# 8mo potty training sitll up in the air.



## Grims (Jul 3, 2008)

My 8 month old still has problems with potty training. If I am around him he will never go inside, but if for what ever reason I can't take him out like the other day it was pouring down rain, and was 35 degrees out, I was waiting for it to die down, and he snuck off and peeded, and crapped all over the back room. With every other dog I have had they were completely trained by this age, there was no longer a need to keep a constant eye on him, but this one just isn't getting it. I know he can hold it if he needs to because he has never gone in his crate. 

Also when I take him to other peoples houses, or stores he will go on the floor right infront of me, as he must not realize that other buildings are off limits as well. 

Reading other threads I'm pretty sure the only help i will get is telling me to start potty training all over again, I have tried that route and it doesn't work. I am not new to dogs, and have never had this much trouble before.


----------



## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

> Originally Posted By: Axxel....the other day it was pouring down rain, and was 35 degrees out, I was waiting for it to die down, and he snuck off and peeded, and crapped all over the back room.


That was YOUR fault. Any "animal" (dog, human, ect...) can only "hold it" for so long. Bad weather is no exuse for not taking him out. And everytime he goes in the house, it makes it that much easier for him to do it the next time.

You need to watch him better. If he isn't allowed to "sneek off" that could help. And watch him when you are at other places, if you watch him, you will be able to tell when he is thinking about peeing, tell him no and distract him. Also make sure he pees outside BEFORE you go into any building.


----------



## Laura H. (Feb 23, 2009)

I'd do like you suggested, start over again, he'll get it. Start taking him out every 15 -20 minutes to go potty or whatever your "go" word is, on command.

For what it's worth, my dogs hate going out in the rain (oh well!), they'll play in the pond all day, but rain, no way. But they're a year old now, so even if I have to coax them out they're going to go outside.


----------



## Grims (Jul 3, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: BlackGSD
> 
> 
> > Originally Posted By: Axxel....the other day it was pouring down rain, and was 35 degrees out, I was waiting for it to die down, and he snuck off and peeded, and crapped all over the back room.
> ...


Oh please go preach somewhere else. he had gone 3 hours before he was fine to hold it longer, and at his age he I shouldn't have to worry about him sneeking off.


----------



## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

If it's raining, grab and umbrella and a leash and take the dog outside.


----------



## Kayla's Dad (Jul 2, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: BlackGSDThat was YOUR fault. Any "animal" (dog, human, ect...) can only "hold it" for so long. Bad weather is no exuse for not taking him out. And everytime he goes in the house, it makes it that much easier for him to do it the next time.
> 
> You need to watch him better. If he isn't allowed to "sneek off" that could help. And watch him when you are at other places, if you watch him, you will be able to tell when he is thinking about peeing, tell him no and distract him. Also make sure he pees outside BEFORE you go into any building.


I have to totally agree with Tracy. Won't tell you to start over, but you need to adjust and correct your approach to dealing with it:

If its pouring and 35 degrees, you need to get out there with Axxel and let him potty. If no go, then you need to either put a 100% watch on him in the house or crate him and try again a little later. No potty = no freedom. If you are going to other stores or homes, he needs to potty before you let him in the building. Again, if no potty, no entry. If entry, then as Tracy said, you need to watch like a hawl for signs-that menas you are constantly aware of him. That may put a crimp in your plans but you need to tighten up the scrutiny here. He simply can't have the freedom without paying for it - payment by way of going potty.

Are you aware of his body langauge, the acts that indicate he is about to go? It can be a little difficult with male pups who many times just stop and let loose. Is anything happening to excite him before he goes right in front of you, i.e. are you or someone else playing with him or oohing and aahing over him?



> Originally Posted By: Axxel With every other dog I have had they were completely trained by this age, there was no longer a need to keep a constant eye on him, but this one just isn't getting it. I know he can hold it if he needs to because he has never gone in his crate.


