April 19, 2011

My dog won't go to the bathroom outside...

Full Question:
I have a 13 month old yorkie, shih tzu mix. She refuses to go to the bathroom outside. I take her out with my other older dog, who is perfectly house trained, and barks at the sliding glass door when she needs to go out. She NEVER has any accidents in the house, and really never did, she is a golden retriever, black lab mix and is about 10. When I take Chloe, my little dog outside she sees Sammy, my bigger dog go to the bathroom and be praised, but she won't go. It doesn't matter how long we stay out or whether or not my other dog is out with us or not. When I bring her in, I will usually find a little present from her, somewhere in the house. She has a crate that she goes in sometimes on her own, and I've also been showing her the accident she had in the house and putting her in the crate and then I clean it up. Telling her she is bad and to go poop and pee pees outside!!! Then after a while I take her out of the crate, and take her directly outside, she still doesn't go. If she does go outside, It almost seems like coincidence, she just happened to have to go while she was out there. I also found out that she peed on my couch today. Things are getting worse, please tell me what I am doing wrong, and what I should be doing. I am also a house wife and a mother and I am home with the dogs, that is not the problem. Please get back to me as soon as possible or direct me to someone I can send this email to for help.

Thank you in advance for your help.
Trish
Ed
Ed Ed's Answer:
Sorry to say but this is a handler problem and not a dog problem. You have approached this issue without knowing what you should be doing. I would recommend that you read the articles and Q&A on house training from my web site (Look in the list of training articles on my web site http://leerburg.com/articles.htm)

Here is what you have to do:
  1. This dog needs to live in a dog crate 100% of the time it is in the house. The only exception is when you personally spend hands (AND EYES) on time with her. When you get busy - she goes back in the crate - ALL THE TIME.

  2. You need to start to walk her when she goes outside. Walk her on a leash. Exercise triggers a dog to go to the bathroom. When she goes - PRAISE !! She should get 2 or 3 good walks a day - several blocks.

  3. Dogs do not ever go on the furniture - this dog pissing on your couch is a little reinforcement to remind you of this.
So the bottom line is that these problems have developed as a result of things that you have done wrong. They are correctable but it's a question of whether you care to do it.

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