mum24dog Posted January 29, 2015 Report Share Posted January 29, 2015 I've never had a dog like Risk, all my others have caught onto the principle of toileting only outside but at nearly 7 months he's still very hit and miss. Sometimes he will stand by the door wanting to go out and he will pee and poo on cue but other times he just doesn't seem to think it's important to go out and just does it as he feels like it. He's pretty impervious to rewards in that frame of mind. I would love not to have to watch him like a hawk. I just need some reassurance that he's not the only dog in the world like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sekah Posted January 29, 2015 Report Share Posted January 29, 2015 I lamented how slow Cohen was to house train when she was 5-6 months, and turns out she had a UTI. Just something to consider. Good luck. I know how frustrating it can be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teresaserrano Posted January 29, 2015 Report Share Posted January 29, 2015 Tess took considerably more time to house train than every other dog I had before (non bc's) but by 6/7 months she was pretty reliable. Now at 18 mo she's absolutely reliable. But I remember thinking, dam, she's so smart, why doesn't she get this??? Don't get discouraged, he will get there. And it might be a good idea to rule out a uti, at least you'll know for sure it isn't that. Some dogs just take longer, I supose, but they all get it eventually if we keep the training up, which I'm sure you do. Have patience... it will come to happen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess's Girl Posted January 29, 2015 Report Share Posted January 29, 2015 I'm in the same boat with Crow. He's between 5 and 6 months and we are still struggling. At first he had to go every 15-20 minutes. I bought him bells for the door and he caught on to that pretty well. Then after about two weeks he decided he didn't have a clue what those bells were and went back to going in the house. I had him checked for a UTI but nothing was wrong. Now we're back to him ringing the bells consistently so we'll see how that goes. Everything else he has taken to like a charm. Just keep on keeping on and know that you're not the only one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted January 29, 2015 Report Share Posted January 29, 2015 Just my experience: this puppy (Kiefer) didn't show any signs that he understood not to go in the house until he was about 6 months old. Well, to give him more credit, he didn't go at night (~7 hours), but he was in a crate. Then within a period of about 2-3 weeks - when he was ~ 6 months old - he seemed to get it. I think by that time, I was at the same stage you were - smart dog, but why isn't he housetrained? IIRC, I may have buckled down a little and tethered him to me while inside. I had a young foster of about 6 months of age, smart as a whip, who also seemed not to catch on to housetraining during her 4 weeks with me. I really wanted her housetrained before she was adopted. I was frustrated with her too [smart dog, not catching on to the housetraining]. The last 7-10 days I became very controlling and anal (no pun intended) about her housetraining schedule. In addition to taking her outside multiple times a day (as a I was doing anyway), I wrote everything down (time outside, pee or poo, what time she had an accident inside, etc.). I was looking for a pattern that I may have missed. I also decided that going out multiple times per day and praising her for doing her business (which she loved) was not getting the message through. So she went on the tether too. (The same advice that has been repeated here so often.) When she was adopted, I gave my notes to the adopter and explained to her that the pup was not completely housetrained (although, to be fair, she had not had an accident for about a week - but I did not consider the pup housetrained). She should do this and do that, yada, yada, yada. Wouldn't you know it? I heard from the adopter about 2 weeks later, and the pup had not had any accidents. Anyway, based on my latest experiences, I think that tethering to you may finally get the message across. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
htmlgirl Posted January 29, 2015 Report Share Posted January 29, 2015 Penny caught on to pooping outside right away, but was having pee accidents inside up until 6 months old. Not every day, but we would have a great week or so and then she would have an accident again. At the time I wondered if she just had a wee little bladder and wasn't ready to hold it longer, as she was the runt of the litter. It didn't help that it took her a long time to "ask" to go outside, and even that started out as just staring at us and was easy to miss. Eventually she started making what we call Chewbacca sounds at us when she needs to go out. We were taking her out every hour, on the hour, for the longest time and that really helped. Whether she looked like she had to go or not. And then the the last time she had an accident, I caught her right when she started to squat, and did firmly tell her "we do NOT pee in the house, we go pee outside" and marched her out to finish. She never had another accident after that, coincidence or not. I also think tethering is a great idea, I didn't try it with Penny, but I expect I will when we add another pup in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald McCaig Posted January 29, 2015 Report Share Posted January 29, 2015 Dear Ms. Mum, If not a UTI . . . Forgive me for saying what you already know: Absolute same time feeding and same time pee walks. If Risk continues to be difficult, crate when he's at risk (sorry). Donald McCaig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mum24dog Posted January 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2015 I'm sure it's not a UTI. It's not just peeing, it's pooing as well. As for crating - well that's another thing. He's the only dog I've ever had who will complain for hours to be let out however nice I make it for him. He's afraid he's missing something, I'm sure. Fine crated at night because there's nothing going on. I take him out often and he will pee every time and poo at least half of the time. Timing is fairly predictable plus extra times when he's restless but still there are times when he will sneak in another one. I have him on lead in the house a lot of time so he can't go out of sight but I would love not to have to. I just can't trust him 100%. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonetotervs Posted February 2, 2015 Report Share Posted February 2, 2015 Can you reward him with a play session after he does his business and only afterward? Some of my dogs have not been food-motivated but most really adore play sessions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alligande Posted February 2, 2015 Report Share Posted February 2, 2015 Rievaulx was perfect in his crate from the moment I got him at 4 months but it took ages to master the rest, it was actually pooing that was the greatest problem but one day I realized when he was around 9-10 months old we had not had a problem for ages and we never looked back. Like everyone else it was frustrating to have a smart easily trained dog who just did not seem to get house training, totally compounded by the fact he was my first puppy. To this day he really has no signal that he wants to go out, he just has extrodinary control, even with an upset tummy he does his best to hold on till we wake up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mum24dog Posted February 2, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 2, 2015 Can you reward him with a play session after he does his business and only afterward? Some of my dogs have not been food-motivated but most really adore play sessions. Getting him to go outside isn't the problem, it's getting him to understand that outside is the only place to go. He's happy to go out regularly and will always performm but just has moments when he forgets himself. Hopefully it will come right with maturity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shetlander Posted February 3, 2015 Report Share Posted February 3, 2015 Some dogs are just really tough to house train. My Lhasa was like that and I tethered him for quite a while, maybe past one year. Chili is now 12 and good in the house but not totally reliable like my other dogs. I contain him in the kitchen when I am out of the house, just to be safe and also to separate him from Quinn. Oddly, now that my Sheltie is gone, if Quinn and I leave Chili behind, for even a short amount of time, he poops in the kitchen. Some sort of separation anxiety, I guess, even though he doesn't particularly like Quinn. So if I need to leave him alone, I now crate him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bogwoppit Posted February 4, 2015 Report Share Posted February 4, 2015 Is there any pattern to the spot he uses if he's sneaking one indoors? Wilkos do a spray called 1001 cleaner, that is the best thing ever for wiping out scent spots where pets have done a dirty protest. Something about the scent and type of cleaning ingredients. They did a pet version and having seen the safety data, the only difference was that one was certified for use near animals and cost slightly more. Just a possibility, but the stinky citrus cleaning spray could help reinforce the point that we don't go there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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