You want to stop comparing Axxel with "other dogs" or you will be held back in the teaching/training department. They are as individual as we are as you have now experienced and you need to adjust your approach to this particular dog. Yeah, it should have been past this stage by now and it's frustrating as h$ll, but you want to take a look at how you are dealing with it with this particular dog. Throw out the "this is the way the other dogs have done it" and deal with Axxel as a totally new experience and you two will get past this and move on.

Good Luck.


----------



## DianaM (Jan 5, 2006)

> Quote:and at his age he I shouldn't have to worry about him sneeking off


Says who? Obviously you DO have to worry because he IS sneaking off and thusly it is your fault. Housebreaking issues and training issues are ALWAYS the handler's fault. Repeat that line over and over until it is drilled in your head. It's fine to make mistakes, but please blame the proper party. Whenever Renji does something bad, we work to improve that but I always know it's MY fault and I have to reexamine what I have done. We're all speaking Klingon to the poor dog and a human's routine and way of life is completely topsy-turvy to a dog so the onus is on us to properly teach the dog what we expect of him in terms he can understand. Some dogs pick up on our desires and instructions quicker, some do not. You have an individual who is NOT your old dog. Axxel is not Fido, nor Nero, nor Sassy, nor Daisy. Axxel is Axxel and he is who he is.

Your dog MAY be able to hold for three hours but maybe in this case his bladder was fuller than normal. If you want a dog that operates like a precision clock, get a robot dog. Get used to taking your dog out in the rain.  I've taken mine out on the hottest days, the coldest nights, even during hurricanes. Unless he learns to use the toilet, that is MY job as a dog owner, as sucky as it can be. But I'd rather towel off my drenched body than lift accidents out of the carpet. 

Do you have a command for pee and poop? That really does help a lot and will put your dog's brain on the task at hand faster especially if he's not sure he has to go. Give him TIME. Sometimes Renji can take 20 minutes before he finally decides he needs to drain. I agree with the poster who said to ensure your dog is empty before going into a building. Just like you want to be empty before you do something, so does your dog.


----------



## Grims (Jul 3, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: DianaM
> 
> 
> > Quote:and at his age he I shouldn't have to worry about him sneeking off
> ...


Or is it simply eaiser to make a keyboard macro with the "it's your fault" and paste it into every thread instead of coming up with some useful advice? The forum feels like dell tech supprot sometimes, why don't you tell me to reboot my computer while you're at it. 

This is why I asked you guys to look into this a little deeper with me instead of giving me generic responses. I have started over, now please understand what I mean and read my post, don't glance over it. I have spent the last 6 months with him tethered to me STARTING OVER the accident I mentioned was after I had started relaxing the tethering him to me and letting him roam around under "looser supervision" I figured it was a fluke, but he did it again the next day. So I am starting over again. but what good is it if he it doesn't click with him. 

My suspicions are he thinks it's okay as long as I'm not around, and that any other building other than th house is fair game when I am around. I have a feeling he will never progress further unless his training is tweaked to suit him, as you guys love to point out every dog is different, so what makes you think the training methods you post word for word in every other thread for this situation are right for him?

I shouldn't need to ensure he's empty before going into buildings if he has gone with in the last few hours, at this point his training and all my hard work should be paying off. Yes, I have a potty command. 

I have done my research, I have put a lot of hard work into this, please don't insult me with puppy house training 101 anymore, I would like to look into this deeper.


----------



## DianaM (Jan 5, 2006)

> Quote:so what makes you think the training methods you post word for word in this situation are right for him?


How do you know otherwise unless you try? You may have to rethink everything you know about potty training. Axxel may have to live life like this for now: tethered to you when you can be with him, crated when you cannot. 



