Thanks for the advice with my GSD .. I'm giving him more time out of the crate and I think he is getting used to the house being the den! He whines a little at the door when he wants to go. So that is going a LOT better! Thanks!

I've been working with my 9 week old Finnish Spitz on her bathroom manners. 13 Week Old GSD is good in that he can hold it for quite some time before peeing or pooping. But the method of house-breaking didn't seem to work for the Finkie (Finnish Spitz). She can hold it. Well, not exactly.

What I have recently noticed was that when she pees in the yard, she doesn't pee ALL of it. She only pees a little. Then when she gets back to her crate, she pees everything (big pee). Yes, in the crate. Funny thing is she can hold it while we are playing around in the house fine!?! I take her out at the frequently to do her business, but she doesn't do all of it.

I gave GSD and her a lot of praise after a pee or poop (they must think I'm crazy). With her I gave her a treat too; trying to hurry her along. Sometimes she seems to wander around forever. They both pee on command now - very very convenient when we travel on family trips together.

The other thing that I noticed (finally getting the hang of this) is that when she pees in her crate (we are right there to see it), we always take her back out to clean it out. We put her in, she fusses, runs to her bathroom (see below), pees, we take her out to clean it.

Could she have made this connection? She's wicked smart and cunning like a fox. She gets some extra time out of the crate. She generally doesn't mind the crate, but likes being out better. We clean it up and she's fine going back in.

Or maybe she realizes that she back in the crate and she just empties out while we are around so we can clean it up before a long stretch and a possible accident and no one to help??

This is an odd situation. Does anyone know how to correct this? I should mention that I've now divided her crate in two (bought a large one she can grow into). There is a small door in the divider to the other side of the crate where paper towels are. She always uses her "bathroom" and then sleeps back on the clean side. I did this because I didn't think that it was good for her to sleep in her pee (didn't want her to get used to it and then do it reguarly). But I could remove it if its hurting her learning. Otherwise, she uses it like a litterbox.

Even still .. why would she wait until she got back into the crate .. and why would she be doing it right when we put her in??

Any suggestions?
DHC

You did the right thing by making the crate smaller. What are you using to clean? You need an enzymatic cleaner (ie: Natures Miracle) to get the scent out. If you are using an ammonia based product, this will stimulate the senses more. Dogs will always go back to the spot where they urinated last.

You'll have to wait it out with her! Maybe it's me, but females always seem to take longer to go than the boys, walk, sniff, walk, sniff, the male goes as soon as he's out the door!

Thanks Maggie.

I never even thought about it being a gender issue. I thought it was more of a second child issue. She does wander a lot .. and she doesn't seem interested in peeing outside .. she wanders like she's looking for a spot, but instead sits down or picks up sticks and leaves. Its frustrating!

Big Questions:

Do you think that I should remove the "bathroom" in her crate to help her learn that its better to do it outside?

When she makes a mistake in the crates, how long should I wait before cleaning it up??

Thanks Thanks!
David C

Remove the bathroom area in her crate - she is thinking that is where she is supposed to go. She won't want to sleep in pee. If she is peeing in a smaller crate she needs more pee breaks. Her idea now is "there is the paper towels- that is where they want me to go". Make your crate smaller, and when you take her out put those paper towels you have been using in the crate(because you have just been creating a paper trained dog) and move them into the yard - use paper towels she has peed on and let them dry - weight them down with some gravel or rocks and take her there on leash and use whatever prompt you use for peeing. Is she doesn't pee - back in the crate. Wait 30 mins of until she fusses - then outside again. No free time in the house until you have witnessed a pee. I find that most puppies will pee more thatn once on a walk - so it might take a longer walk to produce an empty puppy. Once empty, in the house for a little free time - they have to see some reward in being clean and not just be popped into the boring crate once empty.
re: your comment "she is wicked smart and cunning like a fox" hahahahahahaha <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> spitz breed! It is just getting interesting......

I just wanted to say "Thanks Everyone" .. the little spitz looks like she's finally getting the hang of not wetting her crate. We removed her "bathroom", making her section much smaller.

She doesn't seem to mind the smaller living quarters. We put her on a strict pee-plus-two-hour-pee-again schedule.

That is .. after water, go to pee, wait two hours, pee again!

Or pre-bedtime pee, put to bed and sleep, wait two hours, wake-up to pee, and then back to bed for the rest of the night.

Hopefully, we can get her very used to doing it outside. Likewise, hopefully her bladder control will get coninually better. At least she's making it through the night dry and I think she's liking it!

Spitzes are very vocal. We are lucky in that ours only barks when there is something interesting, or she is really trying to communicate something. Unfortunately, when she'd wet her crate, she would drum up an earful that only a Finkie (Finnish Spitz) can! Oh my Lord, am I glad she's sleeping dry!

YEAH!! Thanks everyone!
David C