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We have 2 dogs (Labs) who just turned 3. Unfortunately, they have gotten in the habit of treating the living room as their own personal toilet. They only do this at night when we're in bed or sometimes when we're not at home. How can we break them of this habit?
You train older dogs the same way you treat puppies. You watch them ALL the time they are in the house and not in their crate. Keep them crated unless you are asleep or not at home. ALL other times you watch them and the instant that start to squat, you interrupt them and take them outside. You go out with them and when they do their business, praise and treat them. Never scold them or fuss in any way if they go inside. The only reason they are going inside is because they haven't yet been taught that it's wrong. If they do get away with it and you don't notice until its too late, its not their fault, its your fault for not watching closely enough.
Thanks for the advice, Bill. I'll have to try this and see if it works. I know it will probably take all the attention and patience I've GOT to break them of doing their business inside the house. But I need to do it.
It's not really that difficult, Chris. Just don't let them out of your sight while you are home. If you can't watch them they should be in their crates. This is critical. They should never have the opportunity to use bathroom in the house. Their crates should be just large enought for them to stand up in and turn around. You don't want a huge crate. They won't do anything in their crate if its small.
That's a great idea, Bill. Both of them are members of our family, so it would break my heart to keep the crated all the time. Fortunately, they never do it in front of us. It's always during the night when we're in bed or during the day when we're at work.
Hi Bill,
I was about to post a similar issue. I am looking after a friend's 8month old Miniature Dachshund for 6 months. He has a Wizdog-like toilet which he uses.... occasionally! The owner didn't have a yard as they lived in a high rise therefore this indoor toilet was the only thing they used. He seems to know what it is, and when I first brought him to my house, he seemed to know to use it. I have a 2 bedroom house with a living room and a yard. I have never owned a dog before.
I've had him a week now, and over the last few days he seems to be going to the toilet anywhere he wants, except my bedroom. Sometimes in the dog toilet, sometimes NEXT to the dog toilet, in the living room etc etc. I initially scolded him when I caught him going in the wrong place, but then read online that's not a good idea. I now praise him if he's gone in the right place, but that is a RARE occurrence. I work 9-5 so am out the house all day. When I come home he tends to have gone to the toilet twice. I feed him before and after work and he has a water bottle day and night. If I teach him to go in the yard, that might cause problems when his owner takes him back, so I want him to use the Dog Toilet WITHOUT FAIL! Well, within reason anyway.
"Keep them crated unless you are asleep or not at home."
You mean keep them in a cage most of the time?! Is that when I can't watch him you mean?
Anyway, if you can add any advice that you'v already given it would be really appreciated. Thanks so much.
Steve.
What you have inadvertantly taught him is not to potty in front of you. He is afraid of what you will do. Now you have learned about that so possibly that will straighten itself out. Whatever he does, you must praise or interrupt him (whichever is appropriate) while he is in the act. 10 seconds later is too late. He has no idea what he did to get whatever reaction he got from you.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sutiive
You have to watch him continuously. Learn to recognize behaviors that indicate he is looking for a place to potty. IMMEDIATELY take him to his potty place. When he does good, praise him profusely and give him a treat IMMEDIATELY when he finishes. When he does wrong, say or do nothing. It will only reinforce the idea that he is not to pottiy in front of you.
You cannot give him the opportunity to fail. Anytime you are not home or asleep, he should be in a crate. Any other time he should be out but you should be watching him. Some people tether the dog to them to keep them from sneaking away and to remind you to keep your eyes on him. It shouldn't take him long to figure things out.
OOOOooooopppppsssss ... I typed that all wrong. :) Keep them crated WHEN you are asleep or not at home. So sorry. :)Quote:
"Keep them crated unless you are asleep or not at home."
Bill, this is really great advice. Thank you so much. What you said about making him not want to potty in front of me makes perfect sense. It just seemed natural to tell him off, but once I read online not too, I immediately stopped. I hope I haven't make him permanently bladder shy!
He has a free reign of the house at the moment but I will take your advice and crate him. I searched crate online though and they were all very small cages. Is it really OK to have him in a cage 8 hours a day and all night? I have a fence type think, can I pen him in to a smaller area at night? Something like that? If I am understanding correctly, the idea is to have in small enough confines that he will not potty there and wait until he has more space to do it, when I am around to stop him and take him somewhere appropriate or praise him when done in the right place.
I'd like to try a small pen first and see how that works out, unless I am misinterpreting this crate word. This is what a google seatch yields - http://www.trenigens.com.au/images/crate.jpg Is it really OK for him to be in here 8 hours a day and 8 hours a night? I guess it's just a temporary measure until he learns when and where to go right? Ah, so many questions haha.
Once again this advice is invaluable to a novice dog owner. Very much appreciated!
Steve.
I'm a new pet owner and also struggling with potty training. Also, I have a toddler in the house which makes it even more difficult to manage both (dog and baby) at the same time!
I guess I'd have to be more patient when it comes to toilet training for dogs. My dog is also a bit old already, he's 2 yrs old and not quite a good potty training was given by my sister who used to own him. I agree, the dogs should be crated when you cannot watch over them if toilet training is still in process.
When we first got Lucy she had been shut up in a shed with other dogs for long periods of time, and she was badly neglected so her toilet training had been far from perfect. From the very first day I took her outside often so that she could 'go' and I gave her lots of praise when she did as I wanted. We has one or two accidents, but she got the idea very quickly. It was certainly worth the time and effort in those first days.
This little fella is only 8 months old. I am a little confused by his behavior. I know he is young but he has been living with the owner for 8 months already so I am not sure whether she just didn't tell me he was not so good on the potty, or whether the change in location has confused him.
When he first moved in he did use the toilet correctly a few times. He sometimes only put his front legs on it, which meant he would not always be on target. He soon just started going wherever he liked (except my bedroom) as I mentioned before, my natural reaction was to scold him, but when I started realising I might have a problem on my hands, I looked online and read not to scold. As Bill mentioned, I have now inadvertently taught him not to potty in front of me, so of late I have had him in a penned off area and taking him to his potty. He didn't like me being around, but he evetually did it in the right place a few times and I rewarded him immediately with a treat and praise. I thought we were making progress, but yesterday he would not go. I took him to his toilet maybe 5 times for about 10 minutes each time, he would walk around a lot and then just sit down looking bored. I tried one last time before I went to bed but he didn't go so I put him in his pen. Maybe 10 minutes later I could hear him whining and when I went outside he had done both number1's and 2's in his pen.
I have now decreased the size of his pen so that it just contains space for his basket and water and food bowl in the hope that this stops him doing it again.
I sincerely hope he learns what to do as it's not pleasant getting up in the night and walking barefooted through dog urine :(. Is it normal for dogs this young to have problems like this? Does this behavior sound strange at all to anyone? Does anyone have any further advice?!
Much appreciated as always.
Sounds like he is just having a little problem figuring it out. He will eventually. Never saw a dog that never figured it out. :)
I just wanted to say stick with it, he will work it out, but I know how exhausting it can be when trying to settle a new dog into your home. Don't give up.