House Training

[Country Dogs]

Hi everyone, this is the first time I have posted, but I am at my wits end and really need some help.

I have a stumpy tail cattle dog bitch, she has been desexed and is 15 months old. She is crate trained. I had a lot of trouble house breaking her because when I got her, my housemate at the time, also got a puppy, whom she did not bother to housebreak at all despite it being a small dog who lives inside. This also caused my 3 year old bichon frise to start toiletng in the house, however putting both my dogs in their crates at night put a stop to them peeing and pooing all over the house. They don't go at all in their crates, but she still continued to have accidents (just wees) sometimes, mostly on a weekend when we were home all day, if I didn't hear her at the door (she just bangs on it with het paw and it can be hard to heat if I am watching tv or something). But now I have moved house, and she just thinks the carpet is a toilet, which sets of the bichon to be the same. They kept going I the spare room, so I closed the door (she would even go upstairs instead of to the back door to pee on the carpet). I closed the door to the spare room, so now she is going in the lounge room on the tiles, which she has never done before. I just don't know what to do. If I lock her in her crate she is fine, and I am happy to do that, and in fact am going back to it tonight, but I want to break her of this and have her properly house broken for once and for all. But I just don't know how. Any suggestions and help would be great. Obviously I am doing something wrong.

[best4koda]

Yes,nothing worse then accidents in the house. Some people on here have put a bell (or perhaps a rope with a bell on it)on the back door and they taught their dog to ring the bell when they needed to go outside. When she is out of the crate do you regularly check on her for the signs of needing to go? sniffing and seeming like she's looking for a spot and quickly running her outside. You can add a key word like wees as well as you put her out... Perhaps you could limit where she can go in the house, either by commands or by safety gates so you restrict her until it's under control and in turn limiting the clean up.

My girl is mainly outside but does come in and when she is we keep a keen I on her. But she is not allowed off the tiles just in case. You should get some good tips from others on this. Hope you get some improvement soon.

[fuzzy82]

Just because the dogs were housetrained at your old house, doesn't mean they are at your new house. Dogs don't generalise well. Go back to basics, take them out whenever you think they need to go, and reward for going outside. If you see them going inside, interrupt and take them out.

[wuffles]

I would go back to treating the dogs like they are puppies. Don't let them out of your sight (tether to you if you have to) and take them outside every hour. Wait until they go and praise like crazy. It shouldn't take long to catch on. Also use this as an opportunity to give them a toilet command so that they will go on command.

I would also tighten up your routine, it is not fair to make your dog ask to go outside and then "not hear them" because you're watching TV! Take them out at regular intervals so they know what to expect.

Make sure you clean the carpet and tiles properly.

My dogs very rarely ask to go outside. I make sure that they are let out regularly. They come inside when we get home from work, then go outside to eat their dinner. They are expected to toilet then. At bed time at least one of them is taken out and goes on command (the other can hold for longer and would rather just stay in bed). On weekends if we are home and they are inside most of the day, I make sure they have the opportunity to go outside first thing of a morning then at least every few hours. It is only a few minutes out of my day and we never have accidents!

Edited August 4, 2011 by wuffles

[RubyStar]

I'd go back and treat her like a puppy, and it's handy you have a crate already. Put her outside often where you want her to go and wait her out til she goes. When she does, say your toilet word and praise like hell when she's done. Rinse, repeat. Crating her at night will help so she holds on overnight and then you take her out in the morning and she'll be ready to go and you won't miss the opportunity to praise her!

Currently toilet training an 8 week old pup, it's all come back to me what a hassle it is and how on top of it you have to be to ensure no accidents!

[RubyStar]

Snap, wuffles ;)

[wuffles]

Snap, wuffles ;)

:D

I have to say that the toilet command is one of the best things I have ever taught my dog. I don't know what I'd do without it!

[Country Dogs]

Thanks guys, very helpful. I shall do just that. The bichon is pretty good, she was already completely toilet trained when i got her at 8 weeks old, she was bred by an old lady who was home all day and she would take the pups outside for toileting since they started to walk, so it won't take much to get her back to normal. The stumpy on the other hand is a whole nother kettle of fish. The other difficulty I am having is that I am now in a small unit with only a concrete courtyard, and they dont particularly like to go out there. BUT I take them out twice per day for off leash runs usually for half an hour in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon, and I find they both go when we are out, except Grace, the stumpy doesnt like to poop in public, though she does poop at home, both inside and out!!!!

[Weasels]

CD could you put some artificial grass or a sandpit in the courtyard so it is more like what they are used to toileting on?

[Country Dogs]

I had thought about that, I need to locate another half shell (they already have one for a paddling pool) for some sand I think. I live in the North west of WA and sometimes these things are hard to find!! Also in the move up here some of the peices to my safety gate went missing, but I will buy another one to stop them from getting on the carpet.

So the plan is to crate them at night again, and keep very close eyes on them when I am at home, and treat them like puppies again. Thank you so much for all your help, I love my girls but I'm sick of cleaning up after them. I am most definintly not the best dog trainer!!!

[Guest lavendergirl]

Thanks guys, very helpful. I shall do just that. The bichon is pretty good, she was already completely toilet trained when i got her at 8 weeks old, she was bred by an old lady who was home all day and she would take the pups outside for toileting since they started to walk, so it won't take much to get her back to normal. The stumpy on the other hand is a whole nother kettle of fish. The other difficulty I am having is that I am now in a small unit with only a concrete courtyard, and they dont particularly like to go out there. BUT I take them out twice per day for off leash runs usually for half an hour in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon, and I find they both go when we are out, except Grace, the stumpy doesnt like to poop in public, though she does poop at home, both inside and out!!!!

Country Dog you are lucky with your Bichon. I have a 2 year old male Bichon I adopted 2 months ago and he is driving me crazy with his toileting mishaps. Even when I have let him outside he won't go and I find a puddle on the floor later - trouble is I can never catch him at it! Apparently they are notoriously hard to toilet train - even when you think they are already trained they enjoy leaving little "surprises" around the house Good luck with your stumpy - just don't look to the Bichon to set any examples!!