Late Toilet Training For 5 Month Pup Plus Bedwetting

[lucylotto]

Hoping to hear from anyone who may have advice:

We have recently taken in a min poodle who is now 5months old. She has been with a carer since approx 10 weeks (or carer had her for 10weeks) after her initial owners had trouble having her in a unit. In rescue home I think she may have spent a fair chunk of time in kennel/run (not sure of %time). Her carer advised me she was pad trained.

She is our second dog. 7month old 1st dog has been sleeping in my room and toilet training has gone well, at 7mth he has good overnite capacity and rarely needs to go during the nite now. He has always wanted to go outside for no. 2's to the point of some very disturbed nites when he had upset tummy wher he would run to door and be frantic to get out to 'go'. He is pretty much trained now.

She wouldn't stay in her bed beside me when I tried her in with us (I realise looking back on past 2 weeks how different and scary the change was for her and her personality is now surfacing and she is gorgeous) So I have been leaving her in the family room with access to rest of house blocked off overnite. No1 dog has since joined her and sleeps out there with her now, but what worries me if he needs to let me know he wants to go out, he can't if he's out there with her.

At nite she has been using the pads to wee on but poos anywhere and always overnite. OH is up at 5am and takes them outside but she has always weed and pood by then. She is toilet timed regularly when we are home during the day and evening with appropriate amount of language association and praise. She wees outside every time we take her. We rarely manage to catch her in the act of pooing to be able to praise plus she has often left her calling card on the door mat or pavers.

Once I saw her scratching her bed and then squatting to wee and told her "no" and took her outside to finish and I think she understood as haven't 'caught ' her doing that again. However, she was inadvertantly woken one night and ended up weeing on my sons bed and another night the kids shut dogs inside bedrooms all evening and one of them weed on our bed and think must have been her as no.1 never has.

Last nite for first time I put her in her bed and she stayed instead of running down the hall after me. Major breakthru. (no.1 was already in his bed) Today I realised her bed was urine soiled, even tho she had used the pad near the back door to wee. (and poo on floor)

Tonite she was in a deep sleep beside me on the lounge and when she woke I took her outside to toilet. When we came inside I realised her fur was wet across her back and the cushion she was sleeping next to on lounge was soaked....she had wet the bed in her sleep. No.1 did this x2 when he was very young.

I am OK with TT from 8 weeks with brand new pup but not sure with older pup who has a history.

1. how do I train her to poo a) outside and b)on grass preferably

2. will she grow out of bedwetting? Is 5 mths old for bedwetting?

3. how can I get her thru the nite no poos or wees

4. I'd eventually like her to be able to sleep in bedrooms and ask to go out when need be.

5. should I take no1 back in with me so he can ask to be let out?

thankyou in advance

Edited November 22, 2008 by lucylotto

[Kirty]

I would crate train her. At night, she can sleep in her crate and hopefully she won't toilet where she sleeps. You also need to be very consistent - if you can't watch her 100%, put her outside to avoid accidents. Every time you think of it, take her outside and say "toilet" or something like that and go mad with praise if she goes.

Has she been desexed?

[labbylicious]

I would crate train her. At night, she can sleep in her crate and hopefully she won't toilet where she sleeps. You also need to be very consistent - if you can't watch her 100%, put her outside to avoid accidents. Every time you think of it, take her outside and say "toilet" or something like that and go mad with praise if she goes.

I agree. Crate train at night- dont use absorbent bedding either-if she eliminates at all you want her to be uncomfortable. Also, take her outside as consistently as you can. After everymeal, sleep time and play time, and every hour in between. A cue word like "toilet" or "toilet time" would be great. Do it like you would an 8 week old .. you are trying to teach her the same things so that makes sense

Also, my personal opinion is not to have them in with you at night. Pu them in another room where you can hear them if they cry to be let out.

Edited November 22, 2008 by labbylicious

[lucylotto]

thanks kirty and labby,

I am thinking too, crate her at night. Never done this before and with other dog being compromised I think it best to narrow this down for her and us to gain control.

She is also beginning to do an early am barking sesion which is not going down too well with 5 family members

She is desexed.

Unfortunaely we have designed our house so that all bedrooms are long way and closed offf from rest of house. So need them near to hear them. Also no.1 dog just huffs in my ear to wake me if he needs to go out.

Day time is OK as when am home I do routinely take her outside and praise etc regularly and she very rarely makes a mistake.

Now, have never crated before, so which crate? eg size, is portability important and where to buy? any suggestions.

She is the size of a toy poodle and will end up large toy or small miniature I'm told.

thanks again

[BigBen]

I would just go back to basics... Train her like you would an 8 week old puppy...

[Kelpie_Pup]

thanks kirty and labby,

I am thinking too, crate her at night. Never done this before and with other dog being compromised I think it best to narrow this down for her and us to gain control.

She is also beginning to do an early am barking sesion which is not going down too well with 5 family members

She is desexed.

Unfortunaely we have designed our house so that all bedrooms are long way and closed offf from rest of house. So need them near to hear them. Also no.1 dog just huffs in my ear to wake me if he needs to go out.

Day time is OK as when am home I do routinely take her outside and praise etc regularly and she very rarely makes a mistake.

Now, have never crated before, so which crate? eg size, is portability important and where to buy? any suggestions.

She is the size of a toy poodle and will end up large toy or small miniature I'm told.

thanks again

We bought our first one from a petstore. It was big enough for her to walk into, turn around in it, and lie down comfortably in.

It can be bigger than that, as long as its not that big that your dog can "toilet" in one end and sleep in the other without being bothered by the mess! Like a PP said, if they toilet in the crate, you WANT them to be bothered by it.. it will deter them from doing it.. if you put absorbent towels in the bottom of it, it will soak up the mess and leave them comfy and dry!

The first one was a plastic one with a metal grid door that opened outwards. It was great for strapping into the car. The second one, however, is a large canvas/mesh one that isn't really portable. It is probably too big for her now, but as toilet training isn't an issue anymore, its not a problem.

Be sure to read some info about crate training too, it is such a useful method of training. If you'd like some starter tips, let me know i'll PM you some stuff :D Our puppy never had an accident in her crate, and only woke mid night to toilet for the first 3 nights we had her.. after that she slept through till 6am :p This is of course also due to her, not just the crate !