Help house training a puppy...

[DMickey28]

This dog is driving me crazy!! He is almost four months old, he is a Corgi and he is pretty good. We have had him for a month now, he was with the breeder the entire time growing up.

He will not be house trained. I can't figure out what I am doing wrong...

He has a crate, we are using it. He eats in the AM and PM at the same time....Today he has had access to water allday (maybe my problem). He goes out about 1/2 hour after he eats and does all his business... he goes out often during the day... I guess need more rhymn and reason to that...

We are working on training him with a bell by the door as well, so that when he has to go he rings the bell... I have found otherwise I can't tell if he has to go or if he is being a puppy. Always use the same entrance for him....

He has peed in the bathroom on the new rug three times in the last four days. Just randomly. I have washed that rug so many times...... I don't know what I am missing....

Any ideas? Suggestions? I had researched this breed to no end and thought they were more trainable then others. He is smart too, knows his name, SIT and listens very well... it's just the house training part of it....

THanks in advance!!

 

[iansmomm]

Hi there

PM my DSIS Shugardrawers, she's got the perfect advice!

 

[Karel]

If he's only four months old, you've got a long way to go. It's too soon to expect him to be totally house broken.

Keep doing what you're doing. I wouldn't let him have access to water all day. Every time you take him out, ring the bell. Lots of praise. Make sure he doesn't have access to the entire house after he goes. Limit his space. If he doesn't go when you take him out, put him into the crate for awhile.

It takes time and patience

 

[LindaR]

More crate training. Not just for sleeping. Potty him before he goes in the crate. Potty him immediately upon exiting the crate. Potty after eating. Potty after playing. Potty as soon as he wakes up from a nap. He's only 4 months old. Bladder control will take a long time! He is just a baby.

Having a puppy is very difficult. It's a full time job. As soon as his nose hits the floor, scoop him up and take him out to potty. Use the same potty command words. Praise him to high heaven when he potties outside. Ignore when he has accidents inside.

The other thing you could try if you don't want so much crate training is to have him on a leash all day, attached to you. That way you can see him at all times.

Again, choose one particular phrase. "Let's go POTTY." Good potty! and use it over and over.


Have patience!

 

[LindaR]

Forgot to say, the more freedom he has at this age, the more freedom he will have to have accidents. Confine him to one room (like the kitchen if it doesn't have carpet). He is too young to have full run of the house. You are not being mean. You are teaching him and at the same time, retaining your sanity.

 

[Duchie]

I agree that if he is only 4 months old, he's just too young. Our dog was probably 6 months old before he quit having any accidents at all.

 

[Jennifer S]

we used training treats w/ our dog. Every time she went in the right place she got a treat. She quickly caught on.

 

[Aimeedyan]

Agree with all the other advice.

Harley is now 6 months, still has accidents if I'm not completely on the ball. I recently tried the bell thing too, but it's not working as well either.

We confine, confine, confine. Made the mistake of giving him run of the house when he was little - bad news. Now, we have a baby gate that keeps him in the room I am in and I constantly watch him. He is in the crate anytime we are not able to watch him. He goes out often, I repeat Potty like it's my favorite word, bring treats on occasion but not always, but he responds well to a cheerleader like excitement when he does his business, so I know it's sinking in.

4 months is still very young, he has a long way to go still - you're dong it all right, just confine him with you always, continue crating, ignore accidents and PRAISE him when he does it right. He'll catch on - at least that's what they keep telling me

 

[Allie322]

When we first got our puppy, it seemed like we were taking him out hundreds of times a day! We couldn't seem to get into a rhythm. Finally, we started keeping track of what he did and at what time. We didn't bother marking it down if he went out and did nothing. In a short time, we saw a pattern and we worked from there. I don't know if this will help you but it seemed like it was just what we needed to get over the hump. He's 7 months old now and doesn't have accidents any more, though he really doesn't seem to get the whole bell concept. We ring the bell more than he does!

