Yay For Toilet Training

[all that glitters]

Just want to say how exciting it is when your puppy becomes toilet trained.. to think you established their good habits is great!

Shyla does all her business outside now when we are at work (goes out her dog door) and whines at the door to go out when we are home (but if we don't hear her, she may do a pee at the door). Last night we had to go out for the evening (hardly do that, but it was my best friend (bindii)'s 21st!) and we were gone for 6 hours, came home to a spotless house with no accidents.. the good little girl held on whoo!

I wonder what makes some dogs harder to toilet train then? Lack of consistency? Smartness of breed? Mum got her golden retriever when she was 4 months old, they had a heck of a time toilet training her. She wasn't trustworthy upstairs on the carpet til she was nearly 1yrs old! Now she is 3 and is great, but it was a much slower process, which I then expected with Shyla cos of mums experience. But I can honestly say my first hand at toilet training has been extremely easy, I'm thinking its more Shylas intelligence than my approach to toilet training!

[SmoothieGirl]

Hey Shelle

Well this baffled me too. My Dobe was a very sharp girl and she was toilet trained the minute she got home. It took her about a day to figure out that if she sat by the back door she would get let out. She never had an accident in the house. She was 10 weeks when we brought her home.

Now Bronte has been a bit more challenging. I'd say she is quicker to learn most things than my Dobe, BUT only in the last week (touch the wooden dining table) have I started to think she has finally got it. Mind you for wees she still doesn't ask to be let out, just kind of holds on until I go out anyway. For poos she sort of hangs around the back door, but isn't real clear in her intentions. Go figure.

But I'm with you 100%, its a relief when their toilet training is solid. They really settle into the family then.

[dogdogdog]

My German Shepherd ( ) taught himself to go out the doggy door and do his business outside basically on his own at about 10 weeks.

He was such a good dog never messed inside the house after that.

[Sankari]

My first golden retriever Lucy () we got at 16 weeks and took 2 days to be toilet trained! She never toileted inside again until she was a very sick dog and started getting incontinent (she was pts at nearly 6yrs to Lymphoma).

Now I am worried about my next puppy coming home in October if he will be as good.

[MissLotus]

Shellectra - what was your toilet training methods?

I am very curious myself. My Maltese was crate and house train within the first few months of getting him. Our Cavy on the other hand, is a bit of a slow learner. Just when I think she's got it, she relapses. No pee in the house when we are home, but as soon as I get home, there is a puddle at the door (maybe from excitement), but then there is the issue with the crate at night (which I have a thread for). For me, it's like having a baby. Waking up each 2 hours to take her to the toilet just to make sure she doesn't get into the habit of peeing in her crate.

You are very lucky

[all that glitters]

MissLotus - I was actually expecting a challenging time toilet training, because my girl had to be locked up in a big lino room when she first came home and when we went to work during the week (fulltime hours). As a result, she had no choice but to go to the toilet in that room, and I would come home and clean up the messes. My mum would drop in daily to let her out, but she would still do mistakes in the room as she was too small to hold on. When we were home, we would take her outside to give her toilet opportunities ALL the time.. and we would ALWAYS say "Go toilet, go toilet, go on" as a signal for her to go, and when she's going we would actually CLAP our hands as a cue.. now when I say those words and clap, she will almost always go if she has to!

Anyway, after 5 weeks we put a dog door in so she could take herself to the toilet, as my mum was busy and it was a burden for her to drop in every day. I was sure we would have issues in this regard as she was used to toileting indoors too, but LUCKILY she took herself outside to pee/poo straight away! *phew* So either our consistency at taking her outside when we were home helped her learn that outside is a 'better place to go' or she is just quite intelligent and figured the door was for that reason *shrug*

Either way I'm thankful. She is excellent now, the only time she will go inside is if she goes to the back door in the evening and we don't see/hear her, and then she will pee near the door on the lino, which is our fault. Otherwise if she has to go and I happen to say the toilet words, her ears will prick up and she shoots to the dog door for me to open it

[netvista]

MissLotus - I was actually expecting a challenging time toilet training, because my girl had to be locked up in a big lino room when she first came home and when we went to work during the week (fulltime hours). As a result, she had no choice but to go to the toilet in that room, and I would come home and clean up the messes. My mum would drop in daily to let her out, but she would still do mistakes in the room as she was too small to hold on. When we were home, we would take her outside to give her toilet opportunities ALL the time.. and we would ALWAYS say "Go toilet, go toilet, go on" as a signal for her to go, and when she's going we would actually CLAP our hands as a cue.. now when I say those words and clap, she will almost always go if she has to!

Anyway, after 5 weeks we put a dog door in so she could take herself to the toilet, as my mum was busy and it was a burden for her to drop in every day. I was sure we would have issues in this regard as she was used to toileting indoors too, but LUCKILY she took herself outside to pee/poo straight away! *phew* So either our consistency at taking her outside when we were home helped her learn that outside is a 'better place to go' or she is just quite intelligent and figured the door was for that reason *shrug*

Either way I'm thankful. She is excellent now, the only time she will go inside is if she goes to the back door in the evening and we don't see/hear her, and then she will pee near the door on the lino, which is our fault. Otherwise if she has to go and I happen to say the toilet words, her ears will prick up and she shoots to the dog door for me to open it

Great job Shellectra. This is so encouraging!! i just got my Golden retriever puppy last Sunday and am toliet training him. He is doing OK, still learning. Just wondering did you always take her to the exactly same spot or just outside to the backyard and let her chose a place ?

[all that glitters]

She chooses where she wants to go in terms of #2's (which take more sniffing and deciding lol) but for #1's she always goes straight out the dog flap on the grass in one particular spot, I know because the area of grass in that particular area is turning yellow

Congrats on your golden! They are awesome dogs, my family have a 3yo female, she's so accepting and kind Always wagging her tail and happy

Edited July 17, 2009 by Shellectra

[Tintin Jac]

Our puppy was pretty much toilet trained when we got him. I think that it was because the breeder had put the effort in. And, of course, he's a very clever little man! It makes things easier, that's for sure