19 Months Old But Still Not Fully Toilet Trained

[Loyal K9]

I have a 19 months old Norwich terrier that is still not fully toilet trained.

She doesn't let us know when she needs to do her business.

We have to ask her and if she runs to then door that means she needs to go.

So we have to remember to ask her every few hours.

I would great if she could let us know by barking but she is a quiet dog and hardly bark.

She also often pees in early morning. Sometimes on the carpet or on the place she sleeps (the sofa!).

Presently she sleeps in her crate at night.

I usually make her sleep in the crate for a couple of weeks and then let her sleep where she choose.

Usually she is fine the first night but the following night she will wake me us in early morning.

This is her way of telling me that she just pee.

Then I put her back in her crate for the next 2 - 3 weeks.

This cycle continues many times without showing any improvements.

I thought by putting her in a crate when if she pees in early morning it will make her learn not to do it again.

Maybe she doesn't mind sleeping in the crate. On the same time she doesn't pee in it.

I puzzled as to the reason why this is so. Maybe she doesn't care?

What should I do to fix this?

[Erny]

Usually she is fine the first night but the following night she will wake me us in early morning.

This is her way of telling me that she just pee.

Have you had this girl since a pup? Asking just to get some idea as to whether you know her full history.

In relation to the section of your post that I have quoted above, I am wondering how (assuming you have had her from a pup) you went about cleaning up her accidents when they did occur. If you cleaned up in her presence it is possible that she has recognised that as some sort of attention and sees the regime as 'she pees, you come over and clean up' ... perhaps hence why she is peeing and then letting you know about it (so you'll do what she is used to you doing). Instead, clean up in her absence (ie put her in another room, or outside). In this way you are removing any 'value' she might be gaining from you cleaning up after her.

She is peeing where she sleeps? (ie the sofa). Is she peeing there in her sleep? Have you had her checked for any medical condition (eg incontinence)? If this is the case, then she can't help doing what she is doing and needs some medical intervention to assist her. I crossed out this part, given that she is not wetting when she is in her crate. What have you cleaned the sofa with? It may be that there remains the smell of urine (which encourages her to return to that spot) and/or the cleaning agent you have used is perhaps ammonia based (which does the same thing). Is it only the sofa that this wetting over night occurs? What about aiming to have her recognise her crate as her sleeping place, so that she will then volunteer to go there even though eventually the door may be left open. Graduate from there to her own special bed and preventing her from using the sofa/couch for that.

As for alerting you as a signal to want to go out. If she barks at all, you could try teaching her the "bark/quiet" trick. Once she has learnt to bark on command, you add that command in every time before she is let out to go to the toilet. Naturally, big party when the whole process is successful, even if it was/is with your prompting. An alternative to barking (if your dog is simply not that 'type') is to teach the trick of pulling on some elastic rope (to which you have some bells), as her signal to go out.

I would also suggest you stop "asking" her every few hours if she wants to go out. Instead, use your vigilance, keeping a close eye on her. Watch for those 'toilet' signals (eg. sniffing; circling; etc). Each dog may be different, so there are no particular 'ways' for every dog. Don't say anything - clip her on lead or take her by the collar and merely go outside with her (take her off the lead once outside) and once she toilets, big party.

I would be inclined to suggest that she is toilet trained (in her own way and to a degree), but that she's been mixing up your well intended signals. What I mean is that she has not learnt to volunteer to go outside - rather, she's learnt that she goes outside when you say "do you want to go outside". Try doing it the 'silent' way, to encourage her to learn to make that decision and volunteer it.

Edited October 2, 2008 by Erny

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

Can you put a doggie door in?

[Loyal K9]

Erny,

Thank you very much for your advise.

What you said make sense.

We will try not to ask her if she needs to go out.

As to teach her to bark, I am not sure if it is within our ability since she is a pretty quiet dog. I think it will be pretty difficult because I am not an experience dog trainer.

I will get a bell that we usually find at receptionist desks (round shape with a button to press on the top).

Maybe we can teach her to press it.

I hope by showing her to press the button everytime she goes out she will get the idea?

This will fix the problem with peeing during daytime but not nightime when we are a sleep.

One step at a time maybe is the way to do it.

Yes, we only have to consider a doggie door.

Edited October 3, 2008 by Terriers

[Erny]

This will fix the problem with peeing during daytime but not nightime when we are a sleep.

As she only pees on the sofa and not when crated, keep her crated at night times. Work on the day time stuff first and get that happening right.

[Loyal K9]

Good point, we will concentrate on the daytime training.

Also my daughter managed to get her to bark several times today by playing games.

Hopefully she will understand one day.

Thanks.

Edited October 4, 2008 by Terriers