 

[Wishing on a star]

Our puppy trained at 4 months. Only a couple of accidents. What worked for us.... CRATE training!!!!

I know that to some, at first, it sounds cruel, like puppy jail... But, it isn't! Our doggie loves his crate! He knows that it is 'his' place. he goes in there all the time. It is where he sleeps. (He is going to be a big dog, so no sleeping on our beds!!!!)

You sound like you are trying to be consistant. Especially with the feeding, etc.. But not with the crate training. Maybe you need to start back there at point one??? For a couple of days... really keep your puppy in there, consistantly, for long enough time that you know that he must have to go... To much in-and-out-and-run-of-the-house will just not be a strong enough training. It could possibly be confusing??? Then, you can try easing up on the crate time, but be very very consistant with with the eating and potty walks, praise and discipline... like you are now! If your dog sounds really smart, and is going on five months old, I am sure he will catch on!!!!

 

[SnoWhite]

We were pretty lucky, Lilo caught on to using the puppy pads quickly (we are on the 3rd floor of an apartment and we can't just let her out). She is 8 months old now but still has the occasional accident, only if we are not watching or if we don't listen to her "clues" that she wants to actually go outside. It just takes time though, so I'd say hang in there!

 

[bubbleprincessmom]

We have new corgi too!!! I love the breed. We got Daisy about two months ago, she was a one year old who is crate trained. What I have discovered however, is there is a HUGE difference in being CRATE trained and HOUSE trained. If she is out of her crate she has an accident I don't care how soon after going outside and using the nice potty words. I know that dogs can be house trained and thats what I want for her, less time in the crate during the day..only for bed and naps and more time out with me and the kids. I am going to try the leash suggestion as it was also given to me over the weekend. My opinion is if you hear the same advice more than once it must be good.

 

[ElizK]

Originally posted by iansmomm
Hi there

PM my DSIS Shugardrawers, she's got the perfect advice!

This is excellent advice! Shugardrawers advised me to get the book "How to Housebreak Your Dog in 7 days". I followed the instructions in the book, and it worked beautifully (though it took probably 11-12 days... she was 11 or 12 weeks old when we started)!

Good Luck! As someone told me when I was housebreaking Gracie, God made her so cute so I wouldn't kill her during housebreaking!

This is Gracie when she was 5 weeks.

 

[Shugardrawers]

You appear to be on the right track but there are few things missing not the least of which is patience patience patience. I have a great deal of experience with dogs and 4 months is awfully young to expect them to be housetrained. Puppies, especially of his size have very small bladders. They can't hold it for long. I'll give you the condensed version of my method and if you want to PM me I'll email you the full document.

First, use your crate!! Your dog is leaving you suprises because you aren't keeping an eye on him. If you aren't directly supervising him he should be in his crate until he can be trusted. He needs to go out about every 2 hours. Don't allow him to eat or drink freely. Feeding twice a day is great and give him water about every 2 to 3 hours or whenever he is panting. The idea is not to restrict his water so much as to know when he's had it. He'll need to pee within 1/2 hr after drinking. You also need an enzyme cleaner from a pet store or you can get it at Walmart or Target in the pet department. If it says it remove pet odors and stains that's what you need. Washing alone isn't enough. You may not smell it but your puppy can and he'll keep going back to the same place over and over. And definitely get a copy of "How to Houstrain Your Dog in 7 Days". It really does work. It'll probably take longer, maybe even a couple of months but it WILL work. Keep at it. Consistency is key. PM me if you'd like more help. Glad to hear that I've been able to help others.

 

[Pugdog007]

I will 2nd the advice about the rug. You will need to soak it with Nature's Miracle or another enzyme cleaner in order to get rid of the smell permanently. He smells it there and therefore continues to go back to where he's done it before. If you can't see or smell the stain, purchase a black light and you'll see what he smells (along with a lot of other disgusting things in all likeliness). Those black lights are enough to make you not want to take off your shoes again... ever.