> Quote:I shouldn't need to ensure he's empty before going into buildings if he has gone with in the last few hours


Again, for this dog, there is no "I shouldn't have to." For Axxel, you have to examine what DOES work and change how you live with and think about this dog. Please don't get defensive, it's just the hard, brutal truth that when an animal we are training makes a mistake, it is OUR fault in some way, shape, or form. Maybe we assumed too much too soon. Maybe we weren't clear enough for this particular individual. Maybe this animal has a health problem. Again, animals don't read "the manual" and they can't speak our language so we have to bring ourselves to THEIR level even if it means putting everything we know to work up until now aside in favor of trying new things. One size doesn't fit all when it comes to training. Something is blocking the channel of communication and learning and it's up to you to play around with your methods and be open to new ways of training Axxel and living with him. Once you stop expecting him to act just like your previous dogs and start figuring out what exactly works for him, things will get better. Who knows- he could have a small bladder and may be incapable of holding it as long as a normal dog. Some people need to pee several times a day whereas others don't go nearly as frequently or are able to hold it very long. Be open minded to trying new things; whatever you're doing now just isn't working so it's time to try something new. 

By the way, I would never, EVER consider ANY dog "completely trained" by the age of 8 months. Either you got very lucky or just had very easygoing dogs. Now Axxel is going to make you rethink how you work with dogs, and that is a good thing. The experience you'll get from working with him will be priceless when it comes to future dogs.


----------



## Papanapa (Mar 1, 2008)

Marley would go to the bathroom everytime we went somewhere new inside until very recently. (she is 14 months) Now, she doesn't do it anymore. 

Some dogs take longer.


----------



## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: AxxelI shouldn't need to ensure he's empty before going into buildings if he has gone with in the last few hours, at this point his training and all my hard work should be paying off. Yes, I have a potty command.
> 
> I have done my research, I have put a lot of hard work into this, please don't insult me with puppy house training 101 anymore, I would like to look into this deeper.


Well, you might not feel like you "should have to" but apparently you do need to. I would think a repetition of going in buildings would be proof enough that he has to go, he's going to go, so you should try to get some of it out before he goes into a building. Or is it more like a fear based elimination?

It may not be what you want to hear, but go back to puppy potty 101. If that doesn't suit you, go to your vet and get him checked out. He should be able to hold it, although I suspect that this all came to head because he needed to go but wasn't let outside in the first place. 

If you treat the dog like you do people on here trying to help, I'd sneak away and crap in your room too.


----------



## dd (Jun 10, 2003)

Are you praising and rewarding him when he does his business outside? Do you have key words you use when he goes - i.e. does he have understand English for peeing and pooping? 

Have you tried using the bells on the door system that would gel for him the appropriate location for peeing?


----------



## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

> Originally Posted By: aubie
> 
> If you treat the dog like you do people on here trying to help, I'd sneak away and crap in your room too.


----------



## scannergirl (Feb 17, 2008)

I will echo what Diana said that I feel is very important. Training issues are always the fault of the trainer and never the trainee. Does not mean you're stupid, or that you haven't tried things or read up, it just means YOU have not found the correct approach with this dog yet. And I sense quite a bit of negative energy, which will also never help you in a training situation. Leave your emotions out of it. 
Good luck.


----------



## Grims (Jul 3, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: LucinaI will echo what Diana said that I feel is very important. Training issues are always the fault of the trainer and never the trainee. Does not mean you're stupid, or that you haven't tried things or read up, it just means YOU have not found the correct approach with this dog yet. And I sense quite a bit of negative energy, which will also never help you in a training situation. Leave your emotions out of it.
> Good luck.


The only negative energy I had started when people didn't take the time to read my posts and gave me generic responses. Take my post before this one for example, everyone but Diana asked me questions, or told me things I had already covered after it. It's like they don't even read get past reading the subject before their fingers start crankin out letters. it is very frustrating to try and give detailed specifics only to have them over looked. ...that would give anyone negative energy. 

Maybe this will help?





Yes I have a keyword, yes he understands it






I will not say this again, I have been in puppy training 101 for the last 6 months, but everytime I try to relax it he regresses. 








yes I praise him









He does not go in his crate, ever, and he has a huge crate. Which means he can hold it if he wants to. An emergency came up once and I could not get home or find anyone to go home and let him out and he held it for 11 hours in his crate. 







