My boyfriend and I just got our first dog together, a 4 month old Mini Australian Shepherd named Marley. We've only had him for about 4 days now and so far he's been great. He's shy and still seems kind of nervous, he barely leaves my side. He's becoming more playful and warming up to his new home. But besides all the fun we're having with him, we're running into some potty training issues. The lady who had him before had him paper trained his first 6 weeks. Then he was outside with his brothers and sisters and the all pottied in their caged area. When we got him home he wouldn't go potty at all the first night and it took until the next afternoon before he went, outside! We were so happy with him. That day he peed and pooped outside and we praised him and rewarded him. Now it seems we can't do anything to get him to go outside. Last night he sniffed around and started to squat to poop in the house. My boyfriend scooped him up right away and took him outside. They were outside for a while and he didn't go so they came back in. As soon as they got in he started to sniff and squat again so back out they went. Still didn't go. Came back in and he pooped in the house. This morning he did the same thing to me after we had been outside for almost an hour. As soon as we came in he started to poop, so I didn't scold him, just picked him up, he stopped, and we went out. He didn't go. We get back in the house for 5 seconds and he starts again. We did this 3 times until he was finally done, finishing in the house ,then he went in his crate. This evening he drank and ate so we went outside and went for a walk and then went to his potty area. He didn't go. Then we went to the park and walked and played for almost 2 hours. He drank a little more and still didn't go. When we got home we went to his potty area and nothing. We get in the house and not one minute later he's peeing. I saw him start and I said no and picked him up and back outside we went, but by then he was done. I've even took a paper towel outside to his potty area that had been used to clean his pee up with so hopefully he'd get the idea. I'm not sure what else to do. I know he's still really new and we spend a lot of time playing and working on learning his name and bonding. Also I've read some other posts and its just about being in the right place when the time comes, but it seems like he does everything he can no to potty outside. Could he just be so nervous outside in his new surrounds with the cars and noises that he can't go? I've grown up with German Shepherds when I was younger and we never had this problem before. Please help!

Welcome!

A paper-trained dog is a dog who has been TAUGHT to go indoors.

Nerves, etc., have nothing on the fact that he has been trained to go indoors.

He's holding it outside because of being taught to go inside.

The good news is that even though it's harder to re-train a paper-trained dog, you can do it. I've trained several who had been forced to either go in their kennels or on paper, so I promise you that it can be done.

If you would please reduce the size of your sig pic, which is large enough to force scrolling , I'll dig up some really detailed threads about re-training the housetraining. Other folks will help, too.

http://leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=142698

http://leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/234455/page/0/fpart/2

http://leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/187687/page/0/fpart/2

Thanks for the old threads! I read them all and hopefully with some time he'll get it.

We did have some success today. When I got home from work I took him outside for a while and he didn't go. When we got in he started to pee like usual and I scooped him right up and we went outside. At first he didn't go so we ran around for a while then he started to sniff and went poop outside! I was so happy.

Later today we're going to the park for a few hours so hopefully we can get it twice in one day

There ya go, Maggie .... stay outside until he HAS to go, and you get the opportunity to turn it into a party. Ring that brain-bell that says "Oh! New thing! Potty outside instead now, and get good results and praise and a party!"

And indoor tethering to you is an amazing boon.