Toilet Training

[Syn]

Hi All,

 

Our family got our first dog - cocker spaniel. She is now 18 weeks old, and here toilet habits are getting worse. I am not sure how to break this behavior. We have a large yard and since we got her all of our exits to backyard are open for her to go there if she needs to. She goes to backyard only if someones accompanies her. But if we are inside, she would just go in the house. I would think that by this age she would be toilet trained. We were pro-actively toilet training her by taking her outside her her sleep or a meal when she was little, but now I feel she should be capable to go by herself. Or its too early? I also fell like we trained her to go outside only with us by taking her outside for toilet training. 

I am a bit of exhausted from this issue. For example we had a bit 1,5 walk and play today. We got home and she pooped in the house while I was in the shower. 

[Tassie]

No magic solutions unfortunately.  I guess if she were mine, the first thin I would do is to get a vet check to make sure it is a purely behavioural issue and not a medical one.

 

Assuming that's the case, then my suggestion would be to go back to treating her as if she was a baby puppy, and starting again.   So I would be getting an X-pen for her inside the house, and restricting her access to other areas of the house unless you are right there.  And go back to taking her out to toilet .. no need for multiple exits open at this stage, since that seems only to be confusing her at the moment.   So take her out as you did when she was little .. when she wakes up, after a meal etc.  and make sure you start using a word or words to go with the toileting.  Also make sure that you let her know how pleased you are that she has done what you wanted.    You may have to do this for a few weeks, but it should be easier than when she was first trained.      I'd also be sure that she has emptied out when you are taking her for a walk.  If she does … loads of praise … if not, leave her outside or in a crate or X Pen .. don't just let her have free range through the house if you can't supervise.

 

Just a thing to consider … and there's no way of knowing … consider the possibility that she may at one point have been about to toilet outside hen she was out by herself, when something  frightened her  If that happened in a fear period, that would be enough to undo the toilet training.

 

Anyway -- whatever the reason, just train the dog in front of you .. who apparently has gone back to being a puppy who doesn't know what you want.  Make the right thing easy for her by taking her out, staying with her and loading on the praise … and by making sure she doesn't have opportunities to make mistakes and repeat behaviour you don't want.

 

Hope that makes sense … and don't think she is being a bad girl.   Some just take a while to get it, and be thoroughly reliable.

[persephone]

There are all sorts of discussions and ideas if you click HERE  

it is a habit . 
habits  become that way after many many many repetitions .... so owner and pup need to work together  now .  

 

[Dogsfevr]

First mistake presuming pup should know better & be trained.
Nope pup is trained to what you have accepted & its not the pups fault.if your frustrated just remember the pup is most likely confused.
You havent  made a mistake by taking pup outside to toilet that is the right thing to do ,the mistake was presuming its old enough to know better when it isn't .At 4.5 months of age it is a baby still very much looking for correct direction,repetition & reward  .You have had pup for maybe 9 /10 weeks & pup has to learn its new home layout,new rules & expectations so very little time to be perfect .I would not consider being on the right path till 6 months if you have followed the good basics as a baby
There will often be the odd accident BUT you need to keep on the training routine & good back to basics,shut the door if need be .
If pups get distracted they will forget & go inside but more often than not pups that aren't truly confident in what you want & where to go will go to the one place that feels more homely .
Get a puppy pen & restrict access of the home ,teach pup to ask to go outside & be prepared to stay out for 10/15 mins.When pup comes inside go straight back out with an exciting & encouraging voice to go toilet ,Reward.

Keep in mind this is one of of the simplest issues so you need to be prepared for plenty of other challenges ahead with a young puppy .( i guess you know how your parents felt toilet training you )
 

[RuralPug]

Agree with all that has been said. Most important things in toilet training are (1) IMMEDIATE HEAPS OF PRAISE when pups toilets where you want them to and (2) don't set them up for mistakes.

To achieve (1) above it is important that you accompany them outside and be prepared to give heaps of excited parise and/or a treat immediately they have emptied their bowels or bladder.

To achieve (2) don't leave pup unsupervised inside (hence the puppy pen or crate when you cannot actively supervise) and be sure to clean up any mistakes with an enzyme cleaner (e.g. Urine Off) which will remove all trace to their sensitive noses and not tempt them to repeat.

A soft breed like the cocker will want to be always with their people, which is why remaining outside with them until they have emptied out is so important. It won't be too much longer, if you are consistent, when outside will be the habitual place, and they will go out on their own. But for baby puppies, you need to go out with them until they are reliable.
 

[Daisys Mum]

I agree with Dogs and RP..... 

When I got my CKCS I had her trained fairly quickly, sometimes just like human babies some take longer than others.. I just got lucky.

I hadn’t had a puppy for a few years before I got Lacey so I just winged it... I only had one exit to the backyard so fairly quickly she knew where to go when she wanted to go out.. I also gave her plenty of praise after she went , possibly went too overboard haha but she loved the attention and learnt quickly.

I agree that you need to go back to basics.. good luck