What I mean by I shouldnt have to wait for him to empty before going into buildings is that I have been doing this for months, and at this point he should have it down. Besides, how is avoiding a situation training him to do anything? 








I am open to medical problems, please tell me what medical problems can cause potting inside but not his crate and I will look into them.....after all causes I haven't thought of is the reason I started this thread.


----------



## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

> Quote:he had gone 3 hours before he was fine to hold it longer, and at his age he I shouldn't have to worry about him sneeking off.


You are right, but only if he was truly housetrained. If he was not, he did exactly what I'd expect him to do. Smart boy that had to go to the bathroom, so did so.

I hear stories of puppies that are housebroken by 10 weeks. I personally have never owned one of those. Generally by 16 weeks they are pretty good, by 6 months well on their way, and by 9 to 12 months I can trust them when I'm home (but still crate them when I am not).

Unless your dog has a health problem (have you had him checked out by a vet?) then clearly he does NOT understand and hasn't got it. Doesn't matter that it's clear to you. That you think he should understand. And I bet you have absolutely and in detail explained your wants and needs to him each time he slips up..................

Fact is this is a 'easy' fix as to what you need to do. Not saying it will be easy, just the steps are clear. You must take your dog outside WITH you, every hour or so with out fail when you are home. You must clearly and quietly praise him when he starts to pee/poo (NOT WHEN HE"S DONE.... when he starts). You want the action to be praised, not the completion. 

When you are in the house, he MUST be in the same room you are 100% of the time. If he can 'sneak' off, that is YOUR fault. I close doors, use baby gates, or will leash my dog to me. 

If I am consistant and don't over-correct when I catch my pups pooping/peeing in the house, THAT is when they learn. Only if I catch them squatting and do it immediately. Never when I catch the mess later, even a minute later. May make me feel better to yell and carry on, but the teaching and learning for my pups will not take place.

Exercise exercise exercise exercise is a huge help to empty my dogs and give me plenty of time to praise each and every time they pee/poo outdoors.

Official classes and dog training give me the skills needed to train my dog in an appropriate manner and keep things in perspective. 

Bonding with my dog with plenty of games, tugging, trick training, socialization trips out in the world to show off my wonderful dog really helps. And if I am NOT home or can't be in the same room, it's all about the crate.


----------



## Grims (Jul 3, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: MaggieRoseLee
> 
> 
> > Quote:he had gone 3 hours before he was fine to hold it longer, and at his age he I shouldn't have to worry about him sneeking off.
> ...


I understand he doesn't get it, that's why I'm asking for help. Again, I do keep a very close eye on him and because of that he almost never has accidents indoors....but I know if I give him any more slack then that is what will happen. So, I'm not asking for a way to prevent it from happening by not giving him the opportunity...as that isn't working, I'm asking on how to keep it from happening at all. He's 8 months old...how long should I expect him to have to be tethered to me at all times...should I check back when he's a year old, how about 2? 

I am very sorry to everyone if I am giving off the wrong tone, it's just that I have tried, and have been doing exactly what everyone has posted. 

Again I'm open to looking into medical problems....but all the vets here are incompetent so someone will need to point me in the right direction in asking them what to test for, again what would make him potty indoors but not his crate that is medical related?


----------



## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: AxxelSo, I'm not asking for a way to prevent it from happening by not giving him the opportunity...as that isn't working, I'm asking on how to keep it from happening at all. He's 8 months old...how long should I expect him to have to be tethered to me at all times...should I check back when he's a year old, how about 2?


I'm not sure what else you CAN do then. That's how you potty train, give the dog a chance to go outside before the accident happens. There is no set age when you can expect a dog to be fully trained. It's an individual thing. The easiest thing is simply to take him out more often. My dog had to pee EVERY TEN MINUTES for the first three months. You'd think he had some sort of problem or infection but no, that's just how HE was. I literally took him out every ten minutes when he was awake. Yes, it sucked b/c I got him mid-October and I live in Michigan so it was freezing cold, dark, and snowing the entire time I potty trained him but that's life.


