2 weeks into housebreaking the new pup.

She only pooped in the house two times and that was within the first couple days. She will bark, yelp or paw at the door when she wants out.

The problem is with the peeing in the house. The first couple days I tried to make sure she was outside every hour or two. My wife and I work from home so we are here all day. That didn't work. She would randomly have accidents in the house and she does not give ANY warning signs before she pees.

For the last week we have been using the crate on a daily basis. I found a nice little example of crate training and the timing at this web site: Darnfar.com

That has eliminated most of the accidents, but not all of them.

This afternoon for example:

She was in the crate after lunch. I took her out about 2 hours later and she went pee and poop outside. We played outside in the grass and with the hose for about 10 minutes. We came inside and played with her toys for another 10 minutes. I decided to let her sit outside the crate next to my desk for a bit. I put her over the baby gate and grabbed a couple toys. I sat down at the desk and heard her walk up behind me. I turned around and she stood there looking at me while she peed on the carpet. I clapped my hands loudly and gave her a loud "NO!". I scooped her up and we went outside. After about 5 min she went pee a little and I gave her praise.

This has happened at least 8 times. She even went pee in the middle of playing once.

I don’t understand why she can connect the poop with outside and not the pee. It has been about 15 years since I had to housebreak a new puppy and back then I much have picked the miracle puppy.

Do I need to do anything different? Do I need to get one of those kits that remove the pee smell from the carpet? She doe not sniff around before she pees and she has peed in a bunch of different places.

Keep a leash on her and don't let her wonder very far from you when she is loose.

Have her go with you around the house and if you cannot do this keep her in the crate. You really will have to watch her like a hawk for awhile.

Her bladder isn't developed enough at 8 weeks/10 weeks to make it without these types of accidents. My girl was the same way and housetraining doesn't happen over night with the peeing especially.

I tried to only have her loose in places without carpet(we have Pergo flooring in our TV room)so I didn't have to worry about my carpets.

I would search this site for threads on the topic, but I think what your experiencing is normal with a puppy.

I used the same stuff Sandy used on my flooring where she had accidents and read this site's advice (printed it out) on house-training. Here is the link. http://www.leerburg.com/housebrk.htm
Lisa



Edited by Lisa Simms (05/08/2007 07:47 PM)
Edit reason: added links

I'd definitely get Nature's Miracle to eliminate the urine odor. She doesn't need to sniff the area before she goes to get a whiff of the odor everywhere. The problem now is trying to remember where she went. In that case it would be a "good" thing if there were stains on the carpet, which Nature's Miracle gets rid of also.

Other than the annoyance of her going in the house, it's still relatively early in the housetraining. Do you use a certain word for when she goes poo? If so, I'd use that same word when she goes pee outside, helping the association.

Also, if you had the water on with the hose, she probably swallowed enough water to cause the pee incident in the house and should have been kept outside a bit longer.

As mentioned earlier in the thread, tethering the pup to you whenever she is uncrated can work wonders...... you can then be quick enough to scoop her up, take her outside, and praise lavishly for good potty.

One thing: you mentioned that she seemed to have no warning. It doesn't cost much to drop off a urine sample and check for a UTI. I'd probably do that.

 Quote: keith larson

This afternoon for example:

She was in the crate after lunch. I took her out about 2 hours later and she went pee and poop outside. We played outside in the grass and with the hose for about 10 minutes. We came inside and played with her toys for another 10 minutes. I decided to let her sit outside the crate next to my desk for a bit. I put her over the baby gate and grabbed a couple toys. I sat down at the desk and heard her walk up behind me. I turned around and she stood there looking at me while she peed on the carpet. I clapped my hands loudly and gave her a loud "NO!". I scooped her up and we went outside. After about 5 min she went pee a little and I gave her praise.

If this is accurate, I would say that the mistake was this part right here:

 Quote: keith larson

We played outside in the grass and with the hose for about 10 minutes. We came inside and played with her toys for another 10 minutes. I decided to let her sit outside the crate next to my desk for a bit.

In which, she eliminated, then you played with her, but did not give her the chance to eliminate again before going inside.
Puppies go potty after sleeping, eating and play.

The next time you do this, put her in her crate for a while after coming back inside. If she is to start associating urinating to outside, you need to make it possible for her to do this.

My pups (who are in kennel runs outside now), always went into their crates after coming inside and they would not go potty, no matter how many times "go potty". After about 15 minutes to half hour, I took them out again and they pottied and it was a PARTY. Pretty soon when I would say "go potty" they would start looking for a spot and they would go. They then were put on lead and allowed to follow me around the house.

I still bring them in the house and I still keep them on lead. They have never had an accident in the house and I want to keep it that way.

The other thing is, watch your dogs body language when you take her out to go. What does she do when she is looking for a spot? What does she do right before she goes pee? poop? Her tail, ears and posture will tell you and then you can actually determine which she is going to do and when.....I know---I need to get a life----

Also, Connie is correct, if it is a no control issue, dropping a sample off is easy.
I use a stainless steel soup ladle that can be washed, with a long handle. With the dog in question on a lead and when they squat or lift their leg to pee, I catch some of it. I then place it is a container for transport.

Oh yeah, one more thing.....when she does start to go in the house, I would not say anything to her, but rather calmly walk over scoop her up, not saying a word and calmly take her outside and put her down and say "go potty" or whatever and when she goes, make it fun for her praising her up for "good potty". If your neighbors call the police because they think you have went crazy jumping around and talking to your dog in an excited "way to go" tone, then you have praised the pup correctly.

I've had 3 puppies that i housebroke, i did exactly what the article said to do that Ed wrote in the article on this forum. You can count the accidents on one hand for all 3 of them, it's really easy if you follow the article. I don't know how to link it but it's easy to find,
AL

http://www.leerburg.com/housetraining.htm

Here is the link to Leerburgs Housetraining Information....

Yea, I read the article and I also have 4 of his DVDs (Puppy 8 weeks, Basic Obedience, Building Drive and The one about Working puppies).

I have never crate trained a puppy before and I was a little hesitant. I am also used to letting the dog have more free time outside the crate inside the house.

I’ll get the carpet cleaner and keep working on it.

Keith,

When I first started crate training it was hard to get used to. But after seeing the results....I would not do it any other way.

Patience is a virtue when it comes to pups and potty training. I am sure you will "get 'er done"....