My puppy, now 5 months old, will "get busy" on command. However, if the dog door is not open, she will pee in the house. She will not poop in the house and never has. How do I get her to hold it, and tell me when she needs to go outside, when it comes to peeing? Should I get rid of the dog door, and force her to let me know when she needs to go out? How would I go about re-training her to do this. I feel like I am so close, I just don't want to be taking one step up and two steps back.

Thank you for your suggestions.

Jon

Hey Jon,

Good to see a neighbor in my neck of the woods. I'd say if a 5 month old puppy has enough freedom to pee in the house, and does, it's time to remove that freedom. Get her on a schedule, take her out to potty and give her treats for peeing in the right place (you need to either Mark the behavior or deliver the treat within 1 1/2 seconds of her urinating). Use your command ("get busy") when she is peeing, then praise like heck. When in the house, have a leash with her on one end and your hand on the other, or have her in the crate. This simple step of constant supervision will greatly improve things. There's no reason for her not to have this down in a week flat, at this age.

If she doesn't have it down by then, either she's got a medical concern or you're doing something very wrong.

Good luck! I'm sure she'll learn it really fast. Probably even surprise you.

-David

You left out a couple details about what kind of dog you have, how big she is, etc. Although this is debate worthy some dogs go through a growth spurt that effects their ability to hold it. I had a couple months with my toy dogs that were very frustrating who were litter box trained who couldn't seem to make it in the box inside of their X pen. It resolved itself quickly with me adding two potty sessions to our schedule which gradually spaced themselves out again. It is similar to the 8-10 year old child who suddenly starts bed wetting again where their body has simply outgrown their bladder.

My usual advice on this besides the same information David gave you is to take her out more often. I personally am not a fan of dog doors but your life decisions are yours. I know lots of people who use them successfully and others who have come home to destroyed homes. Your call.

Ed, you are slacking this week.

This was wide open for a

"Sort of Pregnant" response

I went through a rough patch with Starbuck. Here is a link

http://www.leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Board=16&Number=158971&Searchpage=1&Main=16593&Words=+Keith+Larson&topic=0&Search=true#Post158971

and

http://www.leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/141067/page/3#Post141067

Hi John. This is just my opinion, but I'd can the dog door until your dog really gets the concept of housetraining. It's not a training device, IMO: It's a just a convenience for the owners of already trained dogs.

I would tether the dog to me. A tethered dog will almost never just pee on the floor; they generally will not pee right next to a person. Instead she'll whine and try to pull away...signs she has to go. You, being observant and quick , will then immediately take her outside and praise like nuts when she goes (still labelling the behavior).

It won't take long for her to catch on. She'll learn that you pick up on her signals and that you respond to them. She'll also get that when she does, you want her to go OUTSIDE. Most dogs make the association pretty quickly if you're consistent.

Also, you should make sure you use something like a heavy dose of Nature's Miracle or the like to get rid of any cue scents that the dog may take to mean it's okay to pee in those spots.

Seriously, the tethering thing works really well, even with hard-to-housetrain dogs.

Good luck.

 Quote: Amber Morgan

Seriously, the tethering thing works really well, even with hard-to-housetrain dogs.

Yup. It's very hard to fail when you are attached to the dog. It's quick, it's clear (because the dog never gets to develop a habit of indoor potty).....

http://www.leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/168737/page/0/fpart/1

Thank you all very much for your responses. How long should the tether be? I understand the concept, I am just curious about this.

Jon

My dog is an English Cocker puppy. 4 1/2 months old and weighs about 25 lbs.

I use a piece of a long cotton line..... maybe 8-10 feet. You need for him to be unable to get out of your sight.... so a 20-foot line is not good.

Here's another thread about tethering the dog to you:

http://www.leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Board=134&Number=168737&Searchpage=3&Main=17378&Words=Connie+Sutherland&topic=0&Search=true#Post168737