----------



## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

I'll throw in my 2 cents, and if someone posted this, I missed it, 

When he 'pees' on your house,,how thoroughly are you cleaning it?Is he peeing in the same spot?
Is he neutered?
When outside,,does he tend to pee ALOT? as in alot of times???

Males will mark (certainly not all of them but some do), and if your not cleaning the areas with a good disinfectant, he's going to keep peeing in the house. He could very well be marking in the other buildings you take him into..

He could have a UTI,,(vet can tell you this)..
Some dogs DO have small bladders and when they gotta go they gotta go..

Why isn't he going in his crate? Probably cause he is not going to soil the area he sleeps in. Has nothing to do with how long he can hold it, he doesn't want to sleep in pee)

I would first have him vet checked, I would thoroughly clean the areas in the house he has pottied in. If all that checks out,,I'd follow some of the advice above, OR find a behaviorist in your area and go from there..


----------



## Laura H. (Feb 23, 2009)

If you dog at 8 months isn't housebroken, where do you start except at the beginning?

BTW, my dogs just turned one, they're at the age where I don't feel they need to be supervised as closely, ie they're not chewing shoes, etc. We just got a new indoor/outdoor mat for inside the patio door. Brody likes to lay there so he can watch the animals at the bird feeders, he just got it in his head to start munching on the edge of that rug.

So I have to agree that every dog IS an individual, as my other dogs were all out of the crates completely by one, these two still need to be in the crate when nobody is home.

BTW, if I took my boys to, say, Pet Smart, I'm not convinced that they wouldn't pee or poop in there & they're completely housebroken.


----------



## Jessica H (Mar 14, 2009)

Have you taken him to the vet to rule out any UTI's? 

If so than I would try to keep an eye on him at all times. How does he let you know he wants to go out? At first Dozer just would sit near the door and not make a peep so if I wasn't watching I would never have known. I taught all my dogs to ring a bell and Dozer learned not too long after I got him so if I am not in the room I can still hear them if they need to go. Dozer was the easiest dog I have ever house broken but my Cairns were and sometimes still are different stories. I bring the bell to my friends' houses and that way he knows how to tell me he needs to go out.

As far as the rain and bad weather, I live in New Hampshire and we get BAD weather. This winter is has gone down to -21F at my house not including wind chill and ice storms and blizzards. Scooter refuses to go out in the rain so I have to force him out and I do not let him in until he goes. If this means freezing outside than I do it.

Even if Axxel has gone 2-3 hours prior think about what he has been doing. If Dozer is playing I let him out when he is done, if he is sleeping I let him out the moment he wakes up. Even if is has only been a half hour. Sometimes I just let him out just because.

Dozer usually sleeps in the car and Scooter gets excited so whenever I arrive anywhere they usually have to go potty, even if I have to walk them around a bit.

maybe the bell would help you, that way he has a way to tell you he has to go and give a really yummy treat when he does go, I used to cut up hot dogs.

Just a few ideas.


----------



## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

> Originally Posted By: MaggieRoseLee I hear stories of puppies that are housebroken by 10 weeks. I personally have never owned one of those.


I have had several puppies/dogs over the last 30 years and have had exactly 1 of "those". She will be 1yo on Firday and STILL has NEVER "gone" in the house. BUT she is a "freak of nature". By 10 weeks she was reliably going to the door to tell me she needed to go out. 

As far as having the dog pee before going in a building, it really isn't a "hardship". You have to walk in there, just have them pee on the way in. I STILL do this with my dogs, even the 9yo.


----------



## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

" he had gone 3 hours before he was fine to hold it longer, and at his age he I shouldn't have to worry about him sneeking off. "

Forget about shouldn't. 1. vet visit 2. if he has to go, he has to go whether or not this is convenient for you 3. keep track of him until he is housebroken. You say you have started from scratch but if you let him sneak off you have missed a fundamental of never let them out of sight unsupervised until they are house trained. He isn't, you haven't. ... 

