not used to peeing while on a lead. Have you tried blotting with a pee pad so some of the smell is on there and using this pad on the balcony or even on your walk? Probably would look a little weird but if it might help??? As suggested using the right cleaners too is very important. Urine Off is pretty good!

[toydogs]

how awful for you and doggy to have to move to a smaller place! and yes the rental market is crazy at the moment.

good advice here, get rid of the smell on the carpet first point of call, and yes, your little dog unfortunately in another house is out of sorts, it does confuse them.

in my opinion spreading the puppy pads all over would only confuse the poor girl im afraid when she is used to going out mainly on grass. it sounds like when she did do it on the tiles, it was a lapse in training being 7 months old, she is still a baby! they will muck up from time to time especially with that breed. toys take a bit longer to learn to hold it for several hours.

i recommend to get some grass clippings and put that in a small area on the balcony, fake, she won't know what that is, better to get the real stuff she is used to. when she does go whereever that is, soak up some wee with some paper put that on the grass pile and also the smell of her poo as well. ....yes she is going on the scent.....

then when you manage to get her to do it on those clippings on the balcony repeat a word like wee-wee or something short so she knows you mean to go potty. I had poms many years ago and i had 3 girls from the same litter that were trained on word command. so whereever i was it didn't matter where, the word wee-wee would remind them to go.

pomeranians are very intelligent little dogs! for the time being i tell all my puppy/dog buyers when my dogs go into new houses and seeing as you have moved same applies to you, keep a good eye on her until she gets the routine for the new house. don't let her wonder around as you will eventually untrain her when you nearly had her fully trained by the sound of it, in the townhouse.

good luck!