As for your remark about "preaching" if you ask for advise, it is best to accept it graciously. Board rules prohibit being rude.

Fortunately for me, all three of the dogs I have had as pups were house trained by 16 weeks for sure, pretty adequately by 10 or 12 weeks.


----------



## zyppi (Jun 2, 2006)

just like with children... preventing bad habits is much easier than breaking them.

Control, consistency and repetition are the answer.

Have pup either in your control or in the crate.

Take him out often.. more often than you'd think.. if you're home, take him out every hour (on a lead) and praise him when he goes (if you have a yard, take him to the area.

If you see him starting to pee/poop, say outside and immediately leash him up and take him out.

Do not 'punish' the act. Dogs naturally feel peeing, marking etc as natural behavior. Instead, reward the positive. If he is treat oriented, give a treat when he goes in the right spot.

Do the above often and always until he 'gets it.'

In the short run, he may overcorrect by 'wanting' to go out (when he associates it with praise and reward. That's ok, he'll get over that.

It's really the only way, imho.

He's running in the other room because he knows he needs to 'hide' to relieve himself but he doesn't know he'll get a positive experience for going in the right location.

As far as stores, I second having him pee before entering the store. Again, again, praise. If he pees in store give a positive and energetic "outside." and immediately leave store for a spot outside. If necessary tell store folks that you're training and will be right back (on the way out).

You will quickly resolve this issue if you really dedicate the time and energy to do it. Make take a week or two, but if you do the same routine every day until it's engrained, it will be easier in the long run.

He won't magically train himself because he really doesn't understand yet.

And, yeah, my last two pups each made only one or two mistakes while training but only because they were anticipated, praised and contained. I was not a free person during the initial couple of weeks but was worth my time and effort. 

Good luck.


----------



## Laura H. (Feb 23, 2009)

I had house breaking issues with my lab Dakota probably for his whole life, not all the time, but every once in a while.

He was a very laid back puppy & laid back dog. Rocky (GSD) would bark & let you know when he needed to go out, even at night.

Dakota, his style was different, he would go to the side of the bed & just look at one of us, me or DH. Not utter one sound. If he really had to go I guess he figured he tried to tell us, then would go down in the dining room on the nice flowered rug & make a mess. Not too often, but yuck, often enough.

On another thread someone suggested maybe hanging a bell by the door? We did that for our first GSD Axel, & it worked like a charm.

Great name BTW - Axxel LOL My husband came up with the name Axel, he was trying to think of a German sounding name, there was this tiny town named Axele near where we lived in Ohio, we just dropped the "e"


----------



## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

I feel your pain. I had the same problems with Kai, who I adopted at 7 months (after he had been in foster care since he was a tiny puppy). He had gotten the idea that it was ok to go in the house so it took what seemed liked forever to get him to understand that it wasn't. He even started peeing in the back of my truck once!







When he had to pee in the house he would just walk over to the dog bed and pee on it!














I had never had a foster or adopted dog who acted like this! 

Finally, after treating him like a young puppy for months, he became reliable. He improved a lot but he was still having the occasional accident in the house when he was a year old. And he never could hold it as long as other dogs I'd had. 

I did take him to the vet and had him checked for a UTI and for parasites. You should rule both of those things out first. Then just take a deep breath and start over again.


----------



## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

> Quote: I did take him to the vet and had him checked for a UTI and for parasites. You should rule both of those things out first. Then just take a deep breath and start over again.












Can't say enough....... if the question is 'How long do I have to treat him like an 8 week old puppy with him ALWAYS being under my eye and having me take him out every hour or so????' 

The answer is 'When he 'get's it'. Until then, we ALL have found out that it's about us doing it right and being consistant, until we don't have to. Not when we THINK they should be housebroken. Not at the age our other dogs were housebroken. But when they show us they DO get it and are housebroken. 

All our dogs our different so we have to accept that, deal with that, and work with that particular dog. Truthfully, the hardest part about this is that I have to go outside each and every time, every hour or so, rain or shine for the WEEKS or MONTHS this takes. And I also have to close the baby gates or doors to keep the dog in the room with me for the weeks or months this takes. 

The good part, if I do this properly, I have ZERO of the anger/fury at finding ANOTHER mess and having to clean up ANOTHER mess, which greatly improves the relationship with my dog. If I'm in the room I catch them and have minimal clean up and mess. And the more I 'catch' them outside squatting over and over every time during the day............the quicker they want to earn the praise and tend to empty themselves more outdoors. 

My favorite story about how to housebreak our dogs says to use that rolled up newpaper we all hear about. Make sure you have it prepared and ready close to hand. When you find an 'accident' your dog has made, you grab that newspaper ASAP, hold it up high and start beating yourself over the head and shoulders saying loudly 'bad owner/bad owner'. Cause it's OUR fault they were able to sneak away, and OUR fault we weren't there to catch them when they squatted so we would be able to TEACH them to be housebroken.


----------



## Grims (Jul 3, 2008)

Thank you for the replies, some of which may be very helpful. 


> Quote:The good part, if I do this properly, I have ZERO of the anger/fury at finding ANOTHER mess and having to clean up ANOTHER mess, which greatly improves the relationship with my dog. If I'm in the room I catch them and have minimal clean up and mess. And the more I 'catch' them outside squatting over and over every time during the day............the quicker they want to earn the praise and tend to empty themselves more outdoors.


I would like to point out that my house has all tile floors, and I have no anger what so ever...and do instantly blame myself not the dog when it happens.....but again everyone is missing the fact it has happened TWICE in the last 2 months. I guess I'm the only fallible person here who gets distracted by someone at the door, or a phone ringing...wish I had the omniscient powers of some of the members on this forum


----------



## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Twice in two months is not bad at all. If that's the frequency I wouldn't sweat it.


----------



## allieg (Nov 4, 2008)

I'm going to put my 2 cents in too.I have a dog that is almost 2 that I still have to worry about accidents and I have Athena who is almost 11 months old that I don't worry about accidents at all.I trained them the same way except Lexi was 6 months old and had been in at least 3 homes since a puppy,she hasn't gotten it and Athena has.ALL dogs are different.Some of you people on here either need to not respond to people you possibly don't like or go about it in a simple nice manner.This person is asking for advice, not to be beaten to the ground because his dog is having a problem.Not one person till Dozer and JakodaCD OA mentioned it asked if her had been to the vet to rule out a medical problem or that the area wasn't cleaned up super good.Let's try to be nice about our responses and not always jump down the person's throat. There are some people that are idiot and need to be told so but some of us aren't.

I would clean all areas with a neutralizing cleaner,look for signs of needing to go out and do a quick pee stop before going into a new place.The excitement could be causing those accidents.The only signal I get from Lexi is she will sit and stare at me and it's different than a I want to play stare.Good luck.


----------



## Grims (Jul 3, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: AllieGI'm going to put my 2 cents in too.I have a dog that is almost 2 that I still have to worry about accidents and I have Athena who is almost 11 months old that I don't worry about accidents at all.I trained them the same way except Lexi was 6 months old and had been in at least 3 homes since a puppy,she hasn't gotten it and Athena has.ALL dogs are different.Some of you people on here either need to not respond to people you possibly don't like or go about it in a simple nice manner.This person is asking for advice, not to be beaten to the ground because his dog is having a problem.Not one person till Dozer and JakodaCD OA mentioned it asked if her had been to the vet to rule out a medical problem or that the area wasn't cleaned up super good.Let's try to be nice about our responses and not always jump down the person's throat. There are some people that are idiot and need to be told so but some of us aren't.
> 
> I would clean all areas with a neutralizing cleaner,look for signs of needing to go out and do a quick pee stop before going into a new place.The excitement could be causing those accidents.The only signal I get from Lexi is she will sit and stare at me and it's different than a I want to play stare.Good luck.



Thank you, yes I use an agent, but I think it may not be enough....here's the problem. The room he always goes to if he sneaks off and tries to relive himself is being remodeled and has bare concrete floors. I think it may be very pours and is trapping the smell in the concrete even after it has been sprayed and cleaned. 

I may try bleaching it real good and make sure he doesnt have access to the room for a few days.


----------



## allieg (Nov 4, 2008)

What are you using to clean it right now?


----------



## Grims (Jul 3, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: LaraI had house breaking issues with my lab Dakota probably for his whole life, not all the time, but every once in a while.
> 
> He was a very laid back puppy & laid back dog. Rocky (GSD) would bark & let you know when he needed to go out, even at night.
> 
> ...


Thank you for the compliments! Actually, his name is Axel too...I made this account before I had gotten him, or fully made up my mind on the spelling lol.


----------



## BowWowMeow (May 7, 2007)

White vinegar and water works great on concrete (don't ask me how I know







) . Bleach is very dangerous for dogs (and people) so I would avoid using that.


----------



## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Bleach may help with the smell YOU smell but it's not designed for pet enzymes. You will need something like Nature's Miracle. Pour it so it completely covers the spot and let it soak in and dry. As it dries, it removes the chemicals that the dog smells.


----------



## allieg (Nov 4, 2008)

The vinegar is what i was going to recommend.


----------



## Grims (Jul 3, 2008)

Okay, I will try Vinegar, I use nature's miracle now (man that stuff is pricey) Although, I see how bleach could be dangerous...I don't see how it wouldn't be able to kill biological enzymes from a chemistry point of view, seems kinda like saying a flame thrower isn't designed to kill ants.


----------



## Jessica H (Mar 14, 2009)

Dozer has been chewing the wood trim around my doors and I have tried everything. I just put white vinegar on it and it worked! He hates the smell and steers clear of the wood trim now! 
Maybe using vinegar will not only get rid of the smell but maybe deter him a bit ;-)


----------



## Grims (Jul 3, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: Dozer Dozer has been chewing the wood trim around my doors and I have tried everything. I just put white vinegar on it and it worked! He hates the smell and steers clear of the wood trim now!
> Maybe using vinegar will not only get rid of the smell but maybe deter him a bit ;-)


Oh goody maybe he will go in a finished part of the house now haha.


----------



## Laura H. (Feb 23, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: Axxel
> 
> 
> > Originally Posted By: LaraI had house breaking issues with my lab Dakota probably for his whole life, not all the time, but every once in a while.
> ...


I hope you're as lucky with your boy as we were with ours


----------



## Laura H. (Feb 23, 2009)

> Originally Posted By: AxxelOkay, I will try Vinegar, I use nature's miracle now (man that stuff is pricey) Although, I see how bleach could be dangerous...I don't see how it wouldn't be able to kill biological enzymes from a chemistry point of view, seems kinda like saying a flame thrower isn't designed to kill ants.


I have found out by trial & error (I had some bad experiences with cats "marking their territory in the house", that the cheaper products works as well as the higher priced ones.

I went from the $19.99 a gallon stuff down to $9.99 a gallon, worked the same IMO


----------



## allieg (Nov 4, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: Lara
> 
> 
> > Originally Posted By: AxxelOkay, I will try Vinegar, I use nature's miracle now (man that stuff is pricey) Although, I see how bleach could be dangerous...I don't see how it wouldn't be able to kill biological enzymes from a chemistry point of view, seems kinda like saying a flame thrower isn't designed to kill ants.
> ...


What's the $9.99 a gallon stuff??


----------



## Laura H. (Feb 23, 2009)

I was just at Pet Smart yesterday too. I don't remember the name, the last time I did get the more expensive stuff because I bought the large economy container. 

It's with the other cleaners, the last time I bought it it was $9.99 a gallon.

Also, I found this out since I have cats & dogs, the same cleaner works for both animals & sometimes there will be a better selection in either the cat or dog section, depends on what Pet Smart you're at.

Hope this helps, if not, my next trip there I will definitely look for it.


----------

